All Aboard!

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All Aboard!
NORWEGIAN

Earlier this year, Norwegian debuted its newest and largest ship to date, the Norwegian Bliss. At 168,028 tons, Bliss is one of the 10 largest cruise vessels of all-time from any cruise line. Norwegian Bliss offers a wide variety of activities, including a water slide, laser tag, mini golf and a go-kart race track with two levels of track! Feeling like Lady Luck is on your side? Bliss’s award-winning casino offers plenty of thrilling games for every type of player, whether you’re a beginner or regular at the poker table. There is also great Broadway entertainment and a myriad of restaurants, including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Los Lobos, Teppanyaki and even Starbucks. Need a break? Pop up to the ship’s Observation Lounge for some stunning views. This year, Norwegian Bliss will sail the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles (Fall 2018) and the Eastern Caribbean from Miami (Winter 2019).

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CARNIVAL

As the cruise line that is all about fun, Carnival Horizon offers an abundance of activities for every age. The ship’s SportSquare is where you will find entertainment and activities like no other. Strap in and get ready for a bird’s eye view of the ship — and the ocean — as you zip around a suspended two-lane bike course. Work up a sweat as you go through a ropes course or play mini-golf for a hole-in-one. SportSquare is where you will also find everything you need to play soccer, basketball, volleyball and ping-pong. For even more healthy competition, head to The Clubhouse for mini-bowling and pool. On board, you will also find Carnival Multiplex featuring IMAX, live musical productions and “Lip Sync Battle: Carnival,” which brings the hit Spike TV series to life and puts you and your dance moves in the spotlight. For the couple who wants to relax, Carnival has a serene spa and an adult-only pool where you can kick back and enjoy the sun. As for dining, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from aside from the main dining room — barbecue, burgers, Asian, steakhouses, seafood, Italian and Mexican, to name a few. Carnival Panorama, a sister ship to Horizon, is set to debut in 2019 from Long Beach — the first new ship on the West Coast in 20 years. Carnival is also expanding its Cuba sailings with departures from Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and for the first time ever, Charleston, SC.

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ROYAL CARIBBEAN

In April 2018, Royal Caribbean launched its 25th ship in the fleet, Symphony of the Seas. With 18 decks — about the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa — this ship dominates. With 2,775 total staterooms, the ship can hold 6,780 guests on board. Designed with seven distinct neighborhoods, including the tree-lined Central Park and the luxury shop-filled Royal Promenade, this ship has created unique areas for guests to enjoy and explore. There is a ton of adrenaline-packed adventure, including ziplining; glow-in-the-dark laser tag; the tallest slide at sea, the 10-story slide Ultimate Abyss; rock climbing and ice skating. At night, check out the Aqua Theatre and catch a Broadway show. With so much to do on board you will never have to wonder what to do! Need some rest or relaxation? The spa and fitness center offer a full menu. As for dining, there are several specialty restaurants for intimate nights, including Italian by Jamie Oliver, hibachi and sushi, and an American steakhouse. Sister ship Mariner of the Seas just received an extensive $120 million modernization and is now sailing four-night weekday and three-night weekend cruises from Miami to the Bahamas (CocoCay and Nassau). The ship has been completely reimagined and introduces the cruise line’s first-ever Polynesian-inspired tiki bar, The Bamboo Room, as well as a new Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade; Sky Pad, a VR bungee trampoline experience; glow-in-the-dark laser tag; and The Perfect Storm racing waterslides.

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SEABOURN

Seabourn is a great choice to celebrate in true luxury fashion. All suites offer oceanfront views, providing the perfect romantic backdrop. Seabourn Ovation is the fifth vessel to join the fleet in the past decade, and the second of two ships designed for the line by hospitality design icon, Adam D. Tihany. Like Seabourn Encore before it, the ship features all oceanfront suites with private verandas, along with modern design elements and innovations in keeping with Seabourn’s reputation for understated elegance, as well as one additional deck, newly expanded public areas and a brand-new, al fresco dining venue, Earth & Ocean at The Patio. Offerings include a fitness center along with private and open yoga and Pilates courses and a personal trainer; a library; lectures; and enrichment programs. Relax in the sauna or steam room or visit the salon, where a full range of services are available. Enjoy a cabaret one night and a game of Blackjack in the casino the next. Dance the night away at The Club or enjoy listening to piano music at the Observation Bar. Signature events include "Movies Under the Stars" and dancing to live music at an "Evening Under the Stars." This fall, Ovation explores Northern Europe, beginning with a 21-day St. Petersburg and Scandinavian Gems cruise around the coast of Norway. The ship will retrace itself again with a seven-day St. Petersburg and The Baltic journey, and then turn north and west with a series of cruises.

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CELEBRITY

Celebrity Edge is the first of four ships under the company’s new Edge Class of ships. The most anticipated ship of the year will launch in December 2018 with two maiden Caribbean sailings featuring inaugural festivities and unique experiences, only available on these voyages. With capacity for 2,900 guests, Edge will feature several innovations, including an Infinite Veranda, where with the touch of a button, the entire living space becomes the veranda, letting you walk right out to the water’s edge. A 90-ton platform the size of a tennis court called the Magic Carpet has been designed so that it can reach 13 stories above sea level for “Dinner on the Edge,” a 90-seat alternative restaurant that will offer sunset meals. For all Suite Class guests, there is an exclusive new sanctuary called The Retreat. With a resort-style atmosphere and designed to make the experience more immersive, the ship features the first of its kind multi-level jogging track, a new Rooftop Garden, an urban playscape where you can catch a movie, have a picnic, or dance among the stars and a reimagined adults-only Solarium. At the pool deck you’ll find two-story martini hot tubs that take unwinding at sea to new heights and private cabanas. As for dining, you have 29 unique food and beverage experiences crafted by a Michelin-starred chef. Celebrity Edge offers two itineraries from south Florida (TBD: Fort Lauderdale or Miami). The first is an eastern Caribbean journey that visits San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola, British Virgin Islands (a first for Celebrity), and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The second itinerary is a western Caribbean voyage to Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; and George Town, Grand Cayman In May 2019, Celebrity Flora will have its inaugural sail to the Galapagos. Custom-designed for sailing the Galapagos archipelago, Flora will carry 100 passengers and will feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows throughout. The ship will sail year-round from Baltra Island.

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MSC CRUISES

MSC Seaside is MSC Cruises’ new flagship sailing from Miami to the Caribbean. Known as “The Ship that Follows the Sun,” MSC Seaside’s unique beach condo design brings guests closer to the sea and helps them enjoy the outdoors. Guests can stroll along the widest waterfront boardwalk at sea, with outdoor shops, bars and restaurants, cross the glass-floor catwalks extending off the sides of the ship and experience outdoor spa and fitness activities. MSC Seaside also has expanded internationally inspired dining, including a partnership with pan-Asian pioneer Roy Yamaguchi, who has created the Asian Market Kitchen on board. The ship’s MSC Aurea Spa is said to be the largest Balinese spa at sea, with a unique thermal area complete with multiple saunas, a Hammam room, a snow room and more for ultimate relaxation. Activities on board include an interactive aqua park with slideboarding technology, ziplining, bowling, an F1 simulator and Broadway-style performances each night. Coming into service March 2019, MSC Bellissima will be the second of the Meraviglia class of ships and will cruise the Western Mediterranean for its inaugural season. A highlight of MSC Bellissima’s on board entertainment will be two Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows specifically created for MSC Bellissima. Additionally, new virtual assistant, Zoe, will launch on board MSC Bellissima. The virtual personal assistant is a conversational, voice-enabled Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation that can communicate, learn and intelligently predict guests’ needs to make relevant suggestions. This offering will provide guests with tailored information to help simplify and enhance their experience by providing quick and easy answers to questions from the comfort of their own stateroom. Launching in November 2019, MSC Grandiosa is the first in the Meraviglia-Plus class of ships. The new ship will offer guests, among other features, two brand new shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea. MSC Grandiosa will showcase an even larger Mediterranean-style promenade. Serving as the social hub of the ship, the promenade features an array of shops and specialty restaurants, as well as a new bar and lounge, L’Atelier Bistrot, which will offer lounge seating with a stage and a dance floor. Guests will also be able to enjoy 12 different dining venues on board, as well as state-of-the-art technology.

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HOLLAND AMERICA

Launching in December 2018, ms Nieuw Statendam, the second of Holland America’s Pinnacle-class ships, features a design inspired by the fluid curves of musical instruments. The 99,500-ton ship reflects the ongoing evolution of Holland America Line. From familiar elements that reflect a rich heritage and classic style to state-of-the-art enhancements that chart a bold new course forward, guests on board Nieuw Statendam will delight in details that are artfully inspired and perfectly presented to create the ultimate Pinnacle-class experience. While much of the ship’s design is like Koningsdam, the first Pinnacle Class ship, Nieuw Statendam has exclusive public spaces and its own style created by leading hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and designer and architect Bjørn Storbraaten. More than 150 contemporary emerging artists’ works are on display, bringing a museum-like experience to the ship. Entertainment includes a state-of-the-art theater and live music at Lincoln Center Stage and Billboard Onboard. There is also a spa and salon. Guests have options in dining, from The Dining Room and specialty restaurants, such as Rudi’s Sel de Mer and Tamarind, to a variety of casual establishments. Nieuw Statendam’s premiere voyage will depart Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, Dec. 5, 2018, for a 14-day trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale. The ship will spend the winter, holiday and spring seasons cruising roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on three- and four-day Bahamas sailings, seven-day eastern or western Caribbean cruises and one 10-day southern Caribbean itinerary. Travelers looking to spend more time on board and experience the new ship can choose from 11- to 17-day Collectors’ Voyages that combine back-to-back Caribbean itineraries. All Nieuw Statendam’s Caribbean cruises feature a call at Holland America Line’s award-winning private Bahamian island, Half Moon Cay, known for its pristine beaches, exciting shore excursions, and exclusive beach cabanas. Following an inaugural season island-hopping, Nieuw Statendam will cross the Atlantic Ocean in late April 2019 and spend the summer and fall exploring northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

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VIRGIN VOYAGES

While it’s still early days before the cruise embarks, we can tell you that Virgin’s new ship will be called Scarlet Lady, an homage to sister company, Virgin Atlantic. This name appeared on one of the earliest planes to fly for Virgin Atlantic. Now, as the flagship for the Virgin Voyages fleet, the Scarlet Lady name will be paired with the brand’s iconic mermaid image. She reflects a powerful spirit guide who is creating a whole new way to travel and will adorn the hull of the ship when she sets sail in 2020. According to the company, “equally important to the ship’s physical design is the desire to create a meaningful experience for guests. Virgin Voyages will feature exciting ideas in entertainment and music to provide our Sailors (not passengers or cruisers) with a strong variety of programming options.”

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It’s been cruise fever this year as the travel industry has introduced many new ships as it continues to broaden its reach. The cruise ships are bigger than ever before and are traveling to exotic locales worldwide.

Step on board and you will find a plethora of amenities, entertainment, options, dining experiences and so much more. SIGNATURE BRIDE highlights some of these impressive new vessels.