 |
|
Cruise Line News and Best Bets and
Values
|
|
Some Picture(s) Courtesy of
Their Respective Cruise Line or Company
Onshore in
Belize
7/31/02
Remember a couple of weeks ago we told you that beginning on September
2, Carnival Cruise Lines’ five-day cruises from Miami aboard the
Imagination will feature a day-long visit to Belize? Well the line just
revealed the shore excursions that will be offered in the port.
Drum roll, please. . .
Carnival's shore excursions available in Belize
include:
Cave
Tubing & Rain Forest Exploration - Following a motor coach
transfer through the lush Belizean countryside, guests will enjoy a
relaxing 45-minute tubing excursion meandering down the Sibun River
where they can observe craggy cave and rock formations, as well as the
foliage and vegetation of the Belizean rain forest. Lunch is included.
Biking in
Belize - This six-hour tour includes a bike ride through one of
Belize's most popular rain forest trails offering ample opportunities to
view colorful birds, iguanas and other creatures, as well as natural
ponds and dense foliage. The excursion also includes a stop at Altun Ha,
a centuries-old Mayan ceremonial site. Recommended for only the most
physically fit.
Jungle
Horseback Adventure - Following a river ferry transfer, guests
arrive at a ranch in the historic city of San Ignacio where they will
enjoy a leisurely horseback ride through the country's rain forest
trails, which features a variety of native wildlife, including troops of
howler and spider monkeys. Age and weight restrictions apply.
Shark/Ray
Alley Snorkel Excursion - Following an exhilarating speedboat
ride across mangrove flats, this excursion takes guests to the
breathtaking Hol Chan marine reserve, named one of the top dive spots in
the Caribbean by Skin Diver magazine and home to dozens of nurse sharks
and stingrays.
Altun Ha Mayan Site/River Wallace - This
seven-hour excursion includes an open riverboat trip along the Rio
Wallace followed by a visit to Altun Ha, a vital trade center during the
classic Mayan period (250 – 900 A.D.). Here, the famous jade head of the
sun god Kinich was discovered by David Pendergrast of the Royal Ontario
Museum. Lunch at a local restaurant is included.
Caye Chapel Golf Resort - This
challenging 6,800-yard course offers ocean views at virtually every
turn, as well as a creative lay-out and beautifully manicured greens and
fairways. Adding to the day's fun is an exhilarating seaplane transfer,
which is included in the price.
Sneak Preview of the new Queen
8/31/02
Cunard has launched a special
section of its web site --
www.cunard.com -- devoted to the new Queen Mary 2, which is
currently under construction at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard
in France. The $800-million vessel -- expected to enter service in
January 2004 -- will be the largest, tallest, longest and most expensive
passenger vessel ever built.
As you visit the new site you will be greeted by a
flash musical introduction of a series of images that pay tribute to
some of the most famous Cunard liners, culminating with 2,620-guest QM2.
Once you've downloaded the proper software from QuickTime and completed
an on line registration form, you'll be able to take a virtual tour of
the anticipated 150,000-ton mega-liner and view the its public rooms and
cabins.
The home page of the site features a "QM2 Update" with
the latest information on the ship's progress, as well as four
navigational buttons: About QM2, On Board, Destinations and Photo
Gallery. About QM2 provides you with ship facts and figures as well as
interesting tidbits and a listing of features and amenities unique to
the vessel. On Board contains the virtual tour, animated deck plans and
a guide to dining and accommodations. Destinations provides voyage
details and port highlights for the ship's 2004 Inaugural season, with
an online booking request form; and the Photo Gallery offers a close-up
view of computer renderings of different QM2 public rooms, suites and
staterooms.
Start clicking!
Barging for Families
7/30/02
Go Barging, the England-based operator of hotel barge
cruising on the canals and rivers of France, Scotland, Germany, Ireland
and England, will introduce family charters in 2003.
The company’s family charters are tailored to
accommodate each group booking of between four and 12 people, including
children. The fully staffed six-night cruises – which are available
between April and November – include onboard and onshore activities, use
of bikes, meals, and open bar. Children’s equipment such as car seats,
highchairs, as well as babysitting, is available upon request.
Rates for a whole boat charter begin $11,500. Call your
travel agent or 1-800-394-8630 or visit
www.gobarging.com.
Calling All Medical Professionals . . . 7/29/02
The University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston Departments of Radiology, Pulmonary
Care, Pharmacy and the Office of Community Outreach have partnered with
Carnival Cruise Lines to offer UTMB Seminars at Sea in February 2003
aboard the Jubilee. The four-day cruise will depart from Galveston on
February 13, and visit Cozumel.
Cruise participants will have the
opportunity to attend the free UTMB Mini Medical School at Sea offered
by the Office of Community Outreach – a first for the university.
Seminars will be offered Friday, February 14, and Sunday, February 16.
Topics include heart health, alternative medicine, telehealth and
Alzheimer’s disease.Radiology will offer a one-day program Friday,
February 14, at a cost of $60 per person. The American Society of
Radiologic Technologists approves the radiology seminar for up to eight
continuing education units.
A multidisciplinary program for respiratory, pharmacy
and nursing professionals will be offered Friday, February 14, and
Sunday, February 16, at a cost of $100 per person. The American
Association for Respiratory Care approves this program for up to 12
continuing education units. Category I nursing continuing education
units and American Council on Pharmaceutical Education continuing
education units have been applied for. Course registration and cruise
deposits are due August 30. Cruise rates start at $349.50 per
person/double occupancy.
Call your travel agent or (409) 747-8192, or visit
http://www.utmb.edu/minimed/Cruise.
Back to the top
Weissmann
on SeaDream 7/27/02
Guests sailing on SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I and
SeaDream II will enjoy up-to-the-minute, itinerary-specific information
on ports-of-call in the Caribbean and Mediterranean through Weissmann
Travel Reports.
 The
reports are loaded on computers of its reservations, business
development, and charter and incentive departments and are available at
the reception desks of its yachts. They are then made available in whole
or in part to guests requesting specific port information.
Weissmann Travel Reports are developed through a global
network of correspondents who provide up-to-date profiles on more than
ten thousand cities and towns around the world. History, geography, what
to do and what to see, events by date, dining, shopping, local and
international transportation, dos-and-don’ts, are all covered.
Additionally, a special section called “Geostats” includes first-hand
information on everything from currency to weather.
“There are three things a serious traveler should never
be without---a passport, a ticket for a SeaDream sailing and a Weissmann
Travel Report,” said Larry Pimentel, SeaDream’s chairman and CEO.
Back to the top
Golf
Inspiration
7/25/02
Golf enthusiasts traveling on Carnival Cruise Line’s
seven-day western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans aboard the
Inspiration will have something to cheer about. The line has installed a
new state-of-the-art golf simulator that enables golfers to virtually
play some of the world's top courses.
Located in the Inspiration's former card room -- which
has been reconfigured to resemble a pro shop featuring golf equipment,
apparel and accessories -- the new system is managed by Carnival's
onboard golf concessionaire, Sunrise, Fla.-based Elite Golf Cruises LLC.
The line's fleet-wide golf program also offers professional instruction
both aboard ship and during golf shore excursions.
The computerized golf simulator includes a high-impact
10-foot by 12-foot screen for clear graphics, and a fully recessed
hitting mat with simulated fairway featuring light and heavy rough and
sand surfaces. Dual-tracking infrared sensors provide instant and
accurate ball-flight information.
Golfers onboard will be able to swing their clubs on
famous courses around the world, including Scotland's legendary St.
Andrews; England's Belfry Country Club, home of the 2001 Ryder Cup;
Ohio's Firestone Country Club, home of the World Golf Championships;
North Carolina's Pinehurst Country Club, site of the 1999 U.S. Open; and
Florida's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, home of the Bay Hill Invitational.
Of course, there is a fee to hit off the tee. A
half-hour session costs $25, while a one-hour session is $45. But if it
scores well with guest, Carnival may put the new simulator aboard other
ships in its fleet.
Back to the top
Book on Land Before you Sail
7/25/02
If
you’re sailing on one of the new Carnival Legend’s Europe cruises this
summer, and can’t wait until you get onboard to check out the shore
excursion menu, then we’ve got some good news. Carnival Cruise Lines is
accepting advance reservations for shore excursions in conjunction with
the 12-day Northern Europe cruise sailing roundtrip from Harwich,
England, August 24, and the 15-day transatlantic voyage departing
September 5 from Harwich and arriving in New York September 20.
Along with your cruise documents, you will receive a
pre-request order form and a shore excursions brochure. To reserve
excursions, simply complete the form and fax or mail it to Carnival's
tour operations department, as stated. But you’ll have to hurry. All
shore excursions request forms will be processed on a first come, first
served basis, and you won’t receive confirmation until you’re onboard
the ship.
Some of the selections include a vintage steam train
ride in Denmark, a ballet performance at the Alexandrinsky Theater in
St. Petersburg, Russia, a canal cruise highlighting Amsterdam, a
motorcoach tour of Paris, and a day-long tour in southern Ireland. If
you’re really feeling adventurous, you also can sign up for a full-day
excursion to Moscow via a chartered airplane from St. Petersburg,
including visits to some of the city's most popular landmarks. Golf
enthusiasts will be glad to know that they can choose to spend some days
playing the greens of some of challenging courses, such as the Espoo
Ringside Golf Club in Helsinki, Finland, and the Greenock Golf Club in
Greenock, Scotland.
Back to the top
New for Two Nights
7/24/02
Silja Line is introducing two-night Baltic Sea cruises
from Helsinki to St. Petersburg from August 26 through January 6, 2003,
on the 1,400-passenger Silja Opera, formerly Norwegian Cruise Line's
Leeward. Rates for up to four persons sharing an outside cabin start at
$315 on Wednesday and $360 on Friday departures.
In her first season the Opera also sails on two-night
Baltic cruises to Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland from June 29 to
August 26; Tallinn, Estonia, July 5 to March 15; and Riga, Latvia,
January 7 to March 15, 2003.
The ship departs Helsinki for St. Petersburg on
Wednesdays and Fridays at 4 pm, arriving at 9 am the next morning. After
a day of sightseeing, the return sailing is at 6 pm on Thursdays and
Saturdays, ending at 10 am the following day.
The line also guarantees two tours in English will be
offered on every cruise: a three-hour morning tour of Peter the Great's
imperial city on the River Neva, including the Winter Palace, St.
Isaac's Square, Peter and Paul Fortress and busy Nevsky Prospect; and a
three-hour afternoon tour of the renowned Hermitage art museum and gala
rooms in the baroque Winter Palace.
Call your travel agent or 1-800-323-7436 or visit
www.coastalvoyage.com.
Back to the top
Heating-up in Alaska
7/23/02
Michael Bavota, an author and seafood chef, will
heat-up guests aboard the August 1 Alaska sailing of Cruise West’s
Spirit of Oceanus, during cooking demonstrations.
During the voyage, Bavota, who is sponsored by the Alaska Seafood
Marketing Institute, will grill
 Alaska salmon for guests and show a film
“Alaska’s Harvest.” He will also preside over a cookbook signing party
featuring his book Seafood Lover’s Bible.
The 11-night Spirit of Oceanus voyage (including a
pre-cruise overnight in Anchorage) will sail out of Prince William Sound
across the Gulf of Alaska and through the Inside Passage to Vancouver,
B.C.via Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Metlakatla and Prince
Rupert.
Back to the top
Last
Minute Savings 7/22/02
American Canadian Caribbean Line is offering
two-for-one rates to passengers who book the line’s Northeast region
cruises departing in August. The promotion is valid on the lines
11-night “New England featuring Coast of Maine” itinerary aboard the
Niagara Prince, departing on August 16. Fares begin at $1,725 per
person/double occupancy. The offer also applies to the 15-night August
23 cruise from Warren to Chicago aboard the Grande Caribe. Prices
start at $2,830.
Call your travel agent or 1-800-556-7450 or visit
www.accl-smallships.com.
Back to the top
Panama 2003
7/19/02
Holland America Line's 2003 Panama Canal cruise program
will offer passengers more that 47 choices, including 16 ten-day
round-trip cruises from Ft. Lauderdale, a 21-day roundtrip from San
Diego, and 30 fall and spring transcanal cruises that vary in length
up to 24 days.
The Rotterdam will sail on a series of 16 10-day
roundtrip cruises from Ft. Lauderdale during the spring and fall
months, while the Amsterdam, will embark from San Diego on a 21-day
roundtrip Panamerican and Panama Canal cruise in October. Four other
Holland America ships will transit the canal during spring and fall
transcanal cruises as well.
From January through April, and again from
October through December, the
Rotterdam will sail on 16 10-day Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal
Sunfarer cruises, which feature calls at Half Moon Cay, Holland
America's private island in the Bahamas; Willemstad, Curacao;
Oranjestad, Aruba; Cartagena, Colombia; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
The ship also spends a full day in the Panama Canal and Gatun Lake.
The Amsterdam will sail from San Diego on a 21-day Panamerica cruise
along the west coast of Mexico to Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Santa
Cruz Huatulco, and then to Costa Rica before arriving at Amador
(Panama City) and entering the Panama Canal. The ship will then sail
in reverse, stopping in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and Puerto
Quetzal, Guatemala, and then in Zihuatenejo/Ixtapa and Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico.
Other Panama Canal cruises include a 21-day voyage on
the Volendam from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver; a 24-day spring
transcanal cruise from Port Canaveral to Vancouver aboard the Zaandam;
a 22-day transit from Tampa to Vancouver on the Veendam and transcanal
cruises on the Maasdam ranging from 11 to 18 days in the spring, and
from 12 to 21 days in the fall.
Back to the top
Recommending Reading
7/18/02
Guests who are
planning a cruise on one of Seabourn Cruise Line’s ships can expect to
receive a printed list of suggested books and maps about the
destinations they will be visiting on their voyage in the mail before
they sail.
The line has teamed up with online travel booksellers
Longitude to provide customized, itinerary-specific lists of recommended
books and maps for travelers planning cruises aboard the Seabourn Pride,
Spirit and Legend. The lists include a selection of guidebooks, novels,
nonfiction, nature guides, maps and other categories.
Seabourn's website contains icon links to the
recommended reading lists in each cruising region under the main menu
Destinations heading. Alternatively, on the site's searchable Cruise
Calendar, each 2003 itinerary also contains an icon link from the
itinerary page to the appropriate reading list.
Guests can order the books online from links on
www.seabourn.com or by mail, by fax to 212-695-8352, email, or by
calling 1-800-342-2164.
Back to the top
Imagination Hits Belize
7/17/02
Carnival Cruise Lines’
five-day cruises from Miami aboard the Imagination will soon feature a
day-long visit to Belize. Beginning September 2, 2002, the ship will
begin operating the new itinerary, which also features a stop at Key
West, once every two weeks as part of its regular year-round schedule of
four and five-day cruises.
The new route will replace Imagination’s current
five-day itinerary to Grand Cayman and Calica/Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
The ship also presently sails a four-day weekend cruise and two five-day
cruises over every two-week period. Four-day cruises departing Thursdays
visit Key West and Cozumel. Two different five-day itineraries are
offered during the two-week rotation. In addition to the new Belize/Key
West route starting this fall, which will depart on Mondays, the
Imagination also operates five-day cruises departing Saturdays to Grand
Cayman and Ocho Rios.
Back to the top
New RSSC
Ship in Europe 7/16/02
When Radisson Seven
Seas Cruises’ new 700-guest Seven Seas Voyager enters service next year,
it will play the waters of the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and the
British Isles, before visiting the U.S.
The new all-balcony-suite ship will begin its inaugural
season on April 1, 2003, with a 12-night Monte Carlo to Venice sailing,
featuring Le Cordon Bleu cooking workshops. The Seven Seas Voyager will
then offer seven- to 12-night Mediterranean cruises, followed by 10- and
11-night Western Europe and British Isles cruises around the Iberian
Peninsula and to the Baltic region for the summer, with eight
seven-night Copenhagen/Stockholm voyages in July and August. The
49,000-ton vessel then returns to the Mediterranean for nine more seven-
and nine-night sailings along the coastlines of Portugal, Spain, France,
Italy, Sicily, Croatia, Greece, Malta, Turkey, Morocco and the Canary
Islands.
In November the ship will sail across the Atlantic into
Ft. Lauderdale to finish off the year in the Caribbean and Panama Canal
as well as offer Mexico cruises from Los Angeles. During the beginning
of the new year of 2004, the Voyager will circumnavigate South America.
Some features passengers can expect to see onboard the
new ship include, an Internet café with eight computers, and a learning
center with 21 computers; a Judith Jackson Sea Spa; four main dining
venues including the 110-seat Signatures; and butler service in 88 of
the suites.
Back to the top
More Shore Tours
0715/02
Celebrity Cruises will increase its land presence in
Alaska next summer when it adds seven more cruise-tour package options
through Royal Celebrity Tours in combination with its seven-night cruise
itineraries from Vancouver and Seward on Summit, Infinity and Mercury.
Instead of offering13 options, Celebrity will offer 20
packages – four of which will include two nights in Denali National Park
and a seven-hour Tundra Wildlife Search. A new package in 2003 includes
three nights in Denali and an all-inclusive, full-day Kantishna
Wilderness Trails Excursion, which transports guests through 95 miles of
Denali's prime wildlife habitat to the Kantishna Roadhouse near Wonder
Lake on the banks of Moose Creek. Optional activities on the excursion
include a dogsled demonstration and gold panning, along with stops for
viewing moose, bear, caribou, eagles and other wildlife.
Packages focusing on the natural beauty of the Kenai
Peninsula will offer stops in Homer, on the shores of Kachemak Bay, as
well as Seward, at the entrance to the 650,000-acre Kenai Fjords
National Park.
"We're thrilled to offer travelers in Alaska this
expanded and incredible
array of cruise-tour packages, particularly since the new options were
inspired by comments from our guests," said Royal Celebrity Tours
President Craig Milan. "We continue to hear that the combination of
Alaska's rugged, natural beauty with the taste of luxury found on every
Celebrity ship makes a uniquely appealing package."
Back to the top
Crystal
for Kids 7/13/02
While the line doesn’t usually aggressively market its
luxury cruises to families with children, Crystal Cruises has been
making enhancements to its Junior Activities Program onboard the Crystal
Harmony. The program, which is offered on summer and holiday sailings,
also is available on the Crystal Symphony.
Fantasia – the children’s activity room on the Crystal
Harmony – has been outfitted with new colorful "kid-size" table and
chairs, and a new carpet in assorted primary colors, including red,
green, blue and yellow will be installed in August. Custom designed
built-in kiosks for Sony Playstation® video games, complete with
entertainment and educational software, also have been installed.
Other program highlights outside of the play area,
include galley tours, "stretchercize" in the gym, paddle tennis and
water polo. Alaska cruises feature guest naturalists who, paired with
the activities directors, offer kids activities geared toward the Last
Frontier. A "Surf Runner," children's newsletter also details scheduled
activities daily.
Back to the top
A
Legend for Legend
7/12/02
Carnival Cruise Lines has been
“bonding” with the Brits. The line has chosen one of England's most
renowned stage and screen actresses to serve as godmother of the new
Carnival Legend.
Judi Dench, who is well known
for her role as James Bond’s boss M in the recent agent movies starring
Pierce Brosnan, will christen the 2,124-passenger ship in Harwich,
England on August 21. From there, the ship will sail Carnival’s
first-ever Europe cruise on August 24, with a 12-day Northern
European voyage followed by a 15-day trans-Atlantic crossing departing
Harwich on September 5.
Dench also has a long list of acting accomplishments
and awards, including an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in the
1998 Tom
Stoppard hit "Shakespeare In Love"; the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Actress for
her role in the television comedy series "A Fine Romance"; and a BAFTA
Award and Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Queen Victoria
in the 1997 film, "Mrs. Brown." She currently is starring in the film
adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest."
Awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1970, Dench also was named a
Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1988.
Back to the top
Itinerary Bits
Glacier Bay Cruiseline, Holland America Line, and Princess
Cruises have announced some detailed itinerary enhancements for
2003.
Next year in Alaska, small-ship line Glacier Bay will offer
longer itineraries, a visit to Glacier Bay National Park on
every cruise, and sailings to San Juan Islands on April and
September voyages. All 55 departures will include at least a
full day exploration of the National Park and Preserve, with
many cruises uniquely spending up to four nights in the park,
according to the line.
Glacier Bay also has added a new series of enrichment cruises,
including two new itineraries that explore the rich cultures of
Southeast Alaska.
"One evening you may have a Tlingit Indian
language class, and the next day
collect traditional medicinal plants on a remote island hike —
these itineraries sail off the beaten path — way off the beaten
path to non-traditional ports such as Hoonah, Metlakatla and
Wrangell,” said Brian McKiernan, Director of Business
Development for the Line.
Guest also can expect longer cruise lengths, which have been
increased by one full day to eight days of cruising instead of
seven.
Holland America Line also has added something new to its 2003
Alaska itineraries. The line will visit Haines on 17 “Glacier
Discovery Cruises,” offered on the
Ryndam, Statendam, and
Veendam. Other port
calls featured on the Vancouver to Seward sailings, include
Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau.
Princess Cruises’ 2003 Canada/New England program will again
feature two ships sailing from New York — but next year the
1,590-guest Regal Princess
will join the Golden Princess
for the first time in the area. The ship’s 10-day route
will sail between the Big Apple and Montreal, with calls at
Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, St. John, Halifax and Quebec.
Regal Princess also will
offer a 14-day voyage between Montreal and Ft. Lauderdale, with
additional stops at Norfolk, Baltimore and Charleston.
The 2,600-passenger Golden
Princess will continue to offer the line’s seven-day
route next year, which sails round-trip from New York to
Halifax, St. John, Bar Harbor, Boston and Newport.
Back to the top
Ship Stuff to the Port
Long lines and intense baggage screenings are the norm at most
airports these days — so standing in line with a golf bag over
your shoulder can weigh you down.
Next time you plan your next golf cruise — or simply feel like
bringing some scuba gear with you on the ship — and don’t want
to lug your equipment all the way to the port, consider having
it shipped there, or to a nearby location.
Sports Express, a Durango, Colorado-based sports equipment
delivery service has recently introduced a new golf-travel
service providing door-to-door delivery of clubs and luggage —
among other things. Via Federal Express (and sometimes UPS) the
company will pick up golf clubs and luggage from your home,
office or anywhere else and deliver them directly to any
destination in the United States, England, Scotland or Ireland.
“As long as there’s an address, the items can go there,” said
Sports Express spokesman Mike Smedley.
Of course, this service does come with a price tag. “It’s not
an inexpensive service,” Smedley added. “It’s definitely used
for convenience and assurance.”
Prices
depend on the delivery method, such as three-day, two-day or
overnight service, and if it’s a one-way, round-trip or
multi-leg transfer. It costs about $52 each way to ship golf
clubs from New York to Miami in three days, and about $332 to
ship them round-trip international priority to Scotland Each
order also includes $500 insurance, and additional coverage can
be purchased for $1 per every $100 increment.
You can either choose to call one of the company’s travel
concierges at 1-800-357-4174 or place an order online at
www.sportsexpress.com (for US delivery only). Either way, your
items will be tracked and you’ll be notified when they arrive at
their destination — which is guaranteed to be at least a day
before you’re scheduled to get there.
Puff No More
7/11/02
Smokers must like the idea of kicking the habit at sea
onboard a completely non-smoking cruise ship. At least they do according
Carnival Cruise Lines.
The “tremendous consumer response” to the line’s first
"Stop Smoking Caribbean Cruises" aboard the 2,052-passenger Paradise
persuaded the line to team up with American Lung Association of
Connecticut (ALAC) and Manchester Community College to offer six more
smoking cessation cruises in 2003.
The seven-day Caribbean voyages, which follow the
initial series of
"Stop Smoking Caribbean Cruises" taking place this fall, will sail
round-trip from Miami once per month from January - June 2003. Ports of
call on the January 19, February 2, March 2, and April 27, 2003, eastern
Caribbean cruises include Nassau, San Juan and St. Thomas/St. John,
while the May 4 and June 1, 2003, western Caribbean voyages feature
Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios.
Included as part of the ALAC's seven-session Freedom
From Smoking program, the "Stop Smoking Caribbean Cruises" feature
clinics and workshops by smoking cessation experts who utilize proven
behavior modification strategies to help smokers develop a "quitting
plan," adjust to recovery symptoms, manage stress through effective
relaxation techniques and fight the urge to resume smoking.
Participants must first enroll in the ALAC's Freedom
from Smoking program and attend sessions one and two in their hometowns
before taking the cruise.
Sessions three and four – the sessions in which smokers actually quit –
will be held during the seven-day Paradise Caribbean cruise with the
remaining sessions taking place in participants' hometowns following the
voyage.
Seabourn Ships to Ships
7/10/02
If you read the news in the current issue of
CruiseReports, then you know all about Sports Express – the sports
equipment and luggage shipping service.
What you may not know is that Seabourn Cruise Line will
begin offering the same kind of service on August 15. The line has
teamed up with DHL Worldwide Express to provide an optional service that
allows cruise guests to ship their personal luggage from their homes
directly to their suites onboard its ships anywhere in the world.
The new "Personal Valet," service is very similar to
that of Sports Express in that it includes preparation of all shipping
and customs paperwork; scheduled DHL pickup of luggage at guests homes;
24-hour online tracking; Shipment Value Protection and rates for both
one-way and roundtrip shipping. Seabourn’s Personal Valet service also
delivers luggage directly to guests’ suites onboard, and can be ordered
up to 14 days prior to departure.
The cost of Personal Valet service depends on the
weight of luggage and the destination. For example, a suitcase weighing
up to 30 pounds shipped from the U.S. to London to join a Seabourn Pride
cruise of Scandinavia and Russia will cost $200. For a bag weighing 60
pounds, the maximum allowable, the fee will be $350. Bags shipped from
the UK back to the US will cost approximately $50 more.
The service can be ordered by the travel agent at the
time of booking or by calling 1-888-491-0771.
Keel’s Down
7/9/02
Not only was July 4th a day of Independence for America
to celebrate, but it also was a monumental day for Cunard Line. The line
lowered a section of the keel into the building dock of Queen Mary 2 at
Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France.
The new $800-million Cunard flagship will enter service
in January 2004 as the largest, longest, tallest and most expensive
passenger ship ever built. For those who don’t know – the keel is the
lower part of the outer hull and is the base of the ship upon which
everything else is built.
According to Cunard, the line chose July 4, 2002, as
the date of its official ceremony because it is 162 years to the day
that its first ship, Britannia, sailed from Liverpool on her maiden
voyage to Halifax and Boston.
“Today marks the start of a new era for Cunard,” said
Pamela Conover, Cunard’s president and chief operating officer. “We are
not only laying the keel for the greatest ocean liner ever built, but
laying the foundation for the company’s future growth and enduring
success.”
Cruisin’ in the USA
American waterways cruises are making a comeback.
Hallelujah!
A couple of months ago
CruiseReports
announced that the Buffalo, NY-based hospitality, food service,
and entertainment conglomerate Delaware North Companies bought
the defunct Delta Queen Steamboat Co., including its three
paddle wheelers, the Delta
Queen, American Queen and
Mississippi Queen.
The company will operate Delta Queen as a subsidiary, and has
reaffirmed its commitment to put the ships back on the rivers
and intracoastal waterways that they once sailed before Delta
Queen fell to the economic aftermath of the September 11 events.
Delaware North also will maintain the Robin Street Wharf
headquarters of the New Orleans-based cruise line, and is
currently making efforts to hire back former Delta Queen
employees.
One of the historic riverboats has already begun trailing its
routes. The Mississippi
Queen
set sail on its first official cruise under its new
owners on June 19, with a cruise from New Orleans to Memphis.
The ship will continue to offer three– to 11-night cruises up
and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to St. Louis,
Nashville, Chattanooga, Louisville, Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati, St. Paul, and other American cities along the
way through 2003.
The American waterways will welcome back the
Delta Queen on August
26, when the steamboat begins its season for the company — and
celebrates its 75th anniversary. Although details are
still in the works, Delaware North is planning a birthday
celebration for the ship. The
Delta Queen
will ply the same waters as its sister,
Mississippi Queen.
The classic American Queen
will return after the first of the new year.
Another one of Delta Queen’s ships also will soon be back in the
market — but not under the Delaware North flag. American
West Steamboat Company has won the purchase bid for the
Columbia Queen — a year
2000-built river vessel which formerly sailed the Columbia,
Willamette and Snake Rivers for Delta Queen. Funny enough,
the ship was American West’s only full-time competition in the
area.
The line currently operates the 163-passenger
Queen of the West on the
same Lewis & Clark discovery route.
Empress of the North —
the line’s newbuild currently under construction — is scheduled
to begin service on June 8, 2003, in Alaska where it will spend
the summers. It will then join the
Columbia Queen and
Queen of the West on the
Columbia River for the remainder of each year.
Although the line is still pending the close of the sale, Joel
Perry, American West’s vice president of marketing, said that he
“fully expects” the Seattle-based company “to have possession of
the vessel in time for spring 2003.” “I don’t think
anything would derail the purchase,” Perry added.
Once American West does close the deal, the line plans to paint
the exterior of the Columbia
Queen to brand it as an American West vessel as well as
add extensive artwork. According to Perry, the ship also
will carry historically themed decks, featuring “Lewis & Clark”
and “sternwheelers” memorabilia, similar to the line’s other
vessels. Also in the works for the
Columbia Queen is a
nine-night itinerary, in addition to the seven-night route that
the Queen of the West
currently offers.
back
to the top
To view the complete ratings and reviews and Best
Bets
Subscribe now! |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
