Easter Island will be on the itinerary (Picture: Fred Olsen Cruise Lines) Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has announced a new 106-night ‘Voyage of Exploration Around the World’ inspired by journeys of historic and fictional sailors. Leaving Southampton on January 6, 2025, flagship Bolette will follow a similar route to the first world circumnavigation by explorers Magellan and Elcano in 1519. The cruise, which will visit destinations including Brazil, Argentina, French Polynesia, Mauritius and South Africa, will also follow the south coast of Australia as British navigator Matthew Flinders d ..read more

Home from home: The two ships will travel the world (Picture: Victoria Cruises Line) Two former Holland America ships are getting ready to embark on an epic 27-month round-the-world voyage, spending up to a week in port in more than 200 destinations. Victoria Majestic – the former Veendam – is due to set sail on May 1 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with 1,350 guests. Victoria Amazing – previously Ryndam – is scheduled to start a month earlier on April 1 in Livorno, Italy, although bookings are not currently being taken for the 1,258-passenger ship. Unlike other cruise ships, you can’t reserve ..read more

Dave and Prof David Wilson are filmed studying some of his old cuttings Cruise writer Dave Monk (‘Shipmonk’) is appearing in a Channel 4 programme about a murder case he covered more than 40 years ago. Monk, 62, was the senior reporter on the Midhurst & Petworth Observer in West Sussex when the body was found in nearby Rogate of eight-year-old Vishal Mehrotra. The boy had gone missing in London seven months earlier on July 29, 1981 – the day of the royal wedding between the then Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.  Despite intensive investigations by the police, no suspect was ever ..read more

BY DAVE MONK Every year since 2014 I’ve written a preview of new cruise ships making their debut in the coming 12 months – but this time it’s different. For a start, it’s on my own blog, rather than for a national newspaper or website, which has allowed me to shake up the format. Secondly, with so many sister ships arriving in 2023 – most of them near-identical to their forerunners (or with distinguishing features yet to be released) – I’ve made that into a separate category. And, for the first time, I’m including some ‘new to brand’ ships which aren’t straight out of the shipyard. So, here’s ..read more

Caribbean naming: Arvia (Picture: P&O Cruises) New P&O Cruises ship Arvia will be named at a beachside ceremony in Barbados on Thursday March 16, 2023. The event, which will include popular British performers and presenters, will be broadcast live online to a global audience. P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: ‘We always aim to do things differently, to create stand-out and memorable moments for our current and future guests.  ‘Arvia, which will be delivered in December, will spend her first season sailing in the Caribbean so it is fitting that we mark her naming in one o ..read more

Sailing into trouble: Golden Horizon (Picture: Tradewind Voyages) Golden Horizon – the world’s biggest sailing ship – could be seized by bailiffs, reports in Croatia say. An order has reportedly been made by the Commercial Court in Split to force the sale of the ship over a claim of 57.6million euros (£50million), plus interest, by the Russian-owned bank VTB, which has been the subject of sanctions since the start of the Ukraine war. There are believed to be seven mortgages on Golden Horizon, totalling more than 220million euros (£190million). Star Clippers – the company that originally ordere ..read more

Let the Celebration begin: The ship docked at Southampton yesterday (Picture: Dave Monk) Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship Carnival Celebration showed she is already packed with memories when she picked up her first passengers during a rainy visit to Southampton yesterday. I was one of the first on board before thousands of passengers embarked for the sold-out 14-day transatlantic sailing to Miami where the ship will be named. The wet weather certainly didn’t dampen the arriving guests’ spirits as they soaked up the new features, such as the Golden Jubilee bar featuring many souvenirs and rem ..read more

Up for sale: Golden Horizon (Picture: Tradewind Voyages) A charter of record-breaking sailing ship Golden Horizon as a floating hotel for World Cup fans in Qatar has been called off. Owners Brodosplit said the contract had been cancelled ‘due to non-payment’. The world’s largest square rigger was due to be a spectacular sight as the football tournament kicked off in Doha. The plan was announced in August by the Croatian Business Council, promising ‘first-class service, top-notch dining, and elegant cabins, all with a sea view as part of the luxurious experience on board. Golden Horizon wi ..read more

New horizons: Celebrity Apex will sail from Southampton in 2024 (Picture: Celebrity Cruises) For the first time, a ship from Celebrity Cruises’ Edge series will homeport in Southampton. Celebrity Apex – the second in the pioneering class – will sail from the southern England port for its entire 2024 season, replacing Celebrity Silhouette. Destinations on the four to 13-night sailings between May and November of that year will include a 12-night cruise to the Norwegian fjords and Arctic Circle, including the region’s capital, Tromsø, as well as Norway’s northernmost city, Honnigsvag. Another ne ..read more

New Icon: The first in a new class of ships from Royal Caribbean (Picture: Royal Caribbean) Thrills, chills and spills will be offered on Royal Caribbean’s new record-breaking Icon of the Seas – including the industry’s tallest drop slide, biggest pool and largest waterpark on the biggest ship ever built. At 250,800 gross registered tons, the newcomer will be even larger than the Oasis class of ships – the latest, Wonder of the Seas, is 235,000 GRT – but will carry fewer passengers (5,610 based on two per cabin, compared to 5,734 on Wonder.) Icon will retain some of the popular features of Oas ..read more