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Princess Cruises unveils two shakedown cruises from Southampton on new Royal Princess in June

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 January 2013 21 January 2013

Princess Cruises has announced two preview cruises aboard Royal Princess, giving passengers a unique opportunity to get a taste of the new 141,000 gross ton ship before its official inaugural voyage The June 9 and June 14 cruises will sail roundtrip from Southampton on a two-night itinerary featuring a call in St. Peter Port, on the island of Guernsey, the company said in a statement.

"Passengers on the short sailings will be able to sample Royal Princess many ground-breaking features, including the dramatic over-water SeaWalk, Princess Live! television studio, and plush new poolside cabanas before the ships inaugural sailing on June 16, 2013," the company said.

Both voyages will go on sale on January 29, with limited availability.

The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is a new-generation ship for Princess Cruises. Among the special features found on board will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chefs Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

The ships 2013 maiden season will include cruises on the lines signature Grand Mediterranean itinerary throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the fall. A sister ship will be delivered in 2014, while in the following year a third unit of the class will be delivered to P&O Cruises, a sister company of Princess. However, this vessel has different interior designers and it will have different identity to the Princess ships.

Vaasanlaivat unveils theme cruises for winter and spring seasons

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 January 2013 21 January 2013

Vaasanlaivat, the new ferry company that took over the crossing between Vasa in Finland and Umea in Sweden, has unveiled a list of theme cruises for the spring season, the company said in a statement.

A total of 17 theme cruises will be operated between 26 January and 25 May on the Wasa Express ferry that serves on the four hour crossing. The themes range from the 1960s to dancing, beauty and fashion plus after ski.

Like most ferry companies in the Baltic Sea region, Vaaasanlaivat – or Vasabatarna as the company is known in Swedish – also sells its product as mini cruises for passengers who want to book a round trip; nowhere else but in the Baltic Sea region does the ferry industry have this dimension.

Princess Cruises adds new South America and Tahiti sailings in 2014

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 January 2013 18 January 2013

Princess Cruises has added several new Exotics cruise options in spring 2014, giving passengers additional vacation choices in the popular destinations of South America and the South Pacific. Options include a new South America grand adventure aboard Crown Princess – the first such voyage for the vessel. In addition, Pacific Princess will add new departures of the line's signature Tahiti & French Polynesia cruises plus additional Hawaii and South Pacific voyages.

During Crown Princess' South America debut, passengers can enjoy highlights such as an overnight call in vibrant Rio de Janeiro during the city's famous Carnaval celebrations, sailing around legendary Cape Horn, an optional overland tour to the dramatic Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, and Princess' first call to Ilhabela (beautiful island) an island that lives up to its name with lovely beaches and natural beauty. The new 49-day voyage travels from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles, sailing first to Brazil, then around Cape Horn along the Chilean Fjords and up the Pacific coast. Shorter segments of 16- to 33-days are also available.

To add more of the line's signature Tahiti & French Polynesia voyages, Pacific Princess will move to the South Pacific to offer three additional departures of this popular 10-day itinerary. The ship will also offer new departures of a 16-day New Zealand & South Pacific sailing from Sydney to Tahiti; a 12-day Hawaii & Tahiti sailing from Tahiti to Honolulu, and a 10-day Hawaiian Islands crossing from Honolulu ending in Vancouver, British Columbia. Many voyages can be linked for a Grand Adventure of 22 to 26 days.

South America and the South Pacific have been among our most popular cruises recently, so these new voyages offer wonderful additional opportunities for passengers to explore the natural beauty and colorful cultures of these destinations, said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. Whether passengers want to meet a penguin or learn to hula, these cruises offers a great way to find the experience of a lifetime.

The new Exotics sailings include:

49-day South America Grand Adventure – Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles
Featuring an overnight stay in Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval and Princess' maiden call to Brazils Ilhabela, this adventure also starts off with calls in St Thomas, St Kitts, Barbados, Trinidad, and Recife.
After an overnight stay in Buenos Aires, the cruise then sails around the famed Cape Horn at the tip of South America and features scenic cruising of the Chilean Fjords, plus calls in Montevideo, the Falkland Islands (Port Stanley), Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), Punta Arenas (Chile) and Puerto Montt. While traversing South Americas Pacific coast, this voyage offers the opportunity to take an overland tour to the famed Inca ruins at Machu Picchu, plus port calls including La Serena (Coquimbo), Pisco (San Martin), Lima (Callao), Puntarenas (Costa Rica), San Juan Del Sur (Nicaragua), and Puerto Vallarta.
Departs February 15, 2014 on Crown Princess

10-day Tahiti & Polynesia – Roundtrip Papeete
One of Princess classic voyages, featuring an overnight in Papeete, Tahiti, plus visits to the idyllic isles of Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora (for a two-day call), and Moorea.
Departures on March 12, March 24, April 1, 2014 aboard Pacific Princess

16-day New Zealand & South Pacific – Sydney to Papeete
From Sydney, the ship heads for three calls in New Zealand Tauranga, Auckland, and Bay Of Islands. After crossing the International Date Line, passengers can relax in paradise with visits to Pago Pago, Bora Bora, and Moorea, before arriving in Tahiti.
Departs February 25, 2014 on Pacific Princess

12-day Hawaii and Tahiti – Papeete to Honolulu
The Polynesian paradises of Tahiti and Hawaii will enchant passengers on this cruise featuring calls in Moorea, Bora Bora, Hilo, Kona, Maui (Lahaina), and Kauai (Nawiliwili)
Departs April 11, 2014 on Pacific Princess

10-day Hawaiian Islands – Honolulu to Vancouver
Passengers can revel in visits to Kauai (Nawiliwili), Kona, and Hilo before heading across the Pacific for relaxing time at sea on the way to British Columbia.
Departs April 23, 2014 on Pacific Princess

Pacific Princess' 2014 World Cruise will be cancelled to allow for these new sailings; however the first segment of the cruise departing January 20, 2014 will remain available for purchase. The 35-day sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney will feature a transit of the Panama Canal, calls to Ecuador, Peru, Easter Island, French Polynesia and New Zealand before arriving in Sydney on February 25, 2014.

Crown Princess' previously scheduled Caribbean cruises from February 15 to April 26, 2014 have been cancelled to allow for the new South America voyage. Passengers on the rescheduled sailings are being notified and assisted with finding alternate cruise options.

MSC Cruises teams up with Eataly

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 January 2013 18 January 2013

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, says it has recently signed an agreement with Eataly, the popular Turin-based chain founded in 2007 by Oscar Farinetti.

“A shared attitude towards quality, traceable food and beverages and a strong conviction that they should be available to everyone at sustainable prices, and not just to a limited circle of privileged people, is the foundation of the new partnership between MSC Cruises and Eataly, the first step of which involves opening the first two Eataly restaurants at sea on board brand new flagship MSC Preziosa,” MSC Cruises said.

MSC Preziosa will be named in Genoa on 23 March.

Carnival plc shares open firmer after share repurchase news

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 18 January 2013 18 January 2013

Shares in Carnival plc, the British constituent of the Carnival Corp & plc group, opened firmer in London on Friday morning after the group had said it would reinstate a $1 billion share repurchase programme and quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.

Shares in Carnival plc traded 0.8% higher at £25.44 in early London trading on Friday. The FTSE100 index of leading shares had firmed 0.3% in the same time.

Carnival plc is a British company listed in London and New York, with legal domicile at 5 Gainsford Street in London. Carnival Corporation is a Panamanian company, whose headquarters are in Miami and which is listed in New York.

The two companies trade as a single entity and have identical boards.