SAILING into the future

in 1979. Last year, 98,000 Kiwis took a cruise — that’s about 2 per cent of our population — and there’s room to grow — across the Tasman the figure was closer to 8 per cent. Gerard Murphy, of Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel, says Kiwis follow the “up and down cycle of cruising”. “Starting with a local ship close to home, they move up to bigger and better ships, going up in quality, inclusions and destinations further afield. The next stage is staying up in quality but looking down in size – to smaller luxury ships and expedition cruises.” There are also 27 new ships coming out this year — 10 for river cruising, 17 for ocean. “We’re in our golden age,” says CLIA chairman Arnold Donald, who is also CEO of Carnival Corp. “Cruising has never been more popular.”

New ships

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas became the world’s largest cruise ship when it launched in April. Features include a laser-tag arena, Bionic Bar where robots make drinks, a 10-storey racing slide called Ultimate Abyss, rock climbing and ice skating. The ship has been hosting the Broadway hit Hairspray and its sports bar features 30 big-screen TVs. A luxury family suite for eight includes a two-storey slide, private movie theatre, Lego wall and secret crawl space.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, also launched earlier this year, is designed for enjoying natural scenery, with a 180-degree observation lounge perfect for watching glaciers and a spa with a snow room and a salt room.

Holland America Line launches the Nieuw Statendam in December. The ship has World Stage, an entertainment venue with a two-storey, 270-degree wrap-around LED screen; Music Walk, where three lounges offer different genres of music; and BLEND, where guests can blend their own wine. Holland America is continuing to partner with O, The Oprah Magazine, on 300 cruises with programmes for meditation, health, style and book club.

Celebrity Edge begins sailing next month. Its futuristic design includes the Magic Carpet, a