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Viking River Cruises selected as Best River Cruise by Cruise Magazine Readers
The readers of Porthole Cruise Magazine have selected Viking River Cruises as the Best River Cruise in the magazine's 10th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Farewell to the "Old Queen"
After making a visit to New York City in October, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) sailed out into the English channel from Southampton Tuesday on its last voyage as thousands gathered to say goodbye. The ship is heading to Dubai where it will be reformed into a luxury hotel.

 As the 70,000 ton ship sailed away with its 2,700 customers and crew, it ran aground on sand banks by the nearby island of the Isle of Wight and had to be refloated with the help of five tug boats and a favorable evening tide.

Queen Elizabeth II launched the QE2 in 1967 and since then it has traveled around 6 million miles and made more than 800 transatlantic crossings. For over 40 years, the liner carried over 2.5 million passengers. Cunard, the owner of the vessel, said it was selling the QE2 to the Dubai World Company for $100 million..

Solstice christened by a unique godmother
Celebrity Cruises announced the Godmother of the most widely-heralded cruise ship to enter the market this year, Celebrity Solstice. Atypically, she’s not a star of stage and screen; instead, she ‘stars’ in a field of enormous importance to Celebrity Cruises: the world’s oceans. Professor Sharon L. Smith, the first ocean scientist ever to serve as Godmother of a cruise ship, joined Celebrity executives to name the brand’s sleek, 2,850-guest ship in formal ceremonies at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Worldwide had the opportunity to host a small group of clients on-board of the Solstice and without question everyone was wowed... this is one delightful ship. Its simply amazing how each new generation of cruise ships manages to out wow the last..  check out Vince Aspromonte's review of the new ship.

Cruise Lines Slash Prices - terrific value for corporate programs
Cruise lines, navigating a dreadful economy and tight-fisted consumers, are rolling out a bounty of bargain fares to fill their ships. With many deals matching the sort of deep discounting the industry resorted to in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, cruising has become almost cheaper than staying home.

The fall is always a good time to shop for cruise discounts because bookings slack off during the period. But this year –amid the dramatic downturn in the U.S. economy, punctuated by a credit crisis, rising unemployment and a slump in consumer spending- the cruise deals are better and more widespread than usual.

“We always say cruise lines are resilient to the economy, but we have seen a slowdown in the number of bookings compared to the same time last year,” said Harrison Liu, a spokesman for Miami-based Royal Caribbean International. “We’re working closely with travel agents and all our partners to entice consumers.”

Behind the discounts cruise lines have high fixed costs such as fuel, crew salaries and other operating expenses. The incremental cost of carrying each passenger –a little food and drink, a few bed linens and towels - is small. That dictates that cruise ships sail as full as possible.

For now, the special deals on many cruise lines extend well into 2009, and some into 2010. They run the gamut from short, budget-oriented weekend trips to long and exotic luxury voyages. Some of the industry’s hottest new ships, like the Celebrity Solstice and the Carnival Splendor, are available at a bargain.

It’s not just cruises that are selling at a discount. Shares of both Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises have been battered recently. Carnival announced Oct. 31 it was suspending its quarterly dividend in a conservative move to conserve capital, and on Nov. 18 Royal Caribbean followed suit.

Industry insiders will be closely watching “wave season,” which spans the first quarter and is typically the busiest booking period of the year, to see whether the cruise lines are forced to extend the cheap cruise prices. “Right now, all the cruise lines have poker faces,” Chiron said.

Worldwide's advice - be sure to consider a cruise program in the mix.  Clients both buyers and incentive winners love to cruise.  Our truly savvy buyers are asking for ideas and quotes for 2009 and 2010 right now.

Silversea's "Silver Wind" completes multi-million dollar transformation
Highlights Include the Addition of an Observation Lounge, Expansive New Spa and Eight New Suites

Silver WindSilversea Cruises has just put the finishing touches on a multimillion-dollar renovation of Silver Wind, involving virtually every aspect of the ultra-luxury ship.

Undertaken over the past month during a dry dock at the San Giorgio shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the comprehensive refurbishment of Silver Wind sets a visionary course for the future with a refreshed décor embodying a sophisticated contemporary style that is warm and inviting with touches of natural cherry wood, russet and golden tones.

A centerpiece of the project was the addition of an Observation Lounge (seating 60 guests), Spa, Beauty Salon and Fitness Center on the forward section of Deck 9, altering the ship's exterior appearance with floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the new space. A new two-floor, glass-enclosed elevator was also installed connecting Decks 8 and 9.

"We're delighted with the results of this major renovation," said Amerigo Perasso, Silversea's president and CEO. "Silver Wind has a refreshed look and feel, yet the ship retains her elegance and charm throughout. The company has made an important investment to bring this vessel in line with the style and design themes that are planned for our new ship, Silver Spirit, currently under construction. With these enhancements, our guests are sure to enjoy a renewed sense of luxury and comfort aboard Silver Wind."

Perasso added, "Despite the challenging economic environment, our company is showing a strong commitment with this important investment. This is clearly a difficult and unpredictable time and while our business is not immune, we have the strength of our assets, brand and management team that position us well in the long term."

SUITE ENHANCEMENTS

Accommodating 298 guests, Silver Wind's 149 ocean-view suites range in size from 240 to 1,314 square feet (22 - 122 square meters), with eighty percent now featuring a private veranda. Suite modifications include the following:

* Four of the always-in-demand Silver Suites added on Deck 8.
* One Owner's Suite with a connecting second-bedroom suite added on Deck 7.
* One Medallion Suite added on Deck 7.
* One Vista Suite added on Deck 7.
* Fixed queen beds in larger suites have been replaced with convertible twin-to-queen beds.
* Custom-built TV cabinets added to all Vista and Veranda Suites.
* New flat screen TVs.
* New sofa, armchair, desk, vanity, night tables and headboard.
* New carpets, drapes and bed coverings.
* Updated bathroom fixtures and bathtubs, including new marble countertops, walls and flooring.

THE SPA

The new Spa, which encompasses the Beauty Salon and Fitness Center, occupies over 650 additional square feet (60 square meters) following the renovation. The expanded Spa features an inviting reception area, four massage rooms, one body treatment room, one dry sauna and one steam sauna. The new Fitness Center includes a body-building room and separate aerobics room, both offering spectacular panoramic ocean views.

Other ship enhancements include new upholstery, curtains, wall treatments, carpets and/or flooring in the restaurants, public lounges, lobbies, stairs and corridors.

The first guests to experience the Silver Wind enhancements are sailing on a December 2, Las Palmas-to-Cape Town cruise, an exotic 18-day voyage calling in the Cape Verde Islands, Dakar, Banjul, Bom Bom Island and Walvis Bay.