AROYA Cruises, the new Arabian cruise line operated by Cruise Saudi, has unveiled the renderings for the first cruise ship in its fleet, which was the former World Dream.
The 335-meter-long ship is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment to tailor the ship to the highest standard in line with the taste of Arabian passengers, the company said in a statement.
Lars Clasen, CEO of Cruise Saudi, said: “We are delighted to sail into the new year with the unveiling of our first AROYA Cruises ship. This marks an exciting milestone for Cruise Saudi in creating a world-class cruise industry in Saudi, whilst offering a new way to holiday in the Kingdom for locals. We look forward to welcoming the first passengers onboard.”
AROYA Cruises will set sail from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2024.
The company said the ship will offer “exceptional onboard service, an eclectic culinary offering, and a sensational activities program, guests aboard AROYA Cruises’ will enjoy a unique remarkably Arabian hospitality experience that reflects the warm and welcoming values of Saudi culture.”
Regent Seven Seas Cruises hosted a gala celebration in Miami, Florida on 10 December 2023, to welcome its newest ship Seven Seas Grandeur
As part of the celebrations, Regent unveiled Journey in Jewels, the first Fabergé egg to permanently reside at sea. The pièce de résistance of a 1,600-piece art collection, the custom-designed masterpiece will now be on display in Seven Seas Grandeur’s atrium.
“Seven Seas Grandeur is the most anticipated new luxury ship to set sail this year, an achievement made possible through the combined craftmanship and exquisite eye for design excellence by Studio DADO and Fincantieri, who together with our team at Regent, have delivered a truly remarkable work of art,” said Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and chief executive Harry Sommer.
“Each feature of this ship is more jaw-dropping than the last, from the world-class collection of art and tantalising epicurean experiences, to the lavishly designed suites, restaurants, bars and lounges. Seven Seas Grandeur sets a new standard for service and comfort in the travel industry, and we are delighted to present this incredible new ship to discerning travellers as they explore the world with Regent.”
Designed by the award-winning Studio DADO, there are reimagined designs for signature restaurants such as Compass Rose, Chartreuse and Prime 7 among the dining choices. Seven Seas Grandeur features 15 accommodation categories including the palatial, US$11,000-a-night Regent Suite, Distinctive Suites and Spacious Suites.
During the ceremony, guests were treated to a reveal of the exclusive objet d’art known as the Fabergé x Regent Journey in Jewels Egg Objet, which is the first Fabergé egg to permanently reside at sea.
Crafted in England from 18k white gold, the outer shell of the egg has been enamelled in an ombre of blues, representative of the colours of the sea. This shell consists of seven intricate blades, a number carefully chosen to celebrate the seven seas that Regent’s ships traverse. Just like a wave, each blade breaks into a sea foam of pearls and white diamonds at the tips in a truly extraordinary aesthetic feat.
The egg sits upon a plinth adorned with emeralds, tsavorites, blue sapphires and white diamonds, set in Fabergé’s Emotion style, with colourful gems specially chosen to evoke the colours of the ocean. This gem-set plinth is anchored to a stand which reflects layers of waves accented with pearls and diamonds at the edges; more geometric and symmetrical in a nod to the helm of Seven Seas Grandeur.
By rotating the pearl helm anti-clockwise, the seven blades delicately open in unison, to reveal a surprise hidden within – another hand painted egg, which is cradled by a wave and delicately rotates, revealing the changing gradient of colours of the sunrises and sunsets at sea, and seasonal elements you can witness aboard Seven Seas Grandeur. This egg has also been decorated with gemstones, including a diamond-set frost pattern which wraps around the egg surprise, inspired by the Fabergé Winter Egg of 1913. Hand-carved mother-of-pearl clouds, alongside white opals set in 18k yellow gold, are also featured – the warmth of the yellow gold evokes the sunshine, and the opals represent the rainbows which emerge through the clash of weather.
In two firsts, Fabergé has applied the complex technique of ombre lacquering to Journey in Jewels and has developed a bespoke mechanism which powers the rotation of the egg surprise.
Before concluding its repositioning cruise in Rio de Janeiro, the Star visited several destinations in the country, including Recife, Maceió, Salvador and Búzios.
Continuing its way to the Southern tip of the continent, the ship also offered a ten-night cruise to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in mid-December.
The one-way cruise sailed from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires and featured visits to Búzios, Ilha Grande, Ilhabela, Santos, Balneário Camboriú, Punta del Este and Montevideo.
Once in Buenos Aires, the Norwegian Star kicked off the first sailing of a regular series of cruises to Argentina, Antarctica, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands.
The 16-night cruise features visits to several destinations in the region, such as Puerto Madryn, Punta Arenas, Port Stanley and Punta del Este.
Before returning to Buenos Aires, the Norwegian Star is also scheduled to spend a few days cruising around Elephant Island and other parts of Antarctica.
After additional itineraries in the region, the 2001-built vessel is scheduled to return to Europe in mid-April, via a transatlantic crossing that starts in Rio de Janeiro and ends in Lisbon, Portugal.
In addition to the Star, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2023-24 program in South America also includes the Norwegian Sun.
Between January and early March, the vessel is scheduled to offer a series of cruises to the Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego that include visits to destinations in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and the Falkland Islands.
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