Cruising on a Superyacht

If you would love a chance to cruise on a spectacular luxury yacht, but don’t happen to know someone who owns one, take heart. Two providers of “superyacht” cruises – Atlas Ocean Voyages and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – are preparing to launch this year. Both are expected to provide new options for those who enjoy ultraluxury, all-inclusive cruises.

Ritz-Carlton, the operator of luxury hotels and resorts, is planning to bring its high standards for style and individualized service to the sea through the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The line’s first superyacht, the Evrima, will have 149 sumptuous suites with all-glass exterior walls. Each suite will have its own terrace as well.

The plans for the Evrima include a full-service spa and several dining venues. Passengers will be able to call on a personal concierge for help with anything from dinner and spa reservations to arranging immersive experiences onshore. And the ship’s sleek design will allow port calls that may not be accessible to larger ships – think Portofino on the Italian Riviera, the yacht-filled harbor of St. Barths in the Caribbean, or the remote Sept-Iles of Quebec.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection plans a leisurely pace for its cruises, and port calls will include some overnight stays. There are plans for two sister ships to join the Evrima in the Ritz-Carlton fleet in the future.

Atlas Ocean Voyages plans to provide guests with a unique “luxe-adventure” experience on its yacht cruises, combining luxury onboard with physically active excursions onshore. This line is intended to appeal to passengers who want to treat themselves to a high-end expedition cruise.

Planned itineraries include port calls in destinations like Ukraine and Romania on the Black Sea, or Israel and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean. The first Atlas ship, the World Navigator, will be polar-class, so there are plans to sail to the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, too.  Some longer itineraries are expected to include inland experiences of two to five nights.

Passengers on the World Navigator and its planned sister ships can expect gourmet cuisine, premium beverages, and beautifully furnished staterooms. Each stateroom will be equipped with binoculars for enjoying the scenery, as well as personalized coffee, tea, and bar service. If you sail to Antarctica with Atlas, you’ll even find polar-class parkas waiting for you.

To learn more about these new superyacht cruise lines and how you can sail on them, talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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Creative Open-Air Cruise Fun

More than 100 years ago, the White Star Line introduced the Olympic, the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. The Olympic, almost 883 feet long, had nine decks and could carry 2,435 passengers. In contrast, the largest cruise ship afloat today – Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas – measures 1,188 feet long, has 18 decks, and can carry up to 6,680 passengers.

As cruise ships have become larger, much of the additional square footage has been devoted to interior spaces, including larger staterooms, restaurants and theaters. But some provide guests with amazing open-air, on-deck attractions, like these:

Since it first debuted in 2004, Movies Under the Stars has become a signature feature on the Princess Cruises fleet. Spacious pool decks include giant screens that show movies in the evening. Passengers can watch from poolside loungers equipped with extra cushions, while the crew serves popcorn, movie-themed cocktails and other beverages. While it was originally an evening-only event, Movies Under the Stars now operates during the daytime, too, showing sports, concerts and other programming on the big screens.

The top decks on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss feature thrilling, first-at-sea racetracks. Eco-friendly electric race cars reach speeds of up to 30 mph on a curvy track with great ocean views. While the cars don’t make noise, a soundtrack of revving engines and downshifting gears is transmitted into the drivers’ safety helmets to add to the experience.

When the Celebrity Edge debuted in late 2018, Celebrity Cruises unveiled its first Resort Deck as a new way to enjoy the outdoors at sea. The Resort Deck includes a whimsical Rooftop Garden adorned with nature-inspired sculptures, cozy nooks, a giant chess set, a dance floor, and lots of comfy seating for watching movies or stargazing.

Even though river cruise ships are smaller than their ocean-going cousins, they are also making the most of their outdoor spaces. Some Avalon Waterway ships feature a Sky Deck that’s equipped with chaise lounges, a whirlpool and space for outdoor games, along with a shaded area for enjoying al fresco tastes from the Sky Grill.

Upcoming cruise ships may include even more open-air entertainment and dining venues, which can play a big role in helping to prevent any sharing of viruses or other germs on board. Talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor, about ships that offer terrific open-air spaces and how you can sail on one.

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Try a Repositioning Cruise

If you loved days spent out at sea on past cruises – or if the idea of having lots of time to enjoy all the amenities of a modern cruise ship appeals to you – look into repositioning cruises.

Repositioning cruises happen when ships need to move from one part of the world to another, in line with cruise seasons. For example, some ships move from Northern Europe to the Caribbean in fall, or from Australia to the Pacific Northwest in late spring.

Crossing a vast expanse of water gives passengers plenty of time to explore everything on board, which can be hard to do on a port-intensive cruise. Repositioning cruises often provide great value, as well. Just remember that you’ll have to travel to one port to board the ship, then return home from a different port (that might be on a different continent).

Most repositioning cruises are at least 10 days long, and many are longer. And most of those days will be spent at sea, without a port in sight. So, how would you spend your time? Here are a few ideas.

·         Try all the onboard activities. When there’s a choice between exploring on shore and staying on board, most of us choose the shore. Days at sea days provide the opportunity to participate in any and all the onboard activities you like, from fitness classes to lectures, wine tastings, behind the scenes tours, and much more.

·         See all the shows. You’ll have time to enjoy all the shipboard entertainment, and perhaps see favorite performances more than once.

·         Visit the spa and enjoy a relaxing treatment; it’s truly a wonderful experience.

·         Enjoy all the dining venues; today’s biggest ships can have more than a dozen restaurants, and a repositioning cruise provides time to try them all.

·         Spend time with your fellow passengers. You’ll have time to get to know new people, which can result in lasting friendships.

Another advantage of a repositioning cruise is that any port calls are likely to be excitingly off the beaten path. For example, a North Atlantic crossing could include a call on Greenland; a ship sailing from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean might stop in the Canary Islands; and a ship bound from the South Pacific to South America might call on Easter Island. Some repositioning cruises go through the Panama Canal, which is a fascinating destination in itself.

To find a repositioning cruise that you’ll enjoy, talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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Relax on a Short Cruise

A long cruise is delightful, but if you have limited time to sail, take a look at quick, three- or four-night cruises that venture from several different U.S. homeports to a variety of great destinations.

A short cruise can give you a relaxing break while using just a little of your precious time off from work. Because some sail over a weekend, if you have a flexible work schedule, you may not need to use up any vacation days at all.

Short cruises are affordable, but you won’t miss out on any onboard features or activities. You’ll have access to all the same dining, spa, workout and entertainment venues as if you were sailing for a week or more.

A short cruise is also a brilliant way to try a new cruise line without making a big investment. If you like the style and service, you can book a longer cruise for the future. Just keep in mind that most short cruises use midsized ships; if you book a longer cruise with the same line, but on a larger ship, you can expect to have more activities and amenities to choose from.

Here are a few ideas for short cruises:

Sail from New York City to the Royal Dockyard in Bermuda with Norwegian Cruise Line. On either side of your visit to the pink sand beaches or green golf courses of Bermuda, days at sea provide time to try the onboard restaurants swim in the pool and more.

You can take a three-night cruise to The Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Fla., on Disney Cruise Line. Your ship will call on the Bahamian capital of Nassau, as well as Disney’s wonderful private island, Castaway Cay.

If you have four nights available to cruise, Celebrity Cruises can take you to the Western Caribbean from Miami, Fla. Onboard, you can visit the spa, sample 40 types of craft beer at Craft Social, and more. Between days spent at sea, the ship visits the lovely, beachy island of Cozumel, Mexico.

If you’d rather sail from the West Coast, Princess Cruises offers two options for a four-night getaway from Los Angeles. Visits to beautiful Santa Barbara or San Diego, Calif.; Ensenada, Mexico; and a day at sea should bring you back feeling refreshed and ready to plan your next cruise.

For more information about these and other itineraries for short getaway cruises, contact Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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