Swan Hellenic unveils 2012 itinerary of Minerva after major upgrade of ship

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 27 September 2011 27 September 2011

The ‘all new’ Minerva, fresh from a major refit, will set sail from Portsmouth on 02 March 2012 to embark on a series of new spring cruises around the Canary Islands, Mediterranean and Black Sea, Swan Hellenic said in a statement.

The 2012 cruise programme allows passengers to explore the flora, fauna and landscapes of the Canary Islands on Islands of the Sun while Vintage Iberia & Italy allows guests to travel up the Guadalquivir River and stay in the centre of Seville – an experience which is unique to Minerva due to her smaller size.

Postcard from the Mediterranean showcases the romantically classic Mediterranean cities including Rome , Naples , Athens and Istanbul while Black Sea Panorama sees Minerva return to Constanta in Romania . A Classic Spring has been designed following the success of the 2011 spring botany themed cruises and explores the slopes of Mount Parnassus , the spring flowers in Katakolon and the stunning hillsides of the Adriatic .

The 2012 brochure also features new ports including Akrafjord in Norway – a scenic area south of Hardangar Fjord and Ostende, Belgium where passengers will spend an evening in port and hear  WW1’s ‘the last post’ first hand.  Other highlights include a welcome return to Israel and a second season of no fly cruises from new homeport Portsmouth.

Minerva will be returning to Portsmouth in 2012 for a number of no fly cruises following the popularity of cruises sailing from the new homeport last season.  No fly cruises include St Petersburg and the Baltic with three historians accompanying this cruise as Guest Speakers and A French Accent where passengers can discover Bordeaux , Amsterdam and Bruges .

As part of Swan Hellenic’s discovery cruising ethos, all sailings are escorted by Guest Speakers, who bring each destination to life.  All speakers have specialist knowledge relevant to the destinations, cultures and experiences on offer and include a number of National Trust and NADFAS representatives. Guest Speakers include Professor Mark Horton (Midsummer in Norway) of BBC’s Coast series, Mr Jeremy Pearson (Treasures of the British Isles) of the National Trust, military historian and NADFAS Accredited Lecturer, Professor Ian Beckett (South to the Mediterranean), Sir Roy Strong (Palaces & Gardens) who specialises in garden design and horticulture and The Rt Revd & Rt Hon Dr Richard Chartres, (Spring Celebration) noted for his role within the Royal Wedding service earlier this year.

Spanish operator Happy Cruises closes down on liquidity woes

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 26 September 2011 26 September 2011

Happy Cruises, the Spanish operator of three cruise ships that traded as Quail Cruises until 2009, closed down on Saturday with an abrupt announcement that a board meeting would be held ton Monday to discuss the future of the line. Its problem is said to be “liquidity,” media reports say

The line operated the 19,093-ton, 1992-built Gemini was built as Crown Jewel and later traded as Superstar Gemini, while the 22,945-ton, 1970-built Ocean Pearl had been built as Royal Caribbean’s first ship, Song of Norway, and has traded under a number of names since. The Clipper Group of Denmark now owns both ships and their charters were arranged through International Shipping Partners In Miami. The line’s third ship, the 21,884-ton, 1990-built Happy Dolphin, was built in Japan and formerly traded as Delphin Voyager. It is now on charter from Greek owners and had only been added to the Happy fleet in May. 

Happy Cruises had been competing in the Spanish market with Royal Caribbean-owned Pullmantur Cruises and Carnival-owned Iberocruceros and was the only Spanish cruise line that was in a position to send ships to cruise from Cuba. The Gemini will terminate her present voyage in Valencia, the Ocean Pearl in Malaga and the Happy Dolphin in Venice.

Gemini had been intended to operate a second season in the Caribbean this winter, but this was cancelled in favour of a programme from Barcelona, leaving out an expensive element of flights from the operation, reports say.  

Disney to operate second Hawaii cruise in 2012

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 23 September 2011 23 September 2011

Based on an overwhelming response to its first Hawaiian itinerary, Disney Cruise Line is adding a second Hawaii cruise to its 2012 schedule. The addition of a second

Hawaiian voyage complements a diverse array of Disney Cruise Line itineraries departing from the West Coast, including cruises to the Mexican Riviera, Pacific Coast and Alaska. With a majority of its West Coast sailings originating from the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Seattle, a Disney family cruise vacation is more accessible to guests from the western United States.

"We listen to our guests, and shortly after we announced our first Hawaiian voyage it was clear our guests wanted more options to visit Hawaii," said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. "This second sailing to Hawaii is part of a wide variety of Disney Cruise Line vacation options for families in 2012 including new itineraries, regional homeports and the debut of our newest ship, the Disney Fantasy."

UK consumers combine holidays to save money - Royal Caribbean poll

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 23 September 2011 23 September 2011

UK consumers are getting around the financial reality of having to scale back on the number of holidays they take by choosing a break that combines many different elements, according to new research commissioned by Royal Caribbean International.

For 2011, one sixth of people combined at least two different holiday types into their main break in an effort to save money with over half of these people pairing a city break with a beach escape. Looking forward to 2012 and 20 per cent of holidaymakers are looking to have ‘two holidays in one’. the company said in a statement.

The research, conducted by One Poll, revealed respondents opting for combination-holidays stated that the biggest reasons were to save money (55 per cent) or get the best value from their holiday spend (23 per cent). When looking at the differing opinions of various age groups, two thirds of those over 45 want a combination holiday to save them money, compared to just 18 per cent of those under 24. Holidaymakers in the age bracket 25-34 also place importance on a combination break to make better use of time.

With three sports mad children, a culture-vulture husband and a love of the sunshine, sports star Sally Gunnell is a big advocate of ‘combination holidays’. “As a busy mum not only do I have to meet everyone’s wish list with my family holiday choices, but I also need to juggle the reality of spending less and taking fewer holidays whilst still making sure everyone is happy” explained Sally Gunnell. 

“Royal Caribbean International recently challenged me that I could pack more into a holiday by taking a cruise. Not only did the whole family relax and have great fun, but we saw the sights of Rome , dozed on the beach in Nice and went running, rock climbing, surfing and ice skating and I got to spend some time with my husband! As a combination holiday that really takes some beating, it was truly the first time that the dream of having a city break, a beach holiday and some sports action all in one came true. We’ve already booked our next one for 2012.”

Research findings also suggest that men and women are destined to argue over what makes the perfect break. Compared to women, double the amount of men want to add a sports or fitness element to their holiday, and the modern man’s metrosexual lifestyle is also influencing holiday component factors. More men than women want to add an additional spa element to the nation’s favourite city and beach combination.

For 2012 holiday planning, combination holidays are most popular with women and Londoners, with 23 per cent of those in the capital looking for at least two different holiday types within their break. East Midlanders are looking to cram the most into their holiday – 60 per cent want one holiday to encompass a city, beach and sports or fitness element all within one break.

Whilst the research shows the combination holiday habits of savvy consumers looking to save money, it also highlights that just over half the respondents have no more holiday plans for 2011, despite the up coming October school half term and Christmas break left. Of those who have scaled back their holiday plans, over half state that the decision is related to uncertainty over jobs and the economic climate, with men more concerned than women. Optimism is highest in the West Midlands with 11% of people expecting to have taken four or more holidays by the end of 2011. Plus, 28 per cent of young people under 24 are planning to enjoy more holidays in 2012 than managed in 2011.

The One Poll research into combination-holidays was commissioned by cruise line Royal Caribbean International as part of National Cruise Week (18-25 September 2011), and to support a drive to encourage holidaymakers to pack more into their annual leave and choose to cruise.