|
New ships, both large and small, await to sail the world. Ask our Cruise Specialists to assist you with more information and reservations! Blazing New Cruise Paths Cruise Lines Help Passengers Stay
Connected "Unique Ocean Voyages" is a fitting motto for VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY, the company that in late June changed its name from Discovery World Cruises. The company's 650-passenger Discovery is the only vessel to combine the Galapagos Islands with South America ports, and even with Antarctica, South Pacific explorations stringing together to the seldom visited Pitcarin, Easter and Robinson Crusoe Islands. On the other side of the globe, Black Sea voyages are peppered with such exotic ports as Batumi, Georgia; Seveastapol, Ukraine; Nesebur, Bulgaria; and Constanza, Romania. Next spring, Voyages of Discovery will expand its bounty of destinations by adding a second ship. The company has arranged a long-term charter of the the 394-passenger Explorer II for the mer w3qwon, 3nqbling new routes in southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Canadian Arctic and along the U.S. Eastern Seab oard. The vessek wukk cibtubye ti ioerate ub Antarctica fir Abercrombie & Kent during the balance of the year. But it's not just the itineraries that set Voyages of Discovery apart. Most cruises are packaged with optional pre- and post-cruise hotel stays, which is a good value. A 23-night Chile, Easter Island and Machu Picchu package, for example stats at $4495, including two pre-cruise nights in Santiago, Chile; three post-cruise nightgs in Lima, Peru and two nights in Cuzco with a train trip to Machu Picchu. Also distinct is the 20,000-ton ship itself. It's one of the few smaller traditional vessels left in the marketplace. It's like a comfortable old slipper, when you consider its size and style. U.S. Ports of the Future Long
Beach, California On April 14, 2003, Carnival Cruise Lines' Ecstasy became the first ship to sail from the new $40-million LONG BEACH CRUISE TERMINAL ong Beach Cruise Terminal at the Queen Mary. The Long Beach facility was "the first in the U.S. to be built by a cruise operator," according to Carnival president and CEO Bob Dickinson, and at the time it opened was "among the most technically advanced cruise facilities in the world, setting new standards in terms of convenience, efficiency and spaciousness." The facility is indeed beyond anything a cruise line has ever built onshore: A single berth measuring 1,100 feet can accommodate the most massive megaships. A 30,000-square-foot terminal an embarkation facility takes up nearly half the existing Geodesic Dome, once used to house Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" seaplane. The nearby parking garage has spaces for 1,450 cars. Passengers not parking have their own drop-off area - with separate areas for cars, buses and taxis. Checked luggage is screened and then carried to the ship by way of a tram system. As its name suggests, the terminal is located adjacent to the Queen Mary Hotel and attraction, the 1936-built ocean liner that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Passengers sailing from Long Beach can book one- to three-night pre- and post-cruise hotel packages at the Queen Mary. Brooklyn,
New York The arrival of the Queen Mary 2 in New York may provide the impetus to build a new cruse terminal on the BROOKLYN waterfront, according to Gary Lewi, spokesman for the Carnival Corporation-sponsored New York Cruise Alliance." The objective would be to create an environment that would welcome the Queen Mary 2 in New York harbor in a state-of-the art facility that ranges from enclosed parking for guests to a pier that can accommodate her entire length," he says. "It is clear that a ship of this level of excellence requires a berth that matches what she will be representing in ocean travel." The proposal has received a "favorable response," Lewi says, from the Brooklyn community, the Brooklyn Borough President's office and from members of the New York delegation to Congress. The process, he cautions, is only at the beginning, but Lewi expressed confidence that the project would com to fruition at some time in the near future. "I think there is a recognition that the cruise ship industry has become a vital and integral part of the region's economy." The ramifications, he says, are much bigger than the QM2. "It's about an industry that serves one of the most important tourism destinations in the United States" Meanwhile, other cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean International continue to encourage the New York City Economic Development Corporation to redevelop and improve the aging cruise terminals on the Hudson River, which in 2004 will welcome two of the world's largest cruise ships. Besides the QM2, New York will host RCI's Voyager of the Seas for a series of Canada cruises. Says Adam Goldstein, RCI's executive vice president for brand operations, "We've been pressing them hard to ensure that Voyager has the best turnaround experience possible." Port
of Seattle While the cruise lines themselves have become instrumental in building new terminals, some homeports have built facilities with public or private money to attract cruise business - and the revenue it generates. Seattle, Washington 'The Emerald City' has opened not one but two new cruise piers since 2000. As a result, Seattle has seen a quantum leap in its share of cruise passengers - the number has grown from 119,000 in 2000 to an estimated 500,000 in 2004, predicts Tino Salud, general manager/cruise for the PORT OF SEATTLE. Most of these people are heading to Alaska, and be embarking in Seattle, they avoid the tree-hour bus ride to Vancouver or the need to pass through Canadian customs and immigration if flying directly into Vancouver. Passengers sailing from Seattle have the additional benefit of exploring 'The Emerald City' in a hotel package before or after their cruise. Depending on the cruise line, they may also choose a Pacific Northwest tour combining Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria. Another option for some is an extended vacation through the Canadian Rockies. Norfolk,
Virginia Not normally considered a big cruise gateway, the East Coast city of NORFOLK has seen a sizable increase in passengers since the advent of various homeland-cruising programs. In 2003 alone, the city expected to host 34 cruise ships and 50,000 passengers who would pump $3.6 million of direct revenue into the local economy. In 2004, the city projected 114,000 passengers and 60 calls, according to Stephen Kirkland, manager of cruise operations and marketing for the city of Norfolk. As embarkations continue to grow, the city has constructed a new passenger terminal at an estimated cost of $36 million. Currently, the city has no dedicated facility. Instead, passengers pass through the Nauticus waterfront museum, to a covered pavilion and then proceed through security and on to the gangway. "The new terminal is expected to have two levels and about 80,000 square feet. sitting between Town Point Park and Nauticus, The National Maritime Center on Waterside Drive, made of corrugated steel and glass and is scheduled to open in March 2007. The city is spending another $5 million to renovate surrounding piers and Town Point Park. Unlike many other terminals, the Norfolk facility will be dedicated to cruises and won't handle cargo. Next year, two cruise lines will sail from Norfolk - Royal Caribbean International and Carnival. Royal Caribbean will cruise to Bermuda and Carnival to the Bahamas. "It's going to be extraordinary," said Stehen Kirkland, Norfolk's manager of cruise operations and marketing. "It's significant news for us that our first year of service we will be hosting the world's largest cruise line{Carnival} and second largest {Royal Caribbean}. That says something." 2008 June 1, 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Victory 6 Day Bahamas June 7, 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Victory 2 Night Cruise-to-Nowhere June 13, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 6 Night New England & Canada June 26, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 9 Night Eastern Caribbean July 5, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 5 Night Bermuda July 10, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 9 Night Eastern Caribbean July 24, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 9 Night Eastern Caribbean August 2, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 5 Night Bermuda August 7, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 9 Night new England & Canada August 16, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 5 Night Bermuda August 21, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 9 Night Eastern Caribbean August 30, 3008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 5 Night Bermuda September 4, 2008 Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas 8 Night New England & Canada October 5, 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Victory 6 Day Bahamas October 11, 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Victory 2 Night Cruise-to-Nowhere October 13, 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Victory 6 Day Bahamas Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania Since 1998, the Delaware River Port Authority has spent $15 million to upgrade its cruise facilities. About half, $8 million, went toward creating a new passenger terminal from an old naval building built in 1874. The rest, about $7 million, paid for an offsite luggage center, a hydraulic passenger gangway, new bumpers for the pier, and other improvements. The size of the investment reflects the city's potential as a homeport, according to Melissa Grimm, director of the port of Philadelphia. An estimated 66 million consumers live within a five-and-a-half hour drive, she says, amounting to roughly a quarter of the United States population. Whittier,
Alaska Whittier was the original turnaround point for Gulf of Alaska cruises, but all the big ships left in the early 1990s after the city passed one of Alaska's first head taxes on cruise passengers. In 2994, Princess Cruises will lead the charge back to this Prince William Sound community, which is 65 miles from Anchorage - half the distance of Seward, where most Gulf cruises begin or end. This proximity to Anchorage "will allow Princess passengers greater flexibility with arrival and departure flights and will make connections quicker and more convenient." the line says. Facilities on-site in Whittier will include a 20,000-square-foot terminal and a floating dock. Passengers transferring between Whittier and Anchorage have the unique opportunity to pass through the Anton Anderson Tunnel, blasted through the Chugach Mountains during World War II, and to drive along the Seward Highway, a federally designated scenic route that shadows Turnagain Arm, known among other things for its bore tide and seasonal migration of white beluga whales. (See photo above.) Alaska is the one of two other port development projects, both designed to enhance the visitor experience. At ICY STRAIT POINT, a historic cannery is the centerpiece of Alaska's first private-island-style destination. Attractions include a cultural center and excursions into the surrounding wilderness. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises become the first lines to call here when the port opens this spring. Meanwhile, in KETCHIKAN the city council is moving forward with plans to create seven new berths, including six 1,000-foot-docks for big ships and one smaller pier for yachtlike ships. No terminal is envisioned, but a staging area for motorcoaches is included in the master plan, which would ease the flow of passenger filing into buses for local shore excursions. Best of all, the new docking arrangement would eliminate the need for some ships to drop anchor in the harbor, a true improvement, most anyone would agree, over the time-consuming nuisance of having to travel back and forth by tender. Cruise Lines Help Passengers Stay
Connected Cruise lines are working to meet passengers' increasing need for communications services at sea. Virtually all of the major cruise companies offering Internet connectivity, as well as long-distance telephone and fax services. The choice of whether, how, and how much to stay connected with home or business is up to each guest. For those who want to accept and send messages on a continual,instantaneous basis, the option is there: for those who truly want to 'disconnect', they never need go near a phone, fax, or computer. CELEBRITY CRUISES' Millennium and Infinity have Internet cafes equipped with Connect@Sea, enabling connectivity in staterooms for guests who bring laptops. CRYSTAL CRUISES features the Computer University@Sea program on the Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, featuring 24-hour E-mail, Internet access and computer instruction. Every stateroom and penthouse is also wired for Internet access. CUNARD LINE also offers instruction. E-mail and Internet access on both the QE2 and Caronia. DISNEY CRUISE LINE has venues specifically designed for different age groups. Passengers receive shipboard E-mail accounts and can send 15-second personalized video E-mails. FIRST EUROPEAN CRUISES has an Internet cafe on its European Vision. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE has 24-hour Internet centers with E-mail and computer games fleetwide. Holland America Line newbuilds will feature Internet/E-mail dataports in staterooms, as well as computer learning facilities. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE has 24-hour Internet cafes fleetwide. The Norwegian Sky and the Norwegian Sun have in-stateroom connections, as will all NCL newbuilds - Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn. ORIENT LINES has Internet centers on both the Marco Polo and Crown Odyssey. Passengers receive personalized shipboard E-mail addresses. PRINCESS CRUISES debuted the AOL Internet Cafe at Sea program with the Golden Princess. Similar facilities will be installed fleetwide in the future. RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES offers an Internet cafe and computer instruction on the Seven Seas Mariner; E-mail capabilities are available on the Seven Seas Navigator, Radisson Diamond, Paul Gauguin and Song of Flower. ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL has multi-lingual Internet Cafe and E-mail service on select ships; newbuilds also provide in-cabin Internet ports for guests traveling with laptops; guest can pre-book shore excursions via the Internet Cafe. SEABOURN CRUISE LINE has Computer Learning Centers and Internet services on the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Spirit. Now, Seabourn's Pride, Spirit and Legend yachts are being equipped with Wi-Fi accessibility throughout, enabling passenger to log on to the Internet without plugging in from guest suites and most public areas on the ships. SILVERSEA CRUISES' Internet centers offer 24-hour access to E-mail and the Web; Bloomberg Professional Service terminals provide links to global financial and market news. WINDSTAR CRUISES has 24-hour E-mail capabilities on all ships; Internet center featuring video mail on the Wind Surf. Families Afloat CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES:The 'Fun Ships' feature play areas with spin-and sand-art machines, video walls for movies and cartoons and at least three swimming pools and a water slide. Dining options include children's menus and 24-hour pizza and ice cream. Babysitting services are available. CELEBRITY CRUISES: In a Family Cruising Program, kids are separated into four age groups for summer fun. Among the activities is Celebrity Science Journeys, a hand-on, age-appropriate program that encourages children to learn about science and nature. COSTA CRUISES: Costa Kids Club offers scavenger hunts, Italian language lessons, "coketail" parties and karaoke. Costa Teens Club has activities for ages 15-17. Caribbean cruises offer "Parents Night Out", where children are supervised during evening activities. CRYSTAL CRUISES: On the Crystal Harmony's 12-day Alaska cruises, child4ren under the age of 12 sail free when sharing the stateroom with two adults. The Junior Activities program for summer cruises offers a playroom, teen video arcade, games and activities. The line's Cotillion program teaches kids such social skills as dancing and etiquette. CUNARD LINE: The Queen Mary 2 has children's facilities for three age groups. Children's Tea is served in the Kings Court. There is a children-only Minnows Splash Pool, Children's Disco, ball pool and Xboxes in the Zone and Play Zone. DISNEY CRUISE LINE: Children's programs in five age groups include a kids-only pool, teen club and activities on Disney's private island. Adults whose kids are involved in these programs can enjoy an adults-only pool, nighttime entertainment district, secluded beach with massage cabanas and a specialty Italian restaurant. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: The premium line is expanding Club HAL facilities on its entire fleet to match those on Vista ships; the project is set to be completed by 2006. Half Moon Cay, the line's private island, offers such new features as a waterpark area for kids and adults. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: The "Kid's Crew" program has expanded hours and a year-round program for children ages 2-5. Kids 2-17 enjoy a four-tiered lineup of supervised parties, scavenger hunts, wacky cooking classes, tee-shirt painting and on-shore activities. PRINCESS CRUISES: California Science Center and National Wildlife Federation programming are part of the extensive kids' program on Princess. Placemats feature children's menu choices as well as interactive games and facts about the ship or destinations. RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES: A Club Mariner (ages 6-17) program is offered on many voyages including summer cruises on Seven Seas Voyager in the Baltic, Seven Seas Mariner in Alaska and Seven Seas Navigator in Bermuda. ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL: The new Mariner of the Seas offers more children's options, among them the Challenger's Arcade, scavenger hunts, sports tournaments and art and science workshops. Teenagers can hang out at The Fuel nightclub, The Living Room or The Back Deck private deck. |
Page