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The newest ship for the luxury line Silversea Cruises is a sister to the brand's recently unveiled Silver Nova — a groundbreaking vessel that has been turning heads since it debuted in August. As is always the case for Cunard vessels, Queen Anne will have a soaring Grand Lobby with a cascading staircase where you can take selfies in your formal night splendor. That staple of all Cunard ships, the ballroom known as the Queens Room, is also making a comeback. Among other standout venues, Sun Princess will feature a secret hideaway for magical performances designed in partnership with the Magic Castle performance venue in Los Angeles. Kids should love the new-for-Princess fun zone called Park19, featuring a ropes course and what's being billed as the first roll glider at sea, an electric ride that goes up to 11 mph. In addition, Icon of the Seas will have a record-for-a-ship seven pools, four of which will be at a main pool area called Chill Island.
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Zodiac-boat exploration led by naturalists gets you close to both ice and wildlife. There’s also the opportunity for polar kayaking, ice fishing, dogsledding, and snowshoeing, depending on the destination. In October 2021, a fun-loving girlfriend and I boarded the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, which had just launched, wondering what playful billionaire Richard Branson could possibly bring to cruising that was new. Passengers (Virgin refers to them as “sailors”) can grab a scoop at the Lick Me ‘Till ice cream shop and be pampered by a crew who are encouraged to show off their piercings, tattoos, dyed hair, and unique personal style.
Virgin Voyages
“There’s also a greater space ratio onboard, allowing for less crowding and more space for guests to spread out and enjoy,” she says. See the lines and ships that best represent excellence in ocean and luxury cruising, chosen by Cruise Critic's international team of editors. With each new ship, Carnival packs more and more into its fares – with fewer upcharges than most lines. The included food options are tasty and satisfying, the drink packages remain reasonably priced and there’s nonstop entertainment and activities all day. Whether you’re with friends, a significant other or your family, you’re bound to have a good time, with minimum damage to your wallet.
New to the fleet
As a longtime cruise writer, I’ve sailed on more than 170 ships over the course of nearly four decades. Ships now can produce their water using onboard desalinization plants, and they are cutting their energy use and laying the groundwork for a move away from fossil fuels. They’re exploring new places beyond the Caribbean and Europe and Alaska, from the far reaches of the South Pacific to the west coast of Africa, the southern tip of South America, and the North Pole. The line’s newest ship, Silver Nova, which holds 728 passengers was ranked as the Best New Luxury Ship. This environmentally-friendly ship, which began its inaugural cruise in August, 2023 is the industry’s first hybrid luxury cruise ship. Virgin perfected onboard entertainment in 2023, introducing fresh, eye-popping shows like Lola's Library and Persephone.
Venerable British line Cunard’s 2,705-passenger Queen Mary 2 is a real ocean liner, a vessel defined by its reinforced steel hull that can handle the Atlantic, which it crosses regularly on sailings between Southampton, U.K., and Brooklyn, New York. Being onboard feels like a special occasion, especially if you join the crowd in the ship’s chandeliered Queens Room ballroom, where passengers can dance to a live big band in a throwback to the golden era of travel. The ship operates in traditional style, meaning you dine based on your type of accommodation. At the high end, Princess and Queens Grill guests can access exclusive restaurants where they can order tableside preparations such as Dover sole.
Expect dance parties with circus and diva performers and lots of day drinking. You can shake your phone while using the ship’s app to request a bottle of champagne delivered to you anywhere on the ship. Dining is complimentary at restaurants including a Korean BBQ spot complete with drinking games, and a chef’s-gone-wild venue where dishes may arrive smoking or popping.
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It's run completely separately from its sister brand, MSC Cruises, which caters to a mass-market audience. Silver Ray will initially sail in Europe before repositioning to North America in December 2024 for winter sailings to South America and the Caribbean. Fares start at $4,600 per person, including transfers, for a nine-night South America sailing out of Panama City. Even the smallest cabins on Silver Ray will measure at least 357 square feet, which is unusually large for a cruise ship cabin. As we wrote about in our recent first look at Silver Nova, part of what makes this new outward-facing orientation for these ships so magical is that they don't have any structures rising from the starboard sides of their pool decks.
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For the rest, the Art Deco–inspired main dining room, Britannia, with its soaring ceilings, staircase, and chandeliers, fulfills any fantasies you might have of glamorous ships of yore. Beyond the pomp and circumstance, you’ll find the best pub at sea, complete with darts tournaments, trivia competitions, and pub grub. Spend time in the massive ocean-view library, relax in the spa with a hydrotherapy pool, and sip at the champagne bar while listening to live jazz. Embrace the interesting talks hosted by historians and other fascinating lecturers—when you’re not walking around deck embracing the fact that in crossing a mighty sea you are part of a long and storied seafaring tradition.
Carnival Cruise Line caters to families and casual cruisers with its fleet of ships. Sky Princess carries up to 3,660 passengers on itineraries around Europe and the Caribbean. Cabins include some of the largest balconies at sea, while dining options cater to every taste. Ship highlights include a European-style Piazza atrium, a dedicated jazz theater and one of the best wine bars on a cruise ship.
Upstart cruise line Atlas Ocean Voyages offers all-inclusive fares on its two 98-suite vessels, and, in a departure from industry norms, the brand doesn’t charge solo travelers a single supplement. It will sail nine-, 10-, 11-, and 12-night round-trips from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica through March 2023 before heading to the Mediterranean to hit Spain, France, and Portugal. Paul Gauguin Cruises operates just one ship, but it is exquisite, hosting 330 guests and sailing only in the South Pacific to destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands.
Oceania Cruises has just seven ships, but the debut of the brand-new Oceania Vista catapults this cruise line into the luxury division. The cruise line's relatively new Go Local shore excursions for small groups bring travelers to under-the-radar destinations, T+L contributing editor and long-time cruiser Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon reported recently. Her 2022 cruise on Riviera included 70 excursions "from canoeing Croatia’s Cetina River to cooking classes in Athens."
The innovative vessel, which is similar in design to Scenic Eclipse, will have luxurious suites complete with butler service and all sorts of extras, including helicopters (plural) and a submarine. By definition, small ships hold fewer than 1200 passengers, usually making the cruise experience more intimate with more individualized service. Emerald Yacht Cruises, a line best known for its river ships, launched its first ocean-going vessel, Emerald Azzura, in 2022 followed by an identical sister ship, Emerald Sakara, in 2023. If you've never visited New Orleans, or it's been a while, take a Mississippi River cruise that sails round-trip from the Big Easy.
You can also head to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, featuring an American Beaux-Arts mansion completed in 1899. The United States Military Academy at West Point, founded in 1802, is also on the itinerary, as is Sleepy Hollow. The Sleepy Hollow legend comes to life during a tour of the local cemetery where author Washington Irving is buried. Back in the Big Apple on day seven, you'll have time to explore before saying farewell to your ship. On the Pacific end of your voyage, you'll visit Astoria, Oregon — the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.
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