This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See the Ship Reviews section.
April-May-June,
2010
LATE BREAKING
CRUISE NEWS
Here's all the news you want to know from all the carriers you want to know about
A revamped Carnival web site makes its debut this season. The new Carnival.com will have an array of new features in addition to standard booking and informational material. They include shipboard blogs, videos, games, forums, on-line polls, downloadable wallpapers, an interactive aquarium, and a social hub called "Funville." They'll be tied together with a new look and feel and a new set of navigation tools... Returning to Europe in 2011, Carnival will operate seven-, nine-, and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona. Its newest ship, the 369-passenger Carnival Magic, will be deployed there from May through October. The ship, to be launched next year, will have an aqua park, an adults-only retreat, kids' spaces, a wide range of cabin categories, and features to be announced during the runup to launch... The 72-year-running radio and television soap opera, The Guiding Light, will be the centerpiece of the 2974-passenger Carnival Glory's New York departure on July 31. At least a dozen cast members will be aboard the five-day Canadian excursion. Some activities: program showings, dancing with the actors, autographs, pictures, star/fan karaoke, trivia sessions, acting out scenes, workshops, parties, receptions, and more.
A $200 million investment will bring Celebrity's four "Millennium Class" ships up to the standards of its five newer "Solstice Class" vessels. The 2034-passenger Constellation will be the first ship to be modernized, beginning this season. Among the additions: a Tuscan Grille, a creperie, an ice-topped martini bar, a gelateria, a wine bar allowing guests to select and serve at the touch of a button, new furniture/TV/upholstery/bedding/carpeting in suites, restyled staterooms, new color schemes, and more.
Costa's big news this season is the debut of its newest liner, the 2828-passenger Costa Deliziosa. Constructed in Venice, it will be filled with Italian-themed appointments: four restaurants, 11 bars, three swimming pools including one with a retractable dome, four jacuzzis, a two-level spa, spa baths, thalassotherapy pool, UVA solarium, 4D cinema, 800-seat theater, casino, disco, dance club, piano bar, internet point, shopping center, library, kids and teens areas, golf simulator, outside golf area with putting green, outside movie screen, and more. Initial itineraries this summer and fall will mostly be in Northern Europe from Copenhagen.
Twenty-five new "Voyages of the Great Explorers" have been placed on Cruise West's 2011/2012 schedule. They'll cover Asia, the Med, Europe, the Americas, and the South Pacific in the company's 120-passenger Spirit of Oceanus. Shore excursions will be included at each stop, together with guest speakers, learning opportunities, and Zodiac trips and snorkeling safaris to off-the-beaten-track places. Trips will range from nine to 18 days... Three additional Galapagos trips — making a total of five — have been added to the 2011 schedule. The 100-passenger Galapagos Explorer II will conduct nine-day journeys starting at Quito and continuing by plane to San Cristobal Island for boarding. The cruise portion lasts seven days... Patagonia will be visited four times next year by Cruise West's 128-passenger Via Australis. Eight- and 10-day trips will visit Chilean tourism spots on land and will cruise through channels, bays, and glaciated fjords from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas. Biodiversity will be the cruises' theme.
Almost 800 Europe shore excursions will be offered this summer and fall to passengers aboard Crystal's two ships. They'll sail on 32 seven- to 15-day itineraries from Athens, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Monte Carlo, Rome, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Venice... Dozens of special-interest wellness classes and visits to Dublin, Iceland, and Greenland will mark the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony's repositioning cruise from London to New York in September. Authorities on health, longevity, and wellness will lead classes and gatherings.
Queen Mary 2's first Royal Circumnavigation of Australia has been scheduled for February, 2012. The 2592-passenger ship will call at Sydney, Fremantle, Adelaide, the Whitsundays, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, and Brisbane... Political and cultural ties between the UK and the US will be in focus on a series of crossings aboard the 2620-passenger Queen Mary 2. Ambassadors, statesmen, politicians, journalists, academics, and broadcasters with a shared interest between the United States and the United Kingdom will lecture on the subject. The series runs through November.
Reinventing childrens' onboard experiences is one of Disney's goals this year. More activities will be on tap and children will choose involvements based on interest as well as age. There will still be supervised age-related clubs on the company's two ships and on its private island, Castaway Cay, but the menu of activities will be open to all. More than 100 attractions will range across interests from Disney characters to science to adventure to cooking to boot camp to conservation to animals to magic to computers, and more. Whole families will be able to participate with their children in stage productions, first-run film shows, poolside movies, deck parties, a family club, a Castaway Cay Family Beach, and more... A few more details have been revealed about Disney Cruise Lines' next ship, the 2500-passenger Disney Dream. It will debut early in 2011 with such features as a themed interactive sports deck, an adult poolside, a shipboard water coaster named AquaDuck, a miniature nine-hole golf course with each hole themed to a Disney character or setting, digital sports simulators for soccer-tennis-basketball-golf, full-court basketball, and two mini-sized sports courts for little ones. A 1500 square foot Nemo's Reef will provide pop jets, bubblers, and underwater friends like Nemo, Dory, and Marlin for little children. Among highlights in the cabins: divided bathrooms, allowing for simultaneous use of different facilities.
A full-scale musical production spectacular dedicated to Disney's lovable and loathsome villains will premiere this spring on the 1760-passenger Disney Magic. "Villains Tonight" will take a comical spin on the subject in a family-friendly extravaganza concept. The show will expand to the new 2500-passenger Disney Dream early next year, when the Dream debuts as Disney's first new ship in 12 years... Disney will sail in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe this summer and will place its 1760-passenger Disney Wonder in service from Los Angeles in 2011... Next year will see the Disney Magic in Russia, Northern Europe, and the Med. There will be a two-month mid-summer schedule of 12-day European Capital cruises stopping at Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin's port, and St. Petersburg, round trip from London. Before and after those Northern Europe trips will be a series of 10- and 11-day cruises in the Med in April, May, August, and September round trip from Barcelona.
Holland America will have a major presence in Europe next year, when it places seven ships there. The fleet will conduct 100 departures to 162 ports of call during an April to November season. Northern Europe, the Med, and transatlantic crossings will make up the bulk of the schedule. Round-trip itineraries will depart from London, Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Athens, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam... More than 65 guest culinary experts will participate this year in Holland America's fleet-wide Culinary Arts Center programs. Each of the company's ships has been outfitted with a professional-quality kitchen where passengers and chefs gather to instruct, learn, and cook. This year's faculty includes chefs from major restaurants around the nation, culinary authors, food columnists, culinary educators, and food-television personalities... New York themes will highlight public areas aboard Holland America's newest ship, the soon-to-be-launched 2106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam (New York's original name was New Amsterdam). They include art, craftwork, and historical artifacts documenting New York's history and Dutch influences. Holland America has served the city for 138 years, having brought hundreds of thousands of immigrants there from Europe. The 11-deck ship will start a summer of Mediterranean cruising on July 4... An additional 55 shore excursions are being added to Holland America's offerings this summer, among them 17 in Europe and 22 in its newest port of call, Anchorage. Samples: an afternoon in Cognac, France, learning how the beverage is produced; Historic Jewish Dublin; the National Museum of Alexandria; a sled dog rodeo in Alaska; and bridges, causeways, and islands of Romsdalsfjord.
This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See the Ship
Reviews section.
A whole gamut of theme cruises will add memories and knowledge to Hurtigruten passengers this summer and fall. As its fleet sails along the fjord-filled 250-mile west coast of Norway on six- to 12-day itineraries, vacationers will be able to immerse into music, crafts, history, culinary arts, fjord studies, and more.
The 2500-passenger MSC Magnifica becomes the 11th ship in MSC Cruises' fleet this season as it inaugurates seven-day Eastern Med cruises from Venice. The vessel has a retractable magrodome over one of four pools, 16 bars and lounges, four restaurants, a cinema, a mini-bowling center, a large spa, and more.
Nickelodeon, a major childrens' entertainment brand, has formed a partnership with NCL under which its family entertainment and programming will be featured on many NCL departures year-'round. The Nickelodeon-themed cruises will start with the 2376-passenger Norwegian Jewel from New York this season and the 4200-passenger Norwegian Epic from Miami this summer. Features include: character meet and greets, interactive game shows, breakfasts, dance parties, show premieres, visits with Nick characters, and more. Nickelodeon's U. S. television schedule is seen in almost 100 million households... Studios: that's a new twist being introduced in July when Norwegian Cruise Line inaugurates its Norwegian Epic. Studios are cabins designed expressly for solo travelers, priced with no additional single supplement. Studios will have about 100 square feet of living space, with full-size bed and separate areas for bathroom, sink, and shower. Studio guests will also have access to a Studio Lounge. There will be 128 studios on the ship spread over two decks... NCL's largest and newest ship, the Norwegian Epic, will spend the summer of 2011 plying the Western Med from Barcelona. It enters U. S. service from Miami this July... NCL's forward-looking schedule for 2011 and 2012 includes a new home port in Europe, more capacity and newer ships to Bermuda from the Northeast, and year-'round service from New Orleans. Copenhagen will serve as home port for nine-day cruises to the Baltic. Bermuda will be served both from Boston and New York. The New Orleans ship, the 2000-passenger Norwegian Spirit, will represent the first time NCL homeports a ship there year-'round... NCL's winter/spring 2011/2012 schedule has a few surprises among its many changes. It will have two new seasonal home ports, Tampa and Rome, marking the first time NCL has originated cruises from those cities. It will visit Israel for the first time in 12 years. Europe, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Canada/New England will have major roles in NCL's winter/spring season. Major ports of departure also include Miami, New York City, and Honolulu... A $20 million renovation of Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private Bahamas island, has been scheduled over a 22-month period, ending late next year. The 250-acre island, which is 120 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, is visited by some 9000 NCL passengers weekly. Improvements include a new entrance channel for tenders, a new welcome pavilion, an expanded beach front, new dining and bar facilities, redone rest rooms, a band stand, private cabanas, a kids' play area, a straw market, and beach volleyball courts. Several new activities and shore excursions will be added, including wave runners, a floating Aqua Park, kayak tours through man-made rivers, an eco-cruise, and a stingray encounter experience... The biggest spa at sea. That's what NCL says it will build into its new 4200-passenger Norwegian Epic, which enters service this summer. Within its 31,000 square feet will be a Mandara Spa containing 24 treatment rooms, two private couples' villas, private outdoor whirlpools, steam Rasul rooms featuring tropical rain from a dome, a hydrotherapy courtyard, a thermal suite, a salon, a fitness center with 37 treadmills and 18 cross trainers, fitness classes, and a barber shop. There will be 39 spa suites nearby. Scores of treatments will be offered, tailored to passengers of all ages... Reflecting the evolution in cruise ship dining offerings, the new Epic will have 21 food options, of which 10 will have a cover charge and 11 will be included in the fare. Traditional, included dining rooms include an atrium restaurant, a supper club, a bar and grill, a casual restaurant, a poolside grill, a latin-style eatery, a cafˇ, a lounge, and an eatery available to premium-accommodation passengers. Among the extra-charge restaurants: a Tuscan-style eatery, a dinner-theater, a Chinese restaurant, a noodle bar, a sushi and sake bar, a French restaurant, a meat specialty house, a steakhouse, a Japanese restaurant, and a pizza delivery facility.
One of cruisedom's oldest and richest traditions will return to Princess ships in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Fort Lauderdale, and Los Angeles. The Bon Voyage visit, where friends and family go aboard to see off passengers, is being reinstated this spring. This time, the experience will be more memorable than ever: it will include a four-course luncheon, a ship tour, a souvenir photo, and four hours aboard the ship, where participating passengers will receive priority embarkation. The charge, $39, can be applied to a future Princess cruise. Guests will be expected to provide government-required security information... Princess has signed a memorandum of agreement to build two 3600-passenger ships. The vessels, to be built by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, will each be 139,000 tons. They will cost a total of $560 million... Its largest Europe program ever has been announced by Princess for next year. The carrier will place seven vessels there, conducting 42 itineraries to more than 135 ports. More than half are near UNESCO World Heritage sites. There will be additional overnight stays at popular ports, an expanded 11-day Russia and Scandinavian itinerary, and 14 different itinerary options to the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, and Northern Europe... Its largest Europe program ever has been announced by Princess for next year. The carrier will place seven vessels there, conducting 42 itineraries to more than 135 ports. More than half are near UNESCO World Heritage sites. There will be additional overnight stays at popular ports, an expanded 11-day Russia and Scandinavian itinerary, and 14 different itinerary options to the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, and Northern Europe.
The 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator returns to service in the Caribbean this season following a major makeover. The ship will sport a new Canyon Ranch SpaClub, a new restaurant, an updated main dining room, an indoor-outdoor food pavilion, a pool grill, and several bars and lounges. New fabrics and furnishings have been placed in the cabins, also... "Let's dispense with the formalities." That's the word from Regent this season, as it adopts a new dress code. From now on, there will be two types of evening dress codes, Elegant Casual and Formal Optional. Ties and suits or sports coats will not be required on either night. On Formal Optional nights, traditional garb is expected to remain the norm but will not be mandatory.
New York, Boston, and Baltimore will be home ports for Royal Caribbean's 2011-2012 schedule of cruises in the northeast U. S., Bermuda, and Canada. There will be 16 voyages to Canada and New England during the fall foliage season; Bermuda and Caribbean trips during the summer from New York and Baltimore; and winter cruises to the Caribbean from New York and Baltimore... A record 10 ships will be deployed in Europe this summer by Royal Caribbean. The Baltic and Mediterranean schedules will result in 109 itineraries, ranging from three to 15 days and visiting 27 countries and 78 ports. Among the departure cities: Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, London, Venice, Malaga, Rome, and Istanbul.
Seabourn's next ship will be named Seabourn Quest. It's the third in Seabourn's series of 450-passenger vessels. Set for a 2011 debut, the Quest will have all-suite accommodations; an unorthodox reception lobby that combines a library, internet cafe, and coffee bar; an 11,000 square foot spa; four dining venues; six bars and lounges; and more. It's the third such Seabourn ship to debut in three years.
A new cooking school will appear on 11 Silversea cruises this year. In a partnership with Relaix and Chateaux, a cruise-long curriculum will cover many popular cooking topics, such as basic knife skills, sauces, baking, wine pairings, and more. There will be a "Market to Plate" program involving escorted excursions to local markets followed by a cooking session and escorted visits to distinctive local restaurants. The schools will be scheduled this year on cruises to Africa, the Indian Ocean, Alaska, the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and South America, and on transoceanic routes...Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, former defense secretary William Perry, and leading figures in technology, space, cultural history, and global affairs will highlight a "2010 World Leaders Symposium," a Black Sea cruise aboard the 298-passenger Silver Wind. The 10-day trip from Moscow to Instanbul leaves on September 10... A host of speakers, led by anchor Dan Rather, has been lined up for the 119-day World Cruise of the new 540-passenger Silver Spirit from Los Angeles next January .
January-February-March,
2010
LATE BREAKING
CRUISE NEWS
Here's all the news you want to know from all the carriers you want to know about
Azamara Cruises is changing its name to Azamara Club Cruises. The two-ship off-shoot of Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises will visit 140 ports in 50 countries this year.
The Caribbean's newest private island — together with a $62 million cruise ship terminal and retail center — has opened at Roatan. Carnival Cruises developed the complex to serve as a port of call for its Seabourn, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Costa, and P&O ships, as well as non-Carnival liners. The two-berth, 20-acre Cruise Center and 10-acre private island are expected to host more than a half million passengers annually aboard more than 200 ship calls. One way to travel between the pier and the beach will be via a 1200-foot "Magical Flying Beach Chair," a cable-suspended lift. The beach will have an 825-foot long white sand beach, shops, restaurants, shore excursion facilities, cabanas, volleyball courts, watersports opportunities, and more... Carnival has ordered a new 130,00-ton, 3690-passenger ship for delivery in spring, 2012. Under construction in Italy, it will feature a 300-foot corkscrew water slide, an indoor/outdoor cafˇ, children's and teens centers, a 24,000 square foot spa, cantilevered whirlpools that extend over the ship's sides, and more highlights to be revealed as the construction progresses.
Celebrity and its two sister companies — Royal Caribbean and Azamara — are converting to an electronic system for handling cruise documents and luggage tags. Termed "eDocs," the system will allow passengers to get all the information that was previously mailed via the web sites of the respective companies. The system began on January 1. Traditional printed documents will still be available, but at a charge for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean passengers .
Soon to ripple off your tongue will be the Italian-flavored names of Costa's two newest ships, which will enter service in 2011 and 2012. They'll each hold 3000 passengers and are being constructed in Marghera, Italy. They represent Costa's 16th and 17th vessels. The ships will be known as the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fascinosa. The names were selected from some 42,000 votes cast on Costa's web site by travel agents and cruise fans.
Cruise West will add three voyages — in the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian fjords, and the North Atlantic — to its itinerary this year. They'll leave from Honfleur, France; Oslo; and London, aboard the 120-passenger Spirit of Oceanus... This year's Alaska plans call for four ships and four different itineraries. There will be 25 seven-day departures that highlight wilderness cruising as well as 43 four-day and 10 10-day itineraries. Juneau, Anchorage, and Seattle will be the ports of embarkation... The newly-published complete list of 2010 destinations for Cruise West: Alaska, Antarctica, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Galapagos, British Columbia, four European rivers, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers, plus a 335-day circumnavigation of the world.
Many of Crystal's itineraries this year will allow passengers to explore Jewish heritage, history, and culture. Excursions in Jerusalem, Berlin, Odessa, Rome, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Dublin, Mumbai, and Montevideo will take travelers to museums, historic synagogues, Holocaust memorials, cemeteries, urban Jewish quarters, and modern communities... On-board computer education is taking a leap. Crystal's Computer University@Sea will be teaching the new Windows 7 operating system as well as college-credit courses. Also offered: instruction in email, website design, digital video editing, digital camera orientation, web surfing, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, and more.
The only U. S. maiden call to be made by Cunard's 2014-passenger Queen Victoria this year will be to San Francisco. It's a port of call on the ship's 99-day world cruise, which visits 41 ports between now and April. After San Francisco, there will be 10 additional maiden visits... Itineraries have been announced for Cunard's two 2011 World Cruises. The 2092-passenger Queen Elizabeth will conduct its initial global circuit, leaving Southampton in January and proceeding westward to New York, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Dubai, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and elsewhere, returning home after 103 days. The Queen Mary 2 will begin its fourth world voyage in New York, stopping in Fort Lauderdale, the Caribbean, South America, South Africa, Sydney, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and the UK, returning to New York after 103 days. Together the two ships will visit 57 ports of call in 34 countries... The three Queens of Cunard's fleet — Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and the 2014-passenger Queen Victoria will rendezvous in New York harbor on January 13, 2011.
A full-scale musical production spectacular dedicated to Disney's lovable and loathsome villains will premiere this spring on the 1760-passenger Disney Magic. "Villains Tonight" will take a comical spin on the subject in a family-friendly extravaganza concept. The show will expand to the new 2500-passenger Disney Dream early next year, when the Dream debuts as Disney's first new ship in 12 years... Disney will sail in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe this summer and will place its 1760-passenger Disney Wonder in service from Los Angeles in 2011... Next year will see the Disney Magic in Russia, Northern Europe, and the Med. There will be a two-month mid-summer schedule of 12-day European Capital cruises stopping at Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin's port, and St. Petersburg, round trip from London. Before and after those Northern Europe trips will be a series of 10- and 11-day cruises in the Med in April, May, August, and September round trip from Barcelona.
Three new 30-day South America trips will be undertaken by the 1316-passenger Rotterdam in 2010 and two more in 2011. The round trips will leave from Fort Lauderdale and San Diego. Up to 15 ports along the coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, and Peru will be visited... The 1432-passenger Volendam will return to Asia in 2011 with a series of 14- and 18-day voyages. Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Singapore will be among the principal countries to be visited. The ship will be there for the first half of the year... Holland America has set up a web site for fans to follow construction and features of its newest ship, the 2104-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam, which launches in July. It's at the Quick Links section of www.hollandamerica.com... HAL has scheduled four "Grand Voyages" for 2011. Its 1380-passenger Amsterdam and 793-passenger Prinsendam will visit some 121 ports of call in 65 countries. There will be a 110-day world cruise from Fort Lauderdale in January, a 70-day Asia and Australia voyage in the fall, a 66-day South America and Antarctica circuit in January, and a 62-day Africa and Mediterranean trip, departing Fort Lauderdale in March... It'll be a busy summer in Europe this year for Holland America. It is increasing sailings from its home ports in Dover and Rotterdam and will place seven ships on the continent, plying the Med, Baltic, and Northern Europe... Alaska this summer will see 50 round-trip cruises from Seattle and 38 round-trip departures from Vancouver, plus 18 one-way Gulf of Alaska trips.
This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See the Ship
Reviews section.
Hurtigruten will partner with National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations to safeguard and enhance Hurtigruten's destinations along the Norwegian Coast. Its Geotourism approach will attempt to sustain and nurture the environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and well-being of the 34 places its ships have been visiting since 1893... Six mid-winter cruises along Norway's 1250-mile west coast will feature various themes. (See Theme Cruises.) They'll be seven, eight, 10, and 12 days in length, departing from Bergen and Tromso... The company has unveiled a revamped web site. It features a fresh design and new navigation capabilities. It's at www.Hurtigruten.us.
Focusing on South America early this year, MSC has scheduled a record 140 cruises there between now and May, sailing from Santos, Rio, Salvador, and Buenos Aires. Six ships are involved. Cruise lengths vary from three to nine days.
14 restaurants. 18 bars. An aqua park with three waterslides. A 200-foot tube slide. A 33' x 64' rock climbing wall. Six bowling lanes. A repelling wall. Eight different outdoor sports activities — basketball, volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, batting cage, bungee trampoline, rope course, climbing cage — on the sports deck. A squash court. Three separate kids' and teens activity areas. Illuminated arching water sprays. 60 two-deck suites and villas with private pool, health club, and lounge. Cabin windows facing corridors. Curved staterooms. Color-spectrum hull art. That's part of what awaits 4200 passengers on each cruise of the soon-to-be-inaugurated Norwegian Epic, which sets sail in May. The ship will sail from Miami on seven-day cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
A preview of Deilmann's 2010 Europe river schedule shows 189 departures between March and November. Cruise lengths will vary between four and 11 days, with most scheduled for seven days. Among the rivers to be plied next year: Danube, Elbe, Havel, Moldau, Seine, Moselle, and Rhine.
Princess will convert to fully digital travel documents this year. Passengers who book cruises will receive a series of four emails that will include booking details, itineraries, and ship information. Interactive features will acquaint passengers with ship videos, virtual tours, bridge cams, dining options, entertainment choices, shipboard features, travel logistics, weather information, packing tips, frequently asked questions, important notices and reminders, and how to stay connected with family and friends... Princess' 680-passenger Tahitian Princess has a new name, the Ocean Princess, to better reflect its future worldwide itineraries... Princess will spread its sails in Europe this year, scheduling a record 96 departures on 39 itineraries to 130 ports on six ships. Major areas: The Med, Greek Isles, British Isles, Iceland, Scandinavia, Russia, Black Sea, Holy Land... The carrier's Alaska season this year will see 112 sailings aboard seven ships. Departures will be from San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Whittier (Anchorage). Trips will range from seven to 14 days in length... There will be a doubling of Princess' capacity in the Caribbean this summer, as it places its 3110-passenger Caribbean Princess and 3100-passenger Emerald Princess into service there.
"Let's dispense with the formalities." That's the word from Regent this winter, as it adopts a new dress code. From now on, there will be two types of evening dress codes, Elegant Casual and Formal Optional. Ties and suits or sports coats will not be required on either night. On Formal Optional nights, traditional garb is expected to remain the norm but will not be mandatory.
Extensive new infrastructure improvements have been completed at Royal Caribbean's private beach of Labadee. In order to accommodate the line's new 5400-passenger Oasis of the Seas and other large ships, the island has been revamped from its landing pier on up. The new pier stretches 1300 feet. Dining venues have been expanded by 57 percent. A plaza and town square have been added. Artisan markets and musicians and dancers will be alongside. A 2232-foot high-speed coaster ride will visit the island's flora and rock formations. Private cabanas have been added at the beach club. The Spa has been expanded. Traditional water games and rides are still part of the Labadee Day experience.
With the inauguration of its first new ship in more than a decade — the 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey — the company has started an extensive refurbishing program for its three original 208-passenger ships. The Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Legend makeovers will be completed this year, while the Seabourn Spirit has just re-entered service. Dining areas, public rooms, cabins, and furnishings will be worked on. The result is intended to create more lightness, airiness, and luxury-feel. Between now and late next year, Seabourn ships will visit 250 ports in 68 countries on 186 voyages.
Silversea is already looking ahead to 2011. It announced that its new 540-passenger Silver Spirit will conduct its first world cruise, a 119-day exploration that will feature a number of multi-day calls. The company's five-ship fleet next year will visit a total of 335 ports in more than 100 countries and islands. It will offer 170 different itineraries.
October-November-December,
2009
LATE BREAKING
CRUISE NEWS
Here's all the news you want to know from all the carriers you want to know about
Longer than three football fields and carrying 3646 passengers, Carnival's newest and largest ship, the Carnival Dream, touches at New York for the first time this holiday season. After a number of special cruises, it will operate year-'round, seven-day Caribbean voyages from Port Canaveral. While it has many highlights the 15-deck vessel perhaps shines most in its choice of food locations. Among them: a pasta bar, a 24-hour pizzeria, a burrito bar, a casual breakfast-lunch-dinner eatery with Italian/Tex-Mex/Tandoori/Asian/Mongolian specialties, a New York-style deli, a sushi bar, an indoor-outdoor café, a patisserie, a steak house, two two-level main dining rooms, and spa selections... A new touch in entertainment is in store for the Dream's passengers. A Comedy Club will offer six 35-minute performances nightly in the 425-seat Burgundy Lounge. The final two shows will be R-rated adult presentations... A new nighttime entertainment option — outdoor laser shows — will also debut on the Dream. The 15-minute shows will feature choreographed lasers projecting aerial patterns of blue, red, and green set to synchronized music by popular artists such as Styx and Pink Floyd. Smoke machines will be used to enhance the laser light effects. A jumbo LED screen will display graphics and original music videos of artists featured in the shows... Charleston is being added to Carnival's year-'round cruise schedule, with the deployment of the 2056-passenger Carnival Fantasy next May. It will operate five-, six-, and seven-day voyages to the Bahamas and Key West from Charleston's historic downtown passenger terminal. Carnival expects to handle about 140,000 passengers there annually. Charleston will be its twelfth year-'round departure point.
Celebrity's Captain's Club — a frequent-passenger program — is being redesigned and relaunched. New features include an on-board social and entertainment event; a new on-board lounge; improved laundry and Internet benefits; priority embarkation; clothes pressing; access to a loyalty desk and loyalty host; and more. Benefits will be accorded based on one of three membership categories: Classic, Select, or Elite... A concept called Celebrity Life will be introduced during the next months. It's intended to enhance the dining, intellectual enrichment, and wellness aspects of cruise travel. The three key words will be "Savor," for the food portion; "Discover," for the enrichment program; and "Renew," for the wellness agenda. "Savor" will introduce wine events, mixology tastings, and get-togethers hosted by the ship's executive chef and team. "Discover" will offer opportunities to do and learn in a wide variety of interests, such as foreign language instruction, astronomy, and dance. "Renew" will offer goal-oriented approaches to classes, treatments designed to make passengers feel better and look younger, and a redefined spa experience... Celebrity's new 2850-passenger Equinox will feature a half-acre "country club" with real grass, 10 dining venues, a Corning Glass Museum, and 500 original art works "of a caliber rarely seen outside of museums, art galleries, and private collections," according to the company's president... A redeployment: the 1814-passenger Celebrity Century will be shifted to Europe next summer, replacing previously scheduled four- and five-day cruises from Miami. It will now sail 12-day circuits along the Mediterranean, including stops at Cannes, Monte Carlo, Nice, Sicily, the Amalfi coast, Florence, Venice, Turkey, Greece, and Croatia.
More than 250 destinations will be visited next year by Costa's 15 ships. That represents a capacity increase of 16 percent when its new 2828-passenger Costa Deliziosa enters service next spring. Most of the trips will be in Europe, where 14 of the liners will be stationed at least part of the year. Other itineraries will be to North America, South America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada/New England, and repositioning. The carrier says that it will offer 1100 different excursions next year...Costa held a precedent-setting double christening in Genoa, introducing its 2828-passenger Costa Luminosa and 3000-passenger Costa Pacifica. It calls Luminosa the Ship of Light and Pacifica the Ship of Sound. The Luminosa will have a contemporary design accented by iridescent colors, marbles, woods, mother-of-pearl detailing, and art. There will be 120 Murano glass chandeliers, 1100 decorative tiles, and 20 types of marble and granite. The theater will seat 800 passengers and feature 14,000 lights capable of creating special effects. A mega-screen will be located over the pool. The Pacifica will have a 103-cabin Spa area, a professional music-recording studio allowing passengers to create their own CDs, an atrium highlighted by musical symbols and instruments as décor, a soundtrack created for the ship by Italian composer Mauro Pagani and 43 musicians, and live singers performing in the lounges. Each corridor on the ship will have its own music by masters from Chopin to Beethoven, while each lounge will feature its own international music. 22 musicians aboard the ship will be divided into orchestras, trios, duos, and pianists.
Better bring a few good books or DVDs or a knitting needle with plenty of yarn for this cruise. Cruise West will undertake a 335-day circumnavigation of the world starting in March 2010. It will leave from Singapore aboard the 120-passenger Spirit of Oceanus, returning there in February 2011, after visiting 242 ports in 59 countries. During the journey, the ship will cross 14 seas and oceans, stop at 85 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and travel through three major canals. One of the key on-board features will be a Smithsonian Journeys lecture/discussion series concentrating on the history and culture of places like Singapore, Rome, Alexandria, Istanbul, and Mumbai. Travelers do not have to stay for the whole trip; it will be available in six segments... Next year's Alaska plans call for four ships and four different itineraries. There will be 25 seven-day departures that highlight wilderness cruising as well as 43 four-day and 10 10-day itineraries. Juneau, Anchorage, and Seattle will be the ports of embarkation... The newly-published complete list of 2010 destinations for Cruise West: Alaska, Antarctica, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Galapagos, British Columbia, four European rivers, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers, plus the 335-day circumnavigation of the world.
San Francisco will rejoin the roster of Crystal home ports after a six year absence. The carrier will resume a summer series of 12-day cruises to Alaska in 2011. There will be nine trips between May and August. Also on the list for that year: 163 ports in 67 countries on 58 cruises. Except for a single departure, all cruises aboard the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony will embark and/or depart from a U. S. port... The Symphony will emerge this season from a $25 million makeover, being completed at a drydock in Boston. Penthouses, pool areas, the Prego Italian restaurant, the Lido café, elevators, staterooms, a crew restaurant, lighting, medical center equipment, and the broadcast production studio are all scheduled for new or remodeled facilities and décor... On-board computer education is taking a leap. Crystal's Computer University@Sea will be teaching the new Windows 7 operating system as well as college-credit courses. Also offered: instruction in email, website design, digital video editing, digital camera orientation, web surfing, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, and more.
A new menu of spa treatments and services is being introduced aboard the 2620-passenger Queen Mary 2 by Canyon Ranch, the spa-fitness-salon provider. They include Voya Seaweed Treatments, Detoxifying and Revitalizing Rituals, and Performance Orthotics services. The spa covers some 20,000 square feet of the ship and has a staff of 30, 24 treatment rooms, 50 pieces of equipment, a Thalasso-therapy pool, neck fountains, a deluge waterfall, body massage jet benches, herbal saunas, Finnish saunas, and an aromatic steam room... Itineraries have been announced for Cunard's two 2011 World Cruises. The new 2092-passenger Queen Elizabeth will conduct its initial global circuit, leaving Southampton in January and proceeding westward to New York, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Dubai, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and elsewhere, returning home after 103 days. The Queen Mary 2 will begin its fourth world voyage in New York, stopping in Fort Lauderdale, the Caribbean, South America, South Africa, Sydney, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and the UK, returning to New York after 103 days. Together the two ships will visit 57 ports of call in 34 countries... The three Queens of Cunard's fleet — Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and the 2014-passenger Queen Victoria will rendezvous in New York harbor on January 13, 2011... Cunard's 2010 - 2011 itineraries show three Queens under sail. The Queen Mary 2 will make 21 transatlantic crossings next year and additional roundtrip New York voyages; the 2014-passenger Queen Victoria will spend winter 2011 on the U. S. West Coast and in Panama Canal waters, calling at Los Angeles and Hawaii after summer in Europe; and the 2010-new Queen Elizabeth will begin its career next October in Spain and Portugal.
Disney's first new ship in 12 years, the 2500-passenger Disney Dream, is scheduled for a 2011 debut. Its keel was laid in Germany during the summer. The ship is being built through a block construction process, in which pre-fabricated complete hull sections are joined together in block units and are then brought together to form the ship. The Dream will be made up of 80 such blocks. A second ship, the 2500-passenger Disney Fantasy, will follow in 2012, more than doubling Disney's current capacity. The ships will be based at Port Canaveral... Disney will sail in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe in the summer of 2010 and will place its 1760-passenger Disney Wonder in service from Los Angeles in 2011... Next year will see the Disney Magic in Russia, Northern Europe, and the Med. There will be a two-month mid-summer schedule of 12-day European Capital cruises stopping at Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin's port, and St. Petersburg, round trip from London. Before and after those Northern Europe trips will be a series of 10- and 11-day cruises in the Med in April, May, August, and September round trip from Barcelona.
Formers news anchor Sam Donaldson, writer Kitty Kelly, and Grammy Award winner Doc Severinsen have been booked to headline the enrichment program aboard Holland America's 2010 Grand World Voyage world cruise. The 114-day trip will leave Fort Lauderdale in January and conclude in Los Angeles, after exploring South America, Africa, and Asia. The 1380-passenger Amsterdam will conduct the cruise... Hollandamerica.com, the company's web site, has been redesigned. It is planned to be more visually engaging and user-friendly. Additions include new intuitive navigation, expanded page views, an upgraded cruise finder section, maps of itineraries, electronic brochures, an on-line community option, and many virtual tours and videos that feature 360-degree views of public rooms and staterooms... Here's a novel approach to on-board programming. Holland America will start a book club program on sailings of 14 days and longer. Popular novels will be selected for reading and then book discussions will be hosted by resident librarians in the ships' libraries. Chosen books will often relate to ships' destinations... Next summer, Holland America will have eight ships sailing in Alaskan waters, four from Seattle and four from Vancouver.
This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See the Ship
Reviews section.
Canada/New England sailings from New York City and Quebec City have been added to MSC's 2010 fall schedule. They'll be conducted aboard the March-debuting 2550-passenger Magnifica. When it makes its first U. S. landfall late in September, it will embark on a 31-day peroid of four cruises.
The 2002-passenger Norwegian Sky is now fresh from a large-scale makeover. It received reupholstering of all 1000 seats in the theater, new marble tiling and wood refinishing in prime suite cabins, bar and nightclub reconfigurations, new food stations in the café, refurbishment of the Italian restaurant, and mural repainting at the pool area. The ship has 10 bars and lounges, a spa, two pools, children's facilities, a sports deck, and scores of entertainment venues and public rooms. It operates three-and four-day cruises from Miami... 14 restaurants. 18 bars. An aqua park with three waterslides. A 200-foot tube slide. A 33' x 64' rock climbing wall. Six bowling lanes. A repelling wall. Eight different outdoor sports activities — basketball, volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, batting cage, bungee trampoline, rope course, climbing cage — on the sports deck. A squash court. Three separate kids' and teens activity areas. Illuminated arching water sprays. 60 two-deck suites and villas with private pool, health club, and lounge. Cabin windows facing corridors. Curved staterooms. Color-spectrum hull art. That's part of what awaits 4200 passengers on each cruise of the Norwegian Epic, which sets sail next May. The ship will sail from Miami on seven-day cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
A preview of Deilmann's 2010 Europe river schedule shows 189 departures between March and November. Cruise lengths will vary between four and 11 days, with most scheduled for seven days. Among the rivers to be plied next year: Danube, Elbe, Havel, Moldau, Seine, Moselle, and Rhine.
Looking ahead to late 2010 and 2011, Princess has scheduled five new South Pacific and Hawaii sailings. Next September there will be a 30-day San Francisco to Sydney trip via Hawaii and Tahiti, followed by a return cruise to Los Angeles. In 2011, there will be three Hawaii circuits from Los Angeles... Princess will spread its sails in Europe next year, scheduling a record 96 departures on 39 itineraries to 130 ports on six ships. Major areas: The Med, Greek Isles, British Isles, Iceland, Scandinavia, Russia, Black Sea, Holy Land... The carrier's 2010 Alaska season will see 112 sailings aboard seven ships. Departures will be from San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Whittier (Anchorage). Trips will range from seven to 14 days in length... There will be a doubling of Princess' capacity in the Caribbean next summer, as it places its 3110-passenger Caribbean Princess and 3100-passenger Emerald Princess into service there. The Caribbean Princess will sail from New York City on ten nine-day itineraries to Bermuda and various islands. The Emerald Princess will travel from Fort Lauderdale on week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises... A new plot twist is being added to Princess' outdoor giant-screen movies — billed as "Movies Under the Stars." A Leonard Maltin Movie Club and Movie Channel, named for the well-known film critic, will give passengers an opportunity to gather after movies and discuss and critique them with other film buffs. A different popular or classic film will be showcased monthly on each Princess ship.
Actress Florence Henderson and Singer Clint Holmes will inaugurate "Dinner and a Show," a new entertainment concept being introduced by Regent on its two 700-passenger ships, the Voyager and the Mariner. Under the new model, the evening's entertainment for participating passengers will consist of a cocktail party and a gourmet meal in one of the ships' alternative dining rooms followed by an "intimate" cabaret-style performance in a nearby lounge. Henderson will appear in January on a Fort Lauderdale to Callao cruise and Holmes in March on a Hong Kong to Cape Town trip.
When the 5400-passenger, 16-deck Oasis of the Seas is launched at holiday season this year, it plans to introduce "the next generation of dining." A combination of al fresco seating, gourmet venues and "My Time Dining" is planned to appeal to all tastes, according to Royal Caribbean. The ship is divided into seven "neighborhoods," each with its own set of eating places. There will also be a three-level main dining room. Among the scores of dining locations: 150 Central Park, an extra- charge dinner house; Giovanni's Table, a trattoria, also extra charge; Park Café, an indoor/outdoor gourmet market; Vintages, a wine bar with light foods; Chops Grille, an extra-charge steakhouse; Seafood Shack, an extra-charge surf-style family restaurant; a donut shop; an ice cream parlor; an extra-charge Johnny Rockets; Mondo Café, a 24-hour coffee house; Café Promenade, a 24-hour extra-charge restaurant; Sorrentos, a New York-style pizzeria; Solarium Bistro, an extra-charge healthy food establishment; Vitality Café, with more healthy foods near the Spa; and more. Entertainment options will center around a 1350-seat main theater, Broadway musicals, headliners, ice shows, an amphitheater-style venue seating 600 for aqua shows, a comedy club, street parties, disco, video, and many bars and additional entertainment locations. The shopping sector will be equally encompassing. Among the retailers: Coach handbags and accessories, Prince & Greene trendy fashion boutique, Regalia jewelry and timepieces, Solera duty-free cosmetics and fragrances, Willow sportswear, Candy Beach sweets. Carousel apparel, Pinwheels for children, Star Pier for teen apparel and electronic games, Breeze for sun products, and more. Royal Caribbean's second 5400-passenger ship, Allure of the Seas, will be placed in Caribbean service when it's completed in December, 2010. Weekly trips from Fort Lauderdale will alternate between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. In a break from normal, each itinerary will include three days at sea.
Seabourn's 2010 - 2011 schedule has been published. With two new ships bringing its total fleet to five, the new schedule shows 44 new or not-recently-visited destinations, year-'round service in Asia for the first time, deeper itineraries in Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa, and a return to Indonesia. All told, there will be visits to 250 ports in 68 countries on 186 voyages over 15 months.
Silversea has published its 2010 schedule. It shows 190 itineraries and visits to 400 ports in 80 countries on seven continents ... The new 540-passenger all-suite Silver Spirit enters service this season. Its inaugural 2010 voyage will be a 91-day "Spirit of South America" cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles and back to New York, stopping at Rio and Buenos Aires, crossing the Panama Canal, and cruising around South America at Cape Horn. It will visit 45 ports in 20 countries. Its dining offerings are among its big attractions. The Restaurant will be the main dining room, featuring an open seating at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. La Terrazza will be open for buffet-style breakfasts and lunches, with indoor and outdoor seating options. At dinner it will feature a la carte Italian foods. Seishin and Le Champagne are extra-fee Japanese and wine restaurants, respectively. A Stars Supper Club will offer dinner and then transition into a live-music/dancing/entertainment room, with guests expected to stay for the whole evening. A pool grill rounds out the ship's food palette.
July-August-September,
2009
LATE BREAKING
CRUISE NEWS
Here's all the news you want to know from all the carriers you want to know about
Joining the growing list of carriers offering non-traditional dining options is Carnival. It is extending its "Your Choice Dining" plan to all of its 22 ships between now and summer, 2010. There will be traditional early and late seatings as well as a new "your time" open-seating arrangement... Returning to service this fall after a month-long drydock is the 2052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy. Among the multi-million dollar differences: a large water park with a 300-foot long waterslide, an adults-only retreat, a redesigned main pool area, a teen center, and 98 new balconies... Year-'round short cruises from San Diego will be scheduled for the 2052- passenger Carnival Elation. It will conduct four- and five-day cruises half the time and three- and four-day circuits the other half. Destination: Mexico's Baja California... For the first time, Seattle has become a home port for Carnival's Alaska summer season. The 2124-passenger Carnival Spirit has scheduled almost four months of voyages that will stop at Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria Island. An on-board naturalist will educate passengers about the region's history and its animal and marine life... Baltimore joins the select list of 52-week cruise departure cities with the positioning of the 2124-passenger Carnival Pride there this fall for trips to the Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas/Florida... The poker chips will be clacking on each voyage of all 22 Carnival ships from now until October, as the PokerPro Challenge Texas Hold'em poker tournament rolls out. Grand prize is $25,000. Displays will show players' commitments, table stakes, pot amount, and community cards. They'll also identify winners at the end of each hand and add the winnings to the player's table stakes.
http://www.directline-cruises.co.uk/Carnival%20Cruises
South America schedules for winter 2010 - 2011 have been announced by Celebrity. The season will consist of visits to 13 countries and 30 ports. The 1950-passenger Celebrity Infinity will sail six 14-day trips, including dips around Cape Horn. Buenos Aires and Valparaiso will be the embarkation ports... Short getaways to the Caribbean will now be offered year-'round. Beginning next May, the 1814-passenger Celebrity Century will conduct four- and five-day Caribbean itineraries all year long from Miami. Among the places it will visit: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, the line's private island CocoCay, Roatan, Nassau, Jamaica, and Key West... For the first time in six years, Celebrity will be sailing year-'round in the Caribbean. Beginning next year, its 2850-passenger Celebrity Solstice will alternate week-long trips from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern and Western Caribbean... The 1950-passenger Celebrity Millennium emerges from a $10 million refreshment this summer. It will sport new carpeting throughout the ship, new upholstery in every cabin, renewed marble and stone floors, newly varnished teak, 32-inch TVs in suites, and more. It will be sailing the Alaska route this summer from Vancouver.
More than 250 destinations will be visited next year by Costa's 15 ships. That represents a capacity increase of 16 percent when its new 2828-passenger Costa Deliziosa enters service next spring. Most of the trips will be in Europe, where 14 of the liners will be stationed at least part of the year. Other itineraries will be to North America, South America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada/New England, and repositioning. The carrier says that it will offer 1100 different excursions next year. Costa, which carried 1.1 million passengers in 2007, observes its 60th anniversary this year... Starting in 2010, Celebrity will offer short cruises year-'round. Its 1814-passenger Celebrity Century will conduct four- and five-day Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami... Costa held a precedent-setting double christening in Genoa this season, introducing its 2828-passenger Costa Luminosa and 3000-passenger Costa Pacifica. It calls Luminosa the Ship of Light and Pacifica the Ship of Sound. The Luminosa will have a contemporary design accented by iridescent colors, marbles, woods, mother-of-pearl detailing, and art. There will be 120 Murano glass chandeliers, 1100 decorative tiles, and 20 types of marble and granite. The theater will seat 800 passengers and feature 14,000 lights capable of creating special effects. A mega-screen will be located over the pool. The Pacifica will have a 103-cabin Spa area, a professional music-recording studio allowing passengers to create their own CDs, an atrium highlighted by musical symbols and instruments as dˇcor, a soundtrack created for the ship by Italian composer Mauro Pagani and 43 musicians, and live singers performing in the lounges. Each corridor on the ship will have its own music by masters from Chopin to Beethoven, while each lounge will feature its own international music. 22 musicians aboard the ship will be divided into orchestras, trios, duos, and pianists.
A new vessel has been assigned to Cruise West's Galapagos service. The 100-passenger Galapagos Explorer will conduct nine-day cruises from the Ecuador mainland 650 miles west to about eight of the Galapagos islands. Naturalist guides will provide continuous commentary. Cruise West's Galapagos exploration cruises depart next March and April... Cruise West is rolling out a more robust enrichment program this summer. It will be guided by a new Board of Advisors, who are authorities on oceanography, nature, science, cultures, and history... Some ships will now offer "alfresco" dining options, and all will have new food and wine choices this season.
Technology takes a front and center position on Crystal's programming this fall, as it introduces on-board Technology Concierges. They'll help passengers understand features of iPods, iPhones, BlackBerries, Kindles, Treos and GPS devices... What's expected to be Crystal's final call to Antarctica is set for the Christmas/New Year holiday. The 19-day trip, aboard the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony, will depart from Buenos Aires and conclude in Valparaiso, after visits to ports in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Beginning in 2011, a proposed ban on the carriage of certain fuel oils will effectively prohibit the sailing of most ships in the Antarctic... The company is unveiling a new web site at crystalcruises.com. It will be layered for quicker and easier access to information needed to plan a Crystal cruise. It will have additional photography, interactive slide shows, descriptive content about destinations and shore excursions, special offers, and an on-line version of its fleetwide brochure.
The Oxford University Press has joined with Cunard to inaugurate a new on-board Science Club, where leading scientists and science writers will conduct lectures, book signings, and interviews. Among the topics: astronomy, evolution, oceanography, genetics, biodiversity. Cunard had the help of 3000 former passengers who answered surveys during the formulation of the program... A popular Queen: the maiden voyage of Cunard's next liner, the 2092-passenger Queen Elizabeth, sold out within 36 minutes after tickets went on sale. It will launch in October, 2010, from London. In addition to the maiden voyage, more than half the accommodations available on the ship's first six voyages were sold within the first two hours... With a nod toward history and a vow that its passengers "who seek a return to tradition will enjoy proper, authentic experiences to reflect the line's 170-year heritage of formality and civility at sea," Cunard has unveiled details of the Queen Elizabeth. Many public rooms will be double-and triple-height. Interiors will be detailed with wood paneling, mosaics, marble, and chandeliers. Art deco design recalling earlier QEs will be used extensively. There will be large collections of artwork and memorabilia reflecting the first QE of 1938-vintage. And a number of public rooms and decks will be named for their counterparts in the earlier ship. The first six cruises will call on 32 ports in 18 countries. Med, Aegean, Gallic, Iberian, and Caribbean regions will be visited... Just published: Cunard's 2010 - 2011 itineraries. The company will once again have three Queens under sail. The 2620-passenger Queen Mary will make 21 transatlantic crossings next year and additional roundtrip New York voyages; the 2014-passenger Queen Victoria will spend winter 2011 on the U. S. West Coast and in Panama Canal waters, calling at Los Angeles and Hawaii after summer in Europe; and the 2010-new 2092-passenger Queen Elizabeth will begin its career next October in Spain and Portugal.
Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Those will be the names of Disney's next two 2500-passenger ships, due for launch in 2011 and 2012. The bows of the ships will have intricate patterns of art deco-inspired scrollwork, similar to the scrollwork on Disney's existing two ships. They're intended to be reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, with added touches of Disney whimsy, such as a Mickey Mouse medallion in the center of the design... Construction of the two ships is beginning in Germany this season. According to Disney, they're being built with families in mind, with specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and individual experiences. The two new ships will double Disney's Cruise Line's size... Next year will see the Disney Magic in Russia, Northern Europe, and the Med. There will be a two-month mid-summer schedule of 12-day European Capital cruises stopping at Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin's port, and St. Petersburg, round trip from London. Before and after those Northern Europe trips will be a series of 10- and 11-day cruises in the Med in April, May, August, and September round trip from Barcelona.
Here's a novel approach to on-board programming. Holland America will start a book club program on sailings of 14 days and longer. Popular novels will be selected for reading and then book discussions will be hosted by resident librarians in the ships' libraries. Chosen books will often relate to ships' destinations... Replacing 20 seven-day sailings, Holland America will inaugurate ten new 14-day cruises to Anchorage, Homer, and Kodiak for the first time next summer. The 1380-passenger Amsterdam will sail from Seattle and will also visit the Inside Passage, Sawyer and Hubbard Glaciers, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Kodiak, Juneau, and Victoria... "Showroom at Sea" makes its debut this summer. A musical repertory company consisting of seasoned Broadway performers, it will be the centerpiece of Holland America's entertainment lineup. Produced by Emmy-winning artists, the concept will feature a different show and themed environment nightly. Cast members have credits with such shows as Les Miserables, Rent, and Mamma Mia. A redesigned main stage will have a seamless transition with the showroom. There will be new seating, new sound systems, new lighting, new video projections, and scenery that can leap off the stage... Next summer, Holland America will have eight ships sailing in Alaskan waters, four from Seattle and four from Vancouver.
This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See the Ship
Reviews section.
In a partnership with Travelocity, Hurtigruten ships, onboard experiences, and descriptions of each sailing will be a link away from Travelocity content. The carrier this year will visit fjords
A new passenger-service position of Guest Relations Manager is being added to each MSC ship. The managers, who speak several languages, will serve as a single point of contact to handle passenger service issues... A 220-page coffee-table book about the guest experience aboard MSC has been published. It's called "Cruising in Style," and is available at bookstores, online, and onboard MSC ships... MSC will add Canada/New England to its repertoire next year. Its now-abuilding 2550-passenger Magnifica, which will enter service next March, will conduct fall foliage cruises between New York City and Quebec.
14 restaurants. 18 bars. An aqua park with three waterslides. A 200-foot tube slide. A 33' x 64' rock climbing wall. Six bowling lanes. A repelling wall. Eight different outdoor sports activities — basketball, volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, batting cage, bungee trampoline, rope course, climbing cage — on the sports deck. A squash court. Three separate kids' and teens activity areas. Illuminated arching water sprays. 60 two-deck suites and villas with private pool, health club, and lounge. Cabin windows facing corridors. Curved staterooms. Color-spectrum hull art. That's part of what awaits 4200 passengers on each cruise of the Norwegian Epic, which sets sail next May. The ship will sail from Miami on seven-day cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean... Now passengers will be able to connect with other passengers — both acquaintances and strangers — before their cruise begins, thanks to a new NCL Facebook application. Passengers booked on future cruises will be able to network with others on their sailing on a Cruise Countdown Clock application on Facebook. The social media application will show all the people utilizing the site and allow communication with each... After Alaska imposed a $50 head tax on each cruise ship passenger, NCL announced it was pulling its 1936-passenger Norwegian Sun from the Alaska market beginning next summer. It will move it to the Baltic, where it will begin 12-day trips to Copenhagen, Berlin, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm.
A new wrinkle in the shore excursion experience will appear on Peter Deilmann's Europe river cruises this season. A wireless communication system will allow the tour leader to speak clearly and at normal volume to tour-goers who will be wearing headsets. It will be particularly useful in places where talking is discouraged or forbidden and where the din of crowds and poor acoustics make shouting necessary or difficult.
Princess will spread its sails in Europe next year, scheduling a record 96 departures on 39 itineraries to 130 ports on six ships. Major areas: The Med, Greek Isles, British Isles, Iceland, Scandinavia, Russia, Black Sea, Holy Land... The carrier's 2010 Alaska season will see 112 sailings aboard seven ships. Departures will be from San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Whittier (Anchorage). Trips will range from seven to 14 days in length... There will be a doubling of Princess' capacity in the Caribbean next summer, as it places its 3110-passenger Caribbean Princess and 3100-passenger Emerald Princess into service there. The Caribbean Princess will sail from New York City on ten nine-day itineraries to Bermuda and various islands. The Emerald Princess will travel from Fort Lauderdale on week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises... A new plot twist is being added to Princess' outdoor giant-screen movies — billed as "Movies Under the Stars." A Leonard Maltin Movie Club and Movie Channel, named for the well-known film critic, will give passengers an opportunity to gather after movies and discuss and critique them with other film buffs. A different popular or classic film will be showcased monthly on each Princess ship.
"Dinner and a Show" is a new entertainment concept being introduced by Regent on its two 700-passenger ships, the Voyager and the Mariner. Under the new model, the evening's entertainment for participating passengers will consist of a cocktail party and a gourmet meal in one of the ships' alternative dining rooms followed by an "intimate" cabaret-style performance in a nearby lounge.
Royal Caribbean's second 5400-passenger ship, Allure of the Seas, will be placed in Caribbean service when it's completed in December, 2010. Weekly trips from Fort Lauderdale will alternate between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. In a break from normal, each itinerary will include three days at sea. The ship will have 16 decks, themed "neighborhoods," a carousel, a zip line, an amphitheater, fountain shows set to lights, a naturally-lit boulevard of boutiques and restaurants, a tropical park as long as a football field, flower gardens, beach pool, and more. For the first three years, the main showroom production will be the Tony award-winning seven-year Broadway musical "Hairspray"... Eight Royal Caribbean ships will ply European waters next year. The four- to 14-day cruises will be positioned in the Med and Northern and Western Europe. The ships will visit 55 ports in 22 countries on 57 itineraries... Close-to-home cruising will come to four Northeast U. S. ports next year. Baltimore, Boston, Norfolk, and New York will receive 84 sailings on 14 itineraries. Among the regions to be visited: Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Canada/New England. Trips will range from five to nine days in duration... Royal Caribbean's 2010 - 2011 Caribbean season will find five ships sailing from four home ports. There will be 243 sailings from San Juan, Port Canaveral, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. 25 ports of call will be visited on five- to nine-day cruises... Royal Caribbean will be long on short cruises in 2010 - 2011. It has scheduled 331 three- to five-day sailings. They'll encompass 20 itineraries and visit 15 ports... Some changes coming up in the line's dining program. A concept called "My Time Dining" will be on the table. It will allow passengers to eat in the main dining room whenever they wish. They will not have a pre-assigned table and can eat with whomever they wish. Children who have post-dinner programs to attend will be able to leave the meal in 40 minutes. Specialty restaurants and cabin service will also be available... "Webisodes" available at www.oasisoftheseas.com will give future passengers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring a cruise ship to life. In this case it's the 5400-passenger, 16-deck Oasis of the Seas, which will be launched in December... Living up to its middle name, Royal Caribbean Cruises has scheduled 101 Caribbean sailings for the 2010 - 2011 winter and spring seasons. Seven ships will offer 31 itineraries between seven and 14 days in length. There will be 28 ports visited. Points of departure will be Bayonne, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Juan, and the Panama city of Colon.
Seabourn's 2010 - 2011 schedule has been published. With two new ships bringing its total fleet to five, the new schedule shows 44 new or not-recently-visited destinations, year-'round service in Asia for the first time, deeper itineraries in Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa, and a return to Indonesia. All told, there will be visits to 250 ports in 68 countries on 186 voyages over 15 months.
The butler did it. Silversea will expand butler service to all accommodations aboard its fleet by December... From jazz and the Beatles to opera, a series of music theme cruises will round out the year on three of Silversea's vessels. See Theme Cruises. The early-January inaugural voyage of Silversea's new 540-passenger all-suite Silver Spirit will be a 91-day "Spirit of South America cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles and back to New York, stopping at Rio and Buenos Aires, crossing the Panama Canal, and cruising around South America at Cape Horn. It will visit 45 ports in 20 countries. Among the entertainment/enrichment programming: Actor-writer-comedian John Cleese and Astronaut and first American woman to walk in space Dr. Kathryn Sullivan... Also appearing this fall: BBC TV and "Golden Girls" producer Terry Hughes, foreign policy fellow Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution, British explorer John Harrison, PBS conservation biologist Bill Toone, and BBC correspondent and anchor Michael Buerk.
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