While the big cruise lines dominate headlines, the smaller players offer up different deployments and itinerary offerings, looking to sell a unique product. 

Asuka II: Grand Asia

NYK Cruises will sail the Asuka II on a 33-day “Grand Asia” voyage next January. The ship will leave Japan and head south, with highlights including calls into Hong Kong, Halong Bay, Singapore, Melaka, Keelung and other ports.

SeaDream: Summer in Europe

Winter in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean in the summer suit the luxury yachts of SeaDream Yacht Club.      

The SeaDream I and II both began the year embarking passengers in Bridgetown with weeklong sailings in the Caribbean tropics.

Both ships are scheduled for Europe this coming summer, with the SeaDream I in the Western Mediterranean, sailing from Civitavecchia, Villefranche and Barcelona. The SeaDream II is farther east, offering cruises from Piraeus and Dubrovnik, in addition to sailings in the Western Mediterranean from Malaga, Lisbon, Villefranche, Civitavecchia, Venice and Barcelona.

New Summer Program

Abou Merhi Cruises will bookend its summer 2018 program in the Eastern Mediterranean with a pair of new 10-day cruises. The new itineraries sail from the company’s homeport, Beirut, with calls in Marmaris, Kusadasi, Mykonos, Athens, Nafplio, Paros and Rhodes.

The company’s main summer program will feature one-week cruises, visa-free for the local Lebanese source market, with calls in Alanya, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini and Marmaris, sailing roundtrip from Beirut every Sunday.