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Norwegian Cruise Line launches new tours in Europe

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 July 2011 06 July 2011

Norwegian Cruise Line, named Europe's Leading Cruise Line for the past three years, says it has launched a variety of new shore excursions in Europe for the summer on its three Freestyle Cruising ships sailing the Mediterranean and the Baltic, including

Norwegian Epic, the line's newest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Sun. Guests can depart from Barcelona, Spain; Venice, Italy or Copenhagen, Denmark and sail to a variety of exotic ports such as Naples, Italy; Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; and Izmir, Turkey, among others. With more than 500 shore excursions in Europe, there are a variety of exciting options for guests.

"We are always in search of exciting ways for our guests to experience Europe on and off our ships," said Kevin Sheehan, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "The variety of unique shore excursions in Europe is extensive as we want to offer our guests the most memorable experiences ashore, along with the best entertainment and
dining at sea."

For culinary-inclined guests who want to dine their way across Europe, the Ultimate Taste of Dalmatia in Dubrovnik, Croatia will please even the most discerning taste buds. Guests travel through the village of Orasac to sample local cuisines as well as a visit to Ston, the "oyster capital" of Croatia. Also included in the tour is a demonstration of how olive oil is made.

For those who want to combine adventure with their dining experience, the Pisa Fly-over by Helicopter and Wine Tasting is the perfect pairing. The tour starts with a fly over the Tower of Pisa and surrounding vineyards and ends with wine tasting of famed Tuscan wines at the Torre a Cenaia Estate, an ancient property once owned by the Noble Florentine Pitti family.

If playing the quintessential tourist and spending the day sightseeing the culturally-rich towns and villages sounds appealing, a variety of historical tours are offered. Experience the local culture of St. Petersburg, Russia in a two day tour with Best of St. Petersburg. A local guide escorts guests through Catherine's Palace, an old summer residence of the Royal Family; the Hermitage Museum, the largest art museum in Russia; the Peterhof Grand Palace, a castle that rivals Versailles as well as a stop in the town of Pushkin.

For any Olympic fanatic, the Best of Olympia (Katakolon), Greece is a must. Th excursion explores the history of the Olympic Games with a tour of the first Olympic Stadium, the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera and theGymnasium.

For a day of family fun, visit the local aquarium on the Palma Aquarium and Orientation tour in Palma, Majorca, Spain. Guests of all ages can explore the 55 different aquariums that contain over 8,000 specimens from the Mediterranean Sea, Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

For those with kids of an exploratory nature, the Chugging on the Molli Steam Train excursion from Warnemuende, Germany is a perfect option. "Molli," a narrow gauge steam train, takes guests on a journey from Bad Doberan, a former summer residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg, to either Heiligendam or Kuehlungsborn. These old seaside resorts offer families the chance to stroll along the beach promenade or village center.

Royal Caribbean unveils All Access Tour

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 July 2011 06 July 2011

"Below deck, backstage and behind certain doors, the sophisticated operations of a Royal Caribbean International ship has always piqued guests’ curiosity," the company said in a statement.

"To help demystify the hard work put forth by the cruise line’s dedicated staff and crew and the spaces they work in, Royal Caribbean International today announced the launch of the All Access Tour. Guests now have the option to visit behind-the-scenes operations spaces and meet key shipboard staff members on an escorted tour during their Royal Caribbean vacation. The All Access Tour will offer guests insight into the inner workings of some of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships and be available fleetwide aboard each ship’s first July 2011 sailing."

“The All Access Tour offers guests the opportunity to learn about what it takes onboard to deliver the world’s most contemporary vacation, also known as the Royal Advantage,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Our guests have always inquired into what happens behind the scenes and below deck. We are glad to offer these really special guest tours into areas that are normally not accessible, escorted by staff members who explain the complex workings of running of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships.”

The All Access Tour escorts guests into a variety of ‘back-of-house’ areas, including a visit to the bridge, galley, backstage of the main theater, engine control room and other behind-the-scenes operations areas that collectively create the best vacation experience and value for guests. At least one All Access Tour will be offered on itineraries shorter than seven nights, and two tours offered aboard a seven-night or longer itinerary with additional tours added, based on demand. The experience lasts up to 3.5 hours and is $150 per guest and can be purchased onboard with the Concierge, Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Ambassador, or at Guest Relations.

Royal Caribbean International offers UK chauffeur service

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 July 2011 05 July 2011

Royal Caribbean International says its guests sailing onboard Independence of the Seas and Celebrity Eclipse from Southampton and Jewel of the Seas from Harwich or flying from London airports have the opportunity to book a chauffer driven service with partner Tristar Chauffeur Services to and from their address to their port or airport of departure.

“This is a great addition to the list of optional extras we offer our guests,” says Jo Rzymowska, associate vice president and general manager, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, UK and Ireland . “Having the opportunity to transfer in luxury is the perfect way to make the most of your holiday time and a fantastic treat.”

Peak time transfers cost approximately £65 for first 15 miles and £1.40 per mile thereafter. Off-peak transfers cost approximately £55 for first 15 miles and £1 per mile thereafter. Costs will vary depending on where the guest is being collected from.

Cruise convention will give focus to environmental solutions

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 July 2011 02 July 2011

Shipping companies, shipyards and suppliers of the cruise industry have often set standards in sustainable maritime solutions in the past. Seatrade Europe, biennial meeting place of the cruise and river cruise industries, provides a unique trade platform for the latest developments and innovations.

"The cruise industry is aware of its need for action in respect of sustainability and is at an experimental stage," said Helge Grammerstorf, Managing Director of the Hamburg-based SeaConsult. "There are a lot of interesting and promising concepts to reduce the environmental impact of cruise ships."

Environmental protection will be a hot topic during the first day of Seatrade Europe 2011 in the “European Rules” conference session, supported by Global Maritime Environmental Congress (GMEC), where discussion will centre on new regulations, technology and operational procedures.

During the show, industry suppliers will also present their latest products for the reduction of energy and water consumption. Oldenburg-based Deerberg-Systems, world leader for maritime waste management solutions, will demonstrate its innovative technology, as will Hobart, market leader for commercial flushing systems. Convotherm Elektrogeräte will present ecological solutions for its state of-the-art combi steamers, while Ecolab Deutschland will focus on efficient cleaning and sanitising technology.

Alongside its extensive environmental protection efforts Hamburg-based cruise line, Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten, has launched a program in co-operation with climate organization Atmosfair, developers of the first cruise climate calculator, to compensate carbon dioxide output. “Co-operation with Atmosfair gives us and our passengers the opportunity to make a contribution to climate protection and to encourage ecologically-friendly and sustainable cruising”, said Sebastian Ahrens of Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten. Ports are also actively exploring the possibilities of shore power or LNG supply, so that cruise ships can cut auxiliary engines in port. The new cruise terminal in Hamburg-Altona includes tracks for power and LNG supply, so that both solutions could be implemented in the future.

The Port of Lübeck already supplies ferries with shore power, but there are no concrete plans to supply cruise ships as yet. At the Baltic Sea port of Kiel port authorities are also considering shore power or LNG supply, and eagerly wait to see the results of pilot projects in other ports.

Classification society Germanischer Lloyd is actively engaged with shipyards Meyer Werft, Flensburger Schiffbaugesellschaft, Fr. Lürssen Werft and Tractebel Gas Engineering on developing an LNG engine concept. Meyer Werft, an exhibitor and Supplier Workshop host at Seatrade Europe, continues to work on a viable solution for gas-powered cruise ships. STX France, also jointly hosting the Supplier Workshop, has announced its intention to develop a hybrid solution with LNG and electrical drive. These technologies could see energy consumption and carbon dioxide output reduced by 15-20%.

Many companies are working on solutions for practicable fuel cell systems as an efficient replacement for diesel generators. Germanischer Lloyd envisages fuel cell solutions could be available in 2020 at the earliest.

The Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention takes place at Hamburg Messe from 27-29 September 2011. For more information please visit www.seatrade-europe.com.

Viking River Cruises christens Viking Prestige

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 July 2011 02 July 2011

On July 1, Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, held a christening ceremony for Viking Prestige in Amsterdam. Janice Farrar-Titus, wife of the late renowned cruise industry innovator Warren Titus and the ship’s godmother, officially named the 443-foot vessel with a traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne while blessing it on all future voyages. "May you begin your cruising days under a rainbow and sunny skies, and may you follow that rainbow around the bends in the river to the pot of gold," said Mrs. Farrar-Titus.

Viking River Cruises Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen called events especially moving since today would have been Mr. Titus’ 96th birthday. Mr. Hagen commented that Mr. Titus set the standard of excellence in all areas of cruising. "Warren influenced three cruise lines during his lifetime — Royal Viking Line, Seabourn and, indirectly, Viking River Cruises."

The 188-passenger Viking Prestige will embark on its inaugural voyage, the 15-day Grand European Tour, on July 2. It will then begin its regular service on the ever-popular 8-day Romantic Danube itinerary which travels Budapest to Nuremberg (or reverse), visiting ports in Hungary, Austria and Germany. The launch of the Viking Prestige represents the first phase of Viking’s $250 million dollar fleet development program and will be the first European ship in a series of ten new builds to follow for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Reminiscent of the design philosophy of the storied Royal Viking Line, the concepts have been realized by renowned Norwegian maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten, designers of The Yachts of Seabourn, Oceania and Disney vessels, among others. Viking Prestige is the first ship in the fleet to feature the new open-air Aquavit Lounge at the bow, where passengers can enjoy a drink or meal al fresco. With all-outside staterooms and French balconies on both the Upper and Middle decks, the ship will feature Viking’s signature décor: sophisticated, understated elegance.

Built at the Neptun Shipyard in Rostock, Germany, Viking Prestige is the company’s second "green" river cruise vessel powered by an efficient, hybrid propulsion system. Using significantly less fuel and producing less vibration, this cutting-edge technology offers a smoother, quieter ride than other ships and represents the environmentally responsible future of Viking’s European vessels.

To celebrate the launch of Viking Prestige, Viking is currently offering 2-FOR-1 cruise fares with complimentary wine, plus savings on all-inclusive roundtrip international airfare. These special offers for both the 2011 and 2012 sailing seasons are valid through July 31, 2011.

Dates and pricing as well as ship and itinerary information are available on the company’s website at vikingrivercruises.com. Viking’s all-inclusive pricing features accommodations, all onboard meals, daily guided shore excursions and more. Also, Viking is the only river cruise line to include port charges in the cruise fare. For additional details, contact your travel agent or Viking River Cruises toll-free at 1-877-66VIKING (1-877-668-4546).