Cruise News August 6, 2017

We are heading into the final stretch of summer already. Soon, the kids will be back to school, and the fall season will be upon us. Where does the time go? While you were busy

Cruise News August 6, 2017

We are heading into the final stretch of summer already. Soon, the kids will be back to school, and the fall season will be upon us. Where does the time go? While you were busy enjoying your summer, the Princess and I have been keeping tabs on the latest cruise updates. New ships and new booking policies topped the headlines from the previous week. So, here is our latest Cruise News August 6, 2017 edition with all the updates.

Cruise News August 6, 2017

National Geographic Quest Sets Sail

The inaugural cruise of the National Geographic Quest finally set sail last week. The 100 passenger Lindblad Expedition ship was designed to be an intimate and high-tech expedition ship. Quest cruises will feature photographers and naturalists from National Geographic. Onboard lectures and classes will give cruisers an educational and personal cruise experience. Cruisers will also have access to advanced technical gear and amenities, including underwater cameras, scuba diving equipment, and kayaks. After sailing in Alaska, the ship will head south to winter in Costa Rica and Panama.

National Geographic QuestNational Geographic Quest (Courtesy of Lindblad Expedition Cruises)

Royal Caribbean Changes Onboard Booking Credits

Cruisers on Royal Caribbean may want to think twice about booking a cruise while on a current sailing. The cruise line has recently rolled out policy changes to putting deposits down as part of the NextCruise program. Cruises booked during a sailing will now require a full deposit between $100 to $450, per person, depending on the length of the cruise. Further, the cruise line has eliminated the option of applying onboard credit earned for booking a cruise to the current sailing. Now, any onboard credit awarded needs to be applied to the future sailing. Needless to say, social media and the boards were not too happy about these changes.

Holland America’s Chocolate Surprise

Surprise, it’s chocolate! Holland America is adding a sweet treat parade to their formal nights. This new Chocolate Surprise parade will let guests indulge on sweet treats in the ship’s main areas. Instead of having a buffet in which guests wait in line, cruise staff will be circling the areas with bite-sized chocolate goodies. This hour long procession of decadence will surely include additional selections not found in the ship’s restaurants. The parade will be rolling out fleet-wide this month.

Holland America Cruise News August 6, 2017Chocolate Surprise Desserts (Courtesy of Holland America Line)

Nick Jonas to Headline Carnival Live Concert this Fall

Don’t be “jealous” of this latest Carnival LIVE concert announcement. Grammy-nominated heart throb, Nick Jonas, will be headlining two concerts this November as part of the cruise line’s program. While docked in Nassau, Bahamas, cruisers on the Carnival Liberty (November 17th) and Carnival Victory (November 18th) will have the opportunity to see the artist onboard their respective ships. Tickets for the event start at $75 for general admission and VIP tickets which will cost $250 a person. These VIP tickets will include front row seats and a photo-op. The popular Carnival LIVE series has featured other acts, including comedy legend Jay Leno and country music stars Rascal Flatts.

Carnival Liberty Cruise News August 6, 2017Carnival Liberty (Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

Crystal River Cruises Adds a Second Ship

Touted as one of the most luxurious river cruise ships, the Crystal Bach was officially handed over this past week. Designed to cruise the rivers of Europe, this 55 suite “Rhine” class ship will be one of four new builds. Crystal Bach is the second ship for Crystal River Cruises. Boasting all king bed suites with butler service and sliding glass windows, cruisers are never far from the action. Several restaurants will offer open seating and farm-to-table cuisine. Initial cruises will depart from Amsterdam sailing to Frankfurt, Germany. A second ship in this new class is expected later this month.

Comments

Did we miss any headlines from this past week in our latest edition of Cruise News August 6, 2017? Do you have cruise news to share? Drop us an anchor below with your latest travel scoop.

Cruise News August 6, 2017

Don Bucolo, or “DB”, loves everything about cruising- the ocean, the food, and the atmosphere. While he may be obsessed with doing extensive amounts of research on ships and all elements of a cruise, Don enjoys sharing his new found knowledge with fellow cruisers. When he is not sailing the high seas, he does whatever his wife tells him to do-it only took 10 years to realize this.
Don Bucolo
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Cruise News August 6, 2017

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