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Central Band of Royal British Legion to commemorate First World War on Fred. Olsen cruise 2014

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 August 2013 01 August 2013

The Central Band of the Royal British Legion is set to return to the seas on board Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral on a 14-night ‘Baltic City Breaks’ cruise, L1412, departing fromSouthampton on 18^th August 2014. Fittingly, the Band will perform a series of concerts throughout the cruise, coinciding with the 100^th anniversary of World War I and the 70^th anniversary of the Second World War. The onboard programme will be entitled ‘Big Band Sounds with Pop Classics’ and will be directed by well-known Bandleader Captain David Cole MVO, the company said in a statement.

"Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is delighted to welcome The Central Band of the Royal British Legionback after its huge success with guests on the ‘Summer Fjords’ cruise in Summer 2010. The Band will perform exhilarating music from stage and screen, including favourites from ‘James Bond’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Superman’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Bridge On the River Kwai’, as well as the swinging sounds of Glenn Miller, Harry James, Duke Ellington and renowned ‘King of Swing’ Benny Goodman," the company said.

A bonus for guests on this ‘Baltic City Breaks’ cruise is that, in this increasingly cost-conscious climate, what better – and cheaper – way to visit the famously-expensive highlights of the Baltic than by cruise ship, where you do not have to worry about flights, hotel accommodation, food and drink, as a no-fly, ex-UK Fred. Olsen cruise takes care of all of this?

Whilst enjoying the musical delights on Balmoral, guests on this ‘Baltic City Breaks’ cruise will first visit Tallinn, Estonia, where the comforts of the modern world are met with rich culture and historic settings. This intriguing place to explore boasts houses dating back to the 11^th Century, the beautifully ornate Alexander Nevskij Cathedral and the Pirita Harbour, where you can catch the best view of the bay. St. Petersburg, Russia, is the next stop, where guests will be able to enjoy all that this great city has to offer with the first of three overnight stays. The opulent HermitageMuseum has to be seen to be believed, and houses an impressive set of priceless works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Rubens. The gardens of the Peterhof are stunning, particularly when the fountains are in full flow, and no visit to St. Petersburg is complete without a trip to either the ballet or the opera.

Balmoral then visits Helsinki, Finland, which is known for being ‘pocket-sized’, with everything within easy reach. This is the second of the overnight stops and it is highly recommended that guests visit Fazer Café to indulge in the unique cakes and pastries, whilst admiring the art deco interior. The final port and overnight stay is in the royal city of Copenhagen, Denmark, where guests will find numerous castles, palaces and statues, before Balmoral makes her return voyage toSouthampton.

Prices for this cruise – which has limited availability – start from £1,299 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin-bedded cabin, and include all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. There is no extra charge to watch the ‘Central Band of the Royal British Legion’.

Lin Arison to name Carnival Sunshine

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 August 2013 01 August 2013

Lin Arison, wife of the late Ted Arison, founder of Carnival Cruise Lines, will serve as godmother of Carnival Sunshine, the former Carnival Destiny, which was renamed following a massive $155 million makeover earlier this year.

Arison will officially name Carnival Sunshine during an invitation-only ceremony held on board the completely transformed 102,853-ton ship at its new U.S. homeport of New Orleans, Nov. 17. During the event, Carnival will donate $25,000 each to the Miami-based National YoungArts Foundation and New World Symphony.

“Carnival Sunshine’s transformation was nothing short of spectacular and we wanted someone as special as Lin, who has a deep connection with Carnival Cruise Lines, to serve as godmother,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “Providing families with a memorable vacation experience is at the heart of our success and Lin’s passion for fostering the artistic development of youth through her charitable endeavors made her the perfect choice."

“Carnival Sunshine holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to serve as godmother,” said Arison. Lin’s association with Carnival Cruise Lines dates back to the company’s inception in 1972 when she named Mardi Gras, the line’s first ship. She also served as godmother to Carnival Destiny — at that time the world’s largest cruise ship — when it entered service in 1996. She is the only person to be godmother to three Carnival ships, having also named the Holiday in 1985.

Arison has dedicated her life to the advancement of the arts and the support of young and developing artists in Miami and around the world. Recently, she was awarded the 2012 National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama for her contributions as a philanthropist and arts education advocate.

She is responsible for many of the major initiatives that sparked Miami’s cultural renaissance and, along with her late husband, founded the National YoungArts Foundation and its core program, YoungArts, as well as the New World Symphony (NWS) in Miami Beach.

YoungArts is an arts scholarship program that identifies emerging artists and assists them in their educational and professional development. Carnival is the premier sponsor of both YoungArts, which has supported more than 17,000 young artists over its 32-year history, and the New World Symphony, also known as America's Orchestral Academy. NWS is an intensive three-year fellowship program that offers young musicians a range of performance and educational opportunities in both domestic and international venues.

In addition to her many philanthropic contributions, Arison is an accomplished author, having published a memoir titled “A Love Story in Mediterranean Israel” and two books that blend travelogue, memoir and art history, “Travels with van Gogh and the Impressionists: Discovering the Connections” and “A Feast for the Senses: A Musical Odyssey in Umbria.”She also is executive producer of the Emmy-nominated miniseries “YoungArts’ MASTERCLASS” on HBO, as well as executive producer of the Oscar-winning HBO documentary “Strangers No More.”

Holland America in UK early booking drive to prevent repetition of heavy discounting

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 August 2013 01 August 2013

Holland America Line (HAL), which is part of the Carnival Corp & plc group, has launched its most comprehensive range of early booking incentives in the UK hoping they will help prevent it having to discount so severely next year, Travel Weekly reports.

Holland America Line UK sales and marketing director Lynn Narraway admitted she had to drop prices on a couple of sailings as low as £399 this year and is desperate not to be forced into that situation again. She told Travel Weekly: "Obviously, my boss was really disappointed that we needed to reduce prices to as little as £399 to the Baltic.

"Whilst it clearly attracts new people to cruising, it’s not right for a premium brand to sell at that price and it also devalues the value of cruising and what’s included in a cruise compared to a land-based holiday, and it has to be stopped,” she was quoted as saying

Narraway said agents themselves had complained about the low prices this year since it reduces their own commission-earning potential. She pointed out that if more HAL cruises had been sold early, she wouldn’t have had to drop prices so low and urged agents to get behind her new early booking offers for 2014 to avoid a repeat performance.

HAL’s early booking initiative is called Explore 4 and includes four exclusive, added-value offers when booking selected December 2013 Christmas cruises and 2014 sailings. To receive all four offers together, booking must be made by 15 October 2013.

The Explore 4 benefits include a free ‘Signature Beverage Package’ or drinks card giving up to 15 free drinks a day; a free speciality restaurant dinner in either the Pinnacle Grill for guests staying in outside cabins or in Canaletto’s for those in inside cabins; reduced fares of just £99 for third and fourth guests in the same stateroom; and a ‘worry-free’ deposit allowing customers to change the cruise up to 90 days before departure. The offers can be used together on a qualified itinerary.

Narraway explained: “Somewhere down the line we have got to change the pattern the industry has got itself into of late bookings and heavy discounting. Hopefully, the more added value we can give up front, the easier it will be for agents to persuade them to book early. We have got to move away from selling on price and focus on value.”

“With the Explore 4 promotion, there is a real benefit to planning ahead and booking that dream cruise well in advance,” said HAL executive vice president of sales and guest programmes, Richard Meadows.

“These offers add even more value to the Holland America Line experience, and by giving our guests four perks under one promotion, we’re showing how worthwhile it is to book early,” the report said.

Norwegian becomes first ILO Maritime Labour Convention compliant cruise major

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 August 2013 01 August 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line says that it is the first major cruise line to be certified in and in compliance with the requirements of the International Labor Organization’s Maritime Labor Convention (MLC), 2006 that provides comprehensive rights and protection at work for the world's more than 1.2 million seafarers, including Norwegian’s more than 17,000 crew members working onboard its 11 international vessels.

“We value our hard working crew and consider them our most important and greatest asset,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and chief executive officer. “We employ more than 17,000 Seafarers from almost 100 different countries around the globe; respecting each individual for the unique talents they bring into our organization.”

“We offer a career path to reach the highest levels in our shipboard organization to each person without distinction. Being the first major cruise line to successfully implement the new labor standards demonstrates that Norwegian also leads the industry when it comes to taking care of its crew members.”

The convention sets out seafarers' rights to decent conditions of work on a wide range of subjects, and aims to be globally applicable, easily understandable, readily updatable and uniformly enforced. It has been designed to become a global instrument known as the "fourth pillar" of the international regulatory regime for quality shipping, complementing the key Conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It consolidates and updates more than 68 international labor standards related to the Maritime sector adopted over the last 80 years.

Lloyd's Register Group Limited, the company that inspected and audited Norwegian’s international fleet for compliance, stated: “MLC, 2006 is a comprehensive convention which fundamentally improves the living and working conditions of seafarers. Norwegian Cruise Line's full compliance with MLC, 2006, well in advance of the mandatory compliance date, is indicative of visionary leadership and a commitment to excellence. The Norwegian Cruise Line team embraced the spirit and intent of the convention while embedding continuous compliance practices into their management process. This marks a significant achievement by Norwegian.”

Lloyd’s Register assisted Norwegian Cruise Line with their preliminary preparations through a formal gap analysis, review of the Declaration of Labor Compliance and subsequently carrying out vessel certification inspections of their fleet. In order to celebrate this milestone event, Norwegian has donated $10,000 USD to the Virlanie Foundation in Manila, the Philippines.

The Virlanie Foundation is dedicated to rescuing street children in Manila, by providing shelter, food, education, and most importantly, a home. The organization relies on donations from around the world and currently operates 12 homes and outreach programs in the Philippines.

“One of the most important aspects of the Maritime Labor Convention is the Seafarer’s social welfare,” added Sheehan. “As a socially responsible company, we give back to the community. A majority of our shipboard employees hail from the Philippines, so we are proud to continue to support the important work that the Virlanie Foundation does on an ongoing basis.”

P&O Cruises’ Adonia to cruise in Central, South America spring 2015

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 30 July 2013 30 July 2013

Adonia, at 30,277 gross tons the smallest ship in the P&O Cruises; fleet, will offer a new Caribbean, Central and South America fly-cruise programme for the first time in spring 2015. The port-rich programme will boast a total of 10 new destinations for Adonia including three maiden calls for P&O Cruises; Bequia in Grenadines, Cayenne in French Guiana and Trujillo in Honduras, the company said in a statement.

With a choice of 11 different cruise itineraries between January 4 to April 4, 2015, the programme encapsulates some of the lesser-frequented, smaller and more intimate Caribbean islands, two of the world’s largest rivers; the Amazon River and the Orinoco, the rainforests in Central America as well as the popular Caribbean destinations of Barbados, St Maarten, St Lucia and Grenada.

Other new ports of call for Adonia include; Colon in Panama, Horta in The Azores, Kingstown in St Vincent, Mayreau in Grenadines, Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.

A choice of 14 and 28-night cruises starting and finishing in Barbados are available from £1,599 per person for a Vantage Fare. 16 and 18-night Transatlantic repositioning cruises are also available at the start and end of the season from only £1,349 per person for a Vantage Fare. A full list of cruises, with flights, include:

· A 19-night Caribbean Transatlantic cruise (D501) from Southampton to Barbados, departing January 4, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,499pp

· A 33-night Caribbean Transatlantic, Amazon and Orinoco cruise (D501A), from Southampton to Barbados, departing January 4, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,779pp

· A 15-night Amazon and Orinoco cruise (D502), from and to Barbados, departing January 22, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,599pp

· A 29-night Amazon, Orinoco & Eastern Caribbean cruise (D502A), from and to Barbados, departing January 22, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,579pp

· A 15-night Eastern Caribbean (D503), from and to Barbados, departing February 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp

· A 29-night Eastern Caribbean, Costa Rica & Honduras cruise (D503A), from and to Barbados, departing February 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,679pp

· A 15-night Costa Rica & Honduras cruise (D504), from and to Barbados, departing February 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp

· A 29-night Costa Rica, Honduras & Eastern Caribbean cruise (D504A), from and to Barbados, departing February 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,679pp

· A 15-night Eastern Caribbean cruise (D505), from and to Barbados, departing March 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,699pp

· A 31-night Eastern Caribbean & Caribbean Transatlantic cruise (D505A), from Barbados to Southampton, departing March 5, 2015. Vantage fares from £2,649pp

· A 17-night Caribbean Transatlantic cruise (D506), from Barbados to Southampton, departing March 19, 2015. Vantage fares from £1,349pp

P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “This is the first time we’ve run a specific Caribbean, Central and South America fly-cruise programme on Adonia and with three maiden calls for P&O Cruises, it’s a very exciting, must-do trip. Passengers can enjoy a much more authentic Caribbean experience visiting tiny islands which larger ships cannot visit. They can head off-the-beaten track in Central and South America to discover banana coasts, rainforests and amazing ecosystems with a huge array of animals and exotic birds.”