Captain Greybeard

Luxury line Silversea Cruises showed today that they can keep a secret - an announcement that they have ordered a new ship to be delivered in the spring of 2017 came out of the blue. Silver Muse, being built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, will carry 596 passengers, and is an evolution of the design of Silver Spirit, which was launched in 2009. With typical exuberance, Silversea say it will “redefine ultra-luxury ocean travel, enhancing the small ship intimacy and spacious all-suite accommodations that are the hallmarks of the Silversea experience.” Flagship Muse will expand Silversea’s fleet to nine ships; there [...]

Norwegian specialist Hurtigruten has acquired a new ship to boost its fleet to 13. The vessel is on her way from Portugal - where she was built in 2009 - and has been given the temporary name of MS Norway Explorer. A total reconstruction is planned before the ship sails under the Hurtigruten flag next year, when she will start service along the coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes, replacing MS Midnatsol which will be joining MS Fram on expedition voyages to Antarctica. Few details have yet been released about the Explorer’s former life; the 7,025-ton vessel  was built at [...]

Can the golden boy of British commerce find success at sea? Richard Branson has announced the first details of Virgin Cruises - which he expects to emulate earlier instances of the brand, like his records, planes, and trains. And hopefully prove easier to get off the ground than his Intergalactic space travel venture. Branson arrived by helicopter at the Perez Art Museum in Miami for today’s press conference, dressed in trademark Virgin red shorts and with a red captain’s cap over his flowing blond locks. He announced a deal had been struck with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for three ships to [...]

Four of a kind – Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' fleet will be together in one place for the first time when they meet in the Norwegian port of Bergen on July 28. Marching bands and other entertainment will greet the ships’ 4,000 passengers, who will be given the chance to compete in an inter-ship treasure hunt around the city. The crews will take part in a tug of war competition. The event coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the first Fred Olsen, who founded a shipping company that operates ferries in the Canary islands and offshore power [...]

I’m looking forward to a day out at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl on June 28 – not to watch the cricket, but to take part in the Planet Cruise Holiday Show. I’ve had my arm twisted to join three “expert” panels advising on Cruising for Newcomers, Where to Cruise, and Premium and Luxury Cruising – I’d better start doing my homework. The forums will be hosted by travel broadcaster Jonathan Beaumont, and the day’s events in the theatre also include presentations from Oceania Cruises, Hurtigruten, CelebrityCruises, an introduction to river cruising, and a question and answer session with Planet Cruise TV [...]

The last sailings of RMS St Helena next year will include a rare visit to the UK. The two-week trip from the remote South Atlantic island, via Tenerife, used to be a feature of the ship’s regular service, but in recent years it has been confined to a shuttle between Cape Town and Ascension, with an occasional diversion to Tristan da Cunha. The island’s first airport will open for business in May and the ship, which is the only regular link to the outside world for the 4,000 islanders, will be retired in July. The 6,700-ton vessel was built in [...]

Taking an unprecedented leap forward in technology and design, Carnival Corporation is to build four vessels powered by liquefied natural gas, which it claims will be have the biggest passenger capacity in the world The ships, carrying up to 6,600 passengers each, will measure more than 180,000 tons. Two, to be built at the Meyer-Werft yard in Germany, have been designated for Carnival’s Aida brand. No announcement has yet been made about who will operate the other two, which will be built in Turku, Finland. The multi-billion dollar deal is part of a contract already signed for the delivery of [...]

In a move designed to prevent illicit alcohol being smuggled onto its ships, cruise giant Carnival is to ban passengers from bringing bottled water and fizzy drinks on board. Only limited quantities of sealed cans or cartons will be permitted after July 9, and passengers will be given the chance to pre-order bottled water for their cabin at a reduced price. Without referring to any specific event, Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said the new policy was designed to prevent security incidents “often with tragic consequences” which have been blamed on passengers getting drunk on alcohol not bought in [...]

Don’t Tell The Bride … but she’s going to get married on board a cruise ship, on prime time TV. The hit television series is transferring from BBC3 to BBC1 later this month, and a wedding on board MSC Lirica will be the third of six hour-long episodes to be broadcast. The production team joined Manchester-based entertainer Mark Kelly on the ship last September, as he prepared a theatrical wedding to sweetheart Kelly Roughley. The couple are no strangers to radio or television. They work together as presenters, actors, singers, a magician/illusionist duo, and children's entertainers. They used to host [...]