What’s new in cruising for the year ahead
The cruise scene looks bright for 2020, with fresh innovations and ships venturing to Australia for the first time.
The secret of cruising’s success is its constant evolution, year after year; jumping on new trends, building more ships and sailing to different ports across the world. In 2020, the ships are getting both bigger and smaller, the destinations wider and the innovations wilder.
Two of the vessels under construction come from brand new cruise lines — one founded by Richard Branson and the other by Ritz-Carlton — which might lure a few first-timers to discover the delights of holidays at sea.
First off the dock is Regent’s Seven Seas Splendor, set to be christened by Christie Brinkley in February. The ultimate in luxury, this outstanding ship still manages to float despite housing an acre of marble, a multi-million-dollar art collection and a restaurant with over-water alcove seating jutting off the side. Splendor will carry 750 passengers on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises. In its top-of-the-range Regent Suite, spanning more than 400sq m, the mattress alone is worth $US200,000 ($290,000). It also has its own spa retreat with personal sauna, steam room and unlimited treatments for up to six guests; a glass-enclosed sitting area on top of the bridge for a captain’s view over the bow; as well as the services of a dedicated butler and a private car with driver and guide in every port of call.
At the other extreme is a hybrid battery-powered expedition ship, Hurtigruten’s Fridtjof Nansen. Completed three months earlier than expected, the ship is filling in the spare time with pre-inaugural voyages around Britain and a special four-night cruise from London’s Tower Bridge to Oslo, Norway, via the Kiel Canal. Brimming with green technology, Fridtjof Nansen will spend the rest of its maiden season exploring along the Norwegian coast, Greenland, Iceland and Antarctica.
The most exciting new mainstream ship of 2020 is ironically the least cruisy: Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady. Launching in March, Scarlet Lady boasts no kids, no buffet, no dress codes, no tipping, no set dining times and no surcharges for any food, fitness classes or entertainment. The decor is “rock-star cool” and most of the bars look like the beachfront lounges of Ibiza or the Hamptons with cabanas.
The vibe is futuristic at Richard’s Rooftop, where coloured crystals cast rainbow reflections around the outdoor area. The Athletic Club is catamaran-inspired, featuring a large patch of triple netting where you can lie down and overlook the open space below. There’s also champagne on demand. Among the many dining options are a Korean barbecue and a supper club where drag performers entertain.
The other new-to-cruise venture is Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, although shipyard challenges have delayed its launch and uncertainty surrounds its debut in June. If the ship does set sail, Evrima will see 298 guests pampered by 236 crew for a yacht-like experience in the Mediterranean.
The largest ships launching later this year include Carnival Cruise Line’s 6600-passenger Mardi Gras, introducing the first rollercoaster at sea, the 6300-passenger MSC Virtuosa, with two new Cirque du Soleil shows onboard, Royal Caribbean’s 4500-passenger Odyssey of the Seas, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex, nearly identical to last year’s Celebrity Edge, Enchanted Princess, similar to Princess Cruises’ four other Royal-class ships, and the biggest ship purpose-built for the British market, P&O Cruises UK’s 5200-passenger Iona.
P&O Cruises Australia is also unveiling its largest ship, Pacific Adventure, in October. Among the upgrades to the former Golden Princess is the beautiful Byron Bay Beach Club, an exclusive-access retreat with private pool, hot tubs and cabanas. Pacific Adventure will also have a Big Red Phone to order pizza to your poolside chair, dual racing waterslides and the line’s first five-person cabins. Roundtrip itineraries include Sydney to Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, as well as three-night comedy cruises.
Unfortunately, Australians won’t see any brand-new ships in local waters this year, nor does the 2020-21 summer promise much in the way of sparkly new builds. However, we can look forward to existing ships arriving for their first seasons. Watch out for Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess, Sapphire Princess and Pacific Princess; Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse to be based in Melbourne from December; Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas in Sydney; and the return of Holland America Line’s Oosterdam.
The newest offering is Windstar Cruises, a small ship luxury line making its move down under. Windstar’s Star Breeze arrives in November, with departures from Cairns, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch. Star Breeze will be lengthened and refurbished with a new pool, new dining venues and 50 more suites to accommodate a new total of 312 guests.
Less common options include a Cairns to Melbourne itinerary, New Zealand cruises with overnight stays in Wellington and Christchurch, and visits to remote areas such as Middle Percy Island in the Great Barrier Reef. The 148-passenger Wind Spirit, currently based year-round in Tahiti, is also expanding its South Pacific reach with seven-day ocean crossings from New Caledonia to Australia and a 16-day cruise from Australia to Indonesia via Port Douglas, Thursday Island, Yirrkala and Darwin.
River cruising will be refreshed this year with lines heading back to Egypt and the Americas, as well as new vessels in Africa, Asia and Europe. Zimbabwean Dream is an eight-suite houseboat on Lake Kariba, offering safari cruises to Chobe and Matusadona national parks. Travelling from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, guests are taken on game drives by boat or jeep and stay at a lodge in Namibia.
Viking and Uniworld are introducing upscale ships on the Nile: the 82-passenger Viking Osiris and the similar-sized SS Sphinx. Uniworld is also launching SS Sao Gabriel on Portugal’s Douro and Mekong Jewel on the Mekong, while Viking is expanding its French fleet with four extra ships on the Seine. Also in Europe, April sees the debut of Avalon Waterways’ Avalon View, APT’s AmaSiena, Tauck’s Andorinha and Travelmarvel’s first newbuild, Travelmarvel Polaris.
Modernising the Mississippi, American Cruise Lines will launch American Jazz in New Orleans in August, followed by American Melody in December, with plush public spaces and a five-storey glass atrium allowing better views than older paddlewheelers.
Meanwhile, on the Amazon River, Aqua Expeditions is building the extravagant Aqua Nera. Each of the 20 suites has its own butler and there’s an open-air cinema to go with the outdoor bar and gym.
Adventure cruising is also continuing its rapid growth this year with eight new expedition ships. All of them share a similar size, ranging from the 100-passenger Silver Origin in the Galapagos to the 200-passenger Ultramarine and Crystal Endeavor in polar regions. Half of them hail from high-end brands such as Ponant, Silversea and Crystal Cruises, with the other half from the more rugged Hurtigruten, Lindblad and Quark Expeditions. As we enter a new decade, it’s clear that fine dining and lavish suites are firmly fixed in the same space as messy mudrooms, binoculars and boots.
Louise Goldsbury is managing editor of Cruise Critic Australia.
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