August 2025 Review
Schools were out and ships were in during August as new debutantes made waves in Florida and the UK, while the river cruise world notched up a handful of major milestones. Exciting new sailings promise to push back the boundaries of the most distant destinations and there are novel new ways to explore ashore too.
It’s a hello to new ships . . .
The world’s newest and joint-largest ship, Royal Caribbean International’s Star of the Seas, joined older sister Icon of the Seas as it was officially named at Port Canaveral, while Virgin Voyages’ latest addition, Brilliant Lady, sailed into Portsmouth. Princess Cruises’ second Sphere-class ship, Star Princess, completed sea trials ahead of its October launch and announced enhancements to its Spellbound by Magic Castle experience first seen on Sun Princess. Meanwhile, Scenic’s fleet expansion continues apace with the steel-cutting of Emerald Raiya at the Vietnam shipyard where the 128-passenger ship is being built.
. . . and a farewell to Seven Seas Navigator whose final season was revealed by owner Regent Seven Seas Cruises with commemorative voyages from August to October next year, culminating in its final voyage on October 2, 2026.
Riveting rivers
APT Travel Group launched Travelmarvel as a stand-alone brand with a fresh identity and refined focus aimed at the premium market and built around “freedom and flexibility”, with its own website. Celebrity Cruises announced the opening of priority booking access on September 3, enabling clients to secure their spot on its new river cruises with a refundable deposit. Uniworld and Seabourn unveiled a new partnership combining the boutique river line’s Venice sailings with the luxury ocean brand’s Adriatic voyages under the banner of two “Venice and the Mediterranean Sea” departures in 2026. Avalon Waterways is promoting its Cozy Cruise Collection of autumnal and winter breaks, while Amadeus River Cruises has unveiled its 2026 programme with a focus on flexible fly-cruises.
New products make their mark
Windstar Cruises has come out with “Quick Getaways”, nine sailings of three to five nights in Europe from next spring, while Azamara Cruises unveiled a deeper way to get beneath the skin of destinations with its “Discover What the Locals Know” programme from winter 2026/27. Explora Journeys announced new Sky & Sea fares offering flight-inclusive packages, while Silversea unveiled outdoor adventures including hiking, bird-watching and kayaking from its hotel at Puerto Williams in Chile’s Tierra del Fuego, The Cormorant at 55 South, ahead of its January opening.
Far-flung adventures on the horizon
Princess Cruises announced its largest-ever Japan programme for 2027 with Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess offering 78 departures, while Swan Hellenic says it is offering the world’s first Asia-Pacific cultural expedition cruises with five voyages next spring and two in September. MSC Cruises is to offer its first Alaska fly-cruises for summer 2026, while Crystal is promising the best experiences on sea and shore with new “By Abercrombie & Kent” experiences incorporating land adventures with its parent company. Seabourn is pushing the boat out with its first Pole to Pole voyage for 2027, a 94-day grand expedition aboard Seabourn Venture starting in Reykjavik on August 17 and ending in Ushuaia.