The Costa Concordia is currently in the process of being raised from the coast of Giglio Island in Italy. The “parbuckling” operation began around 8 am Rome time after a two hour delay due to a storm earlier in the night. The latest report, issued at 4:20 pm Rome time, reports that the ship has […]
There’s so much to experience on today’s cruise ships and now, as ships create tucked away spots for private dining, sunning and small gatherings, cruisers can add seclusion to the diverse attractions of a value vacation at sea. “Increasingly, cruise lines are creating intimate spaces for guests, even on the largest ships,” says Christine Duffy, […]
Officials from the Parbuckling Project have announced that they are ready to roll the Costa Concordia upright as soon as Monday. Franco Gabrielli, the National Civil Protection agency chief, announced that the crew’s would attempt to roll the Costa Concordia on Monday. He stressed that while Monday is their target date, the date of rolling will […]
Silversea Acquires New Expedition Ship Earlier this week, Silversea acquired the former Clipper Odyssey, which marks the eighth ship to enter the Silversea fleet and the third for its expedition fleet. The new ship, to be known as Silver Discoverer, will enter the fleet in March 2014 after a major renovation is completed in her […]
Norwegian Cruise Line has asked guests to help select the name’s for the line’s two newest Breakaway Plus ships. Beginning today through September 24, 2013, Norwegian’s Facebook fans in the United States, Canada*, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom have the opportunity to vote for their two favorite potential ship names from a list of […]
Earlier last week, Costa’s soon to be newest ship, the Costa Diadema, reached an important milestone in her construction. The Costa Diadema’s fore-end hull block section was finally laid. The Costa Diadema’s fore-end hull section is approximately 26 feet high, 111 feet long, 118 feet wide at its maximum beam and weighs 432 tons. The Costa […]
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that they intend to install digital signage fleet wide by 2015. The digital signage was first introduced aboard the line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Breakaway. The new digital signage will be placed strategically throughout each ship, allowing guests to order specialty items, get directions and reserve dining, shore excursions and entertainment […]
Ship Background The Celebrity Solstice was the first of Celebrity Cruise’ Solstice Class ships. She debuted in 2008 with a completely new design, layout, and size compared to her older fleet mates. She was built in Papenburg, Germany by Meyer Werft. The Celebrity Solstice can accommodate up to 2,850 guests, has a GRT of 122,000, […]
Due to increasing tension in the Middle East, especially along the eastern Mediterranean shores, Holland America Line has cancelled the Israeli city calls for the Noordam’s current voyage. Holland America Line cites a potential war/attack breaking out between Syria and Israel if planned US military strikes on Syria are given the go ahead. Holland America […]
Local new stations in Mobile are reporting on a possible return of one cruise line to the now vacant Alabama Cruise Terminal in Mobile, Alabama. The cruise terminal has been without a cruise ship since Carnival Cruise Line’s pulled the then named, Elation, from the city in October 2011. No cruise ship has sailed either […]
Nowadays, many of the major cruise lines offer various beverage programs for their guests. Below is a rundown of the major cruise lines and their various beverages packages and programs. Carnival Cruise Lines Cheer’s – Offers guests 15 drinks a day including beers, wines, non-alcoholic cocktails, and soft drinks. Price: $49.95 per day. Bottomless Bubbles […]
While sailing the Zuiderdam this past June, I had the opportunity to sit down for a one on one interview with Boban Zivkovic, Zuiderdam’s Hotel Director. During the interview, I had the chance to discuss Boban’s position, the crew aboard, and the tasks that need to be accomplished for moving a ship into a different […]