Iglu Cruise News - November 2024
Wondering what happened in the world of cruising during November 2024? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this edition of Iglu Cruise News, we’ll run through all the latest announcements, updates, and more from the industry.
Keep reading to find out more!
A Monthly Roundup of the Biggest Cruise News
HX Hurtigruten Expeditions Splits From Hurtigruten
Recently, the Hurtigruten Group introduced HX Hurtigruten Expeditions to the world as a separate cruise line alongside Hurtigruten. While Hurtigruten will continue to operate sensational sailings throughout the Norwegian Sea, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions is a cruise line fully focused on the Hurtigruten Group’s expedition sailings – those voyages to some of the most remote destinations around the world aboard the Hurtigruten Group’s specially-designed ships.
Now the home of the Hurtigruten Group’s exploration-focused cruises to Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, and more, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions’ fleet is comprised of the following ships: MS Fram, MS Fridtjof Nansen, MS Roald Amundsen, MS Santa Cruz II, and MS Spitsbergen.
While you’ll still enjoy the fantastic cruise experience you did beforehand aboard these incredible expedition vessels, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions has also introduced HX Explorers alongside this split – a standalone loyalty programme featuring exclusive membership benefits for HX Hurtigruten Expeditions’ guests. With two membership levels designed to cater to both first-time cruisers and seasoned travellers, this loyalty program will help everyone make the most of their future expedition cruises aboard HX Hurtigruten Expeditions’ remarkable ships.
To find out more about what makes HX Hurtigruten Expeditions different from Hurtigruten, check out our blog – HX vs Hurtigruten – right here!
MSC Cruises Updates Voyager Club Loyalty Programme
Earlier this month, MSC Cruises confirmed its plans to update the MSC Voyagers Club loyalty programme and introduce a brand new membership tier for guests to take advantage of: Blue Diamond.
Designed to make cruising with MSC Cruises even more rewarding, Blue Diamond is now the highest tier of membership available with MSC Voyagers Club – needing over 25,000 points to enter – and it comes with a new batch of exclusive benefits. Among these is free access to the Browse Internet Package for one device per member, a meet-and-greet with the ship’s captain or officer, flexible cruise terminal arrival times, an exclusive pillow selection, and more. You’ll also receive all the benefits a Diamond-tier member of MSC Voyagers Club enjoys, making this one of the most extensive loyalty programme membership tiers out there right now.
To find out more about this and everything else MSC Cruises’ loyalty programme offers, check out our quick guide to MSC Cruises’ Voyagers Club here.
Judi Love’s Culinary Cruise TV Show Airs
At the start of November on ITV, Judi Love’s Culinary Cruise began, offering everyone an insight into luxury cruising aboard Emerald Yacht Cruises’ Emerald Azzurra and highlighting just how outstanding the cuisine on a cruise can be.
A regular on Loose Women and winner of 2021’s Celebrity MasterChef, comedian and presenter Judi Love started in Kotor, Montenegro, before embarking on an adventure to the Greek destinations of Corfu, Parga, Kerkira, Kefalonia, and Itea. On this exciting voyage, which aired on ITV across five episodes from November 4th to November 8th, Judi spent time exploring these incredible destinations, visiting local eateries and meeting local businesses alongside other enjoying other entertaining activities, before heading back aboard Emerald Azzurra to cook up an incredible Mediterranean feast for her fellow cruisers.
Now available to stream on ITVX, this incredible series is a fantastic – and entertaining – way to familiarise yourself with one of the best small luxury cruise ships sailing right now and what you can expect from a Mediterranean cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line Confirms More Late-Night Catering Coming
Following recent complaints that Carnival Cruise Line’s ships don’t offer guests enough late-night food options, Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that it plans to improve the selection of late-night snacks available in the Lido Marketplace aboard its fleet of impressive ships alongside implementing improvements to shorten queues for those looking for something to eat after an evening’s entertainment.
With new late-night menus announced – which include chicken tenders, hot dogs, cookies, and other dessert items alongside the current offering – and additional service stations to cater to the growing demand for late-night cuisine, cruisers aboard the entire Carnival Cruise Line fleet can expect to see these changes implemented over the next several weeks. You will find a range of vegetarian and vegan options on these new menus, and gluten-free pizzas will still be available on request.
Norwegian Encore Enters Drydock with Exciting Upgrades On The Way
On November 18, Norwegian Encore entered drydock and confirmed several interesting changes are on the way. With Norwegian Cruise Line’s focus enhancing the onboard experiences available, these changes will complement the existing attractions available on this ship and give guests more options and increase the capacity of each cruise.
The open-air laser tag arena onboard will be replaced by Spice H2O, a new adults-only outdoor lounge area with multiple hot tubs, day beds, and a pool accompanied by an extensive bar. Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki will also feature increased dining capacity with Ocean Blue being replaced by Palomar – an excellent restaurant with a Mediterranean seafood menu.
This update will also introduce 26 new balcony cabins and expansions to the existing Premier Owner’s Suites, with parts of the current Observation Lounge being repurposed to accommodate these changes.
And, don’t forget to check out last month’s news update if you missed it! In Iglu Cruise News’ October 2024 edition, we talk about updates to Disney Adventure, Royal Caribbean’s new private island destination, and Carnival Cruise Line’s two new cruise ships – Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure!
Iglu Cruise’s Top Blogs in November
Throughout this month, we’ve made a whole host of important content updates to the Iglu Cruise website – from future cruise launches and expanding on some of the exciting destinations you can explore to new cruise ships being added and important updates to some of the most popular ships sailing right now. However, we’ve also uploaded a handful of informative – and entertaining – blogs you should check out.
🏆 Celebrity Apex Competition Winner Tells All 🏆
Recently, one lucky Iglu Cruise customer won a social media competition for a cruise aboard the incredible Celebrity Apex – sailing from Southampton to the Canary Islands and Portugal in a comfortable Infinite Veranda cabin! To find out more about what it’s like to cruise with Celebrity, and what you can expect from a voyage aboard this remarkable ship, check out what our competition winner had to say right here.
🗺 Expedition Cruises - An Ultimate Beginner’s Guide 🗺
If you’re after something different from your next cruise adventure, why not embark on an expedition cruise? Sailing to some of the world’s most remote – and breathtakingly remarkable – destinations aboard unique small ships with outstanding cuisine, exceptional service, and amazing amenities, these sailings are truly unforgettable. In this blog, we run through everything you need to know about expedition cruises, the destinations on offer, and the cruise lines you should consider sailing with.
🎄 Best Christmas Cruise Deals 2024 & 2025 🎄
The snow is starting to fall and Christmas is almost upon us. If you want to get away on a last-minute adventure this festive season, or you’re planning to embark on a wintery adventure next year, this blog highlights the best Christmas cruise deals available right now and answers some popular frequently asked questions about cruising throughout December.
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