CRUISE NEWS

New luxury cruise ship christened in regal style

Holland America’s newest and largest ship, the Eurodam, above, features private poolside cabanas and soothing touches such as the spa staterooms’ water fountain.

ABOARD THE EURODAM–It's only fitting that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands christened Holland America Line's (HAL) newest and largest ship, the Eurodam, in an elegant ceremony in Rotterdam on July 1.

The 2,104-passenger ship is upscale and sophisticated in amenities, dining and décor.

More than 2,000 dignitaries and celebrities attended the naming event – the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle across the ship's bow. Now that HAL's 14th ship is in full service, passengers will enjoy similar VIP treatment aboard this fancy ship, in keeping with its inaugural.

Of the 1,052 cabins, the Eurodam boasts 56 luxury, spa-inspired staterooms; top deck, private cabanas overlooking the pool; elegant dine-anytime restaurants; and impressive artwork, artifacts and ship models that commemorate the Dutch Golden Age.

Located near the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, the spa staterooms have a nature theme with walls of Earth-tone hues and bright green accent colours.

The tranquil atmosphere is set with a water décor accessory to provide soothing sounds.

Amenities include an invigorating showerhead, loofah mitt, aromatherapy bath salts and cotton bathrobes.

An iPod docking station, yoga mat, pedometer, fitness DVD and fruit trays keep you motivated to make healthy choices.

Exclusive spa stateroom-only packages include the Body of Indulgence treatments offering a hot stone massage and facial for $256. The Skin Renewal package includes facial rejuvenation acupuncture for $289.

His Sanctuary package features a grooming treatment, shave and deep tissue massage for $189 and Bliss for Two provides couple's massages for $242. (All prices in U.S. dollars.)


For outdoor relaxation, passengers who want the comfort of their own private haven will enjoy one of the tented cabanas on the Observation and Lido decks around the mid-ship pool.

Furnished with modern woven chaises, ottomans and upholstered settees for up to four people, all cabanas come stocked with bathrobes and plush towels.

Guests can look forward to iced fruit skewers mid-morning and frozen grapes, chocolate-covered strawberries and a glass of champagne in the afternoon.

The cabanas can be rented for the day or the entire cruise for $30 to $75 depending on the size.

HAL's As You Wish dining program allows passengers to choose when they want to eat.

In addition to the luxurious Rembrandt dining room, Lido buffet, terrace grill, pizzeria and 24-hour room service, you can enjoy the reservations-only Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind and Canaletto specialty restaurants.

A surcharge of $15 to $30 per person applies. These intimate restaurants seat about 70 to 140 people.

The onboard Culinary Arts Center (a fleet-wide initiative) provides guests with an opportunity to experience demonstrations and seminars conducted by top chefs, wine experts and leading cookbook authors provided by Food & Wine magazine.

Resembling the elaborate show kitchens used by celebrity chefs on TV cooking programs, the theatre-style venue has large, plasma video screens to display overhead and close-up video views of the food preparation.

Guests learn new cooking techniques and dishes at a large cooking display counter. Cooking classes are offered at a minimal charge of $29 per person, with 12 people in a class.

Passengers can also attend seminars at the Microsoft Digital Workshop.

Experts teach even the most novice camera or computer user how to take better vacation photos, make movies, edit pictures and create scrapbooks.

Guests learn how to share their digital memories through email, blogging and social networking so friends and family can see where they've visited.

The Eurodam also features more than 10 bars and lounges, a disco, casino, 890-seat theatre for Broadway-style shows and Club HAL kids centre with more than 20 computers and TVs.

The ship's retractable dome over the mid-ship pool makes lounging or relaxing in the pool or hot tubs enjoyable – even if it's raining.

The ship sails Canada and New England voyages in the fall, followed by Caribbean itineraries throughout 2008.

7/17/08 - Carnival to Expand Popular 'Seaside Theatre' Concept to Five Additional 'Fun Ships'

“Carnival’s Seaside Theatres” -- jumbo-sized LED screens currently featured poolside on five Carnival “Fun Ships,” including the new 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor which debuted earlier this month – will be expanded to an additional five vessels over the next year.

The massive 270-square-foot screens display a variety of programming, including movies, concerts, news, sporting events and the entertaining “Morning Shows” which are hosted by the ships’ respective cruise directors. Additionally, during Carnival’s lively deck parties, music videos, along with live shots of the band and party guests, are displayed.

The first “Seaside Theatre” debuted aboard the 110,000-ton Carnival Liberty in 2005 and the concept proved so popular with guests that the facilities have been incorporated into all of the line’s subsequent new ship projects, including the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream currently under construction and set to debut Sept. 12, 2009.

The 101,000-ton Carnival Destiny and 102,000-ton Carnival Triumph will also be retrofitted with “Seaside Theatres” during scheduled dry docks later this year with the 110,000-ton Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory set to receive the screens next year.

“The ‘Seaside Theatre’ concept has resonated very positively with guests, providing a fun and interesting outdoor diversion that is enjoyed both during daytime and nighttime hours,” said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival’s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience. “In addition to popular movies and major sporting events, our shipboard staff has made maximum use of the ‘Seaside Theatres,’ broadcasting custom-designed programming such as the engaging Morning Shows which have been a tremendous hit with guests,” he added.

The 12-foot-high by 22-foot-wide screens utilize the same technology featured in large stadiums and New York’s Times Square and can be seen during both the day and evening hours. In addition to superior picture quality, the state-of-the-art entertainment system includes a 70,000-watt sound system, providing concert quality sound, even outdoors.

Carnival is the world’s largest and most popular cruise line, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe and South America.

The line currently has two 130,000-ton ships on order – the Carnival Dream set to debut September 12, 2009, and the Carnival Magic, scheduled to enter service in June 2011.

Norwegian Sky Returns To Miami, Sailing Three, Four-Day Bahamas Cruises



Miami - Jul 7, 2008 ---

Today, Norwegian Sky returns to Miami and will begin sailing three and four-day Bahamas cruises next Monday, July 14, 2008. The ship recently underwent a two-month wet dock in Freeport, Bahamas and now features a casino and NCL's Freestyle 2.0 enhancements*, the company's fleet-wide initiative to further improve the guest experience across all guest touch points from food and beverage to staterooms.

"Norwegian Sky offers guests the youngest and highest quality ship sailing three and four-day cruises from Miami to the Bahamas," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "On Norwegian Sky, guests will find all that Freestyle Cruising has to offer: a variety of accommodations, including balconies and suites, a choice of seven restaurants, a multitude of on-board amenities and our new Freestyle 2.0 enhancements, such as a bubbly welcome, Lobster Galore, new linens and bedding, themed parties and much more."

Norwegian Sky's first Bahamas cruise departs Miami next Monday and the ship is set to sail four-day Bahamas cruises on Mondays with full-day stops in Grand Bahama Island, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. On Fridays, the ship sails 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. Fares are from $219 per person for an inside stateroom and from $329 per person for a balcony stateroom. Sailings are currently scheduled through April 17, 2009.

Cruise ship cabins get super-sized

MICHEL VERDURE PHOTO COURTESY OF NCL

The nine-metre rock-climbing wall is a popular attraction for the adventurous travellers on the Norwegian Gem.

Visit Spain, Italy and France and stay in a villa with a private rooftop courtyard and plunge pool ... on a cruise ship. 

The new 2,394-passenger Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Gem ship has 4,390-square-foot staterooms called Garden Villas that takes the idea of cabins to a whole new level of cruise industry one-upmanship.

Each villa has three bedrooms and bathrooms, living and dining room, whirlpool, wet bar and steam room. The shared courtyard and pool is surrounded by luxurious patio furniture and lush, potted plants.

The villas satisfy the increasing popularity for multi-generation family travel, reunions, or simply a dozen friends who want to cruise together and share their own private space.

But if a Garden Villa is too much cabin for you, there are 1,195 other cabins on board ranging from 143 to 928 square feet with and without balconies. Many are also interconnecting.

The villa and private courtyard idea isn't the only new wave of cruise thinking on the Gem. NCL's new Freestyle 2.0 program (which will expand to their other ships) allows you to dine in any of the 10 restaurants whenever you want.

Book dinner reservations or just show up. TV screens throughout the ship tell you where tables are available, using a fuel-gauge type image ranging from empty to full.

The main dining rooms seat 304 to 558 guests.

Choose from a table for two to 10 depending on how sociable you're feeling.

Or dine at one of the specialty restaurants (for an extra $15 to $20 per person) for upscale cuisine from French to Japanese.

Specialty restaurants seat 34 to 160 guests.

If you don't have a reservation and a table isn't available immediately, you'll be given a pager so that you can have a cocktail at one of the 10 bars and lounges while you wait.

For activities, Type A cruise passengers will find about 175 things to do (listed in the daily newsletter) and Type Bs will find 900 deck chairs by the pools.

When you're thirsty, order five beers and you'll get one free, brought to you in a bucket of ice that looks like a football helmet. Waiters also hand out cold, wet face towels and carry around spray bottles to spritz you when it's hot.

If you're feeling adventurous, try rock climbing on the nine-metre wall, or play basketball, volleyball and hit golf balls in special netted areas.

There's also a four-lane, 10-pin bowling alley in the Bliss Lounge. All gutter balls are blamed on the ocean's waves.

Swimmers and soakers will love the two pools – one is for adults only and has a waterfall.

The kids' pool has an enclosed spiral slide. There are four hot tubs; two are adults only.

Children have daily programs of games and activities designed specially for their age. The Tree Top Kids' Club has a rain forest theme and climbing gym.

The Leopard Lounge and video arcade are the hip, hot spots for teens and stocked with the latest electronics.

For those passengers who want to still fit in their jeans by the end of their cruise, the gym is fully equipped.

The nearby spa features 18 treatment rooms, some designed for couples, as well as its own hot tub, mini-pool and lounge.

Evening activities include entertainment such as the hilarious Second City comedy troupe, as well as NCL's own Broadway-style dancers, singers and musicians who perform in the 1,042-seat show lounge. Other bars and lounges showcase the talent of performers ranging from musicians to magicians.