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January-February-March,
2012
LATE BREAKING
CRUISE NEWS
Here's all the news you want to know from all the carriers you want to know about
A new wine theme cruise will visit vineyards and wineries along the Columbia and Snake Rivers in April. The 120-passenger Queen of the West paddlewheeler will conduct the seven-day Oregon/Washington cruise from Portland... A brand new sternwheeler will hit the Mississippi and tributary rivers this year. It's the 140-passenger Queen of the Mississippi. Seeking to recreate the grandeur of past riverboats with its looks and features, it will have six themed lounges, a library, a dining salon, and balconies, plus elevator service to all decks. It will sail, beginning in August, from New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, St. Paul, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh on seven-, 10-, and 14-day cruises.
Azamara's 2013 lineup contains 69 voyages aboard its two boutique-hotel style ships, the 694-passenger Azamara Journey and 694-passenger Azamara Quest. They'll visit about 40 new ports, including Beijing, Shanghai, Sochi in Russia, and Svolvaer in Norway. More overnights and late-night stays will be scheduled in the Far East, Europe, South America, and the West Indies. They include the calls at Hong Kong, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, and Kobe in Asia; Alexandria, Jerusalem and Venice in the Med; and St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Coenhagen, and Amsterdam in the Baltic. This year the ships will visit 187 ports in 58 countries.
Carnival's calling it Fun Ship 2.0. That's its $500 million initiative to "dramatically transform" the experience it offers. In an effort expected to take several years, Carnival says it will add innovative new dining choices, new bars and lounges, and new entertainment options. They include partnerships with comedian George Lopez who will establish Comedy Clubs, Food Network's Guy Fieri — who will develop on-board Burger Joints, game show producer Hasbro, and video game manufacturer EA Sports. By the end of 2015, fourteen of Carnival's ships will have received the transformations...
Year-'round departures from New York will begin in April, with eight-day cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas. The three-itinerary schedule will be Carnival's first 52-week Big Apple venture. The 2124-passenger Carnival Miracle will conduct the sailings.
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The top wine-producing regions of Europe will be visited by six of Celebrity's 11 ships sailing in Europe this summer. France, Spain, and Portugal trips will feature overnight stays in places like Le Havre, Le Verdon, and Bilbao. Tours, tastings, and grape harvesting experiences will be on the agendas.
The 3800-passenger Costa Fascinosa, under construction in Italy, is set for a May debut. According to Costa, it has been designed "as a tribute to all things that fascinate — celebrities, movie stars, and exotic places." For example, the Lido restaurant is dedicated to the classic movie, "Gone with the Wind." The casino will be called the Millionaire Casino in honor of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." There will be waterfalls, a sliding glass roof and large movie screen showing films and videos at a top-side restaurant, raised whirlpool tubs overlooking the sea, a children's playground, a Grand Prix simulator for adults to play with, wi-fi, 13 bars, a disco, piano bar, five international restaurants, an extensive art collection, a 19,000 square foot spa, cabins with direct spa access, and more. The ship cost $682 million. A second ship, now under construction, will carry 4928 passengers. It's scheduled for delivery late in 2014.
Looking far ahead, Crystal has released its schedule of future cruises up to early 2014. It will visit 269 ports in 75 countries between May of 2013 and May of 2014. There will be more than a dozen maiden calls and 146 overnight stops, of which many will be two- and three-day stays. Most summer cruises will be shorter, lasting seven to 10 days. Areas of cruise emphasis will be Northern Europe, North America, Antarctica, the South Pacific, Australia/New Zealand, the Med, and Caribbean/Central America. 226 ports in 62 countries will be visited... An expanded political and world affairs lecture series will feature prominent pundits through 2012. Democrat James Carville, his Republican wife Mary Matalan, former ambassador Marc Ginsberg, four-star general Hugh Shelton, economist Roberts Warne, former Los Angeles Times editor Shelby Coffey, and others will spar off in debates and discussions under the "Ocean Views" and "Experiences of Discovery" themes.
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The three Cunard Queens — Mary 2, Elizabeth, and Victoria — will each spend large parts of 2012 in Europe. The 2010-passenger Queen Elizabeth will specialize in 12-day voyages to Israel, Egypt, the Greek Isles, Istanbul, Venice, Athens, and the Black Sea. It will also circumnavigate the British Isles. The 2620-passenger Queen Mary 2 will sail the rugged coastline of Norway on an 11-day itinerary. The 2014-passenger Queen Victoria will conduct 14-day Baltic trips and seven- and eight-day fjords sailings... The Queen Mary 2 turns eight years of age this season. In ship years, that means it's time for some refitting. It will receive new carpeting, curtains, bed covers, and linens in all 1310 cabins. The spa, the beauty salon, the Grill restaurants, kids' zones, pubs, and bars will all be included in upgrades and some will be completely redesigned.
Supplementing its West Coast schedule, Disney will add a 14-day Los Angeles-Hawaii round trip in October aboard the 2700-passenger Disney Wonder. The carrier this year will have its biggest West Coast presence ever, with sailings to Hawaii twice, Mexico, Alaska, and four new San Francisco/San Diego cruises. Seattle and Los Angeles will be the main departure points. Elsewhere at Disney, Galveston will have 12 seven-day cruises and New York City will have 20 trips, divided among two-, five-, and eight-day cruises. At Disney's main base at Port Canaveral, the new 4000-passenger Disney Fantasy will conduct seven-day Caribbean cruises, while the 4000-passenger Disney Dream will sail on three-, four-, and five-day trips. All will stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay... An array of wet new surprises will greet passengers aboard Disney's new ship, the Disney Fantasy, which sets sail from Port Canaveral this quarter. Aqua Lab, an AquaDuck water coaster, a leaky wall, sprays from a suspended Ducky Dinghy, Donald's pool, Mickey's pool, a wading pool, a fountain water feature, a Satellite Falls circular splash pool, and gently falling rain will help set the tone.
This issue: On-board review of Disney Dream. See "Ship Reviews" section.
Starting this spring, Hebridean's new 79-passenger Royal Crown river ship will inaugurate seven-day Rhine and Danube river cruises. The ship will have a lounge, a fine dining restaurant, library, sundeck with bar, concierge, and three grades of cabins. Drinks and shore excursions are included in the fare. Guest speakers will be aboard each departure.
Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland will be the highlights when Holland America returns to the Land Down Under and the South Pacific in late 2012 and 2013. It will have 13 voyages on 10 itineraries, visiting more than 50 ports. The 1848-passenger Oosterdam and the 1432-passenger Volendam will conduct the trips. Voyages will range in length from 10 to 58 days.
This issue: On-board Review of Maasdam. See "Ship
Reviews"
section.
Aurea Spa Suites are being introduced aboard the 18-deck, 3959-passenger Splendida and sister ship Fantasia. The suites, which are in proximity to the MSC Aurea Spa, will come with unlimited access to its thermal suite, private consultation with the spa doctor, a Balinese massage, a facial treatment, a solarium full-body tanning session, refreshments, and an additional array of spa services.
The biggest ship for the biggest
city: The largest ship ever to home port in New York City — NCL's
4000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway — will spend its first several years based
in the Big Apple. It will be there year-'round, operating at least
88 cruises between its inaugural in May, 2013, and March, 2015.
Nearing completion now in Germany, the ship will conduct sailings to Bermuda
during summers and the Caribbean in winters. It will bring an additional
140,000 embarking passengers into New York City over the two years. Some 583,000
cruise passengers embarked in New York City in 2010... The 2018-passenger
Norwegian Spirit and 2402-passenger Norwegian Jade have emerged from
multi-million dollar refurbishments. The Spirit received a wireless
internet installation, flat-screen television in all cabins, 64,000 square feet
of new carpeting, and upgrades to the theater, spa, fitness center, and buffet.
The Jade got a new Brazilian steakhouse, engine and technical
enhancements, and a repainted hull... Get ready to hear a lot of NCL's new
advertising slogan: "Cruise like a Norwegian."... NCL will launch a
shoreside concierge desk for passengers with reservations in the line's top
accommodations. It will be called The Haven by Norwegian. The desk
will handle pre-cruise assistance, dining and entertainment reservations, shore
excursion bookings, spa and salon appointments, pillow preference requests, and
other arrangements.
A series of 2012 "Signature Sailings" will emphasize wine, music, epicure, health, and wellness. Chef Jacques Pepin, jazz musicians, and others will preside over classes, concerts, wine tastings, and other events... Oceania has shifted the maiden voyage of its new 1250-passenger Riviera. It will now leave in late April, 10 days later than originally planned, on a 12-day trip from Athens to ports in Israel, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey. Among the new ship's features: 10 dining venues, a hands-on Bon Appetit culinary center, artists in residence teaching fine arts, a coffee bar, a large spa, and many lounges.
This year marks Princess' largest-ever Europe program. It will have seven ships calling at 116 ports in the Med, Holy Land, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia. There will be more than 125 departures between April and December, embarking on 57 itineraries. Overnight stops will be scheduled in many cities, while two-day visits are set for Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Israel, and Egypt... Both Fort Lauderdale and Galveston will be launch points for Princess' Caribbean cruises next fall, winter, and spring. Five ships will be dedicated to the service, making 115 voyages to 22 destinations on 10 itineraries. They'll range from seven to 20 days in length. There will also be two ships making full and partial transits of the Panama Canal. The full transits will go to San Francisco and Los Angeles... A whole schedule of new San Francisco and Los Angeles departures have been announced for the next two years. Choices: California coastals, round-trip from Los Angeles and calling at San Francisco and other California cities; Wine Country Coastal, exploring the San Francisco and Santa Barbara wine areas; BC and West Coast special, from Vancouver to Victoria, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles; Pacific Coastal cruises, between Vancouver and San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles; Mexico, from San Francisco and Los Angeles; Hawaii, from San Francisco and Los Angeles; the South Pacific, from San Francisco and Los Angeles; and the Panama Canal, from San Francisco and Los Angeles... Princess' 2012 Canada and New England season will consist of 11 voyages conducted by two ships. The 3100-passenger Emerald Princess and the 3110-passenger Caribbean Princess will sail on seven weeklong round trips from New York City, three 10-day New York - Quebec cruises, and a 12-day Quebec -Fort Lauderdale voyage.
Five Grand Voyages — departing from Rome, Auckland, Bali, and Beijing — will highlight next winter's Regent schedule. They'll range from 54 to 143 days. There will also be South America and Panama Canal trips from Miami, including a 72-day round-trip that leaves in January 2013. After 16 Caribbean cruises from Miami and before the summer Alaska season starts, a repositioning cruise will travel from Miami to San Francisco. Regent Seven Seas will move its 30+ annual calls at Fort Lauderdale to neighboring Miami next fall, where it will join its sister company, Oceania Cruises. Miami will provide it with a dedicated terminal and the ability to start cruises on any day of the week, the company said.
A new upscale dining venue, 150 Central Park, will be added to the 5400-passenger Oasis of the Seas. Michael Schwartz, winner of a James Beard Award, will create new dishes as well as serve favorites from his restaurants in Miami and Grand Cayman. New sets of menus will roll out every three months... Part of a $300 million fleet revitalization program, Royal Caribbean's 2074-passenger Splendour of the Seas got a major makeover during its drydocking in Spain late last year. Some 550 workers swarmed over the ship, adding 124 new balconies, a new extension to the bridge wings, flat-panel television in cabins, new dining rooms, digital wayfinding, an adult-only pool, outdoor movie capability, and more. It will become the first cruise ship to feature iPads in all cabins. Passengers will be able to use them to read the daily newsletter of events and activities, see their personal daily itineraries and shore excursions, monitor their accounts, order room service, check restaurant menus, access the internet, and watch movies...Splendour's signature five-deck-high Centrum atrium will be transformed into a vertical entertainment venue. Aerial performances, sound and light shows, music, and dancing at night together with interactive daytime activities will keep the new space busy.
The new
450-passenger Seabourn Quest will lead off 2013 with a 116-day world cruise
from Fort Lauderdale. It will traverse the globe westbound and end the
journey in Venice in May. Along the way, it will stop at 51 ports in 27
countries on six continents. This year Seabourn's six ships will travel to 379
ports in 103 countries across six continents. Together, they'll make 212
voyages. Trips will last from seven to more than 100 days. 50 of
the ports will be visited for the first time.
Silversea's 2013 World Cruise will be a 115-day journey west from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. It will be aboard the 382-passenger Silver Whisper. It will leave Los Angeles early in January and visit 52 destinations in 28 countries, with overnight stays in several key ports. It will cross the equator four times.
A wide roster of guest speakers has been booked for the 350-passenger Minerva. Authorities on such subjects as ancient history, archaeology, art history, botany, classics, Egyptology, the environment, geopolitics, geology, volcanology, gardens, history, Islamic history, Byzantine history, literature, militry history, modern history, naval history, ornithology, wildlife, philosophy, religion, and theology will speak and interact with passengers.
Returning to its Russia river cruise origins some 15 years ago, Viking will place its four Russian ships on mostly eight- and 13-day itineraries between St. Petersburg and Moscow this summer. The ships were recently remodeled and renamed. From Russian names they're now the Viking Rurik, Viking Helgi, Viking Ingvar, and Viking Truvor... Viking River Cruises has contracted for two additional ships in the Longships class for delivery in 2012. That will bring the total of new vessels to six. Viking Suites will consist of two full-size rooms, each with 270-degree views. 22 suites will have French balconies. Some lounges will have floor-to-ceiling windows that can be rolled aside. The carrier currently has 19 vessels.
A 550-passenger vessel, the Voyager, will join the fleet during 2012. 86 percent of its cabins will be outside. Initial cruises will be in Central and South America — including the Amazon — and the Caribbean, beginning in November.
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| Updates when news occurs | January-February-March 2012 issue | Entire new issue will be posted April 1, 2012 |