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Norwegian Epic arrives Barcelona for year-round deployment

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 April 2015 30 April 2015

Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship, Norwegian Epic, arrived this morning in Barcelona, Spain to begin her summer season of seven-night Mediterranean sailings. The award-winning Norwegian Epic features a new entertainment line-up for her new homeport, debuting throughout 2015. Two new Broadway shows will take the stage as headliners: Burn the Floor and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical, coming in October. The ship will also feature an all-new British pop music entertainment experience, The Cavern Club, bringing the legendary Liverpool venue where the Beatles performed to life at sea.

"We are very excited to bring Norwegian Epic back to Europe. With her innovative accommodations and wide array of dining, spa and leisure amenities, she truly is the best ship to sail the Med and beyond," said Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and chief operating officer. "The new world-class entertainment offerings that guests can enjoy will even further elevate the guest experience, giving them more options to create their perfect cruise holiday."

Broadway sensation Burn the Floor, which has received rave reviews on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, will bring the sizzle and passion of ballroom dancing to Norwegian Epic with “Ballroom Blitz”, an all new and exciting show specifically designed for European guests. Based on the Oscar-winning movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical is the heart-warming, uplifting comedy adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and features a hit parade of dance floor favourites, including “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The show will open on the ship’s October 18, 2015 voyage along with a whole new entertainment venue created through an exclusive partnership with the owners of Liverpool’s The Cavern Club, which will rock guests each evening to the sounds of The Beatles and other international musicians.

Until November 22, 2015, Norwegian Epic will offer 7-night cruises from Barcelona or Civitavecchia (Rome) to the Western Mediterranean, including stops in Naples (Pompeii), Italy; Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy; Cannes, France and Palma, Mallorca, Spain between May 3 and November 22. During the winter season between November 29, 2015 and April 7, 2016, Norwegian Epic will sail alternate 10-night cruises to Morocco, the Canaries, Madeira and Málaga (Granada), and 10-, or 11-, 12-night cruises to the Western Mediterranean including stops in Sardinia, Sicily and Mallorca.

In addition Norwegian Epic will sail two cruises to and from Southampton, England in 2015, marking the first time that the ship has visited the port since the inaugural celebration in June 2010. The ship’s 6-night sailing will depart Barcelona on September 20, 2015 and arrive in Southampton on September 26, 2015, with ports of call including Cartagena, Spain; Málaga (Granada), Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal. Following a 22-day dry dock in France, Norwegian Epic will embark on a 7-night Iberian Peninsula cruise from Southampton to Barcelona on October 18, 2015. The ship will visit ports of call including Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Málaga (Granada) and Cartagena, Spain.

Guests looking to celebrate Christmas 2015 on board Norwegian Epic can do so on a 9-night Canary Islands & Morocco itinerary which will be offered on December 19, 2015 and those planning to cruise through the New Year can set sail on December 28, 2015, from Barcelona on a 6-night cruise.

Carnival to reposition Victory, Ecstasy and Fantasy

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 April 2015 30 April 2015

Building on its distinction as the Caribbean cruise leader, Carnival Cruise Line will reposition the 102,000-ton Carnival Victory on the line’s popular five-port, seven-day southern Caribbean cruise schedule from San Juan beginning in November 2016.

Carnival Victory offers a wide range of on-board amenities and features, including more than 500 balcony staterooms that are perfect for watching the breathtaking Caribbean scenery. Carnival Victory will carry an estimated 150,000 guests from San Juan on an annual basis.

In addition, Carnival announced new ships in two key homeports with Carnival Ecstasy shifting to Charleston, S.C., and Carnival Fantasy to Miami in February 2016, providing exciting new “Fun Ship” cruise options in those markets.

"Our popular southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan offer our guests the opportunity to visit five different tropical destinations during their week-long vacation and each of these fantastic ports feature not only spectacular beaches but also a wide variety of sightseeing opportunities and attractions," said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president. "At the same time, we’re excited to provide two terrific ‘Fun Ship’ vacation choices with Carnival Ecstasy sailing from Charleston and Carnival Fantasy from Miami," she added.

Carnival Victory to offer 7-day cruises From San Juan

Carnival Victory will reposition to San Juan to offer a week-long southern Caribbean cruise schedule beginning Nov. 6, 2016. The itinerary features day-long calls at five magnificent destinations: St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.

In addition to featuring some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, these destinations offer a wide range of unforgettable landside experiences, from shopping for duty-free bargains in St. Thomas and exploring the majestic volcanic mountains called the Pitons in St. Lucia to visiting centuries-old historic structures in Barbados, soaking up the distinctive Dutch/French atmosphere of St. Maarten and traversing St. Kitts’ lush, mountainous landscape.

On board Carnival Victory, guests can enjoy the ship’s array of amenities, including a luxurious 14,500-square foot spa, four swimming pools – one with a 214-foot-long water slide – along with myriad dining, entertainment and nightlife options, all enjoyed amidst stunning interiors that pay homage to legendary bodies of water.

Carnival Ecstasy to operate 4- to 7-day cruises from Charleston

Beginning Feb. 6, 2016, Carnival Ecstasy will launch year-round four- to seven-day departures from Charleston, S.C., providing an array of itinerary and cruise duration choices from this popular homeport. On its new schedule, four-day cruises will sail to Nassau and five-day cruises will visit Nassau and Freeport or the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay. Two different seven-day options will be available featuring either Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau or Amber Cove (Dominican Republic), Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. There will also be three special six-day cruises departing May 23 and Oct. 2 and 30, 2016, and visiting Freeport, Nassau and Half Moon Cay.

Carnival Ecstasy offers a wide range of on-board features, including a WaterWorks aqua park featuring a 300-foot-long water slide, a Serenity adults-only retreat and a tropical-themed resort style pool, along with more than 150 staterooms and suites featuring private balconies.

Carnival Fantasy to sail 3- and 4-day cruises from Miami

Carnival Fantasy, currently based in Charleston, will shift to Miami to operate the line’s popular three- and four-day cruise schedule beginning Feb.22, 2016. On this route, three-day weekend cruises depart Fridays and overnight in Nassau, while four-day voyages depart Mondays and feature Key West and Cozumel. Prior to the start-up of three- and four-day service from Miami, Carnival Fantasy will offer a special five-day cruise to Amber Cove and Grand Turk departing Feb. 17, 2016. Carnival Fascination will assume this route from the Carnival Fantasy beginning Nov. 7, 2016. Details on the Carnival Fantasy’s future deployment will be provided at a later date.

Repositioning cruises on Carnival Victory and Carnival Fascination

In preparation for their new homeport deployments, Carnival Fascination and Carnival Victory will offer exciting seven- and eight-day Caribbean cruises, respectively, departing in October 2016 and visiting some of the region’s most sought-after destinations.

Carnival Victory will operate a special seven-day cruise departing Port Canaveral, Fla., Oct. 30, 2016, and arriving in San Juan Nov. 6, 2016. Featured ports on this itinerary include St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Antigua and St. Maarten.

Carnival Fascination will offer a one-time eight-day cruise from San Juan to Miami Oct. 30 – Nov. 7, 2016, featuring extended calls at St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and Grand Turk.

More than 150 evacuated from burning ferry in Mediterranean

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 29 April 2015 29 April 2015

More than 150 people were evacuated from a ferry that caught fire while it was on a voyage from Palma de Mallorca to the Spanish mainland on Tuesday, media reports said.

The fire broke out on Sorrento, which was operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea, the Spanish ferry company, which had chartered it from Atlantica di Navigazzione, the principal holding company of Grimaldi Naples group in Italy. Three crew members suffered injuries in the fire, the reports said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, but a Spanish government official reportedly said it had broken out on the port side of the ship.

Sorrento is a unit of a series the Visentini shipyard inItaly has built. The yard has built a total of 24 of these 20,000 gross ton ships, according to ferryvolution.com, a ferry industry website.

At the end of 2014, Norman Atlantic, another unit of the Visentini series, caught fire in the Mediterranean. The incident claimed 12 lives. The fire had apparently started in a vehicle that was carried on board.

Carnival extends three credit facilities totalling $2.35 billion by one year

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 April 2015 28 April 2015

Carnival Corporation, the Panama domiciled holding company in the Carnival Corp & plc group, and Carnival plc that is the group's UK domiciled holding company, and their lenders have agreed to extend the maturities of three credit facilities by one year to June 2020.

"On April 23, 2015, in respect of all of the facilities provided under our $1.7 billion, 500 million and 150 million multi-currency revolving credit agreement, as amended and restated on June 16, 2014, by and among Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc, and certain of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc subsidiaries, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, as Facilities Agent, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Barclays Bank PLC, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., J.P. Morgan Limited, Lloyds Bank plc, Mizuho Bank, Ltd and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, as mandated lead arrangers, and each of the other banks or other institutions party thereto (the "Facility Agreement"), the termination date was extended from June 16, 2019 to June 16, 2020 pursuant to the extension request procedures set forth in the Facility Agreement. A description of the Facility Agreement was disclosed in Item 2.03 of the Form 8-K filed by Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc on June 17, 2014 and is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03 except with reference to the expiration date of the Facility Agreement," Carnival group said in a statement."

"Some of the lenders under the Facility Agreement and their affiliates have various relationships with Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc and certain of their subsidiaries involving the provision of financial services, including cash management, investment banking and trust services. In addition, Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc have entered into other loan arrangements as well as fuel, interest rate swap and foreign currency exchange derivative arrangements with certain of the lenders and their affiliates," Carnival said.

Australians, New Zealanders commemorate Gallipoli centenary on Queen Elizabeth

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 April 2015 27 April 2015

Almost 500 Australians and New Zealanders have joined their fellow passengers on the decks of Queen Elizabeth for a very special memorial service as the ship sailed the waters off the Gallipoli Peninsula this morning.

Marking Cunard Line’s long-standing association with Australian and New Zealand wartime campaigns, including Gallipoli, the emotional ceremony saw the ship’s crew and guests lay wreaths in the water in remembrance of the heroic soldiers who fought in the World War One campaign, Carnival Australia said in a statement.

"A two-metre high poppy wall floral tribute, shaped as ‘100’ to mark the Anzac centenary, formed the centrepiece for the ceremony. The wall was filled with 11,500 red poppies donated by Australians and New Zealanders during Queen Elizabeth’s calls to Auckland and Sydney as part of her current world cruise, with the flowers representing the number of Anzacs killed during the campaign."

Visitors to the poppy wall in Auckland and Sydney also wrote personal messages in a special remembrance book, with a selection of those read at this morning’s service. The book will be placed in the ship’s library where it will remain in memory of the heroes of Gallipoli.

Carrying 2000 guests, Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the waters of Gallipoli on Anzac Day eve, comes during her 112-night world voyage. The ship will arrive into Istanbul early on Anzac Day when some guests will disembark to continue their journey to Gallipoli.

Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge said she was honoured to bring Queen Elizabeth’s guests to the waters of Gallipoli for such a significant occasion. “The Anzac story resonates for all of us at Cunard,” Captain Klein Thorhauge said. “Our connection with the armed forces of Britain, New Zealand and Australia runs very deep. Cunard has supported the services going back to the Crimean War. In World War One, 20 Cunard ships and many of their crew were lost. It is a legacy of service of which we at Cunard are very proud.”

Guests of honour at the service included Herb Christophers from New Zealand and Mark Keys from Australia, both descendants of Anzac soldiers, who travelled onboard Queen Elizabeth as custodians for the poppies on their journey to Gallipoli.

The Gallipoli landings were an attempt of the Entente Powers to force the straits of Bosphorus and seize Constantinople - today known as Istanbul - that was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was fighting on the side of the Central Powers. The attempt failed, partly due to stalwart efforts by a general by the name of Mustafa Kemal, who became the first Turkish president in 1924.