Cunard Line has announced the appointment of three senior officers who will serve aboard its newest ocean liner, Queen Victoria, when she enters service in December 2007. The veteran trio joins Captain Paul Wright, whose appointment as Master of Queen Victoria was announced in October 2006. Together, they boast more than 85 years of seagoing experience, gleaned most recently aboard Queen Victoria’s majestic sister ships, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2.
William Robinson, Chief Engineer With Cunard for nearly 20 years, William Robinson currently serves as Chief Engineer aboard Queen Elizabeth 2. Joining Queen Victoria in the same position, he will be responsible for all aspects of the operation and maintenance of the ship’s technical equipment, which is considered among the most advanced in the industry. Robinson joined Cunard’s “grande dame of the seas” as a Junior Engineer and quickly earned his Combined 1st Class Certificate, working his way up the engineering ranks. His first seafaring experience, over 30 years ago, was sailing oil tankers and gas carriers for Shell.
Robinson is a graduate of Sunderland University in Sunderland, England, where he earned his Bachelor of Education degree in Technology. Following graduation, he taught Craft Design and Technology for three years. Accepting the post as Chief Engineer aboard Queen Victoria, he says, is the realization of a lifelong ambition.
Robert Howie, Hotel Manager Robert Howie brings more than 21 years of experience – on land and at sea – to his new post as Hotel Manager aboard Queen Victoria. Howie held the position of Food & Beverage Manager aboard Queen Mary 2 in the ocean liner’s inaugural year and was then promoted to the prestigious position of Hotel Manager to Cunard’s flagship in 2005. In charge of all onboard operations re housekeeping, food and beverage, entertainment and personnel, he was at the helm during some of the ship’s most iconic voyages including her 2006 inaugural South America voyages, first World Cruise earlier this year including the ship’s phenomenally successful Royal RendezvousTM with QE2 in Sydney and maiden call into San Francisco, as well as Carly Simon’s DVD concert special in 2005. Prior to joining Cunard, Howie served in senior managerial Food & Beverage positions and new build projects for Princess Cruises – both shoreside and onboard – since 1990.
Alastair Greener, Entertainment Director Alastair Greener combines his love of stage and sea, characteristics that will serve him well as he prepares to join Queen Victoria as Entertainment Director. The quintessential English gentleman has served as Cruise Director on both Queen Mary 2 and QE2, and in addition to being a vivacious host for the onboard production shows, he is an enthusiastic thespian himself, having been a presenter for training videos for Cunard’s famous White Star ServiceSM. He was also asked to represent CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) as a media tour spokesperson. Greener is a member of the British Actors Union and has appeared in a wide range of film, theater and television productions, including the BBC’s “House of Cards” and Warner Brothers’ “Black Beauty.” Prior to Cunard, Greener joined Princess Cruises in 1997 and has served on eight ships within the fleet.
With deadly wildfires continuing to ravage Greece, Costa Cruises has announced changes to Costa Serena and Costa Mediterranea intineraries this week.
Costa Serena, sailing from Venice for a seven-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise, will replace Katakolon with Mykonos on Tuesday. Costa Mediterranea, which is sailing a seven-day Greek Isles program from Venice, will call at Corfu instead of Katakolon on Wednesday.
Adventurers will have a rare opportunity to circumnavigate the South American continent on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, the line’s first Voyager-class ship to chart a course around Cape Horn. Starting in January 2009, Mariner will take guests on one of three cruises, calling at some of the most spectacular destinations in South America, or a combined 46-night cruise for an extended South America adventure. Details here.
Mariner will begin the southerly ocean-crossover on January 4, 2009 from Port Canaveral on a 15-night voyage to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Guests will call at St. Maarten, St.Kitts, Barbados, and Salvador De Bahia, Brazil, as well as CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas. The sailing will conclude with an overnight stay in Rio, regarded as South America’s most sizzling destination.
Mariner will continue with a 15-night sailing on January 19 to round the southern tip of South America departing from Rio to Valparaiso (Santiago), Chile and including calls at Montevideo, Uruguay and Ushuaia, Argentina – the southernmost city in the world. Guests also will cruise along the majestic Chilean fjordlands and enjoy overnight stays in Buenos Aires – the “Paris of South America” – and Valparaiso.
Mariner will conclude her epic journey with a 16-night sailing from Valparaiso (Santiago) on February 3. Guests will enjoy calls at Arica, Chile; Lima (Callao), Peru; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; and Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, debuting in her new homeport of Los Angeles on February 19.
Guests booking the 46-night voyage by December 15, 2007 receive a 50% reduced deposit and a $500 onboard credit. Call us at 888-286-9827 to book any segment or the entire 46 night itinerary.
While returning to New York from Bermuda on August 24th, Norwegian Crown experienced a technical issue with the ship’s starboard propeller shaft. While this has affected the speed of the ship, it has had no impact whatsoever on the safe operation of the vessel.
Unfortunately, the reduction of speed resulted in a delayed arrival into New York. The ship arrived on Monday, August 27 between 6 and 8 a.m. instead of its scheduled arrival on Sunday, August 26. Once Norwegian Crown is alongside in New York on Monday, repair work began immediately.
A team of divers inspected the propeller shaft upon arrival and unfortunately the repair was not as straightforward as the line had previously believed. Detailed inspection revealed damage to the seal in the starboard propeller shaft that requires NCL to replace the entire seal versus the repair, which they believed would be necessary prior to the inspection. NCL has started the repair work, but based on the bigger job they will now have to undertake Norwegian Crown now anticipates leaving on Tuesday at approximately 4 pm. It is possible the ship will depart earlier than 4 pm so passengers are asked to be onboard by noon on Tuesday. It is also possible that the ship will leave slightly after 4 pm depending on the final time when the repairs are completed.
In light of this new departure time, all guests sailing will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare and a 20 percent future cruise credit (based on the fare paid for this cruise) toward a future cruise. We will also be refunding government taxes and fees of approximately $34 to their on-board folio.
Cruise West, the leading small ship cruise line, and PENTAX, a leader in digital photography, have created a partnership that will bring PENTAX photography experts and equipment onboard six Cruise West itineraries in 2008. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in onboard presentations and special field events with PENTAX sponsored professional photographer and cruise co-host, Kerrick James. Whether novice or seasoned photographers, and regardless of the camera brand used, guests will receive valuable, hands-on instruction on everything from equipment use and digital image management and composition to tips on how to the get the right shot. Guests onboard these cruises also will enjoy access to a variety of the newest PENTAX products.
Guests who book passage on the Whales & Wildlife itinerary through Mexico’s Sea of Cortés departing January 19, 2008 will be the first to benefit from the new partnership and the workshops with Kerrick James. Guests will keep their cameras focused for shots of common and bottle-nosed dolphins and numerous species of whales. The Whales & Wildlife itinerary is round trip from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and a Copper Canyon land extension may be added post-cruise. Pack a camera (any brand) and see Alaska thru a lens on two departures of Alaska Whales & Wilderness cruises on May 23 and July 4, 2008. These itineraries are roundtrip from Juneau and include Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka, a port call at a small Alaskan village, and Frederick Sound, where guests will be on watch for the gentle and majestic Humpback Whale. Guests may add-on a fully guided land tour to Denali.
The Pacific Northwest Coastal Escape itinerary round trip from Seattle on April 27, 2008 gives guests the opportunity to hone their photography skills while cruising the majestic waters of Puget Sound and British Columbia’s Strait of Georgia. Stops in the beautiful cities of Vancouver and Victoria, B.C. and in the picturesque San Juan Islands will be ideal for trying out PENTAX gear.
The landmark sights of the Panama Canal and exotic Costa Rica will round out the partnership with PENTAX, with departures on the Between Two Seas itinerary on March 26 and December 2, 2008. The March 26 cruise departs from Panama City, Panama and ends in Los Sueños, Costa Rica where guests transfer to San José to return home. The December 2 cruise originates in Los Sueños and ends in Panama City. A five night Costa Rica land tour may be added pre- or post- cruise. To round out the partnership, PENTAX is sponsoring a photography contest to win a free 2008 Cruise West Photography cruise. To learn more about the contest and enter a favorite travel photo, visit: www.pentaxphotogallery.com/travelphotocontest between October 15, 2007 and January 31, 2008. Second and third place entrants will receive free PENTAX photo equipment. The contest is open to non-professional photographers and the winners will be announced in March 2008.
For additional information or to book a Cruise West cruise, call us at 888-286-9827.
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