New cruise ships on the horizon

by Chris Owen on

A testament to the popularity of cruise vacations, a bunch of new cruise ships are on the horizon and coming out in 2011, 2012 and beyond.

The recent worldwide recession has caused cruise lines to redeploy ships to more profitable waters with Royal Caribbean pulling out of the West coast US market altogether. But new ships on order, while slowed during recession’s lowest point, have returned with several new orders made in just the last few months.

  • Celebrity Cruises sails Celebrity Silhouette in the Fall of 2011 followed by another yet-named ship in the Spring of 2012
  • Costa Cruise Line’s new Costa Favlosa sets sail in the Summer of 2011 ahead of Costa Fascinosa in Spring 2012
  • Disney Cruise Lines new Disney Dream sails in January 2011, followed by Disney Fantasy in 2012, more than doubling the size of the Disney fleet
  • MSC Cruises continues to grow with MSC Fantastica in May 2012
  • Norwegian Cruise Lines, still high off the debut of Norwegian Epic last July has ordered two more ships to debut Spring 2013 and 2014
  • Princess Cruises also has two new unnamed ships on order, one for 2013 and one for 2014
  • Seaboun Cruises who just added Seabourn Sojourn this year, will add Seabourn Quest in May 2011

As the cruise industry continues to grow and mature, look for more new-builds and the refurbishment of older ships to add new-ship features during scheduled dry-dock maintenance.

Cruise like a rock star

by Chris Owen on

The recent announcement of a four-day cruise with a rock star musician and reality TV star Bret Michaels is a good example of what to expect when you cruise like a rock star.

Themed cruise vacations have been around for a long time but are gaining new popularity. Gathering like-minded passengers from around the world, promoters feature sailings with a focus on a common interest. Ranging from writers workshops to cruising with a favorite celebrity, guests pay a premium price to be included.

Sailing from Miami on November 10, 2011, the Carnival Destiny will be home to fans of Michaels paying up to $3500 per person for a luxurious Grand Suite package that includes a private party with the rock star.

Those accommodations have already sold out leaving standard staterooms starting at $939 per person. Those feature admission to a performance by Michaels and a farewell cocktail party.

Regular non-themed 4-night sailings of Carnival Destiny start at $239 per person with luxury suites starting at $1029.

Did you catch the math on that?

It looks to be about $700 and $2400 more than a normally priced sailing at that time of the year to be part of the action. $700 more for a ticket to the show and a cocktail party, $2400 more for groupie status and a private party with the rock star.

Other upcoming theme cruises include a cruise with Taylor Swift on Royal Caribbean, A Progressive Voices Cruise or a cruise for runners on Holland America and many more. All have a premium price to cover onboard events.

Most theme cruises are sponsored by travel agencies chartering part or all of a ship on a given sailing. Others are sponsored by cruise lines themselves and feature more mainstream interests.

Flickr photo: Jamiecat

Royal wedding to be shown live on cruise ships

by Chris Owen on

Touted as a “front-row seat” to the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, cruise lines are jumping on board a growing world-wide obsession with the event.

To be shown live fleet-wide on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, other lines will show the event on select ships.

P&O Cruises’ managing director Carol Marlow said: “As Britain’s favourite cruise line it is only fitting that our passengers should have a front row seat from unique locations around the globe. It will certainly be a grand celebration with almost 14,000 passengers sailing with us at this time.”

Cunard Line’s will show the entire event from start to finish the ships main showroom on their three ships. Says Cunard president Peter Shanks: “If demand for seats exceeds supply we are able to use our Planetarium and lecture room, Illuminations, which seats a further 450 passengers.”

Cruise lines have been in the wedding business for quite some time, with most devoting considerable resources to on-board wedding ceremonies. The all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation makes weddings at sea a viable alternate choice and cruise line involvement with the royal wedding a natural fit.

Royal Caribbean rescues Cuban refugees

by Chris Owen on

Usually not many passengers are awake on board a cruise ship headed for home port on the last night of a sailing. Today was different though. This morning it was Royal Caribbean to the rescue when a raft was spotted floating aimlessly in the Atlantic with 6 people believed to be Cuban refugees by a passenger on Monarch of the Seas.

“A Coast Guard cutter will rendezvous with the cruise ship and pick up the six people. They will remain aboard a cutter. Whether or not they are migrants, we can’t confirm,” said Sabrina Elgammal, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard earlier today.

Maritime law requires that ships stop and offer aid to vessels in distress.

“We rely on other ships, other merchant vessels as well as cruise ships to provide humanitarian assistance when needed,” said Coast Guard Spokesman Christopher Evanson. “Their quick actions probably saved the lives of all six people, and we just want to commend the cruise ship for that.”

Back at Port Canaveral, Florida today, several of the refugees were taken to a local hospital for medical attention while others remained on a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. Coast Guard officials said the six Cubans would be taken to Key West, Florida for processing.

Television station WESH in Orlando reports Nick and Marcy Miyar, of Orlando, captured video of the rescue as it happened.

Royal Caribbean is no stranger to rescue both at sea and on land. After the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti in January, the line sent tons of supplies to their private destination of Labadee in spite of criticism that it was inappropriate to visit so soon after the disaster.

Disney Dream Cruise ship nears completion

by Chris Owen on

Sailing from Florida this January, new 4000-passenger Disney Dream is just about ready to go. The new ship sailed out to sea last month for testing and to complete adding final details. Joining sister-ships Disney Wonder and Disney Magic, the new ship will have all the features of her two sisters plus some new attractions.

  • The ship will feature a first-of-its-kind water coaster, called the “Aqua-Duck” that will send guests racing above and around the upper decks of the ship.
  • Animator’s Palate restaurant will magically transform into an undersea wonderland with live, impromptu interactions with Crush, the animated sea turtle from Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.”
  • Themed children’s spaces will immerse children in their favorite Disney stories and feature some of today’s most innovative technology.
  • A nighttime entertainment district just for adults will be filled with sophisticated, trendy, fanciful and fun-filled venues.
  • Inside staterooms will have a “special” view thanks to a cruise industry first virtual porthole concept.

The Disney Dream will sail alternating three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. During summer 2011, the ship will sail four- and five-night itineraries with two stops at Castaway Cay.

Disney Dream starts sailing from Port Canaveral on January 26, 2011. Due to popularity, the maiden voyage is nearly full. However, there is still limited availability on the second Disney Dream voyage, January 30.