It was almost lost amid all the hurricane news, but this week has seen a number of updates on new cruise ships by major cruise lines.
Silversea Cruises and Fincantieri announced plans for a new luxury cruise ship that will set sail in 2020: the Silver Moon. Billed as a sibling ship to the Silver Muse, which just launched this past April, the new all-suite ship will have a capacity of 596 passengers, as well as a number of yet-to-be-details enhancements to its onboard experience.
The most notable feature of the new ship we know of right now is its “Green 3 Star Design,” a designation for ships that are equipped to prevent air and water pollution.
In expedition cruise news, this week Australia-based Coral Expeditions signed a contract with Norwegian shipbuilder Vard for two new “next generation” expedition cruise ships. The first new ship, which will mark the fourth in Coral Expeditions’ fleet, is set to debut in mid-2019, with the other new ship to follow.
The new ships will be designed for ocean voyages to remote areas inaccessible to larger vessels, Coral Expeditions said. The ships will have a maximum capacity of 120 guests in 60 cabins, which the line said will provide a relaxed and intimate atmosphere.
Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises brand has begun construction on one of its own “next gen” cruise ships, the Costa Smeralda. The new ship will be the cruise line’s first to be powered by clean-burning liquefied natural gas (LNG), and is scheduled to set sail in 2019. A sibling vessel, also powered by LNG, will debut in 2021.
In river cruise news, Signature Travel Network’s Owners Meeting offered attendees a sneak peek at AmaWaterways’ upcoming AmaMagna. This past weekend, CroisiEurope’s newest ship, the RV Indochine II, made its debut in Phonm Penh, Cambodia.
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