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Cruise ship holidays are booming like never before as more Britons choose to take to the rivers and seas of the world onboard the floating hotels. The end of 2019 and 2020 promise a wealth

of new cruise ships being launched for globetrotters to holiday on in the coming months. Popular cruise lines such as Norwegian Cruises, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises and more all have new

ships coming soon. The cruise experts at Cruise Critic have rounded up the most exciting ships launching in 2019 and 2020. Adam Coulter, UK Managing Editor, Cruise Critic said: “2020 is

shaping up to be the best year ever for UK cruisers with an abundance of brand new, game-changing ships being launched over the coming year.  The UK cruise market is growing rapidly as lines

that previously bypassed the UK are now regularly visiting ports around the British Isles, as well as christening their new ships here – such as Celebrity Apex, P&O Cruises’ Iona and

Enchanted Princess, in April, May and June 2020. The UK will also be the first to get to see Virgin Voyage’s exciting new ship, Scarlet Lady, in February, which promises a host of exciting,

first-at-sea experiences that will certainly prove compelling to holiday makers that have not cruised before.” 2019 SHIP: NORWEGIAN ENCORE Maiden Voyage: November 2 The 3,900-capacity

Norwegian Encore is the fourth and final ship in NCL’s Breakaway-Plus class and is already breaking boundaries when it comes to entertainment onboard. Cruisers can expect a go-kart speedway,

brand-new VR experience and Aqua Park - featuring two multi-storey water slides. Norwegian Encore also boasts showings of the award-winning Broadway show "Kinky Boots.” The ship's

maiden voyage cruises from Southampton to New York, or you can opt for fly-cruise itineraries to destinations including Costa Rica, the Panama Canal and Alaska. SHIP: MSC GRANDIOSA Maiden

Voyage: November 10 MSC Grandiosa is scheduled for delivery in November 2019, when it will become the Italian line's newest - and biggest - ship. The 6,300-passenger Grandiosa is the

second MSC ship to feature Zoe, the industry’s first digital cruise personal assistant (the first ship was Bellissima, which launched earlier this year). Other features include two new shows

from Cirque du Soleil at Sea, created exclusively for MSC and a fine art museum. The cruise ship will spend its first season sailing around the Mediterranean to ports such as Barcelona,

Genoa, Valletta and Marseille. The cruise that travels from Hamburg to Genoa on November 10 stops in Southampton on November 12. Passengers boarding here can continue on with five or 10

night itineraries, disembarking in either Barcelona or Genoa. 2020 SHIP: SEVEN SEAS SPLENDOR Maiden Voyage: February 07 The 750-guest, ultra-luxurious Seven Seas Splendor of cruise line

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be among the first new ships of 2020. Sister ship to ‘the most luxurious ship in the world’, Seven Seas Explorer, Splendor offers all-suite, all-balcony

accommodation, eight dining venues - including Compass Rose, the line’s flagship restaurant, and Pacific Rim, which celebrates the flavours of Asia - and attentive crew to meet your every

whim, including a personal butler.  The UK features on some itineraries from August 2020, including a 14-night Barcelona to Southampton voyage; a round-trip British Isles sailing from

Southampton; and a 15-night cruise to Monte Carlo via France, Portugal and Spain. SHIP: SCARLET LADY Maiden Voyage: April 1 Scarlet Lady is the first of four Virgin Voyages cruise ships and

designed for adults and first-time cruisers, with unique features specially curated to attract those new to cruise.  Conventional cruising is out of the porthole; in its place is a tattoo

parlour called Squid Ink; drag-show brunches; mixology classes; an on-board record shop called Voyage Vinyl; a Korean barbecue; and DJ-hosted spa parties. So-called "sailors" (not

passengers) are defined by Richard Branson as "young at heart people that want a good time" - and that’s practically guaranteed with the ship’s offerings and its onboard wellbeing

programme, Vitamin Sea. Dover and Liverpool will be Scarlet Lady’s first ports of call, where media and travel partners will get the first glimpse of the new vessel before she heads to her

homeport of Miami. From here, Scarlet Lady will commence her inaugural season of seven-night round-trips around the Caribbean. SHIP: CELEBRITY APEX Maiden Voyage: April 5 The Champagne

bottle will be broken against the hull of Celebrity Apex in Southampton in spring 2020 after which the ship will offer a mini-season of five sailings. The second of Celebrity Cruises'

Edge-class ships, Celebrity Apex has been designed to revolutionise how passengers experience Europe. Boasting some of the most luxurious accommodations across the fleet, the ship features

infinite-balcony staterooms, which bring the balcony area into the living space, and twin-level Edge Villas with outdoor plunge pools. Passengers can choose from 29 culinary venues and relax

in areas including a rooftop garden. A four-night preview cruise departs on 1 April 2020, with subsequent itinerary options including an eight-night Spain and Portugal cruise over the

Easter break, a seven-night Norwegian fjords sailing, and ten-night, round-trip capital cities cruises that take in the likes of Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris. SHIP: IONA (P&O

CRUISES) Maiden Voyage: May 14 New ship Iona is designed to bring the outside in with features such as its SkyDome, which creates a space flooded with natural light; The Glass House,

intended for gastronomes and positioned for guests to enjoy uninterrupted ocean views; and Conservatory Mini Suites, which feature a conservatory-style relaxation space in addition to the

balcony. New venues include the adults-only The 710 Club and the comfortable ambience of Ocean Studios, where four cinema screens will show both classics and the latest blockbusters. The

first part of Iona’s maiden season throughout spring and summer 2020 will see the ship sailing the Norwegian fjords from Southampton. SHIP: ENCHANTED PRINCESS Maiden Voyage: July 1 The fifth

in Princess Cruises’ fleet of Royal-class ships, Enchanted Princess, will be christened in Southampton. The ship claims the largest balcony at sea in the Sky Suite and new speciality

dining, including French bistro-style fare at Bistro Sur La Mer, created in partnership with Chef Emmanuel Renaut. Also on board is the line’s Ocean Medallion technology, which does away

with cruise cards and introduces a digital element to modern cruising. The 3,560-passenger vessel maintains fleetwide features such as the adults-only Sanctuary and the impressive

multi-storey Piazza atrium. Enchanted Princess’ inaugural season commences in the Mediterranean, with the maiden voyage sailing from Southampton to Rome and on to Athens. In November 2020,

Enchanted Princess repositions to Fort Lauderdale in Florida for the winter. SHIP: SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE Maiden Voyage: August 21 Sister ship to Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Adventure

completes the second wave of Saga’s advance into boutique luxury cruising. Passengers are set to enjoy hotel design-inspired cabins and private balconies, and, with two new restaurants - a

Nepalese venue and Amalfi, serving high-end Italian cuisine - the ship doubles Saga’s range of speciality restaurants at sea. Plus, as Saga goes fully all-inclusive, all restaurants on board

are free to dine in. Passengers can select from a good range of itineraries, including round-trips from Dover to St Petersburg; Dover to France, Spain and Portugal; Southampton to the

Caribbean; and Christmas in the Canary Islands from Southampton.