Thursday, 21 March 2013
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Princess Announces that its Two Newest Ships will Offer European Cruises in new 2014 Program
Princess Cruises has opened its 2014 Europe cruise season for sale, including the debut of Regal Princess which will set sail on its inaugural cruise in June from Venice.
In total, five ships – including the line's two newest vessels – will sail on a variety of cruise itineraries throughout the Mediterranean and Northern Europe next year.
A sister ship to the upcoming Royal Princess, Regal Princess, will debut on June 2, 2014 with a seven-day inaugural voyage from Venice to Barcelona including calls in Kotor in Montenegro, Rome, Florence/Pisa, and Toulon in France, for Provence. The ship will then sail on a 10-day Mediterranean & Aegean cruise, followed by a season of Princess' signature Grand Mediterranean cruises, with two itinerary choices.
Other highlights of the season include Royal Princess sailing on the line's popular Scandinavia & Russia cruises, featuring two days in the dramatic city of St Petersburg; more sailings than ever before to the British Isles aboard Ruby Princess and Ocean Princess; and a variety of seven-day sailings in the Mediterranean aboard the intimate Ocean Princess.
Fares for the 12-night Grand Mediterranean sailings on Regal Princess start from $2319* per person twin share while the 7-night Greek Islands interlude on Ocean Princess starts from $1479* per person twin share.
"With Regal Princess' debut we will have our two newest and largest vessels sailing on our most popular routes in Europe," Princess Cruises executive vice president Jan Swartz said.
"Throughout the season, whether passengers want to explore the diverse cultures and expansive history of the Mediterranean, visit the favourite ports of the Baltic Sea on a Scandinavia and Russia voyage, or conveniently circle the British Isles, they can do so in an environment of a relaxing retreat onboard one of our ships."
The 2014 Europe program features five ships sailing on 94 departures on 48 itineraries to more than 120 destinations:
- Regal Princess will debut with Princess' signature 12-day Grand Mediterranean itinerary between Venice and Barcelona, with two itinerary options
- Royal Princess will sail for the first time on the line's popular 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruises, featuring two days in St Petersburg, Russia
- Ruby Princess will be based in Southampton for 12-day British Isles cruises as well as one North Cape & Summer Solstice cruise
- Emerald Princess will also be based in Southampton for sailings to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the Canary Islands
- Small ship Ocean Princess will feature cruises to both Northern Europe and the Mediterranean including eight-day British Isles cruises, a series of seven-day interlude sailings in the Mediterranean, and new Black Sea and Holy Land voyages, all of which can be combined for a longer voyage.
Additional options in the Mediterranean include seven-day voyages onboard the intimate Ocean Princess, 11-day sailings to the Holy Land or Black Sea on Ocean Princess, and 14-day Mediterranean Medley cruises from Southampton aboard Emerald Princess.
Maiden calls for the season include Alta in Norway; Salerno in southern Italy and Jersey in the Channel Islands.
Princess also offers a selection of European cruisetours which combine certain sailings with a fully-escorted land tour, including a new Paris and the French Countryside holiday option.
Passengers can also choose to explore Ireland's Ring of Kerry; the imperial treasures in Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin; or the remarkable Swiss Alps and Lake Como.
Regal Princess and sister ship Royal Princess are new-generation ships for Princess Cruises. Among the special features found on board the 3600-passenger vessels will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than eight metres beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef's Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.
For more information, visit a licensed travel agent, call 13 24 88 or visit www.princess.com.
*subject to availability, conditions apply
Holland America Cruise Deals
Unbeatable Europe cruise deals.
Holland America Line, the Europe cruise experts are on sale with incredible offers celebrating 140 years of premium cruising across the globe.
Book your Europe cruise holiday through Travel the World by 29 March and benefit from a range of amazing offers:
§ Exclusive onboard credit of up to $340 per stateroom on select sailings in oceanview staterooms
§ Unbeatable savings fares of less than $130 per day
§ Free onboard bonuses including Bon Voyage Sparkling Wine and Pinnacle Grill dinners
§ Onboard, spacious accommodations, gourmet meals and a wealth of activities combine with timeless elegance, modern amenities, and intuitive service - all adding to your dream cruise holiday!
Itineraries on sale:
11-night Ancient Mysteries, Istanbul to Athens onboard the ms Noordam departing 26 August 2013. Oceanview from $1,499* per person – Receive a $340 per stateroom onboard credit plus FREE Bon Voyage Sparkling Wine and a Pinnacle Grill Lunch for two.
22-night Adriatic and Roman Explorer Collector Voyage, Rome roundtrip onboard the ms Noordam departing 09 October 2013. Oceanview from $3,096* per person – Receive a $340 per stateroom onboard credit plus FREE Bon Voyage Sparkling Wine, Pinnacle Grill Dinner, Pinnacle Grill Lunch and US$ 50 Beverage Card for two.
10-night Gems of the Baltic, Copenhagen roundtrip onboard the ms Eurodam departing 21 May 2013. Inside from $1,499* per person - Receive a $340 per stateroom onboard credit.
19-night Mediterranean Serenade, Venice to Barcelona onboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam departing 24 September 2013. Inside from $3,199 per person - Receive a $340 per stateroom onboard credit.
These offers are subject to availability and space is limited. Call Travel the World by 29 March on 1300 950 622or visit www.traveltheworld.com.au to secure your stateroom and departure date of choice.
*Conditions apply. Ask for details at time of booking.
About Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises, which is chaired by Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, is recognised as an innovator in the luxury cruise line industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit - all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the expedition ships Silver Explorer and Silver Galapagos (debuting late 2013), Silversea Cruises' itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to both polar regions and over 500 fascinating destinations in between.
In Asia Pacific, Silversea has been voted "Best Luxury Small Ship Cruise Line" by Australia's Luxury Travel & Style Magazine every consecutive year from 2006 to 2012 and Silver Whisper or Silver Shadow have also won the Gold Award as Best Small Cruise Ship in each of those years. Silversea has won similar awards from readers of Australia's Cruise Passenger Magazine. In the US, Silversea has been voted "World's Best" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times), and awarded "Best Cruise Line for Luxury Small Ships" by Luxury Travel Advisor (2011).
Follow Silversea on Twitter, Facebook and the Silversea Blog.
About Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand. Royal Caribbean provides a world-class holiday experience with a wide range of signature onboard amenities, entertainment, and award-winning family programming. The cruise line has a 40-year history of giving guests the Royal Advantage – the most innovative cruise ships, exciting itineraries to popular destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for ten consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards.
RCL Cruises Ltd Australia commenced operation in December 2008 as the Australian arm of global cruise holiday company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company offers three cruise brands in Australia and New Zealand: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. In 2012/13, Royal Caribbean International will become the largest cruise operator in Sydney, with three ships sailing in the region: Voyager of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. This is in addition to two Celebrity Cruises ships, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Millennium.
For additional information or to make reservations, contact your travel agent, call 1800 754 500 or visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au or www.celebritycruises.com.au. Travel professionals can call 1300 754 500 or visit www.cruisingpower.com.
See all posts about Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean has Europe on sale for 2013
Enjoying the never ending Aussie summer but dreading the upcoming cooler months? Why not prolong summer and book a European cruise during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Royal Caribbean has a number of enticing European cruises on sale for 2013, ranging from a seven-night Greek Isles cruise on Splendour of the Seas, starting from $695* through to longer cruises, such as a 12-night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise on Serenade of the Seas, priced from $1,235*.
A Royal Caribbean cruise fare conveniently covers your accommodation, meals including room service, and entertainment, such as live music, comedy and contemporary stage shows. Whether you are cruising at sea and enjoying rock climbing, mini golf or just relaxing by the pool, or whether you are strolling through some of Europe's legendary cities and experiencing diverse cultures, a Royal Caribbean cruise offers as much fun, excitement or pure relaxation as cruisers want or need.
The seven-night Greek Isles Splendour of the Seas cruises departs from Venice, and calls at Dubrovnik (Croatia), Corfu, Santorini, Athens and Katakolon, (all in Greece) before arriving back in Venice. Regular departures are available from May 18 through to November 1, 2013.
The 12-night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise, on Serenade of the Seas, has departures from May 19 through to November 3, 2013. The cruise departs from Barcelona, and calls at Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome (Citavecchia), Athens (Piraeus), Ephesus, Santorini, Naples before arriving back in Barcelona.
For more information and prices, call 1800 754 500 or visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au
*Prices are per person in AU dollars, based on twin occupancy and include all taxes (which are subject to change) and onboard gratuities or tips. Prices are subject to change and availability.
Carnival cancels cruises
Carnival cancels a dozen cruises following fleet-wide review
Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled 10 sailings on and two European cruises on Carnival Sunshine as part of its fleet-wide comprehensive operational review prompted by technical problems on three of its ships.
Passengers already booked on the affected cruises will receive full refunds, reimbursement for non-refundable travel costs and a 25% discount on a future cruise.
The cruise line said it was making "significant investments" to enhance the level of operating redundancies and the scope of hotel services that can run on emergency power. Earlier this year, passengers on the Triumph were stranded at sea for five days when the ship lost power.
Carnival Dream and Carnival Legend have subsequently suffered power shortages.
Carnival is also further improving each ship's fire prevention, detection and suppression systems.
"Given the necessary lead time to source needed materials and implement the enhancements, Carnival will extend the current out-of-service period for these two ships," it said.
Carnival Triumph will not return to service until June 3 and Sunshine, which is currently undergoing a multi-week dry dock to complete a comprehensive full-ship makeover, will now enter service on May 5.
"We sincerely regret canceling these cruises and disrupting our guests' vacation plans," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines' president and CEO. "We are fully committed to applying the recommendations stemming from our fleetwide review and to make whatever investments are needed despite the difficult decision to impact people's vacations.
"Our team of experts has worked virtually around the clock to determine the best set of solutions and rapidly develop an effective implementation plan for both of these ships. Moving forward, we will have the ability to source materials and schedule improvements much more expediently, thus minimizing the scheduling impact on other vessels.
"I would like to provide continued assurances that all of our vessels have fully effective safety systems, equipment and training in place. Additionally, our ships receive regular inspections from the United States Coast Guard and other regulatory authorities.
"The changes we are implementing are focused primarily on improvements to better support continued power and hotel services should unexpected issues arise.
"In addition, we are applying new learnings and making enhancements in the area of fire suppression and extinguishing.
"Going forward, the review will focus on the balance of our fleet. While this process will take time, it is our highest priority and has the full support and resources of Carnival Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation."
Carnival Triumph operates year-round four- and five-day Mexico cruises from Galveston, Texas. Four-day cruises visit Cozumel while five-day cruises call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.
Carnival Sunshine is scheduled to operate a series of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean cruises May 5 to October 20, either round-trip from Barcelona or sailing between Barcelona and Venice.
The ship will sail on a 16-day transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to New Orleans November 17, positioning the vessel for a special six-day Caribbean cruise followed by the launch of year-round seven-day Caribbean service from New Orleans.
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| Carnival Triumph passengers take to the decks to escape the conditions inside |
Passengers already booked on the affected cruises will receive full refunds, reimbursement for non-refundable travel costs and a 25% discount on a future cruise.
The cruise line said it was making "significant investments" to enhance the level of operating redundancies and the scope of hotel services that can run on emergency power. Earlier this year, passengers on the Triumph were stranded at sea for five days when the ship lost power.
Carnival Dream and Carnival Legend have subsequently suffered power shortages.
Carnival is also further improving each ship's fire prevention, detection and suppression systems.
"Given the necessary lead time to source needed materials and implement the enhancements, Carnival will extend the current out-of-service period for these two ships," it said.
Carnival Triumph will not return to service until June 3 and Sunshine, which is currently undergoing a multi-week dry dock to complete a comprehensive full-ship makeover, will now enter service on May 5.
"We sincerely regret canceling these cruises and disrupting our guests' vacation plans," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines' president and CEO. "We are fully committed to applying the recommendations stemming from our fleetwide review and to make whatever investments are needed despite the difficult decision to impact people's vacations.
"Our team of experts has worked virtually around the clock to determine the best set of solutions and rapidly develop an effective implementation plan for both of these ships. Moving forward, we will have the ability to source materials and schedule improvements much more expediently, thus minimizing the scheduling impact on other vessels.
"I would like to provide continued assurances that all of our vessels have fully effective safety systems, equipment and training in place. Additionally, our ships receive regular inspections from the United States Coast Guard and other regulatory authorities.
"The changes we are implementing are focused primarily on improvements to better support continued power and hotel services should unexpected issues arise.
"In addition, we are applying new learnings and making enhancements in the area of fire suppression and extinguishing.
"Going forward, the review will focus on the balance of our fleet. While this process will take time, it is our highest priority and has the full support and resources of Carnival Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation."
Carnival Triumph operates year-round four- and five-day Mexico cruises from Galveston, Texas. Four-day cruises visit Cozumel while five-day cruises call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.
Carnival Sunshine is scheduled to operate a series of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean cruises May 5 to October 20, either round-trip from Barcelona or sailing between Barcelona and Venice.
The ship will sail on a 16-day transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to New Orleans November 17, positioning the vessel for a special six-day Caribbean cruise followed by the launch of year-round seven-day Caribbean service from New Orleans.
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