cruise industry news
- Rocking the Boat: Controversy over the Carnival Cruises and FEMA Contract
Now that Katrina is gone, a new storm has arisen over what many consider the most controversial aspects of the relief effort: FEMA’s no-bid contract with Carnival Cruises to house victims of the storm in three of their ships. With fewer people onboard the vessels than FEMA anticipated, as well as a price tag that, by some calculations, would be less if the government had actually sent the victims on a real cruise, many question the practicality of the agreement between the feds and the largest cruise line in the world.
Politicians, Democrats and Republicans, are questioning the sense—and the cost, $236 million—of the contracting of three Carnival Cruises ships, vessels that were commandeered to house close to 10,000 people, but now rest in harbors in the Gulf coast region with way less than half that number. The controversy over this contract highlights a double edged sword that plagued much of the government’s response with Katrina: how delay and haste can hinder a relief effort.
It seemed like such a good plan at first. After all, it may seem ironic, but if you have to be near the coast, cruise ships are one of the safest places to be during severe weather (since they can take to the seas and get out of the way). So, to house the victims whose homes were destroyed or flooded in the cabins of cruise ships—vessels that can not only provide food and shelter, but also transportation—seemed to be an inventive temporary solution. And that’s just what FEMA thought, as well, quickly moving to seek out the ships after the hurricane had passed.
But when offered the prospect of being surrounded by water yet again, many of Katrina’s victims decided that they’d rather chance it on dry land. Now, the mostly –empty ships sit idle in ports in Mobile and New Orleans. Only 625 victims out of 2,544 who first registered boarded Carnival Cruises' Ecstasy; Sensation had about 820 instead of the anticipated 2,579. Carnival Holiday? Only 342; although, more evacuees are expected to board the ship after reaching Pascagoula, Mississippi this week.
So instead of housing victims of Katrina, the Carnival Cruises Ecstasy and Sensation have become the homes of New Orleans first responders who have stayed to help with the ongoing relief effort. At the peak, the ships housed around 2,000 such workers and their families, certainly a welcome help to workers under the strain of rebuilding a sodden city. “They are bending over backward for us,” said Captain Bryson of the New Orleans police of Carnival Cruises Lines. "They are treating us like we're on a cruise."
Indeed, argue many critics of the no-bid contract, when looking at the terms of the contract, the government might as well have paid for real cruise vacations. According to calculations by aides to the Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Tom Coburn, if the Carnival Cruises ships had reached the anticipated capacity of 7,116 evacuees, for six months (the length of the contract), the price per evacuee would total $1,275 a week. A seven-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston can be had for $599 per person (for an interior cabin)—complete with onboard entertainment, stellar cuisine, and Caribbean destinations.
"When the federal government would actually save millions of dollars by forgoing the status quo and actually sending evacuees on a luxurious six-month cruise, it is time to rethink how we are conducting oversight," said Coburn and Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., in a joint statement Tuesday calling for a chief financial officer to oversee Katrina spending.
Still, the contract with Carnival Cruises, which totaled $192 million over six months, plus $44 million in reimbursable expenses, such as port charges, fuel, food and docking costs, will ensure only that Carnival Cruises breaks even when it pulls three ships from holiday operations. "In the end, we will make no additional money on this deal versus what we would have made by keeping these ships in service," said Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival spokeswoman. In fact, because of Katrina, Carnival Cruises had to shuffle about 100,000 cruise passengers who were scheduled to sail, many of whom canceled their cruises rather than change them.
Regardless of the financial outcome with Carnival Cruises, the contract has undoubtedly provided a great service to those who needed it, relief workers and victims of Katrina, alike. The question is, however, did the benefits equal the cost to the American taxpayer. But in the end, as many people will probably agree, hearing news of another example of government overspending is no more unusual than hearing news about the weather.
- Culinary Euphoria aboard Crown Princess
When Princess Cruise Line’s extravagant new ship, the Crown Princess, makes her much anticipated debut in June of next year, she will come equipped with an incredible host of mouth-watering new onboard culinary offerings. Princess Cruises has long been known for its extraordinary array of alternative dining opportunities onboard each one of its magnificent vessels, and the Crown Princess will certainly be no different!
From charming sidewalk cafés and coffee shops, to colorful pool-side grills and elegant 5-star fine-dining establishments, the Crown Princess will take Princess Cruises’ Anytime Dining concept to an entirely new level, providing her guests with a number of Princess Cruise favorites, as well a several amazing new casual and specialty dining options never before seen in the Princess Cruise fleet.
A brand new feature aboard the Crown Princess is the piazza-style atrium, designed to be the bustling hub of the ship with a quaint street café atmosphere. With Italian-inspired décor, this charming street café environment will be an inviting venue throughout the day for those passengers seeking a more casual dining option. Additionally, The International Café will feature a rotating menu based on time of day, and the Vines wine and seafood bar will cater to passengers with a craving for light fare, such as ceviche, escabèche, shrimp, and oysters, with the perfect delicious accompanying glass of wine.
Princess Cruises’ now signature favorite, Sabatini's Italian restaurant, has been expanded, and relocated to the scenic aft end of the ship, providing diners with a multi-course Italian dining extravaganza accompanied by a breathtaking panoramic view of the glistening sea below. Princess’ popular Sterling Steakhouse has been modified into the Crown Grill, a steak and seafood house with a theater-style performance kitchen. Crown Princess’ highly skilled chefs will dazzle guests with their incredible culinary skills, all while preparing one of the most succulent meals they have ever had!
Another Princess Cruise trademark, the 24-hour Horizon Court will serve up round-the-clock buffet fare, while the adjacent Café Caribe will offer unique Caribbean specialties in a deluxe buffet setting, with a focus on a different island or region each night, plus seafood extravaganzas on formal evenings.
As with every other Princess Cruise ship, passengers aboard the Crown Princess will have a choice between traditional seating and the restaurant-style Anytime Dining in the ship’s three large main dining rooms. Passengers can also enjoy a variety of poolside treats at the hamburger and hot dog grill located right out on deck.
The 113,000-ton Crown Princess is scheduled to debut in June 2006, initially offering round-trip 9-day sailings to the Caribbean and Bermuda departing from New York. In the fall of 2006, the ship will move from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a series of Southern Caribbean cruises.
- CARNIVAL CREATES NEW 'CLUB 02' TEEN PROGRAM Spacious, High-Tech Teen Centers...
MIAMI (August 4, 2005) - Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise operator, and The Coca-Cola Company, the world's largest soft drink manufacturer, have teamed up to create "Club O2," a new teen program aboard the line's 21 "Fun Ships."
"Club O2," which is targeted at teens in the 15-17 age group, encompasses a variety of new and expanded programming fleetwide, as well as new teen directors aboard each ship and spacious teen clubs offering a memorable setting for activities or just hanging out. The teen centers are currently featured on 12 of 21 Carnival ships with the majority of the other ships scheduled to be retrofitted by the end of the year.
The 1,000- to 1,800-square-foot teen clubs include a dance floor with a DJ, a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and large-screen plasma TVs displaying the latest movies and music videos.
There's also a "Coke-tail" lounge where guests can enjoy Coca-Cola products and various non-alcoholic specialty drinks. The rooms are enhanced by a distinctive décor along with plush sofas and comfortable seating.
Select teen clubs also feature a library with popular teen-oriented books and magazines, video game units, 16-monitor "video walls," and "listening stations" where teens can plug in and hear the latest tunes.
"We've conducted extensive market research on the unique vacation desires of today's teens and have developed a carefully thought out program that combines modern, inviting facilities and interesting activities, all in an unstructured environment preferred by older kids," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO. "Teens comprise a significant portion of the 500,000 kids who are expected to sail aboard the ‘Fun Ships' this year and Carnival is pleased to partner with industry leader Coca-Cola to create this exciting program for teens to call their own," he added.
"What a fantastic way for both Carnival and Coca-Cola to reach this vital segment of their businesses. ‘Club O2' is destined be a great success," said John Byrne, senior national sales executive of The Coca-Cola Company.
The "Club O2" activities begin shortly after teens arrive on board as they attend a "Welcome Aboard" party where they receive a complete listing of the voyage's activities, as well as a variety of promotional materials, including a mesh "Club O2" bag.
Then throughout the voyage, teens can enjoy a wide range of activities such as karaoke sessions, nightly themed parties, late-night movies, video game contests, basketball, ping-pong and other sporting events.
Following the latest "reality TV" craze, games based on "The Bachelor/Bachelorette," "Fear Factor" and "Survivor" are played daily. Activities start in the early afternoon and run well into the evening.
Activities are coordinated by a "Club O2" teen director aboard each ship. "These energetic directors are really the catalyst for ‘Club O2' and create an exciting atmosphere for getting teens involved," Dickinson said.
The new fleetwide teen program continues Carnival's efforts at catering to this burgeoning market.
Recent enhancements include the fleetwide Y-Spa program aimed exclusively at older kids and their parents who can enjoy a variety of soothing, luxurious body and facial treatments.
Teens-only shore excursions are also available, providing older kids an opportunity to experience Carnival's exciting destinations together as a group. Outings are accompanied by a member of the teen staff and include such options as cave tubing in Belize, horseback riding in Cozumel, and swimming with stingrays in Grand Cayman.
Other fleetwide amenities popular with teens include 24-hour pizza and ice cream in the poolside restaurants and high-tech arcades featuring the latest video games. Teens can also enjoy a nine-hole miniature golf course on the Imagination, as well as a 270-square-foot outdoor television screen on the new Carnival Liberty which debuted last month.
Each Carnival ship offers at least three swimming pools as well as a twisting, turning water slide.
Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 21 "Fun Ships" operating voyages of three to 16 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England and Europe.
The line will expand the "Fun Ship" fleet with the launch of the 110,000-ton Carnival Freedom which is scheduled to enter service in February 2007.
- FREEDOM IS . . . HANGING TEN A HUNDRED MILES OUT TO SEA Royal Caribbean Inte...
MIAMI, Aug. 31, 2005 - Active cruisers wondering "what's next?" have their answer. Royal Caribbean International - the cruise line that introduced the first onboard rock-climbing walls, ice skating rinks and in-line skating tracks - now will offer guests the chance to "hang ten" a hundred miles out to sea with the first-ever shipboard surf park aboard Freedom of the Seas.
The company unveiled plans today for the onboard surf park at a special event at Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J., which will be the first U.S. stop in Freedom of the Seas' preview schedule when she debuts as the world's largest cruise ship in May 2006.
Created by WaveLoch, Inc. of La Jolla, Calif., the 32-foot-wide by 40-foot-long FlowRider® generates a thin sheet of water that flows over the ride surface, creating a wave-like shape. Similar to swimming against a current in a stationary lap pool, riders surf or body board against the waterflow of 30,000 gallons per minute, carving turns and trying tricks.
"There's no greater feeling of freedom than challenging yourself to expand your limits," said Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein. "In the same way that our rock-climbing walls have inspired cruisers to get out there and try new things, we know the FlowRider® will add to our guests' excitement with an adrenaline-pumping, unforgettable new experience."
Adventurous guests can try their hand (and legs) at stand-up surfing, known as flowboarding, or opt for less-balance-demanding body boarding. The FlowRider's® design features a tensioned-fabric surface similar to a trampoline that provides a cushion to absorb the impact of falls.
Descending from the aft sports court on Deck 13 down to Deck 12, the FlowRider® will be surrounded by plenty of space for spectators to cheer on their friends, family and fellow cruisers. After guests sign up, instructors will walk them through a required safety session with tips for a successful ride. An adjacent sports bar will feature flat-screen TVs with a live feed of the surf park action, while a sports boutique will offer surfing gear and wear. There will not be a charge to ride the FlowRider®.
To give cruisers a preview of the new surf attraction, Royal Caribbean also has created a new TV commercial that shows the hottest trends in surfing through the ages, ending with computer-generated images of what the FlowRider® will look like on Freedom of the Seas. The message is concise: "Long board. Short board. Boogie board. Onboard." The ad begins airing today nationwide.
The new surf park is the fourth outstanding aqua environment to be announced for Freedom of the Seas. The ship also will feature an adults-only Solarium with two cantilevered whirlpools extending 12 feet past the sides of the ship; a main pool area with two pools, including one dedicated to team sports and lap swimming; and the colorful H2O Zone water park, featuring interactive sculpture fountains, ground geysers, a cascading waterfall and a circular pool with current.
Wave Loch, Inc. manufacturers simulated surfing attractions located around the world (see www.waveloch.com). FlowRider® is a trademark of Light Wave Ltd., of Reno, Nevada.
At 160,000 GRT and holding 3,600 guests double-occupancy, Freedom of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuts in May 2006. The first in Royal Caribbean's new Freedom class, she will be the most forward-looking and innovative ship the company has built to date. Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami calling in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Royal Caribbean's private destination, Labadee, Hispaniola.
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- Carnival Cruise Ships: 2006 Fleet Deployment Announced
Carnival Cruise Lines has ironed out the 2006 fleet deployment of Carnival cruise ships and the future looks good. With new four and five-day cruises out of Port Canaveral, new ports of call to feature on Caribbean itineraries and solid plans for Carnival cruise ships to return to the hurricane ravaged ports of Galveston, Mobile and New Orleans.
“We have put together a fleet deployment schedule that accomplishes multiple objectives, including continuity of existing programs, resumption of cruise programs interrupted or modified by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent three-ship charter to the U.S. government, and to introduce some exciting new itinerary and destination options,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO. “This deployment plan successfully achieves all of these objectives and offers some terrific new cruise options in the process,” he added.
Carnival Sensation will be hosting the new year-round program slated to depart from Port Canaveral, Florida. The 2,052-passenger ship will undergo a comprehensive refurbishment just prior to the initial sailing. These four- and five-day cruises will kick off on March 23, 2006 and run aboard the Sensation until October when the Elation is scheduled to take over the program. Four-day cruises will stop in Nassau and either Freeport or Half Moon Cay. Five-day cruises will call on the island destinations of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau, or Key West and Cozumel.
Half Moon Cay is a new port for Carnival cruise ships. The private Bahamian Island owned by Holland America Line is a hot spot for watersports. Grand Turk, part of the Turks & Caicos Islands chain, is also a new port for Carnival cruise ships and is known for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs.
Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay will also be featured in Carnival cruise ships new seven-day cruises from Miami. Beginning in April 2006, the Elation will launch out of Miami through October 2006, sailing every Sunday on a brand new itinerary: Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas; St. Thomas/St. John, U.S.V.I; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands.
Lastly, Carnival cruise ships have planned their return to hurricane devastated areas.
Ecstasy is scheduled to return to her home port of Galveston, but not before a multimillion-dollar refurbishment. Effective April 8, 2006, the polished 2,052-passenger Ecstasy will carry on with her four- and five-day Caribbean cruising. The Elation, which replaced the Ecstasy on the four and five-day program from Galveston when she was chartered by the U.S. government, will continue to operate those voyages through April 3, 2006. A second Carnival cruise ship based in Galveston, the Carnival Conquest, currently operates seven-day western Caribbean cruises departing every Sunday.
The second of the three Carnival Cruise ships chartered by the U.S. government, the “Fun Ship” Holiday, is scheduled to resume year-round cruising from Mobile on March 27, 2006. She will also receive a complete refurbishment prior to re-entering service.
The third ship from the chartered trio, Sensation, will resume her four and five-day cruises from New Orleans beginning Oct. 26, 2006, the same program she operated prior to Hurricane Katrina.
Dickinson stated that Carnival is examining avenues for full resumption of cruise service from the port of New Orleans in the future. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Carnival also operated a year-round seven-day program out of New Orleans. “We are eager to return to pre-Katrina capacity levels from New Orleans, a homeport that is extremely near and dear to us,” Dickinson added.
For those guests booked on voyages that are being canceled as a result of the deployment changes, keep in mind Carnival is offering full refunds and, for those whose bookings were under deposit or fully paid as of Sept. 21, 2005, they will receive a shipboard credit if they re-book by the end of 2005 on any future Carnival voyage.
- ROYAL CARIBBEAN REDEPLOYS GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS TO TAMPA
MIAMI, Sept. 27, 2005 - Due to the indefinite closure of the Port of New Orleans, Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas will begin offering four- and five-night Western Caribbean itineraries from the Port of Tampa beginning Dec. 3, 2005. Grandeur had been scheduled to sail from the Port of New Orleans on a series of seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from December 2005 through May 2006, when she was to be repositioned to the Port of Baltimore.
Grandeur of the Seas will now sail four-night cruises out of Tampa with a port of call in Cozumel, Mexico, as well as five-night cruises visiting the Mexican cities of Costa Maya and Cozumel from Dec. 3 through April 22, 2006. She will then sail a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise beginning April 22, followed by a seven-night cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning April 29. Grandeur will leave San Juan May 6 on a six-night repositioning cruise to Baltimore, where she will begin sailing a series of alternating five-night Bermuda and nine-night Western Caribbean itineraries May 12 through Nov. 10.
"We truly regret that we are unable to sail from New Orleans for the next several months," said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International. "The impact of Hurricane Katrina has been devastating, but we know that New Orleans will eventually reclaim its place as a world-class tourism destination. We will work with guests who have already booked sailings on Grandeur of the Seas to ensure they experience as little inconvenience as possible. And, we look forward to returning to the Port of New Orleans as soon as circumstances permit us to do so."
Guests already booked on Grandeur of the Seas sailings that were to depart from the Port of New Orleans have several options from which to choose to continue their cruise vacation plans between Dec. 3, 2005, and April 22, 2006. Guests may choose:
* One of the four- or five-night Grandeur sailings from Tampa, Splendour of the Seas sailings from Galveston or Enchantment of the Seas sailings from Fort Lauderdale. Guests who rebook on Grandeur will receive a partial refund and a $150-per-stateroom onboard credit. Guests who rebook on Splendour or Enchantment will receive a partial refund and $100-per-stateroom onboard credit;
* Any seven-night cruise on a Vision-class vessel (Vision of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas or Legend of the Seas) at the rate paid (price protected) and a $100-per-stateroom onboard credit;
* Any other Royal Caribbean itinerary at prevailing rates and a $100-per-stateroom onboard credit; or
* To cancel and receive a full refund, plus a $100-per-stateroom future cruise certificate.
Revised bookings will be accepted today through Nov. 1, 2005.
- Princess Cruises Heading South of the Border with Three Ships in 2006 and 2007
Princess Cruises majestic Golden Princess will introduce her first West Coast cruises ever next season as part of Princess' spectacular new Mexican Riviera cruise program, which will be taking place throughout the 2006 and 2007 cruising season. These very special itineraries will feature a wide array of exciting south of the border cruises departing from the convenient west coast port cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.
- Celebrity planning to build 2,850-passenger megaship (07/12/2005)
MIAMI -- Celebrity Cruises is planning to build its first post-Panamax cruise ship, a 117,000-ton, 2,850-passenger vessel that, if ordered, would be ready in the second half of 2008.
The line said July 12 it signed a letter-of-intent with Papenburg, Germany-based Meyer Werft yard, which built Celebrity’s Century-class ships and, more recently, sister line Royal Caribbean International’s four Radiance-class ships.
The company estimated the all-in cost of the post-Panamax ship, or vessel that is too large to fit through the Panama Canal, would be about $225,000 per berth, or $641 million. Celebrity has an option for a second ship, which can be exercised before March 15.
- Princess to sail eight vessels in Caribbean during '06-'07 winter season
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- Princess Cruises’ upcoming 116,000-ton vessel, the Crown Princess, will head to San Juan after finishing its inaugural summer season in New York.
The Crown will offer 13 sailings to the southern Caribbean from San Juan starting Oct. 27, 2006.
The Golden Princess, meanwhile, will sail three western Caribbean cruises in December 2006 from New Orleans, a new port for Princess.
The line will have eight vessels sailing the Caribbean during the 2006-2007 winter season: in addition to the Crown Princess and the Golden Princess, the Caribbean Princess, the Star Princess, the Sun Princess and the Sea Princess will offer seasons from Fort Lauderdale and the Grand Princess will sail from Galveston, Texas. The Coral Princess, meanwhile, offers one holiday sailing on Dec. 22, 2006, that includes calls in the eastern Caribbean.
- Royal Caribbean, Celebrity launch online cruise check-in
MIAMI -- Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are rolling out online check-in for their cruises, starting with passengers booked on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas and Celebrity’s Zenith.
The lines said they expect online check-in to be available fleetwide by September.
In the new process, passengers fill out cruise documents such as boarding documents, immigration forms, onboard account information and ticket contracts at the “Online Documents” page on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity’s sites.
When they reach the pier, passengers present a printed confirmation e-mail and their identification to agents at an express counter.
Juan Trescastro, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ associate vice president of guest port services, said pierside check-in time for these passengers is reduced from three to four minutes to about 30 seconds.
- Celebrity Cruises Unveils New Ship Plans
Celebrity Cruises recently announced that it will soon begin construction on an extraordinary new ship. The new vessel will be the first in an innovative new class of cruise ships from Celebrity, taking the incredible onboard features and amenities and other luxurious extras that Celebrity Cruises is famous for to an exciting new level
- RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES WILL NO LONGER OFFER DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER TOURS Sha...
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL., July 15, 2005 - Advocating for responsible ecological practices - and taking a stand against the wanton capture and use of marine mammals for the amusement of travelers - Radisson Seven Seas Cruises® announced it will no longer offer dolphin encounter programs in any of its ports of call.
The luxury cruise line supports the World Society for the Protection of Animals' worldwide campaign to halt dolphin encounter operations, and, through its onboard environmental education programs in partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society, encourages guests to become responsible environmental citizens.
"Sadly, under the guise of communing with nature or advancing our scientific understanding, dolphin encounter programs too often overlook the way dolphins actually exist and interact with each other in the wild, rather than respecting their natural place in the marine ecosystem," said Darius Mehta, director of land programs for Radisson Seven Seas. "While some parks may obtain dolphins legally, many use illegal and cruel means to capture these magnificent animals. While we will continue to employ programs that allow our guests the wonderful experience of observing dolphins in the wild, we're opposed to those that interfere with dolphins' natural behavior."
Radisson Seven Seas and its partner the Ocean Futures Society have a shared commitment to inspire deeper knowledge of the world's oceans and to work to end cruelty to marine life with its adverse impact on the environment.
"We should enjoy the abundant variety of marine life as it moves about and inhabits its own environment - without imposing artificial means on sea creatures to make them interact or ‘perform' for people," Cousteau said. "Capturing marine mammals for the purpose of orchestrating structured encounters with humans or to display them in unnatural circumstances is unethical, puts them at risk and interferes with their natural and appropriate life cycles."
Cousteau said he supports and commends Radisson Seven Seas for "making a vital and forceful statement to the travel and tourism industry that these encounter programs should be avoided at all costs."
The mission of Ocean Futures Society (www.oceanfutures.org ) is to explore the global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean's vital importance to the survival of all life.
In French Polynesia, Radisson Seven Sea's ambitious "Ambassadors of the Environment" program with the Ocean Futures Society promotes ocean responsibility and engages youngsters aboard the Paul Gauguin® with fun learning activities. The partnership is enhanced with an engaging, fleet-wide lecture series featuring Ocean Futures Society experts, personal appearances by Jean-Michel Cousteau on select sailings, original in-suite TV programming, plus live TV uplinks from dives conducted by Cousteau and his team during select Radisson Seven Seas cruises.
- Norwegian Cruise Line to offer Southern Style Special Interest Sailings aboar...
If you’ve ever dreamed of cruising with the whole gang, now is the time. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Majesty will service Western Caribbean tours roundtrip from Charleston that will incorporate several special interest sailings your family and friends are sure to enjoy, including everything from golf clinics to cooking classes and wine and beer sampling.
- Celebrity Cruises Unveils New Ship Plans
Celebrity Cruises recently announced that it will soon begin construction on an extraordinary new ship. The new vessel will be the first in an innovative new class of cruise ships from Celebrity, taking the incredible onboard features and amenities and other luxurious extras that Celebrity Cruises is famous for to an exciting new level
- Holland America Offering Spectacular Family Savings on Winter Escapes to a Nu...
From the Caribbean, to Mexico, Hawaii, South America, and even Antarctica, Holland America Cruise Line is inviting families from all across the country to come celebrate the holiday season in a different way this year, aboard one of 20 different exclusive holiday journeys sailing to these and many more beautiful and exotic destinations all over the world. Families can also take advantage of the special savings and upgrade incentives offered by Holland America's elite family reunion cruising program.
- The Yachts of Seabourn Send your Taste Buds to Exotic Places
The ultra luxury Seabourn Cruises is seeing the addition of 50 new Charlie Palmer recipes. Whether it is the exciting itineraries or the simple Signature Delights such as a mint on the pillow, Seabourn has always been about excellence. One example of that is the revamped menu with more recipes from the award winning chef.
- Seabourn Cruises 2006 to 2007 Itinerary and Fleet-wide Enhancements
Life onboard the stunning Yachts of Seabourn is simply overflowing with personal luxuries including everything from complimentary on deck massage moments to caviar in the surf. The schedule next year, complemented by the announcement of fleet wide refurbishments before January 2006, is bursting with truly remarkable award winning itineraries and flexible enough to build your own itinerary.
- Carnival orders third ship for German-market AIDA brand MIAMI -- Carnival Cor...
MIAMI -- Carnival Corp. ordered a 65,500-ton cruise ship for its AIDA Cruises brand, the third order placed for the line in the past year.
AIDA is marketed and sold exclusively in German-speaking markets.
The ship order is with Papenberg, Germany-based Meyer Werft, which is constructing AIDA’s two other builds.
The new ship’s delivery schedule means that for three years beginning in 2007 AIDA will introduce a new 2,030-passenger vessel every April.
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