New Ports, New Ships And New Onboard Perks For Cruises In 2024

23.10.2023 - 00:39 / forbes.com / Sylvia Earle / Cruises

This fall, cruise lines are preparing for a big boost to their offerings and route maps. If you’re planning travel for 2024, these cruise lines have new options just for you. Now that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, cruise companies are launching new ships, new itineraries and new amenities.

Norwegian Cruise Line will bring Norwegian Jewel back to Asia for a six-month period of sailings to 16 itineraries. This is the first time Norwegian will sail in the reason after three years. The ship will visit 11 countries using nine different departure ports on sailings of 10 to 14 days. Starting next year, the cruise line will base four ships in the region including Norwegian Sun’s debut in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

In New York, Explora I held its naming ceremony and launched its first voyage as the luxury arm of MSC Cruises. Godmother Dr. Sylvia Earle, a famous marine biologist, presided over the ceremony. This is the first of six ships for the brand, and this ship has been sailing since July in Europe before crossing the Atlantic for its naming celebration. It will remain in North America, including Hawaii and the Caribbean, until it returns to Europe next summer. This comes at the same time that the line is celebrating the “float out” of Explora II and the steel cutting of Explora III.

South Florida’s Ortanique Chef Cindy Hutson of Coral Gables will join a February sailing while New York Times best-selling author Les Standiford will be a part of a March Caribbean trip. Both will bring their unique perspective to the trip as guests have the chance to hear about their experiences and chat with them throughout the sailing. These types of specialty sailings draw travelers interested in those areas and give them unprecedented access to leaders in the field.

Coming from Seaside Collection, these two new ships will join the fleet to sail in Europe starting next year. The three-year, “bareboat” charter agreement involves converting the ships to the Uniworld experience. Previously, the ships operated as Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler. With Uniworld, they will be renamed S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth and sail in the Netherlands and along the Rhine River.

The pair of luxury yachts belonging to Emerald Cruises will visit new ports in the coming years thanks to an expansion of its destination list. The popular luxury cruise brand will add the Seychelles aboard Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara as well as new stops in the Mediterranean including stops on the Italian and French rivieras plus visits to the Algarve region of Portugal and more of Croatia’s popular coastline.

The cruise line is adding 27 new sailing routes with more European destinations and a return to