Cruise
Costa Diadema to be Christened Nov. 7
Costa Diadema, the new flagship of Costa Cruises, will be christened at Genoa, Italy, Nov. 7. Costa Diadema is set to depart from Trieste, Italy, for Genoa on its preview cruise Nov. 1, followed by the ship’s inaugural cruise departing Savona, Italy, Nov. 8. Diadema is under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard near Venice. The cruise line is slated to take delivery of the ship Oct. 30. The flagship’s inaugural activities are scheduled to last all month, including the preview cruise Nov. 1, the christening event Nov. 7 and three inaugural cruises departing Nov....
Princess Welcomes Regal Princess with Inauguration Sale
To commemorate the upcoming debut of its new ship Regal Princess, Princess Cruises is offering a cruise sale with special gifts on more than 100 itineraries, including voyages during Regal Princess’ maiden seasons in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. During the Regal Princess Inauguration Sale, which runs through June 3, guests can join the celebration with festive extra touches to enhance their vacation. Guests can toast the new ship or their own special occasion with a free bottle of the renowned Nicolas Feuillatte French champagne, as well as receive stateroom location upgrades and...
‘Learn and Earn’ with Carnival ‘Fun Games’
Based on feedback from its latest travel agent survey, Carnival Cruise Lines has created a new collection of quick and easy “Fun Games” as part of its travel agent learning management system, Carnival Passport, available within its travel agent Internet portal, GoCCL.com. The 12 games in the collection all feature well-known themes and are designed to be completed within two to five minutes. With each completed game, agents earn 10 credits within Carnival Passport. These credits may be converted into points within the line’s Travel Agent Rewards Program, which can be redeemed...
Viking Ocean Set to Triple Size of Fleet
Viking Ocean Cruises will launch two additional ocean ships, bringing the total number of ships in its new fleet to three. Viking Sea and Viking Sky will both debut in 2016 and will be sister ships to the 930-passenger Viking Star, which is currently under construction and will set sail in early 2015. Like their sister ship, Viking Sea and Viking Sky will sail in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean – as well as two new itineraries for 2016 that explore the British Isles. It was just a year ago that Viking announced its plans to expand into the...
Princess to Screen FIFA World Cup
Princess Cruises will delight soccer fans by showing all 64 games of the upcoming FIFA World Cup aboard nine cruise ships during the June 12-July 13 tournament. The matches will air on the line’s signature Movies Under the Stars outdoor screens, which have space for hundreds of guests to enjoy the action. Soccer fans will also enjoy themed entertainment and activities, including World Cup trivia, face painting with favourite team flags, team cheering sections and soccer-themed contests with prizes. The World Cup is just one of many special events shown on the Movies Under the...
Legend of the Seas Heads ‘Down Under’
Royal Caribbean International has announced Legend of the Seas’ year-round deployment for 2015-16, offering itineraries to destinations throughout Southeast Asia from Singapore in the summer season, and sailings to idyllic settings in Australia and the South Pacific during the winter season from the cruise line’s new homeport of Brisbane, Australia. With Mariner of the Seas’ also sailing from Singapore in the winter season, Legend of the Seas’ new summer season will mark the first time that the cruise line will offer year-round sailings from Singapore. Additionally, Legend of...
Royal Caribbean Orders Fourth Oasis-Class Vessel
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has agreed with STX France to move forward on the order of a fourth Oasis-class ship for delivery in 2018. Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and president and COO Adam Goldstein, along with STX France CEO Laurent Castaing, announced the planned ship order at the keel-laying ceremony for the third Oasis-class ship at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. “The Oasis Class was a revolution in maritime design when it was launched in 2009. Oasis of the Seas (pictured) and Allure of the Seas continue to be in a class by themselves both in...
Uniworld’s Maria Theresa to Launch in Spring 2015
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has announced its next new Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa, will launch in spring 2015. The Maria Theresa is befittingly named after the Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, the great Maria Theresa who reigned from 1740 to 1780. The S.S. Maria Theresa will sail this very region on Uniworld’s European Jewels from Budapest to Amsterdam. It will also sail on Tulips & Windmills, Danube Holiday Markets, and Enchanting Christmas and New Year’s Cruise. Travellers booking the Maria Theresa by June 30 and paying in full at...