Cruise news: Tulips, terminals, tours of the Nile and more

The world of cruise is as vast as the seas, and we’re not letting the week pass without giving you the need-to-know updates in the industry.

On our cruise radar this week, we’re seeing companies build new terminals for the Caribbean, a focus on the Chinese market, new brochures and more.

MSC Cruises unveils new terminal

MSC Cruises has announced details of a new cruise terminal at PortMiami that will support its expanding presence in North America and in the Caribbean in particular.

As per the terms of the agreement, MSC Cruises will design, construct, operate and maintain a building that hosts two cruise terminals (AA and AAA) as well as two berths.

Designed by the architecture firm Arquitectonica, MSC Cruises’ exclusive new PortMiami terminals will be capable of hosting two mega cruise ships at the same time, allowing the company to conduct two turnaround operations simultaneously, handling up to 28,000 passenger movements per day.

“High-quality experience while both embarking and disembarking”

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ executive chairman, said: “With another 13 cruise vessels due to join our fleet in the next eight years, our ambition is to have our most innovative ship classes represented at PortMiami, bringing a wealth of choice to our North American as well as international guests.

“In particular, the new terminal – which will be one of the most innovative the industry has seen – will ensure that we can provide our guests an enhanced end-to-end high-quality experience while both embarking and disembarking, thus adding to their ability to fully enjoy every moment of their vacation.”

Viking to build cruise line for Chinese market

Viking and China Merchants Shekou has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture focused on building a cruise line with worldwide cruise offerings for the Chinese cruise market.

This will be a wide-ranging partnership covering from product development to sales and marketing. Further, China Merchants Group’s shipbuilding subsidiaries will partner with the joint venture to design and build new ocean cruise ships dedicated to the Chinese market.

Viking operates a current fleet of 78 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. China has been a part of Viking’s destination portfolio since 2003, and since setting up local operations in China in 2016, the company has seen strong momentum in its European river cruise product tailored for Chinese-speaking guests.

Discover Egypt debuts MS Tulip

Discover Egypt has released its new brochure, including Nile cruises and Lake Nasser cruises; holidays and city stays in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor plus the Red Sea Riviera resorts of Hurghada, El Gouna and Soma Bay.

The renovated five-star MS Tulip makes its brochure debut, which features just 50 guest cabins, and is featured alongside the Sonesta Star Goddess on the Nile and the Mayfair, giving guests a choice of luxury boats and weekly, year-round Nile cruise itineraries.

Celebrate ‘Kings Day’ with Emerald Waterways

With Kings Day coming at the end of the month, Emerald Waterways has launched the Holland and Belgium in Bloom river cruise, based on a 17 April 2019 departure.

Whether discovering the history of the working Dutch communities, exploring the windmills of Zaanse Schans or uncovering what attracts art-lovers to Antwerp, guests sailing with Emerald Waterways can uncover the hidden gems of Belgium and Holland on this immersive eight-day river cruise.

Highlights include a guided bike tour of Veere, traditional clog painting on board and a visit to the tulip gardens at Keukenhof Gardens, all part of included EmeraldPLUS and EmeraldACTIVE experiences.

Follow cruise news for more of the latest updates in the world of cruise.