2018’s new itineraries are now available and the ocean cruise discounts are already racking up – here’s just a few to pay special attention to.
Cruising has long been one of the most enjoyable ways to travel, allowing holiday goers the opportunity to visit destinations that are unreachable by planes, trains and cars. Often cruise lines continue with the same itineraries year after year, but every so often they release new journeys and add new ports of call to their rosters. 2018’s new itineraries are now available and the ocean cruise discounts are already racking up – here’s just a few to pay special attention to.
Azamara
For long-haul cruising enthusiasts, Azamara Club Cruises’ ship, Azamara Journey, will be taking a new 102-day epic global voyage starting in 2018. It will embark from Sydney’s Opera House and make its final port of call to London’s Tower Bridge. Also new to Azamara is Azamara Quest’s Havana call. Departing in March of next year, the ship will sail from Miami and stay overnight in Cuba’s capital city. The cruise line has said it will soon be adding Havana to other itineraries as well, but for now only its Azamara Quest will focus on the Caribbean as well as Central America.
Carnival
New itineraries for Carnival’s 2018 year include a trip to the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean on board Carnival Ecstasy. This ship also offers a specialty journey through the Panama Canal, recognised as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. They’re also heading south for a four and five day Mexican cruise starting from New Orleans. This cruise will join its sister ship, Carnival Dream, which already cruises to Western and Eastern Caribbean destinations from Mexico.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Solstice has a long season planned for Australian waters, including a 16-night Auckland to Fremantle cruise calling at ports in both countries, and a cruise from Fremantle to Sydney with stops along New Zealand’s South Island. January and March 2018 are a busy season for cruising in Oceania, as cruisers welcome the warm summer weather with a 12-night cruise to Queensland, stopping overnight in Cairns. For travellers who really want to experience a world adventure, Celebrity is also offering a transpacific cruise in April 2018, marking the end of the Austrian summer.
MSC Cruises
MSC has pulled out all the stops for 2018. Its brand new 4,140 passenger ship is debuting in November 2017 and will sail exclusively from Miami, travelling to the Caribbean and Mexico until April 2018. For those looking for a European cruise, MSC Magnifica will be based in Southampton from April to November 2018 – the first time in three years it’s called England its home. MSC’s 2019 season starts off with a bang too, with its first ever world cruise.
Oceania
Oceania’s winter 2018 season is packed with new itineraries and several first time ports for the cruise line, including Bastia, Iceland, Nice, Husavik, Quebec, France, Rejeka and Croatia. Winter is also when Oceania’s 34 day Amazon journeys begin, starting in Miami and San Diego and concluding in Rio de Janeiro. Their ship Regatta will be cruising in the South Pacific and Australia, making journeys around Australia, through the Coral and Timor Seas to Indonesia as well as stopping in the capital of French Polynesia, Papeete.
For more information on new cruise itineraries in 2018, make sure to visit each cruise line’s website for the most up to date sailings and deals.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
