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Disney Magic Heading Overseas
Disney Cruise Line announced that its 2,700-passenger Disney Magic
will sail a series of itineraries that take it from Russia to
Northern Africa for five months in 2010.
The series of cruises will last from April through September, and
marks the longest stretch that a Disney cruise ship has spent away
from its homeport of Port Canaveral.
The Magic's schedule includes eight 10- and 11-night tours through
the Mediterranean -- the ship sailed similar voyages there in summer
2007. Ports of call on the Mediterranean cruises include Rome,
Florence and Nice, as well as new stops at Malta, Corsica and the
Tunisian capital city Tunis.
The schedule also includes the company's first sailings to Northern
Europe, with four 12-night voyages from Dover to St. Petersburg with
stops in six other countries. The four sailings will be in June and
July, and will also include stops in Oslo, Copenhagen, the gateway
port to Berlin and either Helsinki or Tallinn, Estonia.
Disney will also offer a pair of 14-night, one-way repositioning
cruises from Port Canaveral to Barcelona and back.
While the Disney Magic is overseas, the Disney Wonder will sail
slightly longer voyages out of Port Canaveral. Instead of three- and
four-night Caribbean sailings, the Wonder will offer four- and five-night
cruises with new stops in Key West, as well as an extra stop in
Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.
Carnival's Puerta Maya Cruise Center to Re-Opens Oct. 16
Carnival Corporation & plc's pier at Puerta Maya in Cozumel,
Mexico -- closed since being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 --
officially reopened when the Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival
Fantasy called at the port on Oct. 16.
Representing an investment of more than $50 million, the new
two-berth pier has been specifically constructed to withstand a
threshold category five hurricane, and is sized to accommodate any
ship among Carnival Corp.'s various cruise brands.
In addition to the newly rebuilt pier, Puerta Maya's nine-acre cruise
center features a wide variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a
transportation hub capable of accommodating dozens of taxis and tour
buses. Four rental car facilities will be available as well.
"The reopening of Carnival's pier at Puerta Maya will provide
cruise ship guests with easy and convenient access to all the wonders
of this fascinating destination, along with unique on-site shopping
and dining experiences," said Giora Israel, Carnival's vice
president of strategic planning and port development.
Filipino film stars Costa Magica
Costa Magica served as the main setting for 'I.T.A.L.Y.' (I Trust and
Love You), a romantic comedy now showing across the Philippines.
The movie tells about six Filipinos who meet on Costa Magica for a
Mediterranean cruise that changes their lives. In addition to showing
many areas of the ship and life on a cruise, the film includes shots
of all the destinations included in Costa Magica’s summer 2008
itinerary, including Savona, Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Barcelona, Palma
and Marseilles.
Romantic welcome for Australia’s new ‘love boat’
Carnival Australia will hold wedding vow renewal ceremonies in
Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney to welcome Princess Cruises’
second resident ship, the 77,000gt Dawn Princess.
When she arrives in Sydney on October 26, Dawn Princess will make a
28-night ‘Romance Tour of Australia,’ calling at Brisbane,
the Whitsundays, Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Exmouth, Fremantle, Bunbury,
Albany, Adelaide, Melbourne, Burnie and Hobart.
There will be a wedding vow renewal ceremony and lunch on board the
ship for 20 couples and their families in both Fremantle and Melbourne.
HAL debuts new Pinnacle Grill menu
Pinnacle Grill, the by-reservation alternative dining venue on all
Holland America Line ships, is debuting a new menu this autumn.
Created by master chef Rudi Sodamin and introduced on the Eurodam
earlier this summer, the expanded menu introduces new Pacific
Northwest specialty entrees and adds creations ranging from lobster
'mac & cheese' to Colorado lamb chops.
Seafood dishes include broiled, troll-caught salmon, broiled or
poached lobster tail, cedar-planked black cod with shrimp scampi and
Sodamin’s interpretation of surf-and-turf: filet mignon and
jumbo prawns on whipped potatoes with garlic rosemary beurre blanc.
Cuts of prime hand-selected beef continue to highlight the menu.
Diners can select from five prime cuts of steak rubbed with Holland
America Culinary Collection seasoning, grilled and served with
hand-crafted sauces such as a green peppercorn hollandaise.
Appetizers include the Pinnacle Ocean Platter – carpaccio of
lightly smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, sea scallops and wasabi
cream – and Dungeness crab cakes with cucumber and sweet
chili-mustard sauce.
The Pinnacle Grill service charge is $20 for dinner and $15 for lunch.
Grand Turk hosts first post-hurricane call
10/8/2008 The Grand Turk Cruise Center –
closed since Hurricane Ike hit last month – today welcomed its
first cruise ship, the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny.
Passengers had the opportunity to swim in the facility’s large
pool, relax on the beach and dine at the on-site Margaritaville
restaurant and lounge. The center’s various shops were open, as well.
Available shore excursions included Gibbs Key, dune buggy rentals,
swimming with horses, fishing and snorkeling. The previously offered
hop on/hop off bus tour is currently operating as a post-hurricane
island tour. Passengers pay a small fee for the tour and get a pledge
card should they wish to donate to the United Way's Grand Turk
hurricane relief fund.
Shipboard employees are also participating in a beach clean-up
initiative to assist in the island’s recovery.
Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess is the next cruise ship
scheduled to call at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, on Friday.
CLICK
HERE to visit the excellent Grand Turk Web Site!
Carnival Corp. Lifts Fuel Supplement
Carnival Corp. is scrapping its fuel supplement for six of its
brands—Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa, Cunard, Holland America,
Princess and Seabourn—announcing that effective October 31 it
will be eliminated for all new bookings on 2010 departures. However,
Carnival said it will raise its prices on 2010 sailings.
In addition, Carnival has established reimbursement guidelines for
2008 and 2009 sailings.
For 2008 and 2009 departures, if the price of light sweet crude oil
according to the New York Mercantile Exchange Index is $70 per barrel
or less at the 2:30 p.m. close of business as reported by Reuters on
each of the 25 consecutive trading days ending five trading days
prior to the guest's cruise departure date, the fuel supplement will
be refunded in the form of a shipboard credit. Guests who book a 2010
cruise prior to October 31, will be charged the current fuel
supplement but will also be eligible for a refund of the fuel
supplement in accordance with the same fuel price conditions that are
being implemented for the 2008 and 2009 departures.
Carnival's decision to drop the fuel supplement is in response to the
vertiginous drop in the price of oil over the past weeks—now at
below $80 per barrel. That said, Bill Harber, Carnival Corp. director
of marketing, said a climb in the price of oil could precipitate
Carnival reinstating the fuel supplement. Five of the six Carnival
Corp. brands in question had fuel supplements of $9 per person per
day for first and second guests, with $4 per person per day for
third, fourth and fifth guests. Seabourn's fuel supplement is $15 per
person per day for the first and second guests, $4 for third and
fourth guests.
All Natural Chops Steak to be served in the Dining Room
Royal Caribbean Cruises is currently testing a new program on the
Majesty of the Seas® and Freedom of the Seas® where guests
will have a choice of purchasing an all natural Chops New York Strip
Steak for which we charge $14.95. It is important to note that we
have not cut anything from the menu including the free steak offered
as a dinner option. This test is being offered because so many of our
guests have requested the steak from our “Chops Steak House”
in the main dining room. Please keep in mind, this is a test on two
ships and we will keep you informed of any additions or changes.
New Infant Policy for RCCL
Effective immediately - infants sailing on a cruise must be at least
6 months old as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour. However,
for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, select South American
cruises/ cruisetours and other selected cruises/ cruisetours, the
infant (as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour)must be at least
12 months old - in addition to all Transatlantic, Transpacific, and
Hawaii cruises, the list is as follows:
• Mariner of the Seas® - January 4, 2009, January 19, 2009,
February 3, 2009
• Splendour of the Seas® - March 30, 2009
• Legend of the Seas® - October 23, 2009, November 4, 2009
Denial of boarding for infants who do not satisfy these minimum age
requirements may also result in the denial of boarding for one or
more guests sailing with that infant. No refunds or other
compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result
of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises Announces Major Fleet Enhancement and Refurbishment
Fort Lauderdale, FL - September 15, - Regent Seven Seas Cruises
announced that it will invest approximately $40 million dollars to
implement an extensive refurbishment and enhancement of the line's
all-suite vessels: Seven Seas Voyager®, Seven Seas Mariner®,
and Seven Seas Navigator®. This investment is in addition to the
$20 million that was spent on the fleet over the past two years as
the line re-branded under the Regent moniker.
"I am delighted to make this announcement as we are not only
refurbishing the ships, we are adding many new luxury features that
will enhance the guest experience," said Mark Conroy, President
of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. "This comprehensive enhancement
program will see each of the ships emerge essentially brand new and
positions our fleet as the standard-bearer in the luxury cruise
category," he added.
The refurbishments will commence in December 2008 with the dry-dock
of Seven Seas Voyager, followed by Seven Seas Mariner in January
2009, and Seven Seas Navigator in the first half of 2010, and result
in a new look that is fresh, elegant and luxurious yet retains the
familial warmth and charm for which Regent Seven Seas Cruises is
lauded.
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