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Noordam
first cruise ship to call at Grand Turk Center
GRAND
TURK, B.W.I. --Grand Turk Cruise Center hosts first ship
Holland
America Line's Noordam made the first official call at the
Caribbean's newest port facility -- the Grand Turk Cruise Center --
on Saturday Feb. 25th.
After
its naming ceremony in New York City on Wednesday, the new Noordam
made a direct sailing for Grand Turk, marking the official opening of
the multimillion-dollar facility.
Noordam
Capt. John Scott said he was ‘proud and honored to be a part of
history’ with the inaugural call. He added: ‘Grand Turk
offers pristine beaches and magnificent waters and it will be a great
destination for cruise ship guests.’
Developed
and operated by Carnival Corp. but open to all cruise ships, Grand
Turk Cruise Center can accommodate two post-Panamax vessels and
offers a 13-acre complex that includes an 800-foot beach, a swimming
pool, cabanas, retail shops and the Caribbean's largest Margaritaville-themed
bar and restaurant, owned by music star Jimmy Buffet.
Nearly
two dozen shore excursions are available, including a ‘Hop On,
Hop Off’ tour to island attractions, horseback riding, kayaking,
snorkeling and diving.
‘We
are proud to establish this association with Carnival Corporation
and are deeply grateful that Carnival decided to make this large
investment on our island. We look forward to a very successful
relationship with Carnival,’ said Floyd Hall, Grand Turk's
deputy chief minister of finance.
Hall
added: ‘Our arms are open to passengers from all cruise lines
and visitors who will be coming to our shores in the months and years ahead.’
Carnival
Corp. built and will operate the center. Carnival Cruise Lines’
Sensation will have bi-weekly port calls to Grand Turk by the end of
March, and starting in June Carnival subsidiaries Princess Cruises
and Costa Cruises will arrive. Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises,
Oceania Cruises and Radisson Seven Seas will visit the new port as
well, Hall said.
For
more on Grand Turk Island CLICK
HERE
Costa Concordia to offer stays in spa
cabins, suites
Costa Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship,
the Costa Concordia, will debut in June housing what it is calling
the largest spa on the sea, a facility that will feature 55 cabins
and 12 suites situated within it, Costa said March 1.
The 112,00-ton, 3,000-passenger ship will
introduce the Samsara Spa, a two-story, 20,500-square-foot
“wellness center” with panoramic ocean views offering
Ayurvedic, or holistic healing, treatments.
The two-deck space will enable guests interested
in exclusive spa privileges to stay in rooms built within the
confines of the spa. Privileges include unlimited access to the spa
and fitness facility; select spa treatments and classes; a wellness
consultation; and access to “wellness cuisine” in the
spa’s restaurant.
Queen Victoria maiden voyage fully booked
Queen Victoria's December 2007 maiden voyage is
already sold out. The 10-night voyage departs Dec. 11 and calls at
ports known for their Christmas atmosphere: Amsterdam, Copenhagen
(overnight call), Oslo, Hamburg and Zeebrugge.
Cunard said there is still space on Queen
Victoria’s second voyage, when the liner will spend her first
Christmas in the Canaries. The 16-night cruise will leave Southampton
on Dec. 21 and will call at Vigo, Lisbon, Malaga, Funchal, Las
Palmas, Arrecife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Casablanca and Gibraltar.
Christmas Day will be spent at sea. Cunard is currently
offering its past passengers an exclusive booking period for this
voyage, which is scheduled to go on sale to the general public on
April 3.
Port Everglades edges close to its own
world record
Port Everglades came close to breaking its own
world record for hosting more passengers on a single day than any
other port when 40,952 cruisers traveled through the facility on
Sunday, Feb. 26.
Port Everglades claims the world title for
hosting the most passengers in a single day on Dec. 21, 2003, with
44,108 passengers.
Port Director Phil Allen noted that on an average
winter Sunday, the port handles approximately 10 to 12 cruise ships
and 30,000 to 35,000 passengers. Sunday was extra busy, Allen said,
due to ‘the overlapping of cruise line schedules and the
popularity of cruises during the winter season.’
Though the port hosted 12 ships on Sunday, many
were much larger than on the previous record day and therefore
carried more passengers. Port Everglades’ previous passenger
record was set with 15 ships.
Multi-day cruise vessels on Feb. 26 included:
Carnival Liberty, Infinity, Summit, Costa Mediterranea, Costa Magica,
Westerdam, Regal Empress, MSC Lirica, Star Princess and Sun Princess. Day-cruise
ships Discovery Sun and Island Adventure shared one berth.
Norwegian Jewel to appear in ‘The Apprentice’
Norwegian Jewel will be featured in an upcoming
episode of Donald Trump’s ‘The Apprentice.’ on
March 27. Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, served as
the godmother for Norwegian Jewel.
Navy Captures Suspected Pirate Ship
A U.S. Navy ship captured a suspected pirate
vessel in the Indian Ocean about 54 miles off the coast of Somalia in
January, according to the Armed Forces Press Service. The USS Winston
Churchill captured the Indian-flagged bulk carrier six days after the
crew of the ship reported they had been hijacked.
The Churchill stopped the ship by firing warning
shots and after boarding the vessel found a small arms cache,
according to a public affairs officer with the U.S. Naval Forces
Central Command. Last November, in an incident that gained widespread
media coverage, pirates off Somalia's coast sought to attack a
Seabourn Cruise Line ship. The Seabourn vessel took evasive action
and outran the pirates.
Ketchikan Voters Mull Cruise Bond
On April 11, voters in Ketchikan, Alaska will
consider a proposal to issue $38.5 million in bonds to finance an
expansion of the city's cruise facilities. The proposed project would
result in a new 1,000-foot pier facility to service Panamax ships; a
ground transportation area for tour-vehicle staging; a waterfront
promenade; restroom facilities and a pedestrian shelter. Voters
previously rejected a $70 million bond issue for cruise facility
upgrades. According to statistics from the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau
published in the Anchorage Daily News , Ketchikan hosted 921,429
cruise passengers in 2005, making the port Alaska's second busiest
after Juneau. For more information, log onto www.visit-Ketchikan.com
Cruise Growth Continues at European Ports
European ports continue to experience growing cruise traffic. In
February, the Associated British Ports announced that the Port of
Southampton broke its record for cruise passengers in 2005, with a
total of 702,000 guests. Southampton's growth is attributable partly
to the port's commitment to working closely with its customers and
making strategic investments."
Meanwhile, the Port of Barcelona finished 2005 with a total of 689
cruise-ship calls and 1.23 million guests, an increase of 20% over
2004. Barcelona is projecting a 15% increase to 1.4 million
passengers in 2006.
Philadelphia Loves Cruising
Philadelphia continues to grow as a cruise industry home port. A
total of 32 cruises departed from Philadelphia in 2005, and the port
also hosted 10 cruise-ship calls. More than 90,000 passengers passed
through Philadelphia's cruise terminal in 2005 and the city's cruise
activity generated $17.5 million in business revenue and $5 million
in employment income, according to the Delaware River Port Authority.
Costa ship to lead Carnival's Asia initiative
Costa Crociere will market the 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra
exclusively to Chinese clientele, initially operating a series of 24
five-day cruises from Shanghai to Nagasaki, Japan, and Cheju, Korea,
beginning July 3.
The news follows the granting of a license to Costa by the
People’s Republic of China to operate locally, with departures
from Chinese ports.
‘We have been exploring a strategy for entering the Asian
marketplace for some time and have indicated that our entrance into
this hugely populated market would be through one of our existing
brands,’ said Micky Arison, Carnival Corp. & plc chairman
and CEO. The Costa Allegra cruises represent ‘a first step in
this initiative and will serve as a platform for future expansion
into other areas of Asia,’ Arison added.
Explorer of the Seas reports GI illness
Royal Caribbean International reported an increased number of cases
of gastrointestinal illness on Explorer of the Seas during the
seven-day voyage that ends today in Miami.
On Saturday, the ship’s medical staff reported symptoms,
predominantly diarrhea and vomiting, among 160 of 3,245 passengers,
or 4.93%, and seven of 1,184 crew, or 0.59%.
The cruise line on Tuesday had notified the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program staff after
an elevated number of passengers and crew were experiencing symptoms
consistent with acute gastroenteritis. The CDC said the ship
implemented additional cleaning and disinfecting procedures and
provided daily updates to public health officials throughout the
voyage.
ICCL releases crime statistics
The International Council of Cruise Lines released information
regarding crime on cruise ships prior to Tuesday’s hearing
before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats
and International Relations. The industry data, based on
15 cruise lines’ submissions, totaled 206 complaints from
passengers and crew during a three-year time frame, 2003-2005, when
more than 31 million people sailed.
New Orleans plans for riverfront development
The Port of New Orleans’ decision to open more riverfront
property to commercial development and public spaces should have a
positive impact on cruise passengers’ experience of the city,
port spokesman Chris Bonura told Seatrade Insider.
RCI commits Voyager-class ship to UK
Royal Caribbean International will deploy the 3,835-passenger
Navigator of the Seas from the UK in April 2007. The Voyager-class
ship will replace Legend of the Seas at the end of her second UK
season. The move boosts the number of berths available to the UK
trade by over 1,500 per sailing.
This will be the first time a Voyager-class ship will sail out of the
UK, with Navigator of the Seas scheduled to arrive on April 26, 2007. |
