Royal Caribbean’s massive Aussie season

Royal Caribbean has announced a blockbuster Australian wave season for 2022/23, including sailings on two of its Quantumclass vessels, Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. Ovation and Radiance of the Seas will sail out of Sydney. And the line is promising a renewed focus on Queensland, with Quantum of the Seas sailing out of Brisbane’s new International Cruise Terminal from October 2022.

“Quantum-class ships are in a league of their own in Australian waters – and we have two sailings in the 2022/23 season,” says Gavin Smith, vice-president and managing director of Royal Caribbean International, Australia and New Zealand. “This calibre of ship isn’t seen elsewhere in this region, and their technological innovation and modern hardware open up a new audience to cruising.

“Along with fan-favourite Radiance, they offer variety and adventure that can’t be matched – it will be time to turn holiday-making up full throttle in 2022/23.”

Together, the three gamechanging ships will offer 66 two- to 19-night cruises throughout Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and Loyalty Islands. The new season also features more weekend two- and three-night ‘sampler’ cruises than ever before. Quantum is the most technologically advanced ship ever to homeport in Queensland. With features like the RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, North Star all-glass viewing capsule and FlowRider surf simulator, she offers the ultimate family holiday from the Sunshine State. Along with over 18 dining options, she’ll also bring a new wave of entertainment never seen before in Australia. Quantum will offer 24 sailings ranging from three to 18 nights, including two transpacific journeys, to destinations in the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. Families will be spoilt for Clockwise from choice over the summer, with more top: Ovation of South Pacific school holiday the Seas; the lush solarium on Ovation; sailings on offer than ever before. Fares start from AUD$1,049* per bumper cars person on an eight-night South on Quantum’s Seaplex, Pacific cruise departing from the largest Brisbane on November 1, 2022. indoor active space at sea; Prices include onboard activities Rollerskating at like the RipCord by iFly and the Seaplex. FlowRider. Fares start from AUD$549* per person for an interior stateroom on a three-night Weekend Sampler departing from Brisbane on November 24, 2022.

Ovation of the Seas, a Sydney favourite, will sail her seventh Australian season with cutting-edge entertainment venues like the transformational Two70, featuring top shows that weave aerialists and robots into showstopping performances.

Ovation will offer 20 sailings ranging from two to 19 nights to summer stops in New Zealand, Queensland and the South Pacific. Fares start from AUD$1,099* per person on an eight-night Australian sailing departing from Sydney on March 3, 2023.

Radiance of the Seas is focusing on food, boasting 11 world-class dining options from the exclusive Chef’s Table to guest favourite Izumi. She’ll offer 22 sailings ranging from three to 18 nights to New Zealand, South Pacific, Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania. Fares start from AUD$1,399* per person on a nine-night Australian sailing departing from Sydney on December 28, 2022. * Pricing is correct as of October 21, 2021 and is subject to change.

A Celebrity Down Under

Celebrity Cruises has opened bookings for the first Celebrity Edge Australian season. She will sail Down Under for the 2023/24 wave season. The luxurious vessel will sail out from Sydney, starting from December 9, 2023, on a 12-night cruise to New Zealand.

This kicks off a huge season of cruising, with just a few of the highlights being a 10-night cruise through the South Pacific, a 10-night Great Barrier Reef cruise and a nine-night Australian Wine Cruise, all sailing out of Sydney and all on board the muchcelebrated Celebrity Edge.

A six-night Tasmania itinerary starts at $1,679 per person, and a 10-night itinerary in New Zealand starts from $2,810.

Outside of the Australian Celebrity Edge season, you could always choose from three shippings that will be sailing seven-night itineraries to Alaska’s Last Frontier. And there are further Pacific Coast sailings that will take you to destinations such as Mexico’s Ensenada, Catalina Island and San Francisco.

VIKING CRUISES THE WORLD

Viking has unveiled its 2023/24 World Cruises on Viking Sky and Viking Neptune, which will offer identical 138-day itineraries sailing to 28 countries and offering 57 guided tours. Viking said that its new world cruises itineraries will see Viking Sky depart Fort Lauderdale in Florida on December 20, 2023, and Viking Neptune depart three days later on December 23, 2023 – both ships will sail identical itineraries to Central America before transiting the Panama Canal and sailing up the west coast of North America. Prices start from $87,995 per person.

A shorter, 121-day itinerary will also be available for guests to join the ships in Los Angeles, cross the Pacific Ocean and visit Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East, Mediterranean and conclude the voyage in London. Prices for the shorter journeys start from $81,995 per person.

The World Cruises offer guests overnight stays in 11 ports, including Sydney, Haifa, Istanbul, Bali, Ho Chi Minh, Yangon and Mumbai, plus two nights in Auckland, allowing guests to delve deeper into these cities.

A CHILLY PONANT ADVENTURE

Luxury French line Ponant will operate special voyages to Antarctica from New Zealand in 2023. These voyages aboard Le Commandant Charcot will take you to some of the most ecologically unique corners of the Earth and shower you in luxury along the way. Included among the 2022/23 season voyages are two new itineraries that operate to and from New Zealand, making it more accessible for Australians and New Zealanders than we might be used to.

The first itinerary runs from Argentina’s Ushuaia to Dunedin from January 16 to February 13, 2023, with prices starting from $59,880 per person. This voyage will have you spotting orcas, seals, whales and penguins as you navigate around the edges of New Zealand.

The second voyage is also between New Zealand and Argentina, but now starting from Dunedin, before sailing for 26 nights from February 14 to March 12. You’ll visit World Heritagelisted sites as you discover the wonders of Adélie Land, Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land, Macquarie Island and more, while gaining a true appreciation of the biodiverse nuances of the White Continent.

Underwater world

When Scenic’s six-star luxury yacht, Scenic Eclipse II, debuts in early 2023, it will feature a world first: a 10-guest Triton submarine. Sitting inside the Triton 660/9 AVA’s transparent pressure hull, you’ll be able to take in the wonders of the underwater world in style. Scenic is planning to launch this innovative way of cruising underwater for itineraries in the polar region and the tropics in the first quarter of 2023, says Rob Voss, chief operations officer at Scenic Group. “This new partnership means even more of our guests will be able to discover beneath the surface and we’re excited to have this first-ofits-kind Triton on board our latest discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse II,” he said. One day you may be able to host intimate wedding receptions, have a special spa treatment, sip chilled champagne at cocktail parties or dine like King Neptune, although unfortunately these experiences are “not part of our current plans for Scenic Eclipse II”, according to Scenic. In the meantime, guests on Scenic Eclipse II can always enjoy an underwater world where the panoramic views of marine life cast a hypnotic calm.

WHAT YOU GET ON A $800,000 CRUISE

Regent Seven Seas will welcome a couple on what could be the world’s most expensive cruise, with some suggesting the couple are Australian. They spent a cool $800,000 to luxuriate for 61 nights in the top Regent suite on Regent Seven Seas Explorer, sailing from Sydney to Tokyo on a 61-night Grand Asia Exploration from January 26, 2023.

Regent won’t say anything about the couple, out of respect for their clients’ privacy. But we do know they are not newbies who have struck it rich with a Lotto win. They are seasoned cruisers who adore the finer things in life and have been starved of overseas travel for the past 24 months.

So what do you get for an $800,000 cruise? Two spacious bedrooms, and a living and dining room with a Steinway piano. And a private solarium and an in-suite spa. A personal butler and a complimentary cocktail party for eight. Plus a private car and guide at every port, unlimited shore excursions,

When will Carnival be sailing again?

Carnival Corporation, the owner of some of Australia’s favourite brands, including P&O Cruises Australia, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard and Holland America, has started to make waves across the world.

By the beginning of November, Carnival will be back to having around 50 per cent of its 91 cruise ships sailing, marking an important milestone on its path back to full-strength sailing.

Here’s a round-up of how each line is going with its return to service and, in particular, a return to our sparkling Aussie shores.

/ CARNIVAL AUSTRALIA Carnival’s long break from Australian cruising will be broken on February 17, 2022, when Carnival Splendor sails out on a threeday jaunt from Sydney.

Following this will be an exciting flurry of itineraries out of Sydney and Brisbane, with the Brisbane voyages on Carnival Spirit.

/ P&O AUSTRALIA P&O Australia is scheduled to return on a Barrier Reef Discovery cruise out of Brisbane on January 15, 2022 with Pacific Encounter. Other January itineraries include a four-night cruise from Sydney to Tangalooma, an Australian Open tennis cruise and two more Barrier Reef adventures.

/ PRINCESS Princess has started to thrive across the globe again, with eight MedallionClass ships already sailing or scheduled to be sailing by the end of November, and Island Princess and Diamond Princess set to join them soon. Locally, Princess is set to rejoin the fun in Australia in style with a 10-night Tasmania round trip from Brisbane on January 27, 2022, aboard Coral Princess.

/ CUNARD Cunard is already back sailing internationally, having returned to sailing in August. The line is also now taking happy customers on international cruises to western Europe and the Atlantic Islands.

However, if you’re hoping to hop on a local Cunard sailing you still have a while to wait, with Cunard slated to return to Australia in November 2022 with Queen Elizabeth. The returning voyage is a 17-night Sydney to Fremantle sailing via Bali, disembarking in Perth. / HOLLAND AMERICA LINE Holland America now has all four of its ships sailing, after Rotterdam kicked off its maiden voyage in October. Meanwhile, Noordam is heading for Australia in November 2022.

Her voyage starts in San Diego and she arrives in Sydney on November 12 after an epic journey. From November 12 to December 17, there’s a 35-day Australia Circumnavigation cruise that goes all around Australia’s famous coastlines on a huge voyage.

Cruisers can join segments of the journey, stepping onboard in Fremantle on December 3 for two weeks of sailing back to Sydney via South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

Clockwise from top: P&O Australia favourites Julie McEwen and Leeron Lungo on the Pacific Adventure; Diamond Princess is set to return to open waters soon; Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, due to return to Australia in November 2022.

Norwegian Prima gets The Drop on entertainment

Norwegian Cruise Line has revealed its array of entertainment features and acts aboard - Norwegian Prima, which is due to commence sailing in August 2022. The headlining act will be the Tony-nominated musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She will be heading to bucket-list destinations like Norway, Iceland and the Baltics which are proving popular with intrepid Australian cruisers.

However, the nightlife isn’t the only thing being reinvented, with highlights also including free-fall dry slides and the largest racetrack at sea. Harry Sommer, president and CEO of NCL, said: “We’re not just elevating the guest experience, we’re giving it an adrenaline rush and multi-sensory overload.

“When we launched Norwegian Prima, we aimed at going beyond expectations, providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of unforgettable experiences, and this latest unveiling of our entertainment and onboard activities line-up is going to have the wow factor they’ve yearned for in a much-anticipated cruise vacation.”

Norwegian Prima will debut The Drop, the world’s first free-fall dry slide, where you can take a 10-storey plunge. Or you can race on duelling dry slides on The Rush.

If the slide racing fires you up, you can turn it up a notch at Prima Speedway. This three-level go-kart racetrack spans 420 metres and 14 dizzying turns, where you can hit speeds of more than 50 km/h.

Clockwise from top: The Prima Speedway go-kart racetrack crowns the ship; Summer: The Donna Summer Musical headlines the onboard entertainment; the winner’s podium at Prima Speedway; The Rush dual slides.

And the Galaxy Pavilion, a virtual gaming complex, is filled with activities like a virtual golf course, race cars and motorcycles, and an escape room. By night, the three-storey Prima Theatre transforms into an LED dancefloor, with music pumping until the early hours of the morning.

The Norwegian Prima will also have a dedicated comedy club called Improv at Sea, and there will be rock bands playing classics at Syd Norman’s Pour House, as well as dart boards at The Bull’s Eye bar.