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.

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”?

Nudist cruise to Croatia ready to go!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

There are only 22 spaces available for a unique eWaterways cruise. The best part of the fun offering from his London tour operator is that you won’t have to pack much: the catch is that its central theme is nudity. Hope you get a ticket with 21 other hotties, and dash off for seven days of feeling the sun and breeze against your entire body. As you explore the Croatian coastline, make some time to enjoy the scenery onboard, too.

The first cruise will hit the seas in August 2011 at a price of £500. eWaterways says it’s the first company to offer a nudist cruise in the Adriatic. According to the Sydney Morning Herald:

“Naturist holidays are popular and Croatia has a lot of nudist beaches – so it’s a great match,” said a spokeswoman. “Passengers will get undressed for swimming and sunbathing, but will be clothed for dinner.”

Smart move: buy two tickets instead of one, and stack the deck in your favor. I already have my short list in place!

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]

Photo of the day (9.9.10)

by Meg Nesterov on



Few things are more pleasant than tooling around in a slow boat and taking in a landscape via water. This photo by Flickr user Giovanni Fusco (whose photostream captures more than a few “wow” moments) taken in Dordogne, France shows a beautiful balance of the tranquility of the river with the rocky cliffs above. Just looking at it makes you feel peaceful and tempted to hop off for a farmhouse picnic, visit to a winery, or just stay aboard and enjoy the scenery.

Add your beautiful views to Gadling’s Flickr pool and it could be tomorrow’s Photo of the Day.