This was published 6 years ago
Sir Richard Branson's big reveal on Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages first cruise ship design unveiled.
VIRGIN AND ADULTS ONLY
Virgin Voyages' recent Ship Tease reveal of its upcoming ship, the first of three "Ladyships" which is due to set sail from Miami in 2020, actually doesn't reveal much at all. On YouTube we can see Sir Richard Branson, looking as youthful and fun-loving as ever, making a spectacular entrance to Fincantieri's shipyard on a crane with Virgin Voyage's CEO Tom McAlpin – but what are we learning about the ship and what can future cruisers expect from it?
Marseille, France's second-largest city, is packed with historic and cultural attractions.
So far, all anyone (apart from the boss of Fincantieri, McAlpin and Sir Captain Richard, of course) knows is that the as yet unnamed Virgin ship will accommodate 2700 passengers, 1150 crew, have a bright red funnel and its bow will be adorned by a topless mermaid. Eighty-six per cent of the cabins will feature "sea terraces", aka balcony cabins, and the line has made a major commitment to eco-technology. Oh yes, and it's only for the over-18s.
Which led me to reflect on the demand for adults-only cruises. There are very few ships exclusively for the over-18s, yet the fleet of one of the most successful cruise lines to launch in recent years is exactly that. Viking Ocean Cruises, like Virgin Voyages, took on board feedback from its massive customer base before establishing the line and its 930-passenger ships – five and counting – are adults-only.
Viking's ships are elegant and contemporary and grown-ups love them. There are no casinos, waterslides or tacky art auctions – instead, they have spacious spas that are free to use, two pools, free WiFi and one free shore excursion at every port. Virgin Voyages' ships will be considerably bigger and I for one can't wait for its features to be revealed.
P&O UK has two adults-only ships, Arcadia and Oriana (the line recently sold Adonia to Azamara, where it will be renamed Azamara Pursuit). Arcadia entered service in 2005, accommodates up to 2094 passengers and had a major refurbishment in 2016. Oriana is a bit older than Arcadia, but equally popular with its mainly British passengers and it also had a major makeover last year. It accommodates up to 1880 passengers and sails in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean.
Another British company, Saga Holidays, operates two small ships for the over-50s, Saga Pearl II and Saga Sapphire, and in 2019 will launch Spirit of Discovery, an all-balcony cabin, 999-passenger ship – solo cruisers of a certain age will be happy to hear that it will have more than 100 cabins and suites for singles.
SHORE THING
THE PORT Marseille, France
WHO GOES THERE Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Disney, HAL, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC Cruises, NCL, P&O UK, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking Ocean, Windstar.
WHY WE LOVE IT The history of the lovely Vieux Port (old port) goes back more than 2000 years. Marseille is France's second-largest city and packed with historic and cultural attractions as well as great restaurants, cafes, bars and boutiques.
TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Most ships dock at the sprawling docklands area about 10 kilometres north of Vieux Port; smaller vessels can dock at the Joliette terminal, which is within walking distance of the city. Taxis, public buses and shuttles run between the city and cruise terminals. If it's your first visit and time is limited, take a hop-on hop-off bus to visit the main sites – it will also save a stiff walk up to the landmark Notre Dame de la Garde church. It is well worth spending 24 hours in the city pre or post-cruise so you can spend time wandering around the waterfront and historic districts, such as La Canebiere and Le Panier, soaking up the atmosphere. Take a boat trip from Vieux Port to Chateau d'If, the imposing prison of the fictional Count of Monte Cristo – the Frioul If Express shuttle departs several times a day.
MUST SEE MuCEM (Musee des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Mediterranee); and the Villa Mediterranee museum next door.
MUST EAT Bouillabaise (fish stew) is a classic Marseille dish; moules mariniere; pissaladiere (a cross between a pizza and puff pastry tart, with olives and anchovies); pizza; and navettes, sweet boat-shaped biscuits.
NEED TO KNOW French law requires that you always carry personal ID, so keep your passport on you.
ESSENTIALS marseille-tourisme.com
CRUISEFACT
The oldest cruise ship in world is Sea Cloud Cruises' Sea Cloud, a four-masted sailing vessel carrying 64 passengers; it was built in 1931 and is still going strong.
NEWS
NEW ZEALAND AND BEYOND
Often referred to as "the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean", the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands are breeding grounds for vast colonies of penguins and home to orcas, fur seals and sea lions. The five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) lie south-east of New Zealand. "Almost half the world's albatross and penguin species reside here in a pristine environment where tourism, frankly, does not exist," says Mick Fogg, who will be leading CruiseAlong's 17-day expedition to the islands in 2019, on board Ponant's new ship Le Laperouse. The round-trip voyage from Dunedin departs on February 22 and takes in the famous Milford, Doubtful and Dusky sounds before heading to the Sub-Antarctic Islands. For bookings, email CruiseAlong's owner-manager Lance Brumby at lance@cruisealong.com.au or call 1300 662 022.
SPARKLING JEWEL
Norwegian Jewel arrived in Sydney for its first season Down Under a couple of weeks ago and is now sailing in Australia and New Zealand until February. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) says the 2376-passenger ship has been welcomed by local cruisers with record bookings and it will return for the 2018-19 season, fresh from a major refurbishment. "Norwegian Jewel's arrival breaks the mould when it comes to freedom and flexibility, ushering in a new style of cruising with no set dining times, no pre-assigned seating and no dress codes," said NCLH's Steve Odell. When Norwegian Jewel returns in November 2018 after its Alaska season, it will offer several new itineraries, including the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and a transpacific voyage from Vancouver to Tokyo. See ncl.com
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.