Today, NCL announced Emmy® Award winner Rosie O'Donnell will serve as the godmother of its newest ship Norwegian Pearl. The popular talk show host and actress will christen NCL's newest Freestyle Cruising vessel in a ceremony at the Port of Miami on Saturday, December 16 at 5 p.m.
NCL has also donated the use of Norwegian Pearl to O'Donnell's charity, Rosie's For All Kids Foundation, for a one-night charity event on Friday, December 15. Guests onboard the one-night cruise will enjoy an evening of culinary delights, a Broadway-style show in the Stardust Theater with O'Donnell and guest entertainers direct from Broadway performing, a comedy show by popular comedy troupe Second City and a sail-away cocktail party on the pool deck.
"We are so pleased that Rosie will serve as Godmother of Norwegian Pearl," said Colin Veitch, NCL Corporation's president and CEO. "Rosie is a talented entertainer and dedicated philanthropist, and both these qualities will be front and center during the christening and charity event of Norwegian Pearl. We will raise a lot of money for her charitable foundation, which will allow her to expand on the broad range of work already undertaken to improve the quality of life for children all over America."
NCL will donate the use of Norwegian Pearl, inclusive of all food, beverage and shipboard entertainment for the one-night event with 100 percent of the ticket revenue being given to the charity.
"After chartering four ships with NCL, I have experienced the innovative product and exemplarily service of the crew first hand so I'm very proud to serve as Godmother of the company's newest ship -- Norwegian Pearl," O'Donnell said. "I'm also thrilled we will be using Norwegian Pearl for a cause that is very close to my heart - helping disadvantaged children. It is the perfect venue to raise money for children in need around the country." 
Silversea Cruises has announced plans to offer a groundbreaking ultra-personalized and ultra-inclusive vacation experience. Called "Privileged Passage," this exclusive new style of ultra-luxury cruise travel is set to debut on a select test voyage in 2007.
The company, long recognized as a luxury travel innovator and trendsetter with its flexible open dining concept, generous all-inclusive shipboard policy and unique Personalized Voyages program, is planning to take things to the next level by offering guests even greater personal freedom and flexibility in customizing their own cruise experience to suit their personal lifestyle, while incorporating an expanded and enhanced array of complimentary amenities and benefits.
We have more details about this new program when you click on "more" or call us at 888-286-9827 to book your Silversea Cruises vacation.
The new Privileged Passage concept is designed to showcase an active-lifestyle luxury cruise as a unique, nontraditional vacation experience. The company's goal is to create an environment that allows guests to enjoy everything that has made Silversea a leader in luxury travel, along with a totally unstructured, non-regimented, casual and relaxed onboard atmosphere. Although Silversea already offers tremendous freedom, flexibility and all-inclusiveness, the new Privileged Passage style of luxury-cruise vacationing will push the envelope on luxury travel. "In order to attract more first-time and nontraditional cruisers, we want to completely break the mold of the conventional cruise vacation and change travelers' perceptions about the rigidity and formality often associated with cruising," said Albert Peter, Silversea's chief executive officer. "Due to the unique size of our vessels, we're able to take full advantage of our hardware to offer guests an intimate vacation experience that is truly personalized and designed by the guest to fit his or her individual lifestyle." Added Peter, "By offering a unique cruise option that incorporates everything that Silversea already offers, along with the addition of more complimentary amenities and benefits tailored to an active lifestyle, we're opening the door to many travelers who never thought about booking a cruise before. If this pilot cruise is as well-received as we expect, we plan to offer more voyages of this type." The Privileged Passage program will do away with formal nights and receptions. Guests will not have to worry about packing a tuxedo or evening dress; instead, they'll enjoy the freedom to dress in comfortable casual resort attire throughout the voyage. Guests will find it easier to design their day with extended open hours for the fitness center and spa. They'll also be able to request Early Embarkation and Late Disembarkation at no additional cost. Silversea will also make it easier for guests to personalize their experiences ashore by offering a selection of complimentary tours specially designed to intimately connect travelers to the places and cultures they visit. Other enhancements will include more casual-style entertainment featuring contemporary bands, jazz ensembles and lively mix shows by disc jockeys from around the world. In addition to spacious, ocean-view accommodations (most with private veranda), award-winning gourmet cuisine, personalized service, and warm Italian hospitality, Silversea guests already enjoy a generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages, wines and spirits served throughout the ship, 24-hour room service, stocked in-suite beverage cabinet and all gratuities. Plus, with the line's exclusive Personalized Voyages program, guests can customize the length of their cruise to fit their personal schedule. The Privileged Passage program is set to debut on a test basis aboard Silver Whisper's "Classic Reflections" voyage (4710), departing April 9, 2007. This extraordinary 10-day cruise will sail from Alexandria to Athens with calls in Rhodes, Patmos, and Mykonos, Greece; Antalya and Kusadasi, Turkey; Tartous, Syria; and Cyprus. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $5,605 per person.
The folks at Magical Mountain have published the details of what passengers onboard Disney Magic's 10 night Holiday Crusie and Disney Wonder's holiday cruise can expect onboard.The festivities start from the moment passengers arrive at the Port Canaveral terminal where they'll be welcomed by Disney characters in their holiday attire, while the terminal itself will be decorated for the holidays as well.
Some of the things that passengers can enjoy onboard:
- Special Thanksgiving festivities including a Thanksgiving Day meal with all the trimmings, craft actvities and visits by Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Thanksgiving costumes.
- A 3 deck tall decorated tree in the atrium lobby complete with snow flurries and a tree lighting ceremony.
- A Christmas Day visit frm Santa Goofy with surprises for all of the children
- International holiday caroling by crewmembers on the Christmas cruise.
- Special family time for designing and decorating gingerbread houses
- A reading of "The Night Before Christmas" by Mrs. Claus
- Traditional holiday fests in the three dining rooms (Christmas cruise only)
- Multi-faith and interdominational Holiday services (Christmas and Hanuakkah cruise only)
- A ship wide part to celebrate 2007 including a New Year's Day tailgate party.
Call us at 888-286-9827 to book one of these special holiday voyages.
I know, this isn't that newsy since we've been talking about this for the past several months both here and on various episodes of the podcast. But Carnival Cruise Lines has put out a new release about their return to New Orleans.
"Fun Ship" cruising returns to New Orleans today when Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,056-passenger Fantasy embarks on a four-day cruise to Mexico this afternoon from the new Erato Street Cruise Terminal, part of the ship’s year-round four- and five-day program from that port.
On the Fantasy’s year-round schedule from New Orleans, four-day cruises depart Thursdays and call at Cozumel while five-day cruises depart Mondays and Saturdays and visit Cozumel and Costa Maya.
The 70,000-ton Fantasy – the namesake behind Carnival’s "Fantasy-class," the most successful series of ships ever introduced – marks the return of year-round Carnival voyages from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
With the Fantasy’s new four- and five-day cruises, combined with Carnival Triumph’s year-round seven-day cruises from New Orleans announced earlier this year, Carnival expects to carry approximately 320,000 passengers annually from that port.
Guests can extend their stay in New Orleans with a variety of pre- and post-cruise land packages providing an opportunity to explore the city’s many excellent restaurants, shops and historical landmarks.
The Fantasy encompasses 10 passenger decks and features a variety of on-board amenities and facilities, including three swimming pools, Carnival’s signature "Twister Waterslide," a 12,000-square-foot health and fitness center, a comprehensive golf program, a jogging track, cell phone service, an Internet café, and "Camp Carnival" and "Club O2" with expansive facilities and activities for children and teens, respectively.
The ship also houses 1,028 staterooms featuring the new "Carnival Comfort Bed" sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality pillows and linens.
Dining options include two formal restaurants with expansive menus and wine lists and a 700-seat poolside eatery featuring 24-hour pizza and self-serve ice cream/frozen yogurt. All Fantasy dining venues feature the new "Georges Blanc Signature Selections," delicious menu items created by the world-renowned French master chef.
Carnival is currently accepting reservations for all of its "Fun Ship" departures from New Orleans.
Prices for the Fantasy’s four- and five-day voyages from New Orleans begin at $299 per person while Carnival Triumph’s seven-day voyages from New Orleans start at $529 at per person, based on double occupancy. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a variety of North American gateways, are also available.
Visit Cruise Planners or call us at 888-286-9827 for more information about Carnival's New Orleans departures. The upcoming wine-themed cruise aboard the Carnival Valor in December will offer participants an opportunity to sample fine wines from top wineries in Italy, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and New York state, while expanding their wine knowledge through insightful wine seminars and tastings.The week-long cruise, which will be hosted by Carnival President and CEO Bob Dickinson, a noted wine collector and connoisseur, will sail round-trip from Miami Dec. 3-10, 2006, and feature visits to Nassau, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Maarten.
World-renowned French master chef, restaurateur and winemaker Georges Blanc, whose "Signature Selection" menu items are featured fleetwide on Carnival’s ships, will also be on hand to share his vast knowledge of fine food and wine to cruise participants.
A wide range of wine-related events and activities, including a Welcome Aboard Reception and Gala Tasting, along with seminars focusing on Argentinean, Australian, Italian, and New York state wines, and a question-and-answer session hosted by Dickinson, will be held throughout the voyage.
Click on "more" to see what vintners are sponsoring this year's cruise, or call us at 888-286-9827 to book yourself onboard this special sailing.
Wine cruise sponsors include:
ZOLO – As part of its effort to broaden its reach in North America, this renowned winery – whose grapes are grown in the high elevations of Mendoza, Argentina – will feature a wide range of its varietals, including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Torrontes, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Epic Wines – This California-based wine importer and distributor represents a diverse group of acclaimed wineries from the world’s top wine-producing regions. For the wine cruise, Epic will showcase Argentine and Australian selections, including Joffre Merlot and Melipal Malbec from Argentina; Angus the Bull Cabernet Sauvignon, Four Sisters Sauvignon Blanc, Yering Station Nell Pinot Noir, and Mt. Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz, all from Australia.
Folio Fine Wine Partners – Founded by Michael Mondavi of the famous winemaking family, this California importer, agency and producer of fine wines will highlight its Italian brands, including Danzante – Pinot Grigio, Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti, Frescobaldi Nipozzano, and Luce, created by the legendary Robert Mondavi and the Italian Marchesi de’ Frescobali family.
Pernod Ricard – One of the world’s largest and most successful spirits companies, as well as one the largest global producers of fine wines, Pernod Ricard will highlight its Australian and New Zealand wines with distinctive selections from Jacob’s Creek reserve wines, Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, and Wyndam Estates wines, all from Australia, as well as Stoneliegh Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
New York Uncorked (U.S.) – This marketer and distributor of New York state wines will show why New York is becoming one of the most exciting wine regions in the U.S. Here, vintners produce wines from both popular European varietals as well as native American grapes. New York Uncorked will showcase some of its more popular wines, including Brotherhood Holiday Spiced Wine (Hudson River), Wolffer Estate Le Ferme Martin Merlot (Long Island/Hamptons), Standing Stone Vidal Ice Wine (Finger Lakes), and Heron Hill Semi-Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes).
Guests will also enjoy a Grand Gala Tasting sponsored by Marquee Wines featuring its Signature Series of premium, hand-crafted Australian wines as well as a unique "Cigars Under the Stars" party hosted by Porthole Magazine.
In addition to various wine-themed events and activities, cruise participants can enjoy Carnival Valor’s wide range of on-board amenities: 22 lounges and bars, including, of course, a wine bar, along with a 14,500-square-foot spa, Internet café, jogging track, a comprehensive golf program, and four swimming pools.
Dining options include twin two-level main dining rooms, a 1,400-seat casual poolside eatery, and an intimate upscale supper club serving USDA prime aged beef and other gourmet cuisine.
Of the Carnival Valor’s 1,487 staterooms, 60 percent offer either an ocean view or balcony. All Carnival Valor accommodations feature the new "Carnival Comfort Bed" sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and pillows.
Prices for the wine-themed cruise begin at $574 per person, based on double occupancy. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom and round-trip air supplements are also available. Participants must request fare code CPWC when making the reservation. Older Articles »
