Cruise lines are set to position record numbers of ships in Europe in 2011 to cash in on the growing demand for sailings in the Mediterranean, Baltic and northern Europe.
Royal Caribbean International alone will have 10 ships, while Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have seven each.
Next year also promises a clash of the titans, as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line pit their largest vessels head to head in Barcelona.
Carnival Cruise Lines will be back in the Mediterranean after a two-year break, also positioning its biggest ship, Carnival Magic, hot from Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, in Barcelona.
Celebrity Eclipse will be sailing from Southampton for Celebrity Cruises for a second season – it is one of three Solstice-class ships Celebrity will have in the Mediterrean in 2011 – while Thomson Cruises will again have ships based in Marmaris in Turkey, Corfu and Palma.
Here we take a snapshot of what some of the major lines are doing.
Princess Cruises
The big news: Princess will have its biggest-ever Europe programme next year, with seven ships on this side of the pond.
What else: New three-night Weekend Sampler cruises from Southampton on Grand Princess and twice as much capacity for the Grand Mediterranean and Greek Islands cruises, with a second ship, Star Princess, sailing alongside Ruby Princess. New 11-night Baltic cruises on Emerald Princess with maiden calls to Aarhus in Denmark.
On sale: From April 24 for Captain’s Circle members and April 26 for all other clients. Prices from £349 per person for a three-night mini-cruise booked by June 30.
P&O Cruises
The big news: Adonia to join the P&O fleet in May 2011 from Princess Cruises, where it is sailing as Royal Princess. It will sail Mediterranean fly-cruises in autumn 2011.
What else: Oceana based year-round in Southampton for the first time; a maiden cruise to Iceland for Azura; and Spotlight, a new programme of talks and workshops on subjects such as history, current affairs and dance. Nine new ports of call include Bourgas in Bulgaria, Zadar in Croatia, Koper in Slovenia and Sassnitz in Germany.
On sale: From April 27. Prices from £199 for a two-night party cruise and £599 for seven nights on Ventura or Azura.
MSC Cruises
The big news: MSC Cruises is switching its UK homeport from Dover to Southampton and sailing eight-night western Europe cruises calling at Amsterdam, La Rochelle and Cherbourg in France, and Bilbao and La Coruna in Spain.
What else: Eleven-night eastern Mediterranean cruises from Venice on MSC Magnifica, visiting Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Croatia; 11-night eastern Mediterranean cruises from Genoa on MSC Melody visiting Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon and Egypt. Maiden calls to Haifa in Israel, Limassol in Cyprus, Beirut in Lebanon, Sorrento in Italy and Nafplion in Greece.
On sale: From early April. Prices from £959 for an eight-night cruise from Southampton on MSC Opera.
Yachts of Seabourn
The big news: Flight-inclusive packages for clients who book a 2011 cruise in Europe or Asia before June 30. With the launch of Seabourn Quest in June 2011 the cruise line has a fleet of six yachts to sell.
What else: Seven-day eastern Mediterranean cruises between Piraeus (the port for Athens) and Istanbul, and Venice and Piraeus on Seabourn Quest; 12-day cruises between Singapore and Bali calling at Borneo, Sulawesi and Java on Seabourn Pride.
On sale: Now. Prices from £2,300 for a round-trip cruise from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, including flights and transfers.
Cunard
The big news: Queen Elizabeth’s first full year in operation, with maiden voyages to the Baltic, around Britain, to the Norwegian fjords, and the US and Canada.
What else: Eight 12-night Mediterranean fly-cruises on Queen Victoria, sailing from Venice, Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Piraeus (for Athens), with ports of call including Venice, Naples, Odessa, Istanbul and Cairo. All bar one transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2 is for seven nights.
On sale: April 26 for World Club members, April 27 for other passengers. Prices from £499 for a five-night cruise from Southampton on Queen Elizabeth.
Hurtigruten
The big news: Norwegian coastal cruises went on sale three months early in a stand-alone preview brochure to try to hook early bookers.
What else: Early-booking savings of up to 20% and a further 10% off for clients who have cruised with Hurtigruten within the past three years. Clients can get a 5% discount on all pre-booked excursions.
On sale: Now. Prices from £505 cruise-only for a Voyage South, sailing from Kirkenes to Bergen.
Royal Caribbean
The big news: Ten of the line’s 21 ships will be in Europe in 2011, up from eight this year, including two 3,634-berth Freedom-class vessels.
What else: European debut for Liberty of the Seas, cruising seven-night western Mediterranean and Italian Riviera cruises from Barcelona. Grandeur of the Seas will be sailing seven-night cruises from Palma. Adventure of the Seas returns to Malaga for five-night French Riviera cruises.
On sale: Now. Prices from £299 per person for a three-night cruise from Southampton on Independence of the Seas.
Costa Cruises
The big news: Three ships sailing the eastern Mediterranean, including new Costa Favolosa, launching July 2011; another four cruising the western Med. Costa’s first round-the-world for 15 years – a 100-day voyage from Savona on Costa Deliziosa – departs December 28, 2011.
What else: Maiden calls to Valencia, for high-speed train excursions to Madrid, on Costa Magica’s seven-night Italy, Tunisia, Spain and France cruises from Savona. New excursion packages for passengers booking three ship’s tours. A debut winter season of Red Sea cruises from Sharm el-Sheikh.
On sale: Now. Seven nights on Costa Magica’s western Mediterranean cruise costs from £699 including flights and transfers.
Norwegian Cruise Line
The big news: NCL’s biggest ship, Norwegian Epic, is coming to Europe to sail seven-night cruises from Barcelona from May to October. No-fly cruises from Dover to the Baltic have been dropped in favour of voyages from Copenhagen.
What else: Norwegian Jade sailing seven-night fly-cruises from Venice, Norwegian Jewel sailing one-week cruises from New York to Florida and the Bahamas, and Norwegian Gem cruising to Bermuda from New York. Norwegian Spirit in New Orleans for year-round seven-night western Caribbean cruises.
On sale: Now. A seven-night western Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Epic costs from £729 per person including flights and transfers.
Holland America Line
The big news: A record seven ships in Europe in 2011, with three ships sailing 11 no-fly cruises from the UK.
What else: Eurodam and Ryndam are visiting the Baltic and Norwegian fjords from Dover, Prinsendam is going round Britain from Tilbury. Eurodam will also be sailing a 17-night transatlantic cruise from Dover to New York in August, visiting the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Nova Scotia. More cruises in Asia, the South Pacific, South America and up the Amazon.
On sale: Now. Prices from £869 for a seven-night cruise from Dover on Ryndam.
Oceania Cruises
The big news: The 2011 European Collection features new ship Marina’s inaugural summer season and itineraries on Nautica and Insignia that stretch from the polar regions in the north to Egypt and Israel in the south.
What else: Marina is sailing a circuit of 10-day cruises from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (for Rome), from Civitavecchia to Venice, from Venice to Piraeus (for Athens) and from Piraeus to Barcelona.
On sale: Now for European Collection. Regatta’s 2011 summer season launches April 26. Prices start from $1,349 cruise-only for 10-night sailings from Civitavecchia to Miami on Marina in November.
- Follow Jane Archer’s blog for regular cruise news and comment
