Chinese buyer takes delivery of former Oriana

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 20 August 2019 20 August 2019

Well Star Travel Cruises, a new Chinese company, has taken delivery of the former P&O Cruises’ Oriana and renamed the 1995 built vessel Piano Land.

The ship sailed from Southampton in the UK on 16 August under its new name after completion of its last cruise for P&O Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group.

The 69,840 gross ton Oriana was the first newbuilding to the UK market. At the time of its exit, it was the smallest ship in the now seven strong fleet of P&O Cruises.

Iona, the first of two 185,000 gross ton LNG powered newbuildings, will join the fleet next year, followed by a yet unnamed sister vessel in 2022.

P&O Cruises publishes Oceana’s Southampton based winter programme

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 20 August 2019 20 August 2019

P&O Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group, has announced details of a new winter 2019-20 cruise programme of Oceana that will replace a cancelled programme in the Arabian Gulf.

All cruises in the new programme will depart and terminate in Southampton. The Arabian Gulf programme should have used Dubai as turnaround port.

The new programme consists of 14 cruises on Oceana between 10 October 2019 and 9 April 2020. Oceana will sail to five different regions including seven itineraries to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands, two Northern cruise breaks and one long Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Southampton.

These cruises are book-ended by repositioning cruises to and from Malta which include iconic ports Rome and Barcelona, the company said in a statement.

Highlights of the programme include:

A 14-night cruise (E927N) on Oceana departing Southampton on 22 December. Ports of call include Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Madeira, Lisbon and La Coruna. Select Price for an inside cabin from £999 per person.

Oceana will offer a 35-night Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Southampton, departing on 17 November. Ports of call include Azores, Antigua, St Maarten, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Puerto Limon, Aruba, Martinique and Barbados. Select Price for an inside cabin from £1,499 per person.

A seven-night cruise (E004N) on Oceana departing Southampton on 16 February. Ports of call include Hamburg, Ijmuiden (for Amsterdam) and Zeebrugge (for Bruges). Select Price for an inside cabin from £499 per person.

A 14-night cruise (E924N) on Oceana departing Southampton on 27 October. Ports of call include Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Madeira, Seville (from Cadiz) and La Coruna. Select Price for an inside cabin from £649 per person.

 

 

Princess Cruises adds MedallionNet to six more ships in 2020

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 13 August 2019 13 August 2019

Princess Cruises, the world's largest international premium cruise line, continues its expansion of MedallionNet, the best Wi-Fi at sea, giving more guests the opportunity to enjoy the fast, affordable, reliable and unlimited Internet service.

In 2020 MedallionNet expands to Grand Princess (February 21), Diamond Princess (March 15), Majestic Princess (April 18), Star Princess (June 12), Enchanted Princess (June 15) and Sapphire Princess (July 27). MedallionNet currently is available on Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Coral Princess, Island Princess, Crown Princess and Emerald Princess. Sky Princess (October 12) will be MedallionNet-ready for Europe sailings this fall.

"We continue our commitment to offer the best Internet at sea with the expansion of MedallionNet across the fleet," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "Reliable connectivity allows each guest to choose how they want to use the Internet – that could mean staying connected continuously to message friends and family, share their amazing vacation experience, or jumping on and off for personal or professional needs and then promptly returning to vacation mode."

Princess MedallionClass vacations launch dates

MedallionClass Vacations currently are available on Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess, with Crown Princess launching today, and Sky Princess beginning October 12, 2019 when the newest ship in the Princess fleet departs the shipyard as the first to be built from the ground up with the Ocean® Guest Experience Platform. Princess Cruises previously announced the expansion of MedallionClass Vacations to six additional ships in 2020 – Ruby Princess (January 27), Grand Princess (March 29), Enchanted Princess (June 15), Emerald Princess (August 16), Coral Princess (October 16), and Island Princess (December 20). By the end of 2020, guests sailing in the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, California Coast and on the World Cruise will have the elevated guest experience powered by the OceanMedallion.

Considered a breakthrough in the vacation industry and a CES® 2019 Innovation Award Honoree, the OceanMedallion wearable device is complimentary for all guests and features leading-edge technology that delivers personalized service through enhanced guest-crew interactions, eliminates friction points and enables interactive entertainment.

Princess MedallionClass Vacations are resulting in high guest satisfaction scores, thanks to a portfolio of experiences specifically designed to save precious time and enhance their cruise vacation, including:

– Expedited Arrival - From curbside to poolside in a breeze: Personalization starts pre-cruise as guests become OceanReady before arriving at the port. Guests who arrive at the terminal having uploaded their travel documents (i.e. passports) to their profile enjoy a streamlined and expedited check-in process that gets their vacation started even sooner.
– On-Demand Services - Food, beverage, retail orders and service delivered to your location: Using smart devices and stateroom TVs, guests have the ability to order drinks, food and retail items like sunscreen with OceanNowTM and have them delivered directly anywhere on board.
– Family and Friends Locator - Finding travel companions and directional ship information: Accessible on portals throughout the ships and via guests' smart devices, OceanCompassTM leverages the OceanMedallion to easily locate and chat with friends and family on board, as well as enables point-to-point wayfinding throughout the ship. OceanCompass guides guests throughout their journey, providing directional information so they can seamlessly navigate to their next point of interest.

Other innovative features of the Princess MedallionClass experience include:

– Keyless stateroom entry: Access to staterooms is a seamless experience where each guest is securely validated as the door automatically unlocks. Personalized greetings, including loyalty level recognition and celebrations, welcome the guest on their door portal.
– Interactive voyage timeline: Available on ship portals and via guests' smart devices, JourneyViewTM is an interactive timeline that lets guests scroll through all of the events available on board during their voyage and bookmark activities they are interested in to their own personalized itinerary. Voyage itineraries are available as many as 60 days in advance, allowing guests to start planning before they leave home.
– Wager-based gaming: On smart devices and on select portals via Ocean Casino™, lets guests wager real money on games including slots, poker, bingo, roulette, keno and lottery from anywhere on board.
– Interactive game play: On portals located shipwide and on smart devices PlayOcean™ helps guests enjoy a new level of fun with interactive games, a digital scavenger hunt, customizable avatars and more. PlayOcean also transforms guests' mobile devices into game controllers for interactive gaming on the massive Movies Under the Stars screen.

Seabourn launches 'Seabourn Private Air'

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 13 August 2019 13 August 2019

Seabourn has announced the launch of a new offering for guests headed for the most memorable journeys on the seas. Introducing Seabourn Private Air, a new private chartered jet service available for exclusive transportation to-and-from ports of call, and for mid-voyage overland options for Seabourn cruises all over the world, with bookings opening August 15.

Designed for guests who prefer the luxuries and conveniences of private jet travel to those offered by commercial carriers, Seabourn Private Air utilizes a global network of operators who adhere to the highest international and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration standards, and who appreciate what it means to provide exceptional service with a fleet of private jets that include a range of sizes and models. The Seabourn Private Air service will be able to accommodate groups of any size upon request, with available aircraft including light charter jets capable of carrying 5-8 passengers; mid-size jets sized for 7-8 passengers; and heavy private jets with capacity for 9-16 passengers. Pricing will vary by itinerary and aircraft.

“Time is an incredible luxury and as an ultra-luxury travel operator for three decades, we are always seeking new ways to enhance our guest experience. Seabourn Private Air will provide a world of comforts and conveniences for Seabourn guests en route to or from their cruise of a lifetime,” said Chris Austin, Seabourn’s senior vice president of Global Marketing & Sales.

Unlike many jet card or fractional options on the market today, Seabourn Private Air is designed to provide a guest up front, comprehensive pricing* for the private jet package, which is a similar standard to the Seabourn cruise itself where all dining venues are complimentary, as are selections of fine wines and premium spirits. Guests pay for the aircraft rather than by the seat, so the more passengers onboard, the lower the cost per person. The cost of the Private Air package is offered in addition to the cruise fare.

Amenities and services of the comprehensive Seabourn Private Air package include:

– Access to thousands of airports, large and small, that serve private aviation, as well as to most major international airports
– WiFi internet capability
– Private Valet luggage service
– Seabourn-standard catering options
– Seabourn-brand food & beverages on every flight, including Regiis Ova caviar, K+M Chocolates, Montaudon champagne, and a range of complementary spirits
– Amenities by Seabourn’s signature fragrance partner, Molton Brown
– Complimentary transfers to-and-from home to the nearest airport and onward to Seabourn’s cruise port**
– Cabin attendants, required on some aircraft, or available upon request*** if not required by aircraft
– Next port protection up to 1,000 miles from original destination.

*Private Air fares are separate from the cruise fare **Mileage limitations apply ***For an additional charge

Regardless of the jet type or passenger capacity, every aircraft offered through Seabourn Private Air will include a variety of conveniences and comforts in keeping with Seabourn standards. And, just like those enjoyed by Seabourn guests at sea, all of the above are included in the flight cost.