It seemed that 2022 was year of catch-up, getting ships that were due to arrive during the lockdown finally christened and launched on their careers. So this year is the first time in three years where we can confidently board ships that are brand new and hopefully are not postponed because of restrictions or shortages.
Several of 2023’s newcomers are tweaked versions of sister ships that are already sailing, but others, like Explora 1 and Icon of the Seas, represent completely new interpretations of what designers see as the future of cruising. While big ships are still getting ever larger, a significant story is the surge in agile exploration ships and luxury ships that are actually smaller than their predecessors.
Here’s a look at what’s new and notable:
Seabourn Pursuit
The twin sister of Seabourn Venture arriving in April carries a maximum of 280 guests, Seabourn Pursuit is half the size of most other ships in Seabourn’s growing fleet, scaled to be able to reach the most remote places on earth and strengthened to sail through polar ice. The expedition ship has a staff of more than two dozen specialists in exploration and nature interpretation and features zodiacs and kayaks and mini-submarines. Yet it’s still very much a Seabourn ship, with gourmet dining and spacious suites that feature walk-in closets and marble topped cabinetry.
Seabourn Pursuit launches with a Fire and Ice voyage round-trip from Reykjavík, Iceland and it has an ambitious summer plan that includes a 22-day journey across the Northwest passage from Greenland to Alaska. Later in the year it joins Venture offering intensive Antarctic cruises.
Viking Saturn
Viking’s oceangoing fleet keeps expanding and this is the ninth in a series, joining sister ship Viking Mars which appeared in the fall of 2022. The 930-guest Viking Saturn is scheduled to debut in April, doing itineraries in the Mediterranean and northern Europe. The ship will feature all the Viking crowd-pleasers, including an Aquavit Terrace with infinity pool, Manfredi’s Italian restaurant, Wintergarden, The Nordic Spa with thermal suite, Torshavn Lounge, Explorer’s Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows and Kitchen Table cooking school.
Viking Saturn will be doing an innovative mix of itineraries from the Mediterranean to the Baltic and Iceland and extended cruises that combine those with Canada and New York.
Oceania Vista
Oceania Cruises has avoided the logistical problems that have delayed many new ships and was actually able to accelerate the debut of the first of its new class of ship and introduce an initial Founder’s Cruise departing from Rome on May 13, and sailing to Venice. Vista had been scheduled to debut on May 20, but there has been unprecedented demand and an extra week was added to the planned itineraries, Oceania explains.
It’s the first of a new 1,200-guest Allura Class that boasts the most spacious standard staterooms at sea—averaging more than 290 square feet and suites that feature soaking tubs. Vista will offer 12 dining options, four of them brand-new and there will be eight bars and lounges. After a summer in the Mediterranean, the ship does a British Isles round trip, a trans-Atlantic to New York, then a cruise to Montreal before it starts a winter season sailing from Miami.
World Seeker
Due in May, Atlas Ocean Voyages’ 200-guest World Seeker is the next in a series of ships designed for polar regions built by holding company Mystic Invest and operated by other companies under charter. The ship is all-suite, with 90 per cent of them featuring step-out balconies and 10 per cent featuring French balconies and has an innovative glass-domed observation lounge.
When chartered by Nicko Cruises, the ship will operate in the Mediterranean, Atlantic coastal routes and Baltic Sea and Norwegian fjords. When chartered by other companies, the ship will explore Antarctic and Arctic destinations.
Explora I
Due in May, this is the first of a fleet planned by Explora Journeys, with all-suite, all-balcony accommodations for 922 passengers. Explora Journeys is the privately-owned luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group and plans a fleet of six ships, two of which are under construction, and two which will be powered by hydrogen, to be launched from 2023 to 2028.
Explora I offers 461 suites, penthouses and residences that are said to be “designed to be as comfortable as Homes at Sea,” all with sweeping ocean views, private terrace, the company says. Highlights of the ship include a choice of 11 distinct culinary experiences, with six specialty restaurants plus in-suite dining, 12 bars and lounges (eight outdoor and four indoor) and a chef`s kitchen. There are four swimming pools, including one with a retractable roof, extensive outdoor decks with private cabanas, wellness facilities, and entertainment venues.
The ship offers a wide variety of itineraries, beginning with British Isles to Baltic and Iceland cruises in the summer, then New York and Canada, then Miami for varied journeys to the Caribbean and South America and even a winter cruise to Hawaii. A summer season in Alaska is planned in 2024.
Resilient Lady
Due in May, Virgin Voyages’ third 2,770-passenger ship is going to share the year between Mediterranean cruises in the summer and fall and Australia/New Zealand in the winter.
Along with expected Virgin features such as the Squid Ink tattoo studio and Athletic Club outdoor playground, it will feature The Loose Cannon, a nautical-themed bar; Pink Agave Mexican restaurant; Gunbae Korean barbecue restaurant and a spa thermal suite with a mud room, salt room, sauna, and hot and cold plunge pools.
MSC Euribia
MSC’s third new ship in a year is named in honor of the ancient goddess Eurybia who is said to have “harnessed the winds, weather and constellations to master the seas,” the company says. The 6,300 passenger ship is the second in the MSC fleet — after MSC World Europa — to be powered by clean burning liquified natural gas. It also features the longest LED Dome at Sea, a promenade featuring both main and specialty restaurants along with numerous shops. Starting in June, the ship will do seven-day cruises between Kiel, Germany and Copenhagen. In the fall, it switches to a winter schedule of cruises starting from Hamburg, Southampton or Le Havre.
Silver Nova
The first of a new class from Silversea Cruises, the 728-guest Silver Nova is due to launch in July. Bigger than its fleet-mates, it’s the most spacious in the Silversea fleet, with a 1.3:1 passenger-to-crew ratio.
Silver Nova’s pool decks will feature 280 sunbeds on decks 10 and 11. The horseshoe-shaped pool area on the starboard side of the ship, allows unobstructed views from the swimming pool. The main pool is larger than on the cruise line’s previous ships, with a new layout, wide entrance steps, and more shallow water with seating. Deck 10’s pool bar is designed as a central hub for socializing, day and night. Silver Nova’s top deck 11 forms an amphitheater-shaped structure with deck 10. At its center, overlooking the ship’s port side is an infinity Cliff Whirlpool.
Many of the on-board highlights will be familiar to gests who have sailed Silversea in the past, including La Dame French restaurant, The Grill with dishes served on hot rocks and Spaccanapoli, the pizza and pasta venue on deck. There’s also Kaiseki Asian restaurant, an Arts Café and S.A.L.T. Kitchen featuring destination-inspired menus.
Silver Nova will be a world traveler, with itineraries that include Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Alaska, Asia and Australia.
Emerald Sakara
Scheduled to debut in August, this ocean-going mega-yacht will carry only 100 pampered guests on itineraries that include the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and the Seychelles, with nearly all the accommodations being suites with balconies. It’s nearly identical to Emerald Azzurra that’s won numerous awards in its inaugural 2022 season. On-board features include Cucina Italian restaurant and Amici Bar & Lounge, zodiacs, kayaks and paddleboards for exploring.
Initial Mediterranean cruises from Athens or Rome will include Venice. After a trans-Atlantic crossing, the ship will do Caribbean cruises from Antigua or Puerto Rico.
Norwegian Viva
The second of Norwegian’s new 3,200 -guest Prima Class due in August will feature all the options that make Norwegian Prima a game changer. The upper decks feature a range of wet and dry slides and a three-level kart racing race track. Innovative food options include the complimentary Hudson’s, with 270-degree views overlooking the stern, and Indulge Food Hall offering 11 stations of cuisines from around the world that can be ordered from tables indoors on deck.
Specialty dining venues include Mediterranean seafood restaurant Palomar, Italian restaurant Onda by Scarpetta,the Latin American themed Los Lobos, and Pan-Asian restaurants including Nama Sushi. The ship will sail in the Mediterranean in the summer and fall and the Caribbean from San Juan in the winter.
Carnival Jubilee
Carnival Jubilee is a twin sister of Carnival Celebration and shares the title of Carnival’s biggest-ever ship, carrying 5,374 passengers double occupancy. Like its sisters Mardi Gras and Celebration, the new Carnival cruise ship will feature a top-deck roller coaster, water park and ropes course; restaurants by Guy Fieri and Shaquille O’Neal; a wide variety of cabins, including suites with exclusive sun deck access and family cabins with a dedicated family lounge; and six themed zones for dining, drinking and playing on board.
The delivery of the ship had to be pushed back to December because of supply chain delays. Passengers booked on the first six cruises have been notified that the first sailing will now be Dec. 23 from Galveston, its home port for seven-day western Caribbean itineraries.
Seven Seas Grandeur
The arrival of Regent Seven Seas‘ newest in November is destined to be a memorable event. The 750-guest sister of Seven Seas Splendour is the sixth ship for the fleet, but it’s also the last on order for for the foreseeable future by the line that boasts it is the ultimate in luxury .
Among the unique highlights are a cascading waterfall sculpture of laser-cut metal and hand-blown glass in the main Compass Rose restaurant and an art collection that includes a Faberge egg.
After a 14-night maiden voyage from Barcelona to Miami, the ship will cruise 17 itineraries in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean ranging from seven to 16 nights in length.
Icon of the Seas
No new ship is more intriguing than Royal Caribbean’s first liquefied natural gas-powered ship and the start of a big new class. The company has been releasing teasers for months, even though it’s still a full year from service.
Its most innovative addition is AquaDome, one of eight neighborhoods on board, that transforms from a quiet lounge by day into a hotspot at night featuring restaurants, bars entertainment in the AquaTheater.
Accommodations on Icon cater to every type of vacationer, the company says, with 28 room categories that range from standard rooms to suites and new layouts for families of three, four, five, six or more.
The 5,600 guest Icon will sail year-round, seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami. Every cruise will visit Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, and destinations including Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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