Carnival has just released a virtual video tour of their next new ship, Carnival Panorama. Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Carnival Panorama is scheduled to set sail on its inaugural three-day voyage from Long Beach then launch year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera service Dec. 14, marking the first new Carnival ship from the West Coast in 20 years.
Voyages will depart from the newly refurbished Long Beach Cruise Terminal, housed in a massive 146,000-square-foot geodesic dome that once housed Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose airplane. The expanded facility offers a streamlined embarkation and debarkation process along with stunning design elements that pay homage to the Golden State, including a mural of the Sierra Nevada mountains and replicas of the Spruce Goose.
Carnival Panorama will offer groundbreaking attractions like a bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction called SkyRide, a massive WaterWorks aqua park, and the SportSquare open-air recreation area, along with a vibrant Havana section with tropics-inspired staterooms and its own Cuban-themed bar and pool, Family Harbor featuring extra-roomy accommodations and the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa. This lively space evokes the spirit of the islands, perfect for sipping tropical cocktails while imagining pairing them with a fine selection of Cuban Cigars for an authentic atmosphere. Like its name implies, Carnival Panorama will also offer both indoor and al fresco food and beverage concepts, including the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Library Bar, and Bonsai Sushi.
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
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Ponant launched its first expedition ship, Le Laperouse, in 2018.
This Scandinavian-chic luxury vessel is the first in the line’s Explorer class. Ponant plans for six expedition ships in the class by 2020. Le Champlain joined in 2018, and 2019 will see Le Bougainville and Le Dumont-d’Urville, followed by Le Jacques Cartier and Le Bellot in 2020.
I sailed on the 92-cabin, 184-passenger capacity Le Laperouse on a voyage in New Zealand.
Ponant is a French cruise line, so announcements are given in both French and English. About half of the passengers on my sailing were native French speakers. Daily programs and menus also feature both languages.
Captain Etienne Garcia welcomed passengers onto his bridge on Le Laperouse during a sailing in New Zealand.
Open Bridge
Passengers are welcomed to come to the bridge to visit the captain and other navigation officers. The sign on the door at the end of the hall on Deck 5 indicates when access is OK for guests. This is a great way to get a look at what the captain sees from his vantage point and learn the intricacies of operating a cruise ship.
Easy Embarkation
Boarding is quick and easy, with fewer than 200 passengers. You simply walk into the cruise facility, hand over your passport and get a room key. Then, you head up the gangway where Ponant crew members give a friendly welcome, and a staffer will escort you to your stateroom.
You can order food from a menu offering room service selections (burger, steak, sandwiches, salads) 24 hours a day. But the other meals follow a strict schedule. The main restaurant Le Nautilus is open seating offering breakfast (7 to 9 a.m.), lunch (noon to 1:30 p.m.) and dinner (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.). The al fresco poolside eatery Le Nemo is a buffet-style restaurant that serves at the same times for lunch and dinner – with breakfast 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. – but you need a reservation for dinner out there. Food is almost exclusively French, and you won’t find Asian or Italian options, for examples.
Cabin feature nautical designs and balconies.
Elegant Staterooms
All cabins have balconies, and the standard staterooms feature a large flat-screen TV with an offering of cable channels and on-demand TV programs and mix of classic and recently released movies. The rooms offer attractive nautical colors (blues and whites) and separate rooms for the large shower and sink and the water closet. The rooms offer stocked mini-fridges, coffee machines and European and American power outlets as well as a USB outlet.
The Blue Eye lounge features large portholes to check out what might be swimming past.
The Blue Eye
Le Laperouse is home to the cruise industry’s first underwater lounge. This space is located down on Deck 0 and designed to give the feel of being inside a whale’s head, being able to look out through two large portholes — that would be the whale’s eyes — on the either side of the ship. This is a multi-sensory space that pipes in sounds from the ocean. Passengers can come down when it’s open and to have a drink and relax on the couches in the blue-lit space or book a 45-minute multi-sensory program when they are offered throughout your cruise (up to 30 people at a time).
The marina is the place to set off for activities when the ship is anchored at interesting ports around the world.
A spa is located on Deck 7 with treatment rooms, including a room for couples massages and a beautiful sauna with a large oceanview window.
The tiny gym offers nothing but cardio equipment.
Slim Gym
Le Laperouse has the smallest fitness center with the least amount of equipment we have seen on any cruise ship of its size. It offers two treadmills, an elliptical, and two bikes. There are no free weights or any types of resistance-training equipment. Some “fitness classes” are offered in the ship’s theater, led by the ship’s dancers.
Included Goodies
All drinks, except for some premium selections, are included in your cruise fare. The heavy emphasis is on pouring wine throughout meals. It can take a while to get a drink order other than wine at these times. WiFi also is included for one device at a time per cruiser. On our trip in New Zealand, the signal strength was fair, but we were regularly knocked off the service and had to log back on frequently.
Entertainment
Le Laperouse features live music. We had duo (a guitarist and singer) and a pianist on our cruise. Shows are also offered in the main theater, with the dancers performing revues, or speakers giving enrichment talks. The ship also features classic movies and documentaries on the big screen in the theater (some in French with subtitles). Dance and trivia contests, board games and other activities are offered by your cruise director each day. The daily schedule is a very loose plan. Some activities start late, sometimes more than 30 minutes past the scheduled time on the daily program, which can be frustrating.
Order a fresh burger at Le Nemo grill.
Service and Style
The level of service overall was pretty good but it can feel a bit indifferent at times, especially for a luxury cruise ship. Passengers would wait at the bar or in the lounge areas nearby for many minutes before being addressed (if at all) and asked how they could be helped. Table service also is often quite rushed, chaotic and lacking warmth — as if the ship is understaffed. Orders were inaccurate several times for my fellow tablemates. Other interactions with crew members also left me feeling disappointed. This overall vibe ran hot and cold, however, as many of the crew were fantastic.
Ponant’s expedition ship Le Laperouse debuted in 2018.
If you’re going to travel all the way to New Zealand, you’re going to want to make the most of the trip. I can think of no better way to get explore this exotic country and the diverse landscapes of the North Island and South Island than on an expedition cruise.
Ponant, the French cruise line, and Backroads, a leading active travel company that has been around for four decades, have teamed up to offer a fantastic way to see New Zealand, especially if it’s your first time there. Ponant launched its first luxury expedition ship, Le Laperouse, in 2018 as the first of six planned for the Explorer class of expedition vessels.
Backroads, which also has an active cruise partnership on the rivers with AmaWaterways, uses the ship as a home base for adventurous activities in New Zealand. This means that a subgroup of two to three dozen passengers on the 184-passenger (92 cabins) Le Laperouse head ashore for their own special active excursions, such as biking, hiking and kayaking.
We had 24 in the Backroads group, and our multi-sport adventure sailing on Le Laperouse gave us a good look at the natural beauty of New Zealand. The partnership between Backroads and Ponant touches on precisely what the cruise line wants to provide with its expedition ships — embracing exciting destinations through exploration and adventure.
Ponant’s Le Laperouse is an ideal home base for Backroads to host its multi-sport adventure activities, such as this hike in Wellington, New Zealand.
Here is a look at what a cruise is like onboard Ponant’s Le Laperouse.
The ship pays homage to the French explorer Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de Laperouse, and its reinforced hull and ice-class rating allows for Polar exploration.
Passengers can quickly navigate the onboard layout, as Le Laperouse measures just 430-feet long with seven decks. Of the 165 passengers on my voyage, about 50 percent were native French speakers, and announcements are made in both French and English.
Le Laperouse is a luxury expedition ship offering a high-end feel for your adventures. The captain’s welcome-aboard cocktail event features staff in white attire serving up Champagne and small bites on the pool deck.
The ship’s design incorporates nautical style and themes, offering comfortable spaces and a relaxed vibe. The line itself calls it “yacht chic.”
Daily life onboard is fairly simple and sticks to a regimented dining schedule.
Breakfast is from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the main restaurant Le Nautilus or from 6:30 to 10 a.m. at Le Nemo grill (continental breakfast of fruit, yogurt, cheese, pastries and meats) in the pool area at the aft of Deck 3. I liked the variety for breakfast, with fruits, muesli, numerous fresh juices and bread options, as well as made-to-order eggs.
Le Nemo grill is a buffet-style eatery outdoors on the ship’s pool deck.
Lunch is served at Le Nemo (buffet style) and Le Nautilus, typically from noon to 1:30 p.m., and dinner is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The menus feature French cuisine almost exclusively, with offerings of a Ponant burger, chicken breast, fish of the day and ribeye steak. Note: Waiters give you a little bit of grief if you choose to skip the recommended items featured on the tasting menus for the Officer’s Dinner or the Captain’s Gala meal.
Wine flows freely, and all drinks are included in your cruise fare except for some premium selections.
Room service is available 24 hours. I ordered a few room service meals, and all arrived on time and without errors.
The ship’s main theater is home to dance performances, cultural shows, talks and movies.
Entertainment consists of afternoon lectures and nightly movies or dance performances in the ship’s theater. The Main Lounge on Deck 3 is the hot spot, with a large dance floor surrounded by couches and chairs. This is where you come for bar service and entertainment or activities throughout the cruise. Afternoon tea, trivia and dance contests, dance lessons and nightly live music and dancing take place here. Passengers would have a great time dancing with one another, and the ship’s officers and entertainment staff would often join in during the nightly post-dinner activities.
The lounge is the ship’s most popular gathering spot for activities and relaxing.
Ponant also puts out a table with a selection of snacks like small sandwiches, brownies, cookies and other sweet treats or breads and cheeses every afternoon in the Main Lounge.
The ship has a stylish lobby area with a boutique and guest services desks.
The lobby is on Deck 3 with a guest services and shore excursions deck, as well as future cruise sales desk and La Boutique, which sells resort wear, souvenirs and other items.
Le Laperouse also offers an especially cozy spot on Deck 6 overlooking the ship’s bow. The Observatory Lounge (with full bar) has large windows with a panoramic view of the sailing sights and a deck area with chairs to enjoy the outdoors.
Rustic furniture fills the space, and bookshelves offer games and books to enjoy in this serene space.
All cabins on Le Laperouse have balconies.
Passenger cabins all feature balconies and attractive nautical designs, decorated in blue and white, with light hardwoods. Staterooms are on Deck 3 to 6, and Deck 7 is the spa area, with treatment rooms and a large sauna with a huge window. The sauna is open for anyone to use, and the ship’s tiny gym (five pieces of cardio equipment and no weights) also is on this deck.
The ship’s marina adjusts to three configurations for launching daily activities, such as zodiac tours in Milford Sound in New Zealand.
The marina is adjustable to fit three positions and also serves as the sports deck for activities like standup paddleboarding. During sailing time, you might see loungers placed out to make it more sun deck space for passengers.
The innovative Blue Eye underwater lounge on Le Laperouse.
The Blue Eye is a below-water-lever lounge on Deck 0. This first-of-its-kind space allows you to peep out of either side of the ship through large portholes. It’s rare that you’ll see any creatures, but the dark, blue lighting creates an interesting atmosphere that appeals to some. You can wander down to enjoy a drink from the bar, but the space is closed at times for special multi-sensory experiences (reservations required) that play music, whale sounds and narration.
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On the last day of our mini-cruise aboard Viking Cruises, Viking Einar we sailed up the Rhine River and docked in beautiful city of Mainz, Germany. Notice how the Viking Longship uses its bow thrusters to spin the ship around and easily dock along the river.
Designed for discerning travelers with interests in history, art, music and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests “the thinking person’s cruise” as an alternative to mainstream cruises. Ships are small to get guests closer to their destination, with more time in port and more overnights. On board, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is both beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light. With the most al fresco dining opportunities on the waterways of Europe, featuring regional cuisine and always-available American classics, Viking’s guests can truly dine in their destination. A focus on cultural enrichment brings immersive experiences on shore and on board. And only The Viking Way® of exploration provides guests with itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access® experiences.
In addition, Viking offers a compelling value compared to other cruise lines. Every cruise fare includes an outside stateroom, a complimentary shore excursion in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; Wi-Fi; and cultural performances as part of the Viking’s Cultural Curriculum® onboard programming.
For more information visit VikingCruises.com or Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.
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Designed for discerning travelers with interests in history, art, music and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests “the thinking person’s cruise” as an alternative to mainstream cruises. Ships are small to get guests closer to their destination, with more time in port and more overnights. On board, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is both beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light.
Viking offers a compelling value compared to other cruise lines. Every cruise fare includes an outside stateroom, a complimentary shore excursion in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; Wi-Fi; and cultural performances as part of the Viking’s Cultural Curriculum® onboard programming.
For more information visit VikingCruises.com or Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.
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During a festive naming ceremony in Basel, Switzerland, Viking welcomed seven new Europe river ships to its award-winning fleet, including six innovative Viking Longships. Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen is pictured with the ships’ honorary godmothers at the Picasso exhibition at Basel’s Foundation Beyeler museum.
Embarking on an Antarctica cruise is not a trip that should be taken lightly. Besides the extreme cold temperatures that you’ll no doubt be preparing for with all manner of insulated coats, specialist boots and cosy headwear, there’s also the fact that this far-flung continent is full of such varied and wonderful wildlife, amazing landscape and the opportunity for adventure is always just around the corner.
If you’re considering embarking on an amazing Antarctica cruise, then you might like our five tips for making the most out of your adventure.
See the wonderful wildlife!
It should go without saying: see the wildlife! The wildlife in Antarctica is incredible, it truly must be seen to be believed. From the range of penguins you’ll encounter on land (including the long-tailed Gentoo penguin, right through to the rare Adélie penguin), to the breath-taking marine life, such as the mysterious humpback whale, the striking orca or the muscular and athletic leopard seal – there’s plenty of wildlife in this vibrant region of the world.
Discover the breath-taking landscape
Whilst on the lookout for wildlife on your polar adventure, don’t forget to look at what’s right in front of you, right beneath your feet and across the edge of the horizon. Put simply, the scenery in Antarctica is simultaneously stunning, serene and blissful.
From sparkling, glistening waters, to natural ice-arches and crisp, untouched plains that stretch as far as the eye can see, we’ve only got one piece of advice: bring a camera!
Go where no one has gone before
As you’re drifting through the seas and along the famous Drake’s Passage, you’ll find yourself with a feeling familiar to most explorers and travellers. That feeling that you’re going beyond the norm, witnessing something that many will never get to see beyond magazines and television.
Of course the continent of Antarctica has long been explored for many decades now, but much of it has only been mapped by satellite, and it’s that feeling of excitement and mystery that constantly floods your veins as you embark on your own adventure of exploration – who knows what you’ll discover!
Take an excursion to go further across the continent
Once on-land, or at least in the area on board your cruise ship, you may wish to explore the area further.
Many cruise operators with Antarctica tours offer a variety of excursions, which can be anything from helicopter tours to land tours.
But why bother, you ask? Why would you need to step off your luxury cruise ship and get up-close and personal with the harsh, extreme environment? Because it’s in those up-close and personal moments that you can truly experience Antarctica’s beauty. After all, when you’re gliding under the deep, indigo sea inside a submarine, like on certain luxury Antarctica cruises, you can’t help but be amazed.
Make memories that will last a lifetime
The goal of any Antarctica trip is to make memories that will last a lifetime, and in this region, it’s impossible not to. From the unmissable wildlife, through to the strikingly serene landscapes and otherworldly excursions, an Antarctic cruise is unlike anything else on planet Earth.
Cruise vacations are perhaps the most enjoyable experience out there. Thousands of people spend a considerable amount of money worldwide, in order to have that phenomenal experience that they all seek. And to add to the charm, a lot many elements of fun are added by the cruise lines in order to offer the best experience to their customers. One such offer is that of casino services on board. Casino setups on deck is perhaps a popular choice since most cruise ships do provide them as a service. One might not get cellular network coverage for Android phone casino gaming in the middle of the ocean, but that’s certainly being handled by such extravagant cruising lines!
A variety of games might be available on cruise lines when it comes to casino gaming. It mostly includes the slot machine games as well as table games. The classic table-based card games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, Roulette etc. still remains as the hot favorite among cruisers. A large ship would accommodate more tables and slot machines than a smaller one.
Tournaments for casino games:
To make the cruisers’ experience the ultimate form of delight, cruise lines offer a variety of casino gaming tournaments. These tournaments consist of blackjack, roulette, baccarat etc. tables that see a large number of people flocking around their premises. Cruisers love the experience of thrill that is provided and added by such tournaments as well!
Casino timings on board:
Casino services are not mostly available every time and every hour of the day. It mostly remains open when the ship is cruising in the sea and might still remain open at ports of countries where gambling laws permit them to do so. Some cruise lines don’t offer casino services during the day time since most people remain out on the deck to enjoy a bright sunny morning. However, during the night, most casino services are certainly open because it’s that time when cruisers like to enjoy the most, inside the deck.
Transaction on board:
Most cruise lines offer prepaid cards that contain currency of a certain denomination that was pre-purchased. These cards could be used to buy chips and to buy other commodities while being involved in the casino play. Some casino venues do accept cash on board and chips can be bought with the exchange of cash as well.
The legality pertaining to onboard casino gaming on cruise ships might differ with the company, country of origin and country of visit. It is highly recommended to follow these strictures before taking any action with respect to casino gaming and gambling!
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The cruise line is nearly doubling internet bandwidth size across its fleet by January 2020. Significantly increasing bandwidth compared to 2018 will make free internet surfing more enjoyable for Regent guests as the internet will be faster and even more reliable on all devices. Guests will begin to benefit from bandwidth expansion starting April 2019. Signing on to Wi-Fi will be smoother through a log-in web page that appears when guests connect to the ship’s network, and guests will have a more streamlined log-in process enabling unlimited complimentary and effortless web surfing.”
Free unlimited valet laundry service for guests sailing in Master and Grand Suites. All guests who sail in a Master Suite or Grand Suite on the cruise line’s ships will enjoy the added benefit of free unlimited valet laundry service starting in April 2019.
A new Digital Guest Survey will help Regent track guest experiences and feedback in real-time. The digital survey replaces end-of-cruise paper guest satisfaction questionnaires. Guests may easily provide feedback through this web-based questionnaire during the voyage and the feedback is automatically sent to the ship’s officers and company leaders in Miami. This new system will be deployed fleetwide by October 2019.
“Nearly doubling bandwidth provides Regent guests with an even faster and easier free internet experience to stay in touch and share their travel experiences with their family, friends and business associates at home while sailing around the world,” says Jason Montague, Regent Seven Seas Cruises president and chief executive officer. “Across our fleet we continue to refine the small details, such as creating a faster internet, including free valet laundry service for Master and Grand Suite guests, and deploying a tool for real-time guest feedback. This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to providing guests with an unrivaled experience.”
All luxuries are included in Regent voyages, such as all-suite accommodations, round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from U.S. and Canada, the largest collection of unlimited shore excursions, unlimited internet access, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, gratuities, ground transfers and one-night, pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher
To learn more, please visit www.RSSC.com, call 1-844-4REGENT (1-844-473-4368) or contact a professional travel advisor.
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Kelly Arison, daughter of Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine, will serve as godmother.
As Carnival Sunrise makes her debut following her $200 million transformation, Carnival Cruise Line has announced that Kelly Arison, daughter of Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine, will serve as godmother for the ship at an invitation-only ceremony in New York on May 23.
In what is sure to be a touching moment, Kelly will step into the godmother role previously held by her mother when the ship first entered service as Carnival Triumph, in 1999. In an added stroke of family ties, Kelly’s grandmother Lin Arison served as godmother to Carnival Sunrise’s sister ship, Carnival Sunshine, in 2013.
“It is truly an honor to carry on my family’s cherished tradition and join the esteemed women who have so admirably carried out their role as a Carnival godmother over the years,” said Kelly. “This ceremony will not only serve as an exciting and memorable way to officially introduce the spectacular Carnival Sunrise to the Carnival fleet but also raise awareness of an organization very near and dear to my heart, the Ehlers-Danlos Society.”
Carnival Sunrise will offer guests plenty of entertainment options, along with open-air attractions like a new WaterWorks aqua park and SportSquare featuring a suspended ropes course. New dining offerings include Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, the Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant and the Caribbean-themed Red Frog Pub.
All of the ship’s staterooms have been updated with island-inspired interiors featuring bright colors and soothing pastels inspired by the line’s Caribbean itineraries, along with new choices such as luxurious Captain’s Suites adjacent to the navigational bridge offering floor-to-ceiling windows and extended balcony grand suites.
To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visitCarnival.com. For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL.
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