Oceania Cruises to rechristen Insignia

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 04 December 2013 04 December 2013

Oceania Cruises announced that Virginia Watters, wife of the line's Founding Chairman, Joe Watters, and the original Godmother of the ship, will rechristen Insignia in Istanbul on June 11, 2014. The ceremony will herald the return of the ship to the Oceania Cruises fleet after a two-year hiatus.

Virginia Watters first christened Insignia in March 2004 in the presence of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Since then, the ship has carried tens of thousands of guests on hundreds of voyages around the globe. Ten years later, Virginia Watters will rechristen "her ship" and welcome the 684-guest vessel back in true Oceania Cruises style.

"Virginia and I are both honored and delighted to return to Insignia for her rechristening and to host our guests for this voyage. We look forward to rekindling fond memories, making new ones and celebrating the wonders of friendship with the Oceania Cruises family that separates the brand from all others," stated Joseph A. Watters, Founding Chairman of Oceania Cruises.

Prior to the start of her 2014 European season and her rechristening , the ship will undergo a multi-million dollar transformation that will result in a sophisticated new ambiance that imbues her old-world charm with the best elements of the line's newest ships, Marina and Riviera.

Rechristening voyage highlights

Immediately following the ceremony, Insignia will depart Istanbul on a 10-day celebration cruise that sails to Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and Greece. The cruise will feature many special amenities and exclusive events hosted by the Watters - a gala Christening Brunch; a post-ceremony Sail Away Cocktail Party as the ship cruises the Dardanelles; special Chairman's Choice Shore Excursions; commemorative gifts and mementos, and exclusive Oceania Club parties and hosted dinners.

ITINERARY
Date Port
June 10 Istanbul, Turkey
June 11 Istanbul, Turkey
June 12 Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
June 13 Rhodes, Greece
June 14 Limassol, Cyprus
June 15 Jerusalem (Haifa), Israel
June 16 Jerusalem (Haifa), Israel
June 17 Jerusalem (Haifa), Israel
June 18 Cruising the Mediterranean
June 19 Patmos, Greece
June 20 Athens (Piraeus), Greece

2 for 1 Cruise Fares for this 10-day voyage include Free Airfare from select North American cities. Guests will also receive a special rechristening package that includes a $750 per stateroom shipboard credit, free pre-paid gratuities and a free unlimited internet package.

Pearl Seas Cruises announces first Caribbean schedule

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 04 December 2013 04 December 2013

Pearl Seas Cruises (www.pearlseascruises.com) announced today its spring 2015 Caribbean schedule for the brand-new 210-passenger Pearl Mist. The line now offers a unique selection of cruises to some of the Caribbean’s most sought-after island destinations, including the Bahamas, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, St. Martin, Martinique and more. A mix of seven-, 10- and 11-night Caribbean itineraries will run from February to May of 2015, each providing guests with a fascinating and uniquely pampered Caribbean experience:

    * Caribbean Discovery – St Martin – 7-night cruise Caribbean cruise from St. Martin
    * Caribbean Discovery – Puerto Rico – 7-night roundtrip Caribbean cruise from San Juan
    * Grand Caribbean – St. Martin –10-night roundtrip cruise from St. Martin (also offered to San Juan)
    * Grand Caribbean – Puerto Rico – 10-night roundtrip Caribbean cruise from San Juan  
    * Path of the Explorers – Southbound – 11-night cruise from West Palm Beach, FL to St. Martin
    * Path of the Explorers – Northbound – 11-night cruise from San Juan to Freeport, Bahamas

The Caribbean schedule will kick-off Pearl Seas Cruises’ 2015 season, following its debut next year. The 2014 inaugural season begins in June with an 11-night sailing from Baltimore to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the Pearl Mist will begin a series of Canadian Maritimes and Great Lakes cruises.

Each itinerary is designed to highlight the most exquisite areas of the Caribbean which few people have the opportunity to experience. The Grand Caribbean cruise, for instance, will bring people to 11 unique islands including Jost Van Dye, St. Croix, and Saba. In each place, Pearl Seas Cruises will offer enriching shore excursions designed to appeal to every palate.

The Pearl Mist is currently undergoing final outfitting by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland. The new ship defines a new style of Luxury Adventure ™ small-ship cruising, offering the most beautiful getaways on a brand-new luxury ship. It features oversized, gracefully appointed staterooms, all with private balconies and most with sliding glass doors, a spacious dining room, and various large and intimate lounges. Guests will enjoy numerous luxuries and amenities.

“As the New Year and the completion of the Pearl Mist draw closer, we’re getting increasingly excited to introduce the world to Pearl Seas Cruises,” said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of Pearl Seas Cruises. “Complete with new Caribbean sailings, we believe the line’s unique itineraries and Luxury Adventure concept will appeal to many and we look forward to welcoming guests onboard.”

Carnival Cruise Lines announces new American TABLE and American FEAST dinner concepts

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 03 December 2013 03 December 2013

Carnival Cruise Lines is launching new dinner concepts for the ships’ main dining rooms that will begin the week of December 8 aboard the Carnival Glory. The two new concepts, American TABLE and American FEAST, reflect an increased investment by Carnival in its main dining room experience and incorporate the results of extensive testing and research conducted among Carnival’s past guests.

During the development of the new dinner concepts, the cruise line’s management team spent time interacting with the leadership at Union Square Hospitality Group, a leading New York-based entertainment, food and hospitality organization, to observe best practices and the organization’s approach to culinary excellence. Taking inspiration from that interaction, Carnival’s culinary team developed the new dinner concepts, which will be offered during a pilot period with some variation in the dishes, presentation style and other elements to gauge additional guest feedback before rolling out the program fleetwide in the latter half of 2014 and 2015.  Other ships included in the pilot are Carnival Liberty beginning in January, and Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration starting in February.

American TABLE, offered on Cruise Casual nights, is designed to evoke a modern restaurant experience with an emphasis on exceptional American cuisine featuring a mix of familiar regional, fresh and contemporary dishes.  Menus will change each evening and will feature an expansive array of creative and delectable appetizer, entrée and dessert choices.

Modern table décor and place settings are complemented by new menus and a new serving style to deliver a memorable dining experience.  Menu selections will feature a wide variety of new and inventive dishes, along with plenty of Carnival favorites that are exceptionally popular among the cruise line’s past guests.  

Meals will begin with an extensive stand-alone cocktail menu featuring a variety of imaginative drink specialties such as the Raspberry Mojito, the Carnival Cosmo and the Sunset Serenity, which provide a unique twist on some favorite classics.  Featured wines will also be offered by the glass, in addition to a wide-ranging list of wines available by the glass and bottle.

The new American TABLE experience offers a full appetizer menu including selections such as Fried Calamari, which can be served family style for the table, as well as soup and salad options. Special selections called ‘Rare Finds’ for the more adventurous, such as Spicy Alligator Fritters and Frog Legs Provencal with Herb Butter, are available as well.

Entrée choices include expertly prepared pasta and poultry dishes such as Free Range Chicken with Salsa Verde and Charred Lemon or Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Breast with Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salsa, as well as meat and seafood options such as Seared Tilapia with Capers and Parsley or Rosemary Braised Lamb Shank. Carnival favorites such as Flat Iron Steak with Pepper and Herbs, and Veal Parmigiana with Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce will continue to be offered as well.

“Port of Call” entree selections are inspired by the destination on the ship's itinerary that day.  For example, when calling at St Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the day's ‘Port of Call’ entrees will include dishes such as Tropical Salad of Ripe Mango, Spicy Grilled Chicken Strips, Crispy Carrots and Red and Green Peppers on a Bed of Fresh Greens Drizzled with Tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette, and Island Chicken Curry with Potato Crisps and Sweet and Sour Mango Chutney.

‘From the Grill’ entrees such as Pork Chop with Caramelized Onions and Stewed Apple  will be available every evening to provide diners with even more variety and choice.

Every exceptional meal should end with a fun and memorable dessert and the American TABLE dining experience will feature a special dessert menu with options such as S’Mores Parfait as well as a divine pie of the day option served whole for the table and a la mode. A variety of featured after-dinner drinks will also be available.

In addition to American TABLE, a second dining concept, American FEAST, will also be offered in the main dining room one or two times per voyage on Cruise Elegant nights.  American Feast has been designed to create the feel of an elegant, elaborate special occasion celebrated by all guests in the restaurant with courses served table-side in elaborate style befitting the occasion.

The American FEAST menu features a full selection of tantalizing appetizers such as Mojito Cured Salmon with Minted Cucumber Slaw, and Crispy Crab and Corn Fritters with Pineapple, Coconut and Cilantro Salsa, followed by a savory pasta dish, served as the second course.  Guests then choose their entrée from a delicious selection of succulently prepared meats, seafood and vegetarian choices such as Slow Cooked Prime Rib, Broiled Maine Lobster and Miso Marinated Salmon Filet.  Spectacular desserts such as Sticky Toffee Brioche with Whipped Crème Fraiche, Chocolate Nib Crunch, Toasted Coconut-Lime and Strawberry Compote will top off the meal in style.

“Dining has always been a hallmark of the Carnival cruise experience and we’re constantly looking for new ways to provide our guests with exceptional meals and service that become a highlight of their vacation, bringing people together while creating fond memories,” said Mark Tamis, senior vice president of guest operations for Carnival Cruise Lines. “With our new American TABLE and American FEAST concepts, we have sought to create a delicious, fun, welcoming and highly satisfying main dining room experience and look forward to our guests’ feedback as we refine the program to take it fleetwide next year.”

Helen Caron has been appointed Managing Director of Thomson Cruises

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 03 December 2013 03 December 2013

Helen Caron, currently Director of Ireland, will now be responsible for managing the Thomson Cruises business, said TUI UK & Ireland, part of TUI Travel plc that is parent company of the two.

Caron will report to Fraser Ellacott, her predecessor in her new post, who is now Customer Operations Director and starts her new role on 2nd January 2014.

Ellacott commented: “We have an extremely successful and popular cruise business in the UK and as the third largest operator, it continues to play an extremely important part in our overall strategy. We have been focused on driving a programme of innovation and modernisation forward in the past few years and have developed a successful brand strategy. I am delighted that I can hand the baton over to Helen who will continue to strengthen this approach and has done a fantastic job of transforming our Irish business.”

Thomson Cruises operates five vessels on the British market. They are all built between 1982 and 1992 and range in size from 34,000 to 57,000 gross tons.