TUI Cruises to show Bundesliga matches

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 24 August 2012 24 August 2012

TUI Cruises, the German premium market cruise brand, will show Bundesliga Saturday football matches on board its two ships, the company said in a statement. The events will be broadcast by the Sky Deutschland satellite channel. In the future, Saturday afternoon news conferences and matches on Friday evenings will also be screened in a public room on both ships.

 

 

American Cruise Lines to christen Queen of Mississippi

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 24 August 2012 24 August 2012

American Cruise Lines, operator of the newest fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships in the United States, announced that on Saturday, August 25, in Nashville, Tennessee, Phyllis Dale, a nationally-recognized travel agent and small-ship cruise expert, will christen Queen of the Mississippi and help celebrate the company's first-ever season on the Mississippi River. Following the ceremony, Queen of the Mississippi, the first authentic paddlewheeler built for the Mississippi River in nearly 20 years, will set sail at full capacity on an eight-day voyage from Nashville to St. Louis.

Queen of the Mississippi offers guests a brand new way to see the longest river system in North America and explore the remarkable port cities that line the way. Most of the ship's spacious 300-square-foot staterooms-the largest in the industry-offer private balconies while an all-American staff and crew cater to passengers' every need. Daily educational events and themed entertainment help paint a picture of what life on the Mississippi was like in days gone by. Construction of Queen of the Mississippi was completed in June by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., making it the most luxurious, fully-functioning, authentic paddlewheeler in the industry.

"The christening of Queen of the Mississippi is a meaningful way to celebrate the official launch of American Cruise Lines service on the Mississippi River," said Charles A. Robertson, president and CEO, American Cruise Lines. "Guests now have access to the industry's best amenities aboard an authentic paddlewheeler with a historic appearance."

The Queen of the Mississippi was designed and built to set the standard for modern river cruising. During each eight-day journey, guests will explore Queen of the Mississippi's numerous amenities, including the most spacious staterooms and suites in the industry, unique lounges and libraries. Staterooms features private balconies, many with large sliding glass doors, hotel-style bathrooms, access to room service, in-room phones, Wi-Fi and satellite TV. Seasoned cruise passengers will also appreciate American Cruise Lines' exclusive, open seating dining plan, which allows guests to enjoy meals in a single seating or at the time of their choice, while surrounded by panoramic views of the River.

"There's a reason I've booked hundreds of clients with American Cruise Lines. They simply love the intimacy, history and pure nostalgia of leisurely cruising our country's smaller waterways," said Phyllis Dale, co-owner, Great Escapes Travel. "After boarding this beautiful vessel, it's clear Queen of the Mississippi offers the finest of amenities, ambience and décor. This, combined with outstanding pampered service from a personable crew creates a recipe which will bring passengers back to enjoy all of the Queen's itineraries. I'm honored and proud to have been asked by American Cruise Lines to christen this beautiful vessel."

Cunard Line's 2014 World Voyage Programme to feature voyages from eight to 133 nights

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 23 August 2012 23 August 2012

 

Cruise lines continue to publish their 2013-14 winter programmes and Cunard Line has unveiled its 2014 World Voyage Programme as part of these. "With visits to 85 unique ports of call in 40 countries, Cunard Line's 2014 World Voyage Programme is sure to satisfy the most adventurous traveller with opportunities to explore South America, to circumnavigate Australia and to discover the excitement of Japan and Southeast Asia," the company said in a statement.

On sale 5 September, the programme will feature three World Voyages ranging from eight to 133 days aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, with embarkation points in Southampton, England, New York, Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco, depending on the voyage.  Together, Cunards Queens will cover 116,808 nautical miles, taking in signature, must-see cities as well as less familiar, but equally compelling, destinations.

For nearly a century, Cunard has served the adventure-seeking traveller with unrivaled access to the worlds most storied regions since the advent of our World Voyage Programme in 1922, said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line.  Such an experience is heightened only by Cunards reputation in superior service and world-class amenities, and is why we see so many return guests year upon year.

Flagship Queen Mary 2 will celebrate her 10th anniversary season with an exciting 119-day World Voyage, commencing from Southampton and visiting 30 ports of call in 19 countries.  Guests have the option to return to Southampton, or to New York via an iconic Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing.

Destination highlights will include Namibia and the spectacular sculpted dunes; Cape Town and beautiful Table Mountain; plus her second, full circumnavigation of Australia with calls in Cairns, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. 
On her return route home from Sydney, guests will be treated to an impressive range of exciting Asian sights and cultures before transiting the Suez Canal and cruising the Mediterranean.  
Overnight calls will include Cape Town, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Segment voyages provide guests the opportunity to enjoy Cunard's distinctive World Voyage experience in a shorter time frame, ranging from 18 to 23 days and will include:
" 18-day Southampton to Cape Town  includes an overnight in Cape Town
" 22-day Cape Town to Sydney
" 23-day Roundtrip Sydney
" 19-day Sydney to Hong Kong  includes an overnight in Hong Kong
" 19-day Hong Kong to Dubai  includes an overnight in Dubai
" 18-day Dubai to Southampton

Guests can also enjoy outstanding value by combining two or more consecutive segments to create adventurous Liner Voyages.

Queen Victoria's  116-day World Voyage will sail roundtrip from Southampton and visit 40 ports in 19 countries, including an extended trip around South America and a much-anticipated overnight call in San Francisco. 
Guests can begin their journey in Southampton or Fort Lauderdale and experience everything from joyful samba displays in Rio and silent turquoise glaciers in Chile, to the mystery and legend of remote Pacific isles.  Cape Horn, Amalia Glacier, Pio X Glacier, Easter Island, Pitcairn Island and breathtaking Milford Sound are just some of the voyages iconic and dazzling destinations.  Other highlights will include seven calls in New Zealand and visits to American Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii. 
Queen Victoria will make 10 maiden calls during this World Voyage: Fortaleza (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo (Uruguay), Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn (Chile), Ushuaia (Argentina), Punta Arenas (Costa Rica), Puerto Montt (Chile), Moorea (French Polynesia) and Suva (Fiji).

Segment voyages range from 10 to 28 days and will include: " 10-day Southampton to Fort Lauderdale
" 16-day Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires
" 12-day Buenos Aires to Valparaiso
" 23-day Valparaiso to Sydney
" 28-day Sydney to San Francisco  includes an overnight in San Francisco
" 15-day San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale
" 12-day Fort Lauderdale to Southampton

Queen Elizabeth will return to the World Voyage with an enthralling 118-day circumnavigation of the globe featuring embarkation points in Southampton, New York, Fort Lauderdale or San Francisco.  The ship will visit 41 ports in 24 countries and feature a first-ever visit to Japan where she will make four maiden calls: Kochi, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki.  Additional highlights include a dramatic passage of the Panama Canal, the beauty of Hawaii and Australias Great Barrier Reef.

Overnight calls will include San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai.  Additional maiden calls will include Busan (South Korea), Shanghai, Xiamen (China) and Abu Dhabi. 
Segment voyages range from 8 to 23 days and will include:
" 8-day Southampton to New York
" 19-day New York to San Francisco  includes an overnight in San Francisco
" 23-day San Francisco to Sydney  includes an overnight in Sydney
" 15-day Sydney to Yokohama
" 19-day Yokohama to Singapore  includes overnights in Hong Kong and Singapore
" 14-day Singapore to Dubai  includes an overnight in Dubai
" 20-day Dubai to Southampton

Enhanced Benefits Programme
Guests who book their 2014 World Voyage adventure before 28 February 2013 will receive an On Board Credit of up to $3,000 per stateroom  on Full World and Liner Voyages. 
Guests who book a Full World Voyage will receive complimentary Hotel & Dining Charges (gratuities).

In addition to On Board Credit, World Club members will receive additional savings of up to $2000 per person.  These World Club savings will combine with most other offers that are available to past guests, giving them peace of mind that booking early is advantageous.

Land Tours
New for 2014, guests may opt to increase overnight stays by three or four days in Santiago (Chile), Cape Town and Sydney, when booked in conjunction with select voyages.  Featured land tours include:

Queen Mary 2
" Cape Town & Winelands (3 nights)  includes a fascinating visit to a penguin colony in Boulders Beach at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, as well as a stop at the house of J.C. Le Roux and the nearby university town of Stellenbosch.  Adventurous guests may also climb Cape Towns most celebrated landmark, Table Mountain, before embarking on a tour through the city.

This tour can be booked for Queen Mary 2s arrival in Cape Town as a post-voyage tour from Southampton or can be enjoyed before departing Cape Town for Sydney or Brisbane.

Queen Victoria:
" Chilean Gastronomic Delights (3 nights)  offers an introductory tour around Chiles capital, Santiago, as well as excursions to Concha y Toro Winery and Casablanca Valley Vineyard & Valparaíso. " Andes & Viña Del Mar (3 nights)  a scenic drive from the Central Valley of Santiago to the Andes (at 9,421 feet above sea level) is followed by a tour through the Casablanca Valley to the fashionable seaside resort of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. 
These tours can be booked for Queen Victorias arrival in Valparaiso as a post-voyage tour from Southampton or can be enjoyed before departing Valparaiso for Brisbane or Sydney.

Queen Elizabeth
" Sydney: Blue Mountains & Hunter Valley (4 nights)  begins with a morning tour of Sydney highlights, including the historic Rocks area, Mrs. Macquaries Chair, Kings Cross and Bondi Beach, in addition to the world famous Sydney Opera House; next on the tour is a visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park, the township of Katoomba in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, and a 700-foot ride down the world's steepest funicular railway; the tour ends with a wine tasting in the beautiful Hunter Valley, one of Australias oldest and renowned wine regions.

This tour can be booked for Queen Elizabeths arrival in Sydney as a pre-voyage tour before departing for Yokohama, Hong Kong, Singapore or Southampton.

Guests sailing a luxury cruise vacation aboard Cunard Line delight in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination.  By day, guests enjoy voluminous libraries, world class spas, white-glove afternoon tea service and engaging award-winning Cunard Insights guest enrichment programmes; by night they are entertained by Royal Nights themed balls, West End-style productions and Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails. 

 

Louis Cruises to add themed cruises to its Eastern Mediterranean programme

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 22 August 2012 22 August 2012

 

Louis Cruises, the Cyprus based cruise shipping company, says it will present a new enrichment themed cruise program to Greece and Turkey featuring an expert-led, interactive lecture series Ancient Empires to Modern Metropolises included as part of the popular 7-day cruise itinerary. The autumnl sailings that will feature the new themed cruise lecture series will depart on September 21st and September 28th, 2012 from Athens/Lavrion, and visit Istanbul, Izmir, Patmos, Santorini, Mykonos, Heraklion (Crete), and Rhodes.  Additional themed cruise programs and departure dates will be announced in the upcoming months for 2013. 

Guided by a celebrated Historian, travelers will feel like insiders as they explore each city's background even before they actually visit each of the famous places of worship, magnificent historical monuments, and era-defining neighborhoods they will enjoy on our 7-day cruise, said Kyriakos Anastassiadis, CEO of Louis Cruises. These lectures will bring history to life for travelers, providing them with an enriching and profound destination experience beyond any other cruise company in the Eastern Mediterranean.  We are committed to growing by innovation and are pleased to provide the opportunity for guests to really explore our area, our region, and more of its distinctive ports and islands.

Historian, Author and Lecturer,  Angelos F. Vlachos  acclaimed for his work with University of Peloponnese, Greek Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organization, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts  will guide travelers through time during hour-long, interactive seminars each day onboard the cruise, providing enriching and insightful details about the history and culture of each place to be visited. 
Each port-of-call will be showcased in a seminar to give travelers an insiders perspective into the destinations.  Heres a look at the lecture series events:

Istanbul-Izmir: Throughout this interactive talk, travelers will hear fascinating details of Turkish history from the Byzantine glory to the Ottoman Empire, featuring historical leaders from Constantine the Great to Mohamed the Conqueror.  Participants will delve-into the milestones and monuments of major urban centers that have formed the history of nations in the region.  Guests will hear stories from the Byzantine, Ottoman and contemporary times regarding public sphere, administration, entertainment, and everyday life. Focused on Greece and Turkey, this seminar will highlight the regions significant civilizations from ancient times to now including: the ancient Greek civilization in Asia Minor (from Troy to the classical and Hellenistic monuments of Izmir); the Ottoman dovlet (state) to the modern nation-state; on through to Greek-Turkish relations in 19th and 20th century.

Patmos-Mykonos-Santorini: During this seminar, travelers will learn about the dawn of civilization in the Aegean region, discover the mysteries of the Orient exploring religion and society in the archipelago; examine the impact of orthodox culture and how it continues shaping local communities in Greece; and understand how the communities have transformed over the years from more isolated societies to popular tourism destinations.

Rhodes-Heraklion: This seminar will take travelers on a journey of enlightenment starting thousands of years ago with The Minoans and featuring the birth of this kingdom in the Mediterranean islands.  As Vlachos unveils the details of history, participants will learn about the western presence in the south Aegean, including Venetian ruling in Crete; the Knights of St. John the Divine in Rhodes; and Crete in the 20th century  from World War II to society and economy at the crossroads of cultures.

This exciting seminar series will be held only on these two departures this fall; space is limited.  Travel agents and travelers are recommended to book now to see the regions heritage via this holistic, insightful, and enlightening journey for a distinctive Louis Cruises signature Sea of Memories experience this September.

With 25 time-honored years in cruising throughout the Mediterranean and 75 years of award winning history in tourism, Louis Cruises offers an unparalleled cruise experience onboard its celebrated fleet of destination-friendly cruise ships.  As part of the lines enhanced focus on showcasing its Hellenistic identity, guests sailing onboard Louis Cruises vessels can more fully experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Greece and the picturesque Greek islands on their next Mediterranean adventure.

Louis Cruises takes extra care to design itineraries that include the best ports in their best seasons allowing ample time to enjoy their uniquely individual charms coupled with meticulously planned shore excursions for a truly insightful look into each destination. The lines vessels transport passengers, both literally and figuratively, to the lands of philosophers and dreamers -- from the grandeur of Ancient Greece and the legendary Greek Isles to the treasures of Turkey and beyond! Sailing with Louis Cruises, travelers can expect a complete destination experience, timely arrivals, flexible and imaginative itineraries, smooth embarkation and disembarkation, fascinating shore excursions, and unparalleled Greek hospitality for a lifetime of enriching memories.