Wow, 2013 was a big year for new cruise ships. There was the debut of Norwegian’s Breakaway in New York City. HRH the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) christened the Royal Princess – Princess’ first new ship in almost a decade – and Viking River Cruises broke a Guinness record by christening 10 ships. Those were only the highlights, but 2014 looks like it might be just as exciting as 2013.
The first ship to make its debut will be the Norwegian Getaway. This is the sister ship to the Norwegian Breakaway, and while she will be similar to her sister in size and shape, the Getaway will have a personality all her own. For starters, the Getaway will be based out of Miami and will feature some of this beach city’s key aspects. She’ll have a lot of Latin flavor at the Flamingo Bar & Grill and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, and music is all over this ship with the GRAMMY experience, where you’ll see live performances and memorabilia from your favorite rock stars. The ship will feature the first production of the musical Legally Blonde at sea, and it will also have an incredible magic show at the Illusionarium with its domed video screen.
March starts off the christenings of Avalon Waterway’s last Suite Ships. Since 2011, this sophisticated river cruise line has introduced five ships onto the rivers of Europe. These ships offer the largest staterooms in a river ship. In March, two more ships, the Avalon Poetry II and the Avalon Impression, will bring the count to seven, and then in May the last of the suite ships, the Avalon Illumination, will join the fleet. These ships feature rooms with sliding glass doors that are 30% larger than those on other ships. They feature luxury bathrooms with larger showers and a stateroom design where the bed faces the window so you never miss the view.
Viking River Cruises is also in their last year of introducing their Longships. In 2014 they plan to introduce a whopping 14 new river ships. These ships are identical and all feature the Aquavit Terrace, a casual dining spot which can go from indoor to outdoor in a matter of minutes. The ships also has two 445 square feet suites with 270 degree wraparound verandahs. The ships are also very green with hybrid engines, solar panels and an organic herb garden, which the ship’s culinary staff use in their many meals. These are the ships being introduced to the Viking Rivers fleet this year: Alsvin, Bestla, Buri, Delling, Eistla, Gullveig, Helmdal, Hermod, Hlin, Idi, Ingvi, Kara, Kvasir and Lif.
In May, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection adds to their fleet with the S.S. Catherine. This ship is the sister to the luxury river cruise line’s flag ship, the S.S. Antoinette. S.S. Catherine will feature beautifully decorated staterooms with a variety of whimsical lounges modeled after the works of Europe’s most appealing artists, like the Matisse Terrace, Cezanne Restaurant and Van Gogh Lounge. The ships also has a spa and swimming pool, which are very rare for river ships. The ship is 443 feet long, one of the longest river ships’ built, making room for the innovative spaces but not more staterooms. Uniworld made sure to limit the number of staterooms to 80 so that the ship isn’t crowded and they can maintain the same level of personal service.
May 2014 also marks the debut of the Regal Princess. This ship is the sister of Princess’ Royal Princess. Onboard the ship will be almost identical. You’ll find the innovative SeaWalk, a glass enclosed walkway that juts roughly 28 feet over the edge of the ship for spectacular views. The ship also features a video screen that is larger than any before. On the pool deck you’ll also find a thrilling live fountain show with lights and music. Though the ship’s godmother hasn’t been announced yet, we’re sure she’ll be top-notch, as Princess has a history with astounding godmothers like Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn and Martha Stewart.
Closing out the year will be the biggest debut of 2014, the debut of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas in November. The ship has already gotten more press than most ships and she isn’t even built yet. Quantum promises to wow with new features like the North Star, which is a jewel capsule surrounded in windows. The capsule takes passengers over the side of the ship for an incredible experience. The ship will also have bumper cars, a circus school, simulated sky diving and lots of innovative spaces like Two70, which transforms from a lounge to a multimedia acrobatic show at night. The Quantum will be doing routine sailings to the Caribbean from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.
So have you already booked a sailing on one of these ships? Is there a ship you are most looking forward to?
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New Ships for 2014