Carnival Radiance’s 2020 inaugural season to include voyages to Europe, Bermuda, Canada/New England and Caribbean and line’s first Cuba cruises from New York and Norfolk

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 13 November 2018 13 November 2018

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the diverse inaugural schedule for the totally transformed Carnival Radiance, including 9- to 13-night European voyages, the line’s first to Cuba from New York and Norfolk, 4- to 9-night sailings to the Caribbean, Canada/New England from New York, and a winter season of voyages to the Caribbean and Cuba from Port Canaveral, Fla.

Additionally, the company revealed details of Carnival Sunrise’s 2020 schedule, including an expanded series of New York to Cuba cruises, as well as 4- to 9-night voyages to the Caribbean from New York and Norfolk, Va.

Following a $200 million dry dock that will take place in Cadiz, Spain, Carnival Radiance will debut April 29, 2020, with a 10-night Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona followed by 9-and 12-night departures visiting top destinations throughout the region, including Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, Malta and Spain. The ship will then embark on a 13-night trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York June 11-24, 2020, positioning the vessel for its inaugural season in the Big Apple.

Once in New York, Carnival Radiance will offer a series of 4- and 6-night Bermuda cruises as well as a 4-night cruise to Saint John, New Brunswick, eight-day eastern Caribbean voyages and the line’s first Cuba cruises from New York – nine-day sailings that include a full-day and overnight stay in Havana and two Bahamian ports of call. The New York program will conclude with a series of Canada/New England voyages featuring stops in Boston, Portland, Saint John, and Halifax.

The ship will also offer four five- to seven-day voyages from Norfolk in October and November 2020, including the line’s first Cuba cruises from that port. The week-long Cuba cruises will feature an extended stop in the capital of Havana along with visits to two tropical Bahamian ports. There will also be a five-day Bahamas cruise and a six-day cruise visiting three of the country’s most popular destinations, including the private island of Half Moon Cay.

Following the cruises from the Northeast, Carnival Radiance will reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., to operate a winter schedule of six- to eight-day voyages to the Caribbean and Cuba beginning Nov. 8, 2020. The program includes six-day voyages featuring a day-long visit and overnight call in Havana and two Bahamian ports; a six-day sailing to Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Nassau, The Bahamas; and seven-and eight-day Caribbean voyages visiting some of the region’s most popular and beautiful islands, including Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts and Grand Turk.

Building upon the popularity of short Bermuda cruises introduced on Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise will offer a series of “long weekend” getaways to Bermuda as well as longer length Caribbean voyages and cruises to Cuba from the Big Apple beginning May 21, 2020.

The program includes eight, nine-day voyages to Cuba featuring a full day and overnight call in Havana along with stops at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Eight, four-day “long weekend” voyages to Bermuda will also be offered, departing Thursdays and returning Mondays and spending a full day on the island. Seven, eight-day voyages visiting beautiful ports in the Caribbean and Bahamas will be offered as well. The program concludes with a 12-day Carnival Journeys partial Panama Canal transit from New York to Fort Lauderdale Oct. 19-31, 2020.

Carnival Sunrise will also sail from Norfolk, Va., in May 2020, offering a pair of five-day cruises to Nassau and Freeport, along with a three-port, six-day voyage featuring Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and Freeport.

Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance will each undergo extensive dry docks in 2019 and 2020, respectively, that will add an array of exciting food, beverage and entertainment choices. New culinary and beverage offerings will include Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse developed by Food Network star and longtime partner Guy Fieri, a classic American steakhouse called Fahrenheit 555, and the Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant, the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub. Carnival Radiance will also feature Big Chicken, a seagoing version of a landside restaurant operated by the line’s Chief Fun Officer, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

A sprawling new WaterWorks aqua park featuring the new AquaTunnel slide as well as a SportSquare open-air recreation complex with a suspended ropes course will be added, as well. All staterooms will be renovated with a tropical color palette reminiscent of the ships’ Caribbean itineraries.

Mystic Cruises orders two more ships – report

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 November 2018 13 November 2018

Mystic Cruises, the nascent expedition cruise operator in the Mystic Invest group of companies in Portugal, has ordered two more 9,300 gross ton ships from the West Sea shipyard in Viana do Castello in Portugal, Mer et Marine reports on its website.

The ships are due to enter service in 2021 and 2022, respectively, They will be 129 metres in length and carry 200 passengers and have a crew of 111 persons, the report said, adding that mystic Cruises intends to build about 10 expedition cruise ships.

The first ship of the company, World Explorer, will be 126 metres in length and carry 176 passengers plus a crew of 125, the West Sea shipyard said on its website. It is due to enter service next year. 

World Explorer will be operated by Nicko Cruises, a German company in the mystic Invest group and its first cruise is scheduled to commence on 2 May 2019 from Palma de Mallorca, information on the Nicko Cruises website shows.

Mein Schiff Herz to offer cruise combinations of up to eight weeks

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 November 2018 13 November 2018

Mein Schiff Herz of TUI Cruises of Hamburg will introduce a new route concept for the company, whereby passengers can combine various Mediterranean cruises of seven nights’ duration to a voyage of up to eight weeks in length, the company said in a statement.

The ship will be based in the Mediterranean from May to October 2020, when this option will be available. The cruises included will cover both the eastern and western Mediterranean, and there would be hardly any repetition of ports of calls, the company stated.

Viking to offer new Greek itinerary, return to Turkey on 2021

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 09 November 2018 09 November 2018

Viking has announced a new 11-night ocean cruise itinerary, Greek Odyssey, that will allow guests to explore the ancient empires of antiquity of the Aegean Sea during the quiet season. Sailing roundtrip from Athens starting in January 2021, the new itinerary features three new ports of call for Viking, including Volos, Thessaloníki and Nafpilo in Greece, as well as a stop in Ephesus, marking the company’s return to Turkey.

“Our guests are curious explorers who want opportunities for learning while they travel in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Our destination-focused ocean itineraries are built on the same successful principles as our river itineraries – we offer our guests more time in port, enriching cultural experiences, the best-designed ships at sea with no children, no casinos and no nickel-and-diming. With this new itinerary in Greece and Turkey offered during the quiet winter season, we look forward to helping our guests explore such a culturally rich region of the world in ‘The Viking Way.’”

Sailing on Viking’s 930-guest all-veranda Viking Sea, guests will journey through several millennia of culture and history, from Athens, known as the “birthplace of democracy,” to the island of Crete, home to the mysterious Minoan civilization. Highlights of the new Greek Odyssey itinerary include:

– Ephesus (Kuşadasi), Turkey: One of the best-preserved cities of antiquity in the world, guests can visit the remains of the Byzantine Basilica of St. John, take in sights such as the massive Great Theater and the magnificent Library of Celsus, or see the modest home where, according to legend, the Virgin Mary lived out her final days.
– Volos, Greece: Now a modern, cosmopolitan port city, this region was once thought of as the playground of the gods. Guests can experience the stunning scenery of Meteora, where medieval monasteries stand precariously on hilltops, or explore the ancient religious center of Dion, located on the foothills of Mt. Olympus.
– Thessaloniki, Greece: Greece’s second-largest city offers an exhilarating mix of ancient culture and modern life. While in port, guests can walk the vibrant waterfront promenade with its many cafés and restaurants, or venture outside the city to the remains of the ancient Macedonian kingdom of Alexander the Great.
– Nafpilo, Greece: Set between breathtaking mountains and the Bay of Argos, Nafpilo is one of Greece’s most beautiful and romantic port cities. Guests can discover the charms of its Venetian homes and Byzantine churches, take a drive to Palamidi, an imposing fortress towering over the city, or travel to the nearby Peloponnese peninsula, an ancient area rich in history.
– Scenic cruising: Mt. Athos: During the one sea day on this itinerary, guests will sail past the majestic slopes of Mt. Athos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the spiritual capital of Orthodox Christianity. Called the “Holy Mountain,” the peninsula’s soaring peaks are home to 20 monasteries whose monks work to preserve and catalogue a vast collection of liturgical works and art.