The siren song of cruising in 2017: Giant vessels, big bargains, cooking classes, Carrie Underwood and go-karts
Looking for deals, new ships, indulgent experiences and some first-time-at-sea activities? Those are among the siren calls of ocean and river cruises for 2017 that are expected to attract more than 25 million to set sail, an increase of more than a million from last year.
Here’s what’s happening on the water in 2017:
Free stuff
Cruise companies such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises seem to have found a winning sales formula that goes something like this: Sweeten the pot with value-added itemsf such as free drinks, free Wi-Fi or an on-board spending credit and more people will book.
Look for frequent promotions like these, but be aware they may be offered for only a limited time, said Mike Driscoll, the editor of Cruise Week, an industry publication.
Cooking up a storm
At-sea cooking classes are all the rage, and Holland America Line has jumped into the mix in collaboration with the public TV show “America’s Test Kitchen.”
A replica of the show’s set is already on the Westerdam, cruising this winter from San Diego to Mexico, and it’s coming to the rest of the line by July.
Shipboard chefs trained by the show’s experts demonstrate such skills as making perfect Asian dumplings (for free). Hands-on cooking classes cost $39.
Reach for the stars
Princess Cruises is working with Discovery’s Science Channel to help passengers enjoy stargazing on its ships. By summer, the line is adding an audio tour of the stars narrated by astrophysicist Hakeem M. Oluseyi.
Sister line Cunard is going one-small-step beyond, bringing astronauts and other space experts on board for a celebration of World Space Week during an October transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2, which has a planetarium.
Big on luxury
Call it the year of extreme pampering.
Seabourn just launched the 600-passenger Seabourn Encore, its newest and largest ship. Silversea will launch its newest and largest ship in May, the 596-passenger Silver Muse.
On either ship, guests stay in suites with balconies, and Champagne flows freely.
European rivers also get the luxury treatment starting this summer when Crystal Cruises adds the all-suite, 106-passenger river ships Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler.
Alaska is hot
In 2016 the number of visitors to Alaska topped 1 million for the first time since 2009. Cruise lines are betting that the 49th state’s glaciers, wildlife and Native American culture will continue to be a draw this year, so much so that market leaders Holland America and Princess are sending seven and six ships, respectively.
Luxury line Seabourn also returns to Alaska this summer after a 15-year absence.
New adventures
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic is launching its first new build, the 100-passenger National Geographic Quest, under construction in Seattle.
When the U.S.-flagged ship debuts in June in Alaska and British Columbia, passengers can start playing with its stock of two-dozen kayaks, paddleboards and other assorted water toys.
Music to your ears
Carnival Cruise Line continues its popular Carnival Live concert series with country superstar Carrie Underwood coming onboard Carnival Imagination for a private concert for passengers in April. You must book the four-day cruise from Long Beach embarking April 2 and buy a concert ticket (from $80) to attend.
Underwood will come aboard to perform while the ship is docked on Santa Catalina Island.
Others performing on Carnival ships this year include country artists Tim McGraw and Little Big Town and comedians Jay Leno and Jeff Foxworthy.
Younger river cruisers
River lines operating in Europe continue to experiment with ways to attract younger passengers (as in “younger than 65”) with a diversity of offerings.
These include craft beer-themed sailings (Avalon Waterways), cycling programs (Scenic Cruises) and family-friendly programming (AmaWaterways cruises with Adventures by Disney sailings on the Danube and Rhine).
But none has gone as far as Uniworld, which in March opens sales on U by Uniworld, a new brand geared toward the 18-to-40 set.
The sailings on two specially renovated river ships are set to start in 2018.
New thrills
When the 3,900-passenger Norwegian Joy debuts this summer in China, the ship will have the first at-sea racetrack, a two-level affair on which passengers compete in electric go-karts.
Closer to home, “wow” attractions on Swiss-based MSC Cruises’ 4,140-passenger MSC Seaside, debuting this fall on year-round cruises from Miami, include a 425-foot-long zip-line that stretches from the ship’s funnel across an open deck.
Service goes high-tech
Coming in November to the Regal Princess and eventually to the entire Princess Cruises fleet and beyond (to other Carnival Corp. brands) is Ocean Medallion Class cruising.
Passengers will carry or wear a quarter-sized Ocean Medallion that emits signals to sensors and is designed to personalize your cruise experience. Bartenders, for instance, will know that you like extra olives in your martini.
Cuba and more Cuba
This is the year Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line send big ships from Florida to Cuba — the 1,602-passenger Empress of the Seas and the 2,004-passenger Norwegian Sky, visiting Havana this spring as a port of call.
Luxury lines Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises also have added Cuba to select itineraries. Permissions to sail to Cuba expire in May, and it’s unclear how a new administration might affect visits there.
End of Fathom cruises
Fathom cruises, Carnival Corp.’s experiment in social-impact cruising, comes to an end in May.
After taking passengers to help in impoverished communities in the Dominican Republic and making history as the first passenger ship to sail from Miami to Cuba in 50 years, Fathom’s 704-passenger Adonia returns to the company’s P&O Cruises fleet.
The company plans to continue the do-good activities on its other brands, such as Holland America, Princess and Carnival, where passengers will find opportunities to book shore excursions (for a fee) focused on helping those in need.
New routes
Bangladesh joins the list of worldwide cruise destinations when Silversea’s 120-passenger expedition ship Silver Discoverer calls next month for the first time.
Meanwhile, Viking Ocean, with its third and fourth sister ships debuting this year, will introduce the 930-passenger Viking Sun in the fall with the company’s first world cruise, a 141-day trip from Miami to London, visiting five continents and 35 countries.
Chefs on board
Top chefs continue to bring their cuisine to sea, the latest including famed Hawaiian fusion creator Roy Yamaguchi, partnering on a pan-Asian venue on the new MSC Seaside.
Princess Cruises’ new 3,950-passenger Majestic Princess, launching in April and tailored for the Chinese market, will have specialty eateries created with chef Richard Chen (formerly of Wynn Las Vegas) and Michelin three-star French chef Emmanuel Renaut.
Cirque at Sea
When the 4,500-passenger MSC Meraviglia debuts this summer in the Mediterranean, the first show lounge will be dedicated to performances by Cirque du Soleil.
The Montreal-based company will perform two new shows (a cover charge applies), six days a week in the circular space, which also has a dining area for those who want to spring for pre-circus dinner.
More pop culture themed cruises
The first officially licensed Star Trek: The Cruise, hosted by William Shatner, took place this month on the Norwegian Pearl, and two more cruises, hosted by George Takei (Mr. Sulu), are in the works for next year.
Trekkies aren’t the only ones gathering at sea. A NASCAR-themed cruise sets sail Jan. 29 on the Pearl, and fans of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” are gathering for a second time on a Walker Stalker Cruise in February.
Disney Cruise Line has fan-focused cruises featuring either a Star Wars Day at Sea or a Marvel Day at Sea.
Bigger is better
Royal Caribbean’s 6,000-passenger Harmony of the Seas is spending its first full year in the Caribbean, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and taking its passengers to places such as St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Cozumel, Mexico.
Onboard attractions include a Central Park with real plants and trees, drinks prepared by robots, a 10-story thrill slide and a 1 1/2-hour production of the musical “Grease.”
Twitter: @latimestravel
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