Cruise News

Legendary chef Marco Pierre White has made his online debut featuring in a virtual tour of new ship Ventura on www.virtualventura.co.uk.

The website presents Ventura, the largest superliner to be built for the UK market, in cutting edge technology with computer generated tours of the on board spaces and facilities using real-life presenters married to 3D environments.

Marco Pierre White will be operating his very own fine dining restaurant on board, The White Room, and will also be creating menus for The Beach House family eatery and ‘balcony dining’, a first for P&O Cruises. These will be two of the 11 places to eat on Ventura when she launches in April 2008.

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In a traditional maritime ceremony that took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard, Carnival Freedom was delivered to Carnival Cruise Lines today. The ship — the fleet’s 22nd — will officially be inaugurated in Venice on Sunday (stay tuned for Cruise Critic’s report on the festivities). Model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland is godmother of the 110,000-ton, 2,974-passenger vessel.

Carnival Freedom will depart on its maiden voyage on Monday, March 5; the ship will be sailing a series of 12-night Mediterranean and Greek Isles itineraries through early fall before heading over to the New World for its winter schedule of seven-night, Miami-based Caribbean trips.

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Independence of the Seas

Cruise Line Expands Offering for Vacationers with Independence of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International today announced plans to deploy Independence of the Seas - the third in its new Freedom class of ships - in Southampton, United Kingdom, when she debuts in May 2008. Sharing the title of the largest, most innovative cruise ship in the world with sister ships, Freedom of the Seas and the soon-to-be-launched Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas will be the largest ship ever to be home-ported in Europe.

“This significant step is part of the company’s strategy of international business development and expansion into emerging and high-growth cruise markets,” said Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, at a press conference in London today. “We have already seen tremendous growth of the cruise industry in Europe. This year, 21 percent of the capacity of our three brands combined - Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Pullmantur - will be in this region. Bringing this new generation of megaships to the Southampton, the home of UK cruising, will further develop our global operations and reinforce cruising as an enticing vacation option for travellers in this region.”

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The suite life just got sweeter: Though every stateroom onboard Majesty of the Seas‘ was enhanced during its recent $36 million bow-to-stern makeover with new bedding, drapes and flat-screen televisions, Royal Caribbean took the 73,941-ton, 2,356-passenger ship’s suites a step further with a completely new look and upgraded amenities. The initiative will go fleetwide by August 2007.

The program comes on the heels of the fleetwide rollout of the line’s new bedding, which kicked off on Freedom of the Seas last year. All cabins are now outfitted with new mattress frames (no more sagging!), nine-inch-thick spring mattresses and mattress pads to close the gap between pushed-together twins. The beds also have 220-thread-count long-staple cotton-blend sheets and two micro-fiber pillows (they’re like clouds … we tested them!), plus one decorative pillow, a duvet with cotton-blend covers and bed skirts.

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Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Windstar Cruises brand to Ambassadors International Inc. (Nasdaq: AMIE - News). Windstar Cruises, which operates three sailing vessels, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holland America Line, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc.

Under the terms of the agreement, Windstar will be sold for $100 million, $40 million of which is payable in cash and assumption of liabilities, and Carnival will provide mortgage financing for $60 million. The loan will be payable over 10 years at seven percent interest, collateralized by the three Windstar ships.

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Escorted by a flotilla of small boats and pleasure craft along with thousands of Sydney-siders lining the shores to welcome the grandest ocean liners in the world, grande dame QE2 whistle saluted her sistership Queen Mary 2 during an historic afternoon arrival into Sydney Harbour. Not since World War II have two Cunard Queens called on Sydney together. The celebration included fireworks from the harbour before Queen Mary 2 set sail later that evening for Hong Kong continuing on her Maiden World Cruise. QE2 is sailing her 25th Silver Jubilee World Cruise and calls on Sydney
until Thursday. The arrival of the Queens was a spectacle that caused grid-lock both on the streets and shores of Sydney.

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From exciting new routes in the Indian Ocean, to new and expanded spa getaways at sea, Costa Cruise Line continues to make its mark in the cruise industry as an innovation leader in 2008. New itineraries from Mauritius with stops in the Seychelles, Kenya and Madagascar as well as details of new spa accommodations on the Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea are all available for travelers in Costa’s new 2008 brochure, released worldwide today.Europe’s Number One Cruise Line continues its trend of innovation with the introduction of new 17-night itineraries from Mauritius with stops in the Seychelles, Kenya and Madagascar aboard the Costa Marina. Costa is the first company to market regularly-scheduled Indian Ocean cruises to these destinations, which they will begin to offer in the 2007/2008 winter season. As the company that introduced the “spa getaway at sea” trend with exclusive spa accommodations aboard the Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, Costa will further expand on this element with special “Wellness Packages” aboard the Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea in 2008. Guests who book these packages may select from 44 exclusive spa accommodations on either ship in ocean view, veranda and suite categories. The packages come complete with exclusive amenities as well as a personalized wellness consultation, three complimentary treatments, two fitness or mediation classes and complimentary access to the Wellness Restaurant, offering a wide array of spa-friendly cuisine.

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Long known as a leader in romance, Princess Cruises is stepping up its commitment to love. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the hit TV series The Love Boat, famously set aboard a Princess ship, the company is debuting a new Department of Romance made up of a “dream team” of romance experts, and is launching a number of new “romantic pursuits” on its ships and on its web site.

Princess has tapped noted relationship experts to serve in its new Department of Romance — prominent dating and romance guru Trish McDermott, everyone’s favorite couples therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, seasoned wedding planner Alba Carreras, and America’s favorite Love Boat captain, Gavin MacLeod. Together, these authorities will guide and inspire the line’s passengers to rediscover romance, and incorporate it into their everyday lives.

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As cruise ships get bigger and more sophisticated, so do the facts, figures and statistics. But here are some you may not know, courtesy of the on-board team on NCL’s new Norwegian Pearl.

Average number of eggs cooked every breakfast time? 200 dozen.

Average number of pairs of underpants laundered in a week ? 6,000.

Average number of massages given in the Spa in a week? 400.

Average amount of ice cream eaten on a one-week cruise? 600 gallons.

Average number of guests that don’t leave the ship? 300 at each port

Average amount of steak delivered each week? 2,500 pounds

Average amount of weight gained per guest, per week? 10 pounds!

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Catering to the preferences and palates of its well-heeled passengers, Cunard introduced Wedgwood Tea Service aboard its flagship Queen Mary 2 and legendary Queen Elizabeth 2. The selection of 23 premium teas includes traditional varieties such as Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe, as well as new flavors specially developed by Wedgwood to suit the tastes of Cunard guests. With the introduction of the new teas and a new tea menu, Cunard’s quintessentially British onboard experience is further enhanced and perfectly paired with the Line’s renowned White Star ServiceSM.

“The introduction of this wide range of Wedgwood teas is a perfect complement to our extensive Wedgwood china collection and underscores the very British experience that passengers expect aboard a Cunard ocean liner,” said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. “Whether enjoying afternoon tea, shopping at Harrod’s or posting letters in a traditional Royal Mail box, the contemporary Cunard experience continues to be defined by the Line’s rich British heritage.”

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