New Disney Ship Fantasy Floated Out in Germany

The Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, has taken to the water for the first time.

The 2,500-passenger vessel on Sunday was floated out from a dry dock in Germany where it has been under construction for more than a year -- one of the last major milestones before its maiden voyage in March.

A sister to the much-heralded Disney Dream, which debuted last year, the 130,000-ton Disney Fantasy is arriving as the line gears up for a major expansion that includes its first cruises out of New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas. The two new ships are Disney's first in more than a decade and together are more than doubling the line's capacity.

Read full article - New Disney cruise ship, Fantasy, floated out in Germany - USATODAY.com

Princess Cruise Line - Hawaii, Pacific Cruises 2012-13

Princess Cruise Line announces 10 itineraries to Hawaii, Tahiti and the South Pacific for the Fall of 2012 and Spring 2013.

Four ships  will sail roundtrip to the Hawaii islands from Los Angeles and San Francisco - and the newly renovated Grand Princess will make its debut to Hawaii.

Itineraries include 10-day “Tahiti & Polynesia” routes sailing roundtrip from Papeete, Tahiti.

11-day “Hawaii & Tahiti” cruise offers Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia.

28-day “Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa” itinerary offers two roundtrips from Los Angeles to American Samoa, visiting Hawaii and Tahiti along the way.

http://www.princess.com/

Royal Caribbean Caribbean/Panama Canal Cruises - Vision of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Caribbean/Panama Canal Cruises - Vision of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas will offer 19 Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises in the winter 2012-13.

The cruises range from 10 to 15 nights roundtrip from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

A 10-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes calls at Tortola, St. Maarten, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Croix and Martinique.

An 11-night Southern Caribbean itinerary call at Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Kitts, Dominica and St. Vincent, a maiden port for Royal Caribbean.

Holiday and New Year’s cruise, departs Dec. 24, with ports of St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent, Martinique and Labadee - RCI's private beach destination in Haiti.

In addition, two 14-night Panama Canal itineraries will sail from Port Everglades and San Diego on Oct. 5 and Oct. 19, respectively. On March 18 and April 2, 2013 there will be two 15-night sailings departing from Port Everglades and also San Diego.

Kenny G 2013 Alaskan Cruise

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G has chartered Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium for a weeklong Alaska cruise, set for May 17 to 24, 2013.








More info
http://www.kennygcruise.com/

Regent Seven Seas Luxury Cruises Includes FREE Air

The ships of Regent Seven Seas Cruises offer voyages of exploration and discovery to more than 300 ports on all seven continents. 


The luxury vessels are designed for guests numbering in the hundreds rather than the thousands. The ambiance on board is personal, individual, accommodating - "upscale but not uptight." And all ships share certain distinctions in accommodations, service, dining and amenities that elevate them to the lofty vantage point of our enviable six stars.

With Regent Seven Seas Cruises guests can enjoy cruising as it was meant to be aboard the luxurious, mid-sized ships.

In addition to 2-for-1 Fares plus bonus savings, fares include FREE roundtrip air, FREE luxury hotel package, FREE unlimited shore excursions, FREE fine wines and premium spirits, and much more. Enjoy - it's all included!

http://www.rssc.com/specials/

St Lucia Shore Excursion via Jade Mountain

St Lucia's Jade Mountain resort is offering cruise ship couples a “Whisk Her Away to Jade Mountain” daytime excursion featuring a private helicopter ride from Castries to the resort in Soufriere. 

The ride features views of the island's west coast before landing at the Jade property located on a rugged hillside above the sea.

Guests will enjoy a specially designed, four-course lunch with a choice of wines and cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Jonathan Dearden. Jade Mountain's menu features fresh seasonal ingredients, including organic produce grown on the resort's Emerald Estate farm. The excursion is priced at $2,799 per couple (two passengers) or $3,099 for four people. 

Tours can also be booked via private speedboat for $1,999 per couple (two passengers) or $2,499 for four passengers.  For more information, call 800-223-1108.

Silversea 2013 Voyages Across Six Ships

Silversea Cruises has unveiled a line-up of worldwide voyages for 2013 that are all on sale now. 

In 2013, the company's six elite ships will offer over 200 voyages, visiting more than 450 destinations on seven continents. 

Highlighting the program is Silver Whisper's 115-day World Cruise, Silver Spirit's inaugural calls in Hawaii (last visited by Silversea in 2010), and Silver Explorer's new expedition cruises to Canada's Hudson Bay.

Also noteworthy are Silversea's 32 new ports of call, which include 21 just for Silver Explorer alone. Collectively, the line's other ships will offer 11 new destinations: Soller de Majorca, Spain; Sabang (Pulau Weh), Indonesia; Port Arthur, Australia; Liverpool, U.K.; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Saaremaa, Estonia; Quebec, Canada; Chios, Greece; Portsmouth, Dominica; Fanning Island, Kiribati; and Fukuoka, Japan.

Here's a snapshot of Silversea's 2013 schedule:

World Cruise 2013

A 115-day journey from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale aboard the Silver Whisper on Jan. 5. Crossing the equator four times, the World Cruise itinerary will follow the tropical belt to 52 destinations in 28 countries with overnight stays in several ports. The warm-weather journey will include New Zealand and Australia's west coast; the isles of French Polynesia; the Asian cities of Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore; and Africa's western coast. Guests may choose to extend their voyage an additional three days to disembark in New York, or 15 days to disembark in Southampton.

Silver Cloud

Silver Cloud begins the 2013 season exploring South America and then crosses the Panama Canal to the Caribbean to offer a series of roundtrip voyages from San Juan. After spending May in the Mediterranean, she'll venture to Northern Europe for a summer season that includes calls in the British Isles, Iceland, the North Cape and Russian ports in the White Sea. Silver Cloud heads south to the warmer Mediterranean in the fall and come November, crosses the Atlantic to South America where the highlights include a 17-day Amazon adventure and cruising the Chilean Fjords at year's end.

Silver Wind

For Silver Wind, the New Year begins in South Africa with three 10-day roundtrip sailings from Cape Town, followed by an 18-day cruise along the west coast of Africa and two voyages in the Canary Islands. Silver Wind then repositions to the Mediterranean for an extended summer program filled with mostly seven- and nine-day voyages exploring the Mediterranean. Highlights include a three-day extended visit in Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix during the May 23 cruise from Barcelona to Rome, as well as calls in Egypt and the Holy Land. Silver Wind then heads south along Africa's west coast to conclude the year back in Cape Town.

Silver Shadow

Silver Shadow opens the year voyaging around Australia and New Zealand. Then in late February and March, she'll offer a series of itineraries focused on Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand before traveling north to China and Japan for the spring. Summer finds Silver Shadow in Alaska for a series of mostly seven-day cruises between Seward and Vancouver. During October and November, she'll offer cruises focusing on China and Vietnam, before heading south to celebrate the holidays with a 15-day voyage between Sydney and Auckland.

Silver Whisper

Silver Whisper begins 2013 with a World Cruise. Over the course of four months she'll journey west from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, visiting 52 destinations across Oceania, Asia and Africa. From mid-May through August, she'll explore Northern Europe offering seven-day Baltic cruises with extended stays in St. Petersburg. A transatlantic crossing from Southampton to Montreal will reposition Silver Whisper to offer a collection of fall foliage cruises through Canada and New England before heading south to the Caribbean in November. Following a 16-day holiday cruise through the Panama Canal, she'll end the year in Los Angeles.

Silver Spirit

For Silver Spirit, 2013 arrives in the Caribbean. Then in February, after a crossing of the Panama Canal to Los Angeles, she repositions for a 31-day voyage through the Pacific Ocean, highlighted by calls in French Polynesia, Kiribati and the major islands of Hawaii. Throughout summer, seven- and nine-day sailings focus on the eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles. Other highlights include three seven-day Black Sea cruises. In late November, Silver Spirit arrives in Fort Lauderdale for a series of roundtrip Caribbean cruises culminating with a 14-day holiday cruise.

Silver Explorer

The luxury expedition ship Silver Explorer sails into 2013 offering a series of cruises to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Spring and summer are highlighted by trips along the west coast of Africa, western Europe, the British Isles, and Svalbard's frozen Arctic landscapes. First-ever expedition voyages in Canada's Hudson Bay highlight August. In September, Silver Explorer heads south to offer a series of Caribbean and Central America explorations before arriving in Ushuaia in November to conclude the year with Antarctic expeditions.

Visit www.silversea.com

Source: TravelAgent

New NCL's Breakaway Sets Sail From New York 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new  4,000 passenger ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will sail from her year-round homeport of New York City to the Bahamas & Florida and the Caribbean during her inaugural winter season.  

The 144,037-ton ship will enter service in April, 2013.

Following a summer inaugural season sailing seven-day cruises from New York to Bermuda, Norwegian Breakaway will embark on a series of 25 seven-day cruises to the Bahamas & Florida beginning on Sunday, October 13, 2013. 

The ship will also sail two 12-day Southern Caribbean itineraries on January 5 and 19, 2014, along with two Weekend Escape cruises on January 17 and 31, 2014.

These cruises go on sale to Norwegian’s top travel partners and Latitudes Rewards members (past guests) today and to the general public on Friday, January 6.

Norwegian Breakaway’s Bahamas & Florida cruises depart on Sundays and include stops in Nassau, Bahamas; Norwegian’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay; and Orlando & the Beaches (Port Canaveral), Florida; along with three relaxing days at sea. These sailings run through April 27, 2014.  The ship’s 12-day Southern Caribbean cruises include the following ports of call: San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Basseterre, St. Kitts; along with five relaxing days at sea.

In October of 2011, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Norwegian Cruise Line announced that beginning in May 2013, Norwegian Breakaway will be the largest ship to homeport year-round in New York City, bringing 140,000 additional embarking passengers into New York City over two years, resulting in an estimated $35 million in additional direct spending.

Information on Norwegian Breakaway’s accommodations and itineraries can be found on Norwegian’s website.

Source: USA Today, Critic Critic Blog  

Popular Cruise Destinations

Alaska
from $76 / night

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from $53 / night

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from $38 / night

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Hawaii
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Alaskan Dream New Itineraries, Ports of Call

Alaskan Dream Cruises, a small-ship cruise line sailing in Southeast Alaska, announced three new itineraries, additional ports of call and ship renovations. Owned and operated by an Alaska Native family in Sitka, the company will operate its second season from May through September.

The 42-passenger Alaskan Dream will sail on three new itineraries in 2012 -- an eight-day trip that focuses on less-explored destinations, including Hobart Bay and Kasaan, and two 11- and 13-day trips through the Inside Passage. The three itineraries include new ports of call for the cruise line -- Ketchikan, Skagway, Haines, Thorne Bay, Kasaan, Wrangell and Gustavus.

The new eight-day “Alaska’s Inside Passage Sojourn” itinerary travels between Sitka and Ketchikan, visiting the village of Kake, Petersburg, Kasaan, Thorne Bay and Misty Fjords. In addition, Hobart Bay is an adventure base camp visited exclusively by Alaskan Dream Cruises, offering sea kayaking, all-terrain vehicle tours and small Zego sport boat excursions. Rates for the cruises begin at $2,269.

The “Alaska’s Southeast Explorer” 11-day itinerary also sails between Ketchikan and Sitka, but expands the route to include Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus, Skagway, Haines and Wrangell. Travelers also spend an evening on Colt Island at Orca Point Lodge, which is available only to guests of Alaskan Dream Cruises and its sister company, Allen Marine Tours, for an Alaska salmon and king crab dinner. Rates for the cruises begin at $3,399.

The 13-day “Alaska’s Glacier Bay and Inside Passage Voyage” follows a similar route to the 11-day cruise, but visits Windham Bay from a private wilderness retreat that offers fishing, sea kayaking and two-person outboard motor boats. A full day is spent whale watching among the Inian Islands and near Point Adolphus, a famous feeding area for endangered humpback whales. Guests will also visit Lake Eva near Sitka for a hike on a newly rebuilt trail in Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest. Rates for the cruises begin at $3,989.

Complimentary shore excursions are included. In addition, local naturalists and Alaska Native guides conduct onboard presentations.

Alaskan Dream Cruises also renovated both of its ships for the new season. Its 42-passenger Alaskan Dream, formerly the Executive Explorer, was redone with new carpet and paint, new closets in passenger cabins and a revamped forward lounge. The Admiralty Dream, formerly the Spirit of Columbia, was give a lighter color scheme in the cabins and public areas, as well as new carpet. The forward lounge was also redesigned.

The company was launched in 2011 by the Allen family, members of the Tlingit Kaagwaantaan Clan. The Allen family also founded Allen Marine Inc., a boat-building company, in 1967, and operates Allen Marine Tours, which offers day cruise tours to travelers in Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Source: TravelPulse

Cruise Tours Versus Going on Your Own

Cruise passengers heading for the island of Jamaica e-mailed inquiring about a cheaper way to enjoy the beach in Ocho Rios vs. taking a ship sponsored tour which will put them over their tight cruise budget. 

Cruise passengers familiar with their destination, or those who are more adventurous will often opt to go on their own once arriving at their port destination. We suggest if going on your own and using local transportation (especially taxi's) know which ones are official or licensed by the local government.

We suggested Reggae Beach, which is approximatelyh 10-15 minutes from the port. The official taxi's in Jamaica are JUTA taxi's, and we suggested they only take JUTA to their destination. The rate to Reggae Beach is approximately $40.00, which can be shared by up to four people. The price should always be negotiated up front.

On arrival to the beach, it will cost $5.00 which includes beach chairs - along with bathroom facilities. You will ususally find a Reggae band for entertainment. The beach bar features cold drinks, jerk chicken and conch. Kayak's are also available for rent.

Another plus in visiting this particular beach is it is private, which means you don't have to deal with the crowds at the public beaches, and those pesky local beach peddlers.

By taking the taxi rather than the cruise ship sponsored tour, the four friends will save approximately $50 per couple. They plan to use the extra money for the required tips to cabin steward, along with other cruise staff.

Many first time cruisers on a tight budget do not take the required tipping into consideration. It's one of those details many overlook when booking a cruise - in the cruise documentation the tipping guidelines are spelled out.

In this particular case, the four passengers are cruising on Carnival which charges $11.50 per-person, per-day gratuity to onboard accounts. Each cruise line has a different policy, read our Cruise Line Tipping Policies for guidelines for particular cruise lines.

Windstar Cruises Two-For-One Fares on Caribbean Voyages

Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of three luxury 

sailing yachts that explore hidden harbors and 

secluded coves of the world's most treasured destinations. 

Windstar announces two-for-one fares starting from $1,399 per person, based on double occupancy, on select 2012 Caribbean voyages when booked by February 24, 2012.

Three Caribbean itineraries are available and each one features intimate and exclusive island-hopping experiences in the tropics all while sailing on a luxurious sailing yacht.

Experience the eclectic Caribbean sailing from Dutch St. Maarten to French-influenced Martinique on Windstar's Flavors of the Caribbean voyages.

Seven-day sailings on Wind Surf roundtrip from Philipsburg, St. Maarten visit Le Marin, Martinique; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Roseau, Dominica; Falmouth Harbour, Antigua; and Gustavia, St. Barthelemy. Departures: January 14, 28; February 25; and March 10, 24, 2012. Two-for-one fares starting from $1,399 per person, double occupancy on select sailings.

Read entire news release for more info

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New Disney Ship, Attractions and Experiences

Guests will be able to enjoy new experiences at Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and Disneyland in 2012.

The Disney Fantasy’s maiden voyage is scheduled for March 31, 2012. The newest ship from the Disney Cruise Line fleet will sail on week-long Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla. The 4,000 passenger ship features a cast bronze statue of Mademoiselle Minnie Mouse dressed in vintage 1920’s fashion as the main statue in the lobby.

Here is a list of what will open this new year

• Sections of the new Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom will open early in 2012. In February the first phase of the Fantasyland expansion will be open.

• In early 2012 the Barnstormer coaster, Fantasyland Station and the first half of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction will be open to the public.

• Sorcerers will invade the Magic Kingdom in early 2012. During the new interactive experience, “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom,” Merlin the magician recruits guests as apprentice sorcerers to undertake missions to hunt for villains inside the park.

• The Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World Resort will welcome new supercars and a custom-built one-mile track in mid-January. 

• New Royal Guest Rooms come to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort in mid-February.

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort located next to Disney’s Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World will open in May of 2012.

Read entire article for full details on all new Disney happenings for 2012

Feast or Famine: Will RCI's New Dining Packages Save You Money?

Who says sister lines don't share recipes? Taking a page off Celebrity Cruises' menu, Royal Caribbean has introduced seven new specialty dining packages available on four of its ships.

RCI's new packages are currently being offered on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas. (Radiance and Splendour now feature several restaurants that debuted on the Oasis-class duo, thanks to recent massive refits.) At this time, there's no set date for expansion of the dining packages to additional ships.

Read full article at Cruise Critic