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Hebridean unveils 2013 European river cruise programme

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 October 2012 02 October 2012

Hebridean Island Cruises, the upscale boutique brand of the All Leisure group in the UK, has introduced its second season of European rivers cruises on the five-star vessel, Royal Crown.

"Following its successful inaugural year, Hebridean will offer cruises to the Main for the first time along with cruises to the Rhine and Danube. With a choice of five itineraries starting from June 2013 on board Hebridean’s Royal Crown, guests can expect a luxury travel experience reminiscent of the golden age of cruising," the company said in a statement.

Colin Stone, Managing Director at Hebridean Island Cruises commented: “This year’s Hebridean river programme has been an incredible success; it gave us the opportunity to offer our loyal guests something different on a par with the luxury experience commonly associated with Hebridean Princess. Following on from the four dedicated charters in 2012 we have slightly expanded the forthcoming programme and we are confident that the 2013 sailings will be greatly received by existing guests and those looking to try river cruising for the first time.”

Highlights of the new brochure include:

- Cruising the Rhine – Seven night cruise from £2,750 per person (based on two people sharing a cabin). Guests will visit the famous Baden wine region; take an evening cruise to Strasbourg followed by a tour of the old city - the Grand Ile - a UNESCO Heritage Site.

- Cruising the Rhine and the Main – Seven night cruise from £2,750 per person (based on two people sharing a cabin). Highlights of the package include a trip to Remagen – renowned for its churches and castles, scenic cruising through the World Heritage Site of the Rhine Gorge and a day exploring the history of Bamberg.

- Cruising the Danube – Seven night cruise from £2,995 per person (based on two people sharing a cabin). Visit Passau and see the world’s largest church organ, discover the romantic city of Vienna and then onto the Slovakian city of Bratislava – the only capital to border two countries.

Hebridean’s Royal Crown offers 85 guests elegant surroundings and a personal service, with 45 art deco style cabins available – some of which are dedicated to single occupancy.

Prices for all cruises include ex UK flights and transfers to and from the ship, meals, a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, shore excursions and gratuities and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Norwegian Getaway to be delivered early, sail year-round from PortMiami to Eastern Caribbean

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 October 2012 02 October 2012

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that Norwegian Getaway will be delivered in late January 2014, earlier than originally scheduled, and will sail a seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary from PortMiami year-round. Carrying 4,000 passengers, Norwegian Getaway will be the largest ship to home port year-round in Miami and will embody a unique Miami vibe.

"We are pleased that Meyer Werft will deliver this incredible vessel three months earlier than scheduled," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's president and chief executive officer. "Norwegian Getaway is going to offer a fantastic cruise opportunity sailing to the Eastern Caribbean."

Following inaugural events in Europe, Norwegian Getaway will arrive in Miami in late January 2014 and begin her first Eastern Caribbean sailing on Saturday, February 1, 2014. Ports of call include: Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. In addition, the company announced the ship's Transatlantic sailing, which will depart Rotterdam, The Netherlands on January 16, 2014 and include a stop in London (Southampton), England where guests can also embark, followed by nine days at sea before arriving in Miami on January 27, 2014.

Norwegian Getaway will open for group block bookings to travel partners on October 8, 2012. Reservations will open to the public on October 22, 2012.

To accommodate Norwegian Getaway's arrival in January, the company is modifying the itineraries of its existing ships in Miami during that time. Beginning February 2, 2014, Norwegian Epic will depart Miami on Sundays and sail a Western Caribbean itinerary. Ports of call include: Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Norwegian Sun will now depart Miami on her 10 and 11-day Southern Caribbean itineraries a day later than scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays. Norwegian Pearl, which had been scheduled to depart Miami on Sundays will be chartered from January 19 to March 21, 2014. In addition, four new seven-day Western Caribbean itineraries will be added on March 21, March 28, April 4 and April 11, 2014.

Currently being built at Meyer Werft in Germany, Norwegian Getaway will be 146,600 gross tons and offer a wide range of accommodations. The ship will also feature a rich mix of stateroom options including The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 Suites at the top of the ship in an exclusive, private key-card enclave and 22 additional Suites located throughout the ship; the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers; a wide range of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites; along with Spa Balcony, Mini-Suites and Suites in close proximity to the spa. Norwegian Getaway's sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will begin sailing from her year-round home port of New York City in May 2013.

Azamara to introduce evening event ashore, include standard spirits in fare

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 October 2012 02 October 2012

Azamara Club Cruises has announced that the guest experience will soon include the new AzAmazing Evening, an immersive complimentary destination event ashore featured on every sailing.

In addition, the cruise line is introducing a selection of complimentary standard spirits, wines and international beers throughout the ship during the bars’ opening hours. Both offerings will begin with Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey’s next Europe season, 27 March and 15 May 2013, respectively,’ the company said in a statement.

“Azamara Club Cruises’ guests have an unquenchable desire to immerse themselves in the history, culture and night life of the destinations we visit, which is why we offer them longer stays, more overnights and night touring,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises.

“This new concept is an evolution of Azamara Club Cruises’ core differentiator that resonates with our guests, who love their time onboard, but have made it clear that the cruise experience extends to their time ashore. With these new amenities added to Azamara Club Cruises, guests are offered an unmatched holiday experience at tremendous value.”

One-hundred percent of Azamara Club Cruises’ 2013 itineraries feature late-night departures and overnight port stays, some as long as two or three days. This concept of slowing the ships down to offer guests the opportunity to experience a city’s night life, is an almost unique concept in the cruise industry that will now be further showcased through AzAmazing Evening, destination affairs to remember.

The new AzAmazing Evening events will replace the current 50 percent savings on Land Discovery shore excursions programme and provide guests with even greater value that further emphasises the night touring concept and highlights a region’s culture and distinct personality with a customised event exclusively for Azamara Club Cruises guests. The complimentary evening ashore varies from voyage to voyage, offering guests sailing consecutive voyages a wide variety of experiences. Guests sailing and pre-booking Land Discoveries, before 2 March 2013 for Azamara Quest or 17 April 2013 for Azamara Journey can still save 50 percent on most Land Discoveries when booking online at least four days prior to their sailing date.

During the events, all interested guests will be transported via private coaches to an unforgettable evening. Guests sailing a Baltic voyage, for example, could enjoy a private ballet performance in St. Petersburg (Russia), while walking the red carpet and sipping champagne. Or those on a Mediterranean voyage may find themselves sampling Jerez’s (Spain), famous Sherry wine at Gonzalez Byass and later enjoying a private equestrian ballet at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.

Also new, beginning with the 2013 Europe season, is the expansion of Azamara Club Cruises’ complimentary beverage offerings. In addition to Azamara Club Cruises’ existing selection of complimentary boutique wines, served at lunch and dinner, guests will enjoy a wider complimentary selection that includes a selection of standard spirits, wines and international beers throughout the day at any of the ships’ bars and lounges.

Guests onboard Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest already enjoy more inclusive features, such as included gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; complimentary bottled water, soft drinks, speciality coffees, teas, and complimentary red and white boutique wines to accompany lunch and dinner, complimentary self-service laundry; English Butler service for suite guests; and shuttle transportation to city centers in ports, where available. And now, guests will also enjoy the new AzAmazing Evening event on every sailing, and selected standard spirits, wines and beers throughout the voyage from bars and lounges.

Azamara Club Cruises, which is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) group, is a destination-immersive cruise line for up-market travellers who want to not only see the places and cultures they visit, but to live them. Azamara’s two intimate, 694-guest ships, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, with a combination of 347 suites and staterooms, offer a European-boutique hotel ambience with extraordinary service, fine cuisine and wines from around the world, all while sailing to a host of destinations larger ships cannot reach.

Chester and New York potential homes for SS United States

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 October 2012 01 October 2012

Two locations are under consideration as permanent home for the SS United States, the 1952 built Trans-Atlantic liner that has been out of service since 1969, says head of the redevelopment project.

"A proposal to site the ship next to the highly successful Harrah's Casino in Chester, PA offers a synergistic approach to the preservation of the ship. In this plan, the SS United States would house a hotel, dining facilities, event spaces, and a world-class museum. The ship would feature significantly in larger, ongoing community and economic development efforts in this historic city," said Dan McSweeney, Managing Director of SS United States Redevelopment Project.

"A proposal to site the ship on the Hudson River in Midtown Manhattan could tie into other major development projects occurring in this neighborhood. This plan would return the SS United States to her original home port in a complex featuring hotel, dining, retail, event space, state-of-the-art experiential museum, and other uses. The plan calls for maximizing green energy systems," he said in a statement.

"As planned, we will announce a selected development partner at the end of our Request for Proposals process in November," he continued, adding that more than 200 firms were contacted with news of an intention to re-purpose the SS United States as a permanently moored adaptive mixed-use development.

"Out of the dozen serious respondents, we have selected two finalists to submit full proposals and we are working closely with each to ensure comprehensive plans are presented to our Blue Riband Panel for review," McSweeney said.

SS United States was built at the Newport News and it entered service in the summer of 1952. On its maiden voyage, it win the Blue Riband, the title of fastest Atlantic crossing by a passenger vessel, in both directions at average speeds in excess of 35 knots.

On its trials, the ship reportedly achieved a top speed of 41.77 knots, when is four sets of Westinghouse steam turbines generated a total output of 251,785 shp.

The ship remained in service until late 1969, when rising costs and competition from airlines forced its withdrawal. Several attempts were launched by various entrepreneurs to bring the ship back to service as a cruise liner after an extensive refit, but none of them materialized in the end.

FCCA prepares for the 19th annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 September 2012 28 September 2012

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association is gearing up for the Caribbean's largest cruise conference and trade show, the annual FCCA Cruise Conference and Trade Show, taking place in Curaçao, October 1-5, 2012.

Cruise industry partners from destinations' public and private sectors will come together with cruise executives from the FCCA Member Lines to share ideas and discuss industry trends. These cruise executives will participate in round-table discussions, meetings and events catered to prompting the networking between the attendees and cruise executives.

These networking opportunities are valuable for anyone doing or wanting to do business with the cruise industry, and they are certainly plentiful during the schedule and format built around the delegate, ensuring that attendees have a chance for one-on-one meetings with the executives, workshops available that discuss important and relevant topics with hand-picked panels, and evening functions that help attendees unwind and meet executives in a more casual atmosphere.

There will also be a highlighted attention on the trade show floor to provide a steady flow of attendees to gain the attention of the cruise executives and industry partners. With expanded number of booths and special destination pavilion options, this is the perfect way to showcase destinations as a team - from ministries of tourism to port/tour operators and vendors who want to sell their products to the lines, all have a chance to showcase a destination that wants to display its entire product and make the greatest impact at the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show.

The Conference officially opens Tuesday, October 2nd at the World Trade Center Curaçao