Ships putting an end to plain sailing

CRUISING is riding a new wave of cool in a bid to persuade the cynics that there’s more to life at sea than swirly carpets and Vegas-style glitz. The newest generation of ships is all about smooth curves, soothing neutrals and the feel of a smart boutique hotel.

SHIP The Seabourn Spirit SHIP: The Seabourn Spirit

Younger, more discerning cruise passengers who have had a taste of the style of Ibiza, St Tropez or Miami’s South Beach are choosing vessels for their nightlife, adults- only chill-out lounges, salsa under the stars, chic martini bars and Asian-fusion cuisine. By day, it’s all about the feel of a decadent private yacht, regardless of the size of the ship. And we’re not only talking about the ultra-luxury category; these new vessels are changing the face of cruising for every budget.

BEACH CLUB VIBE

Celebrity Cruises has three sleek new ships: Celebrity Solstice, launched last year; Celebrity Equinox, which makes its debut this summer; and Celebrity Eclipse, which will be dedicated to the British market from summer 2010.

On each vessel the emphasis is on relaxation. Around the pool there are double sun loungers under white canvas parasols, while fountains dance to everything from opera to trance music. Over-sized hammocks and big, squashy nest chairs are dotted all over the sun deck. High above the pool there’s a lawn for boules, croquet or kicking off your shoes and sprawling on the grass with a chilled bottle of vino. Inside, bars are stylish; the Martini Bar & Crush has a frosted bar serving 100 varieties of vodka, and an ice-filled table for private parties to enjoy caviar and vodka tastings.

l Celebrity Cruises (0845 456 1520/www.celebritycruises.co.uk) offers a 10-night fly-cruise from Rome on Celebrity Solstice from £1,516pp (two sharing), including return flights from Heathrow or Gatwick. Departs May 15, taking in Messina, Piraeus, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Santorini and Naples.

PUSH THE BOAT OUT

Seabourn Odyssey, launching in June, takes all-inclusive, top-end cruising to a new level of indulgence. The ship will accommodate 450 guests in suites done out in beiges and creams with granite bathrooms and iPod docking stations. The two-deck spa has treatment areas open to the sea and there are luxurious double sun beds and cabañas around the pool area for extra privacy.

At night there’s dining under the stars, or on your private balcony, where a waiter will serve you. On clear nights the captain will switch off all the lights on deck so romantics can stroll with a nightcap in hand and watch the moonlight shimmering on the water. The highlight of the week for many is Caviar In The Surf, when waiters in black tie dish out the delicacy to guests while standing knee-deep in the waves on a beautiful beach, as the champagne flows. It doesn’t get more decadent than that.

Yachts of Seabourn (0845 070 0500/www.seabourn.co.uk) offers a seven-night Greece and Dalmatian Delights cruise from £2,422pp (two sharing), excluding flights. Departs July 25, taking in Pylos, Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik and Rovinj.

Thermals, gloves and hats will be provided when you enter the Ice Bar on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest venture, Norwegian Epic, launching in spring 2010. One of only 14 genuine ice bars in the world, this one has colour-changing LED lighting and techno sounds, and everything in it is made from ice, including the glasses for the vodka shots.

The ship, which can accommodate 4,200, will also have a private deck area and the adults-only POSH “beach club”, offering yoga, spa treatments and a chill-out area by day, and DJ, dancing and peel-me-a-grape-style lounging by night. Then there’s Spice H2O, also adults-only, an Ibiza-inspired club with Latin dance music, described by NCL as “sizzling and sexy”. The Bliss Ultra-Lounge, already a huge hit on the company’s two most recent ships, will offer non-stop, high-energy music, private VIP areas behind velvet ropes, two bowling alleys and gaming tables. This is a ship for night owls; of all the new vessels, this will be the one to redefine cruising nightlife.

NCL (0845 658 8010/www.ncl. co.uk) will be offering seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises on board Norwegian Epic from mid-2010. Prices announced next month.

LOFT LIVING

Cruising is moving away from traditional two-by-two couples and Royal Caribbean is hoping to attract groups of moneyed types in their 20s and 30s to the spectacular loft suites on Oasis of the Seas, its 5,400-passenger giant, launching in December this year. This duplex accommodation has double-height, floor-to-ceiling glass, big living spaces on the lower level and giant plasma television screens. The ship’s design is funky and ambitious and the vessel is packed with fun and unusual attractions: a park, complete with trees, gardens and winding paths; a bar that levitates between decks like a giant lift; a zip wire ride; and such unusual diversions as a psychic and a tattoo parlour.

The aft deck is devoted to the AquaTheatre, which is a huge pool by day and entertainment complex for lavish, outdoor acrobatic shows by night.

l Royal Caribbean (0845 165 8414/www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) offers a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale on board Oasis of the Seas from £1,447pp (two sharing), including return flights from Gatwick. Departing January 23, 2010, it will take in St Thomas, St Maarten and Nassau.

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