Cruise lines are constantly competing to provide the most memorable experiences for guests, and being able to provide new offerings can make a real difference. But what do the major lines have on the horizon for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018?
Seabourn Cruise Line is to offer new Extended Explorations voyages, which will visit 30 new ports between winter 2018 and spring 2019. Destinations will include Polynesia, Fiji, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and south-east Asia. Guests can expect overnight stays in select ports, as well as the optional mid-cruise Seabourn Journeys package.
Star Cruises’ SuperStar Libra is to sail from three homeports – Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Phuket in Thailand – in September 2017. The vessel will sail two cruises per week, including the three-nights cruise from Kuala Lumpur, via Malaysia’s new main homeport Port Klang, to Phuket and Penang. The other four-night itinerary will take guests from Kuala Lumpur via Port Klang to Langkawi, Phuket and Penang.
Windstar Cruises has announced five new cruise dates in autumn 2018, running from September to November and adding to its diverse offerings in Asia, where it has 18 different itineraries. The new itineraries and land tours cover attractions such as the Great Wall of China and Mount Fuji.
Silversea Cruises will sail seven new expedition voyages through the Americas in 2018, including the line’s first Pacific Coast exploration. A path will be traced from Ushuaia, Argentina up the Pacific coastline to Vancouver, Canada. Silver Explorer will start with a 14-day Ushuaia to Valparaiso voyage, where guests will be able to visit Patagonia’s lakes, glaciers, mountains.
Seven Seas Mariner is to visit 66 ports in 30 countries during Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ departing from the US in 2020. Sailing roundtrip from San Francisco, California, Seven Seas Mariner will visit the South Pacific islands, the Arabian Peninsula and Central America. Guests can expect shore excursions including the Overland Programme, which will allow guests to experience a Temples of Angkor Wat trip from Bali to Cambodia.
Viking Cruises is to launch its first winter Arctic Circle cruise in January 2019. Guests will have the chance to see the Northern Lights, and Viking will be one of only a few cruise lines to offer a full-length itinerary in the Arctic Circle during the winter season. Shore excursions will include a visit to the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø and a panoramic tour of Bergen that involves a trip to Bryggen wharf.
AmaWaterways has expanded its Southeast Asia itinerary portfolio, adding new ‘cruise and land’ packages in Vietnam and Cambodia for 2018-2019. This will allow guests to combine a cruise up or down the Mekong river with pre- and post-cruise land options. Shore excursions will include a trip to a Buddhist monastery and a full-day exploration of the historical and ecological site of Xeo Quyt.