DEPARTURES TRAVEL ALL
DEPARTURES TRAVEL ALL ABOARD 42 Ships of Joy With so many new launches, groundbreaking routes, innovative programmes and on-board amenities, it’s no wonder cruising is undergoing a sea change. by Gary Buchanan Scarlet Lady’s funky Razzle Dazzle restaurant FIRST LOOK On the Horizon From elegant river cruisers to all-suite ocean liners, these next-wave vessels tick all the right boxes. Following her launch next year, Scarlet Lady – the inaugural ship from Virgin Voyages (virginvoyages. com) – is promising enough cruise curveballs to keep Instagrammers busy for months. This event will no doubt be unconventional with Richard Branson tearing up cruising’s rule book in favour of the tagline “Rebellious Luxe”. Described as “sailors”, cruising’s new recruits can paint the decks red in their retro-futurism RockStar suites; chill out in Redemption, the ship’s spa; get an indelible souvenir at the Squid Ink tattoo studio. With a more traditional vibe, Regent Seven Seas (rssc. com) will add a zephyr of panache to ultra-indulgent cruising when Seven Seas Splendor debuts in 2020. The second Explorerclass vessel will boast one of the highest staff-toguest quotients in cruising. Another cruise line whose vision has been predicated on excellence since its inception in 1994 is Silversea (silversea.com). Continuing the mantra of small-ship Cruising the verdant riverscape of Portugal’s Douro Valley with Viking FROM TOP: © SVIKING CRUISES CRUISES, © VIRGIN VOYAGES
FROM TOP: BART BROUWER / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES, BRUNO CAZARINI intimacy and spacious allsuite accommodation, the odes to chic that will be Silver Moon and Silver Dawn are set to launch in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In contrast, The Majestic Line (themajesticline.co.uk) is adding a fourth vessel to its fleet that convey just 11 guests on sailings around Scotland’s Western Isles. The boats might be small but the country-houseparty ambience is big on conviviality and has proved a hit with British A-listers. Equally infused with stardust is the world of river cruising, which has recently undergone a reboot. With Asianinspired opulence, Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Harmony ALL DECKED OUT In With the New Tried-and-true fleets get a thoroughly modern makeover. Silver Cloud navigates icy waters OCEANIA CRUISES’ REGATTA CLASS As part of OceaniaNext, a sweeping set of enhancements, all four of this line’s older vessels will go through a refurb by Florida-based Studio DADO. Public spaces will be lighter and brighter, and all 342 suites on each ship will have new bathrooms and sea-and-skyinspired colours. Insignia debuted at the end of last year, to be followed by Sirena in May, Regatta in September, and Nautica in June 2020. oceaniacruises.com SILVER CLOUD EXPEDITION After a million overhaul, Silver Cloud, one of Silversea’s original vessels, now has an ice-strengthened hull for travel to Antarctica. More visible (emeraldwaterways. com) is the company’s first flagship on the Mekong. In 2019, the entire Avalon Waterways fleet (avaloncruises.com) will be consist of all-suite ships, and the cruise programme features an “Active & Discovery” river cruise on the Rhône in France and an exotic voyage on the Ganges in India. The storied Yangzi can now be explored in supreme comfort on board Uniworld’s Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer (uniworld. com) which boasts the largest cabins and suites, all with private balconies, on this beguiling waterway. Land tours include trips to Mongolia as well as Hanoi and a night aboard a fully equipped junk boat in the serene Halong Bay. Three new river vessels are about to appear on the Douro on which guests enjoy a tranquil waterborne meander through the Douro Valley, declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2001: in April, Viking (vikingcruises.com) is introducing the Viking Helgrim, its fourth ship dedicated to the “Portugal’s River of Gold” itinerary; in the same month CroisiEurope (croisieurope.com) will inaugurate its latest ship, Amalia Rodrigues, in Porto before embarking on a series of Douro sailings; Tauck (tauck.com) will offer its first cruises on the Douro aboard the new purpose-built ship Andorinha in 2020. are the design upgrades: an airy, beigeinflected palette and contemporary suites with black-and-white vintage photos of polar explorers. Passengers can also head to the new Photo Studio for a workshop. silversea.com UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISE COLLECTION’S SS BON VOYAGE The operator’s sixth Super Ship will continue the signature decor best described as exuberant opulence. The remodelled SS Bon Voyage will become the most luxurious ship on the Dordogne and Garonne rivers in southwest France when she launches in April. Tours will visit Fort Médoc, Cadillac, Blaye and Bordeaux. uniworld.com An idyllic beach on Vanuatu Four Remote Corners, Four Great Voyages VANUATU The waters off this South Pacific nation teem with life, and on land you can still witness traditional island culture. A 17-day Silversea voyage from Fiji to Cairns, Australia on the 144-passenger Silver Explorer stops at the black-sand beaches of Ambrym Island and the far-flung villages of Pentecost Island, where locals take part in a diving ritual that inspired bungee jumping. silversea.com KOMODO, INDONESIA Ayana has added a ship to its portfolio: the Ayana Lako Di’a, modelled after a traditional phinisi. Guests can charter the nine-bedroom sailboat, which is done in crisp nautical and earth tones, for two-night voyages through Komodo and neighbouring islands, stopping to see the world-famous dragons and dive the wellpreserved reefs. ayana.com CABO VERDE This group of islands off Senegal blends the best of Africa and Europe: pristine beaches, Creole food and colonial architecture. Ponant has three sailings there this year, with itineraries that vary from market tours on lively São Nicolau to a hike on Pico do Fogo, an active volcano. ponant.com ECUADORIAN AMAZON Itineraries in Ecuador now include the wonders of the Amazon. Adventures by Disney has a family-focused, 11-night trip that combines a classic three-night Galápagos voyage with four nights aboard the Anakonda riverboat. Bird-watch in the Limoncocha Biological Reserve or spot dolphins and monkeys while canoeing the Napo River. adventuresbydisney.com DEPARTURES 43
