Eleven new ships will join the world's expedition fleets in 2019

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Eleven new ships will join the world's expedition fleets in 2019

By Sally Macmillan
Aurora Expeditions Greg Mortimer ship.

Aurora Expeditions Greg Mortimer ship.

There have been so many announcements about expedition cruising in the past few weeks that it's time for a quick recap. First, the bad news for adventure cruisers: the launch of Scenic's first ocean-going ship, Scenic Eclipse, has been postponed from August until January, and Hurtigruten's Roald Amundsen, which was due this month, is now expected to set sail next May. Whether Scenic Eclipse II will arrive on time, in August 2020, remains to be seen.

The good news is that there are more expedition ships in the works than ever before. Seabourn is the latest company to enter the expanding niche segment, announcing that it is building two ultra-luxury 264-passenger vessels. The first is scheduled to sail in the Arctic and Antarctica from June 2021 and the second is due to enter service in May 2022.

Ponant's first Explorer-class luxury expedition ship, Le Laperouse, was christened in Iceland earlier this month, and Le Champlain, the second in the group of six 184-passenger vessels, is due in October. Lindblad Expeditions and Quark Expeditions both have new ships launching in December, while Ponant's hybrid electric icebreaker is set to enter service in 2021, taking up to 270 passengers to the "far extremes of the northern and southern hemispheres".

Australian company Aurora Expeditions is launching its first newbuild, the Greg Mortimer, in October 2019. Named after Aurora's founder, renowned mountaineer and explorer Greg Mortimer, the ship's revolutionary X-Bow is designed to make sailing through rough seas a much smoother experience. New itineraries for the Greg Mortimer include Latin America, the Caribbean coast, Iceland, Greenland and East Coast Canada.

"Aurora has been synonymous with Antarctica and the Arctic regions but with a new ship boasting innovative technology and comfort, we are now able to offer small-ship travel to a range of new destinations," said Aurora's managing director Robert Halfpenny. "It's fantastic news for people who have already ticked Antarctica off the bucket list and for those who are seeking unique cultural experiences in the regions between the Poles."

Another Australian company, Coral Expeditions, will launch Coral Adventurer in April 2019. The 120-passenger ship is designed for tropical expeditions and it will sail a range of exciting itineraries in the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea and the Spice Islands.

Peregrine Adventures' first custom-built expedition vessel, the 30-metre, 16-passenger Grand Queen Beatriz, started cruising in the Galapagos this month; Celebrity Cruises' 100-passenger Celebrity Flora will join Celebrity Xpedition in the Galapagos in May 2019.

All up, 11 new ships will join the world's expedition fleets in 2019 and it is estimated that another 19 or 20 will launch between 2020 and 2022. But the way things are going, there could be another new-ship announcement at any time. Watch this space …

SHORE THING

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THE PORT Cork, Ireland

WHO GOES THERE Azamara, Celebrity, CMV, Cunard, Disney, Fred.Olsen, HAL, Hapag-Lloyd, NCL, Oceania, P&O UK, Ponant, Princess, RSSC, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Silversea, Windstar.

WHY WE LOVE IT The lively university city in south-west Ireland boasts an illustrious history, dating back to its founding by St Finbarr in the seventh century and its days as a Viking trading port in the 10th century. Its centre is on an island in the River Lee, which connects to the sea by Cork Harbour; the port of Cobh (pronounced Cove) was the departure point for 2½ million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to America between 1848 and 1950. Today Cork is known for its tragic Titanic and Lusitania history, lovely 18th and 19th-century architecture, a vibrant foodie and arts scene, breweries and pubs.

TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Most cruise ships dock alongside the Cobh Heritage Centre, close to the railway station – Cork is a 25-minute train trip from Cobh. Some ships dock at Ringaskiddy Deepwater Quay, about two kilometres away, and passengers are ferried to Cobh. Independent or guided walking and cycling tours take in major attractions such as the imposing Cork City Gaol – prisoners bound for Australia were once held there – and other Must Sees (below). Unusual activities include bell-ringing at the 18th-century Shandon Church, kayaking tours on the River Lee and horse-riding on Youghal beach (about an hour out of the city). There is a wide choice of scenic drives to nearby places such as Blarney Castle, Blarney Woollen Mills and the towns of Kilkenny, Killarney and Kinsale.

MUST SEE Cobh Heritage Centre; neo-Gothic St Finbarr's Cathedral; Titanic Experience Cobh; 17th-century Elizabeth Fort; 19th-century University College Cork; Red Abbey, Cork's oldest surviving medieval structure; Fota Wildlife Park, on Fota Island.

MUST EAT Head to the historic English Market for smoked fish, local cheeses and freshly baked Irish breads, or treat yourself to breakfast or lunch at the market's Farmgate Cafe.

NEED TO KNOW The euro is the currency used in Ireland; great buys include Waterford crystal, Aran knitwear and linen goods.

ESSENTIALS www.discoverireland.ie

CRUISEFACT

Crystal Cruises' fifth river ship, Crystal Ravel, joined the fleet this month. The luxury river line launched in July 2016 with the refurbished Crystal Mozart, the biggest river ship on the Danube.

NEWS

Windstar by night

Windstar Cruises is adding more overnight and late-night calls to its itineraries; more than 45 per cent leave port at 10pm or later, stay overnight or over two nights. Windstar's six ships visit 299 ports in 79 countries and because they're small – accommodating between 148 and 310 passengers – they dock right in the centre of many sought-after destinations. As well as affording extra time and accessibility, Windstar has a signature deck barbecue on every cruise, and on select itineraries it schedules evening Destination Discovery Events. Windstar also runs a series of culinary-themed cruises in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, which include hosted dinners with chefs and wine experts from the foundation, market shopping with the chef, recipe demonstrations and wine, beer and spirit tastings. See www.traveltheworld.com.au

Splendor summer highlights

Seven Seas Splendor, the ultra-luxury ship joining Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fleet in February 2020, will sail 15 cruises in Europe during its inaugural summer season. Splendor is the sister ship to 2016's Seven Seas Explorer, tagged as the most luxurious ship ever built; Splendor is now "perfecting that luxury". Highlights include the nine-day Venice to Rome cruise, visiting Cannes on May 18 for the Cannes Film Festival, and 17-day Rome to Barcelona cruise, visiting Monte Carlo during the Monaco Grand Prix, along with calls to less-visited ports such as Zadar (Croatia), Koper (Slovenia) and the culinary capitals of Bordeaux and Barcelona. The 750-passenger ship is scheduled to make its maiden voyage on February 7, 2020, a 14-night transatlantic sailing from Barcelona to Miami. See www.rssc.com

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