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Seabourn expands culinary offerings in The Restaurant

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 April 2013 04 April 2013

Seabourn has expanded the dining menus in The Restaurant aboard the line's intimate, award-winning ships. The Restaurant is Seabourn's main, fine-dining venue. Its newly-designed menus incorporate an extensive array of new dishes created by the line's team of highly-skilled chefs. Each menu will include vegetarian options, a daily specialty cheese preparation, a "Seabourn Signature" dish, and "Local Flavors" specialties, reflecting the regional cuisines where the ships are cruising.

"Great culinary experiences are part of an excellent vacation," said Richard Meadows, Seabourn's president. "Dining stimulates our senses just as much as the scenery or the cultures we discover when we travel," he continued. "On Seabourn's ships, dining is also an integral part of the social life that our guests enjoy, so it has to be as adventurous, sophisticated and refined as our guests themselves."

By adding dozens of new dishes, Seabourn has expanded the variety offered on The Restaurant's menu cycle. New options have been added in every course from appetizers to dessert. Examples include an appetizer of Truffled Corn and Mascarpone Tortellini; a Farmed Goat Cheese Green Salad; Golden Mussel Chowder; Seared Cocoa & Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin; Cumin & Coriander Crusted Swordfish; and Sour & Spicy "Assam Prawns."

Ingredients are also constantly being enhanced. The latest addition is an upgrade to Jidori chicken, a highly-prized hybrid breed first developed in Japan and now being organically raised on a vegetarian diet in California.

A new menu section is "Local Flavors," allowing the executive chefs to create dishes incorporating local ingredients when possible, prepared in styles representative of the region. European "Local Flavors" specialties will include Croatian Style Pan Roasted Sea Bass; Feta Stuffed Braised Chicken; and Grilled Dover Sole Fillets with caviar cream butter.

For guests who prefer a meatless diet, the new menus now offer a separate section featuring vegetarian starters and entrée options. Several examples of these dishes include Vegetable and Potato Gnocchi Risotto, Spring Vegetable Paella, and Warm Baked Thyme Onion & Gruyere Tart.

Also new to the menus is a daily specialty cheese dish, such as a Cambozola Mousse with herb filo and mixed berry jam; and a Brandy Flavored Camembert Mousse with spiced flatbread and fig mostarda.

The new "Seabourn Signature" section highlights perennially popular dishes from Seabourn menus that guests have grown to love.

If one still has room for dessert at the end of the meal, the line's new dessert menu will satisfy every sweet tooth. New options include Warm Mocha Chocolate Cake; Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ganache Tart; Warm Beignets of Pistachio Cream; and Toffee Honey Fig Pavlova.

In addition to the new dining options, The Restaurant will continue to feature healthy "Lighter Fare" options and the selection of simpler "Seabourn Classics" such as a perfectly grilled steak, roasted chicken, a broiled salmon fillet or a classic Caesar salad.

The Restaurant is Seabourn's main dining venue, capable of serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to all guests in a single, open seating. Guests can dine when and with whomever they wish. The talented culinary team prepares the wide variety of dishes a la minute, cooked to order.

Seabourn's delightful gourmet dishes are prepared by a team of highly talented chefs with creative culinary skills and exceptional credentials. The team is led by Culinary Operations Manager Bjoern Wassmuth, a seasoned executive chef with experience in numerous five-star luxury hotels in Germany, Switzerland, Russia and the Caribbean. He served as Executive Chef de Cuisine on five of Seabourn's ships before moving to his shoreside position in 2011. In addition, every member of Seabourn's culinary staff successfully completes an intensive culinary academy prior to joining the ships.

Windstar Cruises offers Europe Sail & Stay promotion

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 April 2013 04 April 2013

Windstar Cruises is offering the last Sail & Stay promotion of the year for 2013 European voyages with 2-for-1 cruise fares, plus two complimentary hotel nights. This exceptional offer which ends at midnight Saturday, April 27 features two nights in one of Windstar’s hand-picked luxury hotels in some of Europe’s most wonderful cities. The two complimentary hotel nights can be used before or after the voyage and are offered in the following cities: London, Rome, Dublin, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Stockholm, Istanbul, Cairo, Athens, Lisbon, and Barcelona. In addition, Windstar’s Facebook page will feature an exclusive offer for its fans.

With so many options, there is something for everyone. For example, guests wanting to extend their vacation in Stockholm, Sweden after sailing the eight-day voyage Best of the Baltics will stay at the Scandic Anglais Hotel in the heart of Stureplan, and step back in time in the Old Town. For those looking to further relax after they step of Casablanca & the Canary Islands, Hotel Botanico in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands may be the best choice. The hotel is situated close to a number of local beaches, and also includes: The Oriental Spa Garden, which offers a choice of relaxing Asian-influenced spa treatments. Whether on land or at sea, guests will always enjoy the Windstar style of pampering without pretense, extraordinary destinations, and casual elegance.

Norwegian to reward UK agents’ activity at Norwegian Breakaway presentations

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 April 2013 04 April 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line says it has announced the details of its ‘Engage & Reward’ programme for agents attending the launch of its latest ship, Norwegian Breakaway, in Southampton on 29 April 2013.

“The ‘Engage & Reward’ programme will be the first of its kind in the cruise industry and will focus on educating agents in various aspects of the ship, whilst rewarding them with incremental bonus commission for their attendance and participation,” the company said in a statement.

When agents arrive at the inaugural in Southampton and check in, they will be given a unique barcode which can be used in key locations around the ship. At each location there will be a presentation or walk through about a specific feature of the ship and by visiting theses key locations agents can earn their company up to 4% bonus commission in total.

Areas to be explored by agents include:

· Show cabins - earn 0.5%

· Mandara Spa® - earn 0.5%

· Splash Academy and Entourage youth zones - earn 0.5%

· Aqua Park & Sports Complex - earn 0.5%

· The Haven by Norwegian™ - earn 0.75%

· Norwegian Senior Management presentation - learn all news and what the future holds for Norwegian from the Miami and UK senior management team - earn 1%

· What is Cruising like a Norwegian all about? Presentation on Freestyle Dining, Entertainment and Spa - earn 0.75%

· ACE selling cruise presentation - earn 0.5%

In addition to the areas outlined above, agents will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives from tourist organisations from the key cruise destinations as they move through check-in and embarkation at Southampton. Destinations include Alaska, Seattle, Miami, Clearwater Beach, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma.

Nick Wilkinson, Director Business Development UK & Ireland, Norwegian Cruise Line says: “Our Partners First philosophy recognises the central part that the trade plays in product distribution, and the ‘Engage & Reward’ programme idea is rooted in that.

“Attending agents will have the opportunity to earn incremental commission for their organisation through attending the various educational elements of the launch activity.”

Any Bonus Commission secured by attending agents can be earned on all new Norwegian Cruise Line bookings made between 15 May and 14 June 2013 for sailings between 15 May and 31 December 2013.

Atlantic Star seen to reach Aliaga scrapyard today

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 April 2013 04 April 2013

Atlantic Star, which was sold by the Royal Caribbean group to STX France as part payment of the third Oasis class cruise liner ordered in December, is expected to reach scrap yard in Aliaga in Turkey today, a media report says.

The 46,300 gross ton Atlantic Star was built in France in 1984 as Fairsky for the now defunct Sitmar Cruises and it was powered by a 36,000 ship steam turbine propulsion plant, which is fuel hungry.

However, Sitmar Cruises operated three steam driven ships at the time and the management thought using the same type of propulsion would help to rotate engine room personnel from one ship to another.

Atlantic Star becomes the first cruise ship of the second generation, which were built from about 1981 to 1990, to end up being demolished.

The former Southward of Norwegian Cruise Line, a 1971 built first generation cruise ship, was also demolished here.

Delta Air Lines flies again from New York to Nice

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 April 2013 03 April 2013

Delta Air Lines has restarted its daily service between Nice and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The flight is the only non-stop service between Nice and the United States and will be operated this summer using a Boeing 767-400 aircraft featuring 39 seats in BusinessElite; 28 seats in Economy Comfort, Delta’s premium economy class and 178 economy seats. This flight is operated in conjunction with joint venture partners Air France KLM.

“The return of our nonstop service marks the start of the summer season on the Riviera and we are delighted to offer greater convenience and more travel options for customers flying to the United States and beyond,” said Beatrice de Rotalier, Delta’s commercial manager for France. “Each year we see a high demand for this route, with load factors exceeding 80% in 2012, demonstrating that our customers are as pleased as we are to see Delta’s daily flight return to Nice.”

Delta’s flight departs Nice at 13:35 and arrives into New York-JFK at 16.50. The return flight departs New York-JFK at 21.00 and arrives into Nice at 11:25 the next day. The service is conveniently scheduled to connect with more than 60 destinations throughout the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, including Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Delta is making a number of significant investments in its products and services to improve its customers experience on the ground and in the air. These include Delta’s state-of-the-art, $1.4bn Terminal 4 at New York-JFK that will open on 24 May. Customers flying between Nice and New York-JFK this summer will benefit from a greatly enhanced airport experience on arrival and departure at the airport. One of the largest terminals in North America, Terminal 4 offers travellers a spacious environment with a wide variety of shopping and dining options. For BusinessElite customers, the Delta SkyClub at Terminal 4 features a Delta SkyDeck – an outdoor airport terrace offering unprecedented runway views.

In addition to its service between Nice and New York-JFK, this summer Delta will operate a further 24 daily flights between France and the United States. The airline is expanding its operations out of Paris Charles de Gaulle with a flight to Newark’s Liberty International Airport, an additional service to Atlanta, a seasonal service to Boston and year round service to Detroit. Altogether, Delta flies from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to 11 U.S. destinations: Atlanta, New York-JFK, Newark, Cincinnati, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Seattle, Boston, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.