Holland America’s Eurodam receives innovative new bar, entertainment venues and suite upgrades in dry dock

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 19 January 2016 19 January 2016

When Eurodam re-entered service Dec. 20, 2015, following a scheduled 14-day dry dock in the Bahamas, guests were introduced to several new concepts recently announced by Holland America Line. The most notable new additions are Lincoln Center Stage, in partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, showcasing an ensemble performing chamber music; Billboard Onboard, in partnership with Billboard, featuring 50 years of chart-topping hits; and Gallery Bar, making its debut in the former Northern Lights venue.

The traditional Lido became Lido Market and received an upgrade in service and menu, and New York Pizza replaced Slice. Eurodam also is the first Holland America Line ship to undergo extensive enhancements to its suites as part of a $300 million brand enhancement initiative announced in November.

“To keep the onboard experience fresh, we’re always working to create new and innovative concepts to delight our guests,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “Gallery Bar is a completely new venue for us, and several other enhancements are just starting to make their way onto the fleet, so it’s exciting that our guests are finally able to experience them all together for the first time on Eurodam.”

Entertainment Expands with Lincoln Center Stage and Billboard Onboard Guests have more entertainment options than ever before with the addition of Lincoln Center Stage and Billboard Onboard, which complement the already-existing and wildly popular B.B. King’s Blues Club. Under the exclusive partnership, Lincoln Center Stage showcases an ensemble of world-class musicians performing multiple chamber music programs nightly. On those occasions when guests are enjoying a leisurely day at sea aboard ship, the ensemble plays afternoon recitals.

Billboard Onboard features the talents of live musicians — including two pianists, a guitarist and a DJ — who take turns performing dynamic shows centered around the interesting facts and figures of the music industry as chronicled by Billboard. Between the nightly sets and songs, guests can sing and play along with trivia questions presented on screens throughout the room.

Oosterdam will also receive these venues during its April dry dock, and other Vista- and Signature-class ships will see the additions over the next few years.

First Gallery Bar

During the dry dock, Eurodam received the line’s first Gallery Bar. The sophisticated venue, serving an exclusive cocktail menu by celebrity mixologist Dale DeGroff, replaces Northern Lights and is adorned with an eclectic and whimsical mix of artwork including portraits, landscapes, still-life and abstract pieces. The décor was designed to engage guests and facilitate conversations in a relaxing environment. It will be introduced on Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam by May 2018 as the ships enter their respective dry docks.

Food and service reign at Lido Market

The traditional casual Lido buffet has been transformed into the new Lido Market concept — a marketplace with different themed stations offering a select array of delicious options guests can grab on the go or have quickly made to order, from classic comfort food to dishes from around the globe to freshly made personalized salads.

The range of choices includes specialty stations such as Breadboard, with fresh-baked breads and pastries; Wild Harvest, offering a bountiful selection of ingredients for made-to-order salads; Homestead, serving up comfort classics; Distant Lands, featuring exotic flavors from around the globe; Market Central, serving continental breakfast or light meals to go; Perk, where freshly brewed coffee, hot and iced tea and chilled juices are available; and Sweet Spot, dishing up delightful ice cream creations and desserts.

Service at Lido Market is enhanced with coffee, juices, water and iced tea served tableside; and in the evening the tables have an upgraded setting with placemats, glassware and cutlery awaiting guests after they select their food from the new menu.

Pizza made the New York way

New York Pizza, which debuted on Nieuw Amsterdam, replaces Slice. New York Pizza offers five Big Apple-themed thin-crust personal pizzas made to order in less than 10 minutes, as well as the option to select your own preferred toppings from an extensive list. After ordering, diners are given a pager to alert them when their pie comes out of the oven. In the meantime, they can enjoy a salad, and afterwards the pizzeria offers a couple of sweet desserts to top off the meal.

Suite accommodations

Eurodam is the first ship in the fleet to receive the suite upgrades planned for the line’s Signature-, Vista- and R-class ships. The main living area in each suite was refreshed with new furniture, carpet, wall coverings and soft goods. Electronic upgrades included a new USB outlet added to the bed’s headboard, bedside LED reading lights, upgraded electrical outlets and a lighted closet rod. Neptune and Pinnacle suites also received a Bose Bluetooth speaker.

Suite bathrooms also received a makeover, with designer glass tile serving as a backdrop to the refreshed vanity area. Other enhancements include contemporary mirrors with integrated LED lighting, stylish floor tiles and a nightlight.

A new interactive television system was installed throughout the ship, featuring large LED flat-screen TV’s with complimentary movies on demand as well as easy access to the daily program and shipboard information including restaurant overviews, spa services and guest billing.

Royal Caribbean International and the Forbidden City's Imperial Palace Museum partner to showcase Chinese culture

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 19 January 2016 19 January 2016

Royal Caribbean International and the Imperial Palace Museum (the Palace Museum) held a joint press conference today at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement in the Forbidden City’s Jianfu Palace. Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship that debuts in April, will be the first to homeport in China immediately after its delivery. Her name is interpreted in Chinese as “praising the world and welcoming guests from everywhere” and she will offer a world-class international cruise vacation experience to guests from Tianjin beginning June 2016. The signing ceremony officially launches the “2016 – Let’s Ovation” campaign in China and marks the countdown to Ovation of the Seas’ maiden voyage in China.

As part of the agreement, experts from different research fields selected by the Palace Museum will be invited to give lectures of Chinese history and culture to guests on Ovation of the Seas. The Palace Museum also will provide professional consultation of the ship’s interior décor and art program. In addition, signature pieces from the collections of the Imperial Palace Museum will be on display to promote the traditional culture and arts of China. Paintings and art pieces created by artists from the Palace Museum will be available for guests to purchase at auctions held onboard.

“We are proud of the extensive collection of art and relics that represent the imperial treasures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and it is our goal at The Palace Museum to showcase the traditional Chinese culture to people all over the world,” said Shan Jixian, Director of the Imperial Palace Museum. “This partnership with Royal Caribbean International and our programs on Ovation of the Seas will help to further these objectives. We are excited to promote the rich heritage of the Forbidden City and China to the guests of the world’s largest global cruise line and we hope to continue to expand on these efforts.”

Dr. Zinan Liu, President of North APAC and China, Royal Caribbean International said: “Cruising is becoming increasingly popular with Chinese travelers and Royal Caribbean’s award-winning and state-of-the-art ships with features found only on Royal Caribbean are very appealing to those consumers looking for a high quality vacation experience. Quantum of the Seas has been very well received by our Chinese guests and we are excited to now bring Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin. Sailing two of the world’s newest and most technologically advanced ships in China demonstrate our leadership and commitment to the market and this partnership with the Palace Museum showcasing China’s rich heritage will bring yet another unique element to our vacation offering.”

Ovation of the Seas and her sister ship Quantum of the Seas are both Quantum Class ships built with the most advanced technologies. The Quantum class features unprecedented first-at-sea features and amenities, including the North Star, an observation capsule that gently rises more than 300 feet in the air to treat guests to breath-taking panoramic views; thrilling skydiving and surfing experiences; TWO70 a daily social space which transforms into a multifunctional entertainment place at night; SeaPlex, the largest indoor activity space at sea, that features basketball, roller skating, bumper cars and other entertainment. There are 18 restaurants onboard with a variety of cuisines to choose from. The unique loft suites offer the most luxurious accommodations at sea, and Virtual Balcony staterooms, are interior accommodations with large digital screens displaying real-time views which ensure that every room has a view.

Ovation of the Seas will be officially launched in April 2016, when she departs Southampton for Tianjin, China on a 53-day Global Odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin in June 2016. Ovation of the Seas, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.

ESPN outlines Caribbean cruise lines programming – lineup includes NFL Playoffs, EURO 2016 and Rio 2016

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 19 January 2016 19 January 2016

Beginning now through August of 2016, ESPN will provide extensive, live coverage on all major Caribbean cruise lines of the most anticipated sports events of the next year, including the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games (August 5 – 21) and the 2016 UEFA European Championship (June 10 – July 10).

While sailing the Caribbean Sea, cruisers will enjoy more than 700 live events from the most popular sports in the world, including the most followed leagues and tournaments. The network’s onboard sports programming is in full swing now.

Other upcoming events and programming highlights available across Caribbean cruise lines include:

– NFL: 41 NFL regular season and Thanksgiving Day games and post-season playoffs
– NBA: 45 regular season games, All-Star Weekend, the Eastern Conference Finals and the 2016 NBA Finals
– Tennis: The Grand Slam of Asia Pacific, the Australian Open 2016 Tennis Championship Tour, Jan. 18-31, from Melbourne Park, and all along the year other major events including Wimbledon, the French Open and the U.S. Open
– Rio 2016: over 200 hours of live competition plus opening and closing ceremonies, along with original programming, including the weekly Countdown to Rio
– Golf: the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship
– NCAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball
– The ICC World T20

In addition to the live events, cruisers will also see all their favorite ESPN studio shows, including SportsCenter; Mike & Mike, Around the Horn, ESPN FC and Pardon the Interruption.

Newcomers boost Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to record bookings

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 19 January 2016 19 January 2016

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the destination focused UK operator of four medium sized ships, has recorded a 27% rise in bookings in the first week of January, which set a new record and exceeded that reached in the same week last year, as the share of new to cruising rose by seven percentage points, the company said in a statement.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “A key strategic driver for us is to attract new guests to the brand. Whilst we have a very high repeat rate – with a significant number of Fred. Olsen cruisers returning time and time again – January has seen the share of ‘new to cruise’ guests shift by seven percentage points, and the average guest age has fallen by 11 months across the fleet. This is against a backdrop within the cruise industry that has seen the average age grow by five years, with an increasing reliance on existing customers.”

“A number of our sailings for 2016 are already sold out, or only have a handful of cabins left. We will be moving our largest ship, Balmoral, to Newcastle this year, which was an ambitious decision, but the travel trade have been extremely supportive, and our sales in the North East are well ahead of expectations,” he said.

The company operates four ships that cruise from 10 departure ports around the UK and call at about 200 ports worldwide.