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NCL hopes to strike it big with bowling alley on Norwegian Pearl
When Norwegian Cruise Line’s next ship, the Norwegian Pearl,
debuts in 2007, the vessel will house the industry’s first
onboard bowling alley. The full-size, four-lane, ten pin alley
aboard the Norwegian Pearl will be part of a sports bar and nightclub
complex called Bliss. During the day, the bar area will show
sports on flat-screen TVs and feature air hockey, foosball and arcade
games. At night, the bar area in Bliss will become a dance club with
a live DJ. The bowling alley will remain open day and night.
Oceania alters Med itinerary, pulling Libya stops
Citing complications that make it difficult to guarantee its
passengers entry into Libya, Oceania Cruises pulled Libya off a May
21 Mediterranean itinerary aboard the Insignia sailing from
Barcelona, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal. Oceania substituted
Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, with stops in Sorrento, Amalfi, Taormina
and Rome, Italy. The rest of the itinerary remains the same, with
stops in Malta, Tunisia and Morocco.
SeaMobile signs Oceania
SeaMobile, Inc. signed an agreement with Oceania Cruises to provide
technology that will enable passengers to use their own cellular
phones and wireless PDAs while at sea. Charges will go to the
wireless customer’s bill from their home carrier. Regatta will
become the first ship in Oceania’s fleet to deploy
SeaMobile’s wireless services.
Crown Princess plans summer film fest
Princess Cruises surveyed members of its alumni club on their
favorite cruise-related movies, scenes and film stars and will show
the winning selections throughout the summer on the new Crown
Princess’ giant poolside LED screen.
Some 45,000 Princess Captain’s Circle members voted in the
‘Captain's Awards Summer Film Festival,’ with categories
set by Princess.
For example, playing on the line’s ‘Escape Completely’
branding, passengers selected as ‘Best Escape Movie’ &ldots;
‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ ‘Best Smooch at Sea’
&ldots; Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet in ‘Titanic.’
‘Favorite Movie Princess’ &ldots; Audrey Hepburn in
‘Roman Holiday.’ ‘Captain Most Likely to Steal Your
Heart’ &ldots; Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the
Caribbean.’ Other categories ranged from ‘Most Romantic
Balcony Scene’ to ‘Best Performance by a Lobster.’
Crown Princess will debut in June with roundtrip Caribbean sailings
from the new Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
Freedom fitness center will pack a punch
A full-size boxing ring will be among the many new features of the
world’s largest floating fitness center, debuting in May on
Freedom of the Seas.
Freedom’s ShipShape Fitness Center will offer an Everlast boxing
ring, a group Pilates reformer studio and other elements developed in
conjunction with Royal Caribbean International’s long-time spa
provider, Steiner Leisure Ltd.
Freedom’s Fight Klub will offer one-on-one training sessions
with an instructor inside a 20-foot by 20-foot boxing ring. Multiple
Everlast speed bags, jump ropes, heavy bags and padded punching mitts
will be available. Groups of three people can take part in supervised
sparring sessions with freestanding body master bags. Rocky wannabes
can train in three one-hour sessions with a coach.
New Itinerary for Grand Princess
Princess' Jan Swartz reports that Grand Princess has a new itinerary
in which Playa Del Carmen replaces Grand Cayman, and some of the port
calls, such as in Belize, have been lengthened. "We originally
made this change due to engine problems but have now decided to
maintain it, as we are seeing high passenger satisfaction scores with
the new itinerary," says Swartz.
New Ship for Holland America
Holland America took delivery on Jan. 31 of the Noordam from Italian
shipyard Fincantieri at a ceremony in Venice. The ship, the fourth
and last of the line's Vista class, is en route to New York, where
actress and godmother Marlee Matlin will christen the ship on Feb.
22. The ship will then embark on its maiden voyage and offer a series
of 10- and 11-day Caribbean cruises. |
