Welcome to Greenland care of Hurtigruten

Welcome to Greenland care of Hurtigruten and The MS Fram and this World of Cruising magazine blog. 

Our trip started with a four hour flight from Copenhagen but Hurtigruten had chartered the whole plane so 170 of us nestled comfortably in a space normally full with 350.  A visit to Greenland starts an hour before you land, flying over glaciers and mountain peaks emerging like shark’s teeth from the ice cap so get a window seat if you can!

We were welcomed by the mosquitoes and you do need to think about insect repellent or a net if you are visiting certain parts of the world's largest island. We had a full day of soaking up the stunning scenery in bouncy 4x4 coaches crossing unexpected sand deserts high in the hills, walking up to roaring waterfalls and lakes in front of the huge Russian Glacier and  staring at the ice still formed on lakes and rivers all under a stunning clear blue sky. Ravens and reindeer watched us at lunch which we took in a tiny restaurant in the middle of nowhere with local cuisine and toe tingling blackberry wine.

At the pier we were each issued a lifejacket and shown how to put them on. We hopped in the Polar Cirkel boats and enjoyed a short ride to the ship. Once on the ship we were issued ID cards and then shown to our cabins.

Then it was time for the safety drill outside, in the warm sunshine on deck 5 watching the demonstration for putting on the exposure suit and life vest. 

The Fram is still her warm, welcoming self as are the staff, many of whom recognised me.   Tomorrow we are off to Sisimuit and Assaqutaq if you want to look them up on Google. Either way there's no darkness for the next two weeks as we sail under the midnight sun!!

www.hurtigruten.co.uk

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launches its new ‘Grand Voyages 2016’ brochure – visit 70 destinations in 42 countries

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched its new ‘Grand Voyages 2016’ brochure, offering two exhilarating longer cruises in 2016: Boudicca's 76-night ‘Around Africa & the Indian Ocean’ cruise, D1601, departing from Southampton on 5^th January 2016 – the cruise line’s first ever sailing of this kind on board Boudicca – and Black Watch's 115-night 'Around the World with the South Pacific' cruise, W1602, departing from Southampton on 8^th January 2016.

Together, these two epic cruises will take in 70 ports in 42 countries around the globe. There will be an impressive four maiden calls across the two ‘Grand Voyages'. Boudicca will make her first-ever stop in the picturesque destination of Zanzibar, as well as Luanda in Angola and Maputo in Mozambique, whilst Black Watch will call into Tuticorin in India for the first time.

There are attractive savings available in Fred. Olsen’s new ‘Grand Voyages 2016’ brochure, with up to £400 per person free onboard spending credit for Boudicca’s ‘Around Africa’ cruise, with reduced single supplements on selected Outside Twin cabins (subject to availability). There is also up to £550 person free onboard spending credit on offer for Black Watch’s ‘Around the World’ voyage, with reduced single supplements on selected Outside Twin cabins (subject to availability).  

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent

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Latest deals from MSC Cruises

High notes: MSC Opera leaves its home port of Southampton for the final time this autumn – say goodbye properly on a 10-night farewell sailing. The great-value East Atlantic itinerary calls at Ijmuiden (Amsterdam), The Netherlands; St Peter Port, Guernsey; Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Bilbao, Spain; Le Havre, France; and Southampton. Prices start at just £499 per person, plus free car parking at Southampton, based on an August 23 departure. Book before July 31.

October half-term deal: Explore the Western Mediterranean for seven nights of sunshine on MSC Musica during the October half-term holidays. Your fantastic cruise experience departs Genoa, Italy on October 25 and calls at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Palermo, Italy; La Goulette (Tunis), Tunisia; Palma, Majorca, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Marseille, France; and Genoa, with prices leading in at £799 per person including return flights (book before July 31).

Hot stuff: Beat the winter blues with a seven-night voyage around the Canary Islands next January. Sailing on MSC Armonia you’ll depart Gran Canaria from Las Palmas, then head for  Casablanca, Morocco for a full day and night. The cruise then takes in Agadir, Morocco; Arrecife, Lanzarote; Santa Cruz, Tenerife; and Las Palmas. Prices start at £599 per person including return flights and transfers, based on January 24 2015 departure.

And remember, with all MSC Cruises, kids under the age of 18 sail free when sharing a cabin with two full-paying adults.

For more information see www.msccruises.co.uk or call 020 3426 3010.

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AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES OFFERS COMPLIMENTARY FLIGHTS ON 2015/16 VOYAGES

 Azamara Club Cruises is taking to the skies this summer with an offer of free flights during 2015/16. Guests booking select European voyages  will enjoy complimentary return flights to their departure and arrival destinations.

Guests simply need to book an Oceanview Stateroom or higher between 1 June – 31 July 2014 to benefit from this offer, for both the first and second full fare paying passenger. What’s more, guests travelling further afield will be offered reduced flight prices on select non-European voyages, starting from £699 per person.

For more information please call 0844 493 4016 or visit www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk.

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Camping Overnight In Greenland!!!!!!

Here's the expedition team from Hurtigruten's MV Fram before setting up camp at midnight in Western Greenland. The company were looking at offering this as an excursion next season and the team were trying it out. I went back to the ship!   www.hurtigruten.co.uk

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10 nights from just £449pp… with Virgin Cruisies

10 night Northern Europe Cruise on MSC Opera from £449pp

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers 10 nights aboard MSC Opera sailing from Southampton, calling at Ijmuiden , St Peter Port, Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Bilbao (Spain) and Le Havre (France). Price is per person based on two adults travelling and sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Based on a departures 09 July 2014.

 Seven night Mediterranean Cruise on MSC Splendida from £749pp

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers seven nights aboard MSC Splendida from Genoa, Naples, Messina, La Goulette, Barcelona and Marseille. Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis with flights from London Gatwick and transfers. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Based on departures 17 Aug 2014.

 To book: visit http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/cruise-deals/, call 0844 488 3084 or visit one of our 130 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser, Tesco or Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

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Late offers from Amawaterways

SAVE £740pp

3^rd July, Amsterdam to Basel 7 night Rhine cruise, saving £740pp

AmaWaterways have trimmed £740pp off the price of a 7 night cruise along the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, taking in Cologne, the Rhine Gorge, and the scenic Alsace and Black Forest regions. This spectacular cruise now costs from £1499pp including free flights from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. Or £1199, cruise only. 

SAVE £840pp – on board Berlitz’s `best river cruise ship’

8^th July – Cruise on board `the best river ship in Europe’

AmaWaterways’ luxury river cruiser AmaPrima has been named the best river ship in Europe in the new Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe guide, published this month. A week’s sailing on board AmaPrima from Vilshofen to Budapest can be booked for just £1199 (cruise only), or from £1459 including return London flights and transfers, saving £840pp. The price also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. 

SAVE £995pp

9^th July 2014, 7 night Legendary Danube cruise, saving £995pp

Save £995pp off a week long luxury river cruise along the Danube from Nuremberg to Budapest, visiting Linz, Passau, Melk, Vienna and Budapest, watching the world pass by from panoramic windows and taking part in daily complimentary tours and excursions. The price of £1459pp includes flights from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. 

SAVE £1340pp

10^th July, RAIL & SAIL : Paris & Normandy by luxury river cruiser – with £1340pp saving + free Eurostar

AmaWaterways are offering a saving of £1340pp, free Eurostar travel and inclusive excursions to visit the beaches and landmarks associated with the D-Day landings, as part of a luxury 7 night river cruise embarking in Paris on 10^th July 2014. The sailing, which now costs from £1699pp includes free Eurostar travel from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. Regional flights also available. 

SAVE £990pp

15^th July 2014, 7 night Douro cruise saving £990pp – with free flights from London and Birmingham

Luxury river cruise operator AmaWaterways has trimmed the cost of a 7 night cruise along Portugal’s Douro river by £990 per person. Departing in Porto on 15^th July 2014 the cruise now costs from £1479pp (£1599 from Birmingham), including a scenic 7 night voyage down the Douro river, free flights and transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, port wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi. Cruise only costs from £1199pp. 

SAVE £1250pp

17^th July 2014, Provence river cruise, with optional ghost walk and £1250pp saving

Save £1250pp off a 7 night cruise from Arles to Lyon, departing on 17^th July 2014, including free flights, transfers and daily guided tours and excursions that include the chateaux, towns and vineyards that accompany the constantly changing riverside vista; participate in a ghost walk through the town of Viviers, join a Van Gogh tour in Arles or a wine tasting in Provence. The cruise price of £1849pp includes free flights from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles.  Regional flights and Eurostar also available. Cruise only from £1499pp.  

Contact AmaWaterways on 0808 256 8422, www.amawaterways.co.uk

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It's good to be back!!

Well it's good to be back after a stunning two weeks in fabulous Greenland with Hurtigruten. Look out on Monday afternoon for the first of a daily report on the trip. Iceburgs, Inuit, Polar Bears and sledge dogs are all featured. I found it fascinating talking to the Inuit/Greenlandic people about their way of life and how global warming is changing so much  for them. 

Plus the latest edition of World of Cruising magazine dropped through my letterbox whilst I was away!

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ITV documentary set on Princess Cruises ship to air from 11 July

A four-part documentary set on board a Princess Cruises ship will be broadcast weekly on ITV from 11 July. Entitled ‘The Cruise Ship’, the show will air on consecutive Friday evenings at 8pm, in between the Coronation Street double bill.

The documentary features unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage of crew and guests on Royal Princess. The 3,600-guest ship was launched last year by HRH, The Duchess of Cambridge. Among the crew to be featured is Welsh-born cruise director Sam Hawker-Thomas (above).

Filming took place as Royal Princess sailed across the Caribbean, including a call at Princess Cruises’ private Bahamas island. John Thompson, star of Cold Feet and The Fast Show, provides the voiceover.

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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch to sail from Newcastle again in 2014

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests some very attractive cruise deals from Newcastle in 2014, from just £67 per person, per night*, as 804-guest Black Watch commences her cruise season from the Port of Tyne on 28^th June 2014. Fred. Olsen is embarking on a series of seven cruises from this convenient North East departure port from June to October 2014, on a variety of worldwide itineraries – from a seven-night ‘Norwegian Fjords’ cruise to a 15-night ‘Canary Islands’ sailing.

www.fredolsencruises.com  0800 0355 242 

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How CMV's latest cruise ship earned her place in history

The cruise ship Azores has an even longer history than Discovery, the vessel it will replace in the Cruise & Maritime Voyages fleet next year. It’s a history that has seen excitement and tragedy in considerable measure.

While Discovery saw service as Island Princess, and was one of the locations for the Love Boat TV series in the 70s, Azores goes back much further.

To 1948, in fact, when she was built in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the Swedish American Line – a passenger and cargo shipping company operating Transatlantic crossings to New York.

After just over eight years of service, the Stockholm gained notoriety for its part in a significant maritime disaster, the 1956 sinking of the Andrea Doria. The two ships collided in thick fog off Nantucket, Massachusetts and the Italian liner, which was carrying 1,134 passengers and 572 crew, sank.

Some 52 people were killed, 51 of them during the initial impact when Stockholm was embedded in Andrea Dorea’s starboard side.  Repairs to Stockholm’s damaged bow were reported to have cost $1 million.

Less than four years later the ship was bought by the East German government, who renamed it Volkerfreundschaft (Friendship of the People) and continued to operate it as an ocean liner until 1985.

Sold to Italian investors in 1989 and towed to Genoa, she was nicknamed the “ship of death” by the Italian press. Nevertheless, the vessel was completely stripped back to its bare hull and rebuilt from the waterline up before being put into service in Cuba.

In 2005 the ship was acquired by Classic International Cruises and renamed Athena (above). On a passage through the Gulf of Aden in 2008, en route to Australia, she was surrounded by 29 pirate boats, who fled when high pressure hoses were turned on them.

CIC hit financial trouble in 2012 and its three ships were arrested. Athena was detained in Marseille for some months. But the vessel was put back in service with the formation of Lisbon-based Portuscale Cruises who are operating the ship this year and will be chartering her to CMV from next January.

AZORES AT A GLANCE:

Gross Tonnage: 16,144

Length: 525 ft

Beam: 69ft

Draft: 25ft

Cruising speed: 16 knots

Passenger Decks: 8

Cabins: Total 277

Ocean view: 228

Inside: 49

De Luxe cabins: 53 (incl 9 balcony suites)

Passenger capacity (double occupancy): 550

Maximum capacity: 600

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CMV charters classic cruise ship Azores to replace Discovery in 2015

Cruise & Maritime Voyages have found a replacement ship to take over from Discovery next year.

The company, which also operates Marco Polo and Astor, is to charter Azores from Portuguese operator Portuscale. The ship’s first cruise in its new colours will leave Bristol’s Avonmouth docks on January 26 – a 30-night voyage to the Caribbean.

During the course of 2015 the ship will also be sailing from London’s Tilbury docks and Hull. The details of itineraries to destinations including the Northern Lights, Mediterranean and a Scottish-themed Edinburgh Festival cruise, will be announced next week.

Azores, which first entered service in 1948, sailed more recently as Athena. The ship was rebuilt in 1994 at a cost of about £100 million.

CMV describe it as “a classic ship with a traditional wraparound wooden promenade deck and a wide range of lounges. There’s a cabaret lounge, casino, and two restaurants.

Azores can carry 550 passengers based on two per cabin, and a maximum of 600; Discovery’s capacity is 710/796.

Chris Coates, Commercial Director of CMV said: “Azores is an excellent, upgraded addition to our cruise fleet and has been affectionately and very well maintained by her Owners.

“We are confident that Azores will prove to be a real winner with our dedicated growing number of loyal customers and will also attract new clients seeking smaller ship alternatives and regional ex-UK no fly cruise options.”

Rui Alegre, Chief Executive Officer of Lisbon-based Portuscale Cruises added: “I am very pleased to have concluded a charter with CMV and look forward to working closely with their team in successfully establishing Azores on to the British market.

“Azores is a beautiful ship and has been operating very well in achieving high levels of customer satisfaction. I am proud that she will be carrying CMV passengers next year and for many years to come.”

Discovery - originally Island Princess and one of the ships used in the filming of the TV series Love Boat - is to be sold by owners Voyages of Discovery, who currently charter the vessel to CMV.

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It’s a ‘floral frenzy’ for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ guests in 2015

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering ‘green-fingered’ guests the chance to experience some of the most vibrant, colourful and unique gardens and flower festivals on two exciting cruises in 2015. 880 guest-ship Boudicca will embark on a 14-night ‘Madeira Flower Festival’ cruise, D1508, which departs from Dover on 14^th April 2015, followed by an 11-night ‘Floral Britannia’ cruise, D1509, departing from Dover on 28^th April 2015.

  

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm), or visit an ABTA travel agent

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New Destination adventures in the Galapagos Islands

Celebrity Cruises unveils authentic dining experience with locals and reforestation project in national park

To celebrate 10 years of offering adventure holidays to the Galapagos Islands, Celebrity Cruises has launched new land excursions that range from dining on authentic cuisine prepared by local residents to contributing to the protected islands by giving new life to a native tree species. 

The new adventures are included when sailing onboard Celebrity Xpedition, in addition to the daily naturalist-led lectures and excursions on the untouched islands, their highlands and beautiful beaches.

Celebrity Cruises Galapagos sailings range from seven to 15 nights onboard the 98-guest Celebrity Xpedition with prices for an all-inclusive ten-night cruise starting at £5339 per person for an Ocean View Stateroom departing on 5^th July 2015 – selected packages feature all-inclusive amenities including adventure gear, chartered luxury air transfers, gourmet cuisine and in-stateroom dining and cocktails.

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Have the ultimate African experience with Holland America Line

      Fly over the world’s highest sand dunes in Namibia, experience a real South African safari, canoe the mangroves of Gambia

   

Holland America Line’s new 83-night circumnavigation of Africa voyage now has specially added new sectors giving travellers unrivalled opportunities to explore the African continent. This journey takes in over 40 different ports in a wide variety of countries, all of which offer an incredible range of excursions and African experiences.

  

83 night Southampton to Southampton African Explorer cruise from £6,899pp

The full Africa circumnavigation cruise from Southampton, departing on 28 September 2014 on ms Rotterdam, will take in a fantastic range of countries and ports of call from Egypt to Mauritius, Namibia, Angola and the Seychelles, making over 40 calls in total, before arriving back in the UK on 20 December 2014. Guests can choose from well over 300 different shore excursions throughout this cruise.  All prices are based on two sharing an inside cabin and include the full board cruise. Fly-cruise prices are available on request.

For more information or to book, contact Holland America Line on www.hollandamerica.co.uk or call 0843 374 2300

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Record number of Brits choosing to cruise Down Under

Record numbers of cruise enthusiast are making long-term plans  and booking holidays Down Under, not just for next year but also for 2016, according to leading cruise holiday agent, Iglucruise.com.

Most popular of all is a luxury 42-night trip on the Celebrity Solstice from February 10 2016, taking in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide with prices, including flights and free onboard drinks, from £5,549 for an ocean-view cabin.

www.iglucruise.com/celebrity-solstice/10th-february-2016_c80453

If that seems an age away, then Iglu has a 20-day stay and cruise departing October 31 2015 on the Voyager of the Seas with calls at Sydney and Auckland. Prices, including flights, from £2,449.

www.iglucruise.com/voyager-of-the-seas/31st-october-2015_c83612-inside-cabin

"Australia and New Zealand are becoming popular destinations," said Dave Mills, Commercial Director. "It’s down to a combination of the great value, the time of the year – our winter, their summer – and the thrill of going somewhere entirely new and different"

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Latest river cruise deals from AmaWaterways

SAVE £500pp

23rd June 2014, 11 night Russian Waterways cruise, saving £500pp
AmaWaterways’ 11 night cruise along the Volga-Baltic waterways between St. Petersburg and Moscow operates from May to September and includes free daily excursions, city tours, the chance to dine with a Russian family, take Russian lessons on board, or visit farming villages, cities, cathedrals and palaces. Departing on 23rd June 2014 the price is from £2559pp, was £3059, including free flights from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board the river cruiser `AmaKatarina’ with free flowing wine beer & soft drinks with dinner, daily excursions and tours. 

SAVE £700pp

8^th July, Danube cruise saving £700pp including free flights and transfers

Free flights from London or Manchester, airport transfers to the ship and a saving of £700pp are included in a 7 night Danube sailing from Vilshofen to Budapest, departing on 8^th July. The cruise now costs from £1599pp (was £2299) and £1799 from Manchester (was £2499) and is available from luxury river cruise operator AmaWaterways. The sailing also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner on board the luxury river cruiser AmaPrima, with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. 

Contact AmaWaterways on 0808 256 8422, www.amawaterways.co.uk

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Hops Aboard – Un-Cruise Adventures Plans Craft Beer Theme Cruises on Coastal Washington Adventure Cruises

60-guest Wilderness Adventurer sails roundtrip Seattle

Un-Cruise Adventures hops to it with four new craft beer theme cruises set for Autumn and spring departures in Washington’s Puget Sound and Salish Sea. The Seattle-based adventure cruise line marries local micro-brew experts with adventure in scenic areas from South Hood Canal to Olympic National Park and the San Juan Islands.  

The 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer expedition vessel sails roundtrip Seattle on a weeklong itinerary from September – November and April – May.
Craft beer theme cruises are set for October 4, 2014, April 25 and October 3, 2015 and April 30, 2016. 

Highlights of the itinerary include hiking in Olympic National Park (a World Heritage Site), Mt. Constitution and Washington State Parks. Waterborne expeditions by kayaks, skiffs and paddle boards explore glacial fjords and the San Juan archipelago. In Quilcene Bay, a local family hosts a home-grown oyster and clam tasting. Guests enjoy free time in scenic Friday Harbor and discover Native cultures in Port Townsend. Eyes are kept peeled for marine life and seabirds—gray whales, orcas, seals, sea lions and bald eagles.

The craft beer cruise includes all meals, beer tastings, transfers, adventure activities, hot tub, sauna and yoga on deck. Rates begin at $1,895 per person, double occupancy. Charters and group incentives are available. To book or to request additional information, contact your travel agent or Un-Cruise Adventures at 888-862-8881 or sales@un-cruise.com.  

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Viking's first ocean ship is floated out of dry dock

Viking Cruises' inaugural ocean ship – the 930-passenger Viking Star – was floated out at a ceremony in Italy yesterday. The vessel touched water for the first time at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard near Venice. Viking Star will debut in early 2015 with maiden voyages in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean – as well as two new itineraries for 2016 that visit the British Isles. Three sister ships have also been ordered.

Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said at the ceremony: "Today is a proud day for our entire Viking family, as we are one step closer to launching a new era of ocean cruising. Viking Star’s maiden season was sold out before she even touched water, which just demonstrates how enthusiastic our guests are for destination-focused ocean cruises. It is this enthusiasm that has led us to place orders for two additional sister ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky.”

According to Italian shipbuilding tradition, a float out ceremony is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. Viking Star’s float out began at 10.30a.m. local time, when a “madrina” – a woman of honor from the shipyard – cut a cord to allow water to begin flowing into the ship’s building dock. Following a two-day process that set Viking Star afloat, she will now be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and completion of her interiors.

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Virgin Cruise Late Deals

14-night Italian Mediterranean Cruise on Independence of the Seas from £949pp

Departing on 23 August 2014, Virgin Holidays Cruises offers a 14 night Italian Mediterranean cruise aboard Independence of the Seas sailing from Southampton, Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Valencia (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), Palma (Majorca), Ibiza (Spain) and Cadiz (Spain). Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change.

Eight night Seattle Stay & Alaska Cruise on Carnival Miracle from £1,699pp

Departing on 25 Aug 2014, Virgin Holidays Cruises offers one night room only at the 4V Edgewater, Seattle before joining Carnival Miracle for seven nights from Seattle, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria. Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis with flights from London Heathrow. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change.

To book: visit http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/cruise-deals/, call 0844 488 3084 or visit one of  130 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser, Tesco or Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

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Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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