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Norwegian Cruise Line unveils 2015 itineraries, for sale immediately

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 December 2013 17 December 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced, and opened for sale, its 2015 summer and year-round cruises. "The deployment includes the line’s newest ship, Norwegian Getaway, sailing to the Caribbean from her year-round homeport of Miami. Norwegian continues to offer three ships in Alaska, four in Europe, two in Bermuda, as well as a variety of exciting Canada & New England; Bahamas & Florida; and repositioning cruises. Norwegian will also continue to offer its unique Hawaii cruises year-round on Pride of America from Honolulu and short Bahamas itineraries from Miami year-round on Norwegian Sky, The company said in a statement.

“We will continue to offer a variety of exciting cruises for our guests to choose from in 2015,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “Back by popular demand, guests can continue to experience the best of Europe on their choice of four beautiful ships, cruise Alaska on some of the youngest ships in the industry, and experience the incredible innovations and unparalleled entertainment on the ship that brings the best of NYC to sea, Norwegian Breakaway, and Miami’s ultimate ship, Norwegian Getaway.”

Europe

Norwegian will offer a four-ship deployment in Europe during the summer of 2015. Norwegian Epic will return to Europe for her fifth season, sailing seven-night Western Mediterranean fly-cruise itineraries from Barcelona, Spain and from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, between 3 May 2015 and 22 November 2015. The itinerary features five exciting ports of call in three different countries: Italy, Spain and France and includes a stop in the very chic port of Cannes, France.

Norwegian Star will return to the Baltic Capitals, offering nine-night fly-cruises from Copenhagen, Denmark between 11 May 2015 and 25 September 2015. This exciting itinerary includes an overnight in St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as a scenic sail through the Stockholm Archipelago following the ship’s afternoon departure from Stockholm, Sweden.

On 12 June 2015, Norwegian Star will sail one 14-night North Cape fly-cruise itinerary, during the summer solstice. This incredible itinerary will set sail from Copenhagen, Denmark and will visit the best of Norway including, Alesund, Hellesylt/Geiranger, Trondheim, Lofoten Islands, Tromso, Hammerfest, Honningsvag, Molde and Bergen. This itinerary can also be combined with a nine-night Baltic Capitals itinerary for the ultimate northern Europe experience.

Norwegian Star will also sail two seven-night Norwegian Fjords fly-cruise itineraries from Copenhagen, on 20 May and 5 June 2015. She will sail through the beautiful fjords of southern Norway featuring stops in Alesund, Geiranger, Flam and Bergen.

In addition, Norwegian Star will offer one 12-night British Isles fly-cruise itinerary from Copenhagen to London (Dover). This itinerary will feature stops in Rotterdam, Netherlands; Portland, UK; Falmouth, UK; Cork (Cobh), Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Belfast Northern Ireland; Inverness (Invergordon), Scotland; and Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Scotland.

Norwegian Jade will return to Venice from 25 April to 17 October 2015, sailing alternating seven-night fly-cruises to the Greek Isles and Adriatic, Greece and Turkey. Guests may also choose to combine these two exciting itineraries to enjoy an incredible 14-night adventure.

For a combination of eastern and western Mediterranean itineraries, guests can embark on Norwegian Jade’s Mediterranean voyage. This one-time-only 14-night fly-cruise itinerary sets sail from Venice, Italy on 11 July 2015 and visits some of Europe’s most sought-after ports of call including Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; Cannes, France; Valletta, Malta; and Messina, Sicily.

Norwegian Spirit will offer 12-night Grand Mediterranean fly-cruise voyages from 25 April to 24 October 2015. Guests can choose to depart from either Barcelona or Venice on this incredible itinerary that visits five different countries – Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Turkey.

Caribbean

Miami’s ultimate Ship, Norwegian Getaway, will sail from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on nine-night fly-cruises every Saturday. Ports of call include: Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Bahamas and Florida

Norwegian Gem will sail from New York City on nine-night Bahamas & Florida fly-cruises between 25 April 2015 and 5 September 2015. This popular family-friendly itinerary includes a stop in Orlando and the Beaches (Port Canaveral), Florida and also features exclusive Nickelodeon programming on board. On 30 May 2015 and 13 June 2015, Norwegian Gem will sail 10-nightBahamas and Florida fly-cruise sailings that feature an additional sea day as well as additional time in Orlando and the Beaches (Port Canaveral).

For a shorter cruise option, Norwegian Sky will continue sailing five and six-night fly-cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami. Ports of call include: Nassau, Grand Bahama Island, and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island.

Alaska

Norwegian will continue to sail three ships in Alaska in the summer of 2015: Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Jewel from Seattle, Washington and Norwegian Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia and Seward, Alaska.

Norwegian Jewel will sail a series of nine-night Sawyer Glacier fly-cruises from Seattle between 16 May 2015 and 12 September 2015. Norwegian Pearl will set sail on nine-night Glacier Bay fly-cruise itineraries from 17 May 2015 to 20 September 2015. Both itineraries feature stops in Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

For those wishing to cruise on a longer Alaska itinerary, Norwegian Jewel will sail one 11-nightGlacier Bay fly-cruise itinerary on 7 May 2015, and will visit Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway; Icy Strait Point, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Norwegian Pearl will offer a 12-night Glacier Bay fly-cruise itinerary from Vancouver to Seattle on 7 May 2015, stopping in Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway; Icy Strait Point; Sitka, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Norwegian Sun will sail nine-night one-way fly-cruises between Vancouver, British Columbia and Seward, Alaska from 25 May 2015 to 7 September 2015. Sailing north from Vancouver, guests will enjoy a cruise through the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier and visits to Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau, Alaska. On Norwegian Sun’s Southbound itineraries from Seward, Alaska guests will cruise the Inside Passage, Sawyer Glacier and Hubbard Glacier and enjoy stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Icy Strait Point, Alaska. Norwegian Sun’s cruises give guests the opportunity to see more of beautiful Alaska and make their cruise an adventure by adding on a pre or post-cruise CruiseTour, giving guests the chance to experience Alaska up close and personal.

Norwegian Sun will also offer three nine-night roundtrip fly-cruises from Vancouver, featuring stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and one 12-night Glacier Bay fly-cruise itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver on 8 May 2015. Ports of call include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Sitka Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia.

Hawaii

The newly-enhanced Pride of America will continue to sail her very popular nine-night Hawaii fly-cruise itinerary departing from Honolulu weekly until April 2017. Offering more than 100 hours of sight-seeing time, ports of call include an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawai`i; Kona, Hawai`i; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kaua`i; and an afternoon cruise past the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

Bermuda

Norwegian will continue its tradition of sailing from both New York City and Boston to the pink sand beaches of Bermuda between May and October, 2015. Norwegian Breakaway will return to Bermuda, sailing from New York City on nine-night fly-cruises weekly from 26 April 2015 to 18 October 2015. Guests wishing to visit Bermuda from Boston can sail on board Norwegian Dawn for a nine-night fly-cruise, departing weekly, from 1 May 2015 to 4 September 2015 and from 9 October to 23 October 2015.

Canada & New England

Norwegian will continue its scenic Canada & New England itineraries in 2015, offering guests the opportunity to see the spectacular foliage from Norwegian Dawn or Norwegian Gem.

Norwegian Dawn will offer one-way fly-cruises between Boston and Quebec from 11 September 2015 to 2 October 2015. These sailings can be combined for an ultimate 16-night Canada & New England experience.

Norwegian Gem will offer nine-night round trip fly-cruises from New York City from 12 September to 3 October 2015, visiting four beautiful ports of call: Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John, New Brunswick; Bar Harbor, Maine; and Newport, Rhode Island. Norwegian Gem will also offer two eight-night Canada & New England fly-cruises on 7 and 21 June 2015, round trip from New York City.

Repositioning Cruises

In spring of 2015, Norwegian will offer a variety of once-in-a-lifetime repositioning cruises including Caribbean repositioning, Transatlantic cruises, Pacific Coastal itineraries and a variety of Panama Canal voyages.

Cuba Cruise hosts Havana reception celebrating first season circumnavigating Cuba

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 17 December 2013 17 December 2013

Last night, Cuba Cruise celebrated the launch of its first season in Cuba at an exclusive reception attended by international and Cuban dignitaries. Special guests were treated to a preview of the onboard entertainment, VIP tours of the Louis Cristal ship and gripping presentations by Cuba Cruise President, Dugald Wells and the ship's Captain, while onlookers lined up to snap photos of the stunning ship at port.

"We are truly grateful for the warm welcome to Cuba," says Wells. "Throughout the event, we were overwhelmed with positive comments and the sheer excitement for today's first sailing. It's going to be a spectacular season."

At the reception, guests enjoyed an astounding preview of onboard entertainment, directed by Marie-Josée Lévesque from Quebec's Cirque Fantastic and Enrique Nunez from the National Theatre of Cuba. A nationwide hero in Cuba, Nunez has arranged over 16 compositions specifically for the cruise and has even composed a special Cuba Cruise song.

The show's diverse talent overwhelmingly impressed the audience, including ambassadors from Austria, Serbia and Cyprus, Cuban government officials and domestic and international media. The preview showcased a sampling of classic musical numbers and duets, circus acrobatics, comedy and of course, traditional Cuban music and dance.

The first cruise departs Havana at midnight tonight. Passengers will circumnavigate the island, exploring Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Montego Bay (Jamaica), Cienfuegos and Punta Frances before returning to Cuba's vibrant capital on December 23rd, 2013. The inaugural season runs from now until March 24th, 2014 with a lead-in price of $586 CAD.

Saga Cruises to offer voyage to South Africa and back

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 December 2013 16 December 2013

Saga Cruises, the UK based company that sells its holidays to those aged 50 and over, will offer a voyage to South Africa and back early in 2014.

The 18,800 gross ton Saga Pearl II will sail from Southampton on 7 January on a 26 night voyage to Cape Town and start a 22 night return voyage from there on 31 January, the company says on its website.

Saga Pearl II operated a regular service between Southampton and Cape Town briefly in 1984-84, when the then three year old vessel flied the South African flag and was called Astor. It should not be confused with a present vessel of the same name that was built in 1987 as an actual successor of its older namesake, which had emerged not ideal for the liner service, which was operated on a 14 night schedule in each direction.

However, South African Marine Corporation (Safmarine) operated the vessel only for a short time. It is currently operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages in Australia, from where it will offer a liner voyage to the UK via South Africa in the spring of 2014.

Saga Ruby suffers generator breakdown, changes itinerary

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 16 December 2013 16 December 2013

Saga Cruises, the British cruise shipping company that is part of Acromas Holdings group has decided to change the itinerary of its 1973 built Saga Ruby that will be retired soon, after one of the six generators on board failed, Cruise Critic reports on its website.

Instead of heading for a 31-night Caribbean itinerary as scheduled, the ship will continue in the Mediterranean, where it can operate normally at its current generator capacity.

"It was discovered that one of the six generators could not operate properly without a part that needed to be manufactured." Because the air conditioning needs to run at full capacity in the Caribbean, "The Captain decided that for passenger comfort, it would be better to change the itinerary," a spokesman for Saga was quoted as saying.

Of the 557 passengers onboard, less than 30 have returned to the U.K. and will receive a full refund. Those remaining onboard will receive a 40-percent refund.

"Having personally spoken to a great many passengers about our revised plans, I know that -- although some are disappointed about not proceeding as planned -- there is an understanding that this has been beyond our control, and it was better to find out now than in the heat of the Caribbean," said Robin Shaw, chief executive of Saga Shipping.

No injuries on Amorella's grounding

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 December 2013 15 December 2013

Viking Line's Amorella touched slightly a ground yesterday at 12.40 in the archipelago of Åland, Julgrund.

There were totally 1,945 passengers on board and no personal injuries were reported. Information was given to the passengers and the situation on board was calm. There’s no leak observed on the ship. A small leak is observed on the ballast tank which ordinarily contains water.

Amorella is on her way to Mariehamn, Åland Islands, and will be there at 01.30 a.m. The passengers can spend the night on Amorella in order to continue on Viking Grace to Turku tomorrow Sunday at 14.25 local time. The passengers bound for Sweden will be transported with the Rosella to Stockholm during the night. Estimated arrival time 7.30 a.m. local time.

The departure time of Gabriella has been changed. The new departure time from Stockholm on the 14th of December is 20.00 local time, with estimated arrival times to Mariehamn at 02.30 and Helsinki 13.00 local time.