Northstar

22 | www.travelweekly-asia.com CRUISE New dream ship ready to go exploring By Daisy Ouyang After the ceremonial launch of Explorer Dream, fashion innovator Grace Chen presented a spectacular fashion show at sea aboard the ship. MAKING CRUISE NEWS: Seven Seas Splendor puts focus on food Seven Seas Splendor will offer new culinary experiences when she sets sail in February 2020. The newest Regent Seven Seas ship will bring aboard local ingredients and culinary traditions from where Seven Seas Splendor is sailing, and feature new curated Culinary Arts Kitchen classes. Designed as a specialised facility with 18 individual cooking stations, the Culinary Arts Kitchen offers a range of 20 classes teaching professional techniques and recipes by master chef instructors. Exclusive to the inaugural season of Seven Seas Splendor are new Gourmet Explorer Tours delivering epicurean adventures, crafted by Regent's executive chef and director of culinary enrichment, Kathryn Kelly. Crystal Cruises tees off with themed golf cruises Crystal Cruises' 2019 Golf-themed Experiences of Discovery voyages will have top professionals onboard this year. The pros sailing aboard Crystal's 2019 golf cruises are: Dave Stockton (Crystal Serenity, June 10, London (Dover) to Reykjavik), who won two PGA championships and Senior Player championships; Tom Kite (Crystal Serenity, August 12, Lisbon to Monte Carlo), who won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, competed on seven Ryder Cup squads and was named PGA Player of the Year; Don Pooley (Crystal Symphony, December 21, Round- trip San Diego), who is probably best known for a million-dollar hole in one shot at the 1987 Bay Hill Top professional golfers will be onboard Crystal Cruises golf-themed cruises. Piazza San Marco on board Costa Venezia. A fter a US$56-million-dollar transformation, the newest family member of Dream Cruises, Explorer Dream, has finally arrived and received the blessing from her godmother, Grace Chen, one of China's most influential fashion innovators. Formerly SuperStar Virgo of Dream Cruises' sister brand Star Cruises, the vessel brings a premier experience with a unique combination of Eastern and Western cultures. Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines, said during the ship After China, Explorer Dream will head south to Australia and New Zealand. inaugural ceremony in Shanghai that Explorer Dream would set the ground for Genting's future expansion around the globe by stepping into new destinations, new markets and with new experiences, hence its name, Explorer Dream. With 928 staterooms, the ship features new facilities including The Palace, Dream Cruises' signature, luxury private enclave with an exclusive butler concierge service, entertainment and dining spaces. Those who experienced the former SuperStar Virgo say the differences are well worth the investment. Koh Chong Wee, general manager of Citystate Cruises, told Travel Weekly Asia that he was impressed with the reinvention. Travel agency representatives from Asia Pacific also commended the ship's redesigned public area and dining choices. Following its home porting in Shanghai and Tianjin in China, from where it will sail curated itineraries to Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam, Explorer Dream will head Down Under in October this year to sail cruises out of Sydney and Auckland. These itineraries take passengers to destinations with a strong heritage such as Port Arthur in Tasmania. Further south, movie-loving families will recognise Wellington in New Zealand as the backdrop of 'Lord of the Rings'. "While the dominant cruise itineraries in the Australian market are at least 10 days, I believe our seven-day voyages can better fit Asian guests' travel culture and habits," said Zhu who added that the Asian DNA of the vessel would set it apart from western cruise brands operating in the Australia and New Zealand market. Classic, which benefitted the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women. Ashore, the 2019 golf cruises offer optional play at renowned global courses (additional fee applies), like Scotland's Gleneagles King's Course, Dublin's Kildare Hotel & Country Club and the Monte Carlo Golf Club. Costa's Venice-inspired ship heads for China Featuring its own patch of 'Venetian sky' indoors and landmarks like St. Mark's Square, Costa Cruises' newest ship Costa Venezia will be home-ported in Shanghai. The 5,260-capacity vessel is the largest ship introduced to Asia. From May 18, Costa Venezia will offer four- to five-night departing from Shanghai to ports in Japan, such as Fukuoka, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Yatsushiro. The ship will offer guests a distinctly Italian experience marked by its interiors, food and entertainment combined with Asian culinary and lifestyle offerings to cater to its Chinese guests. Aqua ready to go to sea Boutique river cruise firm Aqua Expeditions will diversify its business operations and enter the coastal cruises market in the fourth quarter of 2019. Aqua Expeditions recently purchased a long-range explorer yacht, originally built for Britain's Royal Navy, which will be extensively refurbished and re-emerge as a luxury expedition cruise ship. The Singapore-based Aqua Expeditions was launched in 2008 by CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro. It sells five-star luxury river cruising in remote areas. The same concept will drive the company's fleet expansion and routings. "While the dominant cruise itineraries in the Australian market are at least 10 days, I believe our seven-day voyages can better fit Asian guests' travel culture and habits." – Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines

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