Royal Caribbean Cruises returning to South America in 2009-2010

For a fabulous fun carnival holiday head to South America this summer with Royal Caribbean Cruises in 2009-2010.

Royal Caribbean Cruises have released details on nine South America cruises, ranging from 11 to 15 nights onboard the Radiance of the Seas for the ship’s second winter season in the region.

Radiance of the Seas will afford guests with spectacular views of the unfolding South American coastline as it has the highest percentage of ocean view staterooms and glass elevators in a 10 story glass atrium.

"South America is such a fascinating destination and we are pleased to bring Radiance of the Seas back to the region," said Alice Norsworthy, senior vice president, Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. "On any of these Radiance cruises, guests will have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of South American cultures and celebrations during the region's prime season. Guests also can extend their cruise holiday with a Royal Caribbean cruise tour to visit more inland attractions."

There will be four night pre or post tour programs which will provide guests with the chance to explore the charms of Buenos Aires, Argentina and the breathtaking Iguazu Falls along the Argentina and Brazil border. For guests deciding to embark on cruise tours they will have the pleasure of fully escorted itineraries, deluxe hotel accommodation, air and ground transfers and time for individual pursuits.

There will be a spectacular 11 night itinerary on the 10 February 2010 which features 3 days in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, coinciding with the city’s annual Carnival festival.

Celebrity Cruises first voyages to Antarctica

Celebrity Cruises is fast approaching their 10^th consecutive season in South America and to celebrate they will be offering their first ever Antarctica cruise. Celebrity Infinity, a 2,050 guest superliner, will sail eight South America itineraries in late 2009 and early 2010, calling in at 26 ports in 13 countries.

Whilst cruising in Antarctica guests onboard Celebrity Infinity will be able to see the breathtaking glaciers, rare wildlife and other wonders of nature during 3 days of serenely cruising past Elephant Island, Paradise Bay and Gerlache Strait. The itineraries will also include voyages through Cape Horn and feature calls at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay.

In addition to this Celebrity Cruises have four 14-night sailings between Valparaiso and Buenos Aires throughout December and February 2010. Each of these sailings will include an overnight stay in Buenos Aires.

There will be fabulous 15 night voyages on Celebrity Infinity to the Panama Canal and a South America cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Valparaiso on 5 December 2009 and a 14 night return trip from Valparaiso to Fort Lauderdale on 14 March 2010. Included will be stops at Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Lima, Peru; Arica, Chile and other fascinating cities.

Gary Rhodes to sail with P&O Cruises in 2008

Gary Rhodes, one of Britain’s best known chefs, will be setting sail with P&O Cruises during 2008.

The popular TV chef designed the menu and several signature dishes for the select dining venues on the adult only Arcadia and more traditional Oriana.

For a truly memorable evening these restaurants are the place to come. They have an upmarket yet intimate atmosphere, offering culinary masterpieces in impressive surroundings. The restaurants are designed dramatically with rich timber and deep blue fabric, metal relief artwork, ceramic and glass sculptures that come together to create a luxurious feel.

Gary Rhodes will be on the following sailings on Oriana and Arcadia in 2008 –

Arcadia (J809) Embark Oslo – Sunday 1 June 2008
Disembark Southampton – 4 June 2008

Arcadia (J820) Embark Naples – Sunday 26 October 2008
Disembark Gibraltar – Thursday 30 October 2008

Oriana (X809) Embark Helsinki – Tuesday 15 July 2008
Disembark Oslo – Friday 18 July 2008

Oriana (X819) Embark Southampton – Sunday 30 November 2008
Disembark Malaga – Wednesday 3 December 2008

Princess Cruises release schedules for 2009-2010 Caribbean and Mexican Riviera Cruises

Princess Cruises have now announced their new season of cruises to the sun drenched Caribbean and Mexican Riviera. The relaxing voyages of 7 to 14 days offer guests the opportunity to experience these magical ports and take in the dramatic scenery, colourful cultures, and white sand beaches whilst also enjoying the delights of Princess Cruises large, amenity filled ships.

Princess Cruises will feature 13 itineraries in the Caribbean with 6 ships sailing to more than 25 ports. Ruby Princess will take over Princess Cruises 10 day Eastern and Southern Caribbean voyages, offering visits to some of the less visited ports in the region.

Emerald Princess will be sailing the Eastern Caribbean itinerary and Crown Princess the Western Caribbean. Caribbean Princess will continue to sail on alternative 7 day Southern Caribbean sailings from San Juan. Princess Cruise’s Grand Princess will be returning with an extensive 14 day Caribbean Collection route and Sea Princess will be taking to the sea’s again with a 14 day cruise from Barbados.

The Mexican Riviera will be visited by Sapphire Princess sailing the 7 day Mexican Riviera route from Los Angeles and Star Princess will be cruising for a 10 day journey from Barbados.

"The Caribbean and Mexican Riviera both offer the delightful sense of fun and make for a wonderful warm weather escape," said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. "And passengers will also be able to enjoy an array of fantastic ships on these routes, including Caribbean Princess and Star Princess with brand new piazza-style atriums and a number of new features."

Fred. Olsen taking Bio Fuel Initiative

Fred. Olsen Cruises are taking steps towards more environmentally friendly operations by signing a deal with Bio Driven of Canterbury, a new start up company dedicated to the production of high quality, compliant Bio diesel.

Waste cooking oil from the cruise ships will be collected and transformed through a carbon negative process into a clean and efficient fuel.

David Chalk of Bio Driven said: “We use pioneering technology in our plant facility, ensuring our production process to be carbon negative.” Bio Driven is also a member of the Environmental Industries Commission and the Renewable Energy association.

The waste oil will be collected from the ships in Southampton and Dover and transported in containers provided by Bio Driven. The containers are then delivered to the Bio Driven plant in Canterbury where it will be filtered, analysed and washed before being put through a process which removes the glycerine. The final stage is to dose the glycerine-free bio diesel to remove any chemical impurities and then it undergoes a final polishing and filtration before being packaged ready for supply as environmentally friendly fuel.

Matt Grimes, Director of Logistics for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said: “We are very excited to be working with Bio Driven, as we are always looking for ways to make our operations more environmentally friendly and to recycle our waste material, so this venture is a “win win” situation for everyone.”

Bio Driven will also be donating 5p per litre to projects in Zimbabwe.

Royal Caribbean release details of Project Genesis

Royal Caribbean has released further exciting details of their Genesis Project, which is set for launch in 2009. The currently unnamed ship weighing in at 220,000 tonnes will feature an industry first with inside balcony cabins overlooking an outdoor area running through the centre of the ship.

The outdoor area is to be named Central Park and will be overlooked by 334 staterooms, 254 with balconies, covering a height of six decks. Central Park will have an array of restaurants, including Chops Grille, a steakhouse, a Tuscan style Italian spot called Giovanni’s Table, and 150 Central Park, serving modern cuisine with an observation window so passing passengers can watch chefs in action.

Central Park will also feature beautiful gardens with an onboard horticulturalist holding classes for guests who are keen to learn about the gardens. The 1,180ft long luxury superliner is at the moment under constructed in Finland and is rumoured to be costing 700 million pounds. It will dwarf Royal Caribbean’s current largest ship, the Independence of the Seas.

Southampton 'International Centre' for superliners

It has been reported that Southampton is to grow in stature and become an international centre for cruise ships.

The vessels heading to the famous port city are becoming bigger and bigger, including the recently inaugurated 160,000 tonne Royal Caribbean superliner Independence of the Seas.

Richard Fain, Chief Executive of the Miami-based Royal Caribbean International, told the Southern Daily Echo newspaper reporting on the subject:

"The size of vessels will continue to grow, in fact the only limiting factor will be the imagination of ship designers of the future. In fact the sky's the limit."

Mr Fain also commented on the company's forthcoming Project Genesis which will feature a park with real lawns, trees and flowers - the first addition of its kind to a ship. It will also include a moving bar and sufficient cabin space for 8,400 passengers.

Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam to Offer Private Cabanas

Holland America Line will be offering guests the chance to really enjoy the outdoors whilst cruising on their new ms Eurodam, the lines first Signature class ship, with a haven of private cabanas on the Observation and Lido decks.

The airy tented cabanas will be located in an area called the Retreat on the Observation deck and around the pool on the Lido deck. There will be modern woven chaises, ottomans and upholstered settees for guests to relax on, plus a stock of bathrobes and plush towels. There will even me Evian spray misters and iPods preloaded with a selection of music.

There will be 14 cabanas offering guests the chance to relax in a spa-like private area where they can enjoy chilled water, iced fruit skewers, frozen grapes, chocolate covered strawberries, or a glass of champagne. Light breakfast options will be available as well, from fresh fruit, salads, wraps and juices.

Discounted select services from the Greenhouse Spa and Salon are available on port days to guests who book the cabanas. The cabanas may be rented for the day or for an entire cruise.

Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam will debut this summer, with a 1 July naming ceremony in Rotterdam with Her Majestic Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, followed by her maiden voyage in the Baltic region. The 2,104-guest Eurodam will offer its first trans-Atlantic cruise and sail Canada/New England in the autumn, followed by Caribbean itineraries the remainder of 2008.

Princess Expands Panama Canal Experience in 2009-2010

Princess Cruises are introducing a new ‘Two Day Canal Experience’ on all 2009-10 Panama Canal transits of 15 days or longer. This will enable guests to enjoy both the engineering wonder of the Canal and further explore the country.

Panana Canal cruises offer a dramatic transfer through the Canal’s locks and often guests wish they could have more time to really take in the natural beauty and culture of the area. With Princess Cruises new offering guests will get the chance to do this.

The Canal experience will be offered on 23 sailings on four ships and in addition Princess Cruises will also offer a shorter 10 day full transit option and a 10 day roundtrip cruise from Fort Lauderdale featuring a partial transit to Gatun Lake. This will give guests three distinct options of visiting the Panama Canal.

Guests opting for the two day Canal experience will get the chance to enjoy a full Canal transit plus a day with the ship at anchor at Fuerte Amador, on the Canal’s Pacific side. There will be time to enjoy an array of shore excursions including the Panama Canal Railway, Panama City, Soberania National Park Rainforest or a visit to an authentic Embera Indian Village.

"Panama is such a rich country with so much to see, and many passengers don't get the opportunity to experience it because they naturally want to savor the marvel of engineering that is the Panama Canal," said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. "So we're now offering the opportunity to do both - spend one day on the ship as it is lifted and lowered through all three sets of locks, plus have a day in port to venture further into Panama."

Ocean Village launch Exclusive Lounge

Ocean Village has now launched a Club Lounge on both of their ships.

Guests on board Ocean Village and Ocean Village Two will be able to take advantage of the exclusive lounge that features a number of perks including free internet access, breakfast and afternoon tea plus pre dinner drinks to include unlimited complimentary soft drinks and complementary alcohol between 5pm – 8pm.

Ocean Village cruises offer an informal atmosphere which is laid back but still with very high standards. Ocean Village cruises – for the people that don’t do cruises will be offering the services of the exclusive lounge to guests occupying one of the top grades of cabins, the BB grade balcony cabin or the AA grade suite. There is a one off fee of £70 per person and children under the age of 16 are allowed in without charge, providing they are accompanied by an adult.

Celebrity Cruises Spring Cleaning Fleet

Celebrity Cruises are embarking on a ‘spring clean’ of its fleet, including Celebrity Summit, which has already been given a treatment involving replacing thousands of square feet of tiles, carpeting and 2,500 yards of fabric.

Celebrity Summit has also been fitted with a new 11,000 kilowatt diesel dedicated electrical generation system which will reduce the ships fuel consumption when in port. Celebrity Summit’s Rendezvous Lounge has undergone a makeover with a new floor and the boutique shop has been renovated.

"We are constantly focused on the care and maintenance of our fleet, and evaluate the exterior and interior appearance of every ship, every day, to ensure we're consistently delivering the best guest experience," Senior Vice-President of Marine Operations at Celebrity Cruises, John Krousouloudis commented.

More Europeans are choosing cruise holidays than ever before

New research by TravelMole has revealed that more and more Europeans are choosing to embark on a cruise holiday.

TravelMole has stated that 17 per cent more Europeans opted for cruise holidays in 2007 compared to the previous year, according to statistics from the European Cruise Council (ECC).

Mediterranean cruises are the most popular cruise destinations preferred by 60 per cent of holiday makers, with Caribbean cruises and northern European cruise holidays coming in at a close second and third.

"The popularity of cruising for European holidaymakers is growing faster than anyone in the industry envisaged. The ECC had predicted that we'd hit four million cruise passengers from Europe by 2010," commented David Dingle, ECC Chairman. This target has been achieved two years ahead of schedule according to David Dingle.

Royal Caribbean 2009-2010 Mexican Riviera Cruises

Royal Caribbean has announced details of their 2009-2010 Mexican Riviera cruise season. Royal Caribbean is the cruise company leader in exciting and innovative cruises for families and for active holidaymakers.

Cruisers can choose from 55 departures, ranging from four to seven night Mexico cruises, from Los Angeles and San Diego ports. Mariner of the Seas in the Voyager class will take to the West Coast and is the largest cruise ship to be home ported in the Pacific Ocean.

Alternatively guests can choose from Radiance of the Seas offering short cruises on the West Coast or Serenade of the Seas, with four Panama Canal crossings on the itinerary.

"For the first time, Royal Caribbean is offering a second choice for cruisers to embark on a Mexico cruise from the Southern California port of San Diego," said Alice Norsworthy, senior vice president, Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. "Vacationers, as well as groups and incentives travelers will now have more choices for the best cruise offerings from the West Coast to visit the timeless colonial charms of the Mexican Riviera aboard the industry's most innovative cruise ships."

Mariner of the Seas is embarking on a seven night Mexican Riviera cruise with a round trip from Los Angeles and ports of call at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Mariner of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, offering guests revolutionary amenities such as n onboard ice-skating rink, full-size basketball court, inline skating track, iconic rock-climbing wall, and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of shops, restaurants, bars and lounges that runs nearly the length of the ship.

Radiance of the Seas 2009 autumn season will feature a four night itinerary with a call at Cabo San Lucas, and a five-night itinerary which also calls at Ensenada. Radiance is one of Royal Caribbean's Radiance class of ships, which features the highest percentage of ocean view staterooms in the line's fleet, and a 10-story atrium with glass elevators offering spectacular vistas of the sea.

Fred Olsen's Balmoral Rome Cruises

Balmoral, Fred Olsen’s newest 1,340 passenger ship, starts a short season of Mediterranean fly/cruises from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) from May, with flights direct from Stansted.

There will be five cruises in the Mediterranean and Adriatic before Balmoral returns to her UK home port of Dover for the remainder of the year.

The programme begins with an eleven night eastern Mediterranean cruise from Civitavecchia visiting Valleta, Crete, Kusadasi, Marmaris, Rhodes and Piraeus before returning to Civitavecchia for the return flight to the UK.

The second cruise itinerary is a 10 night voyage starting on the 12 May, with visits to ports in the Western Med and stops at Livorno, Villefranche, Barcelona, Majorca, Tunis, Valletta and Naples before ending in Civitavecchia.

In the final itinerary Balmoral will return to the UK, departing from Venice on the 11 June. Over the next eleven nights she will call at Dubrovnik, Sicily, Sardinia, Gibraltar, Lisbon and ends in Dover.

NCL's F3 ships Keel Laying Ceremony

At a ceremony at Akers Yard in St. Nazair, France, the keel for the first of Norwegian Cruise Line’s F3 ships with laid.

F3 is the cruise lines third generation and the next evolution of the company’s innovative Freestyle Cruising ships. The first block of the keel with a double bottom block, number 5006, weighing in at 322 tons and was put in place marking the start of the overall construction of the ship.

Executives from Star Cruises, Apollo Management, NCL and Aker Yards attended the landmark ceremony. In a maritime tradition each attendee was invited to place a specially designed coin in a tube which was then welded shut and positioned in the keel for good luck.

The two F3 ships will weigh 150,000 tonnes and will each have a total of 4,200 passenger berths, consequently being the largest ships in NCL’s fleet.

"The F3 ships are our most innovative project in the company's 41-year history and will provide a totally unique vacation experience," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "Today as we lay the keel for this groundbreaking new ship, we are one step closer to revolutionizing cruising as we know it."

Chairman of Star Cruises Tan Sri KT Lim added, "History is in the making today as NCL's first F3 ship begins to take shape. We are proud to be a part of bringing this new innovative ship to fruition, one unlike any the world has seen before." Steve Martinez, partner at Apollo Management, noted, "NCL already has the youngest fleet in the industry. We are excited to launch the construction of this next generation of Freestyle Cruising ship."

The new F3 ships will have the highest proportion of cabin mix, with 100 per cent of outside staterooms featuring private balconies and in total each ship will have 1,415 balcony staterooms. The new ship design will offer 60 per cent more guest space than any other NCL ship and will provide guests with an even wider range of onboard activities, amenities and stateroom options.

There will be more details of the F3 ships innovative accommodations, public spaces, dining, entertainment, cutting edge technology and casino released on the lead up to the launch of the first F3 ship in 2010.

Royal Caribbean to offer My Time Dining

My Time Dining, Royal Caribbean’s latest flexible dining option, is to be offered on selected ships and sailings in the main dining room.

This option has become popular as it allows the guests more flexibility when planning their daily activities. If you want to linger awhile around the pool and catch the sun’s last rays then take a later dinner or maybe you have arrived back from a shore excursion with an appetite and would prefer to dine early, no problem.

The idea behind My Time Dining is convenience and flexibility. You can decide to dine anytime between 6pm and 9.30pm each evening. Royal Caribbean will also be accepting reservations once onboard.

For those who have opted for My Time Dining they will be required to pre pay their gratuities. Other than this there is no difference in the menu or service from those that have opted for set dining.

Star Princess and Caribbean Princess to be Remodeled

Princess Cruises are to remodel two of their ships, Star Princess and Caribbean Princess, to include a host of amenities that have become hugely popular with guests on the line’s newer ships.

There will be a makeover of the Deck 5 atrium on both ships, transforming it into the piazza style street café the same as on Crown Princess and Emerald Princess. Princess’ signature adult only Sanctuary will be included, as will the Crown Grill steak and seafood restaurant, along with a relocated casino to a more central location and seven new suites.

Star Princess will receive these new features during her September dry-dock in San Francisco and Caribbean Princess will follow in January 2009. The ships new atriums will feature the specialty coffees, freshly baked goods, paninis and tapas of the International Café. In addition there will be an enhanced Vines wine bar concept which will feature rare vintages of wine, a selection of artisan meats and cheeses, plus a wine shop where guests can purchase their favourite bottle.

The Sanctuary will be a welcome addition, having become extremely popular on the newer ships in the fleet. Guests get the chance to relax in a tranquil adults only area, on plush lounge chairs with the dedicated attention of the Serenity Stewards.

As part of the renovation, each vessel will also receive seven new suites with ocean-view picture windows, and the casino will be relocated one deck higher to deck 7, bringing it into the ship's central entertainment area.

"After Crown Princess and Emerald Princess debuted, we knew we had struck a chord with our passengers who loved the piazza-style atriums, new dining experiences and the peaceful environment of The Sanctuary," said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. "And so we're delighted to bring these hallmark features to two of the other vessels."

John Lithgow to Perform Aboard Silver Whisper

John Lithgow from the popular sitcom 3^rd Rock from the Sun will be joining Silversea’s Silver Whisper as a celebrity guest speaker aboard its 5 July voyage from Athens to Venice.

The award-winning actor best known for his starring role as Dr Dick Soloman will be treating quests sailing on the luxury ship to a section of his new one-man show, Stories by Heart, now playing a limited engagement at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi R, Newhouse Theatre in New York.

In the show Lithgow traces his own history as an actor and storyteller, the show being a comic mediation on the art and essence of storytelling. Spanning three generations the show includes tales of his father and grandmother before him.

The actor won the first of two Tony Awards following his Broadway debut in David Storey’s The Changing Room. He went on to make films such as The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment, of which both performances were nominated for an Oscar. Lithgow has been nominated for ten Emmy Awards for his work in television. He won three Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe, two SAG Awards and an American Comedy Award.

"We're thrilled and honored to have such a renowned stage, film and television actor on board to entertain our guests," said Cliff Perry, Silversea's director of entertainment. "The intimate, club-like ambience of Silver Whisper will make it the perfect venue to showcase Mr. Lithgow's formidable talents."