Holland America Goes Hawaiian

Holland America has plans to discover the Hawaiian Island chain in 2010.

The ms Zaandam 1,432-passenger ship will sail five 14-day roundtrip San Diego cruises and one 15-day voyage from Vancouver to San Diego. The sailings are from October through December.

The cruise features back-to-back calls at Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai and Maui—plus a call at Ensenada, Mexico—before returning to San Diego.

Included in the Hawaii cruise roster is a holiday sailing departing December 19.

Departing Sundays from San Diego, guests will have several days at sea before arriving at Hawaii. Ship board activities include hands on cooking classes, digital photo workshops, fabulous new Greenhouse Spa, and an speaker series to give travelers insights into the Hawaiian island culture, islands, music and dance traditions.

Cruise fares begin at $1,499 per person for the full 14-day Circle Hawaii and $1,699 per person for the 15-day voyage.

Carnival Dream Offers Laser Show

Carnival Dream’s laser shows will be the first ever for a North America–based cruise ship.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream will introduce the line’s first outdoor laser shows that will combine the latest in laser technology with rock music to provide guests a unique and exciting nighttime entertainment option.

The 15-minute nighttime laser shows will feature choreographed lasers projecting brilliant aerial patterns of blue, red and green set to music by popular artists such as Styx, Rush, Van Halen, Boston and Pink Floyd.

Carnival Dream’s new laser shows are just one of a wide range of entertainment choices available aboard the magnificent 3,646-passenger vessel.

Exclusive to the Carnival Dream will be Ocean Plaza, a stunning indoor/outdoor café/entertainment venue that will showcase bands playing a variety of music genres. Ocean Plaza also will host art, photo and spa seminars, scrapbooking classes, magicians and jugglers, trivia contests and more.

Carnival Dream is set to debut Sept. 21, 2009, with the first of three 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises operating round-trip from Rome, followed by a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to New York Oct. 27 - Nov. 12.

From New York, Carnival Dream will operate two eight-day Bahamas/Florida cruises departing Nov. 15 and 23, then reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., for a special nine-day Caribbean cruise departing Dec. 3.

Carnival Dream will launch year-round seven-day Caribbean service from Port Canaveral, Dec. 12, 2009.

Source: Breaking Travel News

Royal Caribbean Wins 12 Magellan Awards

Royal Caribbean International received the most gold and most total awards in the cruise ship category in the 2009 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards.


Among its 12 wins, the cruise line took gold for Freedom of the Seas, the H2O Zone kids' water park and Presidential Family Suite on Freedom-class ships, the Clues to the Cruise marketing campaign, and the overview video and official website of Oasis of the Seas.

The Magellan Awards is the premier award for the travel industry. From design to marketing to services, the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards honors the best in travel and salutes the outstanding travel professionals behind it all.

Oasis - World's Largest Cruise Ship

When she launches in December 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world!


An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 225,282 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms.

Oasis of the Seas will be the first ship to tout the cruise line's new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

The ship will sail from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Additional information is available at http://www.oasisoftheseas.com

Holland America Eurodam Offers Spa Staterooms

Holland America Line's new Eurodam offers 56 Spa Staterooms located on the two highest decks of the Signature-class ship.

The 2,104-guest Eurodam is the first ship in Holland America's fleet to offer spa accommodations. The Spa Staterooms are located near the Greenhouse Spa and Salon and offer in-room spa amenities.

Each room reflects a nature theme with walls of soft earth tones, green accent colors, fern-like patterns and charcoal-colored carpeting. A water feature in each stateroom provides a soothing ambient background sound.

Amenities in the Spa Staterooms include organic cotton bathrobes and slippers, a Burmese teak mat for bath and shower, an invigorating showerhead, a loofah mitt and aromatherapy bath salts.

In addition to standard stateroom furnishings, Spa Staterooms also include an iPod docking station, a Yoga mat, a pedometer for use aboard ship, a fitness DVD, a no-host minibar stocked with specialty waters, a cut-fruit tray at embarkation and a spa concierge to book treatments. Nightly turn-down pillow gifts include organic chocolate truffles, orchids and a line of chocolates called Elements, which are herbal-infused chocolates blending Belgian chocolate with specialty herbs.

Guests booking the Spa Staterooms may order spa stateroom-only packages in advance or during the cruise.

Four packages include a hot stone massage and facial bamboo massage for $256 and skin renewal with facial rejuvenation acupuncture and marine facial for $289. Other packages are a man's shave and deep-tissue massage for $189 and couple's cabana massages for $242.

An in-room dining breakfast card features a selection of Greenhouse Spa breakfast items including fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice, fresh carrot juice, fresh fruit, bran muffins, yogurt and Kashi granola, Eggbeater or egg white omelets, turkey bacon, chicken apple sausage or an organic soy meatless patty. An all-day room service menu offers Greenhouse Spa selections that vary daily based on selections in the main dining room. Guests may also order from the standard room service menu.

The 56 Spa Staterooms include two Superior Verandah Suites, 36 Deluxe Verandah Outside Staterooms, four Large Ocean-view Staterooms and four Large Inside Staterooms on Panorama Deck.

The 10 Spa Staterooms on Observation Deck are all Deluxe Verandah Outside rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and scalloped verandahs.

Eurodam debuts this summer with a July 1 naming ceremony in Rotterdam with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, followed by a maiden voyage in the Baltic region.

Whale Watching Cruises from Captain Cook

Australia's Captain Cook Cruises is again operating its daily Whale Watching cruises throughout the Whale Watching season of May 27 to Nov. 15, 2008.

The Whale Watching cruise takes passengers past the Sydney Opera House, Fort Denison and the homes located in the bays of Sydney Harbour and then out through the heads and onto the open waters.

Here the direction of the vessel is totally dependent on where the whales have been sighted -- north towards Manly or south towards Coogee. All Whale Watching cruises are held on a 75-passenger, 16 meter super sea-catamaran purpose built for Whale Watching and featuring two decks both offering spectacular open air viewing and an all-weather lounge for the entire family.

Captain Cook Cruises offers a whale guarantee - if a whale is not sighted in the months of May to November 2008 passengers can rebook another cruise free of charge or for those cruising in June and July.

They also have the choice to receive 50 percent of their money back. Whale Watching cruises depart daily from Circular Quay at 1.30pm and twice daily from Darling Harbour at 9 a.m. and 1:15 pm from May 27 to Nov. 15, 2008.

Whale Watching Cruises are priced at: adults $69, concession $59, child ages four to 14years old pay $39, and families with two adults and two children pay $179. An additional child in the same family is $30.

For further information visit www.captaincook.com.au

Carnival and NCL Raise Fuel Supplements

Carnival has raised its fuel supplement from $7 per person, per day to $9 per person per day for all new bookings beginning June 12 for six of its brands—Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Seabourn.

Carnival also is increasing the fuel supplement on third, fourth and fifth passengers in a stateroom from $2 to $4 per person, per day. The fuel surcharge will not exceed $126 per person, per voyage for first and second guests and $56 per person, per voyage for the third, fourth and fifth guests in a stateroom. Carnival first implemented a fuel supplement in November to the tune of $5 per person, per day, raising it to $7 in April.

Following Carnival's lead, Norwegian Cruise Line is doing the same, increasing its from $9 per person per day to $11 per person per day for first and second passengers in a stateroom, and $5 per person per day for additional passengers in the same stateroom.

For NCL, the adjustment will apply to new individual reservations made on or after June 20, 2008.

For NCL group reservations, the increase also goes into effect on or after June 20, but will also apply to group space held before June 20 without specific names and a full confirming deposit by June 19.

Spirit of Alaska Hits Bottom - Ends Voyage

Cruise West's Spirit of Alaska transferred its 41 passengers to another vessel June 5 after scraping the bottom in Tracy Arm early June 4 in Alaska.

The company said the 78-passenger vessel "briefly touched bottom during the process of getting under way after anchoring overnight in the vicinity of Williams Cove near Tracy Arm." The company reported no injuries to passengers or 22 crew members, nor any threat to marine life or the environment.

The U.S. Coast Guard received a call from the Spirit of Alaska requesting assistance. The ship reported unknown damage affecting its rudder, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Coast Guard sent a 47-foot motor lifeboat, a helicopter and the cutter Liberty to the scene. In addition, the Coast Guard deployed an inspector and investigator to the vessel to assess damage. An investigation is standard practice following the unintentional grounding of any commercial vessel.

Cruise West said the ship proceeded to Juneau under its own power, arriving at approximately 1:30 a.m. June 5.

Guests had breakfast onboard the ship and were to transfer to another Cruise West vessel, Spirit of Endeavour, to depart Juneau on a nine-day cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage.

Windstar Ranked #1 by "Celebrated Living"

Windstar Cruises, which operates a three-ship fleet of luxury yachts, was recognized for the second consecutive year as the best small-ship cruise vacation by the readers of "Celebrated Living."


The honor was published in the 2008 Platinum List, an annual readers' choice guide to what the publication touts as the "best-of-the-best" travel and vacation experiences in the world.

For more information visit www.windstarcruises.com

Carnival Pride Sailing Out of Baltimore

Carnival Cruise Lines will launch the first year-round cruise program from the Port of Baltimore with seven-day cruises aboard the 88,500-ton, 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride beginning in fall 2009.

The new program kicks off Sept. 13, 2009, and encompasses two weeklong itineraries departing Sundays. The "Exotic Eastern Caribbean" cruises will call at Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport, while the Bahamas/Florida departures will visit Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport.

Carnival expects that the Pride will carry more than 115,000 guests annually from the Port of Baltimore.

Including its new Baltimore program, Carnival will operate from 17 North American departure points, including 11 year-round homeports, which it says is the most of any cruise operator.

Prior to the start-up of year-round seven-day cruises, Carnival Pride will operate a one-time six-day voyage round-trip from Baltimore Sept. 7 to 13, 2009. Featured ports on this voyage include Freeport and Port Canaveral.

Reservations are currently being accepted for the new departures from Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean Returns to South America Cruising

Royal Caribbean International is returning to South America in winter 2009-2010 with nine 11- to 15-cruises aboard Radiance of the Seas. Bookings opened on Thursday.

Four-night pre- or post-cruise cruise-tours give guests the opportunity to explore Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Iguazu Falls along the Argentina and Brazil border.

Cruise-tours are escorted and include deluxe hotel accommodations, air and ground transfers, certain meals, and time for individual pursuits. Six cruises will go around the horn of South America and through the Straits of Magellan.

These 12- to 14-night itineraries alternate departures from Valparaiso, Chile, and Buenos Aires, featuring a cruise through the glacier-filled Chilean fjords, and a call at Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world.

Three sailings include a shipboard overnight in Buenos Aires at the beginning or end of the cruise.

An 11-night itinerary, departing on Feb. 10, 2010, features three days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Carnival. The cruise is round-trip from Buenos Aires and includes an overnight on the ship.

Two Pacific equatorial crossings sail from San Diego to Valparaiso on Nov. 21, 2009, and return on March 7, 2010.

Princess Announces Caribbean, Mexico Itineraries

Princess Cruises announced Tuesday a new season of cruises to the Caribbean and Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

In the Caribbean, Princess will sail six ships on 13 itineraries with 129 departures visiting more than 25 ports in the islands.

Ruby Princess will take over the line's 10-day eastern and southern Caribbean itineraries, offering some of the less-visited ports in the region.

Emerald Princess sails on the line's eastern Caribbean itinerary and Crown Princess will feature the western Caribbean with an enhanced itinerary now featuring the island of Roatan, Honduras.

Caribbean Princess continues to sail on alternating seven-day Southern Caribbean sailings from San Juan.

Grand Princess returns with an extensive 14-day Caribbean Collection route and Sea Princess will again sail on 14-day voyages from Barbados. Sapphire Princess will be sailing on the seven-day Mexican Riviera route from Los Angeles and Star Princess will be cruising on 10-day voyages from San Francisco.

Visit www.princesscruise.com

European River Cruises

Tour Europe's most vibrant cities and beautiful scenery on the intimate and luxurious setting of a small cruise boat.

Cruise Lines Raising - Adding Fuel Surcharges

Constantly rising oil prices continue to affect the cruise industry, influencing several lines to raise the per person fuel surcharge for upcoming trips.

After Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and NCL Corp. hiked their rates in April, several other cruise lines are following the trend.

Oceania Cruises will raise its fuel surcharge to $10 per person per day for all new reservations as of May 1. Oceania says the decision is in response to the "continually escalating price of fuel." The fuel surcharge, however, only applies to the first two passengers in the stateroom, not to third or fourth guests.

Even Mickey Mouse isn't immune to the affects of rising fuel prices.

Disney Cruise Line announced that it is implementing a fuel surcharge of $8 per person per day for the first two passengers in a stateroom, and $3 per person per day for any additional passengers in the stateroom. The supplement will be effective for new bookings made on or after May 28, 2008. In addition, the fuel surcharge will be capped at $112 each for first and second stateroom passengers and $42 for additional passengers. Disney Cruise Line advises travel agents to alert their clients to the now new additional fee before they book.

Meanwhile, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is upping its fuel supplement to $6.30 per person per night for the first two passengers in a stateroom and $2.70 per person per night for third and fourth stateroom occupants. The supplement's cap will be approximately $126 per passenger.

Supporters Plan Rally to Save Delta Queen

Supporters who want to save the Delta Queen riverboat are holding a rally at 12 noon on May 5 in Cincinnati at the National Steamboat Monument, just above the Public Landing, where the Delta Queen will be docked.

The Save the Delta Queen Campaign has scheduled speakers, including Gordon C. Greene, former vice president of Greene Line Steamers, as master of ceremonies; U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, who has introduced a bill to allow the Delta Queen to operate after November; Dan Hurley, assistant vice president for history at the Cincinnati Museum Center; Alan Bernstein, owner of BB Riverboats and former Delta Queen crew member; and Mike Berry, president of the Kentucky Derby Festival.

Organizers say the Delta Queen is the last traditional steamboat carrying overnight passengers on America's inland waterways and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1966, it was "inadvertently caught in the technical provisions of the Safety at Sea Act, which was intended to cover ocean-going ships, not riverboats.

Recognizing the difference between boats that operate on rivers, within yards of the shore, and ships that sail the high seas, Congress established an exemption for the Delta Queen in 1968. Since then, the exemption has been renewed nine times, in virtually every case by near-unanimous votes in both the House and the Senate," the campaign says.

Without congressional action, the current exemption will expire on Nov. 1. Bipartisan legislation to extend the exemption, H.R. 3852, was introduced by Chabot, a Republican from Ohio, on Oct. 16.

The bill remains in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure because Committee Chairman James Oberstar of Minnesota "refuses to release it to the floor," the campaign says.

For more information, visit www.save-the-delta-queen.com