Royal Caribbean Perfect Day at Coco Cay. Photo / Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean Perfect Day at Coco Cay. Photo / Royal Caribbean
Go big on your next holiday with these cruises on some of the world’s biggest and best mega-ships, writes Tiana Templeman
MSC Cruises | Mediterranean Cruise
Step aboard one of the world’s biggest ships, MSC World Europa, for an LNG-powered seven-night cruise around the Mediterranean featuring ports such as Messina, Valetta, Barcelona, and Marseille. MSC World Europa carries nearly 7000 passengers and includes innovations like Masters of The Sea, a brewery serving beer brewed onboard using desalinated seawater, and The Venom Drop @ The Spiral, a towering slide spanning 11 decks. There’s also a luxurious suite enclave, the MSC Yacht Club, a ship-within-a-ship with private restaurants, pools, lounges and 24-hour butler service.
Priced from NZ$1246pp twin share. msccruises.co.nz
MSC World Europa, World Promenade. Photo / MSC Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line | Panama Canal: Mexico and Costa Rica
This 15-night classic Panama Canal cruise comes with all the fun of a mega ship, making it ideal for a multigenerational family getaway. Departing Los Angeles on Norwegian Encore, you’ll visit Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal, and Puntarenas before entering the Panama Canal for a daytime transit. After spending the day in Cartagena in Colombia, you’ll have a couple of sea days to enjoy everything this mega ship offers, from go karts and a purpose-built laser tag challenge to Broadway-style shows like Kinky Boots and a waterslide that zips you around and over the edge of the ship.
Priced from $5334 pp twin share. ncl.com
Norwegian Encore features go-karts and a laser tag arena onboard. Photo / NCL
Costa Cruises | Mediterranean Cruise
Keep your sunglasses handy during this cruise, not just for the bright Mediterranean sun but also for Costa Toscana’s bold decor. This seven-night round-trip cruise from Barcelona will have you partying, soaking up the sun, and savouring the best of the Mediterranean, both on and off the ship. Ports such as Ibiza, Palermo, Savona, and Marseilles, and themed sea days deliver beaches, history, and fun. Just be warned you might not get much rest as the ship has a huge assortment of onboard entertainment choices ranging from more than 20 dining options to over a dozen pools.
Experience the history rich Valetta in Malta onboard MSC World Europa. Photo / MSC Cruises
P&O Cruises | Caribbean Transatlantic
Head to the Caribbean on P&O Arvia for a 14-night Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Bridgetown in Barbados. The newest ship in the P&O Cruises UK fleet is a hit with families and multigenerational groups thanks to its many swimming pools and onboard activities like a mini-golf course, an Escape Room and one of the most enjoyable (and most challenging) high ropes courses you’ll find anywhere. With so many sea days, you’ll have plenty of time to make the most of all of P&O Arvia’s activities, and its dining venues and bars before your ship docks in Barbados.
Priced from $2395pp twin share. pocruises.com
Royal Caribbean | Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise
The 6700-passenger Utopia of the Seas is akin to a floating theme park with water slides, rides and arcades, more than 20 dining options and even more bars and lounges, plus nightclubs and Broadway shows to keep you and your crew entertained. On a three-night round-trip cruise from Orlando in Florida, you’ll spend a day at sea followed by port calls in Nassau and Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island. Dining is a highlight with innovative restaurants like Royal Railway – Utopia Station, where food and technology come together to take diners on a virtual train journey.
Priced from $956pp twin share. royalcaribbean.com
There are 6700-passengers onboard Utopia of the Seas. Photo / Royal Caribbean
Celebrity Cruises | Italy and Bermuda Transatlantic
On this 15-night Transatlantic cruise, you’ll sail from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Rome, with 10 sea days to make the most of Celebrity Ascent. There’s a handful of ports to explore, like the United Kingdom’s Gibraltar, Cartagena in Spain, and La Spezia in Italy, before your journey ends in Rome. Onboard, there’s a sophisticated yet laid-back vibe and excellent included and for-a-fee dining options. Given there are so many sea days, it’s worth buying a spa pass so you can enjoy the excellent Sea Thermal Suite, which includes everything from a Himalayan salt therapy room to a crystalarium.
Priced from $2295pp twin share. celebritycruises.com
Le Voyage by Chef Daniel Boulud - Deck four Midship. Photo / Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Cruises
Disney Cruise Line | Bahamian Cruise
Discover the magic of Disney onboard the line’s newest ship, Disney Wish, on a four-night round-trip cruise departing Port Canaveral in Florida. After spending a day at sea and getting your photo taken with Disney princesses and Marvel heroes and villains, you’ll call at Nassau in the Bahamas, followed by an action-packed day of fun at Disney’s own island, Disney Castaway Cay, before the ship returns to Florida. Onboard, you can look forward to multiple Broadway shows and included themed restaurants like 1923 which celebrates the golden age of animation and Disney’s history.
Priced from $4990pp. twin share. disneycruise.disney.go.com
Disney Wish brings Disney magic to life with onboard princess meet-and-greets. Photo / Disney Cruse Line
Princess Cruises | Mediterranean with Greek Isles, Turkey
Sun Princess is the largest and most tech-savvy ship in the Princess fleet and has plenty of glass and open space, so the ship feels light and airy. On this seven-night Mediterranean voyage departing Naples in Italy, you’ll visit Sicily, Crete, Istanbul, and Mykonos before your journey ends in Athens. The 4300-passenger Sun Princess is the perfect mega-ship for cruisers who enjoy traditional service and restaurants but also want to try something new, like Spellbound by Magic Castle, a for-a-fee venue that dishes up dinner and a show.
All aboard the brand new Sun Princess by Princess Cruises. Photo / Princess Cruises
Carnival Cruise Line | Bermuda Cruise
Carnival Venezia brings Italy to the high seas and takes you from the city that never sleeps to the sands of Bermuda on its regular four-night round-trip cruises from Manhattan. On these voyages, you can enjoy the ship’s facilities on your way to King’s Wharf in Bermuda which has an interesting naval history. After a day spent swimming and soaking up the sun, Carnival Venezia will take you back to New York after another action-packed or relaxing day at sea. If you’re visiting New York, a cruise on this 4090-passenger ship could be the perfect addition to your trip.
Priced from $965pp twin share. carnival.com.au
AIDA Cruise Line | Metropolises from Hamburg
Most of the 6660 passengers on AIDAnova will probably be from Germany, but there are plenty of English-speaking crew onboard this ship which launched in 2018. AIDAnova was the world’s first ship to be powered by LNG and is a diner’s delight with 40 different restaurants and bars to choose from. On a seven-night round-trip cruise from Hamburg, you’ll kick off your cruise with a sea day before spending a day each in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Brussels, Paris and London, followed by another sea day before the end of your cruise.
Priced from $2135pp twin share aida.de
The AIDAnova is the first of a new generation of LNG-powered cruise ships. Photo / Supplied
