|
Bermuda
may let ships operate casinos while in port
Bermuda, which has seen a drop in the number of cruise ship visits,
is considering allowing ships to keep their casinos open while in port.
Cruise ships usually only operate casinos while in international waters.
The move would encourage more cruise ships to come to Bermuda and
perhaps stay longer, Transport Minister Derrick Burgess said in a
statement reported by the Royal Gazette.
"If the casinos were allowed open while the ship is in port,
some lines would consider coming in a day earlier, or even leaving a
day later, thus staying in Bermuda for an additional night. Either of
these options would increase Bermuda's revenue as well as that of the
ship," he said.
Bermuda is one of the few places in the world where cruise ships stay
in port for more than one day. The British territory is relatively
isolated in the Atlantic Ocean and not near other islands.
Burgess said the casino issue came up when he met with executives of
six major cruise lines last month in Miami, and he told them it was
something the island would consider. "The possibility of opening
the casinos in port is an option that I will explore with my Cabinet
colleagues (perhaps a late night option – 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.)".
Bermuda's Parliament rejected a similar measure in 2009, but Burgess
said that it wasn't clear then that rejecting the measure might limit
the number of cruise ships visiting the island.
Carnival
Breeze to include elaborate 'five dimension' movie theater
Carnival Cruise Lines is promising to take passengers to new
dimensions on its soon-to-debut ship, Breeze.
The vessel will feature what the line calls a "Thrill 5D
Theatre," which is similar to motion-simulator productions found
at major theme parks, aquariums and zoos.
The theater is built on a 3-D projection system, which requires the
audience to wear special glasses. The "fourth dimension"
comes through special effects like squirting water and bubbles, and
other enhancements that will tickle guests' legs, blow air on their
necks and poke them in their seats – all timed to the action on
the movie screen. And the "fifth dimension"? Carnival says
it's provided by the seats themselves, which will vibrate and shift
in time to the movie.
New
Disney cruise ship, Fantasy, floated out in Germany
The Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, has taken
to the water for the first time.
The 2,500-passenger vessel on Sunday was floated out from a dry dock
in Germany where it has been under construction for more than a year
-- one of the last major milestones before its maiden voyage in March.
A sister to the much-heralded Disney Dream, which debuted last year,
the 130,000-ton Disney Fantasy is arriving as Disney gears up for a
major expansion that includes its first cruises out of New York,
Seattle and Galveston, Texas.
The two new ships are Disney's first in more than a decade and
together are more than doubling the line's capacity.
Royal
Caribbean offers first cruises to St. Vincent
Royal Caribbean today began selling cruises to the Caribbean island
of St. Vincent -- a first for the 42-year-old company.
The line's 2,000-passenger Vision of the Seas will visit the
destination as part of new 11-night Southern Caribbean voyages out of
Fort Lauderdale scheduled for Dec. 3, Dec. 24 and Feb. 4, 2013.
The trips are among 19 new Caribbean and Panama Canal sailings the
line has announced for the ship for the coming winter of 2012-13.
Also announced: A series of 10-night Eastern Caribbean voyages that
include the line's first calls in Martinique in nearly four years;
several other 11-night Southern Caribbean sailings that don't include
a stop in St. Vincent; and four Panama Canal sailings that last 14 to
15 nights.
In addition to Martinique, the new Eastern Caribbean cruises include
stops in Tortola, St. Maarten, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and St.
Croix. The Panama Canal sailings will be one-way between Fort
Lauderdale and San Diego.
For a sampling of
these great 10, 11 & 14 night itineraries CLICK
HERE
Water
shortage on St. Thomas impacting cruisers
A water shortage on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas has begun
impacting the thousands of cruisers who visit each week, a local news
outlet says.
The Virgin Island Daily News today reports that cruisers are being
diverted away from St. Thomas' downtown area because of inoperable
bathrooms, inoperable dishwashing machines in restaurants and a
scarcity of ice caused by the shortage, which began in November.
The Daily News says some island restaurants are using paper plates
and cups to serve meals because there's no water to do dishes; others
are boiling water from cisterns to do dishes. "No bathroom"
signs are up all over town.
"It's horrible," one restaurant owner tells the news
outlet. "This should be one of the busiest weeks of the year,
and we're not getting the business. The cruise ships are telling
their customers not to come downtown because there are no bathrooms."
The Virgin Islands' Water and Power Authority has been rationing
water on the island since a steam-generating boiler used in water
production began leaking on Nov. 15, according to the Daily News
Port
Everglades Celebrates Upswing in Cruise and Cargo Business
Cruise travel celebrated a banner year at Broward County’s Port
Everglades in Fiscal Year 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30,
2011) and containerized cargo climbed to its highest level since the
global economic downturn in 2009, according to recently released
year-end statistics for the South Florida seaport.
Multi-day cruise passengers, those sailing on cruise ships that go
out for more than one night, reached a record 3,664,103 in FY 2011, a
10.6 percent increase from 3,314,208 in FY 2010. The total number of
passengers, including single-day and multi-day, was 3,952,843 in FY
2011, up 7.6 percent from 3,674,226 passengers in FY 2010. Cruise
traffic generated a record $56.7 million in revenue for FY 2011,
which is 24.1 percent higher than in FY 2010. Royal Caribbean
International’s introduction of its second year-round
5,400-passenger Oasis-class ship, Allure of the Seas, in December
2010, contributed significantly to the increase in multi-day
passengers at Port Everglades. Thirteen cruise lines offered services
at the Port in FY2011 via a 55-ship cruise fleet, including Carnival
Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Lines, Cunard Line,
Discovery Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, P&O
Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean
International, Seabourn, and Silversea Cruises.
Sapphire
Princess Enters Drydock to Add Signature Features
Sapphire Princess arrived at the Victoria Shipyards drydock in
British Columbia to begin a dramatic, four-week transformation. The
drydock continues a multi-year fleet renovation process that has
brought Princess Cruises’ signature features to most of its ships.
The many changes to Sapphire Princess include:
New Piazza Atrium – The ship’s atrium space will be
redesigned to include this signature Princess feature – a
European-inspired social hub of the ship combining always-changing
quick bites and light meals, beverages, entertainment, shopping and
guest services. The Piazza will feature the International Café
for pastries, fresh panini sandwiches, salads, fresh-baked cookies
and a variety of coffee drinks. Passengers will also enjoy a new
Vines wine bar offering a selection of more than 30 wines by the
glass, plus a selection of tapas and sushi, and a wine shop where
passengers can purchase their favorite bottle.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria – Introduced last year aboard
Grand Princess, Alfredo’s will expand to its second location on
Sapphire Princess. The sit-down pizzeria serves up an enticing menu
of freshly prepared, hand-stretched, individual-size pizzas. Named
for the line’s master executive chef, Alfredo Marzi, the
pizzeria will feature an open kitchen where passengers can watch
chefs create their custom-made pies.
Movies Under the Stars – Sapphire Princess will be the
final ship to introduce Movies Under the Stars on board. The giant
poolside movie screen will showcase feature films, concerts, awards
shows and sports events, and passengers can enjoy their viewing on
padded loungers under warm, fleece blankets. Complimentary popcorn
and other treats enhance the al fresco entertainment experience.
The Sanctuary – Sapphire Princess is also the final ship
to receive The Sanctuary, a tranquil retreat exclusively for adults.
Added prior to drydock, the new Sanctuary space has already received
an enthusiastic welcome from passengers enjoying the enhanced
comforts of this peaceful oasis, as Serenity Stewards attend to their
every need, offering refreshing beverages, light snacks, pre-loaded
MP3 players, and the cooling mist of an Evian atomizer.
Crystal
Cruises line adds comfort food, Asian-style
Crystal Cruises, known for its luxury ships and gourmet fare, is
adding comfort food to the menu on its Crystal Serenity ship.
But this isn't your Mom's meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Instead,
think steamed dumplings, noodles and fried rice. The down-home
Chinese food will be served in the ship's Tastes Café, a
casual alternative to its decidedly upscale Nobu specialty restaurant.
The line just didn't order Chinese take-out to plan its menu. It says
its culinary team spent more than 18 months visiting dumpling and
noodle houses across Asia, and lining up suppliers for the necessary
ingredients and cooking equipment.
The menu will include dishes like:
* Steamed Mushroom Vegetarian Dumpling
* Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shiaomai
* Singapore-style Stir-Fried Noodles
Crystal says the addition doesn't signal the line's abandoning its
gourmet roots.
"Luxury these days isn't always about lavish; it's more about
authenticity," Toni Neumeister, the line's vice president of
food and beverage operations, says in a statement. "Those with
sophisticated palettes enjoy exploring specialties from other parts
of the world, including the 'comfort food' of international destinations."
Going Nowhere
The 20-year-old Brazilian male passenger aboard Allure of the Seas
who is accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl aboard the
ship's holiday cruise will remain behind bars in Broward County,
Florida at least until his trial.
In a bail hearing today where he was asking to have his bail reduce
from the $10,000 initially set at his arraignment (along with a
number of conditions including GPS monitoring), the judge denied him
bail, accepting the prosecution's argument that the man is a flight risk.
Crystal Finalizes Plans for Crystal Symphony Makeover
Crystal Cruises is finalizing plans for a $15 million dry dock this
summer for Crystal Symphony. It will include six major projects as
well as a host of smaller enhancements and routine maintenance to the
ship. The work will be done at the Blohm+Voss
yard in Hamburg from June 1 to June 16.
Crew Member Overboard from Monarch of the Seas - Jan 11
- Royal Caribbean reports that a crew member witnessed a
25-year-old male crew member jumping overboard from Monarch of the
Seas this morning at 5:45am while the ship was sailing in the Bahamas
toward its scheduled call at Nassau. Video
surveillance recordings later confirmed the man, from India, went overboard
|
