Costa Concordia Officers Guilty of Manslaughter In Plea Bargain

A court in Italy has convicted five people of manslaughter over the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Giglio island which killed 32 people in January 2012

Photo courtesy of The Atlantic  

Two officers, the helmsman, the head of cabin service and the head of the crisis team were given up to two years and 10 months in jail for multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck. They had agreed plea bargains and may avoid custodial sentences.

Capt Schettino's faces 20 years in jail if found guilty, and he is being tried separately. 

He is charged with multiple manslaughter for causing the shipwreck and abandoning the vessel with thousands still aboard. 

His case will resume on September 23, and his request for a plea bargain has been rejected by the prosecution.

Capt Schettino maintains he managed to steer the stricken vessel closer to shore so it did not sink in deep water where hundreds might have drowned. His lawyers say he is being made a scapegoat for what was simply an accident.

Read full article at BBC

Royal Caribbean Christmas Cruise Sale

Royal Caribbean kicked off a new cruise sale today, called the Holiday Cruise Sale, where guests can get up to $200 in onboard credit for sailings between December 18 - 31, 2013

The sale is applicable on sailings of five nights or longer on any of its cruise ships.

The deal says if you book an inside or ocean view cabin during these dates, you will receive $100 in onboard credit.  If you book a balcony cabin or a suite, you will get $200 per cabin in onboard credit.

This new sale is applicable for all new individual bookings from customers in North and South America, and is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts, Royal Caribbean shareholder benefits and other promotional offers. The sale ends on July 31, 2013

SOURCE: Royal Caribbean Blog

SeaDream Yachting in Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and More

It's Yachting, Not Cruising . . . Know the Difference

From October 2013 through April 2014, SeaDream II will explore "new ground" as she visits Asia & Northern Australia.

http://www.seadream.com/voyages/region/asia

Tropical Storm Chantal Forces Carnival Ships to Alter Itineraries

Both Carnival Liberty and Carnival Victory Skip Ports Due to Tropical Storm

Carnival Liberty

The line says the 2,974-passenger Carnival Liberty today skipped a visit to St. Thomas due to the storm's approach and instead made a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico that originally had been scheduled for Wednesday.

The Miami-based ship, which is on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing that began on Saturday, and will visit Grand Turk on Wednesday - a day ahead of schedule, and will add a stop in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday.

Also altering course today was the 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory, which dropped a sea day to instead call in Nassau - a port it wasn't supposed to visit until Friday. In addition, the ship will flip-flop calls scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. 

As of 2:00 pm AST, Chantal was 335 miles southeast of San Juan and moving to the west-northwest at 29 miles per hour. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.

The National Hurricane Center says Chantal is expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours as it heads towards the Dominican Republic. 

Forecasters expect that wind shear and interaction with the mountains of Hispaniola and Cuba then will cause the storm to weaken, and it is expected to be a tropical depression Friday while over the Bahamas.

Source: USA Today

10 Night Caribbean Hideaways Cruise With The Bikini Chef

Sail on Oceania Cruises aboard the Riviera - voted one of the best in the world by Travel + Leisure

Cruise with "The Bikini Chef" on a 10 Night Caribbean Hideaways Cruise beginning January 13, 2014 which sets sail from Miami on a 10 night journey

After an exclusive pre-cruise dinner and overnight stay in Miami, the first stop in on the beautiful island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Activities include Cane Garden Bay Beach, hiking in the rainforest, swimming with the dolphins, sea kayaking or visit the famous Virgin Gorda Baths. 

Then, it’s on to St. John’s, Antigua for an afternoon of golf, snorkeling and a lunch of crayfish, crab or the locals famous hamburger. 

Next it's the exquisite gardens and cane fields of Bridgetown, Barbados, the historic La Toc Battery, banana plantations, and spectacular reefs of Castries, St Lucia, the Swedish and French heritage of Gustavia, St. Barths with its unspoiled coastline, fine cuisine and exclusive shopping experiences.

Exclusively for guests of The Bikini Chef, a special VIP welcome gift, private cocktail reception and book signing, an exclusive Private Cooking and Wine Pairing Class in the Bon Appetit Culinary Center.

More info on Bikini Chef Cruise

Antarctica Ultimate White Christmas via Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises is offering what could be considered the “Ultimate White Christmas” voyage, because the Crystal Symphony is spending the holidays in Antarctica. 

The 18-day Dec. 21 Buenos Aires-to-Valparaíso voyage on the Crystal Symphony spends three days in Antarctic waters before sailing to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn and the Chilean Fjords.

This is the luxury line’s only Antarctic cruise in 2013 and 2014. 

Crystal is one of the few cruise lines permitted to sail to Antarctica, due to strict environmental regulations. Crystal said it has incurred extra cost and planning efforts to comply with the regulations.

Optional excursions let guests fly, hike and take Zodiac raft rides to view Air Force homes, penguin breeding grounds, and the glacial scenery of King George and Ardley islands. Extremely limited Crystal Adventures also explore more of Antarctica, including an overnight at the Chilean Eduardo Frei Antarctic Base. Onboard speakers include an Antarctic expedition book author, climate change researcher, shark conservationist and CBS News correspondent.

The itinerary visits Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Port Stanley, Ushuaia (overnight), Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt, and Valparaíso. The ship will be decorated for the holidays and offer gourmet holiday feasts, a champagne New Year’s gala, religious services and junior cruiser events (including Santa). 

On a warmer note . . . 

The Crystal Serenity will spend the holidays sailing round-trip from Miami on Dec. 21 Turks & Caicos, Curaçao, Santa Marta and Cartagena in Colombia, Roatan Island Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Key West.

 All-inclusive cruise fares begin at $9,740 per person for the Antarctica/South America voyage and $7,430 per person for the Caribbean, and include $600 and $800 per person in savings, respectively, if booked by Aug. 30.

http://www.crystalcruises.com/


Source: TravelPulse

Windjammer Rum Theme Caribbean Cruise

Rum Sail Away with Island Windjammers and RumGallery.com

Princess Red, White & Blue Cruise Sale

Princess Cruises is celebrating Independence Day with a “Red, White & Blue Sale,” offering cruise deals on North American departures 

Cruise deals are available until July 8, and offer cruise discounts of up to 40%, plus up to $100 free onboard spending money

Cruises depart between September and December 2013

More than 100 cruise departures are featured in the sale, including cruises to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Panama Canal, the California Coast, Mexico, Canada & New England and the West Coast. 





In addition to special fares, passengers booking balcony staterooms or above will receive an onboard credit:

• $100 for sailings 10 days or longer
• $50 seven- to nine-day cruises
• $30 one- to six-day cruises

And those booking interior or oceanview staterooms can get credits:

• $50 cruises 10 days or longer
• $25 seven- to nine-day cruises
• $15 one- to six-day cruises

More info and cruise schedules at Princess Cruises  

Blount Offering 10% off Caribbean Cruises

When you cruise with Blount Small Ship Adventures, every day is filled with possibilities

Photo courtesy of Blount Small Ship Adventures

Blount operates two U.S. registered ships, each with a capacity of 88 passengers. Enjoy free wine and beer during lunch and dinner PLUS they have a BYOB policy, and provide mixers and set-ups for cocktails available throughout the day.

Passengers booking any 2014 Caribbean cruise by August 30, 2013 will save 10% 

Two new itineraries: 

• An 11-night "Bahamian Out Islands" cruise, departing March 28 and April 11, visits 12 ports, including Nassau, Spanish Wells and Governor's Harbour. Line president Nancy Blount will join the March 28 sailing. Rates from $3,999



For more information, and additional cruises visit blountsmallshipadventures.com

Carnival Cruise Line Replaces CEO

In a move marking the end of an era and suggesting continuing upheaval at the world's largest cruise company, Carnival Corp. announced that Micky Arison, the son of company founder Ted Arison, is being replaced as CEO.

Arison, 63, had held the post since 1979, and will continue as chairman of the board. Arnold W. Donald, who has served on the company's board for the past 12 years, will assume the CEO title.

The news came on the same day that Carnival announced second quarter profits of $41 million, due largely to lower fuel and administrative costs. However, despite deep discounting, passenger traffic remains low, particularly on the flagship Carnival line.

The development follows a string of bad news for Carnival. 

Earlier this year, an engine room fire knocked out the Carnival Triumph's main power, leaving the 2,758-passenger ship dead in the Gulf of Mexico. Passengers described horrible conditions as the ship was towed to Mobile, Ala., and Arison, who owns the Miami Heat basketball team, was criticized for attending a game while the crisis was ongoing.

The following month, the company ended a voyage of the Carnival Dream early after the ship's backup emergency diesel generator failed. Carnival was forced to charter airplanes to fly the ship's 4,300 passengers back to Florida from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

And all this came after the sinking last year of the Carnival-owned Costa Concordia. The incident, which killed 32 people, dominated global headlines for weeks.

Continue Reading

AT&T New SmartPhone Plan Exclusively for Royal Caribbean

Until now, cell phone use on-board cruise ships has been expensive due to roaming charges 


AT&T has launched a new plan for its smartphone users exclusively for Royal Caribbean cruises where affordable data usage while at sea would be possible.  





The new plans by AT&T are as follows

• AT&T Cruise Ship Calling: Includes 50 minutes for $30 per month
• AT&T Cruise Ship Calling and Messaging: Offers 50 minutes of talk and 100 text/picture/video messages sent for $60 per month
• AT&T Cruise Ship Calling, Messaging and Data: Includes 50 minutes, 100 messages sent and 100MB of data for $120 per month
• AT&T does require the package be activated for at least one month, although cruisers could sign up for the service before they leave for their cruise and then call and deactivate the package after their cruise is done.  This rate is in addition to your normal contract rate.

The new package is limited to the cruise ships of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.  

Here's a full list of supported Royal Caribbean cruise ships

Adventurer of the Seas
Allure of the Seas
Brilliance of the Seas
Enchantment of the Seas
Explorer of the Seas
Freedom of the Seas
Grandeur of the Seas
Independence of the Seas
Jewel of the Seas
Legend of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas
Majesty of the Seas
Mariner of the Seas
Navigator of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas
Radiance of the Seas
Rhapsody of the Seas
Serenade of the Seas
Splendour of the Seas
Vision of the Seas
Voyager of the Seas

The new AT&T packages are available when passengers are at sea - See Cruise Ship Packages at bottom of web page at AT&T Wirless site 

Source: Royal Caribbean Blog

Crystal Offers Lowest Fares On Worldwide Voyages

Book by June 28, and enjoy the best savings on European cruises

• Up to $1,850 per person savings when booked by June 28, 2013
• 2 for 1 Cruise Only Fares - limited time savings
• Complimentary gratuities, speciality restaurants, fine wines, champagne, premium liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages
• Complimentary gratuities for housekeeping, bar, dining and Penthouse butler staff
• Optional air add-ons also available

More details here 

Tere Moana 2014 Cruise Sailings

The m/v Tere Moana is the newest ship in the Paul Gauguin Cruises fleet, and accommodates just 90 guests

If you are a past guest of The Gauguin, reserve select sailings by September 30, 2013, and you'll receive double  Paul Gauguin Society savings, for a total of 10% off final cruises fares. 

Lisitings of eligible dates aboard The Moana

March, 15, 2014: Colón, Panama to Philipsburg, St. Maarten  (7-night voyage)

March 29, 2014: Philipsburg, St. Maarten, to Lisbon Portugal  (14-night voyage)

May 24, 2014: Rome Civitavecchia), Italy, to Athens (Piraeus), Greece  (7-night voyage)

June 28, 2014: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy to Nice, France (7-night voyage)

August 23, 2014: Barcelona, Spain, to Nice, France  (7-night voyage)

November 1, 2014: Lisbon, Portugal, to Philipsburg, St. Maarten (14-night voyage)

December 13, 2014: Roundtrip Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica (7-night voyage)

http://www.pgcruises.com/

Holland America Bases Eight Ships in Caribbean For 2013-14

Holland America Line is basing eight ships in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa for its 2013-14 Caribbean season

 Half Moon Cay

All Fort Lauderdale itineraries will call at Half Moon Cay, the line’s private Bahamian island. 

From October through April, Eurodam, Maasdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Ryndam, Veendam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam will sail a total of 109 seven-, 10-, 11- and 14-day cruises that can be combined into voyages up to 25 days. The itineraries explore the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

• New to the region, Veendam will sail one seven-day Eastern Caribbean round-trip from Fort Lauderdale departing April 24 to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.
• Eurodam returns to the Caribbean on alternating round-trip Fort Lauderdale seven-day Eastern and Western itineraries. The Wastern Caribbean itinerary visits Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, while the western route calls at Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman, Key West and Falmouth or Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

• The Maasdam offers a range of seven-, 10-, 11- and 14-day round-trips from Fort Lauderdale; the 14-day route calls at St. Thomas, St. Bart’s, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curaçao, Bonaire and Half Moon Cay.
• Also departing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Nieuw Amsterdam sails alternating Eastern and Western routes. The eastern route calls at Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, while the western itinerary visits Cozumel, Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman and Key West.
• Noordam offers seven-, 10- and 11-day round-trips from Fort Lauderdale cruises. The 11-day Southern Caribbean itinerary includes St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, Dominica, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.
• The only ship sailing round-trip from Tampa, Ryndam offers seven-day Western Caribbean cruises and two 14-day Southern Caribbean itineraries. The 14-day itineraries call at Key West, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. John’s, St. Lucia, Aruba, Grand Cayman and Curaçao or Bonaire.
• Westerdam sails a repeating round-trip Fort Lauderdale seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay.
• Zuiderdam features 10- and 11-day Panama Canal itineraries round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. The 10-day route includes a partial canal transit and calls at Half Moon Cay; Aruba; Curaçao; Colon, Panama; and Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. The 11-day cruise features Half Moon Cay; Aruba; Curaçao; Cartagena, Colombia; a partial Panama Canal transit; Colon and Puerto Limón.

The voyages are available for booking. Cruise fares range from $499 per person, double occupancy, for a seven-day itinerary cruise to $2,799 for a 25-day journey.

Source: Theresa Norton Masek via Travel Pulse

Seabourn Yacht Penthouse Spa Suites

Seabourn Quest, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn are all adding Penthouse Spa Suites

Seabourn Quest now features four Penthouse Spa Suites each with a private verandah; living and dining room seating four people; a separate bedroom; walk-in closet; floor-to-ceiling windows onto the verandah; two flat-screen TVs; and a bathroom with tub and spa shower.

All photo's courtesy of Seabourn Blog

In addition, the suites will feature a bar with healthy snacks, mixed nuts, flavored water and fruit juices; choice of four fragrances by L’Occitane diffused during turndown service; spa music; a menu of Molton Brown spa products in the bathrooms; a menu of bath sponges; and designer soaps by Hermes, L’Occitane, Baudelaire and Salvatore Ferragamo. 

Guests who book the suites will also receive assistance from a spa concierge with reservations for personalized treatments.

Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn will both be re-fitted with the penthouse suites during their next dry dock periods. 


Seabourn Blog 
http://blog.seabourn.com/seabourn-introduces-new-elegant-penthouse-spa-suites