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Atlas Ocean Voyages

Last week I had the opportunity to go to a presentation in Orlando for Atlas Cruise Lines. I haven’t worked with them before and I wanted to learn more about them so that I would be able to sell their product. I was very impressed with what they have to offer and have already reserved some cabins for November 2022.

Atlas Cruise Lines is very new. The business was in the planning for several years but actually formed in 2019. Their initial sailing was supposed to be in 2020, due to covid that didn’t happen. Now their first sailing is August 4, 2021.

The cruise line has trademarked the phrase Luxe-Adventure as their offering. It is definitely a luxury cruise line with each ship accommodating less than 200 guests. What is even better is all that is included with each sailing.

Let’s start with the ships. There are five ships currently planned for Atlas. The first one is called the World Navigator. The next two ships scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2021 and start sailing in 2022 are called World Traveler and World Seeker. The two ships after that are the World Adventurer and the World Discoverer, both scheduled to sail in 2023. All five ships are sister ships with identical floor plans.

The ships are 423 feet long, 62 feet wide, have six decks, and have a cruising speed of 18 miles an hour. Of the 98 cabins that the ship has, eight of them are for solo customers. That means if you are traveling alone and can get one of these cabins, there won’t be a singles supplement.

FOOD AND DRINKS

For all the foodies out there, there are four restaurants on the ship. All of them feature something different and they are included with your fare. In addition to the restaurants, complimentary room service is available for all accommodations. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner from the comfort of your stateroom or suite. You can even dine on your private balcony for a delicious meal with exceptional views.

Porto is the main restaurant on the ship. This luxurious venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; both indoors and outdoors. For breakfast, you will find selections including Greek yogurt, smoked salmon, tapiocas, smoothies, egg specials, omelets, cold cuts, and more.

For lunch, you can find locally inspired gourmet cuisine featuring dishes like roast beef with horseradish sauce, seared tuna carpaccio with teriyaki sauce, baked spicy mussels salad, cream of asparagus with parmesan croutons, and many more selections.

To wrap up the day, they have various styles of international cuisine to include Italian, Jamaican, Peruvian, Greek, Mexican, Spanish, German, Austrian, Russian, Scandinavian, and more.

Alma, which takes its inspiration from Atlas’s own heritage is a specialty menu offered on select nights while dining in Porto. It brings you dishes passed down through generations – like bacalao, featuring root-based recipes and cooking in ceramic jars and traditional cultural cookware. Alma offers an authentic immersion into Portuguese culture.

7-Aft Grill is a New York-style BBQ grill. It specializes in Jospering, a grilling method that originated in Barcelona and is now considered a legendary form of gourmet charcoal cuisine.

Dinner selections include Black Angus filet mignon, lamb loin, dover sole, and lobster thermidor with sides of Caesar salad, mac ‘n’ cheese, and creamy spinach, among many more selections.

You can even choose from an a la carte menu of proteins, carbs, and vegetables. 7-AFT Grill also serves poolside lunch with choices like smoked ribs and bread, house chicken marinated for 24 hours in blonde beer, 100% Angus hamburgers, Nathan’s hot dogs, and beef tartar burgers served with homemade brioche bread made on board.

The Dome Observation Lounge is named for the 270-degree horizon views plus its glass, overhead dome for evening and star viewing – you can take a late lunch after a day of exploring. This venue also serves snacks, teas, cookies, and finger sandwiches alongside an open bar. Its easy atmosphere invites you to enjoy a simple array of snacks like round quiche Lorraine, mini caponata, lemon shortbread cookies, and various honeys and jams, to name a few.

For a grab ‘n’ go breakfast or midday snack, stop by Paula’s Pantry. It’s eco-friendly with sustainable cutlery and straws and biodegradable paper plates and cups. For breakfast, choose from boost drinks, specialty teas and coffees (including freshly-pressed Milano coffee and Kusmi tea), signature juices, muffins, pastries, doughnuts, and sandwiches. For a midday snack, you have a choice of sandwiches and wraps, salads, and a hot and cold self-service station. This is a perfect stop to grab something before going onshore for the day.

After dinner, you may want to kick back and have some spirits. Atlas’s ships have three bars – The Dome, 7-AFT Pool Bar, and Atlas Lounge. With unlimited premium pours, craft cocktails, and a setup and stocked mini-fridge in every suite and stateroom, you can revel in a satisfying experience.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Before we look at the various categories of staterooms, I want to share what they all have in common.

Each cabin has a setup and stocked mini-fridge. Before you cruise you get to tell them what your preferences are and they will stock the fridge to your tastes. An espresso machine with a selection of coffees and teas are in each room. You will also find both 110 and 220 voltage and USB ports in your room.

To make your stay even more comfortable, each cabin has its own climate control, a personal safe, hairdryer, and satin hangers. Every bed has Egyptian cotton bed linens, duvet and pillow menu. You will find L’occitane en Provence products in the bathrooms, and Terrycloth bathrobes and slippers in the closet.

Oh, and to stay connected there is complimentary standard WiFi service throughout the ship.

All the cabins also include at a minimum a walk-in glass shower with rain head, body jets, and handheld shower. In the main part of the cabin, they all have at least a flat-screen TV and a state-of-the-art “infotainment” system.

When looking at the specific cabin types, we have four suite categories and five stateroom categories.

The lowest stateroom category is the Adventure. This cabin is on deck 3 and can sleep two guests. It has a picture window but no balcony. I am not going to spend a lot of time on this cabin category as it is going away in March 2022. These rooms are going to be converted into single suites.

The next category up is the Veranda stateroom. These cabins are 270 square feet and can sleep two guests. They come with a private balcony with teak furnishings and an inside sitting area with a sofa and vanity.

Horizon is the next category up. These are similar to the Veranda staterooms in size but they don’t have an outside balcony. Instead of an outside balcony, you will have a floor-to-ceiling Juliet-style balcony with an electric dropdown window. You also get a sofa in this category.

There are two more categories in the staterooms, these are the Veranda Deluxe and the Horizon Deluxe. The difference between these and the non-deluxe cabins is that these are 300 square feet each and can sleep up to six guests. The Horizon Deluxe also comes with a sleeper sofa in the cabin.

Now let’s look at the suites.

As I mentioned earlier, the Adventure staterooms are being converted into single suites. They are doing this without sacrificing any space. These Solo Studio Suites are still 183 square feet. For some reason unbeknownst to me, they say the room will only accommodate one person but then they go on to say it comes with a queen bed that can be converted into two single beds. I guess you can sleep on one single bed on the even-numbered nights and the other on the odd nights? These suites, like their predecessor, will not have a balcony but only a panoramic ocean view picture window. There is a seating area with two chairs and a side table as well.

The entry-level one-bedroom suite with a balcony is the Journey Suite. Here we can have up to three guests in this 382 square foot suite. It has an oversized balcony with teak furniture and a sitting room with a sofa where your third guest can sleep.

The mid-sized one-bedroom suite is called the Discovery Suite. It is 445 square feet and accommodates up to three guests. It has an oversized balcony with teak furnishings, a separate living room with a sofa and vanity, and both his and her sinks in the bathroom.

Lastly is the Navigator Suite. This is still one bedroom. It’s 465 square feet and sleeps three people as well. In addition to the oversized balcony with teak furnishings and a separate living room with sofa and vanity, it also has a bathtub, his & her sinks, and easy access to the gym, spa, and pool.

SHIP AMENITIES

On the ship, you are also going to find a SeaSpa. Here you will be able to stretch out with Pilates and yoga classes, relax in the sauna, or work up a sweat in the Fitness Studio. Onboard you can easily engage in a holistic approach to health and well-being.

After you visit the spa, why not chill on deck? There is a heated pool onboard (as there are some cooler destinations, this is a great feature). You can also lay out and bask in the sunshine or relax in one of the two hot tubs.

Something I like about their onboard entertainment is that it is similar to that of river cruises. You won’t find all the entertainment venues you find on a Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, or Carnival ship. Instead, you will find stimulating entertainment like a talented pianist or enrichment programs with renowned guest lecturers speaking on the destinations you will be visiting.

DESTINATIONS

I was amazed by the list of destinations that just their first ship will be making. Rather than having one home port and doing one or two itineraries over and over again, the ship will have about 50 different itineraries in nine different regions between now and the end of 2022. Here is a sample of some of the itineraries:

  • 8-Night Nice to Lisbon
  • 9-Night Athens to Cairo: Immersive Egypt
  • 10-Night Elite Caribbean and Golf Adventure
  • 9- Night Bridgetown to Colon
  • 12-Night Valparaiso to Ushuaia
  • Antarctica Crossing the Circle
  • 7-night Tromso to Longyearbyen

There are also Baltic, British Isle, Iceland/Greenland, and Norwegian Fjords itineraries.

ALL-INCLUSIVE ALL THE WAY

So what does All-Inclusive on Atlas Ocean Voyages mean? In addition to all the things mentioned above like free WiFi and L’Occitane Bath Amenities, you also get these with every cruise:

Free Air: Every cruise includes air from one of 16 origins. Orlando, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, George Bush Intercontinental, Los Angeles International, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, JFK, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Toronto Pearson International, Phoenix, San Francisco International, Vancouver International, and Dulles International.

Choice of included excursions in every port.

Unlimited premium pours.