Here's what's new in cruising this week, and how it could impact your next trip...
- Can’t get enough of politics in this election year? Cunard will offer a forum for passionate discourse at sea -- a Fourth of July cruise on the Queen Mary 2 headlined by political heavyweights Mary Matalin and James Carville. During the five-day sailing you can hear their take on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton while cruising round-trip from New York to Halifax. Bonus #1: You get to see the QM2 ocean liner fresh off a major renovation. Bonus #2: You get to experience Independence Day in Boston. The fun starts July 1.
- Mickey fans will gleefully greet the news that Disney Cruise Line is building two new, family-focused cruise ships for delivery in 2021 and 2023. The newbies will be slightly larger than the line's current largest ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, which introduced fun features such as the first “watercoasters” at sea. Disney says to expect "imaginative innovations" on the new ships, but for now the company isn’t talking specifics.
- Cruise with Diana Ross and Patti LaBelle on the Carnival Breeze in April. The divas are headlining the annual Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage, which raises money for historically black colleges and universities. The Caribbean sailing embarks Miami on April 23.
- Take movie watching to a whole new level with Celebrity Cruises' new program, "A Taste of Film," which will soon be offered at the chic, outdoor Rooftop Terrace on three of its ships. Guests will watch a big-screen showing of, for instance, The Hundred-Foot Journey -- a movie about competing French and Indian restaurateurs -- while dining on beef filet Bombay with mango pickle, or sea scallops with glazed leeks and port wine jus. Sounds a whole lot better than popcorn.
