Holland America Line’s flagship cruise ship will sail to Alaska for the first time in 2010.
The MS Rotterdam will sail 18 voyages to the American state from its home port in Seattle next year.
The seven-night Alaskan Explorer trips will visit a number of sites around Alaska, including the majestic Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. First mapped in 1895, Hubbard Glacier’s huge open face is more than five miles wide and actively calves icebergs as large as 10-story buildings.
The MS Rotterdam will also call at the ports of Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, and Victoria in British Columbia, as well as sailing the scenic cruising of the Inside Passage and Vancouver Island.
Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president of marketing at Holland America Line, said: “Next May the Rotterdam will have Holland America’s latest Signature of Excellence enhancements, including a new category of lanai staterooms.
“These and the ship’s verandah suites increase guests’ opportunities for viewing Hubbard Glacier and Inside Passage as they cruise.”
The MS Rotterdam will sail her first Alaskan Explorer voyage from Seattle on 15th May 2010, right through to September.
Ref: HSLP0101AA58
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cruise Ships, Cruises, tourism, travel
Royal Caribbean International is now the proud owner of the world’s largest ever cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas.
The American cruise line took delivery of the vessel from STX Europe during a short ceremony at their shipyard in Turku, Finland this morning (28/10). She will be joined by her sister ship the Allure of the Seas, which is still under construction at the shipyard, in November 2010.
The Oasis of the Seas is the biggest cruise liner the world has ever seen, and the most anticipated ship in cruise history. The 225,000-ton ship can accommodate 6360 passengers and 2100 crew members over 16 decks. She is also the world’s most expensive ship, costing a massive £900million to build.
The ship boasts a range of innovative facilities, the likes of which have never been seen at sea before. From the 500-seater Aqua Theater and the bar that “floats” between three decks, to the Boardwalk and Central Park ‘neighbourhoods’ and the vast Royal Promenade, the Oasis of the Seas breaks new ground in modern sailing.
Not only is she the biggest ship in the world, but the Oasis of the Seas can also attract the biggest stars. Top music artist Rihanna is set to be the first performer to take to the Aqua Theater stage for a special concert during the ship’s three-day preview cruise on 19th November.
The Oasis of the Seas will depart Turku on Friday and head across the Atlantic to the United States, where she will dock at her home port in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on 11th November. Her official naming ceremony will take place on 30th November, . Then she will depart on her inaugural cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on 5th December.
Ref: HSLP0101AA56
Filed under: awards, tourism, travel | Tags: Alfa Travel, coach holidays, couach tours, europe, holidays, travel, uk, uk holidays
Alfa Travel has been shortlisted for a prize at the 2010 Globe Travel Awards.
The Chorley-based coach company is nominated for the Best Coach Operator award at the prestigious ceremony, to be held in January next year.
Alfa Travel is one of the UK’s fastest-growing coach holiday companies, providing trips to a host of popular destinations in Britain and Western Europe. It is the first time the company has received a nomination for a Globe Travel award.
Michaela Boardman, marketing manager at Alfa Travel, said: “We at Alfa Travel are especially proud to be nominated for the Globes given that the nominations are made by our valued travel trade partners. This has been a tough trading year for the industry, but together with support from hardworking agents out there on the front line, we’ve managed to buck the overall trend and see significant increases this year.”
The Globe Travel Awards, run in conjunction with Travel Weekly magazine, recognises the very best of the travel industry. It is one of few awards ceremonies where the winners are voted for solely by travel agents.
There are over 40 categories in the Globe Travel Awards, from Best Cruise Company to Best Travel Website.
Martin Couzins, managing editor of Travel Weekly, said: “Winning a Globe award is a crucial badge of trust and confidence for the winning companies. Both travel agents and their customers have spoken, meaning winners of our Globe Travel Awards really can claim to be the best in their fields.”
A voting supplement will be included in the November issue of Travel Weekly, and agents will have until 11thDecember to vote for their favourite shortlisted companies.
The winners will be announced at the Globe Travel Awards, held at Grosvenor House in London, on 19th January 2010.
For more information on Alfa Travel, or to request a 2010 brochure, visit the Alfa Travel website.
Ref: HSLP0101AA55
Holland America Line has launched a sneak preview of its newest cruise ship on its official website.
The MS Nieuw Amsterdam is Holland America’s second biggest ship to date, will join the cruise line’s fleet in July. It will be the fourth ship in Holland America’s 135-year history to bear the famous Nieuw Amsterdam name, which is the former name of New York City in the United States.
The preview micro-site, located at Holland America’s official website (http://www.hollandamerica.co.uk/), features photographs and video tours of the new 2104-passenger liner, allowing prospective passengers to properly explore the ship before its official launch next year.
The Nieuw Amsterdam boasts an array of innovative facilities, including a cyber coffee house powered by the New York Times, cooking workshops and demonstrations provided by professional chefs in the Culinary Arts Centre, and the largest onboard gymnasium ever built for a Holland America ship.
Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line, said: “Nieuw Amsterdam reaffirms our commitment to the mid-sized cruise ship market. This name has a rich heritage in our company, and we are proud to extend this illustrious ship name to our current fleet.”
The 80,000-ton ship is currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. It will be delivered to Holland America in mid-2010.
Nieuw Amsterdam’s inaugural cruise will depart from Venice on a 10-day voyage on 4th July 2010. Then, after a host of Mediterranean voyages, Holland America’s 15th ship will cross the Atlantic in the autumn, and head to the Caribbean where she will spend the winter season.
Ref: HSLP0101AA54
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cruise Ships, Cruises, tourism, travel
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship has had to delay its voyage by 24 hours due to bad weather off the eastern coast of Spain.
The Brilliance of the Seas was due to dock in Barcelona on Sunday (25/10) after a 12-night Western Mediterranean cruise, but was unable to due to strong winds and high seas in the Mediterranean, and instead had to spend an extra day at sea.
The 12-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise that was due to begin on Sunday will now set sail a day later on Monday (26/10).
Royal Caribbean has rebooked return flights for all passengers who booked an air/sea package with the company, and will offer independent travellers a reimbursement of up to £120 for any flight change fees. Telephone and internet usage onboard was provided free of charge on Sunday in order to assist passengers with rearranging their travel commitments.
Passengers due to board the ship on Sunday for the Eastern Mediterranean cruise were put up in a hotel for the night, at Royal Caribbean’s expense. Transfers from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the cruise terminal on Monday, were also provided by the cruise line. Passengers will be given onboard credit of up to £250 per cabin, based on category booked.
Because of the delayed departure the Brilliance of the Seas will be unable to visit its first two ports of call, Villefranche in France and Livorno in Italy. The revised itinerary includes visits to Rome, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Santorini, Athens and Naples before returning to Barcelona.
Carnival has stated that its Carnival Dream ship was also unable to call at Barcelona on Sunday due to the adverse weather conditions. The ship instead spent the day at sea, and the rest of its cruise was not impacted in any way.
Ref: HSLP0101AA52
Filed under: retail | Tags: clothing, musto, performance clothing, retail, sailing, sailing clothing
As the world’s leading provider of sailing clothing, it is no surprise that Musto is the number one choice for some of the biggest names in the sport. Here’s an update on just some of the competitors who are using Musto equipment this week;
Miranda Merron and Peter Harding are currently holding ninth place in the Solidaire du Chocloat on their new Class 40 boat 40 Degrees. The British pair are battling the elements in this race, and will be relying on their Musto clothing to protect them against the rough waves. Miranda said: “Naturally, we are yet again gently slamming into waves, upwind to the next low. The Musto drysuit remains in use for the forseeable future.”
Also wearing Musto is the young Brit Ollie Bond, who came tenth in Leg 1 of the Mini Transat Series from La Rochelle to Madeira. Bond is currently en route to Brazil as Leg 2 of the race takes him across the testing waters of the Atlantic. Meanwhile in the Proto class, Matt Trautman is sailing in tenth place in his Musto gear.
Mike Slade and the crew of ICAP Leopard have just won line honours in the 2009 Rolex Middle Sea Race, completing the 600-mile course around Sicily in just over two days. Having already finished first in the Rolex Fastnet Race, she will now head to Australia in search of a classic sailing treble that concludes with the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. Britain’s Alegre, also in Musto, was confirmed the overall winner of the race on handicap.
And finally, Musto has recently resigned as the Official Clothing Partner of the Portimao Global Ocean Race. Josh Hall, solo round the world sailor and Race Director of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, has had a long relationship with the company. He said: “I wore Musto gear throughout my offshore sailing career and Musto were an enthusiastic partner of our first event, so we are extremely pleased to have them onboard for the second edition of what is truly shaping into a modern classic.”
The latest entry into the race, President of Class 40 Jacques Fournier, will be utilising a large selection of Musto equipment along with his co-skipper.
For more information about the Musto brand and its product range, visit the Musto website.
Ref: HSLP0101AA49
P&O Cruises are appealing to passengers to donate mementoes from past voyages for display on their newest ship.
The Azura will be launched next April, and the cruise line want to mark her maiden journey by showcasing a host of souvenirs and memorabilia collected by previous passengers over the years.
P&O will take the items on loan from the donating passengers, and each one will be credited in the display with the owner’s name in a glass case.
Established in 1837, P&O is Britain’s oldest running cruise line and currently has a fleet of seven ships, which will be increased with the introduction of the Azura next year. After the Azura’s maiden season, the collection will be shared between all of P&O’s ships to display.
P&O Cruises’ Managing Director Carol Marlow said: “Our ships have played a significant part in the shaping of the cruise industry and I am sure that this collection will evoke many memories of cruises past. The launch of Azura seemed a fitting time to celebrate our heritage by exhibiting memorabilia and works of art associated with our fleet.
“I am sure that many people have items of historical importance and sentimental relevance which we would love to share with our passengers and have on loan for Azura’s maiden season.”
Cruise Line Royal Caribbean has announced the three finalists of its “Reporter at Sea” competition.
The cruise line asked members of the public to film a 45-second video and state why they should win the once in a lifetime opportunity to sail on the Oasis of the Seas’ first voyage. All entries were judged by a specially selected panel, and narrowed down to three finalists.
The eventual winner of the competition will travel on the inaugural cruise of the soon-to-be-launched Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest ever cruise ship, reporting their experiences for the Royal Caribbean website.
The competition was open to residents of the USA, the UK, Canada, Germany and Mexico. Each country is holding its own competition, with three finalists chosen from every one.
The Oasis of the Seas is the biggest, most innovative cruise liner the world has ever seen. Holding over 5600 passengers, it cost £900million to build and boasts a range of innovative features. From the 500-seater AquaTheater and the bar that “floats” between three decks, to the open-air park area and the two-storey “loft suite” cabins, the Oasis of the Seas breaks new ground in modern sailing.
The three British finalists can be viewed and voted for on the Reporter at Sea website (http://contestuk.oasisoftheseas.com). Online voting will be open until this Sunday (25/10). The overall winner will be announced on 4th November.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cruise Ships, Cruises, tourism, travel
The Ocean Village ship Ocean Village Two will depart on its last voyage tomorrow (22/10).
The ship will sail from its summer home in Crete for a 23-day cruise to Singapore, where it will dry dock before emerging as the Pacific Jewel.
The vessel will start its new life as the Pacific Jewel from December, sailing out of Sydney for P&O Cruises Australia. The original Ocean Village ship will be joining its stable mate down under next year, sailing under the name of Pacific Pearl.
Carnival Corporation, which owns both the Ocean Village and P&O Cruises lines, announced last year that it would be phasing out the Ocean Village brand and passing its ships onto P&O Cruises Australia. The surprising announcement came just 18 months after the Ocean Village Two was launched in April 2007.
Ocean Village is renowned for making cruising more accessible to holidaymakers with its dress-down style, contemporary entertainment and casual dining. Gill Haynes, head of communications for Ocean Village, said: “Ocean Village has enabled us to take people to sea who never thought they would enjoy a good holiday on a ship.”
The Ocean Village Two’s last voyage will visit Egypt, Oman, Dubai, India and Malaysia before docking in Singapore. On board entertainment will be provided by a wealth of tribute acts including Robbie Williams, Cher, Elton John and the Bee Gees. TV chef James Martin will board the ship in Dubai and provide a number of cooking demos in the Bistro. The ship’s popular circus show on deck will also be running; the show is so popular that P&O Cruises will be keeping the rig attached to the ship and providing circus shows of its own.
All in all, the OV2’s final cruise is set to be a memorable one.
The Queen Mary 2 has sailed into Liverpool as part of its fifth anniversary UK tour.
The Cunard liner, one of the world’s largest ever passenger ships, docked at the Liverpool Cruise Liner Terminal this morning (20/10).
The visit sees Cunard return to its spiritual home; the cruise line was founded in Liverpool in 1839, and its offices were based there for more than 130 years. The QM2 will spend around ten hours berthed at the city.
Queen Mary 2 is currently sailing around Britain to commemorate its fifth year of operation. The tour is a complete sell-out, with around 2600 passengers currently on board. Around a hundred passengers will be disembarking at Liverpool, with another hundred embarking for calls to Cobh and Southampton.
Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, said of the QM2’s visit: “This is going to be a historic occasion for both the city and the Mersey. She is the largest cruise vessel ever to visit and is bound to cause a huge amount of interest and excitement.
“I am sure her passengers will have a wonderful time in Liverpool and the visit will be one of the highlights of her birthday tour.”
Ref: HSLP0101AA46
