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Bermuda opens
second mega-pier
The official opening for
Bermuda’s second mega-pier at the West End’s Royal Naval
Dockyard is scheduled for Wednesday. The pier is part of a $50m
expansion that includes a new ground transportation hub, roadway
improvements and a visitor information center.
Bermuda is ready for the growth
with expanded transport service from the new pier, where a bow-loading
ferry will whisk cruisers between Dockyard and Hamilton or St.
George’s, said Larry Jacobs, transportation advisor to
Bermuda’s Ministry of Tourism and Transport.
Alaska at $57 a day:
Celebrity, Azamara roll out deals
Celebrity Cruises is promoting
deals including Alaska starting at $57 a day, when booked by May 31,
under the ‘Celebrity Starring You Promotion.’
And Azamara Cruises’
‘Azamara Assurance’ is offering prepaid gratuities, which
the line values at up to $780 per stateroom, on select Europe
sailings.
RCI markets new Mariner itineraries
Royal Caribbean International is
actively promoting Mariner of the Seas’ new northbound cruises
round-trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria.
The sailings replace Mexican
Riviera itineraries temporarily suspended due to swine flu
precautions.
Sailing dates are Sundays through
June 14. On the May 10 sailing, Mariner of the Seas will substitute
the San Francisco call with a stop at Astoria, Oregon.
Cruises are priced starting at
$399 per person, double occupancy.
Lines initiate uniform H1N1
virus screening
Cruise Lines International
Association members have begun screening passengers for the H1N1
virus using a standardized questionnaire.
Under the new protocol,
passengers must complete and sign a written form prior to embarking a
CLIA member line ship anywhere in the world.
The standardized, global
precautions are being undertaken because the swine flu virus has
moved beyond Mexico.
Galveston gains $40m in
dredge funding
The Port of Galveston is
receiving $40m for dredging under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Managed by the Corps of
Engineers, the funding will complete the Houston-Galveston Navigation
Channels Project that was authorized in 1996 while improving the
Galveston Channel to a depth of 45 feet.
Freedom heralds Canaveral
big-ship boom
Port Canaveral and Brevard County
plan a public ‘Sail-a-bration’ bon voyage event to mark
Monday’s first sailing of Freedom of the Seas as it begins
year-round operations.
The 158,000gt ship becomes the
largest cruise vessel to operate from Central Florida. It is the
first in a wave of big, new tonnage at Port Canaveral. The 130,000gt
Carnival Dream, Carnival Cruise Lines’ largest newbuild, arrives
in December. And Disney Cruise Line’s 128,000gt Disney Dream and
Disney Fantasy land in 2011 and 2012.
The market has responded
‘exceptionally well’ to Freedom of the Seas’ Port
Canaveral program, Vicki Freed, svp sales for Royal Caribbean International
says.
The ship takes over the weekly
Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises last operated by Mariner of the
Seas, which redeployed to Los Angeles earlier this year.
Princess doubles summer
Caribbean capacity
Citing increased interest in
summer Caribbean sailings, Princess Cruises will deploy two ships to
the region during summer 2010, more than doubling capacity for the
season.
Together, the vessels will offer
30 departures from New York and Florida with five itinerary choices.
Caribbean Princess returns to the
nine-day schedule from New York to Bermuda and the Caribbean, while
Emerald Princess will sail seven-day round-trips from Fort Lauderdale
to the Western and Eastern Caribbean.
Crystal expands shipboard credits
Crystal Cruises expanded its
‘All Inclusive – As You Wish’ spending credits
introduced for Europe sailings to most departures in 2009 and 2010.
The program offers a shipboard
credit of up to $2,000 per couple for most cruises of 12-plus days
and up to $1,000 per couple for shorter cruises.
Costa Luminosa Delivered
April 30 - The Costa fleet is a
bit bigger tonight. Costa Luminosa was delivered to the line today,
making the thirteenth ship in the fleet.
It also sets the state for the
largest growth spurt in the Italian brand's history. This is the
first of three ships they will take delivery of in less than a year.
Costa Pacifica is the next, and it will be christened in a unique
double ceremony with Costa Luminosa in Genoa on June 5.
Excuse Me, but I Think You
Have It Wrong Again
In recent issues, we commented
that since cruise lines have been announcing reductions in the number
of berths they are sending to Alaska next year, there have been no
comments from Gershon Cohen, the outspoken gentleman who spearheaded
the 2006 citizens' initiative which imposed increased taxes and fees
on cruise lines and their passengers, and famously told Alaskans that
if they voted the measure in, cruise lines would not leave the state.
Mr. Cohen has now spoken to the Associated Press, and we believe that
again, he has it wrong. CLICK
HERE for details on this issue.
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