News: Tinie Tempah Cruise Festival and More

It’s the week of the General Election, the weather is gloomy, and right now you’d much rather be thinking about escaping on a cruise ship. We know, because you’re reading our #CruiseNews article, and the only other explanation is that you’re a Tinie Tempah fan! Well, either way we won’t disappoint, here’s what is happening the world of cruise…

MSC MEGASHIP MERAVIGLIA

The biggest ship to launch this year was christened by actress Sophia Loren (Two Women, El Cid) in Le Havre on June 3rd. MSC Meraviglia is MSC Cruises‘ 5,714 passenger megaship, bringing MSC’s fleet to 13 until MSC Seaside joins the fleet in December 2017. French President Emanuel Macron was in attendance for the delivery of the Meraviglia to MSC three days earlier in St. Nazaire. Many unique aspects were boasted at the ceremony including MSC Cruises Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago’s plans for a museum housing priceless artworks on board the upcoming MSC Belissima, MSC’s World Class ships and their Liquified Natural Gas propulsion system, as well as partnerships with Cirque de Soleil, Michelin-star chef Helene Darroze, and world-class chocolatier Jean-Philippe Maury.

THE CRUISE – SERIES 3

Hit ITV series The Cruise was a huge success and now we have confirmation that it’ll be back for more. The nine-part series set on board Princess Cruises‘ Royal Princess and Star Princess will be set in the Mediterranean, Alaska, and the Caribbean in 2018. Again, it will focus on life on board, following on from previous series on board Royal Princess in the Mediterranean and Regal Princess in the Baltics. Vice President of Princess Cruises for UK and Europe said they were “delighted to have ITV back onboard” and are “looking forward to what the new series will bring” in the various destinations.

Catch previous news updates regarding ITV’s The Cruise in News: Santorini Limits Cruises and More, and News: Royal Caribbean to Crown Miami and More

FRED. SETS SIGHTS ON THE RIVER

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced that they’ll be launching their very first river cruise programme, with 30 sailings on the Danube, Rhine and Moselle – as of April 2018. Chartering the 156-passenger river ship currently sailing as Amadeus Princess, the ship will undergo rebranding – to be named Brabant (linking back to a 1920s Fred Olsen passenger vessel by the same name). Flights, transfers, all meals and Wi-Fi will be included within the price of a river cruise fare, however, drinks and shore excursions will be excluded. Itineraries will range from the five-night Springtime Dutch Discovery voyage, sailing from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf, departing April 5, 2018, to the 25-night German Jewels and Cities of the East voyage — departing May 15, 2018 — taking in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.

Fred. Olsen Sales and Marketing Director Justin Stanton commented saying “At Fred. Olsen we specialise in creating a home-from-home atmosphere on our ocean cruises, and we are proud to be bringing our many decades of expertise and rich sailing heritage to the river cruise market for the very first time. Guests can rest assured that the new Fred. Olsen river cruises will be underpinned by the usual high standards, award-winning customer service and understated elegance that they have come to expect of our ocean-going offer.”

A TINIE CRUISE FESTIVAL

You may have heard of music festivals or performances in association with cruise lines (like this Celebrity Cruises/Demi Lovato concert last year) but you probably haven’t heard of Anchored 2017 – by Unique Cruise. Kicking off on 11th June 2017, on board Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, Anchored takes place on a seven-day cruise from Rome to Santorini, Mykonos, Cannes/Monte Carlo, and features artists such as Tinie Tempah, De La Swing, Eats Everything and MK. More than just a few big names performing on board, the whole ship is being redesigned for that “Ibiza vibe” for Europe’s first ever cruise-music festival!

You might not make it this year because there are only a few days to go, but Unique Cruise is pretty certain that Anchored will be back on board Royal Caribbean for 2018. We’ll let you know as soon as we find anything out about Anchored 2!

OTHER NEWS

AmaWaterways have revealed that they will launch a new river vessel in 2019, set to be the largest on the Danube River. Named AmaMagna, it will be double the width of their newest ship AmaKristina – allowing for larger cabins and 194 passengers. The new ship will feature ocean-style cabins, multiple dining venues as well as outdoor dining, an elevator to the top of the ship, a heated top-deck pool and hot tub with bar, expanded entertainment and spa offerings, and a water sports platform.

Saga Cruises has revealed further details on its newest ship Spirit of Discovery, to set sail in 2019. The 999-passenger ship will feature a free speciality Asian restaurant serving complimentary wines, an outside Lido deck with dining space, and a central hub called the Living Room. Taking inspiration from many popular restaurants and hotels, the main dining room will feature a double-height ballroom style ceiling. Spirit of Discovery will boast 540 all-balcony cabins and suites – 100 of which will be specifically designed for solo passengers.