•Europa 2 - Hapag Lloyd Cruises
German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd launched the new luxury ship the Europa 2 in May, and she carries 516 guests to a variety of destinations. Although most cruises are seven days, they can be combined into longer voyages since the itineraries do not repeat. The cruises are bi-lingual (German and English), much like the one to Antarctica I took on the Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic.
The Europa 2 has eight different types of suites, all with a veranda. The suites range in size from about 300 square feet to over 1000 square feet.
The new ship has seven dining venues, all with open seating and offering several choices of cuisine.
Although smaller than most ocean-going ships, the Europa 2 has most of the amenities found on larger ships including a spa, swimming pool, fitness center, and theater.More »
•Le Soleal - Compagnie du Ponant
French cruise line Compagnie du Ponant launched the 224-guest Le Soleal in 2013. It is almost identical to its sister ship of Le Boreal. The Le Soleal cruises are bi-lingual (French and English).
The small size of Le Soleal enables her to visit ports that are inaccessible to larger ships. I experienced a fascinating voyage on Le Boreal to New England and Atlantic Canada.More »
•MSC Preziosa - MSC Cruises
Italian cruise line MSC Cruises launched its 12th ship, the MSC Preziosa in March 2013. The 3,500-guest ship is a sister to the MSC Fantasia, MSC Splendida, and MSC Divina.
I sailed the western Mediterranean in the MSC Yacht Club on the MSC Splendida and loved this comfortable, luxurious area on the large ship.More »
•Norwegian Breakaway - Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line launched the 4000-guest Norwegian Breakaway in May 2013. I was on the Norwegian Breakaway for the christening and two-night preview cruise.
The ship has over 20 dining venues and about the same number of bars. All the dining venues are either open seating or by reservation-only. About half have an additional surcharge or a la carte pricing. The staterooms and suites are varied, with a price for every budget. Those who expect more amenities should consider staying in The Haven, the Norwegian Breakaway's exclusive and luxurious "ship-within-a-ship". The links below provide access to more detailed information and lots of pictures of the new ship.
More on the Norwegian Breakaway
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•Royal Princess - Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises launched the 3,560-guest Royal Princess in June 2013. The new ship's godmother is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, or Princess Kate.The new Princess ship has many new features and venues, and the 1,780 cabins and suites include some features suggested by past cruisers on other Princess ships. One of the noteworthy features is The SeaWalk, a glass-bottomed enclosed walkway on the ship's starboard side of the top deck, which extends more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel. Those who have the courage to peek can see 128 feet down to the sea's surface.More »
•AmaVida and AmaPrima - AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways added two new ships to its European river cruise fleet in 2013, bringing their total number of ships to ten. The 106-guest AmaVida sails the Douro River in Portugal, and the AmaPrima sails the Dutch and Belgium Waterways and the Danube and Rhine Rivers on different 10 itineraries.More »
•Avalon Artistry II - Avalon Waterways
The Avalon Artistry II is smaller than its sister ship the Avalon Expression, which was also launched in 2013, and the first "Suite Ship", the Avalon Panorama, launched in 2011. However, it does feature the same large suites and panoramic windows that open to the outdoors.
The Avalon Artistry II sails the Rhine, Moselle, Main, and Danube Rivers in Europe.More »
•Avalon Expression - Avalon Waterways
The Avalon Expression sails along the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers and is similar to her sister ship the Avalon Panorama. The ship's two full decks of 200-square foot suites feature wall-to-wall panoramic windows that transform the living space into an open-air balcony.More »
•Queen Isabel - Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
The 118-guest Queen Isabel is Uniworld's new ship on the Douro River in Portugal. This small ship has an outdoor swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and both balconies and suites.More »
•Scenic Jewel - Scenic Tours/Scenic Cruises
The 169-passenger Scenic Jewel sails the great rivers of Europe for Scenic Tours, an Australian company that markets its cruises in North America under the Scenic Cruises name. Scenic features all-inclusive pricing, which is a plus for many river cruisers.
I sailed the Rhine River from Mainz to Amsterdam on the Scenic Jewel and loved this addition to the European river cruising experience.
The Scenic Jewel is a sister ship to the Scenic Crystal.More »
•Ten New Viking Longships - Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises continued its amazing growth when the company launched ten new longships in 2013 at a gala christening ceremony in Amsterdam.
Viking had launched four longships in 2012, and these newest longships are just slightly different than those that debuted last year. I sailed on the Viking Njord longship on a Christmas market cruise in December 2012 and loved the clean Scandinavian lines and overall river cruise experience.More »
•Silver Galapagos
Silversea Cruises launched the significantly refurbished 100-guest Silver Galapagos in September 2013. The luxury expedition ship sails the Galapagos Islands.More »