Cruise companies are on course to defy the recession by deploying a series of bigger and better ships in 2010.

Hang on a minute, I hear you ask, why is he banging on about next year when we haven’t even thought about our cruise for this summer?

The reason is that cruise lines’ forward planning can often take between three to five years from the time a new ship is commissioned at an average cost of £300 million/£400 million to when it enters service.
And with ships getting bigger, as we will experience next year, cruise companies need to given themselves maximum time to promote, market and sell all the additional berths.

That’s why you will start seeing the first cruise brochures covering summer 2010 and the following winter being published within the next eight weeks.

It will trigger a huge amount of activity as cruise lines vie for your attention through new ships, on board innovations, cabin designs and itineraries.

Next year is poised to be one of the most exciting in a decade with the introduction of a number of ground breaking new vessels.

These will include the first season of Caribbean cruises by the mammoth Oasis of the Seas, which at 5,400 passengers, will outstrip all before it in terms of sheer size and on board facilities.

The vessel, 40% bigger than current world beaters Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, is to enter service in December.

Fly-cruises on the massive Royal Caribbean International ship sailing out of Fort Lauderdale are already on sale by Virgin Holidays Cruises.

So what else can we look forward to on the horizon?

The next biggest thing after Oasis is arguably the aptly named Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Cruise Line’s new generation cruise ship capable of carrying 4,200 passengers.

To offer eastern and western Caribbean fly-cruises from Miami starting in May 2010, the ship has been designed to take NCL’s flexible Freestyle Cruising concept into a new era.

In a total break with cruise ship design tradition, Norwegian Epic will feature ‘New Wave’ cabins with curved walls to create a “modern and chic” experience.

The living space is being maximised with a bathroom with a separate shower stall, separate toilet and a modern vanity top sink.

The cabins will feature concealed contour LED lighting and back-lit domed ceilings.

In addition to the mould-breaking accommodation, Norwegian Epic will place an emphasis on nightlife with five venues set to rival the experiences of Las Vegas, Ibiza, the Riviera and South Beach, Miami.

They will include the first Ice Bar on a cruise ship; POSH Beach Club, offering an adults-only setting at the top of the ship; Halo, the Über Bar, a private bar and lounge in the ship-within-a-ship villa complex; Bliss Ultra Lounge, an all-day entertainment and nightclub complex with four-lane bowling alley; and Spice H20, an adults-only aft pool deck venue.

Norwegian Epic, NCL’s 12th ship, will sail to Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico on its Western Caribbean itinerary. The Eastern Caribbean version includes stops in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

The vessel is to be showcased in the UK next spring with a range of inaugural events, before heading to its US base.

Also arriving in the UK with sailings from Southampton in 2010 is a trio of new ships – Celebrity Eclipse, P&O Cruises’ Azura and Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth.

Next year will be the first time that premium line Celebrity Cruises has a ship based in the south coast port, although Southampton is an established departure point for sister company Royal Caribbean International.

The 2,859-passenger Celebrity Eclipse, the third in a series of five Solstice-class ships, is to be launched in Southampton in 2010.

The new class of ships are not only significantly larger than those previously in the Celebrity fleet but provide a number of new on board elements such as a lawn area larger than eight tennis courts, glassblowing demonstrations and AquaClass cabins providing direct access to extensive spa facilities.

Azura, due to start sailing from Southampton from April 2010, will be sister ship to 3,200-passenger Ventura and is being touted as offering an authentic large ship experience with a wine lovers’ restaurant, a venue overseen by Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar, outdoor cinema and spa cabins.

Last, but by no means least, is Cunard’s 92,000-ton new vessel Queen Elizabeth capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers.

Queen Elizabeth’s arrival in the autumn of next year will bring the Cunard fleet back up to three ships following the departure of QEII last year.

The vessel will be the second largest Cunarder ever built and have Southampton as its home port.

Virgin Holidays Cruises will feature all the breaking news as more details of all the exciting new ships for 2010 start emerging over the next few months. Keep watching this space.

Phil Davies

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