The new year will usher in a wave of ultra-luxury, new-and-improved and wildly innovative ships heading to exciting and remote parts of the world. Here is a peek at the ships and destinations we’re most excited about checking out in 2020.
Though not considered an ultra-luxury cruise line, there is much hype around billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson’s new baby.
Scarlet Lady (pictured above) debuts in April 2020 and is designed only for adults – 2,700 passengers and 1,160 crew – with a style of cruising described as “rebellious luxe”. It’s an adult playground at sea, with bars, clubs, live music venues, 24-hour dining and even a tattoo parlour.
At the top end, the 200-square-metre Massive Suite sleeps six and will have its own guitar-filled music room and a massive terrace with an outdoor shower, hot tub, hammocks and outdoor dining table (complete with stairs to encourage dancing on it).
Each music-themed suite will have a vinyl turntable, Peek-a-View showers, hammocks and tables designed specifically to hold your Champagne ice bucket.
Regent Seven Seas
Winner of our Readers’ Choice Best for Service award, Regent Seven Seas has a new ship taking luxury to new heights in 2020. A voyage aboard the all-inclusive 750-guest Splendor includes unlimited shore excursions, unlimited fine dining and unlimited Champagne, plus excellent opportunities to marvel at expensive works of art. Her sister ship, Explorer, has Picassos, Mirós, a Chagall and a two-tonne Tibetan prayer wheel, and cruisers on Splendor can expect similar quality.
The top Regent suite, 412 square metres of palatial elegance, comes with an in-suite spa retreat with a personal sauna and steam room, a 120-square-metre wraparound veranda and a glass solarium sitting area. Splendor will be helmed by Captain Serena Melani.
Seven Seas Explorer, the first ship from Regent to be deemed the most luxurious ship at sea, will be Down Under next year for luxury punters to enjoy.
The luxury line has a brand new ship, Silver Moon, taking to the seas in August, offering new Arctic and Antarctic itineraries and overnights on all voyages of over seven nights. The 596-passenger vessel prides itself on small-ship intimacy and spacious, all-suite accommodation, the hallmarks of the Silversea experience. Initially she will cruise the Mediterranean visiting Barcelona, Lisbon, Venice and Athens before heading to Florida and South America.
Silver Moon will also have the first S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) immersive culinary concept onboard, allowing guests to travel deeper into a range of destination-based gastronomic experiences.
The much-anticipated Crystal Endeavour will be Crystal’s first expedition ship, due to be launched in August next year. The purpose-built Polar-class yacht – some say a rival to Scenic’s Eclipse – will feature 100 all-balcony suites and six fine dining restaurants, two helicopters and a submarine.
The 200-passenger ship will carry a team of up to 22 expert guides including biologists, naturalists, historians, geologists and ecologists. Her first itineraries will see her visit Alaska, Asia and South America before the ship heads to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in October 2020.
In April, Celebrity will launch Celebrity Apex, the second of the four Edge-class liners, following sister ship Celebrity Edge. The 2,900-passenger Celebrity Apex will be homeported in Southampton and offer cruises to Northern Europe including the Norwegian Fjords and around the Mediterranean.
After her summer season, she will be homeported in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and sail the Caribbean. Like Edge, she will have the Magic Carpet, a deck which travels up and down the side of the ship to serve different purposes, and a rooftop garden with a swanky barbeque joint for the evenings.
The line’s newest Royal-class ship Enchanted Princess is set to sail in June on her inaugural Mediterranean cruise.
She will feature new five-guest Sky Suites on the top deck, each offering the largest private balconies on a Princess ship, with 270-degree panorama views. She will also have the Piazza hub of activity, Salty Dog Grill, Alfredo’s Pizzeria and Movies under the Stars, a hallmark of the line.
P&O Cruises Australia
Pacific Adventure will be launching next year boasting favourite features alongside some never seen before on the all-Australian cruise line. She will have Luke Mangan, of course, and five-berth family cabins, and a swanky pool and a private beach club called Byron Beach club for guests in suites and mini-suites.