New Disney Dream cruise ship sails out to sea

by Leigh Caldwell on

The Disney Dream, the third ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, is now under its own power, conducting tests out on the North Sea.

The Dream left the Meyer Werft shipyard and was towed by tugboats 26 miles down the River Ems to Eemshaven, The Netherlands. This conveyance is unique to ships built at Meyer Werft, because it is so far inland. Some railroad bridges across the river had to be dismantled to allow the ship to pass.

Of course, the whole thing was done Disney-style, with fireworks and Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck waving from the decks to residents gathered to watch the spectacle.

After the North Sea tests, known as the “test-and-adjust period,” the Disney Dream cruise ship will be dry-docked for a short time in Germany before being officially delivered to the Disney Cruise Line.

The Disney Dream will sail 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida. The inaugural cruise is set for Jan. 26, 2011.

A fourth Disney Cruise Line ship – the Disney Fantasy – is also under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard. The Fantasy will be completed in spring 2012.

Carnival Splendor in nightmare engine fire incident – Navy airlifts supplies

by Scott Carmichael on

What was supposed to be a week long Mexican Riviera cruise on board the Carnival Splendor, has turned into a nightmare for the passengers. Three days ago, a massive engine fire knocked out almost all the facilities on this 3300 passenger vessel.

Propulsion systems, electricity, climate control, water and entertainment were all disabled, and the ship was been stuck 200 miles off the coast of San Diego. The situation was so bad, that the U.S. Navy had to be called in to supply food for the stranded passengers. The USS Ronald Reagan used its helicopters to drop thousands of pounds of supplies and Navy sailors were airlifted to the Splendor to assist with unloading.

The 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members have cold water and toilet usage back, but most other services are still disabled. A tug boat reached the ship yesterday, and she is expected to arrive in San Diego tomorrow.

Carnival has made hotel and flight arrangements for the passengers, and everyone is being offered a full refund and a complimentary future cruise on Carnival.

Sadly, the ship has already has its fair share of bad luck – and despite being less than two years old, some are already asking whether the vessel is cursed. For more coverage on the Carnival Splendor fire, head on over to our friends at AOL Travel News.

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[Image: US Navy / Getty / AP]

Royal Caribbean announces first cruise ship Starbucks

by Annie Scott on


Royal Caribbean‘s Allure of the Seas is already an impressive ship, but soon it will be home to the only Starbucks at sea. The big story hit AOL Travel today and we’re delighted to bring you the good news: finally, you won’t have to give up your Frappuccino habit just to go on vacation.

“We are always looking for unique ways and places to connect with our customers and deliver the Starbucks Experience,” said Chris Carr, senior vice president and general manager of Starbucks Licensed Stores. “Starbucks’ presence aboard Allure of the Seas is another place where our customers want and expect us to be.”

We’re not sure we agree with that last part — we certainly weren’t expecting them to be there! Still, we’re not complaining. The Starbucks (pictured above) will be open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM and feature the complete line of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew products as well as signature and seasonal beverages and food. This announcement comes on the heels of Starbucks’ plans to serve wine and beer, but there’s no indication they’ll be bringing booze aboard the cruise. That’s okay; there are other places to get it on a Royal Caribbean ship!

“We are passionate about delivering the WOW,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Opening the first ever Starbucks at sea is another example of how Royal Caribbean is delivering distinctive beverage and dining options to our guests and exceeding their expectations. We are offering something that no other cruise brand can.”

Allure of the Seas is already the largest cruise ship in the world (along with its sister, Oasis of the Seas), and has a Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. Now, with the addition of the Starbucks, why don’t they just put an Empire State Building on it and call it “Manhattan of the Seas”?

Princess ships plugging into shore power to reduce engine emissions in port

by Scott Carmichael on

Princess Cruises just unveiled a $7 million investment at their San Francisco port facility. The investment makes it possible for their ships to plug into shore power instead of relying on their diesel engines and generators for power.

San Francisco marks the fourth port in the world with this new technology, after Juneau, Seattle and Vancouver. The savings in diesel and the reduction of harmful emissions is obviously quite considerable, since ships are often docked for days in a port with their engines running.

Once at the port, the ships connect through specially designed 3½-inch cables to the shore power grid. The entire procedure takes about 40 minutes, after which time, the engines can be shut down.

Princess Cruises developed the technology almost ten years ago, and nine of their vessels are outfitted with the equipment for shore power.

Obscenities and ethnic slurs fly on Queen Mary 2, get passengers ejected

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Gloria Sher and her husband, Frederick Evans, believe they were defending themselves. And, let’s assume they are old enough to know what that means. She’s 82 years old, a spring chicken compared to her 91-year-old husband. Well, the elderly pair was thrown off the Queen Mary 2 over a verbal brawl that they say was kicked off by another passenger who made an anti-Semitic comment at a black-tie dinner.

Their five-week, $20,000 cruise almost came to an early end at a port in Quebec, which is where the ship was ready to drop them, banished for foul language. Other passengers came to the couple’s defense, however, and the pair was permitted to stay on board for another six days, though under house-arrest conditions. Sher and Evans weren’t allowed to leave their cabin – and their alcohol was confiscated.

So, what happened?”Minutes into their meal” at the black-tie event, Sher tells the New York Post, one of the people at his table told him to shut up before saying, “There are too many Jews on board.” Sher dropped the F-bomb in reply and went back to her room.

The ship’s captain took the side of the alleged anti-Semite, and told Sher she’d have to “leave the ship,” according to the New York Post, without even listening to his side of the story. The couple even knew the captain from previous trips – an inside connection that got them nowhere.

But, Sher may not be an angel, the New York Post continues:

But one passenger told The Post that the couple was at least partly to blame. Sher tends to get belligerent when drinking, the passenger said, recalling that she went on a rant one night because a lounge’s piano was closed.

Ultimately, they were able to stay on board, with occasional trips out of their room, until the ship got back to New York. The Cunard cruise line only offered a refund of $839 and said in a statement: “The Cunard cruise line — which would refund the couple only $839 — said in a statement that “Sir Evans and Lady Sher engaged in multiple incidences of disrespectful and disruptive behavior towards crew members and other guests.” The company supports the captain’s decision.

[photo by Dawn Endico via Flickr]