Disney Names Their New Cruise Ships: Disney Dream & Disney Fantasy

At last week’s annual shareholders meeting, Robert A. Iger, Disney president and CEO announced the names of the company’s two new cruise ships, “The Disney Dream will set sail in 2011, while the Disney Fantasy will hit the high seas in 2012.”

Similar to the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the names were chosen to celebrate Disney’s unique heritage of creating enchanting places and stories where dreams really do come true.

“The names are very telling of our brand and are part of our history,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “Disney is known for making dreams come true, and for creating worlds of fantasy that go beyond the imagination. The names are a natural choice for our ships.”

Disney Cruise Line has begun construction on the new ships with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The first piece of steel cut was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the existing Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, with added touches of Disney whimsy.

Since finalizing the contract to build the two new ships, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering have created a truly distinctive design. Over the next few years, construction will continue, bringing the design to reality, with the Disney Dream scheduled for delivery in 2011 and the Disney Fantasy in 2012. The new ships will be purpose built with families in mind, and specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and wonderful individual experiences. The focus is to provide a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds only Disney can create. The expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will each be 128,000 tons.

Cruise Diva only wishes the Imagineers could have come up with more original names, although we do agree that they evoke the spirit of a Disney cruise. For a first-hand look at cruises aboard Disney's ships, check out CruiseDiva.com’s Disney Cruise Line reviews.

MSC Orchestra: Dining Out

Food is a pretty personal subject and one that’s hotly debated amongst cruise passengers. This was good… That wasn’t...

I like Italian food, especially authentic Italian food. Unfortunately, many Americans haven’t had the opportunity to visit Italy and their exposure to “Italian” cuisine has been limited to Pizza Hut and Olive Garden where pasta is drowned in heavy sauces and garlic is the only identifiable spice—usually on crusty bread. The Italian food on MSC Orchestra was much lighter—particularly the spaghetti and other pasta dishes. Some people loved it and some didn’t. Mel and I often ordered more than one pasta to share and we particularly enjoyed a seafood risotto and cheese-filled cannelloni.

We set out to dine in each of MSC Orchestra's restaurants and, as a result, only had dinner in the dining room four times. We tried the Shanghai Chinese restaurant, the 4 Seasons for steaks, and even the casual buffet option for pizza.

Mel and I aren’t accustomed to eating a lot of Chinese food, but the generous portions in Shanghai were quite tasty. For two of us, the a la carte dinner was $34 and well worth it. What we do like is a good steak and the 4 Seasons didn’t disappoint us a bit. The filets were perfectly prepared and the entire meal was enjoyable in the aft-facing section of the buffet restaurant seating area (cordoned off in the evening). With a view over MSC Orchestra’s wake, the setting is divine and, for $25 each, we really got our money’s worth.

Now, about that pizza. Richard Sasso, President and CEO of MSC Cruises, claims it’s the best at sea and we aren’t about to argue. Baked in special pizza ovens at a temperature of approximately 600°, we always found piping hot pies available in the afternoon and evening. Slices went so fast that they didn’t have time to cool down. That says a lot.

Beneath the hot Caribbean sun, MSC Orchestra’s two ice cream options were poolside favorites—soft serve cones ($2) at the Barracuda Bar and a dozen flavors of gelato at the El Sombrero Bar available in cups, cones, or sundaes ($1.50-$4). While several lounges are designated “coffee bars,” specialty coffee drinks can be ordered ship wide.

In addition to restaurant meals, evening snacks were served in the wine-and-piano bar and MSC Cruises continues the tradition of lavish midnight buffets. The poolside buffet on Gala Night was truly a sight, with the kind of elaborate ice and vegetable carvings I haven’t seen in a long time.

We all know that it’s impossible to please everyone and Mel and I were happy to meet a fellow Georgian, Ken from Columbus who confided that he’s an avowed “foodie” and shared our enthusiasm for dining aboard MSC Orchestra.

(Cruise Diva is presently in Miami Beach for the Cruise Shipping Miami convention—formerly known as Seatrade—and will wrap up her MSC Orchestra review at CruiseDiva.com later this week.)

MSC Orchestra: Entertaining Through & Through

With a name like MSC Orchestra, you’d naturally expect to find music on board—and we did. From a raised platform in the atrium lobby, where the musicians varied every evening from the Latin sounds of Los Paraguayos (pictured here) to classical presentations by the Moonlight Quartet, to the late night R32 Disco, the music seldom stopped.

Most daytime activities were scheduled poolside with early morning aerobics, mid-day trivia, dance lessons, and crafts classes, and late afternoon yoga. Mixed in were silly pool games, mini-golf, shuffleboard, and ping pong tournaments.

Bingo is, of course, a cruise staple, as are art auctions, and gaming in the casino. A lecture was scheduled on “Life Enhancement” and a “Technical Ship Presentation” offered an inside look at the workings of MSC Orchestra. Italian language lessons proved to be as popular as the midnight buffets.

As the sun began to set and everyone headed indoors, the activities and entertainment didn’t stop. The Savannah Bar was the nightly setting for dancing and themed parties where Mr. and Miss Orchestra were chosen on consecutive evenings and the 50s & 60s were celebrated with a “Grease” party. Other lounges featured a piano bar, dance and easy listening music, and karaoke. For passengers who’d rather go to a movie, they were shown under the stars on the big screen over the pool deck.

By far, the highlight of every evening was a show in MSC Orchestra’s Covent Garden Theater. Extremely talented dancers, singers, an acrobatic group, and an illusionist performed nightly in Vegas-style, operatic, circus, magic, and Broadway-themed production extravaganzas. When the entire cast took to the stage and sang “Time To Say Goodbye” on the last night of our cruise, they were rewarded with a standing ovation.

We really hated to say goodbye.

Tomorrow: dining on MSC Orchestra.

MSC Orchestra, So Accommodating: Staterooms & Suites

At 278 sq ft with a 48 sq ft balcony, MSC Orchestra’s Suite 15012 (pictured here) was our spacious and very comfortable home last week. Cheerful artwork and deep burgundy fabrics set off warm wood paneling and creamy wall coverings. A walk-in closet with a bank of drawers, floor to ceiling shelves behind doors, and a credenza provided plenty of storage. It took a while to discover, but a large mirror mounted over the dressing table/desk concealed even more deep shelves and a personal safe. In addition, a large flat-screen television was mounted on the credenza, which also housed the mini-bar refrigerator.

Although the bathroom wasn’t of suite proportion, it had a tub/shower combination and cabinets beneath the vanity augmented two wall mounted shelves for toiletries. For Mel, its most important component was good water pressure and consistent temperature—no blast of cold water when other passengers turned the water on in their showers.

While there are a dozen categories to choose from on MSC Orchestra, staterooms are laid out in five basic configurations: Suites described above; Superior Balcony and Balcony Staterooms at 191 and 16 sq ft respectively (with 48 sq ft balconies); and Oceanview and Interior Staterooms, both at 150 sq ft. There are also a dozen 226 sq ft wheelchair accessible staterooms in a variety of categories.

One of the suites on deck 15 is designated the “Sophia Loren Suite”—named for MSC Orchestra’s Godmother. In fact, each new ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet has such a suite as Ms. Loren has christened them all. She uses her suite to relax and entertain guests when she is on board and, in the event she wishes to sail, it’s all hers.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at how “entertaining” MSC Orchestra is.

MSC Orchestra: Embarkation Day

Every passenger approaches their cruise ship on embarkation day with different expectations. My husband Mel and I had one main question on March 7th, “How long will it take to board?” That may seem odd, but embarkation was problematic when MSC Orchestra kicked off her Caribbean season this winter with a 2-night cruise. As Richard Sasso, President and CEO of MSC Cruises explained it, the day got off to a bad start when the ship arrived late in Fort Lauderdale, got worse when passengers began arriving at 10am for a 4pm check-in, and the situation progressed to “perfect storm” status when a computer glitch caused additional delays.

Since that inauspicious beginning, MSC Cruises is on track with their usual schedule of handling 900 passengers an hour in Port Everglades. To see what would happen by arriving at a peak time, we entered the terminal at 11:30am and the entire check-in process took 20 minutes. We had crossed the MSC Orchestra gangway and made our way to the buffet for lunch before noon.

Our first impression is that MSC Orchestra is an Italian beauty with an abundance of gleaming marble and brass. In a way, you could say the décor is a bit retro, but Mel’s description—“upscale warmth”—sums it up.

This is spring break time in the United States and we were soon joined by many children, including college students. With MSC Cruises’ Kids Sail Free program (children 17 and under as the 3rd & 4th occupants in a stateroom), a cruise is a great value for families and MSC Orchestra carried 2,900 passengers during our week-long Western Caribbean sailing, with 98% of them from North America.

Tomorrow’s blog will focus on accommodations and the suite life on MSC Orchestra.

Carnival Dream Will Feature A "DrainPipe"

A new rendering of the cruise industry’s most exhilarating and unique water slide, The DrainPipe, aboard the new Carnival Dream, showcases the many features of the elaborate 104-foot-long attraction. The 130,000-ton Carnival Dream will be the line's largest ship when it enters service Sept 21.

The DrainPipe–which is comprised of a giant funnel attached to an enclosed spiral water slide to providing riders with a thrilling conclusion to their journey–will be a central component to the ship’s sprawling WaterWorks aqua park. WaterWorks will also feature a four-deck-high, 303-foot-long enclosed corkscrew water slide–the longest in cruising–along with twin dual-lane 80-foot-long racing slides and water spray apparatus such as squirting fountains, splash zones, and dump buckets.

WaterWorks is just one of the many innovations featured on the 3,646-passenger vessel, which will also include a new concept in entertainment called Ocean Plaza, cantilevered whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s beam, and a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa–the largest in the “Fun Ship” fleet. A wide range of accommodation categories, including new “cove balcony” staterooms located closer to the water line and deluxe ocean view staterooms with five berths and two bathrooms, will also be featured.

Carnival Dream is scheduled to debut with three 12-day Mediterranean cruises round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia) Sept 21–Oct 15 followed by a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to New York Oct 27–Nov 12, 2009. Following two 8-day departures from New York, Carnival Dream will sail on a special 9-day voyage from Port Canaveral before launching year-round 7-day Caribbean service from that port Dec 5, 2009.

Video footage of Carnival employees testing the new DrainPipe attraction is available on Carnival’s news blog.

Cruising With Kids: The Permission Letter

Multi-generational cruises are increasingly popular with families, as are single-parent and grandparent cruises with children. It's also not uncommon for parents to invite a teenager's friend to sail along.

For single (divorced, widowed, or simply married, but solo) parents, grandparents, or family friends taking children on a cruise, there is an often overlooked planning step that can end a vacation before it begins—the permission letter.

Airlines, cruise lines, and immigration agents can deny minor children initial boarding or entry to foreign countries without proper proof of identification and citizenship and a permission letter from absent or non-custodial parents.

Cruise Diva explains what you need (and why you need it) and even shares a sample parental permission letter to insure smooth sailing in the Cruising With Kids article series.

Cruising to Bermuda

Probably the most common misconception about Bermuda is that it’s a Caribbean island. It isn’t. Located in the North Atlantic, the nearest land mass is North Carolina, some 570 miles distant. Actually comprised of 150 tiny islands of volcanic origin, collectively Bermuda encompasses only 21 square miles of land. The locals tend to regard the connected islands as one and refer to the largest, Bermuda Island, simply as “the island.”

While Bermuda has dozens of resorts, small hotels, and cottages, a land vacation can be pricey. We consider the best way to enjoy a Bermuda holiday is by ship. Cruises depart weekly from Boston and New York City, and less frequently from other ports such as Philadelphia and Baltimore. After spending a day and a half at sea, smaller ship will berth either in Hamilton, St. George, or larger vessels in King's Wharf (the Royal Naval Dockyard, pictured above). The most desirable itineraries are those that include the former two city ports because the Dockyard's location is isolated, although new facilities offer a few shopping diversions and pubs and high speed ferries make getting around a snap.

There's more information about what to see and do in Bermuda in Cruise Diva Goes Ashore in Bermuda and Fodor's Bermuda 2009.

Star Clippers to Position Entire Fleet in Mediterranean for 2010 Summer Season

Star Clippers will position its entire fleet of three tall ships in the Mediterranean for the 2010 summer season. It will be the first time since 2007 that all three ships have sailed the Med at the same time. In the spring Royal Clipper, Star Clipper, and Star Flyer will reposition from their winter homes in the Caribbean, Far East, and Tahiti, respectively, to begin the Mediterranean sailings. Star Clipper will continue round-trip Athens routes, while Royal Clipper will maintain the popular itineraries round-trip Civitavecchia (Rome) and between Rome and Venice. Star Flyer is scheduled to sail 7-day round-trip Monaco itineraries, as well as eastern Mediterranean and Turkey cruises from Rhodes, Greece.

“In this challenging economy, we thought it prudent to bring all three ships closer to where our guests reside and have them sail itineraries with proven success,” said Mikael Krafft, owner and president of Star Clippers. “While Star Flyer’s Tahiti itineraries have been popular, redeploying Flyer to the Mediterranean with the other two ships ultimately will make taking a Star Clippers vacation more affordable for our guests.”

Star Flyer will continue its Tahiti itineraries until Feb. 21, 2010, after which it will make a “Grand Pacific Crossing” from Papeete, Tahiti, to Panama City, Panama. The ship will then sail a Panama Canal cruise that ends in St. Maarten, followed by a trans-Atlantic crossing to Lisbon, Portugal. Specific ports of call on the Mediterranean itineraries as well as the cruise schedule for the remainder of 2010 will be available in March 2009. Reservations through spring 2010 are open to book, and sailings for the remainder of 2010 will open for booking by April 15, 2009. For more information, visit Star Clippers online.

A "Wave" of Record Bookings for Carnival & Princess

Wave season typically runs from about mid-January through early spring and is traditionally the busiest, most important booking period in the cruise industry. Despite the doom-and-gloom of a challenging economy, Carnival Cruise Lines is reporting strong booking volumes as prospective vacationers take advantage of some of the best vacation values in years. For the one-week period ended March 1, 2009, Carnival recorded the highest number of net weekly bookings in its history. Additionally, on a cumulative basis since mid-January, net bookings are up 10 percent compared to the same period in 2008, although pricing is at lower levels.

Last week’s record reservations activity encompassed all of the line’s 22-vessel fleet, which depart from a variety of convenient, drive-to homeports throughout the U.S. Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO, attributed the increase in bookings to the line’s travel agent partners and consumers’ appreciation for the inherent value and affordability of a “Fun Ship” vacation, as well as aggressive marketing efforts.

“This record booking activity, while at lower pricing, is certainly encouraging. It tells us that despite the uncertain economic climate, consumers clearly need more fun in their lives and view their vacations as a valuable and necessary part of that,” Cahill said. “And Carnival’s unmatched combination of quality, affordability and fun along with multiple close-to-home departure points and the greatest choice of short cruise options in the industry, make a ‘Fun Ship’ cruise the ideal getaway for today’s consumers.”

At Princess Cruises, booking volume during the current wave season has surpassed the same period last year by nearly six percent. The line credits both lower prices and travel agents who have utilized the line's sales support tools to generate business in the current economic climate. Princess is congratulating agents who have been working diligently to sell the company's value proposition during this time period, and who have taken advantage of the line's key programs designed to support agents' business.

"Travel agents gave us a record-breaking reservations day in January, and this further result shows that they continued to sell Princess cruises at an extraordinary rate throughout the first two months of the year," said Jan Swartz, Princess' executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service.

While those bookings are at lower prices than the cruise lines would like, they are filling cabins and making money. Just not so much as in the past.

On Princess Cruises, It's Easy To Be A Klutz

Everyone knows I'm a klutz. Who else would break their leg on the first day of a cruise? Princess Cruises has a different sort of klutz in mind, though, and they've joined forces with Klutz®, an innovative publisher of award-winning activity books for children, to provide high-quality arts and crafts projects for young passengers and their families while on board Princess ships. Klutz and Princess Cruises have developed custom-built kits designed to engage young cruisers in fun and creative activities.

Children sailing aboard Princess ships will have the opportunity to participate in up to seven Klutz activities during their cruise. Kids will be able to build their own storybooks; create lanyard bracelets; make “picture tags” for charm bracelets, luggage tags, or pet I.D.s; create fuzzy masterpieces with Velvet Art; craft paper flowers, weave friendship bracelets; or make Thumb Doodle thumbprint art. The new Klutz activities are offered for young passengers of all ages, and are scheduled during the youth center’s regular activities or during the ship’s family fun fair in the atrium, where all family members can join in the creative fun. Unique in the cruise industry, the new activities are available fleetwide.

In addition, Princess Youth and Teen Programs provide state-of-the-art facilities and an array of activities to keep kids and teens entertained. Young passengers enjoy a wide range of fun events for ages 3 to 17, supervised by a dedicated staff of youth activity professionals. The program offers three distinct, age-specific programs–Princess Pelicans (ages 3-7), Shockwaves (ages 8-12) and Remix (ages 13-17). Each group features an age-appropriate schedule, often with separate facilities. The program includes a number of special features, including Science on the Seas activities from the award-winning California Science Center, Yoga for Kids, and a Jr. CHEF@Sea program.Additional information about Princess Cruises is available on their website at http://www.princess.com/. For more information about Klutz, visit http://www.klutz.com/.

CruiseDiva.com also offers hints for Family Cruising. Will your family enjoy a cruise? Get the do's and don'ts & what to know Before You Go.

Norwegian Cruise Line Customizes Your Cruise Guide

You spend a lot of time researching your vacation options, not to mentioning commiting a good chunk of your disposable income, before deciding to take a cruise. Recognizing that you are important to them—and not just a booking number—Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has introduced an innovative and personalized approach to pre-cruise information with the debut of its “Welcome Aboard” booklet, a customized cruise guide featuring everything you need to know to prepare for your NCL cruise.

The front cover of your personalized 21-page “Welcome Aboard” booklet features your name, ship, and sailing date, stateroom number, and the name of the travel agency that handled your booking. Inside is shore excursion information pertaining to the specific itinerary; personalized luggage tags with your name and stateroom number pre-printed; and deck plans for your ship, including the location of your stateroom. In addition, the booklet offers cruising advice; important information on what you need to know before the cruise; what to pack; the amenities on board, and bon voyage gifts and packages.

Your travel agent can opt to have NCL mail the booklet directly to you within 60 days of sailing; or if the agent prefers, the cruise line can mail the booklet to them to give to you personally.

Find out more about Norwegian Cruise Line in the cruise line profile at CruiseDiva.com.

Elvis Is Back On Board

The Elvis cruise is back for the third year and promises to be bigger and better than ever with more music, more live entertainment and most importantly, more Elvis! Once again hosted by Elvis’ friend and entourage member, Jerry Schilling, this year’s event will set sail Thursday, Nov 12 through Monday, Nov 16, 2009. The cruise will sail from Tampa, Florida, through the Caribbean to Cozumel, Mexico and back on the Carnival Inspiration.

Entertainment on board will include live shows from artists who performed with Elvis, along with some of the world's best Elvis tribute artists. Currently scheduled to perform are The TCB Band, The Imperials, The Sweet Inspirations, Joe Guercio, D.J. Fontana, Terry Mike Jeffrey & Band, Andy Childs, Ronnie McDowell, The Dempseys, and others. Additional entertainment will be provided by Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Winners: Gino Monopoli, Victor Trevino, Ted Torres, Dwight Icenhower, Jay Zanier, Simon Patrick, Bryant Scott, Mark Anthony, Joseph Hall, and George Thomas. Also something new this year will be the opportunity to set sail with and hear from with Elvis movie costars Celeste Yarnall from Live a Little, Love a Little, Cynthia Pepper from Kissing Cousins, and Chris Noel from Girl Happy.

In addition to the music and presentations by those who knew and performed with Elvis, there will be Elvis-themed entertainment, parties and events. Everywhere you go on board this ship, we’re making certain you'll hear Elvis music. From the Grand Atrium, the gift shops and the dinning rooms, to the bars, Lido Deck and main stage, you’ll find the King of Rock 'n' Roll throughout the ship. Another exciting addition to the 2009 cruise is RESERVED SEATING in the main showroom. The earlier you book your cabin, the closer to the stage you sit! You can also rest assured that there will be no last minute deep discounting of cabins. As part of the low price guarantee, if a lower advertised rate becomes available, you will receive the difference in cabin fare as an onboard credit.

Sixthman, an affinity travel company based in Atlanta, will produce this year’s cruise. Sixthman currently delivers experiences on board cruise ships for thousands of fans of artists including John Mayer, Barenaked Ladies, Lyle Lovett, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sister Hazel and others. Fares start at $599 per person + taxes and fees and you can reserve your cabin with just a $99 per person deposit. For information, call 877-SIXTHMAN or visit Elvis.com/cruise.

What's an Elvis Cruise like? Take a look back at Cruise Diva's Memories of The Elvis Cruise.

Photo: Joseph E. Hall, International Finalist in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest 2007

Royal Caribbean Challenge: Think ‘Why Not’ With “Clues to the Cruise” Giveaway

With spring just a few weeks away and the summer travel season on the horizon, Royal Caribbean International is offering vacationers the opportunity to discover the cruise line’s unparalleled experience without leaving shore. Starting now, Royal Caribbean’s “Clues to the Cruise” promotion is challenging adventurers of all ages to explore the new Nation of Why Not and the many ‘why not’ moments guests can enjoy on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Throughout, participants will earn prizes, ranging from sea monkeys to Royal Caribbean vacations, by solving puzzles and answering trivia online; visiting marketing partner websites; or satisfying a curiosity about options one would think impossible on a vacation.

Throughout Clues to the Cruise, players will learn more about Royal Caribbean’s legacy of innovation, some of the cruise line’s partners, and the Nation of Why Not--the world’s first floating nation consisting of 20 Royal Caribbean “states” (a.k.a. ships) and its citizens. Players who have never cruised before may even realize that they already have most of the qualifications to become a citizen of the Nation of Why Not – people who long to expand their horizons with unprecedented vacation choices and experiences they might never have considered on dry land.

To play, consumers should register at http://www.cluestothecruise.com/, an interactive online environment with an electronic game board consisting of 25 squares. The goal is to earn the squares by playing and winning various puzzles throughout a virtual cruise ship. When four adjacent squares are claimed, players have the opportunity to spin the Cruise Wheel to win exciting prizes, such as kayaks, boogie boards, digital cameras, and one of two Nickelodeon Family Cruises in the summer of 2009. For following the Clues to the Cruise, players also earn an entry for a chance to win one of 22 seven-night cruises to Alaska, the Mexican Riviera or the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean is spreading the word about Clues to the Cruise through a variety of media in order to encourage consumers to explore the Nation of Why Not. A campaign of online banner ads, email invitations, and local market promotions will offer the first clues to help draw players to the online game.

Bringing the game to life, a not-to-be-missed Clues to the Cruise mobile tour--the centerpiece of which is a ball pit--will hit the road for a nationwide tour visiting popular family attractions, sporting events and festivals in select cities. At each stop, participants will have the opportunity to learn about and participate in Clues to the Cruise through a variety of activities, including the main attraction--a clue search challenge in the ball pit, where participants, either solo or with a teammate, attempt to collect as many lettered balls as possible in 45 seconds. Once the time is up, contestants will be tasked with unscrambling the letters to spell vacation-related words. Those that successfully match words to a master list will win prizes ranging from gear and products from a variety of partners, to coveted Royal Caribbean cruise vacations. Additionally, internet-ready laptops will be available for everyone who wishes to register instantly on http://www.cluestothecruise.com/ and play without delay.

The cross-country Clues to the Cruise tour will kick off in Los Angeles, CA on March 14 and end in New York, NY on May 9. Check CruiseDiva.com's Cruise News for a list of the tour stops.

Seabourn Rolls Out One Week ‘Stimulate Your Summer’ Sale

Yes, you can! Save big bucks on Europe cruises in June and July 2009. The Yachts of Seabourn, the world's premier small-ship cruise line, has announced a one-week sale of specially selected voyages in Europe departing in June and July. The line's "Stimulate Your Summer" sale offers savings of up to 65% off regular fares for 12 voyages of seven to 14 days aboard the award winning Seabourn Pride, Spirit, and Legend.

The sale also includes two seagoing summer adventures aboard the world's newest ultra-luxury yacht, Seabourn Odyssey, which sails her maiden voyage June 24th from Venice. The new yacht features four open-seating dining venues, a luxurious sun terrace, a resort style pool with cabanas and the largest spa in her class. All Seabourn yachts feature all-suite accommodations, complimentary water sports, champagne, caviar, open bars and fine wines.

To qualify, bookings must be made from Monday, March 9 until close of business on Monday March 16, 2009. The offer, which is in lieu of any other promotional offer or savings, is valid for new bookings on 14 voyages in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, and features lead-in fares from $2,840 per person, based on double occupancy of a 277-square foot ocean-view suite. The special sale savings are valid for all categories of suites on Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend and on Seabourn Odyssey. The list of included voyages is:

Seabourn Pride
June 1 Scandinavia & Russia - Round Trip Copenhagen 12 days
June 13 Norwegian Fjords - Round Trip Copenhagen 9 days
June 22 Scandinavia & Russia - Round Trip Copenhagen 12 days
July 4 Norway & Midnight Sun - Round Trip Copenhagen 14 days
July 30 Norwegian Fjords - Round Trip Copenhagen 9 days

Seabourn Spirit
June 27 Corfu & Croatian Isles - Rome (Civitavecchia) to Venice 7 days
July 4 Dalmatian Gems - Round Trip Venice 7 days
July 11 Italian Idyll - Venice to Rome (Civitavecchia) 7 days

Seabourn Legend
June 20 Cote d’ Azur & Spanish Isles - Monte Carlo to Barcelona 7 days
June 27 The Yachtsman’s Riviera - Barcelona to Monte Carlo 7 days
July 4 Florence & IItalian Yacht Havens - Monte Carlo to Rome (Civitavecchia) 7 days
July 11 Sardinia, Corsica & Cote d’Azur - Rome (Civitavecchia) to Monte Carlo 7 days

Seabourn Odyssey
July 18 Aegean Odyssey - Istanbul to Athens (Piraeus) 7 days
July 25 Greece & Dalmatian Delights - Athens (Piraeus) to Venice 7 days

For details, or to take advantage of this special one-week sale, contact your travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com .

Disney Cruise Line's New Ships Take Shape

Disney Cruise Line began construction on two new ships with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany on March 2nd. Scheduled for completion in 2011 and 2012, the new ocean liners will further advance the company’s one-of-a-kind guest experience and create more family cruise options with a brand guests know and trust.

“When we launched our business in 1998, we recognized a need in the marketplace for a cruise experience created just for families,” said Karl L. Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “With these new ships, we are continuing to build upon that vision of providing more families with an unforgettable cruise vacation and the chance to explore new destinations with Disney.”

The first piece of steel cut for the new ships was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, designed to reflect the glamour of the golden age of cruising with added touches of Disney whimsy, such as the Mickey Mouse medallion in the center of the design. Since finalizing a contract with the Meyer Werft shipyard to build the two new ships, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering have created a truly distinctive design for the new ships. Over the next few years, construction will continue, bringing the design to reality. The design details will be unveiled at a later date.

Holz noted that the fleet expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will weigh 128,000 tons. Similar to the existing ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the new ships will be purpose built with families in mind, with specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and wonderful individual experiences. The focus is to provide a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds of fantasy only Disney can create. Known for bringing family travel to the cruise market, Disney continues to be a leader in the industry.

The Disney Wonder sails 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney Magic, which primarily sails seven-night cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean, will embark on a season of limited itineraries exploring Northern Europe and the Mediterranean beginning in the spring of 2010.

Norwegian Epic Emerges

Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled the first images of its new 153,000-gross ton, 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, the company’s largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date. Currently under construction at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France, the contemporary, balcony-rich, 19-deck ship will be 1,068 feet long, 133 feet wide, with a draft of 28.5 feet when completed in May 2010.


Does her slightly top-heavy-appearing profile remind you of another "epic" NCL ship? Perhaps the legendary SS Norway, following the addition of upper decks in 1990?

While NCL hasn't announced any additional details—they plan to do that and unveil the signature hull artwork in the coming months—Cruise Diva is pleased to share the latest "reveals" of F3, now named Norwegian Epic ...

With Details About the F3 Ships, NCL throws us a curve. Catch the NEW WAVE in innovative ocean-going accommodations.

Norwegian Cruise Line Reveals F3 Nightlife Options — NCL sailed into a sea of dreams to share a peek into the future of nightlife afloat.

Cruises are scheduled to go on sale to the public this spring.

Language Assistance For Cruisers

An iPod® has become an almost must-have device in today's world. You see them everywhere and they are especially useful when traveling. With an iPod®, you can tune out the crying baby in row 22 when flying to your cruise port and then enjoy your favorite music while relaxing in a quiet deck chair.

Now you can put your iPod® to even more practical use with programs from Living Language, the foremost name in the field of foreign language self-study. Living Language's iKnow series turns your video-compatible iPod® or your iPhone™ device into a pocket translator, allowing you to hear and see more than 1500 essential words, phrases, and conversations. You simply upload the iKnow files to a video-compatible iPod® device, and you can listen to and see foreign language expressions and English translations. A convenient navigation menu allows you to quickly find the phrases you need, and there’s plenty of repetition to perfect your pronunciation. Whether you want to order dinner in a restaurant or ask for directions, iKnow enables you to learn the basics and communicate easily without looking like a tourist with a dictionary in hand. Instead, you'll look techno-cool.

Key features:
• You can see and hear all the essential words and phrases you need, including conversations
• Topics include greetings and polite expressions, asking directions, meeting people, ordering in a restaurant, and more
• Includes a pocket-sized user's guide and a complete online PDF transcript of all the content

iKnow works on any video-compatible iPod® nano, iPod® classic, iPod® touch, and iPhone™ device and is currently available in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, with more on the way.

I wish iKnow Italian had been loaded on my iPod® when sailing on Costa Fortuna last month and I've already ordered it for my upcoming MSC Orchestra cruise. The next time I sail from Miami, I'll have iKnow Spanish as well.

Carnival Fun Is In The House

Carnival Cruise Lines is calling all potential Fun Directors. They are looking for people who love entertaining to host a Carnival Cruise party in their home and invite their friends and family to enjoy the fun of a Carnival cruise in the comfort of their living rooms. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

CHECK YOUR CALENDAR -- Sunday Fun Day is March 29, 2009. It's sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines and House Party ™, the party planning experts. Carnival will provide everything you need to bring the fun of a Carnival cruise to your living room and houseparty.com will help plan your event including sending your invitations, posting photos, and more.

START THINKING FUN -- Applicants selected as Fun Directors get the complete party treatment: decorations, karaoke, games, gifts, the works. It's all free and it's everything you need to recreate the fun of a Carnival cruise including drink and food recipes.

CLICK APPLY NOW -- Sadly, spaces are limited. So don't let this fun-filled event happen without you.

Clocking In For Your Cruise

Everyone who knows me has heard how much I depend on my BlackBerry. It's become almost a body part since I was laid up with a broken leg last year. In fact, I sleep with it beside me on the nightstand. Why? One of the BlackBerry functions I use often is the alarm.

When was the last time you depended on a wake-up call that didn't come and almost missed an early shore excursion or a breakfast meet-up with friends? And when was the last time you saw an alarm clock provided in your stateroom? I know that many of my fellow cruise passengers pack their own travel alarm clock. Yes, I have one and yet I often leave it home because it's nearly as confusing to set as the clock radios now found in most hotel rooms. (Note to hotel management: provide an instruction sheet for your guests!)

Happily, on two recent cruises aboard Silversea's Silver Wind and Regent's Seven Seas Mariner I found alarm clocks on my bedside nightstand. I must add that the first time I encountered a ship with clocks was when aboard Oceania Regatta. It wasn't there initially, but promptly appeared when I mentioned it would be nice to have an alarm clock.

Granted, most cruise ships don't provide an alarm clock and offer wake up calls instead. However, it's nice to have the assurance of a personal alarm for a back-up and I always set my BlackBerry for such instances as when the ringer on my cabin phone was set so low that it failed to awaken me. Most people have mobile phones these days and many phones have alarms. Check yours and see if it can function as an alarm clock. If so, that's one item you can check off your packing list.