A popular adults-only activity may be set to return fleet-wide on Royal Caribbean International cruises.

According to guest reports, The Quest is slowly starting to appear again on select ships and crossings, and while there hasn’t been an official announcement, the sometimes risky treasure hunt is once again appearing on activity schedules.

The Royal Caribbean quest is back!

The Quest, an adults-only scavenger hunt with a variety of quirky and often puzzle-like “quests” for participants to complete, is starting to reappear on Royal Caribbean ships.

Guests on recent cruises have reported the game aboard various ships, including The shine of the seas, Enchantment of the seas, sailor of the seasand greatness of the seas.

The cruise line’s largest ship and the largest cruise ship in the world, wonder of the seasalso reintroduced The Quest, with the first event reported during the ship’s recent transatlantic crossing that brought the ship from Europe to her new homeport, Port Canaveral.

Why the quest was interrupted

The popular activity has not been seen on board Royal Caribbean ships since the industry-wide shutdown, and it has not returned once cruising resumes.

Because The Quest requires guests to be close to each other – depending on the challenges, possibly sharing clothes, clasping hands or having other physical contact – it was considered an unnecessary risk to health precautions in the event of a pandemic, when social distancing was essential and group gatherings were discouraged.

The activity is also a popular event with spectators, and the reserved places usually fill up with interested guests who are not quite ready to join in the sometimes crazy and energetic tasks.

Because most health and safety protocols have now been relaxed and cruise ships are once again sailing at full capacity, now is the time to bring The Quest back.

What is the quest?

The game, which is sometimes listed as Crazy Quest, is restricted to adults 18 and older and has a reputation for being more than a little wild and even steamy, depending on crowd reaction and participation levels.

It usually takes place in one of the larger lounges or activity spaces on the ship, such as Studio B, depending on the space available on ships of different classes. Often held later in the evening, the game usually lasts around an hour.

The game host will divide the living room audience into several teams, and each team is given a number. A pair of team captains, usually a male and a female, will be in charge of coordinating quests in their section.

Each task defines a specific goal for teams to accomplish, ranging from something as simple as producing basic items – a driver’s license, specific tattoos or fake teeth, for example – to more complicated goals, like getting a group of people to do a silly dance together.

While some loyal Royal Caribbean customers familiar with the event may try to prepare with extra items in their pockets, the tasks change and the game can be very unpredictable.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line Confirms End of Popular Lido Deck Activity

The final tasks are often the riskiest and culminate in… well, what happens in The Quest stays in The Quest. As teams complete the task, the host will announce which team finished first and a base score is kept. The leaders of the winning team usually receive a symbolic prize.

To play or not to play

Much like adult-only or R-rated comedy shows, The Quest isn’t for everyone. Guests who are more reserved or likely to be easily offended may want to consider choosing other entertainment, but adventurous guests will love the interactive challenges and high energy of the event.

Guests who prefer to observe without having to participate should sit farther away from the open space, such as the dance floor or the stage, where most of the action will take place.

Those who want to lead a team should position themselves near the front row and be as loud and energetic as possible to get the host’s attention. Even if they are not chosen to lead a team, assistants who help mobilize the crowd for each task are always welcome.

As with any onboard activity, whether or not The Quest is part of an Individual Sailing is at the discretion of the Cruise Director.

Carnival Cruise Line contacted customers booked for two different cruises on board Horizon Carnival their routes change. One of the cruises leaves next month, but the other isn’t even next year – it’s 18 months away.

Horizon Carnival Route changes

In an email sent on Friday, November 18, 2022, Carnival Cruise Line informed customers of two separate sailings from the Vista class Horizon Carnival their routes change.

“We continue to refine operational plans for your cruise and have made some changes to the itinerary of the sailings listed below,” the email read.

December 2022

The December 18, 2022 sailing, a 6-night Western Caribbean sailing, was originally scheduled to have visited Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Now the ship will visit Montego Bay instead of Ocho Rios in Jamaica, although other ports of call remain the same.

In Montego Bay, the ship will be docked from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., instead of the 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. that had been scheduled for Ocho Rios. This gives guests an extra hour to explore the colorful and distinctive harbour.

No other port times are impacted on navigation, and the two days at sea – one to start the cruise, the other to end it – are also unchanged.

June 2024

Surprisingly, the second route change for Horizon Carnival is a completely independent route, not even in the same year or the following year. Instead, the second modified cruise is the June 8, 2024 sailing, an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary, which is much more radically modified.

Originally, the itinerary first included two days at sea, followed by four days of port visits: Aruba, Curaçao and two ports in the Dominican Republic. Another day at sea completed the itinerary.

Now the revised itinerary is as follows: two days at sea, Bonaire (replacing Curaçao), Aruba (date and time changed), two ports in the Dominican Republic (days and times unchanged) and one day at sea.

For December 2022 and June 2024 itineraries, Horizon Carnival is miami sailingwhere the ship is homeported until at least early 2025.

Other than at “refining operational plans” no explanation is given for either route change. Overall port operations, deployment of other ships in the fleet, construction of docks and other factors often influence route changes.

While the December 2022 change comes at short notice for travellers, the June 2024 change allows plenty of time to research the new stop in Bonaire and make plans to enjoy this destination.

Shore visit options

Due to these itinerary changes, modifications to shore excursions are also required.

Tours to Ocho Rios and Curacao have been automatically canceled and will be refunded to customers’ original method of payment as these ports have been removed from their respective itineraries.

The email indicates that “Montego Bay tours will be available for purchase on Carnival.com in two weeks” during visits to Bonaire “will be available for purchase by the end of the year.”

The most popular shore excursions at most cruise ports can sell out quickly, and guests interested in certain experiences should be sure to pre-book their reservations to secure their space.

No further compensation or credit is offered to passengers affected by these itinerary changes, and cruise lines are not required to offer additional compensation when a port of call is changed.

Any cruise line has the power to change an itinerary at any time, whether it’s just a month before a cruise, more than a year before departure, or even en route to a destination.

Having a weekly journal makes it difficult to take longer vacations, and it’s been years since I’ve taken more than three or four days off.

I’m definitely not complaining because I’ve had a lot of jobs that I’ve hated and really love what I do. Sometimes I wish I could have a nice two week vacation where I can spend a little time traveling and a lot of time sitting at home, doing nothing.

When I think of where I would like to go, I always have Hawaii at the top of my list, which I hope will happen sooner or later. I also don’t mind spending quite a bit of time in Las Vegas. It allows me to visit friends and family, and I can also go to concerts, watch a UFC fight live, and spend some time losing money at the Blackjack table.

I have quite a few friends who swear by cruises, but that doesn’t interest me at all. Maybe when I was 20 I might not mind spending a week on a boat, but the older I get it feels like a nightmare.

One of my biggest issues when cruising is being confined to a ship with a plethora of strangers.

It wouldn’t have been a problem ten years ago, but the older I get, the more I don’t like being around people I don’t know, and I feel like on a cruise, I couldn’t not escape them.

There will definitely be a lot of tourists in Vegas or Hawaii, but I would have the flexibility to get away from the madness if I needed to. On a cruise, I feel so overwhelmed that I would spend way too much time in my cabin, which would probably be the size of a walnut shell because I couldn’t afford anything too extravagant.

Some people like to joke around and meet new people, but when I’m on vacation, I want to be around my team. I can visit a house or take a day trip to the desert; I wouldn’t have that option on a cruise ship.

Crowds scare me, and a cruise seems to be worse because there’s nowhere to escape.

The ideal would be to rent a house with a swimming pool, and I could spend hours outside with my little team without a care in the world.

I wouldn’t say I like spending so many hours outside surrounded by strangers.

I’m not a big fan of shopping, but I’ve heard that many cruises look like floating malls. That would be far from ideal. If I spend the money on a cruise, I won’t have to pay much extra, so residing in a floating mall is not my idea of ​​fun.

I have no problem having a few drinks, but I’ve heard horror stories of how wild people can cruise, and it’s not something I want the family to see every days.

With a fixed weekly schedule of deadlines, I would not appreciate the schedule of excursions on a boat. When I’m on vacation, I like to do things on my schedule and I don’t want to be told when and how long I can go somewhere.

It may sound ridiculous, but pirates also make me nervous, and I’d probably be afraid the whole time that the ship would be attacked.

I may be able to leave town in a few months for a good vacation. Maybe someone could persuade me with some great cruise stories, but with my luck I’d be stuck at sea for two weeks and couldn’t get the paper out. Or I’ll see those pesky pirates, Arrr.

Viking has officially taken delivery of its new cruise ship, the 930 passenger viking neptune. Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy signed the cruise ship during a ceremony at the yard.

It is the company’s twelfth new ship this year, including two ocean-going ships, eight river cruise ships and two expedition cruise ships.

Although the ship is identical in size and design to other ocean-going ships in the Viking fleet, it is the first to have a state-of-the-art hydrogen fuel cell on board. The system is the first of its kind aboard cruise ships and serves as a test facility to be developed further.

viking neptune Join the Viking Fleet

Viking has taken delivery of its most technologically advanced cruise ship to date. The viking neptune was handed over to the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy, today November 10. The ship was fitted with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the first-ever cruise ship in history to test the use of hydrogen for onboard operations.

“We are particularly proud to welcome this new sister ship to our ocean fleet, as it also marks a significant step forward in the testing of hydrogen as a future fuel for our ships,” he added. said Torstein Hagen, president of Viking.

“We look forward to welcoming guests aboard Viking Neptune next week. This is the 15th new ship we have added to our overall fleet this year, another milestone as we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

Viking will use the hydrogen system on a small scale for testing purposes, which could lead to much larger scale use for future new builds.

viking neptune is the newest ship in Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet, which includes seven identical sister ships, Star, Sea, Sky, Orion, Jupiter, Venus, and viking march. The new vessel continues the line’s proven exclusivity at just 47,842 gross tons and a capacity of 930 guests.

In addition to the hydrogen fuel cell, viking neptune is identical to its seven award-winning sisters. All rooms have balconies, with the ship fitted out with high-end Scandinavian designs and a wide variety of alfresco dining options.

Inaugural season in the Mediterranean

viking neptune will make its maiden cruise on November 17 in the Mediterranean. The seven-night cruise will depart from Istanbul, Turkey, and visit Cannakkale and Kusadasi in Turkey, followed by Rhodes and Iraklion, Greece. The cruise will end in Piraeus, Greece.

The cruise ship will sail in the Mediterranean until December 8. viking neptune will sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Fort Lauderdale from Barcelona. From Port Everglades, she will take a world cruise, a trip from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138 days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities.

viking neptune is the 12th ship launched by Viking in 2022, his 25th birthday. Viking Expeditions was launched in January with octanti vikingfollowed by its sister ship, polaris viking, in September. Viking has also launched eight new river vessels for service on the Nile, Mekong and Mississippi rivers and another ocean-going cruise ship, viking march.

The co-founder of new luxury river cruise line Riverside has confirmed he will buy the remaining Crystal River ships “if the price is right”.

Speaking in Vienna on Mozart by the riverthe company’s first river vessel and also a former Crystal vessel, Riverside Luxury Cruises CEO Gregor Gerlach said he was interested in Crystal vessels, but not if they are too expensive.

In this case, he will build two new ships instead. One will be like Mozart by the riverwhich is twice as wide as normal river vessels, the other will be the same as other vessels on European waterways.

Purchased Crystal mozart from German operator Dertour in 2015 and spent several million dollars during a six-month refit.

Gerlach said: “We had planned to start a river cruise line in 2018, but we couldn’t find a ship that matched the luxury we were looking for. We now have the most luxurious river vessel in Europe. I’m not sure we would have spent so much on this [as Crystal].”

He said food, service and excursions were key priorities for the company. All the crew who worked on Crystal Mozart have been found and will return when Mozart by the river starts sailing in April 2023 and spends a lot of time researching new and different excursions.

Gerlach expects up to 80% of passengers to be English speakers and a mix of river cruisers and newbies. The first language on board will be English, with menus also in German.

He said: “The bulk of sales will be through trade. The luxury needs to be explained, the higher costs need to be explained. Riverside rates will be from €250 per person per day, top suites from €3,000 per person per day.

Industry veteran Stuart Perl has been appointed UK managing director of Riverside and will initially hire two additional people to manage commercial sales and work with agents. He confirmed that he would join CLIA.

Mozart by the river will be based in Vienna and operate three-night Wachau Valley cruises and four-night cruises to Budapest that can be combined into seven-night “nature and city” cruises.

There will also be two seven-night crossings on the Lower Danube to the Iron Gates Gorge.

“The feedback I get is that people are nervous about going to the Lower Danube because of the war in Ukraine so we only do two starts and only go halfway “, said Gerlach. “When things normalize, we will go to the Black Sea.”

Read more: Seaside Collection enters the luxury river cruise market

Posted on November 4, 2022 at 6:20 p.m. by

The Maritime Executive

Plans have been announced for the first high-speed, zero-emission electric ferry in New York Harbor. In recent decades, New York City has experienced a resurgence in its city government-supported water transportation system. It has become an integral part of both the public transport system and a popular means of travel for tourists in the city.

New York Water Taxi, which was launched twenty years ago as one of the first with the vision of reclaiming New York Harbor for transportation and leisure, has announced plans to launch the new hydrofoil catamaran developed by Green City Ferries in Sweden. The new vessel is expected to enter service in the spring of 2024, operating New York Water Taxi routes on the Hudson River and sailing between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The company currently operates a fleet of diesel ferries carrying between 64 and 149 passengers. Since 2017, New York Water Taxi has been owned by New York Cruise Lines, which also operates the iconic New York Circle Line sightseeing boats.

“As a leader and innovator in the international maritime industry, we are extremely excited to bring our technology to New York,” said Hans Thornell, President of Green City Ferries. The Swedish startup last year unveiled the designs for its BELUGA24, a ferry based on proven airfoil technology. A sheet placed amidships lifts the ship halfway out of the water at high speed and thus significantly reduces water resistance. According to the company, it will use less power and create less wake turbulence while traveling at speeds of up to 30 knots.

The Beluga24 will have a capacity of 147 passengers and 28 bicycles. The vessel will use carbon fiber construction with foil-assisted Teknicraft design. The vessel uses a BAE Systems powertrain, Echandia power management, Toshiba batteries and Hamiltonjet high-speed water jets.

“New York Water Taxi has worked to bring cleaner, more efficient ferry service to the Port of New York and we have found the right partner in Green City Ferries,” said New York Cruise Lines CEO Craig Kanarick. . “We can’t wait to delight our passengers with this ultra-luxury, zero-emissions experience, and together change the public perception of how ferries can improve life in our city and around the world.

The companies promise the ship will deliver a new level of experience for travelers with ultra-quiet, high-speed and low-vibration performance. It uses a fast charging battery system.

The collaboration with New York Cruise Lines and New York Water Taxi is Green City’s first US customer. The company says it plans to introduce its first ships in early 2023 operated in Stockholm, Sweden.

Celebrity Cruises has announced that it will base one of its newest state-of-the-art cruise ships in the UK from May to November 2024. Celebrity Summit is an award-winning cruise ship heralded as one of the finest premier cruise ships in the world.

From her home port of Southampton, the UK’s largest cruise port, the Edge-class cruise ship will explore beautiful European destinations such as the Mediterranean, Norway and even the Arctic.

The second award-winning class ship in the line will replace the recently revitalized celebrity silhouetteopening up a new way for customers to explore Europe in style.

Celebrity Apex will depart from the UK’s largest cruise port

With Southampton is becoming an increasingly popular cruise port in Europe, Celebrity Cruises has decided to send one of its most modern ships to the UK for the majority of 2024.

Celebrity Summit will take four to 13 night trips from May to November 2024, exploring some of Europe’s most stunning destinations.

Celebrity Cruises Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Jo Rzymowska, added: “The UK has always been integral to the success of our brand, and bringing Celebrity Apex home from Southampton underscores our commitment to this market.”

“There is a huge appetite from British guests who share our curiosity for people, places and cultures and our passion for opening up to the world through a love of travel. I look forward to welcoming even more of our guests aboard Celebrity Apex when it raises the bar for a cruise from Southampton in 2024.”

Celebrity Summit is an Edge-class cruise ship, a class of cruise ships that redefined the look of modern cruise ships. Even the new Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s next largest cruise ship in the world, has carried over several design features from its sister brand. The 130,818 gross ton cruise ship can accommodate some 3,405 passengers.

Lisa Lutoff Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises: “It is truly an exciting time for us. Having one of our award-winning Edge Series ships depart from Southampton will provide a unique experience in the UK, connecting guests to the world around them through the innovative design turned outward and to the visionary spaces these famous ships are known for.

Cruises of 4 to 13 nights from May to November 2024

UK-based cruisers will be able to experience Celebrity Summit for the first time in May 2024. From the UK’s largest cruise port, the cruise ship will sail a series of four- to 13-night cruises to stunning destinations.

For the first time from the UK, Celebrity Summit will venture above the Arctic Circle on a 12-night cruise through the Norwegian fjords and Norway’s northernmost town, Honningsvag.

Along the way, the ship will visit Tromso, the capital of the region, where you can explore the natural beauty of the region, the beautiful fjord village of Flam and Geiranger.

It’s not just the cold regions where Celebrity Summit will sail. The ship will also head to the southern Mediterranean, visiting the party island of Ibiza for the first time. Apex will also visit Gran Canaria and Barcelona, ​​Spain, and Madeira, Portugal.

Those who wish to discover the Edge class ships before 2024 can already do so in 2023 in Europe. The three Edge-class ships will sail to Europe next year. Celebrity Beyond will sail from Rome, Italy to ports in Italy, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, etc.

Celebrity benefit will depart from Barcelona and Rome next summer, visiting France, Spain and Italy. To finish, Celebrity Summit will be based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, exploring a variety of Western European ports before sailing on a number of cruises from Piraeus, Greece.

The fourth Edge-class cruise ship, rise of celebrities, is currently under construction to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Cruise ships offer tourists the opportunity to explore the world and enjoy a wide range of facilities on board. A new ship from Storylines has created a new community that will have its main residence at sea.

Storylines was designed to give people the chance to explore the world while preserving their career and family life.

The MV Narrative, the brand’s ship, has 547 residences on board ranging from studios to four-bedroom apartments.

Express.co.uk spoke to Alister Punton, CEO of Storylines, to find out what kind of person is drawn to life at sea.

He said: “Business owners, lawyers, you name it, everyone and everyone come aboard the ship.”

READ MORE: Cruise passengers may soon have to pay to visit Scotland – ‘blow’

“It all comes back to the community. We want to build a community of like-minded people who want to share their experiences.

“After Covid, many more people want to work from the ship and consider it their main residence.

“We have a resident who works as a doctor who does telemedicine and he will continue to do so from the ship.”

Some of the community members will be families and the children will continue their education through a “Worldschooling” program which will include field trips.

DO NOT MISS

“We’ll spend about three to five days in each destination so you don’t get sea legs as a resident.

“Most of the time you are either on land or near land. So if you wanted to, you could actually spend more time on earth.

Residents will be free to come and go as they please and can fly to meet the ship at its next destination.

MV Narrative will have a library of 10,000 books, a cinema, a golf simulator, bowling and 20 bars and restaurants.

Lindblad Expeditions officially named the newest addition to its fleet, this National Geographic Islander II, during a small ceremony in Galapagos. Angela Flaim, widow of Galápagos conservation icon Juan Flaim, presided over the appointment, along with Lindblad founder Sven Lindblad. Together they smashed a bottle of eco-friendly champagne from the bow of the 48-passenger ship.

The ceremony took place at Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz Island in the center of the Galapagos Archipelago, attended by VIP guests, local dignitaries, business leaders and media.

“May this ship be blessed with calm seas, curious minds and caring hearts as her guests celebrate the beauty and wonders of these islands and Ecuador,” Flaim said during the nomination. “I wish those lucky enough to sail with her, both crew and guests, to experience the joy that is only possible when we explore life with passion.”

“This incredible ship is our mission in motion, exciting guests to what we know about this wild place and, more importantly, what is yet to be discovered,” said Sven-Olof Lindblad, founder and co-chairman of the board. administration. “As pioneers of Galapagos tourism, our expertise and commitment to true engagement with the natural wonders of this region provide us with extraordinary, life-changing experiences and a lifelong passion to protect these incredible and fragile environments.”

In her first year in the region, the ship will host local marine scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Authority, in partnership with the National Geographic Society’s Exploration Technology Laboratory, for a 10-day monitoring campaign to assess the biodiversity and distribution of organisms and habitats on largely unexplored seamounts that exist thousands of meters below the surface.

The latest exploration campaign, conducted in 2019, discovered two species of apex predator sharks that were previously unknown to inhabit the Galapagos Marine Reserve, as well as a kelp forest.

The former Crystal Esprit, National Geographic Islander II will now cruise Galapagos waters year-round. The ship’s large-scale refit saw the addition of a science center equipped with the current oceanographic sensing capability, an interactive video display, laboratory benches and seating for guests to shadow scientists at work.

Two of the 26 suites aboard the ship are dedicated to conservation and community, and are reserved for members of the Galapagos community, local and international researchers, educators, storytellers and other experts on each voyage.

Other highlights of the ship include a well-equipped observation deck, indoor and outdoor dining options, and purpose-built expedition amenities, including a marina for storing snorkeling gear and easy boat boarding. Zodiac. The vessel carries a fleet of kayaks, stand up paddle boards, a custom glass bottom Zodiac and a flotilla of Mark V Zodiacs.

Travel Market Report will be on board the National Geographic Islander II starting today. Stay tuned for a closer look at the ship.