Cruise arms race deepens

Last week, I sat in an underwater lounge, 8ft beneath the ocean, bathed in ultraviolet light, with new-age music and whale song in surround sound. Two oval windows, shaped like eyes, gazed out into the murky water of Reykjavik harbour.

The lounge, Blue Eye, is the star feature of Ponant’s new expedition ship, Le Lapérouse, which was launched on Tuesday in Iceland. Technologically speaking, it’s a big deal; while there are underwater hotels and restaurants in places like the Maldives, Blue Eye is a first for a cruise ship.

Admittedly, while the vessel has been docked in Reykjavik, the views have been mainly of jellyfish and weeds. But when the ship arrives in the Seychelles later this year, Blue Eye will be “like being in…