Porthole Cruise News Briefs – Apr. 21, 2017

Porthole Cruise News Briefs – Apr. 21, 2017

• Scenic Cruises has unveiled more about their upcoming ocean-going vessel, Scenic Eclipse. The “discovery yacht” now offers an increase to 10 dining experiences, a longer vessel, scuba diving opportunities, and more. After launching in August 2018, the unique ship will take 228 guests to ports in Europe and the Americas, and 200 guests on cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica.
• Viking Cruises is celebrating their sponsorship of Genius, National Geographic’s TV series about Albert Einstein, with a new brand campaign called “Time.” Ads will feature Torstein Hagen, Viking’s founder and chairman, who is himself a physicist. “Through my formal education, I studied nuclear physics, and as a scientist, I have always been fascinated with Einstein and his work as a theoretical physicist,” Hagen says. “We are pleased to have a premier partner in National Geographic, to further bring enriching offerings through art, history and exploration to audiences around the world.”
  The announcement follows news that Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered two additional ships from Fincantieri – sister ships to the six that are already on order. The new, all-veranda vessels will be ready to cruise in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
• Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has added a new member to their expedition team: culinary naturalist Francis Lam. The host of NPR’s The Splendid Table is an award-winning food writer, a former New York Times columnist, and judge on Top Chef Masters. On Lindblad’s “Nordic Passages” voyages in June and August, Lam will onboard experiences and shore excursions, with special attention to the unusual cuisine of the remote Faroe Islands, which includes fermented lamb, fresh seafood, and turnips that taste like cantaloupes.
• Paul Gauguin Cruises is welcoming a different kind of culinary star aboard – celebrity chef Massimo Capra. On the September 23, 2017, Tahiti & the Society Islands voyage, the Italian-born restaurateur, cookbook author, and television star will hold a lecture and cooking demonstration, as well as a meet-and-greet photo opportunities.

^{Photo: Scenic Cruises}