Viking has released its India and Europe Grand Passage itinerary, journeying between Mumbai and Barcelona and vice versa. Sailings of the new itinerary are limited, with two departures scheduled in December 2024 and January 2025.

Kiwis keen to secure preferred voyages and stateroom categories are booking an average of 412 days ahead – leading the world in advance cruise bookings for Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

And they’re a lot more adventurous, according to Lisa Pile, vice president sales and general manager Asia Pacific with Regent, who hosted a media lunch at Auckland’s Origine restaurant this week.

With the start of the 2023-24 Antarctic cruise season just over three months away, Viva reports that some popular Antarctic operators are close to sold out on many departures.

Viva has seen massive interest in Antarctica recently, with the continent making up more than 60% of the company’s enquiries in recent months.

Princess Cruises has unveiled its 2025 Alaska cruise and cruisetours season, with three roundtrip itineraries and a new National Parks cruisetour. These are available for booking now.

A number of factors are combining to ensure that luxury small ship cruising is more than holding its own out of the New Zealand market, says Jason Worth, vice-president and general manager Asia Pacific at Oceania Cruises.

Cruise World is now the exclusive representative for Scotland’s Hebridean Island Cruises.

To mark the development, Hebridean Island Cruises is offering 5% discount for 2023-24 sailings for New Zealand guests booked by the end of August.

Giving the Kiwi trade a fresh perception of P&O Cruises is one of the key objectives for the line this year, says Belinda Clark, sales manager New Zealand.

The comments come as Pacific Explorer begins a five-month season of home porting in Auckland. The ship arrived from Cairns on Friday and is now on her first winter voyage out of New Zealand – taking in New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, plans to improve connectivity for guests and crew at sea by offering SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed internet on its ships.

Using advanced low earth orbit satellites, Starlink delivers broadband internet connectivity which will improve the capacity, speed and reliability of internet on board. The company is testing Starlink, beginning with Norwegian Breakaway, with the intent to have a phased rollout this technology across its entire fleet.

The New Zealand cruise industry has seen a youthful transformation with more younger travellers booking to go on cruise ship holidays, according to Flight Centre NZ figures.

The company says cruise ship bookings for 18-30-year-olds have dramatically increased, more than doubling in just under a year.

If clients are heading to Egypt it is important they do it the right way to ensure they get the most out of their experience, says Kenzie Imam, board member of Traveline Egypt which owns five ships cruising on the Nile under the Movenpick Cruising banner.

‘Going on line and winging it is the wrong way,’ says Imam.

After a three-year hiatus, Oceania Cruises’ Regatta returned to Auckland over the weekend, sporting all-new suites and staterooms (including 14 solo), along with restyled public spaces.

And with cuisine being an all-inclusive, core focus of the cruise line, it was fitting that a small group of travel agents got to enjoy a five-course lunch in The Grand Dining Room following a tour of the ship.

Orient Express has unveiled what is reputed to be the world’s largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas.

A French partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a globally leading shipbuilding company, this yacht will set sail in 2026.

Norwegian Prima has already shown its pulling power to lure repeat guests, says NCL’s president and CEO Harry Sommer.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is expecting new ship Norwegian Prima’s 2023 winter season out of Galveston Texas to prove popular not only with the local market but also those from further afield taking advantage of the Houston gateway.

PONANT has unveiled its 2024 Kimberley sailing expedition season with its newest small luxury expedition ship Le Jacques-Cartier set to make its Australian debut, joining Le Lapérouse.

French Polynesian cargo cruise line Aranui Cruises is currently offering savings of up to $3,000 per cabin.

The biggest savings of $1,500 per person are on offer for Aranui 5’s final two voyages of 2022 to the Marquesas Islands, departing December 3 and 17, 2022, when New Zealand clients book a Royal, Premium or Presidential suite before 9  December 2022.

The spacious nature of the new Norwegian Prima and its expanded range of both onboard activities and cuisine options will resonate with New Zealanders and Australians, says Ben Angell, managing director and vice president of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Asia Pacific.

Prima will commence her eight-day inaugural voyage in Reykjavik on 26 August.

Oceania Cruises has extended its OLife Ultimate package including additional 2022 and 2023 sailings, providing guests with significant benefits on their next voyage.

Incentives for trade partners in tandem with the new OLife Ultimate offer include a $200 gift voucher for each new booking made before 31 August 2022 plus the chance to win a case of wine.

Increasing air connectivity between New Zealand and North America, coinciding with Norwegian Prima’s debut season in the region, is already generating interest from the Kiwi trade, says NCL’s director of sales Australia and New Zealand, Damian Borg.

Prima is about to embark on a Northern European season, with a debut cruise to Iceland, but will also have an extended Americas season September through March this year with departures from Galveston, Miami and New York.

Aurora Expeditions has last chance deals for its upcoming Antarctica 2022-23 season, commencing in three months’ time with the South Georgia & Antarctic Odyssey on 21 October. 

Up to 20% off is being offered off all Antarctica voyages for the 2022-23 season, for bookings before 31 August 2022.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), will return to Asia for the 2023-2024 cruise season, with 12 port-rich sailings ranging from 10 to 12 days on board Norwegian Jewel. She returns to Asia for her second season in the region following a 16-day repositioning cruise from Seattle, Washington to Tokyo, via Alaska.

Ultimate Cruising has fly/cruise/stay packages to the Gambier Islands and Pitcairn Island with Aranui 5 in 2022 and 2023. 

Departing from Papeete, guests head to Pitcairn Island, an intriguing community with an incredible history and lifestyle. Pitcairn Island is only accessible by ship with supply ships visiting once a month and taking few passengers so this opportunity to visit with Aranui Cruises is rare.

American Queen Voyages – known for its paddlewheeler river cruises – has launched its first expedition ship, with the new, luxury, 186-guest Ocean Victory debuting in Alaska to offer a season of 11 and 12-night nature adventures from May to September this year and also in 2023 and 2024.

For the fourth year running, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has sold out its world cruise in record time, with the sailing being completely reserved prior to officially opening for bookings on 15 June 2022.

The sailing, which at 150 nights is the longest in the cruise line’s history, had fares starting at $126,030 per guest for a deluxe veranda suite, and $365,740 per guest for a master suite.

Seabourn is marking the return of its entire fleet of ships, with the departure last week of Seabourn Sojourn from Athens, Greece.

The cruise line now has all five of its ships in operation for the first time since March 2020.