Ports & Itineraries

 

Norwegian Sky returns to Miami to sail 3 & 4 Day Itineraries to the Bahamas

MIAMI – May 6, 2008 – NCL Corporation (NCL) announced today that it will reflag and rename Pride of Aloha and launch the ship as Norwegian Sky, offering three and four-day Bahamas cruises from Miami commencing this summer. The 2,002-passenger ship, built in 1999, will return to the NCL international fleet, and will be outfitted with NCL’s Freestyle 2.0 enhancements. It will be the youngest and highest quality ship sailing three and four-day Bahamas cruises from Miami beginning July 14, 2008.  

To welcome the ship to Miami, NCL is offering a “Kids Sail Free Summer Vacation” promotion for reservations on Norwegian Sky made from May 6, 2008 to May 31, 2008 for sailings taking place July 14, 2008 to September 26, 2008. Children ages six months to 17 are eligible to sail free (government taxes and fees and fuel supplement apply).

“NCL pioneered the first Bahamas cruise from Miami more than 41 years ago and last had a ship in the three and four-day cruise market from Miami in 2003. By reintroducing Norwegian Sky and positioning the ship in Miami sailing short cruises to the Bahamas, we are returning to our roots. At the same time, we are raising the bar by offering a modern Freestyle Cruising ship that features a variety of accommodations, including balconies and suites, a multitude of on-board amenities and a choice of six restaurants,” said Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO. “In addition, we will outfit Norwegian Sky with the Freestyle 2.0 enhancements currently being introduced across our fleet. This coupled with the port-intensive. 

NCL welcomes return of Norwegian Sky itineraries, offers guests’ seeking a quick getaway an unmatched cruise experience. There is no doubt that NCL’s three and four-day Freestyle product on the industry’s newest ship offers the highest quality and best value for money in the market.” Norwegian Sky will depart Miami on Mondays sailing four-day Bahamas cruises with full-day stops in Grand Bahama Island, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas. On Fridays, the ship will sail a weekend getaway three-day Bahamas itinerary, departing Miami at 5 p.m. with all-day stops in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, returning to Miami at 7 a.m. on Monday mornings. These sailings are scheduled through April 17, 2009.  

Norwegian Sky will enter a wet dock in Miami during which a casino will be added. In addition, the ship will receive the significant product and hardware upgrades that are part of the company’s major fleetwide initiative, Freestyle 2.0. These enhancements include: a major investment in the total dining experience such as all new menus and Lobster Galore; upgrading the stateroom experience; new wide ranging on-board activities for all guests; and additional recognition, service and amenities for balcony and suite guests. 

Originally launched in 1999, Norwegian Sky has more than 240 balcony staterooms, a choice of six different restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, multiple entertainment venues, two pools, extensive children’s facilities, a sports deck and a variety of spacious public rooms. Norwegian Sky had been reflagged and renamed Pride of Aloha in 2004 and sailed Hawai`i inter-island cruises until May 2008.

Sunsail Celebrates Bahamas Base Opening 
Sunsail celebrated the opening of its new base in the Bahamas last weekend. The new Sunsail base, which offers bareboat charter, skippered and flotilla sailing vacations, is located at Marsh Harbor, a chain of islets and cays known as the Abacos.

Attendees included Don Cornish, director of tourism-Abaco and Cephas Cooper, senior island administrator, who both took the podium to welcome Sunsail and congratulate base manager Samanth Cornish.

The reef-protected oasis known as the Sea of Abaco, features miles of sheltered cruising grounds with short sails between islands to picturesque colonial harbors and long, white sand beaches.

Sunsail’s fleet consists of brand new Lagoon catamarans and Jeanneau monohulls, featuring double staterooms, complete electronics and fully equipped galleys, ideal for cruising.
Holland America Boasts Biggest Europe Season Ever in 2009

 

Holland America Line will deploy six ships in Europe in 2009, visiting 166 ports, which include 16 maiden calls, on 70 different cruises. “North Americans are realizing that a cruise is the most cost-effective way to experience Europe,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America.

Cruises will range from 10 to 50 days in length and will feature maiden calls including Hendaye (Biarritz), France; Oostende (Brugge), Belgium; Kiel, Germany; Scrabster, Scotland, United Kingdom, and Kristiansund in Norway

Other stops will be Vaasa, Finland; Foynes, Ireland; Greencastle, Northern Ireland; Portland, England, United Kingdom; Santa Margherita, Italy; Bat’umi, Georgia; Victoria (Rabat), Gozo, Malta; Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom; Djúpivogur, Iceland; Palau, Sardinia, Italy, and Trapani, Sicily, Italy.

Royal Caribbean Sets Short Cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International announced its short cruise program for 2009-10, offering 18 two- to five-night itineraries on 306 departures. Cruises are available from Tampa, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and Miami aboard Navigator of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas.

Bookings are open for these short cruises. Navigator of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas offer year-round Caribbean cruises. From May 2009, Enchantment of the Seas will offer four- and five-night Western Caribbean itineraries for the summer season from Port Everglades, which include a call at Key West. From November 2009, Navigator will sail similar Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami.

Majesty of the Seas will operate three- and four-night Bahamas cruises from Miami. Monarch of the Seas will begin its first full-year deployment in 2009 at Port Canaveral. Grandeur of the Seas will sail from the Port of Tampa on four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises to Belize City, Cozumel and Progreso.

Grandeur also will return to Costa Maya, docking at the newly constructed pier, which replaced the one destroyed by Hurricane Dean in 2007.
Princess Cruises Takes Australians & New Zealanders to Gallipoli

Australians & New Zealanders will have a rare opportunity to sail the historic waters of Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula next year, when Dawn Princess visits Turkey as part of an epic 104-night world voyage.

The premium superliner - Dawn Princess - will cruise through Anzac Cove, giving Australians and New Zealanders on board the chance to take in the surrounds and pay their respects to the thousands of ANZAC soldiers who lost their lives at Gallipoli during World War I.

The Gallipoli visit will be a highlight of the voyage – the first ever world circumnavigation offered from Australia.

Visiting more than 35 ports, Dawn Princess will sail from Sydney on July 5, 2009 bound for Auckland, Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii before crossing the Pacific to visit Mexico, the Caribbean and East and West Coast USA.

From there she will make a transatlantic voyage to Ireland, visiting France and England before exploring Europe from Spain and Italy through to Greece.

After sailing through Anzac Cove on September 7, Dawn Princess will travel on through the Middle East to India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore returning to Sydney on October 16, via Darwin.

River ships damaged in Burma’s monster storm
Reports confirm that river ships in Myanmar have been damaged in the cyclone that has devastated the country.


Charlie Turnbull, the Singapore-based director of sales and marketing for Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises has confirmed "Road To Mandalay" was damaged.  Turnbull said today the company’s luxury vessel that operates on the Ayeyarwady River ‘is on its way to drydock for an assessment of the damage.’

Pandaw River Cruises’ founder Paul Strachan said Pandaw IV, which was moored at Prome, sustained minor damage and Pandaw II at Mandalay was unscathed.

‘We were sorry to hear that our old Pandaw I, which we ceased operating in 2003, sustained significant damage in drydock,’ he said. ‘We hope that this important historic ship can be salvaged.’

Strachan said none of the company’s 90 employees were injured, but the homes of his staff in Yangon have been damaged. He said they have told him it will be a month before power, water, phone and other services will be restored.

‘The internet is working at Pagan and we will be temporarily moving our office up there until services are restored in Yangon,’ he said.  ‘It is important to get the message across to all clients that we are unaffected and next season business will be as usual.’

Australian hostesses for Costa Allegra
Costa Cruises is to employ special hostesses for Australian passengers on board Costa Allegra while the ship is positioned in Asia.  Following complaints about communication problems in a ship where around 80% of passengers are Asian and the officers are Italian.

There are some fantastic deals in the marketplace for this product, these value-for-money packages have attracted Australians who have never cruised before who want to visit exotic places in Asia in a safe environment.  However, many of the Australian passengers have no experience of shipboard life and little, if any, experience of other cultures. That is why they need someone on board they can go to with any problems they may have who understands the Australian personality and speaks their language.’

The first hostess dedicated to Australian passengers will be on board Costa Allegra’s voyage ex-Hong Kong May 10. The intention is to make the on board experience much better for Aussies.

CroisiEurope’s new ship Belle De L'Adriatique to do maiden Middle East season
The biggest European river cruise company that was known as Alsace Croisieres when it was founded in Strasbourg in 1976, will operate eight-day round trips to Jordan from the Egyptian city of Hurghada on the Red Sea from December until the end of February 2009.

Passengers will spend the first night on board Belle De L’Adriatique, the company’s first ocean-going ship which was launched last year under the CroisiMer label, in Hurghada before departing for Sharm El Sheikh, Aqaba and Safaga.

A highlight of the voyages will be a ‘1001 Nights’ dinner and belly-dancing show aboard the 100-cabin ship during an overnight in Safaga.

He said there are regular scheduled flights between Cairo and Hurghada, the Belle De L’Adriatique,  is currently operating eight-day Dalmatian Coast round voyages from Dubrovnik.

 

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