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Viking launches expedition voyages

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 16 January 2020 16 January 2020

Viking has announced that it will expand its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new expedition voyages. Viking Expeditions will begin sailing in January 2022 with its first vessel, Viking Octantis, embarking on voyages to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. Viking’s arrival to the Great Lakes will bring the newest and most modern vessels ever to explore this region of North America and will mark a major commitment to local tourism and economic development for the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. As part of an exclusive preview, past Viking guests have been able to book select Viking Expeditions polar itineraries since October 9. Starting today, January 15, all expedition voyages – including the new Great Lakes itineraries – are available to past Viking guests for booking during a two-week exclusive preview; the itineraries will be available to the public for booking beginning February 1.

“We invented the concept of modern river cruising when we launched in 1997; then we reinvented ocean cruises and became the ‘World’s Best Ocean Cruise Line’ in our first year of operation, as well as every year since then. Now, in creating ‘the thinking person’s expedition,’ we are perfecting polar expedition cruising, and we will usher in a new era of comfortable exploration in the heart of North America,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Our guests are curious explorers. They want to continue traveling with us to familiar and iconic destinations, but they would also like to travel further. We began as Viking River Cruises; then we evolved into Viking Cruises with the addition of ocean cruises; today we stand singularly as Viking, offering destination-focused voyages on more than 20 rivers and five oceans, visiting more than 500 ports in 100 countries and on all seven continents.”

To develop the new expedition voyages, Viking has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions. The lead partner is the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute. This relationship is underpinned by a major Viking endowment for scientific research into the polar regions, The Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience, a Cambridge University full professorship based at the Scott Polar Research Institute, as well as a sponsorship fund supporting the Institute’s graduate students. As part of this endowment, the Institute’s scientists will undertake fieldwork on board Viking expedition vessels and join voyages to share their expertise with guests. Viking has also partnered with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a globally recognized bird research facility, whose ornithologists will regularly be on board the expedition ships, providing guest advice and interaction.

Details of Viking’s plans were unveiled by Chairman Hagen this evening during a celebratory launch event in Beverly Hills, Calif. Hagen also announced that famed adventurers and educators Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft will be honored as ceremonial godmothers to Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, respectively. Arnesen, a native Norwegian, became the first woman in the world to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1994. Bancroft is the first woman to successfully finish a number of arduous expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Arnesen and Bancroft also became the first women to ski across Antarctica in 2001. Together they co-founded Bancroft Arnesen Explore / Access Water, an initiative that aims to engage and empower more than 60 million minds to create a sustainable tomorrow. Arnesen will also periodically serve as a member of the Viking Expedition Team.

During this evening’s event, attendees were treated to a performance by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world’s leading crossover sopranos and ceremonial godmother to Viking Jupiter, the newest ship in Viking’s ocean fleet. Before her performance, Sissel officially “named” Viking Jupiter as the ship sailed between the Falkland Islands and Cape Horn. As part of the naming, Sissel offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years – and then instructed crew members currently on the ship to break a bottle of Norwegian aquavit the ship’s hull.

As she introduced Sissel on stage, Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen spoke about Sissel’s close relationship with Viking. “We are grateful for our longstanding friendship with Sissel, who is responsible for many of Norway’s most treasured musical memories. Sissel was my grandmother ‘Mamsen’s’ favorite singer – and she has been part of the Viking family since we launched our first ocean ship. We are honored to have Sissel as the godmother of Viking Jupiter,” said Hagen. “Viking Jupiter’s location tonight, near Ushuaia, Argentina, is particularly significant. Ushuaia is the southernmost port our ocean ships currently visit, but with today’s announcement of Viking Expeditions, it will also serve as the launch port for our guests to explore the Antarctic region in Viking comfort.”

Today’s announcement is the most recent development as Viking continues to increase its award-winning presence in the travel industry; in the last eight years alone, the company has introduced more than 60 new river cruise ships and six ocean cruise ships to become the largest small ship cruise line with a current fleet of 79 river and ocean vessels around the world. In 2020, Viking will launch seven new river ships. Six more ocean sister ships are on order, with options for four additional ships. These options could bring Viking’s total ocean fleet to 16 ships by 2027.

Mystic Cruises orders four more expedition ships in €287 million deal

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 15 January 2020 15 January 2020

Mystic Cruises, the Portuguese expedition cruise operator, has placed an order for four expedition cruise ships at the West Sea shipyard in Portgual, the shipyard’s parent company said in a statement.

The total price of the order is €286.7 million and it brings the number of expedition cruise ships mystic Cruises has ordered from the same builder to seven. World Explorer, the first of these9,500 gross ton ships, entered service last year.

“The Polar Expedition vessels of the Explorer series are Cruise Class and will be built based on the Polar Code (ice class) and equipped with a hybrid propulsion system. Each one will have the capacity to accommodate 200 passengers and 112 crew members, with the highest quality and comfort standards,” said Martifer SGPS that owns the West Sea shipyard.

Silversea starts first-ever seven-continent World Cruise

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 11 January 2020 11 January 2020

For the first time in history, travellers have embarked on a seven-continent World Cruise. Silversea’s Silver Whisper set sail on the Legends of Cruising 2020 on January 6, departing Fort Lauderdale for Amsterdam, where guests will arrive on May 25 having circumnavigated the world. Pushing the boundaries of travel, guests on Silversea’s World Cruise 2020 will travel deep into 62 destinations in 32 countries, including the Antarctic Peninsula over three days.

Designed by the ultra-luxury cruise line’s team of destination experts, many exclusive events will enrich the pioneering 140-day voyage for guests. Many Silversea executives were in attendance at a bespoke bon voyage event on January 5 – including the cruise line’s President and CEO Roberto Martinoli – as world-cruising guests convened ahead of the cruise. Held at The Breakers, an aptly luxurious resort in Palm Beach, the bon voyage reception enabled the travellers to socialise and share their excitement for the journey to come.

“It was an honour to bid our guests bon voyage ahead of our World Cruise 2020,” says Roberto Martinoli. “Legends of Cruising is our most immersive World Cruise to date, offering an unprecedented range of experiences. From Fort Lauderdale to Amsterdam, Antarctica to Aqaba, the variety of destinations discovered by our guests will showcase the authentic beauty of the world like never before. Our guests’ enthusiasm for the voyage has been reflected in the exceptionally strong booking numbers.”

Among the array of enhancements planned for the Legends of Cruising World Cruise 2020 is a pioneering new cocktail programme, which will immerse guests in sailed destinations through regional drinks and local ingredients, as well as the fascinating stories behind each. Previewing Silversea’s new S.A.L.T. programme, which will be inaugurated with the launch of Silver Moon in August 2020, the new cocktail offering will comprise 62 cocktails that will create a sense of place, inspired by the distinctive characteristics of each visited region. Guests will also enjoy cocktail masterclasses, as they learn to mix their own beverages, and will sample cocktail pairings to discover new flavours. Guests will be gifted a special gift box, which will contain a book full of recipes and the stories behind all featured cocktails, meaning they can continue the party once home.

To enrich the experience exclusively for world-cruising guests, Silversea Cruises has introduced a collection of 33 brand new, bespoke shore experiences for 2020 – the World Cruise Collection. Travelers can embark on a musical and culinary journey in San Juan hosted by an acclaimed artist; attend a private performance of a world-renowned folkloric ballet troupe in Salvador da Bahia; delve into the Polynesian culture with a celebrated anthropologist in Moorea; savor a four-course lunch, prepared by a celebrity chef, in Singapore; indulge in a candlelight dinner under the stars in the Red Sea desert; marvel at Caravaggio's masterpieces in Rome's churches and museums; and tour the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh with the last-serving admiral, among other special experiences.

Also, for the very first time on a Silversea World Cruise, travellers will benefit from Zodiacs activities, supervised by the cruise line’s industry-leading Expedition Team, enabling them to indulge their curiosity for discovery under the guidance of experts. In the Antarctic Peninsula, for example, Silversea’s Expedition Team members will lead Zodiac tours on which guests are likely to witness penguins, seals and other animals in their natural environment, as well as large icebergs, before landing at designating landing spots for on-shore discovery.

A strong line up of guest lecturers will enrich a fascinating entertainment programme for guests: John & Tracy Fleming, Michael Buerk, Bill Miller, Tony Leon, Tom Keneally, James Bradley, Mark Elovitz and Piet De Vries will all take to the stage*. Personalised gifts, guest entertainers, local shows, and themed evenings will enrich the experience further still.

The first-ever expedition World Cruise next year

Silversea will welcome guests aboard two pioneering World Cruises in 2021, including the world’s first-ever Expedition World Cruise. Offering distinct sets of experiences and differing ways to discover our planet, the Finest World Tour and the Uncharted World Tour will enable Silversea’s guests to travel the world on their own terms, as they cruise in superlative comfort.

MSC Cruises’ report charts future of cruising in hyper-connected, urbanised world

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 08 January 2020 08 January 2020

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, has published The Future of the Guest Experience, a forward-looking report that explores the trends that will impact the future of the travel industry.

Created in partnership with The Future Laboratory in London, one of the world’s leading futures consultancies, the report identifies the ways in which travel and hospitality brands will have to deliver ultra-high definition (UHD) experiences to satisfy the needs of the guest of the future. “Impacted by hyper-connectivity, urbanisation and demographic transformation, the report shows that the future for the cruise industry is full of challenges but more importantly opportunities,” the company said in a statement.

Furthermore, luxury will be hyper-luxurious, spas will be hyper-revitalising, entertainment will be 5D and beyond, and purpose-driven travel that enriches the lives and minds of guests will be the norm. “Guests of the future will prize fluidity, freedom and cultural fluency whilst seeking out discovery and self-improvement. Travel brands will need to respond by providing experiences that resonate with individuals across a wider range of mindset and communicating new perspectives that help them grow and progress,” MSC Cruises said.

 Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman said in the statement: “One of the challenges of the cruise industry is that we need to design and build new ships that will still be cutting-edge for our guests 30 years from now. As such, innovation and consumer trends are at the very core of our DNA and we need to have a strong and clear vision for the future whilst combining this with timeless style. Through intelligent innovation and design, with strong commitment to sustainable travel, we will be able to facilitate all kinds of future experiences.”

Future guests will be looking for a truly personalised holiday experience and as we become more connected than ever before, technology will provide brands with the information needed to tailor experiences to the individual. The report demonstrates that the trend of Data ID Wallets will enable brands to create a truly dynamic, seamless and hyper-personalised guest experience.

Cruise ships and resorts will themselves become data touchpoints, assessing guest behaviour to better inform the services offered. And AI assistants and wearables will continue to play an important role in meeting the needs of guests.

MSC Cruises said it is already leading the way in leveraging voice activated AI technology to provide a service to guests. ZOE is the world’s first virtual personal cruise assistant and was introduced on board in March 2019. Currently speaking seven languages, with more in development, ZOE will evolve to become an integral part of the cruise guest’s experience, anticipating needs and tailoring information according to each guests’ preferences.

Technology such as ZOE will also be key in facilitating the trend Subconscious Design, where responsive technologies will seamlessly alter environments to individual guests’ moods and emotions. The cruise cabin of the future could feature bio signal sensors that track heart rates and facial expression, adjusting light and temperature for maximum comfort. Or smart materials could act like living art, changing to create a visually immersive environment aligned with a guest’s emotional state.

Hyper-connectivity will also drive people to seek out human connection to avoid dehumanisation and so the trend of Anthropo-tainment will see human-centric entertainment that places people at the heart of the show, accessible to all ages, genders and nationalities. Driven by a hyperconnected world making travel more accessible, this trend will see entertainment breaking down geographical, cultural and demographic barriers.