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QM2 held at Fort Lauderdale after pod mishap
A propulsion pod on the Queen Mary 2 was damaged after the pod hit
the side of the underwater ship channel during its departure from
Fort Lauderdale.
The QM2, which was departing Fort Lauderdale Jan. 17 during a cruise
from New York to Rio de Janeiro when the pod came into contact with
the side of the channel, was returned to its berth here. The ship was
scheduled to depart on its revised voyage to Rio de Janeiro -- using
the remaining three functional propulsion pods -- late Jan. 18.
In a statement, Cunard Line said the damaged pod does not control the
ship’s maneuverability, and it stressed that sailing on one less
pod does not affect the safety of its passengers or crew.
Operating on one less pod will slow the speed of the ship, but Cunard
said that beyond the current voyage the impact of the ship’s
speed on future itineraries would not be material.
Silversea extends Med season
Silversea Cruises is extending its Mediterranean season by one month
and adding calls in Lebanon, Libya and Syria -- more than doubling
the number of calls to the destinations previously served by the line.
In addition, rates for the extended season, with departures from
March through mid-November, will be discounted by up to 50% on select dates.
David Morris, senior vice president of sales in North America, cited
a "growing segment" of guests who plan fall and spring
trips to avoid crowds as reason for the extended Med season -- which
will take place on three ships (the Silver Cloud, the Silver Whisper
and the Silver Wind), visiting 90 destinations in 20 countries
through 2006.
New shore excursions via a partnership with Fondo per l'Ambiente
Italiano (the National Trust for Italy) round out the line's new offerings.
Celebrity launches campaign touting line's service, experience
Celebrity Cruises launched a new ad campaign representing the line's
first foray into network TV advertising in several years, according
to the company.
The campaign's concept centers on how the line's cruise experience
makes guests feel like celebrities, and is dubbed "the Celebrity
Treatment," the line said.
The campaign includes a mix of network TV ads on high-profile shows
like "Desperate Housewives," cable placements and a print
campaign in consumer and trade magazines and newspapers.
The broadcast campaign's two 30-second ads kick off this week on
primetime shows including "Desperate Housewives,"
"Lost" and "According to Jim," and also will
appear on cable channels including the Travel Channel and the Food
Network throughout the year.
Yards selected for Carnival's post-charter refurbs
Two shipyards will handle the refurbishments for three Carnival
Cruise Lines vessels following their six-month charters to the US
government for Hurricane Katrina relief. Atlantic Marine of Mobile,
Alabama, will refit Ecstasy and Sensation whilst Holiday has been
booked at Grand Bahama Shipyard.
According to CCL, Ecstasy will undergo a multimillion-dollar, 35-day
refurbishment involving the upgrade of virtually all public areas and staterooms.
Scope of the work includes: aft lounge reconfiguration; art gallery
addition; full cabin and suite refurbishment (new 20" flat
screen TV's in all cabins); children's world relocated to Deck 11
forward (in a more accessible location); a new conference room; the
existing children's world will be converted into two crew cabins,
crew meeting room and crew meditation room; crew public bathrooms are
to be refurbished while gift shops are being redesigned and
refurbished. A new awning will be installed on the Lido and the Lido
restaurant will get a make-over. Mini golf will be installed on board
while the photo gallery is to be relocated on the promenade. Various
carpets are being replaced through the ship.
From April 8, the renewed Ecstasy will resume four- and five-day
cruises from Galveston.
Beginning March 27, after leaving Freeport's GBS, Holiday will resume
four- and five-day service from Mobile. Refit works include
refurbishment of the main lobby, beauty salon and dining room
ceiling; the launderette and the radio room will be converted into
crew cabins while some galley equipment will be replaced together
with various carpets.
Sensation will resume service on March 23 launching a new four- and
five-day cruise programme from Port Canaveral but before that she'll
undergo an extensive refurbishment. Scope of the work mirrors much of
what is planned for Ecstasy.
Radisson offers free air on six Alaska dates
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises is promoting free air from 86 North
American gateways on five Alaska sailings this summer. The
seven-night itineraries on Seven Seas Mariner operate between
Whittier and Vancouver.
The sailing dates are: May 24 and 31, June 7, Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 and 13.
Radisson also is offering two-for-one pricing on the 10-night Pacific
Coast voyage that sails from San Francisco on May 14 to Vancouver.
Ports are Victoria, Prince Rupert, Skagway, Juneau and Sitka.
Hydroxyl wins $6m Royal Caribbean contract
Hydroxyl Systems Inc. won a $6m contract from Royal Caribbean Cruises
Ltd. for the turnkey supply of two Hydroxyl CleanSea advanced
wastewater purification systems for Royal Caribbean International and
Celebrity Cruises vessels. Hydroxyl begins simultaneous installation
of the two CleanSea systems this month, with completion scheduled for June.
The systems will process all black water and gray water generated
aboard the 2,500-passenger Radiance of the Seas and the
2,000-passenger Celebrity Summit. The technology will reliably exceed
Alaska environmental regulations by 50% for effluent discharge within
sensitive aquatic environments along the Alaskan coastline, Hydroxyl
said. The Victoria, BC-based company has worked with Royal
Caribbean for more than four years. |
