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Silversea Release Details of their New Expedition Ship previously known as "The World Explorer" |
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Silversea Cruises plans to launch its new expedition
ship in June 2008, after undergoing a multi-million-dollar
renovation at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy. The 1A
ice-rated vessel, originally acquired as World Discoverer last
September, will get exterior design modifications, state-of-the-art
technological enhancements and a complete upgrade of all guest
accommodations and public spaces. The ship is also being outfitted
with a fleet of eight Zodiac boats. In a related development, the company announced the appointment of Conrad Combrink as Silversea's director of expeditions, with responsibility for developing the ship's itineraries and program. He will also oversee the recruitment of expedition staff and lecturers. Combrink's career of over 10 years in expedition cruising includes serving as expedition leader on World Discoverer. Following the naming ceremony in Monte Carlo in May, the ship will set sail June 12 from London on an inaugural season focusing on polar adventures. Sailing first to the Arctic Circle, Iceland and Greenland for the summer, the ship will then reposition to South America and Antarctica for autumn and winter voyages. After the ship's refit, the vessel will accommodate 132 guests in 66 ocean-view suites, many featuring private verandas. Staterooms and suites will range from 215 to over 600 square feet, with an average size of 300-plus square feet. Twenty suites will feature more than 400 square feet of luxury. All staterooms and suites will have flat-screen TVs. The ship will feature a single-seating main dining room, a library with desktop computers and Internet access, a boutique, a beauty salon, a fitness center, a full-service spa and two Jacuzzi pools. The ship will be equipped with state-of-the-art satellite communication systems, providing bow-to-stern wireless Internet access and cellular phone service. |
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Apollo Closes Regent Seven Seas Purchase, Plans New Ship |
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New York-based Apollo Management LP has completed the
acquisition of Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) from
Minneapolis-based Carlson. Apollo subsidiary Prestige Cruise
Holdings (PCH), Regent Seven Seas’ new parent, gave the green light
for the luxury line to open talks with shipyards for a newbuild. Prestige said it gave RSSC management the authority to enter formal discussions with shipyards for a newbuild, with a view to placing a firm order during the second half of 2008 for delivery in 2011. While specific details need to be finalized, management’s initial concept calls for a vessel of similar dimensions and guest capacity to the 700-guest all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, but with larger standard suites, an enhanced spa, more dining venues and expanded dining options. As previously announced, RSSC and Oceania Cruises will be placed under the ownership of PCH. The brands will remain independent -- RSSC in the luxury segment, and Oceania in the upper premium segment. Conroy and Bob Binder, president of Oceania, report to Del Rio. Apollo’s investment in NCL Corp. will remain a separate holding outside of PCH. Founded in 1990, Apollo is a private equity and capital markets investor with more than 17 years of experience investing across the capital structure of leveraged companies. The firm employs more than 140 professionals and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Singapore, Frankfurt and Paris. |
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Carnival Fantasy to Under Full Evolutions of Fun Upgrades This Fall |
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An expansive new aqua park featuring
a 300-foot-long water slide, along with an exclusive
adults-only area, and a totally redesigned
“resort-style” main pool will be incorporated into
the Carnival Fantasy when the 2,052-passenger
SuperLiner undergoes a multi-million-dollar dry dock
this fall. The “extreme makeover” represents phase two of “Evolutions of Fun,” Carnival Cruise Lines’ $250 million extensive ship refurbishment program for the line’s eight 70,000-ton Fantasy-class vessels. Carnival Fantasy, which operates year-round four- and five-day western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans, will be the third ship to be fully outfitted with all “Evolutions of Fun” upgrades, with Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination completed in recent months. “Carnival Fantasy – already a fantastic cruise vacation option from New Orleans, one of America’s great cities – will be even better following the implementation of our incredible new ‘Evolutions of Fun’ features,” said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival’s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience. New Aqua Park, Adults-Only Area, Redesigned Main Pool Taking center stage on the Carnival Fantasy’s Verandah Deck will be Carnival WaterWorks, a spectacular aqua park featuring a four-deck-high 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide – the longest, most elaborate at sea – along with an 82-foot-long dual-lane racing slide, and various water spray apparatus creating cool and exhilarating fun for kids and adults, alike. Located aft will be Serenity, an exclusive adults-only outdoor retreat designed as an ocean-going oasis for relaxation, tranquility and comfort. Offering magnificent ocean vistas, Serenity will feature plush chaise lounges and chairs, colorful oversized umbrellas, two whirlpools, and a separate area where guests can relax in shaded comfort. Bar service will be provided with waiters offering a tempting selection of icy cocktails and frozen concoctions. The new resort-style main pool area, located mid-ship, will feature striking umbrellas providing shaded seating at pool’s edge along the tiled “beach” bordering the circumference of the pool. A thatched roof will cover one of the two whirlpools at either end of the swimming pool, while towering faux palm trees, along with more thatched roofing over new, centrally positioned staircases will further enhance the tropical ambiance. Other ‘Evolutions of Fun’ Upgrades These new enhancements will complement the wide range of “Evolutions of Fun” upgrades incorporated into the Carnival Fantasy during earlier dry docks. These include completely renovated staterooms with flat-screen TVs and other amenities, a nine-hole miniature golf course, a renovated 12,000-square-foot Spa Carnival facility, updated dining rooms, a New York-style deli, an atrium lobby bar, a new conference facility, a patisserie serving specialty coffees and sweets and new photo and art galleries. A number of family-friendly amenities – including expansive new facilities for children and teens, part of the top-rated “Camp Carnival” and “Club O2” programs, respectively – along with more than 50 interconnecting staterooms, have been added, as well. High-tech sound and lighting systems for a host of live music and entertainment venues have also been incorporated. Attractive Short Cruise Itineraries from New Orleans The namesake of the Fantasy-class, Carnival Fantasy operates four- and five-day cruises to Mexico from New Orleans – the only ship operating year-round from the Big Easy. On this popular route, four-day cruises depart Thursday and call at Cozumel while five-day voyages visit Progreso and Cozumel. Carnival also offers pre- and post-cruise land stays in New Orleans to provide guests the opportunity to experience and explore the city’s unique architecture, legendary nightlife and outstanding restaurants. |
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The old Hawaiian Cruise ship - Independence headed for the scrap yard |
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OCEANIC (ex INDEPENDENCE, SEA LUCK I, OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE, INDEPENDENCE) was towed from her berth at BAE Shipyard in San Francisco's China Basin this morning at approximately 11:00 AM in a thick fog. After she was hooked up to an ocean-going tug, she was led out past the blanketed-in San Francisco waterfront and toward the Pacific before the fog finally lifted. An accompanying tug gave her a small waterspray salute as she maneuvered under the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Marin Headlands and out to sea. Her next destination is reputed to be Singapore, although a possible tug refueling stop may be made in either Honolulu or Guam. The ship has been laid up in various parts of the San Francisco Bay since the collapse of American Hawaii Cruises in late 2001 and was for a time owned by NCL, who had considered rebuilding her for U.S. cruise service -- that option fizzled after a difficult start up of the company's NCL America division. |
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United To Charge Domestic Passengers For Additional Bags |
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In case any of our reader missed this - our advice,
package carefully and sparingly or use another carrier.
United Airlines today said it would charge
customers $25 to check a second bag if they are flying on a
nonrefundable domestic ticket and do not have Mileage Plus or Star
Alliance status. The new policy impacts bookings for travel
beginning May 5. |
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NCL Corp. is withdrawing Pride of Aloha from the Hawaii market effective May 11 |
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NCL Corp. is withdrawing Pride of
Aloha from the Hawaii market effective May 11, and will transfer the
ship to Star Cruises for reflagging and redeployment in Asia this
summer.
The developments follow the
withdrawal of Pride of Hawaii from the NCL America fleet for
reflagging and redeployment in Europe as Norwegian Jade. |
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Court issues fines in fatal QM2 gangway collapse |
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A French court issued fines for the fatal accident at
the St. Nazaire shipyard on Nov. 3, 2003, when a gangway collapsed
as guests visited Queen Mary 2 prior to her sea trials. Sixteen
people were killed and 29 were injured. Gangway manufacturer Endel and Chantiers de l’Atlantique (bought in 2006 by Aker Yards) have each been fined €177,500. In addition, Endel and Chantiers will have to jointly pay €9.5m to the 130 plaintiffs claiming damages and €718,000 in legal fees. The eight workers who were charged with manslaughter were discharged by the St. Nazaire Court of Justice. |
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All cruise passengers need to know this - new requirements by Homeland Security |
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a new
ruling that goes into effect on February 18, 2008 which mandates
that all guests embarking on a cruise from a U.S. port be checked-in
and onboard their ship at least one hour prior to the ship's
departure. To comply with this mandate and ensure that there is
ample time for the check-in process cruise lines require that all
guests be checked in 90 minutes prior to the ship's scheduled
departure. Guests arriving later than the 90 minutes check-in time
will be denied boarding. Guests are also requested to complete the Passenger Declaration Form at least three days prior to the ship’s departure. |
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And the Jones Act reverberation continues with San Francisco Officials Protesting Federal Rule Change on Cruise Trade & Key West pointing to $33m loss of tourism revenue |
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Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco port officials
are protesting a proposed rule by the federal Homeland Security
Administration’s Department of Bureau of Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) that threatens San Francisco’s core cruise business
– Alaska, Pacific Northwest and Mexico cruises. The Port of San
Francisco estimates that 39 cruise calls each year are at risk,
resulting in the loss of $45 million in direct spending by cruise
lines and passengers. “At a time when our nation is on the brink of recession, the federal government should be stimulating our economy. This rule would strike a blow to our city’s successful cruise business,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. Currently, foreign-flagged passenger vessels that visit more than one U.S. port per itinerary must stop at a port outside the U.S. to be in compliance with the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA). Cruise ships sailing from San Francisco to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest stop in Canada – at Vancouver or Victoria – to comply with the 122-year-old law. Last November, CBP proposed an administrative rule that would require these vessels to stop for at least 48 hours at each foreign port, even though most calls today are for eight hours or less. In his letter to the federal government, Mayor Newsom wrote, “The cruise industry provides significant employment in San Francisco. Our analysis shows that the proposed CBP rules as drafted would reduce our homeport calls by more than 40 percent and our passengers by more than fifty.” An estimated 7,500 longshore job assignments are at risk for the local dock workers, who handle passenger baggage and load the ship’s provisions. Because of its geographical mid-position on the West Coast, San Francisco has a disadvantage in competing for domestic cruises because of the additional sailing time to Canadian or Mexican ports. The additional two-day requirement would force cruise lines to reassess their itineraries, jeopardizing San Francisco’s existing cruise business. In urging CBP to “reconsider and redraft” the interpretation of the proposed ruling, Port Executive Director Monique Moyer pointed to the great local economic value of the cruise market. She stated that “the Port has just invested several million dollars in our drydock facilities to position ourselves to attract more cruise ship repair business.” Ship repair is one of the City’s leading sources of skilled union jobs. In addition, the Port is planning to build a new cruise terminal at Pier 27 to accommodate today’s larger cruise ships. The November 21, 2007 Federal Register Notice was issued in response to a request from the U.S. Maritime Administration, which expressed concern that the U.S.-flagged ships operated by NCL America in 7-day inter-island cruises were facing “economic hardship” because of competition from foreign-flag cruise ships sailing from Los Angeles and San Diego on 15-day cruises that include several Hawaiian Islands and Ensenada en route back to the port of origin. The NCL America ships in the Hawaiian Islands are the two remaining U.S.-flag passenger ships. The proposed rule is written so broadly that it impacts every domestic cruise across the country that includes a foreign port of call to comply with the PVSA. At risk are cruises on foreign ships where the itinerary includes more than one U.S. port. Besides San Francisco, other domestic cruise voyages that will be affected include Seattle cruises to Alaska, as well as New York, Boston and Maine voyages to Canadian ports. Even short cruises from Los Angeles or Catalina to Mexico would be negatively impacted. California and Washington ports estimate the loss of more than 500 cruises if the definition of foreign port calls is changed by this new rule. Under the proposed interpretive rule, a U.S.-based cruise itinerary would violate the PVSA, unless the stop at the foreign port meets the following three criteria: · the stop lasts at least 48 hours at the foreign port · time spent at foreign port is more than 50 percent of total time at U.S. ports of call · passengers are permitted to go ashore temporarily at the foreign port Joining the Port of San Francisco in filing written protests were the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the Bay Planning Coalition. Key West have also taken up taken up taken up the issue and point out that the rule changes would cost them around $33m in lost tourism revenue. |