What Are The Hottest New Cruise Ships?

By MAUREEN JONES (Star Patcher)

Perhaps the great allure of cruising is that both the journey and the destination are filled with a sense of discovery. From intimate riverboats to floating cities at sea, sailing aboard a cruise ship grants you access to the world’s most coveted destinations, where each moment is ripe with opportunity to create treasured memories.

We have travelled the globe, many times, and know insider secrets that will make your next voyage extra special. My husband thinks I am daft since I went nine times to Alaska each time on a different cruise line so I could rate them, good for family, best ports, best entertainment, good for handicapped, etc. Our local connections ensure special moments in every destination, like an after-hours tour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice or dining at a Michelin starred restaurant overlooking the Rhine River. Access to a private guide and driver transports you to Bangkok’s hidden enclaves filled with centuries old art and artifacts.

I think that the best holiday value today is to take a cruise when you consider you can get all meals, excursions, and it is certainly less tiring and more relaxing that doing a tour where you have to unpack and pack on a regular basis. If you don’t want a sea journey, then take a river cruise.

Are you a single traveler, want to avoid the supplement, or do you want a themed cruise, jazz, wine, Jewish history, and many other special sailings? You have a choice, do you want to be on board with 100 passengers or 5,479? I am always amazed when I see very elderly people, with a walker or cane, trying to get into a tender since the ship is anchored off shore. They should never have been booked on that ship.

When I am sent on assignment to write a report on a new vessel, and my husband hears the words “black tie,” he says, “Enjoy” -- which means he doesn’t want to go with me. On some voyages, he has had dinner in the cabin, in his sweats, watching the tele, while I went to the function in my long, elegant outfit since I was there on business. I remember the days when he looked so gorgeous in his U.S. Marine dress blues that I could eat him with a spoon. Alas, the only part of his uniform which fits him today is the hat, and the sword.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS soars to new heights with the summer debut of the most luxurious ship ever built: The Seven Seas Explorer will feature 369 balcony suites capped off by its crowning jewel, the two bedroom 3,875-square-foot Regent Suite complete with the first ever, in-room spa retreat at sea.

SEABOURN: 604 passenger Seabourn Encore arriving in January 2017 in which each custom-designed suite boasts a private veranda.

HOLLAND AMERICA‘s new ms Koningsdam is a 2,650-passenger ship with eight dining options, along with a wealth of family- friendly attractions, such as supervised kids’ activities and a state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center Cruise Line

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line: The Norwegian Escape is home to the fastest waterslide at sea and a three-story ropes course.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN: Ovation of the Seas, a 5,479-passenger Oasis-class ship with 20 dining options and lots of activities for the children.

VIKING cruises is now sailing the high seas with the newly christened Viking Star and soon to be launched Viking Sea and Viking Sky. It will have complimentary shore excursions in every port.

OCEANIA Cruises’ newest ship is the Sirena, available in April 2016. It will have 11 new ports of call.

UNIWORLD River Cruises SS. Maria Theresa will be a floating work of art sailing in Europe beginning Winter 2015. Very elegant, 150-passenger ship.

TAUCK River Cruises will have two new ships, MS Joy, and MS Grace, with unusual loft cabins letting natural sunlight into lower deck staterooms.

AMAWATERWAYS will have AmaSerena and AmaVista arriving in 2015. Twin balconied cabins feature both a classic French balcony, and a separate step out veranda.

Our staff has all the answers. Which side of the ship do you book a cabin on, which vessel is the most updated, and which has the Michelin stars for chefs, what time of the year is the best to go to that destination. It pays to work with an expert.

Maureen Jones

• Previous columns from Maureen:
• Your Travel Specialist On: Ashford Castle - An Irish Gem
• Your Travel Specialist On: A New Way To See The Old World
• Your Travel Specialist On: Going Behind The Curtain In New York City
• Your Travel Specialist On: Fiji - Where Happiness Finds You

Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main St., Los Altos. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.

• Also see: If You’re Lousy At Packing Toiletries For Plane, Watch This Video