$81 Per Day 7/15/03

     Norwegian Cruise Line is offering rates beginning at $899 per person to guests who book the Norwegian Crown’s 11-day Canada & New England sailings by July 25, 2003. Applicable departure dates are September 15, 26, and October 7, 18, 2003.

     The ship will sail round-trip from Baltimore, and visit Bar Harbor, Quebec, Halifax, Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Boston. Call your travel agent or 1-800-327-7030 or visit www.ncl.com.

 

Food & Wine Fest at Sea 7/14/03


     Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Pride will host a Great American Food & Wine Festival on a 13-day cruise from New York to Nassau, departing October 25, 2003.

     During the cruise, guest chefs – Charlie Palmer and Todd Gray -- will host onboard cooking demonstrations; and their signature dishes will be available on the ship’s menus. Wine tastings onboard will feature vintages from popular American vineyards.

     Ports of call on the itinerary are Newport, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Alexandria, Yorktown, Charleston, Savannah and Port Canaveral. From Newport, an optional excursion will allow guests to visit Johnson & Wales University’s renowned College of Culinary Arts in Providence, where they will participate in a cooking demonstration and tasting.

     Fares start at $5,132 per person/double occupancy.

A New Kick for Seniors 7/12/03

     MSC Italian Cruises is introducing a new “Fun & Fitness Cruise-ercise” for seniors aboard the new Lirica. The new program is available on an 11-night Panama Canal (partial transit) cruise departing from Ft. Lauderdale on March 10, 2004, with fares starting at $995 per person with AARP members eligible for further discount with valid I.D.

    Five hours of exercise classes for seniors will be offered each day at sea, and 2 ½ hours each day in port. Certified instructors will teach guests water aerobics, water exercise for arthritis, aerobics and chair aerobics; Tai Chi (seated and standing); strength training with weights; and nutrition seminars.

     The ship will sail to Montego Bay, Cartagena, San Blas, the Panama Canal, Puerto Limon and Key West.

Better Come Early 7/11/03


     It’s not too often that a ship actually arrives before its debut date. Let’s face it…lately most ships have been arriving weeks after their original maiden voyage date.

     That’s why it’s worth noting that Royal Caribbean International has announced that its 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas now will debut in Port Canaveral on November 16, 2003, a week earlier than originally scheduled. (Bravo to the shipyard!) The new maiden voyage will be a one-time-only eastern Caribbean itinerary calling in Nassau, San Juan, and St. Maarten.

     The ship will begin its regularly scheduled, year-round itineraries on November 23 sailing alternating seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises. Eastern routes call at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten, whil western sailings visit Labadee, Ocho Rios, George Town, and Cozumel.

Final Decision 7/10/03

     After months of back-and-forth discussions between the Port of New Orleans, Etergy, and Carnival Cruise Lines regarding the drooping power lines over the Mississippi River, the line has made a final decision about the Carnival Conquest’s future in the port. Based on the Mississippi’s current water levels, the line has decided to stick to its original plan and return the Carnival Conquest to New Orleans for year-round seven-day departures beginning July 13, 2003.

     The 2,974-guest vessel, which was deployed to Gulfport, Miss., March 9, will make its final voyage from that port July 6. The line decided to move the ship there because of rising water levels in the Mississippi River, which combined with low hanging power lines down river from the Port of New Orleans, posed a potential safety issue. According to Carnival the water levels have receded, so the ship can safely sail underneath the wires.

     The energy company has agreed to build an underground tunnel to house the wires for the future, but the project isn’t anticipated to be finished by next spring – when the water levels typically rise heading into the port – so the company plans to lift the wires temporarily during that time.

     Carnival Conquest will call at Montego Bay, George Town, and Cozumel.

HAL Out of Norfolk 7/8/03


     Holland America Line is that latest company to commit to seasonal cruises from Norfolk. The line will homeport the Maasdam in the Virginia port for 16 cruises in 2004, including a full roster of Caribbean cruises.

     “While many cruises originating from Norfolk head to the Bahamas, we’ll go even deeper into the Caribbean with unique voyages that visit nine different Caribbean islands,” said David A. Giersdorf, senior vice president, marketing and sales. “By offering more days and exploring less-visited islands such as Tortola, Barbados and Guadeloupe, we are able to bring more value to guests cruising in the Caribbean.”

     Maasdam will offer 10- and 11-day sailings to the Caribbean from Norfolk’s Nauticus International Pier, with eight 11-day cruises to the southern Caribbean and seven 10-day departures to the eastern Caribbean. Norfolk also will be the final stop on the ship’s 14-day eastern Canada sailing that originates in Montreal on October 16.

     The ship’s 11-day cruises will depart Norfolk and visit Half Moon Cay, Tortola, Dominica, Bridgetown, Pointe-a-Pitre, and St. Thomas. Departures dates are scheduled for January 20, February 10, March 2, March 23, November 9, November 30, and December 11 and 22.

     Ten-day sailings will call at Half Moon Cay, San Juan, St. Maarten, Antigua and St. Thomas, and will depart on January 31, February 21, March 13, April 3, April 13, October 30, and November 20.

Value Collection 7/7/03


    

     Crystal Cruises has announced its 2004 Value Collection cruises, offering guests savings of up to 51 percent on 18 sailings aboard the Crystal Harmony, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. Here’s the line-up:

Panama Canal & Caribbean:

• Jan. 5; New Orleans to Oahu/Honolulu; 19 days starting at $3,995 (Crystal Harmony)
• Jan. 5; Ft. Lauderdale to Costa Rica; 12 days starting at $2,995 (Crystal Symphony)
• Oct. 8; Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale; 16 days starting at $3,690 (Crystal Harmony)
• Dec. 7; Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles; 15 days starting at $4,495 (Crystal Serenity)
• March 26; New Orleans to Ft. Lauderdale; 10 days starting at $2,795 (Crystal Symphony)
• Dec. 9; Ft. Lauderdale to New Orleans; 12 days starting at $2,570 (Crystal Harmony)
• Dec. 15; Round-trip Ft. Lauderdale; 7 days starting at $1,995 (Crystal Symphony)

South Pacific:

• Feb. 23; Oahu/Honolulu to Auckland; 18 days starting at $4,595 (Crystal Harmony)

Alaska:

• May 30; Round-trip San Francisco; 12 days starting from $2,870 (Crystal Harmony)
• Sept. 15; Round-trip San Francisco; 12 days starting from $2,870 (Crystal Harmony)

Western Europe:

• May 13; London (Southampton) to Athens (Piraeus); 12 days starting from $4,995 (Crystal Serenity)

Baltic Sea and Russia:

• May 23; London (Dover) to Stockholm; 11 days starting at $3,695 (Crystal Symphony)

South America:

• Nov. 10; Ft. Lauderdale to Buenos Aires; 17 days starting at $4,995 (Crystal Symphony)
• Nov. 28; Buenos Aires to Ft. Lauderdale; 17 days starting at $4,995 (Crystal Symphony)

Trans-Atlantic:

• April 12; Ft. Lauderdale to Lisbon; 9 days starting at $2,425 (Crystal Symphony)
• May 5: New York to London (Southampton); 8 days starting at $2,495 (Crystal Serenity)
• Nov. 9; Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale; 11 days starting at $2,995 (Crystal Serenity)

Trans-Pacific:

• May 16; Tokyo to San Francisco; 15 days starting at $3,250 (Crystal Harmony)

Music Fest at Sea 7//08/3


     MSC Italian Cruises is having a Music of Your Life at Sea Festival aboard the Lirica, in January 2004, starring Les “Sentimental Journey” Brown, Jr. and his Band of Renown.

     The line is offering two 11-night Festival cruises round-trip from Fort Lauderdale on January 15 and January 26, 2004, that feature ‘round the clock music with dancing, concerts, music trivia and more.

     Les Brown, Jr. and his Band of Renown will headline the music festivities throughout each sailing, with nightly Big Band Dancing and special afternoon Tea Dance sessions during days at sea. The band will perform their greatest hits as well as tributes to big bands such as Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and more. Additionally, BCI/Eclipse Recording Artists Lorri (“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”) Hafer & the Music of Your Life Quartet, lead by husband Mike Hafer, will perform nightly with pre-dinner dancing and entertainment. Their musical performances will be recorded “live” onboard the Lirica for their upcoming CD release, “Mediterranean Nights.” There also will be trivia contests, history of Big Band talks and autograph opportunities with the entertainers.

     The January 15 sailing will visit San Juan, Antigua, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St. Barthelemy, Tortola, and Nassau. The January 26 departure will call at Montego Bay, Cartagena, San Blas, Cristobal, Puerto Limon, and Key West. Fares for these music extravaganza cruises start at $995 per person.

New Orient Routes 7/04/03


     Orient Lines has unveiled its 2004 Europe schedule and two new CruiseTour programs – with one less ship. As reported in CruiseReports, the line has transferred the Crown Odyssey to sister company Norwegian Cruise Line and will return to being a one-ship fleet with the Marco Polo.

     With that, the line has unveiled a new UK, Ireland and Scandinavia voyage, as well as a new Baltic Capitals route. The first – a 20-day CruiseTour beginning June 4, 2004 – includes a two-day stay in London, as well as a voyage from Southampton to Copenhagen with calls at Falmouth, Bristol (Avonmouth), Liverpool, Cobh, Dublin, Kirkwall, Invergordon, Leith (overnight stay), Stavanger, Oslo, and Aarhus. The trip concludes with a two-night deluxe hotel stay in Copenhagen before returning to the U.S. Pricing for this CruiseTour package starts from $3,990 per person.

     The Baltic Capitals itinerary is a 16-day CruiseTour sailing from Stockholm to Dover on August 29, 2004. Marco Polo will visit Helsinki, St. Petersburg (overnight stay), Tallinn, Riga, Copenhagen, Warnemunde, and Amsterdam. The CruiseTour ends with a two-night deluxe hotel stay in London, and fares start at $3,195 per person.

     In addition to the new itineraries, Orient Lines will sail 57 separate CruiseTour through the Cote d’Azur, Baltic, Scandinavia and Russia from March 19, 2004 through November 6, 2004, with lengths ranging from 11 to 37 days and rates starting at $1695 per person. The Mediterranean season begins on April 2, 2004 with sailings to and from Rome, Athens, Venice and Barcelona through May 26, 2004 repositions to Southampton, England. On June 4, 2004 Marco Polo begins its Scandinavian and Baltic Capitals season sailing to and from Southampton, England, Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark through August 30, 2004. On September 23, Marco Polo returns to Barcelona to continue sailing in the Mediterranean for the fall cruise season through November 9, 2004.

 

 

Princess Makes Moves 7/2/03


     Princess Cruises’ Alaska cruises will be departing from a new homeport next season. Beginning in May 2004, the line’s “Gulf of Alaska” cruises will sail out of Whittier -- about 65 miles away from Anchorage -- instead of Seward. Through an agreement with Whittier Dock Enterprises, the line will use a new dock facility constructed for passenger ships.

     The new Whittier terminal, located near the mouth of Whittier Creek, has a new 20,000-square foot passenger terminal and a floating dock, in addition to ample space for motorcoaches to park and turnaround. Due to the city’s close proximity to Anchorage, passengers will have more flexibility with arrival and departure flights, as well as a more convenient transfer to Whittier.

     Princess is scheduled to offer 72 sailings of the seven-night “Voyage of the Glaciers”
Vancouver/Whittier itinerary between May 8 and September 13, 2004, aboard the Coral Princess, Island Princess, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess.

In other Princess news…

      The line has introduced a new Panama Canal itinerary with visits to Belize for the first time. Between October 11, 2004 and April 17, 2005, the Coral Princess will offer 19 departures on its 10-day round-trip voyages from Ft. Lauderdale with a call in Belize City as well as Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Limon and Colon.

     Regal Princess, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess also will have longer Panama Canal itineraries next year, but will not visit Belize City.

 

Mao is Out 7/1/03

     Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to switch up some of the Andy Warhol artwork onboard the Norwegian Dawn. Rumor has it that some passengers have been making negative comments about the display of Andy Warhol’s “Mao” collection found throughout the ship. So the line has decided to replace the series, which portrays Chairman Mao Tse Tung, China’s legendary ruthless communist ruler.

     Chairman Mao’s face will be replaced with a much prettier one. Beginning mid-July, 10 photo silk-screens of Marilyn Monroe will deck the stair cases of Norwegian Dawn. Warhol’s “Marilyn” collection, like the majority of artwork onboard the Dawn, is on load from the personal collection of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of NCL’s parent company, Star Cruises. The “Mao” series will move to Star Cruises’ Asian markets.

    “We will continue to rotate pieces from our chairman’s collection to provide variety as well as an opportunity for more of our guests to enjoy his vast array of artwork,” said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL.

     Among the pieces currently on display aboard Norwegian Dawn are images from
Warhol’s “Flowers” and “Sunsets” series.

Ahead of the Game 06/30/03

     Got plans for the Super Bowl? If not, you might now.

     Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle; Radisson Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Navigator; and Holland America Line’s Volendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam will be serving as floating hotels during Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.

     Carnival Miracle will be docked on the St. Johns River from Wednesday, February 2 through Monday, February 7, 2005, near ALLTEL Stadium, the Super Bowl game site, while the other ships will be there starting February 3.
 

Still No Answers 06/28/03

     The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the U.S. Coast Guard have completed their on-site investigation of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norway only to determine that it may take a year to determine the cause of the boiler explosion that took place on May 25.

     This morning, at approximately 6:30 a.m., after extensive discussions with, and clearance from, the US Coast Guard in Miami, the Norway left the Port of Miami with85 crewmembers onboard and set out for a three week transatlantic journey to Land’s End at the western edge of the English Channel. Although the ship is being towed to Europe, the line is still has yet to determine which shipyard will complete the repairs, but does expect the Norway to be back in service on October 5.

Bike & Barge 06/27/03

      Beginning March 2004, Continental Waterways will begin offering new “Bike and Barge” cruises through the Upper Loire. The new five-night route will offer daily cycling expeditions of all levels on a between Marseilles-les-Aubigny and ending at Chatillon sur Loire.
 

      French and English speaking guides will lead energetic daily 30-mile cycling tours, ranging in difficulty from stretches on hills and slopes to flat terrain. While the 24-passenger Escargot travels the Canal Lateral a la Loire, cyclists will ride through the towns and medieval cities to the cathedrals, chateaux, wineries and palaces of the towns and vistas that surround the route.

     Rates for the Bike and Barge cruises are $995 per person.  awards.

 

Whoopi! 06/26/03


     Not only will the actress/comedian be back on the tube this year, but Whoopi Goldberg also will make her second appearance as a godmother of a Royal Caribbean vessel this summer. She first served as godmother to the Viking Serenade years ago, but the ship is no longer in the fleet.

     This time, she’ll become godmother of the line’s newest Serenade – Serenade of the Seas – when she officially names the 2,110-passenger vessel on August 22 in New York City.

     Serenade of the Seas will become the first Royal Caribbean ship to sail an inaugural season from New York City, as well as the first to offer Canada itineraries from The Big Apple. Beginning September 1, Serenade will sail four- and five-night cruises from New York to Canada, with stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick.

     If you miss Whoopi in New York that day, you can catch her on her new NBC sitcom, “Whoopi,” airing Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. beginning this September.

Oxford at Sea 06/25/03


     When Cunard introduces the Queen Mary 2 in January, the line also will roll out an “Oxford Discovery” series as part of its “ConneXions” enrichment program. Under a new partnership with England’s University of Oxford, the line will bring aboard authors, historians, artists, scientists and celebrities to host classes, workshops and lecture programs during the ship’s transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton.

     Course topics – which will be listed on Cunard’s web site 90 days prior to departure – include British and American music and culture of the 1960s, Shakespeare on Film, Modern Art from the Tate to the Met, and the Internet Explosion. The university will select experts from leading educational institutions and cultural organizations in North America and Europe to host the classes.

Jubilee Heads Down Under 06/23/03
 

     Carnival Cruise Lines’ 17-year-old Jubilee is leaving the fleet. The company just announced that the 1,486-passenger vessel will be transferred to another Carnival Corporation company -- P&O Cruises Australia -- in fall 2004.

     While Jubilee is one of Carnival’s smallest ships, it ironically will become the largest one based year-round in Australia when it joins the Pacific Sky in November. The Jubilee and Pacific Sky will sail year-round on seven to 14 day cruises to the South Pacific islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuata and Tonga as well as to New Zealand and Australia, including a schedule from Brisbane for part of the year. Jubilee’s arrival will also lead to the extend deployment of the Pacific Sky in New Zealand.

      Jubilee (which will be refurbished and renamed) and Pacific Sky will join the Pacific Princess, which is also deployed in the Australian market for part of the year.

      Jubilee currently operates four- and five-day Mexico sailings from Galveston, Texas, and will begin a seven-day Caribbean cruise program from San Juan in September before it heads to Australia next year.

 

Deal Here 06/21/03


     French Country Waterways is offering discounts of $400 per person from July 20 to August 16 and October 19 to November 1 on barge cruises in Burgundy, the Upper Loire and Alsace-Lorraine. All-inclusive, six-night cruise rates on the eight- to 18-passenger barges range from $3,195 per person, double occupancy, on the Liberté to $4,195 to $4,395 on the Princess in value season.

     The cruises include sightseeing excursions to historic cities and medieval towns, Gothic and Romanesque churches, châteaux and private wine tastings, and one dinner ashore at a two- or three-star Michelin restaurant.

Celebrity Recruits Celebrities 06/20/03

     Celebrity Cruises is trying to live up to its name. The line has picked a line-up of Celebrity guests to sail aboard their ships this summer and fall and share some stories with passengers onboard through its enrichment lecture series. Check out which stars you could run into at the Cova Café: