Costa Cruises' 'Captain for a Day' program enables junior cruisers to experience life at the helm

What kid wouldn't want a chance to captain a cruise ship? Costa Cruises is making junior cruisers' dreams come true with a new "Captain for a Day" experience on Costa Diadema and Costa Fascinosa. Kids can see what life is like at the helm on a daylong adventure that begins with donning their captain's stripes and ends with dinner with the true master of the ship at his personal table in the main dining room.

Youths participating in the program will receive a captain's uniform for the day to wear to their captain's training. They'll learn the ins and outs of the ship, nautical terms and how to navigate with their own map and compass. Instruction also includes getting familiar with signal flags, learning each flag's particular meaning and how to spell their name and leave secret messages with the flags. They'll also see how weather affects the behavior of the sea and have a chance to broadcast the day's weather forecast on the ship's in-cabin television network.

"Kids get excited when they see the captain and officers walking around our ships and many say they may want to be a cruise ship captain when they grow up," said Scott Knutson, vice president, sales and marketing, for Costa Cruises North America. "With the Captain for a Day program they'll get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the role the master fulfills onboard, learn a few tricks of the trade and enjoy an experience unlike anything else they've ever done while at sea."

The Captain for a Day program, which can be booked onboard, offers three levels:

The Aspirante Comandante (Captain Trainee) package includes a uniform to wear for the day, the full captain's training and dinner at the captain's table in the main dining room with other participants. After dinner, the junior captains graduate and receive a diploma with two 8-by-11 photos to remember their experience. The Captain Trainee package costs 49.99 euros and 29.99 euros for each additional child from the same family.

The Comandante (Captain) package includes all of the perks of Aspirante Comandante, as well as a captain's hat autographed by the ship's master for the trainee to keep. Comandantes additionally receive two 11-by-17 photos. The Comandante package is 79.99 euros for the first participant and 49.99 euros for each additional child from the same family.

With the Comandante Superiore (Senior Captain) package, trainees get to keep their uniform, including an autographed captain's hat, in addition to all of the Aspirante Comandante and Comandante perks. The Senior Captain package costs 124.99 euros and 59.99 euros for each additional child from the same family.

The Captain for a Day program complements Costa's Princess for a Day program that launched in November 2014. With Princess for a Day, junior cruisers have their hair, nails and make-up done; get to wear a princess costume with a dress, crown and wand; attend a Princess Tea Party and participate in a Princess Parade around the ship.

Carnival Pride to return to Tampa to operate series of voyages in January and February 2017

Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride will return to the Port of Tampa to operate a series of five- to 14-day voyages in January and February 2017, providing consumers with an exciting variety of “Fun Ship” vacation choices from this popular Florida port.

Carnival Pride has undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation that added consumer favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network Star Guy Fieri, the full-service Bonsai Sushi, and BlueIguana Cantina serving authentic Mexican fare, along with innovative beverage concepts like the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub, and the poolside BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar. A massive WaterWorks aqua park highlighted by Green Thunder, the fastest and steepest water slide at sea, was added, as well

“Tampa is a popular port for ‘Fun Ship’ cruising and we’re thrilled that the Carnival Pride is returning to the port to operate this series of five- to 14-day cruises which feature visits to top destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. “These cruises also provide our valued travel agent partners with exciting new vacation choices to market to their clients,” she added.

5- to 7-night cruises from Tampa

Carnival Pride will operate a series of seven-day cruises from Tampa departing Jan. 15, 22 and 29, and Feb. 19, 2017, visiting some of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, including Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; and George Town, Grand Cayman.  Carnival Pride will also offer a five-day cruise round-trip from Tampa February 14-19, 2017, calling at Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  Each of these destinations are world-renowned for their beautiful beaches, wide range of sightseeing choices and excellent water sports opportunities.

Special 13- and 14-night Carnival Journeys cruises from Baltimore and Tampa

Prior to its deployment to Tampa, Carnival Pride will operate a 13-day Carnival Journeys cruise departing Baltimore Jan. 2 and arriving in Tampa Jan. 15, 2017. Ports of call include Grand Turk, B.W.I.; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama (including optional excursions to the Panama Canal); Limon, Costa Rica; Mahogany Bay; Cozumel and the Caribbean’s newest destination, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, which serves as the gateway to one of the world’s most breathtaking cruising regions.  

A 14-day Carnival Journeys voyage will depart Tampa Feb. 26, visiting Cozumel, Limon, Colon, Aruba, Bonaire, and St. Maarten before arriving in Baltimore March 12, 2017.  Following this voyage, Carnival Pride will resume its year-round schedule of seven-day cruises from Baltimore beginning March 12, 2017.

Carnival Journeys is a unique collection of longer length voyages featuring spectacular ports of call and unique on-board activities created especially for this one-of-a-kind cruise program. In addition to experiencing and exploring ports of call throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America, Carnival Journeys guests can enjoy local culinary experiences, participate in exclusive team member Q&As and special activities, including a fun-filled “throw back sea day” with retro activities and old school dining options from the 1980s.

Legend of the Seas returns to Singapore for a new season

Royal Caribbean International’s Legend of the Seas, a long-time favourite among cruisers in Asia where she homeported between 2008 and 2013, has returned to Singapore today to begin her new season. The ship has just completed a 10-night cruise from Hong Kong.

Legend of the Seas will be offering a series of attractive itineraries for the Singapore season till this November ranging from 3 to 14 nights, to as many as 19 ports-of-call in 10 countries and territories, namely Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. The sailings include:
– 3-night cruise to Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang)
– 5-night cruise to Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and Ko Samui
– 10-night cruise to Ko Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (overnight), Sihanoukville, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) (new itinerary)
– 10-night one-way cruise to Ko Samui, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Nha Trang, Hue/Danang and Hong Kong (new itinerary)
– 10-night one-way cruise from Hong Kong to Taipei (Keelung), Manila, Boracay, Puerto
Princesa, Kota Kinabalu, Bandar Seri Begawan (Muara) and Singapore (new itinerary)
– 14-night one-way cruise to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Langkawi, Phuket, Bali (Benoa), Lombok, Broome, Geraldton and Perth. (new itinerary)

TUI Cruises to host musical festival at sea

TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based premium market company, says it will host a musical festival at sea during a four night cruise from Hamburg to Kiel via Copenhagen and Oslo, which will sail on 27 August. There will be 13 artists and bands on board Mein Schiff 1 on the cruise, which will offer about 30 concerts, meets and greets, workshops, films, lectures and other music themed activities, the company said in a statement.

P&O Cruises unveils 2017 World Cruise collection

P&O Cruises, the British contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corp & plc group, has launched its 2017 World Cruise Collection featuring two full world circumnavigations offering a choice of east or west, a 180th anniversary celebration cruise on Aurora, fly cruises and Australasian journeys, a 50-night cruise round trip Southampton to the Caribbean, USA and Amazon, Northern Lights cruises on Oriana with numerous overnight and evening calls, the companysaid in a statement.

P&O Cruises’ marketing director, Christopher Edgington, said: “P&O Cruises has a reputation for offering original and appealing world cruise itineraries which we spend a lot of time planning, based on extensive research and trends. Our round the world cruises are not a once-in-a-lifetime dream but a truly affordable and realistic holiday for “empty nesters” looking for long haul adventure and “this is the life” memories.”

World circumnavigations on Aurora and Arcadia

In the year that P&O Cruises celebrates 180 years of heritage, Aurora’s world circumnavigation will be particularly poignant. Echoing the trade routes of the British Empire, Aurora will sail a 104-night eastern circumnavigation from Southampton calling at 35 destinations in 21 countries and sailing nearly 30,000 nautical miles. Departing January 9 2017, this cruise will feature 23 new ports of call (compared with Aurora’s 2016 world cruise), four overnight stays in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco and seven evening calls. The cruise will also feature calls into some of the world’s most iconic destinations including sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, sailing into Sydney Harbour and “City of Sails”, Auckland and transiting both the Panama and Suez canals.

Arcadia’s 114-night Polynesian and Asian Adventure is a full world western circumnavigation from Southampton calling at 37 destinations in 21 countries and sailing over 36,000 nautical miles. Departing January 2 2017, the cruise will feature 22 new ports of call (compared with Arcadia’s 2016 world cruise), five overnight stays in San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore and nine evening calls. As with Aurora’s world cruise, Arcadia  will also feature calls into some of the world’s most iconic destinations including sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, sailing into Sydney Harbour and “City of Sails”, Auckland and transiting both the Panama and Suez canals.

Prices for the world cruises start from £10,299 per person Select Price (based on Aurora’s world circumnavigation) plus onboard spending money from £350 per person up to £1,000 per person depending on cabin grade.

Oriana’s Caribbean and Amazon Adventure

This 50-night cruise on Oriana round trip from Southampton will call at 17 destinations in 13 countries in the Caribbean, the USA and South America and will sail over 14,000 nautical miles including 1,500 nautical miles on the Amazon over six days. Departing January 3 2017, Oriana will feature 10 new ports of call, compared with her 50-night cruise in 2016. Highlights of the cruise include calls at Bermuda, New Orleans and Manaus as well as cruising the mighty Amazon.

Prices from £3,999 per person Select Price plus onboard spending money from £150 per person to £475 per person depending on cabin grade.

Northern Lights cruises

In 2017, Oriana will offer two 12-night Northern Lights cruises round trip from Southampton calling at Andalsnes, Tromso, Alta (overnight) and Stavanger as well as cruising in Romsdalsfjord. Highlights include the overnight in Alta which is known as “The Town of the Northern Lights” and a late evening in Tromso where adventurous guests can head out on a traditional husky-drawn sled.

Prices from £899 per person Select Price plus onboard spending money from £45 per person to £150 per person depending on cabin grade.