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1 week ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Pearl Expeditions, a partnership between Orion Expedition Cruises founder Sarina Bratton and Darwin-based Paspaley Pearls, will launch in July. The company’s 30-passenger expedition motor yacht Paspaley Pearl is the former Island Escape, which operated for New Zealand’s collapsed Island Escape Cruises. The vessel was purchased by Paspaley Pearls, and plans to launch Paspaley Pearl by Ponant when Bratton was a top executive at Ponant fell through.
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2 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Emerald Cruises will launch three new ships — two next-generation super yachts and a European river vessel — in 2027. The announcement comes as the company, part of the global Scenic Group, prepares to welcome Emerald Kaia and Emerald Astra to its fleet next year. It also comes hot-on-the-heels of the promotion of Sydney-based Katherine O’Neill to the role of director, Scenic Group global marketing and branded content, and Angus Crichton as director, Emerald Cruises AU/NZ sales.
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3 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Aranui Cruises, the family-owned company founded in Papeete in 1954, is building a second mixed passenger-freighter at Huanghai Shipbuilding in Shandong, China. The company’s plans to build an all-passenger ship were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and were then put on hold. 2027 launchThe new 116-meter ship will be named Aranoa (meaning ‘a great awakening’) and is scheduled to come on line in 2027.
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3 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Hanseatic Spirit will make a dual language (English and German) voyage from Ushuaia to Christchurch in February 2027, catering for international passengers, including Australasians. A charter flight will take passengers from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia to join the 230-passenger ship on February 1 for a 31-day semi-circumnavigation of Antarctica.
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3 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Two Scenic Group senior executives, Katherine O'Neill and Angus Crichton, were promoted as the company’s brands continue to grow. Coming online in 2026 are the new super yacht Emerald Kaia and, on Europe's Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, the Star-Ship Emerald Astra. Katherine O’NeillO’Neill, formerly brand and marketing manager, was appointed director, Scenic Group global marketing & branded content.
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3 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
On the way, the luxury icebreaker will visit some of the world's lessern known islands, including Charcot and Marie Byrd Land. Ponant Explorations’ Le Commandant Charcot will visit Australia for the first time in February 2026 when she arrives in Hobart as the final destination of a voyage from Ushuaia. En route she will visit some of the lesser known islands in the world, including Charcot Island and the islands of Marie Byrd Land.
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3 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
A record number of Australian and New Zealand delegates will attend Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami next week during the event’s 40th anniversary. More than 30 organisations from both sides of the Tasman will take part in a joint mission with the Cruise Lines International Association Australasia, Australian Cruise Association and the New Zealand Cruise Association.
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4 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Amid Friday’s festivities aboard Carnival Adventure in Sydney Harbour, presided over by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, there were many heavy hearts. Duffy came Down Under to usher in a new chapter for Carnival Australia, with former P&O Cruises Australia ships Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventurer being renamed and joining the Carnival family. It was the end of an era for the iconic brand of P&O Cruises Australia.
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4 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Former NASA astronaut Sandra (Sandy) Magnus will be on board Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer next year to watch a solar eclipse from Greenland. Magnus, a guest lecturer, is an aerospace engineer who has spent more than 150 days in space, including missions to the International Space Station. ‘Jewels of the Arctic — Greenland Solar Eclipse’ gets under way in Oslo on August 2, 2026 for the flight to Longyearbyen to join the 130-passenger Greg Mortimer.
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4 weeks ago | 
seatrade-cruise.com | Helen Hutcheon
Travel the World Group, the general sales agent for Windstar Cruises since its entry into the Australian market more than 38 years ago, appointed a sales manager for the line. Shelley Martin, who has worked in the travel and tourism industry for two decades, takes up the role. Martin was most recently business development manager for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. ‘We are delighted to welcome Shelley to Travel the World,’ MD Andrew Millmore said.
