Regent Seven Seas Cruises, voted the world
‘s #1 large-ship operator by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, will host an all-star collection of Broadway, Hollywood and TV greats aboard the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner during “Theatre at Sea 2008,” a 12-night Amazon River cruise from Manaus, Brazil to Fort Lauderdale.
Departing February 21, 2008, the 35th Theatre At Sea, presented by the Theatre Guild, will feature a cast of talented and distinguished actors including TV and Broadway legend Ed Asner; four-time Drama Desk Award-winning actress Tovah Feldshuh; acclaimed film and television actress Anne Jackson; Broadway star Karen Mason; Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Neal; television star and former Miss America Susan Powell; Helen Hayes Award-winner and director Lee Roy Reams; Broadway leading man Richard White and legendary theatre, film and television icon Eli Wallach.
These legends of stage and screen will entertain guests with eight performances throughout the voyage, and will also join passengers at exclusive “Green Room” parties after each show. Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with these sought-after stars at special, “members-only” events.
Seven Seas Mariner’s Amazon journey will depart Manaus to call at Parintins and Santarem, Brazil; Devil’s Island in French Guiana; plus Barbados, Dominica, San Juan and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos, before concluding in Fort Lauderdale. Highlights include a trip to Manaus’ Opera House, shopping excursions, a reception with the Governor of Barbados and a call at Brazil’s Boi Bumba Festival. The itinerary also features three luxurious days spent at sea.
Seven Seas Mariner is the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony vessel, as well as the first to offer dining by the famed Le Cordon Bleu® of Paris in Signatures, one of four single, open-seating restaurants. Accommodating only 700 guests, she is one of the most spacious cruise ships afloat, and her staff-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.6 provides the highest level of personal service in the six-star tradition of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Rates for the Theatre at Sea 2008 voyage range from $5,295 to $20,395 per person, double occupancy. Chartered economy airfare is available for $700 per person. Call us at 888-286-9827 to book your cabin on this special sailing.
Work is proceeding at a great pace on the construction of MSC Fantasia at Aker Yards France. Delivery date is November 2008, marking what MSC Cruises calls a fantastic achievement in such a short period.
MSC Fantasia, the biggest ship to be commissioned by a European ship owner, will set off a new concept of cruise ship and an innovative way of cruising. MSC Fantasia will feature the most advanced building technology, the most precious materials and a new space concept to satisfy every client’s needs.
MSC Fantasia will be the first MSC ship to introduce an exclusive VIP area, the ‘MSC Yacht Club,’ with six-star service, 68 luxury suites from 193 to 699 square feet, with a true English butler service to assist the passenger in every possible way, starting from check-in to the 24-hour stateroom service, excursion reservations, transfers, wine choices, champagne and cigars and so on. The MSC Yacht Club will also feature a private solarium, two Jacuzzis, 1 swimming pool sky dome and an observation lounge (private bar area, concierge and panoramic view of the front ship).
At 135,000 grt, MSC Fantasia will be 1,092 feet long, 124 feet wide and 196 feet tall- a giant of the seas! She will be 6 times the Tower of Pisa, 393 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower and as tall as a 23- story building. This ship will travel at 23.3 knots, while its propulsion force will be 40 Mega Watts, similar to a 120 Ferrari or a 1000 Fiat Punto. She will have 1,800 kms of electrical cabling (equivalent to the distance between Naples and Nantes) and 65,000 light fittings.
Internally MSC Fantasia will have many features including: • 1,637 staterooms, to host 3,900 passengers and 1,300 crew members – 80% outside staterooms and 109 suites between 193-699 square feet. • 290,000 square feet of public areas and a 3-D theater with a seating capacity of 1,700; a spa wellbeing center with thermal caves (16,000 square feet), 5 restaurants (including a Tex Mex, open 24 hours daily, and a Panoramic restaurant), 4 pools with Jacuzzi hydro massage (3 external and 1 with a crystal retractable roof), sports bar, shops, casino, disco and children’s area with a unique “Water Slide” spanning two decks.
MSC Fantasia, the environmentally friendly ship, features the AWT the Advanced Water Treatment system for the treatment of grey and black waters. This system filters all the water on board and ensures that any that is released into the sea is clean and has an almost zero pollution level. For this system, MSC Cruises has obtained the CLEAN SHIP 2AWT certification.
MSC Cruises has already confirmed the construction of sister ship MSC Splendida, also at the Aker Yards France, due to be delivered in April 2009.
April 2008 is the arrival date of the MSC Poesia, the third sister ship of the “Musica” class of MSC Cruises’ ships. Like sister ships MSC Musica and MSC Orchestra, the ship is a model of class and elegance following MSC Cruises tradition, and will be:
-92,400 grt; 964 feet long; 105 feet wide; 164 feet tall; - 1,274 staterooms, of which 80% are outside and 65% have a balcony; - 16 decks with 13 accessible to the public; and - 23 knots maximum speed.
More than 236,000 square feet of public areas, seven thematic areas, “Coral Bay” and “Cayo Levantado” pool areas covering a total of nearly 40,000 square feet with two swimming pools, 4 jacuzzis and an almost 13,000-square-foot Aqua Spa.
As they did for her sister ships, Studio De Jorio has designed her interiors in a contemporary style, from Neo-Liberty, to Art Deco, from the purest geometric design of the beginning of the century, to the High Tech, up to the most refined and essential contemporary and eclectic design of the third millennium.
The design features sophisticated chromatic choices, extreme care for every single detail and service in order to offer MSC Cruises’ guests a unique, special cruise: 4 restaurants (Le Fontane, Il Palladio, La Cafeteria Villa Pompeiana and l’Obelisco, the a La Carte Restaurant), where it will be possible to taste the most delicious menu of the Mediterranean culinary tradition as well as the international one, prepared by the best chefs with genuine ingredients, selected meat coming for controlled Italian farms, fresh fruit and fresh bread and pasta prepared daily by the on board chefs; ; 10 bars, two of which are external (Mojito Bar, Pirana Bar).
The crew and animation teams will make the cruise an unforgettable experience with numerous onboard activities, the Carlo Felice Theater, the children’s play area “The Dinosaur,” mini-golf, jogging area and perfect first class service – not to mention the “Aqua Spa” with massages and treatments for a real wellbeing experience.
MSC Poesia will join the fleet in April 2008 and will be the ninth of the MSC Cruises.
We’ve talked a lot about Queen Victoria over the last several months, the latest information is on the shows that will be featured onboard.
Nowhere will the ship’s Victorian era sensibility come more brilliantly to life than in Victoriana, a spectacular show that will take guests back in time to the apex of the British Empire, paying tribute to milestones of the era. Victoriana captures Music Hall memories with splendid character performances, a touch of Victorian Gothic featuring contemporary choreography and period costumes. After each Victoriana performance, guests carry the mood into the Queens Room for a jubilant Royal Victoriana themed ball.
Dance Passion celebrates the exuberant world of dance. Outstanding international dancers execute superb and diverse choreography, capturing the magic of Gene Kelly, the sensual Argentine Tango, Salsa and Samba. The show delivers the grace and elegance of classic dance to the vibrant energy of Swing and Jump Jive.
Cunard tapped Dmitri Iliukhin, choreographer and former Riverdance performer, to give Celtic Heartbeat an authentic resonance. Featuring a mix of original and traditional Irish music, song and dance, it tells the story of a young Irishman and his search for fortune, capturing all the joy, conflict, humor, heartbreak and romance of his journey. It features two principle dancers, four singers who take the role of the narrators, and a full dance ensemble.
The final production, A Stroke of Genius, pairs world-famous works of art with popular music. This fresh and eclectic show features a blend of Andy Warhol and the Rolling Stones, Edward Hopper’s American Realism and the music of Hoagy Carmichael, and ballerinas coming to life against a backdrop of Edgar Degas’ French Impressionist paintings.
The productions are the work of the same team who produce acclaimed shows for sister ships Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2. UK-based Belinda King Creative Productions works in tandem with Cunard to create “a voyage of light and sound, music and dance, with passion and soul, elegance and style,” says King.
In addition to the production shows, Singers in Concert brings the combined orchestras of the Queens Room and Royal Court Theatre together for a concert-style show combining classic standards, contemporary songs and original musical arrangements. An amusing and poignant musical presentation that light-heartedly explores the intriguing dynamics between men and women, the show features songs by Burt Bacharach, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Gilbert O’Sullivan and others.
When the Carnival Inspiration emerges from its month long dry dock in early October, it will be the first Carnival ship to feature a brand new adults-only area called “Serenity.” Designed as an ocean-going oasis for relaxation, tranquility and comfort, the new “Serenity” areas are part of Carnival’s $250 million “Evolutions of Fun” ship enhancement initiative which is resulting in a dramatic transformation of the line’s eight “Fantasy-class” vessels.
The “Serenity” areas will be located in a secluded aft section of the ship that provides for spectacular ocean vistas. The stunning new design will feature plush chaise lounges and chairs. Colorful oversized umbrellas and a separate relaxation area will also provide the opportunity for guests to enjoy this new area in shaded comfort. Two whirlpools will be available to offer the ultimate relaxing escape.
Complete bar service will be provided by attentive waiters offering a tempting selection of icy cocktails and frozen concoctions. For guests interested in a snack or casual meal, the Lido Restaurant is conveniently located nearby.
The new “Serenity” adults-only areas are just one component of Carnival’s wide-ranging “Evolutions of Fun” initiative, cruising’s most ambitious ship enhancement program. Other new features to be incorporated into “Fantasy-class” vessels include the Carnival WaterWorks expansive aqua parks featuring 300-foot-long corkscrew water slides, double-lane racing slides and various water-spray apparatus, as well as a new design style and features for the main pool areas.
The Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination will be the first two “Fantasy-class” ships to include all of the “Evolutions of Fun” enhancements, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. By 2009, all “Fantasy-class” ships are expected to be completed, including the “Serenity” areas and fabulous new transformation of the open decks.
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