Big new ways to sail the high seas,
Looking forward to a new crop of megaships in 2017?
We have some bad news: Not many are on the way — at least for the North American market. Many of the world’s biggest lines, including Royal Caribbean and Carnival, don’t have a single new vessel debuting this year. Other lines are devoting their new ships to the fast-growing Chinese market.
Still, 2017 won’t be a complete wash for new ship fans. Notable newcomers include the biggest vessel ever from MSC Cruises and a new flagship for luxury line Silversea. Viking Ocean Cruises also is expanding with two new ships. With the peak period for cruise bookings — aka Wave Season — kicking off this week, USA TODAY cruise editor
Gene Sloan offers a guide to the hottest new vessels aimed at North Americans.
MSC MERAVIGLIA
LINE: MSC Cruises MAIDEN VOYAGE: June 11 HOME PORTS: Marseille, France; Genoa, Italy; Barcelona SIZE (IN TONS): 167,600 PASSENGERS: 4,500 THE BUZZ: Call it the Big Boy of the year’s new cruise ships.
At 167,600 tons, MSC Meraviglia is the biggest ship ever from Europe-based MSC Cruises and the seventh-largest from any line.
Nineteen decks high and chock-full of eateries, bars and deck-top amusements, it will have all the trappings of a major mega-resort, including an Aqua Park with three waterslides, a splash pool and an adventurous “Himalayan Bridge” that allows passengers to cross the ship nearly 200 feet above the water.
Meraviglia also will boast a Miami Beach-inspired, 82-footlong main pool, which will be part of what MSC calls the most generous poolside space at sea.
Other notable features planned for Meraviglia include an amusement park area with race car simulators, a flight simulator, a 4-D cinema and a full-size bowling alley, as well as the largest LED dome at sea. There also will be an aft pool that transforms into a dance area at night, a dedicated lounge for family activities and a custom-made entertainment venue for exclusive Cirque du Soleil shows. Twelve distinct dining venues are in the works including a sushi bar, teppanyaki restaurant, American-style steakhouse and a branch of the Italian chain Eataly.
Designed to hold up to 5,700 passengers, Meraviglia is the first ship in the new Meraviglia class of ships at MSC. A second vessel in the series will debut in early 2019, with two larger “Meraviglia Plus” ships coming in late 2019 and 2020. ITINERARIES: Seven-night voyages in the Western Mediterranean, starting at $514 per person. INFORMATION: 844-243-9414; msccruises.com
SILVER MUSE
LINE: Silversea Cruises MAIDEN VOYAGE: April 10 HOME PORTS: Various SIZE (IN TONS): 40,700 PASSENGERS: 596 THE BUZZ: Hands down, this is the most luxurious new ship of 2017.
Luxury line Silversea’s first newly built vessel in seven years will be chock-full of some of the biggest and most elegant accommodations at sea, including four apartment-like, two-bedroom Owner’s Suites that measure 1,389 square feet.
Four Grand Suites and two Royal Suites measure 1,475 square feet and 1,130 square feet, respectively. The ship will have 34 of the line’s signature Silver Suites across three top decks, including a new two-bedroom Silver Suite configuration that measures 1,119 square feet. Even its smallest cabins measure a generous 400 square feet.
Muse will offer an unusually wide array of upscale eateries including La Dame, a French restaurant created in partnership with Relais & Châteaux, and two contemporary Asian eateries.
Among dining options: Hot Rocks, a Silversea ship favorite where passengers cook their own meat, fish and vegetables on piping-hot lava stones; and an intimate, jazz club-like venue, Silver Note, where musicians entertain as passengers sample tapas-styled dishes.
At 40,700 tons, Muse will be Silversea’s largest vessel to date and also serve as its new flagship. It’ll have 298 suites in all. ITINERARIES: A diverse range of seven- to 19-day sailings in Europe, the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East and Asia, starting at $4,455 per person.
INFORMATION: 888-978-4070; silversea.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC QUEST
LINE: Lindblad Expeditions MAIDEN VOYAGE: June 26 HOME PORTS: Various SIZE (IN TONS): 2,906 PASSENGERS: 100 THE BUZZ: One of the world’s top expedition cruise operators finally is getting a shiny new ship.
One of two sister vessels due by 2018, National Geographic Quest will be outfitted with signature Lindblad toys, such as a remotely operated vehicle, a video microscope designed to display microorganisms from polar waters, and a hydrophone and bow-cam designed for immediate bow deployment to hear and film marine mammals.
The ship also will carry kayaks, paddle boards and Zodiac-style landing craft for outdoorsy adventures.
Under construction at Washington state’s Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Quest will be a third larger than the line’s longserving, 62-passenger National Geographic Sea Bird and Sea Lion, built at the same shipyard. It’ll feature an extra deck and a more sophisticated design, including a mudroom with rows of lockers where passengers can store boots, snorkeling equipment and other gear, making excursion preparation more efficient.
The ship’s 50 cabins will include 22 with balconies, a relative rarity on expedition-style ships. In another unusual twist, 12 of the cabins will be able to be configured into six adjoining cabins for families. The vessel’s Sun Deck will include an alfresco bar and grill, in addition to the indoor lounge and dining room found on the Sea Lion/Sea Bird vessels. ITINERARIES: Seven-night sailings in Alaska, starting at $6,590 per person, and voyages along the coast of British Columbia and Central America. INFORMATION: 800-397-3348; expeditions.com
VIKING SKY/ VIKING SUN
LINE: Viking Ocean Cruises MAIDEN VOYAGES: Feb. 25/Nov. 17 HOME PORTS: Various SIZE (IN TONS): 47,800 PASSENGERS: 930 THE BUZZ: River cruise giant Viking continues its push into ocean cruising with its third and fourth new ocean vessels since 2015.
Like Viking ’s first two ships, Viking Star and Viking Sea, the newcomers will be less than a third the size of the latest megaships from the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, and they’re being designed to mix onboard elegance with a focus on destinations that executives say has been lost across much of the cruise industry in recent years.
Like Star and Sea, the new vessels will operate itineraries that feature more time in ports than is common at many other lines. In a relatively rare twist, they’ll feature shore excursions that are included in the price. Also included will be beer and wine with lunch and dinner; and even Wi-Fi access — something that can cost up to 75 cents a minute at other lines.
Nearly identical to Viking ’s first two ships, Viking Sky and Viking Sun will have a modern Scandinavian design. Cabins will be large for cruise ships, with the smallest of five categories having 270 square feet of space. Plus, every cabin will have a balcony. Fourteen two-room suites on each of the ships will range from 757 to 1,448 square feet and offer sweeping views from wraparound private balconies. ITINERARIES: Sky will operate a diverse range of seven- to 28-night sailings around the Baltic, Mediterranean and Caribbean, starting at $1,899 per person. Sun will sail sevennight voyages to Cuba and the Caribbean out of Miami, starting at $2,649 followed by a 141-day world cruise that spans five continents.
INFORMATION: 866-984-5464; vikingcruises.com
MSC SEASIDE
LINE: MSC Cruises MAIDEN VOYAGE: Nov. 30 HOME PORT: Miami SIZE (IN TONS): 160,000 PASSENGERS: 4,140 THE BUZZ: Europe-based MSC Cruises is going after the North American market in a big way with the debut of MSC Seaside, which will be christened in Miami and deployed year-round in the Caribbean.
Designed with the warm Caribbean in mind, the 160,000-ton ship will feature innovative sealevel promenades with outdoor spaces, shops and restaurants. Additionally, two glass-floored catwalks extend beyond the edge of the ship.
Other outdoor features: an Aqua Park with four waterslides, including an interactive “slide-boarding tube” that incorporates video game elements, lights and music, and one inner-tube slide.
The ship’s top deck also will offer a ropes course called Adventure Trail and two of the longest zip-lines at sea (at 394 feet).
In all, Seaside will have 11 eateries, including a Pan-Asian restaurant from celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi, an upscale seafood outlet and a steakhouse.
While the vessel’s 2,070 cabins will be able to hold 4,140 passengers at double occupancy, extra bed spots — from pull-out sofas to pull-down bunks — will boost the total capacity to 5,179 passengers. ITINERARIES: Seven-night voyages in the Caribbean and Bahamas, starting at $539 per person. INFORMATION: 844-243-9414; msccruises.com.