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Royal
Caribbean unveils port changes to numerous vessels
Royal
Caribbean International has revealed a series of port and itinerary
changes and the naming of its newest ship, the Liberty of the Seas.
The Liberty,
Royal Caribbean’s second Freedom class ship, will debut in May
2007, one year after its sister ship, the Freedom of the Seas.
Royal
Caribbean also said that the Explorer of the Seas now will
sail year round out of its port in Bayonne, N.J., staying through the
winter months for the first time.
Starting in
May, the ship will operate alternating six- and 10-day itineraries to
Bermuda and the Caribbean, switching to six- or eight-day itineraries
taking in Canada and New England for the fall and then back to the
Caribbean for 10- and 13-day Caribbean sailings over the winter.
The cruise
line also announced that the Empress of the Seas will split
its home porting between Norfolk, Va., and Philadelphia, starting in
April 2007. The ship will operate Bermuda sailings from both ports.
In other port
change news, the Voyager of the Seas will replace the Rhapsody
of the Seas in Galveston, Texas, and the Splendour of the Seas
will home port in the Dominican Republic.
New York
Harbor naming for Freedom
Freedom of
the Seas will sail into New York Harbor on May 12 where the
ship’s naming ceremony will be broadcast to millions of
NBC’s ‘Today’ show viewers.
The 158,000gt
vessel will sail in from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J., for the
naming by godmother Louise Calder, a foster mother to hundreds who
was selected in a ‘Today’ contest.
On board the
same morning – but not as part of the official naming ceremony
– singer Barry Manilow will kick off ‘Today’s’
Summer Concert Series.
Disney’s
McAlpin: Med sales ‘extraordinary’
Bookings for Disney
Cruise Line’s first-ever Mediterranean season in 2007 are
‘extraordinary,’ president Tom McAlpin told Seatrade Insider.
McAlpin is
particularly delighted that half the business is coming from new
customers. He said that shows the strongly positive word of mouth for
the brand. (Bookings for Disney’s first venture into European
waters just opened a week ago.) Also, families with children comprise
about 60% of the sales so far.
Based from
Barcelona, Disney Magic will operate four 11-night itineraries and
four 10-night itineraries. Two 14-night trans-Atlantic cruises
bookend the season.
Pod
problems keep delivery of Pride of Hawaii on hold
Problems
detected in the Azipod propulsion system on the Pride of Hawaii will
delay its delivery, Norwegian Cruise Line said.
After sea
trials last weekend, bearings on the vessel were replaced. Those
bearings were also found to be faulty, a statement said.
The ship was
scheduled to be moved to Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, on
April 15 and will be delivered to NCL once the complications are resolved.
NCL said that
the inaugural events in Los Angeles scheduled for May will proceed as
planned, including its christening on May 20 and its inaugural
sailing on May 22. |
