Home » Archive for April, 2011
Saga Pearl II becomes Spirit of Adventure
Saga Holidays, which specializes in over 50’s cruise journeys, has recently announced that Saga Pearl II, will be transferred from the Saga fleet to the Spirit of Adventure brand, a sister brand of Saga. The cruise ship, which was a recent addition to the Saga fleet, had a mysterious “farewell voyage” held recently. The 446 passenger, 18, 591 ton Saga Pearl II will be the first shake up of the fleet, and will be transferred in May. Spirit of Adventure has only one small 352 passenger ship of the same name, has been marketed as a separate entity from the Saga brand. The Saga Pearl II will be named Quest for Adventure, and will be replaced by Saga Sapphire, which will be added to the fleet on Mar 26. The Spirit of Adventure brand has specialized in off beat itineraries, and have been marketed [...]
Windstar Cruises Being Sold
Windstar Cruises is in the process of being sold. This was three weeks after Ambassadors Int’l, the Seattle Based parent company of the cruise line filed for bankruptcy. The three ship line is being sold for close to $ 40 million. The Cruise line is being sold to a private equity firm known as Whippoorwill Associates Inc., which is based in White Plains, New York. It is expected that the sale will be completed by May 23. The sale does have some impediments for completion. Bloomberg reported recently that creditors of Windstar had the argument in bankruptcy court that the sale should be completed only after a delay of at least 30 days, so that the buyer can be investigated closely. The buyer is the largest shareholder of the cruises as well. However, in a ruling made on 19th April, a judge [...]
Norwegian Jade
Norwegian Jade is a Jewel Class ship that is part of the fleet of Norwegian Cruise. The cruise ship is part of the freestyle ship design that has been evolving since quite some years. The Jade is one of the best options for cruisers who like quality in their experience. The interior locations for a number of public restaurants and others spaces have been improved sufficiently, and there have been new categories of accommodations added into the ship. Norwegian Jade, like other ships part of the Jewel Class for ships, has a great number of dining options, more than a dozen of the best. The entertainment on offer is simply top class. The spa facilities are expansive, with huge spaces and thermal suites with teen and children areas. The pools in the ship come with water slides, and come with a [...]
Jamaica sees increase in Cruise Tourists
In the busy winter season in the last year, the island of Jamaica saw close to a double digit rise in cruise ships arriving to the island ports. The announcement was made by the tourism minister of the country on Tuesday. The rebounding cruise ship passenger numbers is a great piece of news for Jamaica, as the country is dependent on tourism. In addition, unlike other islands in the Caribbean, Jamaica has a reputation for crime that has not done much for tourists. The main tourist incoming is from cruise ship passengers. Last year had seen the numbers of cruise ship visitors to the island of Jamaica decrease by 1.4 per cent in the last year, from 910, 000. It is also hoped that the numbers will rise even more in the coming years, as a cruise port has opened in Falmouth Parish. The port is [...]
Carnival Magic – What awaits us?
A couple of weeks prior to the May 1st christening ceremonies of Carnival Magic, workers are putting the final touches to the 3, 690 passenger, 130, 000 ton ship. The naming ceremony will be held in Venice, and the ship will sail for its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean. The ship is currently housed in the Fincantieri shipyard located close to Trieste in Italy. There are close to fifteen hundred technicians as well as five hundred additional crew members aboard the ship. These workers are now busy painting, varnishing, drilling and polishing. Workers are also building sets in the Showtime Theater, and rehearsals for new shows are being held. Every possible system is being tested. Cruise Industry experts agree that the ship will be an impressive addition to the fleet of Carnival Cruises. [...]
Princess Restores Egyptian Port Calls
Princess Cruises have announced that the previously removed Egyptian port calls will be reinstated on all itineraries. It was in February 2011, due to the political situation in the country that the cruise line made changes to the itineraries for eighteen sailings that would have made calls in Egypt right till November. Ships such as Pacific Princess, Ocean Princess, Dawn Princess, Star Princess and others have all included Egypt again in the list of ports to be called on the itineraries. The first Egypt call for Princess will be scheduled in May 15 t h. The situation in Egypt is considerably calmed down compared to the wide spread protests held earlier in the year. The tourist areas, at least are unaffected. This was stated by Jan Swartz, executive vice president of Princess Cruises. He welcomed [...]
Celebrity Constellation
Celebrity Constellation is a cruise ship part of the fleet of Celebrity Cruises. Although it is part of the Millennium class for cruise ships, the cruise ship was recently revamped so that it looks and contains facilities similar to the Solstice class, a more cosmopolitan and stylish class from celebrity. The elegant and relaxing atmosphere can be seen the moment you step on board crossing the gangway. There are a great number of things that will give you subtle hints that you are staying in one of the best premium range cruise lines in the world. Just like all ships part of the Celebrity fleet, the Celebrity Constellation has its designs for the cabins and staterooms exceedingly well thought out. There are a great number of features that give evidence to this, such as the ample space in all [...]
AIDA Cruises
In the early days of cruising, the classic cruise was the only genre that existed in the industry, with no idea of the “holiday at sea” innovation that is common now. Many experts in the cruise industry will agree that the club cruising concept was started first by AIDA cruises, when the first club cruiser was introduced. The experience was both casual as well as active, with no conventional models or traditions followed. People were hooked, as were the competitors keeping an eagle eye. This was seen as the new big innovation in the cruise industry. Today, AIDA cruises is the biggest cruise ship provider in Germany. It all started with the AIDAcare launch in 1996. With the combined services of a shipping company and a tour operator as an advantage, AIDA cruises have operated and marketed [...]
AIDAsol, Sphinx Class ship from AIDA Christened
AIDAsol is the eighth ship part of the fleet owned by AIDA Cruises. The cruise vessel is part of the Sphinx class for cruise vessels, and is the fifth ship part of the series. The ship was built at Meyer Werft for the cruise line. The sister ship vessels, AIDAblu, AIDAluna, AIDAbella and AIDAdiva came before AIDAsol. AIDAsol was christened on 11th April by Bettina Zwickler as Godmother. She was chosen as Godmother by fans of AIDA cruises from a list of 1, 523 people who sent in their names. The official christening address was given exactly at 9 -34 AM. AIDA President Michael Thamm was also present. The event was attended by close to four thousand five hundred AIDA fans, which gave the Ostseekai dock area a party atmosphere. The event saw a display with three thousand kilo grams of fireworks [...]
Disney will embark from NYC, Galveston and Seattle from 2012
Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Lines, announced today, that 2012 will see three new ports of embarkation for the cruise Line, Galvestin, Tx, Seattle and New York City. The announcement was made by Holz at the Chelsea Piers with a great view of the Hudson River, with Captain Mickey alongside. Disney Magic will embark from New York on May 25th 2012. The itineraries on offer are varied and delightful in the late springtime and summer, with cruises inclusive of a 5 night excursion to Bahamas, 2 night getaways specially for weekends as well as an 8 night trip right upto the north east coast of Canada and New England. The Trips to Bahamas will also be inclusive of a 1 day halt in Port Canaveral in Florida. There will also be a trip via bus to the Walt Disney World in Florida as well as Par [...]