Cruise Ships

River and ocean cruise line Viking has announced it is expanding into expedition cruising with its first voyages, to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes, taking place in January 2022 on Viking Octantis. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. The Great Lakes itinerary will see guests visitinh the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario.

The Ships

The new Polar Class 6 Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris will host 378 guests in 189 staterooms. Customised to navigate the planet’s most remote environments, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris will offer the same amenities as Viking’s ocean and river ships, with modern Scandinavian design throughout, with elegant touches, intimate spaces and panoramic views from any location on the ship.

Highlights of the Viking Expedition ships include The Hangar, an enclosed in-ship marina; access to expedition equipment including two six-guest submarines, a fleet of two-seater Arctic-tested kayaks and Viking Expedition Kits and 270-degree views from the Aula enclosed stern terrace, with access to the outdoor lounge area – the Finse Terrace. The bow of each ship features a two-deck Explorer’s Lounge with double-height windows. Guests will also be able to visit the Laboratory under supervised access to learn more about the experiments conducted by researchers from Viking’s partner institutes. Three temperate-controlled pools will be available aboard each ship as well as a Nordic Spa and fitness centre.

Guests can choose from six stateroom categories that range from 20.6 square metres to 113.6 square metres. All staterooms feature a king-size bed and large bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor and anti-fog mirror. All staterooms provide guests with exterior views through a Nordic balcony’s floor-to-ceiling, distortion-free glass. Every stateroom is also equipped with a unique floor-to-ceiling drying closet that circulates warm air to dry and store clothing and expedition gear.

Guests of the luxurious Nordic Junior Suites (30 square metres) and Explorer Suites (53.9 square metres) will have an expanded bathroom with extended shower and double sinks, welcome champagne, a fully-stocked mini-bar replenished daily, complimentary laundry and shoeshine services, priority restaurant reservations and more. The Explorer Suites will feature two separate rooms, a Nordic Balcony and a full outdoor veranda.

As for the cream of the crop, each ship will feature one 113.6 square-metre Owner’s Suite with two separate rooms – a living room with six-seat dining table and a bedroom – as well as a 73.6 square foot private garden with a traditional Norwegian badestamp (wood-sided hot tub) and outdoor dining table.

The Restaurant will offer fine dining featuring regional cuisine and always-available classics. The casual World Café will be a “market” concept that offers live cooking, an open kitchen, bakery, grill and premium seafood and sushi choices, as well as a wide range of international flavours. Mamsen’s will serve Scandinavian-inspired fare while Manfredi’s is to offer Italian cuisine. Guests will also have complimentary 24-hour room service.

The onboard expedition program is designed to prepare guests for their onshore experiences, with more than 25 experts accompanying each journey. On board, guests can enjoy daily briefings and world-class lectures about their destination, engage with working scientists in The Laboratory or participate directly in citizen science programs. On shore, guests can assist in fieldwork or interact through experiential activities during landings.

Viking’s expedition ships minimise environmental impact through features such as the straight bow that reduces fuel consumption and a positioning system that enables the ship to hover over the seabed without anchoring.

The 2022-2023 Voyages

To develop the new expedition voyages, Viking has partnered scientific institutions such as the Scott Polar Research institute at the University of Cambridge, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Highlights of the inaugural polar voyages taking place between 2022 and 2023 include heading into the heart of the Antarctic peninsula on a 13-day Buenos Aires to Ushuaia trip, or 19-day Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro trip; exploring Norway’s Svalbard archipelago on a 13-day roundtrip from Tromsø and combining both the Artic and Antarctic regions on an 44-day itinerary from Tromsø to Ushuaia, visiting the Shetland Islands and Ireland’s shores as well as Rio de Janeiro, for a whopping AUD$47,995 per person, twin share.

In North America, voyages start from AUD$8,395 per person, twin share, and include visits to Lake Superior and Lake Huron travelling from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Milwaukee over eight days; Georgian Bay’s granite islands and Thunder Bay’s cliffs on an eight-day Great Lakes Explorer voyage; Niagara Falls and cultural attractions in Detroit, Toronto and Milwaukee on a third eight-day voyage from Toronto to Milwaukee; and the coasts of New England and Nova Scotia on a 13-day New York to Toronto voyage.

Viking Cruises is offering savings of up to $2,000 per couple with Viking’s Inaugural Offer on 2022 & 2023 Viking Expedition itineraries for those who book before 31 March 2020. Conditions apply.

vikingcruises.com.au/expeditions

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley and Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Charlot Salwa, have announced the cruise line will be creating the world’s first carbon-neutral cruise destination. Perfect Day at Lelepa in Vanuatu will also be the first private island destination designed for cruising in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Perfect Day at Lelepa will be created in partnership with the community of Vanuatu to showcase the distinct natural ecological beauty and diverse local culture of the island nation as well as provide employment and education opportunities, according to Salwai and Bayley.

“Anyone who has encountered the tremendous natural beauty of Lelepa can understand why it is the perfect setting for ‘Perfect Day.’ Our guests who travel to the South Pacific are seeking authentic adventures and genuine relaxation, and they will find both here,” stated Bayley on announcing the project.

The island’s carbon-neutral status will come following an audit and certification by an independent third-party expert, with the island to be built with sustainability features designed to safeguard the island’s ecosystems. 

Perfect Day at Lelepa is the second island destination to be created by Royal Caribbean purely for use by its passengers, however the South Pacific island is set to have a drastically different look and feel from adventure park and accommodation spot Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. The new destination will be aimed at Australian travellers with plenty of nature-focused activities such as hiking trails and snorkelling expected to be on offer on the island’s opening.

“…our guests around the world all have different definitions for their perfect day — and all of them are right. Our designers and nature have created the ideal South Pacific experience and we expect the results will be stunning,” added Bayley. 

Opening dates and more details to follow.

royalcaribbean.com

New cruise line Blue World Voyages will launch in 2021 as the world’s first cruise line fully dedicated to active, athletic and healthy lifestyles, bringing ‘active lifestyle cruising’ to the global market.

The 525-guest sports and wellness-centered ship responds to rocketing demand by travellers for active holidays, with wellness tourism growing by 6.5 per cent annually – more than double the growth rate of general tourism – and a global wellness industry valued at $4.2 trillion.

“Blue World Voyages was created for health-conscious individuals, sports and fitness enthusiasts, and those in search of personal improvement,” said Gene Meehan, chairman and founder, Blue World Voyages. “Our focus on active lifestyle cruising is not an option or an add-on; it forms the core of our overall cruise travel experience, deeply embedded in every aspect of the product, from ship design and onboard programs to dining options and itineraries.”

The inaugural ship will be the first to dedicate one entire deck to sports, exercise and wellness, outfitted with golf and soccer simulators, batting cages, a functional training center, yoga, spinning and TRX studios. A second full deck will be dedicated to spa and rejuvenation – the largest per-guest spa at sea – and feature a relaxing therapy tub, indoor and outdoor treatment rooms and solarium. There will also be three pools, including, when docked, a seawater lap pool that will be lowered directly into the ocean adjacent to the vessel for guests to swim in the sea.

Meehan, a sports industry veteran and avid cruiser who has sailed on over 60 vessels, told Luxury Travel that Blue World Voyages combines two of today’s hottest vacation trends: cruising and wellness travel, and there has, until now, been a gaping hole in the cruising market. “There are 40 million people in just the US alone who are considered ‘conscious consumers’ [plus] another 50 million-plus in Europe and more in Australia, Canada and South America. This market is not currently well served by today’s cruise industry,” he said.

While plenty of luxury cruise lines now offer active shore excursions as well as healthy on-board food and top-notch spas and gyms, Meehan explained that Blue World Voyages caters specifically to likeminded people who are are fitness- and health-conscious, as well as those looking to improve their fitness and health. “You will not find this synergy on any other cruise ship. There is a very strong, almost tribal mentality amongst those who opt to live healthy lives. It becomes a common denominator that leads to a very friendly and supportive environment. This will set us apart from other cruise offerings,” he explained.

With just 40 luxury accommodations, Meehan added that the extent of the health and fitness offering on the ship is utterly unique for a vessel of its size. “The larger the ship, the larger the fitness and spa facilities. However these amenities are shared by thousands of passengers with very little specific programming either on-board or on-shore, as sports and wellness are not primary concerns. Plus, the sheer number of passengers prohibits quality personal services in this field.

“On smaller – typically 5-star – ships you will always find smaller fitness/spa facilities. Here again, sports/wellness is not [their] primary concern, and if it were, the ships facilities are now too small to provide any meaningful programming.

“We stand alone in offering a ship that is specifically designed to provide a 5-star ‘casual’ sports and wellness experience at sea, and we will have the amenities, programs and staff both on-board and on-shore to ensure a great product.”

Locally-sourced farm-to-table cuisine will be on offer day-in, day-out, while the intimate size of the ship means guests will be able to access the ports that larger cruises cannot, allowing them to explore unspoiled reefs, hidden waterfalls, and secluded hiking and biking trails. Active shore excursions including snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, golfing, biking, running and more will be on offer on-land.

Blue World Voyages will also introduce a unique ship configuration when it floats out in 2021, with the 40 luxury one- and two-bedroom residences available to be purchased. “We want our ship to be unique in every way. Why should a cruise ship just have passengers on-board when there is a growing market of folks who want to live at sea. Think of us as a private yacht without the upkeep, plus a healthy one at that!” Meehan stated. “One of the things that I have learned by being in the sports and fitness business for all of my life is this…the more money people have, the longer they want to be around to spend it!”

The inaugural season of Blue World Voyages will commence with a tour of the Mediterranean, calling on destinations such as Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Corsica and Croatia.

For a virtual tour of the ship, visit blueworldvoyages.com/tour.