Royal Caribbean International’s Brilliance of the Seas completed a $30-million drydock, endowing the 2,100-guest ship with amenities introduced aboard Oasis-class ships including five new dining concepts, an aerial entertainment experience and technology advancements. Brilliance of the Seas will sail this summer from Harwich, England, offering Northern European itineraries that visit Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. Brilliance of the Seas’ Northern Europe season includes eight sailings to the North and Baltic seas.
Holland America Line is also providing onboard enhancements to its ships through a new “On Location” program, which provides local experiences catered towards specific ports of call. A Location Team will be on call from each region on land, or to will visit travelers on board to share lectures, demonstrations and performances. Experrts will provide information about local customs, and guests on each itinerary will experience regionally focused food and drink options before stepping ashore, with Holland America chefs creating local dishes with regionally sourced items each day. The On Location program is scheduled to roll out across the Holland America fleet throughout the year.
Princess Cruises also just opened the books on its 2014-15 Americas program – which includes Caribbean, Panama Canal, Canada & New England and West Coast cruises. The new sailings include Regal Princess’ entry into the Caribbean as well as Royal Princess’ first cruises to Canada & New England roundtrip from New York. On the West Coast, new roundtrip sailings from Vancouver add another departure port for Hawaii and California Coastal cruises, and Crown Princess will offer its first full season sailing from Los Angeles. In total, 11 ships will sail on 355 departures of 46 itineraries to more than 70 destinations.