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This is definitely designed for folks who enjoy long cruises that visit many ports. On Jan. 5, 2020, Pacific Princess will set out on a 111-day voyage from Ft. Lauderdale, stopping in Los Angeles to pick up more guests on Jan. 20.
The 670-passenger Pacific Princess is the perfect size if you are not a fan of mega-ships. Short segments will be offered for those who don’t have the time, money or inclination to do the whole enchilada.
Wow! I just got an update from Celebrity Cruises about Celebrity Edge, the cutting-edge ship set to debut in November. The update was all about dining options, one of my favorite topics, and all the cuisines, spices and tools under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Cornelius Gallagher.
They even sent heady cooking spices, a spoon, a denim apron, cake tester, palette knife and Swiss peeler to show how the chef works. Only wish they’d sent along the chef to cook for us.
Finally! A cruise line has come to its cyber senses and is providing all passengers with unlimited Wi-Fi. Super luxe Silversea just made the announcement that will bring cheers from just about everybody booked on one of its spiffy ships.
Beginning in April, all passengers on Silversea's nine luxury ships will be hooked up with Internet access at no extra charge.
When the now 540-passenger Silver Spirit (see JD's review) sails again on May 6, 2018, she will be 49 feet longer and even more attractive. Small luxury ship operator Silversea is making over the ship adding 34 new luxury suites, as well as a Balsorano suite.
Each of the accommodations will be adorned with decorative items that are of personal value to Silversea’s chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio di Balsorano de Clunieres. The best existing suites on Silver Spirit will grow in their appeal with the addition of handmade Savoir mattresses, horse hair toppers and new HD screens for guests’ comfort.
The Spirit, which debuted in 2009, goes into dry dock at Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy, on March 5, where she will remain until May 1. She will undergo large-scale refurbishment works, which will include the insertion of a prebuilt 15-meter-long (49-feet-long) segment into the ship’s midsection, making her the first luxury ship to be lengthened in this manner.
With the aim of augmenting the onboard experience for Silversea guests, the project will dramatically enhance each of the ship’s public spaces with beautiful interior design, taking inspiration from the cruise line’s flagship vessel, Silver Muse, which was delivered by Fincantieri in April last year.
"Based on the wonderful feedback from guests sailing aboard our beautiful Silver Muse, we believe the comprehensive makeover we have planned for Silver Spirit will enrich the onboard experience and be equally appreciated by guests. They will see many of Silver Muse's innovations and elevated comforts embodied by our reimagined Silver Spirit," says Christian Sauleau, executive vice president of fleet operations for Silversea.
Music to my ears is that Silversea will be enlarging the pool deck and adding a much-needed new health and fitness center (the old one is too small) along with more spa facilities. The casino will also get a transformation.
They will also be following in the wake of the Silver Muse’s added culinary concepts with more dining options such as Atlantide, Indochine, Spaccanapoli and Silver Note, which will be installed to complement the existing Seishin, La Dame, The Grill and La Terrazza – each of which will undergo refurbishment. Inspired by guest feedback, menus will be altered and refined across the ship’s prevailing restaurants.
New public spaces will elevate the overall comfort of the ship such as the Arts Café, an innovative, modern, multi-faceted area on deck 8 that will provide a relaxed setting for readers and tea/coffee lovers. The Arts Café will display exhibitions and performances.
Inspired by Silversea’s Italian heritage, Dolce Vita will occupy pride of place on Silver Spirit. It will be an elegant venue in which sophisticated travelers will gather, interact and make friends. Cool cocktails will provide the perfect accompaniments to the smooth sound of live piano. Guests also stand to benefit from the installation of the Zagara spa — a blissful sanctuary that proved to be extremely popular on Silver Muse — and a fitness center that will boast state-of-the-art facilities.
On May 6, Silver Spirit will go back into service with a seven-day cruise between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Barcelona, calling at Porto-Vecchio, Corsica; Livorno; Portofino; Cannes and Marseilles. Fares start from $4,900 per person with special savings for those bookings made before March 31.
View the full itinerary.
Silversea offers a fleet of small luxury vessels that provide seamless service, fine cuisine, an uptown atmosphere and fares that include gratuities, all beverage from Champagne and beyond and butlers to tend to the needs of its discerning passengers in all staterooms.
As always, if you're interested in a cruise on Silver Spirit, you can't do better than talking with a travel advocate in Cruiseable's Business Department. Send them an email or call toll-free at 1-877-322-3773.
While just sailing in the lap of luxury on any Silversea vessel is a trip in itself—with personal butlers, fine food, attractive suite-size accommodations, gratuities, WiFi and wine and spirits all included in the fare—being able to enjoy ballet and opera takes the experience to another level.
Silversea has announced it's offering a superb suite of theme cruises called Enriched Voyages, featuring opera performances by the world-renowned Accademia Teatro alla Scala and classic ballet recitals by soloists from such legendary companies as the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia. Along with lectures and Q&A sessions, guests will have the chance to mingle with the artists at a signature cocktail party.
From www.cruiseandtravellifestyles.com via Scoop.it:
Princess Cruises recently announced a new exclusive partnership with esteemed restaurateur, New York Times bestselling author and television personality Chef Curtis Stone. This collaboration will serve up new culinary offerings designed by Chef Stone, dedicated to fresh flavorful cuisine, ultimately creating memorable experiences as guests travel the world.
Guests will be invited to enjoy three special offerings developed by Chef Stone, available only on a Princess cruise vacation, including:
I have always found that the food on Princess Cruises that I have been on to be exceptional. Thoughtful menus, and dishes presented and prepared well.
This partnership with Chef Curtis Stone will bring this up a notch. I will look forward to sailing on a Princess Cruise with the additions planned.
One of my five favorite cruise lines, luxury line Silversea, has just announced its first ever Black Friday sale: Receive a 5 percent savings if you book now through Nov. 28.
Silversea sweeps passengers off their feet with impeccable butler service in all categories, fine food, free wine, spirits, specialty coffees, bottled water and they even cover your tips. Onboard fun includes free fitness room and classes, a spa, movies, lectures, games, a large pool and more.
And you can combine the offer with the line's popular Silver Select promotion for additional savings: Choose a two-category suite upgrade, or 50 percent savings on a second suite, or an onboard spending credit of $1,000 per suite. (The onboard spending credit is not available on expedition voyages.)
recently hurricane-ravaged areas with free shore excursions in every port on select cruises aboard Silver Wind and Silver Muse. The move does represent a substantial savings for cruisers.
Guests can hop around Antigua's historic English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage site, check out celebrity hideaways in the Grenadines while sailing on a catamaran or soak in the scenic white-sand beaches of Grand Turk on horseback — at no extra charge.
From www.avidcruiser.com via Scoop.it:
When you write about the cruise industry, you tend to see a lot of ship launches. You see keel-laying ceremonies, shipyard tours where the skeleton of the vessel is barely recognizable, and christening events that take place, as they have for hundreds of years, before a vessel sets out on its maiden voyage.
Rarely do we get invited to see the unveiling of an airplane – but that’s exactly what luxury line Crystal Cruises had in store for us this evening on the first day of the 2016 Seatrade Global Cruise Conference in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And ironically enough, the physical airplane became a footnote once Crystal unveiled details of its first ultra-luxury mega-yacht expedition cruise ship, Crystal Endeavor.
First, to the airplane in the hangar: Crystal had previously announced it would begin offering air service with two Boeing aircraft: a Boeing 777 and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. But the plane sitting in the hangar at the private aviation terminal at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was a small Bombardier Global Express BD-700 Business Jet. And it’s just another prong in Crystal’s aggressive expansion plans.
Exciting announcements from Crystal Cruises at the Seatrade Global Cruise Conference. Luxury travel has a new benchmark that will be tough to beat. Whether it be by land, sea or air, Crystal Cruises will be able to offer customized travel plans for the luxury traveler.
Not to be outdone, Crystal Cruises also unveiled the plans for the Crystal Endeavor which will be a polar compliant megayacht for expedition travel to Antarctica and the Far Arctic. What a fantastic looking ship.
From www.justluxe.com via Scoop.it:
Marking the first new cruise ship line to launch in a decade, Viking Ocean Cruises has just christened its first ship, the 930-passenger Viking Star.
Viking Star. What a fantastic looking ship with some amenities I think are fantastic. The infinity pool off the stern looks great and the clean Nordic inspired décor is something to see.
Wow! Today luxury cruise line Silversea announced a new chapter in luxury cruising with its 2018 Couture Collection, an exclusive series of ocean and land adventures custom-designed for discerning and adventurous travelers.
The offering includes nine pre- and post-cruise land programs of five to 11 days in length designed to provide authentic and immersive travel experiences in the most remote and untouched regions of the Earth.
One of my most fantastic experiences was a cruise that included three wet and wild days at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival (or Carnaval) in Rio is surreal. It is one nonstop party where even Rio's infamous pickpockets take time off.
Well, you can indulge in the wild wonders of Carnival in Rio on Silversea's new, enchanting Silver Muse, which is heading south from Ft. Lauderdale on a 69-day Grand Voyage on Jan. 3, 2018 (which is coming up soon, believe it or not).
