© RITZ CARLTON YACHT
© RITZ CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION A rendering of Ritz-Carlton’s forthcoming Evrima are already piquing the interest of those with adventure in their blood. Yet another feisty new ship to offer unheard-of levels of luxe to the furthest corners of the Earth is Scenic’s Scenic Eclipse, which entered the buoyant exploration cruising scene at the end of 2019 (scenic. co.uk), while environmentally aware Hurtigruten is expert at offering discursive rambles of discovery, nowhere more so than in the polar regions (hurtigruten.com). The brand’s second revolutionary battery hybridpowered expedition vessel Fridtjof Nansen will join her pioneering twin Roald Amundsen in April. Like the Roald Amundsen, National Geographic’s Endurance also pays homage to exploration’s heyday – it is named in honour of explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship – and will navigate polar passages year-round (nationalgeographic.com). This futureforward, eco-sensitive vessel with an energy-efficient X-bow design will set the compass for unchartered waters and beguiling new latitudes, including northeast Greenland, the far-flung Jan Mayen island as well as the Northeast Passage. With three decades of polar exploration experience, Quark Expeditions is heading into a new epoch when Ultramarine debuts later this year (quarkexpeditions.com). With an unprecedented cruising range of 70 days, which enables the vessel to focus on the remotest of isolated polar islands, the robust portfolio of adventure activities is peerless – and very much indicative of the fresh generation of ships that are ushering in another golden age of cruising for the 2020s. The Shipping News The latest developments on the seas include a private jet, a seagoing spa and a fêted hotel marque’s long-awaited cruise debut. WINDSTAR’S WIND SURF The biggest commercial sailing ship in the world is getting an overhaul in time for the largest regatta in the world, which happens once every five years. Windstar’s flagship will compete in Sail Amsterdam during an eight-day voyage in August 2020. The new, nautical-themed “Officer’s Suite” is claimed to be the only cruise accommodation of its kind on an officer’s deck. More visible are the design upgrades, which include an expanded spa and fresh furnishings in public spaces. windstarcruises.com RITZ-CARLTON’S EVRIMA With equally audacious claims of being ahead of the curve, the first vessel from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection arrives in June. The 298-guest Evrima will be a trailblazer. Every weapon in cruising’s arsenal of luxury – refinement, elegance and style – are hardwired into this all-suite sophisticate, which will boast one of the highest crewto-guest ratios at sea – as well as ten dining experiences. ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com SEABOURN’S PRIVATE AIR For those desiring a more exclusive way to get to and from ports of call or are looking to do some midvoyage sightseeing, Seabourn has launched a private-jet service with complimentary transfers between airport and ship. Guests don’t just book a seat – they reserve the entire jet, which can carry from five to 16 passengers. seabourn.com SEA CLOUD SPIRIT On course to rekindle nostalgia and romance in equal measure, the majestic three-masted Sea Cloud Spirit will appear on the horizon this August. With interiors in the style of a classic yacht, 136 guests will be accommodated in a range of Deluxe cabins, plus Junior and Owner’s suites. There’s a formal restaurant and lido buffet, a pair of bars, library, spa, two whirlpools and a swimming platform. With nearly 1,300 square metres of sails, this tall ship is full to the gunwales with character rather than cliché. seacloud.com ENCHANTED PRINCESS Boasting the largest balconies at sea as well as two splurge-worthy Sky suites, Princess Cruises will unveil its 3,660-guest leviathan in Southampton this June. There will be a French bistro (conceived by Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Renaut) along with a gastropub. The cruise line’s most spacious thermal suite offers a caldarium, a laconium, a hydrotherapy pool and a hammam. princess.com 19 DEPARTURES
DEPARTURES TRAVEL THE NEXT WAVE 20 Going the Distance Sometimes it’s about the journey, sometimes the destination. But with these new itineraries to far-flung islands, it’s decidedly both. On Regent’s 22-night “Adventure in Africa” cruise aboard the Seven Seas Voyager from Abu Dhabi to Cape Town, departing in October 2021, experience the turquoise waters of the Seychelles and enjoy close encounters with the famed ring-tailed lemurs of Madagascar (rssc.com). The cruise line also breaks away from the standard Nordic cruise with a 14-night “Kingdoms of the North” cruise aboard Seven Seas Navigator from Reykjavik to Dublin, setting sail in June 2020. A stop in the rugged Faroe Islands promises stirring views of soaring, mosscovered cliffs that plummet into the ocean below, including the 754m-high Cape Enniberg. On the other side of the planet, Crystal will introduce travellers to the astonishing beauty of the Russian Far East during the maiden voyage of its 100-suite Crystal Endeavor, departing in August 2020 (crystalcruises.com). The trip leaves from Tokyo and returns 17 days later after stops on the remote islands of Srednego and Tyuleniy, which teem with fascinating wildlife, including otters, seals and whales. Few cruise lines offer the opportunity to explore the serene islands of the vast Pacific Ocean. Ponant steers Le Soléal from Easter Island to French Polynesia’s capital city, Papeete, during a 14-day cruise departing in April 2021 (ponant.com). In May 2021, the ship will also complete a new ten-day itinerary that sails round-trip from Papeete, with stops in the Austral Islands. Rurutu, part of this distant archipelago, is a diver’s dream and is home to about 30 marine caves filled with stalagmites. Windstar’s Wind Spirit also heads to the South Pacific with 14 new itineraries, making first-time calls in Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga and the Cook Islands (windstarcruises.com). Hit them all with “Star Collector: Grand South Pacific”, a 59-day extravaganza that begins in Singapore in May 2020 and ends in Papeete. Windstar’s Wind Spirit sails among Tahitian islands A rendering of the Viking Osiris, to launch at the end of the year Scholar Ships With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, cruise lines are rediscovering the jewels of the Nile. IN 1922, AFTER YEARS of digging in the Valley of the Kings, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered what he had long been searching for: the tomb of the pharoah Tutankhamun. He alerted his patron George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who, despite being barely able to walk, made the journey from England to Egypt, down the Nile to Luxor. “Can you see anything?” Carnarvon asked Carter when they stood at the doorway of the tomb. Holding a candle in his hand, and gazing for the first time on the golden treasures, Carter answered, “Yes, wonderful things!” Almost a century later, nearly every treasure of Tut’s tomb – from sarcophagus to loincloth – will finally go on permanent display this year in Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum. In time for the museum’s opening, three cruise operators are launching Egyptian cruises on gorgeous new ships. FROM TOP: © VIKING CRUISES, © WINDSTAR
