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Showing posts with label Viking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Viking. Show all posts

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Keeping up with Cruising

The cruising industry (Not Tom Cruise) continues to grow and keep up with the ever changing world we live in.  And though there have been "Incidents" over the last year, more and more people are embracing the excellent way to travel that we know as a CRUISE!  Unpack Once! Visit many places without having to repack, go through an airport, schedule multiple hotels, etc.  In the last 5 years, because of cruising, Barbi and I have visited 29 countries, seen things we only dreamed of, and made long lasting friends.

  • More people booked on Costa for the up-coming Easter weekend than last year!
  • Carnival Destiny is going through a $155M makeover and being renamed the Carnival Sunshine, and will home port in New Orleans.
  • The New Royal Princess debut's next year with some of the most exciting innovation in the industry.
  • Carnival Sunshine departs the shipyard at Fincantieri in Italy in April 2013 with Carnival 2.0 in force on the ship, along with 182 new staterooms.
  • Norwegian Breakaway enters service in April 2013 taking passengers on 7 day fun filled voyages to Bermuda from New York City.
  • Viking took possesion of 4 new ships this year and have ordered 4 more for 2014.
  • Barbi and I are escorting 400 people on 2 cruises this year to Alaska and Hawaii.
I mentioned Norwegian Breakaway and Bermuda in the news briefs above.  Some people don't want to be "stuck" on a ship for 7 days.  Well, Here is an excellent adventure!  On Norwegian's itinerary, you spend 2 days sailing from New York to Bermuda, then you are "Camped" there for almost 3 full days.  Take your time and explore every nook and cranny of this pink sand wonder.  Don't feel hurried to get back to the ship! When you are tired, come back to the ship to sleep.  It is there for you. Next day, enjoy! When you depart, there is only the evening and the next full day at sea, then back in New York City. Easy access to anywhere in the world from there!


Warwick Long Bay, Bermuda (Photo By Scott Cleghorn)

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

What's new on the water?

     This year will usher in many exciting enhancements in the cruise industry, which will also bring with it, movement in technology, luxury, and grand achievements.  15 new cruise ships are scheduled for delivery this year. 

     Today we saw the christening of the Disney Dream, which is the first new Disney cruise ship in more than a decade.  But as with all things Disney, prepare to be amazed and entertained.  One of the best inclusions of technology is the virtual port holes on inside cabins.  HD cameras mounted on the outside of the ship, show a real time view of ocean.  Now your inside cabin has become an outside cabin.  Cool, huh?  Add to this the AquaDuck, a water coaster, and fun has just taken a new level.  She will call home port in Port Canaveral Florida.  Check it out...and don't forget to include some time at the Magic Kingdon since you'll be there.

     May 1 will debut the Carnival Magic.  With innovations never seen before, like a suspended ropes course, outdoor weight lifting area, dual water slides, and a 500 gallon dumping bucket, Carnival's mantra of "All for Fun, Fun for All" will deliver on that promise.  She will debut in Europe, but will call home Galveston Texas.

   In July, we all celebrate a new Solstice Class ship, the Celebrity Silhouette, with its home port in Bayonne, N.J.  It will be different from its sister ships with the Lawn Club Grill, Private alcoves, and an art studio.  The Caribbean will be even more exciting with this new ship.

     If you have ever considered a river cruise through some of Europe's most storied and romantic water ways, 7 of the new ships this year are made for traversing in elegant style.  Be on the look out for new ships through AMAWaterways, Viking, Avalon, and Uniworld.

     For small luxury cruising, Oceania, Ponant Cruises, and Seabourn will be adding new ships to spoil you rotten and take you places that the large vessels cannot go.  Here you will be treated like a king and not be part of a vessel that hosts thousands, but hundreds instead.  There is something valuable about that kind of intimacy, that everyone should experience.

     This is why cruising is so much fun, and always getting better.  Besides new ships coming out yearly, existing ships are in a standard rotation of being refurbished and improved.  As an example, Princess Cruises, in the last few years, has been revamping and improving their fleet of ships by adding Movies under the Stars, The Sanctuary (An adults only area) and updating interior areas, in addition to launching new ships in 2013 and 2014.

     In our experience, you can almost never go wrong by crusing as a vacation.  check it out!

01-20-2011 - UPDATE
     Oceania Cruises took delivery of the new 66,000 Ton, 1,250 passenger Marina yesterday.  1 Day til the maiden voyage.  Oceania Blog





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