Disney Cruise Line News

Disney Wonder Getting New Home at Port of Los Angeles
Cruise Ship Will Arrive for Extended West Coast Stay in 2011
Disney Cruise Line® has announced plans to reposition the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship from its base in Port Canaveral, Fla., to the West Coast in 2011.

A two-year agreement, with a three-year extension option, will be considered by the Port of Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on April 2, 2009.

With the port’s proximity to the Disneyland® Resort, you’ll be able to offer Clients even more magical Disney vacation choices – both on land and sea!

The addition of a new homeport for Disney Cruise Line is part of the overall expansion plan for The Walt Disney Company. Two new ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, will arrive in Port Canaveral, Fla., in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Princess Cruise Lines Special

Up to $100 shipboard credit from Princess CruisesBook by May 15, 2009 and receive exclusive amenities: $100 shipboard credit, $100 per person reduced deposit, and much more on select Princess cruises. ** restrictions apply **

Cruise News 3/23

Best Cruise Ship Sundecksby Teijo Niemela, Cruise Critic Contributor – March 24, 2009

Cruise ship sundecks are popular hangouts for most passengers, but over the years, they’ve also been the source of much controversy. We’ve all been there: longing for a nice, long nap in the Caribbean sunshine or a dip in a refreshing pool, only to find our peaceful mentality destroyed by chair hogs (people who reserve deck chairs, then disappear for hours, preventing you from finding an empty lounger), crowded whirlpools, and rowdy kids splashing away—not to mention incredibly juvenile pool games, hosted by the entertainment staff (hairy chest contest, anyone?).

But, as cruise ships become larger and lines compete to offer the most innovative onboard amenities, sundecks—the top-deck areas of ships, more traditionally used as magnets for daytime activities—are undergoing revolutionary changes. The simplistic “one deck, one pool” mindset of the 90s has given way to modern multipool complexes—including thalassotherapy pools, adult-only pools, kiddie pools, and even waterslides. Need personal space or an escape from the poolside hubbub? On Celebrity Solstice, you can chill out in a field of real grass on the top deck of the ship. And, on all three Oceania ships and Holland America’s (HAL) Eurodam, you can rent private cabanas.

Advertisement
The bottom line? Cruise lines are now designing pool areas that mirror on-land resorts—the best of which have always offered fabulous (and sometimes even fantastical) pool and sunning areas.

I note a few emerging trends:

The spa has headed outdoors. No longer are peaceful retreats and thalassotherapy pools hidden in the bowels of the spa. Princess’ newest ships (and, soon, all of its ships) offer a new twist on the concept with The Sanctuary. This area, housed all the way forward and encircling the Lotus Spa pool a deck below, features gorgeous Italian chaise lounges, two cabanas for alfresco massages, MP3 players (with mostly relaxing music) for rent, and a special healthy menu—with waiters to fetch the food and drink. It’s been so popular on Crown, Emerald, and Ruby Princess that it fills up fast—even with a $15 per half-day surcharge. Celebrity Solstice’s solarium is an adults-only oasis with soothing water features, peaceful whirlpools, and a main pool large enough for laps. Or, book a spa treatment on one of Oceania’s three ships, and you’ll get an hour’s access to a private sundeck with padded loungers and a thalassotherapy pool for some in-the-sun peace.
To solve cruisers’ number one pet peeve—overcrowded sundecks with no free lounge chairs—lines like Oceania and Holland America offer private cabanas for rent. On HAL’s Eurodam, you can choose from cabanas located poolside or in The Retreat, a sundeck exclusive to cabana renters. Inside your private tent, you’ll find wicker couches and chairs, complimentary snacks—like fruit skewers—and Evian spray misters. Oceania’s cabanas feature teak double loungers with terry-covered cushions, and waitstaff will bring in food from the poolside grill (including milkshakes!) or afternoon tea.
Sundecks have also turned into fun decks. Waterslides can be found on many Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Carnival ships (with more being added, thanks to Carnival’s Evolutions of Fun refurbishments). Royal Caribbean pioneered the concept of an onboard water park for kids on its Freedom-class ships, and even upscale Celebrity Solstice has a fountain, in which both adults and kids can cool off. Think that shuffleboard is the only fun thing to do top-of-ship? Now sundecks feature entire sports decks with rock-climbing walls, paddle tennis courts, life-size chess games, mini-golf and, on Royal Caribbean, onboard surfing.
Increasingly, pool areas—which, in older eras, were basically deserted at night—are being used for evening activities. (Rarely, though, do they have anything to do with swimming.) Princess’ Caribbean Princess introduced the industry’s first outdoor cinema/television—Movies Under the Stars (MUTS). The outdoor LED screen has been so popular that the line added one to each of its new ships and aims to roll the concept out fleetwide by 2011. Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Splendor, Costa Concordia, and Costa Serena, as well as MSC Musica and MSC Orchestra, feature their own versions of MUTS. The screens also offer daytime programming, ranging from CNN to World Cup Soccer. Plus, lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and NCL are using the pool decks for evening deck parties, featuring food, drinks, and dancing.
If dynamic pools and sundecks are priorities when choosing a cruise, check out our favorites:

Princess Cruises

Which Ships: Grand Princess, Star Princess, Golden Princess, Caribbean Princess, Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, and Ruby Princess

Why: Versatility. You’ve got both the Calypso Reef and Neptune’s Reef areas midship. If you want to be in the heart of the action, key components include large pools, hot tubs, bars, silly pool games, musical entertainment, and dining options. On Crown Princess, the line went a step further and introduced the concept of The Sanctuary, an adults-only haven with pampering services and at-your-deck-chair drink and snack delivery. The idea proved so popular that The Sanctuary can be found on Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess, Star Princess, Caribbean Princess, and Grand Princess, and the deck will be added to ships, fleetwide, through 2010.

Nooks and Crannies: You can also kick back and relax; these ships’ spa pools, nestled in the courtyard of the Lotus Spa, offer a swim-against-the-current feature. There’s also the Terrace pool area—definitely off the big-ship beaten path—tucked away aft, under the disco. On most of Princess’ Grand-class ships, it offers shade and a gorgeous view of the wake, though on the more recent models, the disco has been redesigned, and the shade-producing structure no longer exists. So, on Diamond, Sapphire, Crown, Ruby, and Emerald, sunshine now fills the aft pool, as well. The aforementioned Sanctuary is, for those wanting to escape big-ship chaos and greasy poolside cuisine—a revelation.

Distinctions: All ships, save for Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, and Ruby Princess, feature a sliding glass roof—in case of inclement weather—that covers the Calypso Reef and Pool (particularly useful in Alaska or Europe’s Baltic). At night, the Calypso area is transformed into a swim-in cinema scenario. And I refer again to the fabulous MUTS feature, available on Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sea Princess, Star Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, and Ruby Princess. The outdoor LED screen will be added to the remaining Grand-class ships between 2009 and 2011.

Poolside Dining: At the Neptune, you can have pizza; there’s also the Trident Grill for burgers and such, and the Movenpick ice cream bar. (Beware: This is a for-fee treat.) At the Sanctuary, fare such as tuna pate and healthy fruit drinks are available.

Celebrity

Which Ships: Millennium, Infinity, Summit, and Constellation

Why: You can party by one pool or undergo an exercise (not to mention diet) regimen in another. Specifically, the ships’ main pools are host to everything from fashion shows to pool butlers, who offer cool face towels; on sea days, expect a sorbet parade, when tuxedo-clad waiters (shouldn’t they be wearing tanks?) offer icy treats.

Nooks and Crannies: The ships’ thalassotherapy pools are part of the AquaSpa and so purposely offer a peaceful, more healthful ambience. In the main pool area, there are secluded sections for massages (for an extra fee).

Distinctions: These ships have a little-publicized “topless sunbathing” area (top deck, forward). The spas offer sunset yoga and Pilates on adjacent outdoor decks.

Poolside Dining: The AquaSpa is amazing. It’s a fabulous, healthy, low-salt, low-carb, and low-fat buffet, open from breakfast until early dinner for an absolutely guilt-free culinary experience.

Which Ship: Celebrity Solstice

Why: Celebrity has created some innovative spaces on its newest ship, including the Lawn Club (featuring the first non-artificial grass at sea) and a beautiful solarium.

Nooks and Crannies: The adults-only solarium is a beautiful space, featuring a lap pool, whirlpools, glass walls and roof (with solar panels, to boot), and a water feature that lights up at night.

Distinctions: The top-of-ship Lawn Club is carpeted with actual living grass—a cruise ship first. Guests can soak up the sun while playing bocce ball on two courts, putting golf balls, or picnicking on the grass. Also located here is Celebrity’s glass-blowing studio, open for demonstrations both day and night. Below, on the outdoor pool deck, kids and grown-ups alike can enjoy splashing through the “dancing” fountains next to the family and sports pools.

Poolside Dining: The Mast Grill and Bar serves up greasy favorites like tacos, nachos, hot dogs, brats, burgers, fries, and onion rings. If that leaves you feeling a little queasy, the spa and fitness center are only steps away.

Royal Caribbean

Which Ships: Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas

Why: Freedom-class ships are a stretched version of Voyager-class ships, which enabled designers and builders to introduce new activities and gimmicks. An entirely new addition is H2O Zone—an expansive area, reserved only for children, fitted with a kiddie pool, water cannons, and abstract, colorful sculpture fountains. While kids are playing, adults can either relax in the Solarium pool area or, if looking more for activities, the Sports Pool midship.

The most daring passengers can try their surfing skills at the FlowRider, a surf simulator—in the far aft area of Deck 11—that is only found on the three Freedom-class ships. The rock-climbing walls are expanded versions of those found on the Voyager-class.

Nooks and Crannies: The Solarium pool area features hammocks, swinging chairs, and two cantilevered whirlpools that hang 100 feet above sea level.

Distinctions: Poolside entertainment encompasses both the usual (water aerobics and pool volleyball) and the wacky (pool golf, which involves chipping from the side of the pool onto a floating green). At night, the central pool area transforms into an outdoor disco.

Poolside Dining: The Solarium pool has a cafe that features pizzas, while the self-serve Sprinkles provides frozen yogurt. If looking for a healthy drink option, Squeeze sells various fruit drinks.

Crystal

Which Ships: Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony

Why: Crystal’s sundecks exude the same luxurious qualities as the rest of the ship—upscale decor and design, and plenty of space.

Distinctions: Crystal’s all-teak sundecks are furnished with comfortable, padded lounge chairs—not the tacky plastic kind. You can use as many fluffy pool towels as you’d like. The pool and Jacuzzis are relaxing and are very rarely crowded. Plus, Crystal gives a nod to its active guests with paddle tennis courts, shuffleboard, golf driving nets, a putting green, and Ping-Pong tables.

Poolside Dining: Crystal’s poolside buffets are some of the best around. The Trident Grill offers the typical poolside dining grill options, as well as more unusual specialty sandwiches. Tastes features themed buffets, as well as a casual dining option under the stars.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Which Ships: Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Pearl

Why: New Freestyle 2.0 enhancements are bringing bits of luxury to the masses on NCL’s newest ships. Plus, as NCL borrows ideas from other lines, its sundecks are offering more options, such as rock-climbing walls and waterslides.

Nooks and Crannies: Certain pools are designated adults-only and kids-only, so adults can enjoy a soak in solace, while the young ones splash about without inciting the wrath of nearby grown-ups. Plus, if you can afford a pricey Garden Villa or Courtyard Villa, you’ll have your own private or semi-private sundeck, respectively, with pool, whirlpool, and comfy sun loungers.

Distinctions: NCL’s sundecks now feature rock-climbing walls, waterslides, card tables, and elegant lounge chairs and couches, in addition to multiple pools and whirlpools. Other sundeck activities include mini-golf, shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, volleyball/basketball, and human-size chess. And, as part of NCL’s fleetwide Freestyle 2.0 program, onboard staff will now bring sunbathers chilled towels and spritz them with Evian misters on hot days. In addition, you’ll no longer be harassed by waiters hawking drinks. If you’re thirsty, put the flag on your lounger up, and someone will come over to take your order; if you’d rather be left in peace to snooze, put the flag down, and no one will bother you.

Poolside Dining: The Grill offers limited breakfast items and typical grilled lunch items, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken, as well as salads and desserts.

Ocean Village

Which Ships: Ocean Village and Ocean Village Two

Why: The ultra-casual line prides itself on giving British passengers a relaxed time at sea. Both ships have two pools on the top deck—one a family pool and the other an adults-only pool. Hot tubs are also available for a quick dip.

Distinctions: On its own website, Ocean Village says that it prides itself on having “larger pools” than many other ships. This may be true, but the pool deck area can still get very crowded (particularly on Ocean Village Two), since, when the sun comes out, the British like nothing better than lounging on sun beds. Ocean Village Two has a giant gantry for a weekly acrobatic deck show, which isn’t to be missed.

Poolside Dining: On both Ocean Village ships, La Luna offers free pizza all day, and by night, you can dine on Italian cuisine under the stars. Ocean Village Two also has an ice cream bar up on deck.

Disney Cruise Line

Which Ships: Disney Magic and Disney Wonder

Why: These sundecks are heaven for Disney lovers. You can even dip into a pool shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. Disney’s pool areas are great for kids, naturally, but also stylish enough for adults. In fact, I love that the three quite distinctive pool areas—which all occupy the same deck (you can easily walk from one to the other)—are targeted at specific demographics. The Mickey Pool is for young kids (it’s got a waterslide); the Goofy Pool, in the center, is for folks of all ages (and is the site for the majority of the musical entertainment); and the Quiet Cove is for mom and dad … no kids allowed.

Nooks and Crannies: The aforementioned Quiet Cove. Most passengers honor the no-kids rule.

Distinctions: The entertainment at the Goofy Pool is exuberant and fun—expect to meet up with icons Mickey and Minnie Mouse and, of course, Goofy himself. It’s the place to go for the tropical deck party, the sail-away party, ice-carving demos, and prize bingo.

Poolside Dining: For families, Pluto’s Dog House Snack Bar, adjacent to the Mickey Pool, and Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, by the Goofy Pool, are terrific alfresco options. Alas, parents seeking the peace of the Quiet Cove have two bars but must brave the frivolity of the family pool areas to get a bite to eat.

Fred. Olsen

Which Ship: Balmoral

Why: A recent refurbishment added a completely new main pool on Deck 11, so the ship now has two pool decks—the original on Deck 7 and the new top-of-ship area.

Distinctions: The top-deck pool, with its beautiful tiling, is one of the prettiest at sea. However, you’ve got to be a hard-core sun worshipper to appreciate its charms, as the lack of an extra sundeck above means no shade in this area. The Deck 7 pool is the more social pool—nice vibe, but the lounge chairs fill up fast. Both pool areas feature whirlpools, as well.

Poolside Dining: The Palms Cafe is located next to the Deck 7 pool area. The all-buffet restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, with the occasional theme night casual dinner, deck party BBQ, midnight buffet, or afternoon tea. It’s also the only venue to offer free coffee and tea around the clock.

P&O Cruises

Which Ship: Ventura

Why: The inclusion of Ventura, which launched in 2008 as the largest cruise ship ever built for the British market, is a no-brainer as it’s designed on the same platform as the Grand-class Princess ships I’ve already complimented.

Like its Princess cousins, the versatile Ventura has three pool areas. The Beachcomber has a sky dome so you can swim when the weather’s warm—and when it isn’t. This “main” pool also features hot tubs, bars, silly pool games, musical entertainment, and dining options, such as Marco’s Pizzeria. The Laguna Pool is a quieter setup, located aft, and the Terrace Pool—part of the ship’s spa, featuring swim-against-the-current technology—is located forward.

Nooks and Crannies: The cozy Laguna Pool is a hideaway.

Distinctions: The sliding glass roof over the main pool gives the ship lots more flexibility in seasons and itineraries—so that fun and games can go on, regardless of the temperature.

Poolside Dining: Among the options are Marco’s Pizzeria and Ice Cream, located adjacent to the Beachcomber. There’s also the Beach House restaurant, aimed at families, and the Waterside Food Court, the ship’s buffet venue.

NCL CRUISE NEWS

NCL’S BOOKING VOLUME UP DOUBLE DIGITS

Exceptional cruise value, job loss protection and travel partner initiatives contribute to company’s increased bookings

MIAMI – March 17, 2009 – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) saw its bookings rise 15 percent year over year through March 15, 2009. In addition, its new Groups 2.0 program, launched in December, saw a 288 percent increase in group staterooms blocked compared to the same time last year.

The company credits its successful Freestyle Resolution Sales Event that ended on March 15, Freestyle 2.0, Partnership 2.0 and strong travel partner support as several factors that have contributed to these increases. In addition, Norwegian recently launched its job loss protection plan, helping guests to book a stress-free future cruise despite uncertain economic times.

From January through early March, the company conducted weekly Executive Webinars with its travel partners, where senior executives discussed specific areas of the business and enhancements to its fleet, providing agents with insight and creative ways to sell its Freestyle Cruising vacations. More than 14,000 agents registered for these weekly sessions which were lauded by agents as providing them with the knowledge to sell Norwegian more.

“Our cruises represent a tremendous value during these challenging economic times,” said Andy Stuart, NCL’s executive vice president of global sales and passenger services. “We are encouraged by this double-digit growth and we want to thank our travel partners for their assistance in showing today’s wary consumers that they can still take an enjoyable and relaxing vacation on one of our 11 Freestyle Cruising ships and feel that they are getting great value for their money.”

book your next NCL Cruise with www.1Cheapcruise.com

Disney Cruise Lines – Kids 50 % off – *restrictions apply*

Lucky Ducks… Kids Sail For 50% Off ——————————————————————————–

It’s a ducky time for you to sail on Disney Cruise Line®! Kids 12 and under get 50% off prevailing cruise fares at time of booking.

Offer Details:

50% off kids 12 and under
3-, 4- and 7-night sailings
Most sail dates from April 11 through May 17, 2009
Two full-fare Guests in the same stateroom
Government Taxes and Fees not included
Booking code KHO
Onboard, you will discover something magical for every member of their crew with separate areas for kids, teens, adults and families. There’s even a day at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise. WWW.1CHEAPCRUISE.COM 866 773-2845

Cruise News 3/13

Sen. Kerry, Rep. Matsui Introduce Cruise Safety Bill
Published on: March 13, 2009

Rep. Doris Matsui, a Democrat from California, and Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, on March 12 introduced the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009. “We have now held two House hearings and one Senate hearing on crimes aboard cruise ships, and this legislation will ensure that those who have bravely stepped forward to tell their story will not have done so in vain,” Matsui said. “For far too long, American families have unknowingly been at risk when they have embarked on what should have been relaxing sea voyages.”
Matsui said one of her constituents, Laurie Dishman, wrote to her for help in April 2006. Dishman said she was the victim of a sexual assault while on a cruise, and that the ship or cruise line provided no assistance in properly securing evidence, identifying the attacker who was an employee of the cruise ship, or prosecuting the crime once back on shore. Matsui called for multiple hearings that brought key executives in the cruise industry to testify before Congress. Kerry took up the cause in the Senate, holding a hearing as well. “The term ‘duty-free’ does not apply to the safety of passengers — the industry needs to act responsibly. Cruise ships need to report crimes so that justice can be served and criminals can be held accountable,” Kerry said. “All crimes, regardless of a cruise ship’s shifting international jurisdiction, must be reported, investigated, or prosecuted.”

The Cruise Lines International Association released the following statement in response to the proposed legislation: “The safety and security of cruise line passengers is the top priority of CLIA-member cruise lines. Serious crime aboard cruise ships is very rare, however, even one incident is one too many. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to crime and have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to ensure that passengers are safe while enjoying their cruise vacation. The cruise line industry is required by law to report serious crimes if they occur. Additionally, the industry has an agreement with the FBI and U.S. Coast Guard to report all alleged crimes involving U.S. citizens while at sea. When an alleged crime is reported, highly trained security personnel of the cruise lines handle these situations with professionalism. Millions of passengers each year enjoy a cruise vacation, and while serious incidents are rare, we say again, one is one too many. In recent years, Congress has held numerous hearings on this matter. During those proceedings and still today, we remain committed to working with lawmakers to address this important issue. Cruise lines endeavor to make cruise ships safe and secure environments with 24-hour security personnel on duty who are trained to respond to a variety of emergencies or alleged crimes. Cruise ships are designed to comply with all federal and international passenger safety codes and regulations which maximize passenger safety and are subjected to oversight and inspection by U.S. federal agencies and others.”

Matsui said the bill is also supported by Reps. John Lewis of Georgia, Carolyn Maloney of New York and Ted Poe of Texas. The bill was reintroduced this year with additional language to prevent pirate attacks by enhancing and protecting vessel security zones. The bill incorporates the recommendations and priorities of the International Cruise Victims Association (ICV), a nonprofit organization that represents victims of crimes on cruise ships, as well as Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN).

Matsui said the legislation would mandate that guard rails reach 54 inches in height, and that entry doors of staterooms would have peep holes, security latches and time-sensitive key technology. Ship owners would be required to implement technology to detect when a passenger falls overboard. Procedures would be established to determine which crew members have access to staterooms and when. Ship owners would be required to equip their vessels with a sound warning system capable of communicating with other nearby vessels inside the surrounding security zone. The legislation would establish a reporting structure based on the current voluntary agreement in place between the cruise industry, the FBI, and the Coast Guard. Additionally, each ship would be required to maintain a log book which would record all deaths, missing individuals, alleged crimes, and passenger/crewmember complaints regarding theft, sexual harassment and assault. The log books would be available to FBI and Coast Guard electronically, as well as to any law enforcement officer upon request. Statistical information would be posted on a public website maintained by the Coast Guard.

Each ship would be required to maintain anti-retroviral medications and medications used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases after assault, as well as equipment and materials for performing a medical examination to determine if a victim has been raped. U.S.-licensed medical practitioners would be on every ship to perform the necessary examinations and to administer treatment. The legislation also would establish a program designed by the Coast Guard and the FBI, and certified by the administrator of the Maritime Administration, to train crewmembers in crime scene investigation. Each ship would be required to maintain one crewmember trained and certified under such a program. For more information, visit www.internationalcruisevictims.org, www.cruising.org or www.matsui.house.gov.

Seabourn Cruises

Book a European cruise aboard The Yachts of Seabourn with the extraordinary value of up to 65% savings. You will sail aboard an intimate yacht and enjoy all-suite accommodations, personalized service and an atmosphere of sophisticated ease. With special fares from just $2,840, it’s the perfect opportunity to experience the winner of the World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line*.

But hurry, the sale ends Monday, March 16th.**

Cote D’Azur & Spanish Isles • Seabourn Legend
JUN 20, 2009 • 7 days
Monte Carlo, Monaco to Barcelona, Spain
Special Fares from $2,840

Norwegian Fjords • Seabourn Pride
JUN 13 or JUL 30, 2009 • 9 days
Round-trip Copenhagen, Denmark
Special Fares from $3,999

The Yachtsman’s Riviera • Seabourn Legend
JUN 27, 2009 • 7 days
Barcelona, Spain to Monte Carlo, Monaco
Special Fares from $3,299

Corfu & Croatian Isles • Seabourn Spirit
JUN 27, 2009 • 7 days
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy to Venice, Italy
Special Fares from $3,299

Dalmatian Gems • Seabourn Spirit
JUL 4, 2009 • 7 days
Round-trip Venice, Italy
Special Fares from $3,299

Italian Idyll • Seabourn Spirit
JUL 11, 2009 • 7 days
Venice, Italy to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
Special Fares from $2,840

Scandinavia & Russia • Seabourn Pride
JUN 1 or JUN 22, 2009 • 12 days
Round-trip Copenhagen, Denmark
Special Fares from $4,999

Florence & Italian Yacht Havens• Seabourn Legend
JUL 4, 2009 • 7 days
Monte Carlo, Monaco to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
Special Fares from $3,299

Norway & The Midnight Sun • Seabourn Pride
JUL 4, 2009 • 14 days
Round-trip Copenhagen, Denmark
Special Fares from $5,499

Sardinia, Corsica & Cote D’Azur• Seabourn Legend
JUL 11, 2009 • 7 days
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy to Monte Carlo, Monaco
Special Fares from $2,840

Aegean Odyssey• Seabourn Odyssey
JUL 18, 2009 • 7 days
Istanbul, Turkey to Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Special Fares from $3,449

Greece & Dalmatian Delights• Seabourn Odyssey
JUL 25, 2009 • 7 days
Piraeus (Athens), Greece to Venice, Italy
Special Fares from $3,449

Disney Cruise News

Introducing Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy
Enchanting New Names for New Disney Cruise Line® Ships
We want you to be among the first to know that our two new cruise ships now have names – Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, announced the official names today at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Oakland, Calif.

Like the Disney Magic® and Disney Wonder® Cruise Ships before them, the names of the two newest ships in our fleet were chosen with care to celebrate Disney’s unique heritage – creating incredible worlds of fantasy where your Clients’ dreams really do come true.

MSC Cruises ** Upgrade Deal **

Book now. Pay the best fare. Get the best room.
Dan, don’t miss your chance to explore Europe’s most beautiful destinations at a very attractive price. Special fares start from just $1,249* for eleven nights. Book early for the opportunity to get upgraded to the best available stateroom in your category at the lowest possible fare, con i nostri complimenti – with our compliments.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s – EPIC -

NORWEGIAN EPIC’S PROFILE REVEALED

MIAMI – March 3, 2009 – Norwegian Cruise Line today unveiled the first images of its new 153,000-gross ton, 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company’s largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date. Currently under construction at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France, the contemporary, balcony-rich, 19-deck ship will be 1,068 feet long, 133 feet wide, with a draft of 28.5 feet when completed in May 2010.

NCL will open Norwegian Epic’s sailings for group block bookings exclusively for travel partners later this month. Cruises are scheduled to go on sale to the public this spring.

NCL plans to unveil additional details about Norwegian Epic, including the line’s signature hull artwork, in the coming months. To view renderings and register for news, visit http://epic.ncl.com.