Lois : 𝙽𝚘 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕

There are so many new cruise ships due for launch in 2020. It is going to be such an exciting year. Hoping to visit or stay on a few of them, starting with Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady on Friday. Though I am so excited for ALL of these new ships!Let’s start with Scarlet Lady:

1. Scarlet Lady is launching very soon, her company Virgin Voyages is also just launching, double the excitement . Such a thrilling time to welcome a new ship to the market of ocean based holidays let alone a company too! (It is really hard not to use the c-word!) Scarlet Lady officially launches in March however she is doing a showcase tour, stopping in Dover, Liverpool and New York City en route to Miami. Do look out for future blog posts about my overnight stay on her next Friday, no doubt a cabin tour on YouTube and most certainly lots of photos on the gram and twitter! Scarlet is a magnificent lady, 110,000 Gross Tonnage of gorgeousness. She is the first of four ships currently on order for Virgin Voyages, the second beautiful Ladyship to launch will be Valiant Lady next year. Scarlet Lady is an adults only ship and will be based in Miami and will mainly operate 4-5 night Caribbean voyages. Virgin have a ‘vitamin sea’ concept focusing on wellbeing, relaxation and fun. She’ll feature outdoor boxing rings, a Vinyl Record store, a test kitchen and even a tattoo Parlour at sea! A very exciting ship for 2020! Watch this space.

📷 by Virgin Voyages

2. P&O cruises are getting in on the new ship excitement this year, launching their latest biggest ship ever, the beautiful Iona. If you’ve been watching social media over the last few days, you will of noticed that Iona left the shed in which she was built yesterday and was floated out to be completed. I’m very excited to be visiting Meyer Werft shipyard next month and can not wait to see Iona as part of the tour. P&O have perhaps been rather brave ordering such a large new ship as the majority of the ships in the company over the last decade have been quite small. Personally I am a fan of both small and large ships and I really think Iona is going to help P&O cruises go from strength to strength and really crack the younger British cruise market. She is the largest P&O Ship, at a massive 180,000 Gross Tonnage, she will take 5200 passengers on wonderful cruises. Her inaugural season will see her operating sailings to the Norwegian Fjords from Southampton. She is the largest ship built specifically for British market and will be the first ship powered entirely by Liquified Natural Gas. Exciting times for British Cruising! Look out for future blog posts of mine about her Festival themed launch cruise in July, Ionafest. I am going on to be onboard and can not wait!

📷 by P&O Cruises

3. Princess Cruises will also be launching a ship this year, the beautiful Enchanted Princess. I personally love the name, it seems so pretty and mysterious, almost fairytale like. She is a Royal class ship, so will appear similar to her Royal Princess sister. At 145,000 gross tonnage she will cater for 3600 guests. She boasts an impressive three deck high atrium, and we are told that 80% cabins will have balconies. She will have Princess Medallion Class technology in situ, I’ve not yet tried this technology but it sounds fabulous and much easier than the bog standard cruise card. I love the idea that you can order food on an app whereever you are on the ship and they can track you and bring your food directly to you! Enchanted Princess will be launched in Southampton in June.

📷 by Princess Cruises

4. April 2020 will see Celebrity launch the beautiful Edge’s sister Apex. We are told she is no ordinary ship, this I do not doubt! 117,000 gross tonnage of Edge class ship, she is currently being built in France and is due to be launched in April 2020. She will also have a spectacular Magic carpet, the Orange, Cantilevered platform suspended on the Starboard side of the ship, I’d love to go on the Magic Carpet! It will take you closer to the ocean connecting you with the ocean and your destinations. We are promised World class restaurants, innovative , transformational spaces and plenty of industry firsts. Definitely a fantastic new ship, I can not wait to see. Also I am completely in love with the fabulous suitcases people who were invited to see her in France recently, were given, what a fabulous freebie!

📷 by Celebrity Cruises
5. Finally I am super excited about Silver Moon , the latest Silver Seas ship, due to launch in August 2020. I have not cruised with Silver Seas yet, but having seen them many times in the Caribbean and also by Tower bridge, I’d definitely reduced the amount of cruises I do a year in order to upgrade to a Silver Seas cruise! The ships are all so beautiful and look so exclusive. Silver Moon will be 40,700 Gross Tonnage and will sweep away 596 guests on an Ultra Luxury Voyage. She is sister Ship to Silver Muse. The SALT (Sea and land taste programme) will be on board Silver Moon, an innovative new culinary programme to unlock immersive culinary experiences for guests. She’ll be so elegantly designed, spaces will be enhanced for the guests comfort and enjoyment. I can not wait to see photos of her, she will really be a very special little ship!

📷 by Silver Seas
Finally if I was over 50 and thankfully I’m not too far off… well 15 years… I’d be super excited about Saga cruises, Spirit of Adventure, the much anticipated sister ship to the absolutely stunning Spirit of Discovery. I am so excited that I will be visiting Spirit of Adventure in her shipyard next month and then will be visiting for a tour in September. She will be a 56,000 Gross Tonnage ship and will cater for 999 passengers. She is said to mirror her sister ship and is said to be hosting a few extra surprises. I am so excited to see their take on the contemporary and elegant design promised, especially as Spirit of Discovery looks so gorgeous.

📷 by Saga Cruises
Oh I also can not forget the much anticipated new Royal Caribbean International Ship, Odyssey of the Seas. I am so excited to be seeing her in a state of being built in Meyer Werft next month… Odyssey of the Seas is being advertised as the best way to see Europe. Ever. Who am I to disagree, she sounds fabulous! The first Quantum Ultra Class Ship to sail Europe. We are promised the most innovative ship at sea, an opportunity to visit many iconic destinations all with the added adventures on board, with game changing thrills, show stopping entertainment and world class cuisine promised. Sounds very fabulous! Can not wait to see her next month and hopefully finished later in the year!

📷 by Royal Caribbean International

So all in all, an extremely exciting year for those of us addicted to Ocean Travel!Go one, book a cruise, you know you want to!Which Ships are you looking forward to in 2020?