Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a new on-line pre-purchase system for guests interested in booking spa treatments prior to their “Fun Ship” cruise.
With the advanced reservations system, available on all 22 “Fun Ships,” guests who have a fully deposited cruise can log onto Carnival’s web site (carnival.com) and designate a specific spa treatment and appointment time and submit payment information.
The site lists more than 30 different treatments which are available for purchase, everything from acupuncture services, soothing massages and Elemis advanced facials to invigorating detoxification wraps and slimming treatments, pricing and details of which can be viewed on the site. A full menu of nail, tooth whitening, and men’s services is also available for pre-purchase.
To access the new on-line spa treatment pre-purchase system, guests must be registered on carnival.com and have a fully deposited cruise booking. After accessing their reservation through the “My Reservation” link, guests are prompted with the “Plan Activities” option and “Spa Appointments” link where they can search for spa services available on their particular voyage by treatment type, date, and preferred time.
To purchase a spa treatment, guests simply select the treatment of their choice and enter credit card payment information via a secure encrypted reservations portal. Guests are provided with a printable spa treatment order confirmation with details on the specific treatment and appointment time included. On-line spa treatment reservations can be made prior to seven days before the cruise departure date. Guests are also welcome to visit the ships’ spa once on board to purchase spa treatments and obtain additional information.
The Coast Guard is investigating a report of a 31-foot commercial fishing vessel crossing within 10 meters in front of a cruise ship transiting inbound in the Los Angeles Main Channel yesterday morning. This “near miss” is one of several recent incidents where small vessels impeded the “right-of-way” of large commercial traffic in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and it nearly caused a collision with potentially catastrophic consequences.
“Yesterday’s incident was extremely dangerous and was a violation of navigation rules. It was also a violation of federal laws that prohibit vessels from coming within 200 yards in front and 100 yards behind or to the sides of a cruise ship that is underway. Violators are subject to fines up to $32,500.00,” said Lieutenant Commander John Hennigan, Chief, Waterways Management Division for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
The Coast Guard is taking a heightened posture towards small vessel navigation violations. This will include coordination with the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor Safety Committee, education outreach efforts to small boat operators and increased enforcement presence.
Mariners are reminded of the following regulations:
Navigation Rules (Rules of the Road)
Rule 9 of the International and Inland Navigation rules prohibits vessels less than 20 meters (approx. 65′ in length) or a sailing vessel from impeding the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only in a “Narrow Channel or Fairway”. The Captain of the Port has designated the following areas as narrow channels or fairways for the purposes of this rule:
- The Los Angeles and Long Beach Pilot Operating Areas
- All navigational channels inside the Los Angeles-Long Beach federal breakwater leading to deep draft berths in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles Main Ship Channel, Long Beach Channel, and Cerritos Channel.
Cruise Ship Security Zones
Security zones exist for all cruise ships within the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, out to 3 nautical miles from the federal breakwaters, and as outlined in Title 33, Part 165.1154 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Vessels may not enter into, transit or anchor within the security zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.
The following separation distances are required around all cruise ships:
-
100 yard radius around the cruise ship while it is anchored, moored, or in the process of mooring
- 200 yards ahead, and 100 yards on each side and astern of a cruise ship that is underway San Pedro Bay Regulated Navigation Area.
Title 33, Part 165.1152 of the Code of Federal Regulations establishes a Regulated Navigation Area for San Pedro Bay which prohibits any vessel from entering the pilot operating areas unless they are entering/departing through the respective gate (Queens or Angles Gate). Vessels are further prohibited from stopping or loitering in the area unless they are transitioning a vessel pilot. The pilot operating areas are prominently displayed on nautical charts.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced its 2010-2011 winter deployment which includes a continued year-round commitment to Europe with Norwegian Jade sailing from Barcelona and the addition of Norwegian Jewel, joining Norwegian Gem, sailing from New York, giving guests the opportunity to choose from among NCL’s newest ships, purpose-built for Freestyle Cruising.
NCL will continue its popular sailings to the Caribbean from New Orleans on the newly refurbished Norwegian Spirit and to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles on Norwegian Star. In addition, NCL has also released its 2010-2011 repositioning voyages which include the Panama Canal, Pacific Coastal and Transatlantic. These cruises go on sale January 22, 2009.
In Europe year-round, the 2,402-passenger Norwegian Jade will sail alternating 12- and nine-day cruises from its homeport of Barcelona, Spain. The 12-day Eastern Mediterranean sailings include the following ports of call: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Ephesus (Izmir), Turkey; an overnight in Alexandria, Egypt; and Valletta, Malta. The nine-day Canary Islands & Morocco sailings include stops in Casablanca and Agadir, Morocco; Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: Funchal, Madeira; and Granada (Málaga), Spain. Since there is no port repetition between the two itineraries, they can be easily combined to create a port-rich 21-day European tour.
The 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel homeports for the first time in New York, along with the 2,380-passenger Norwegian Gem; both ships will sail a series of 10-day Eastern Caribbean cruises with stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. John’s, Antigua; Philipsburg, St. Maarten and Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and seven-day Bahamas & Florida cruises with stops in Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida; Great Stirrup Cay (NCL’s private island) and Nassau, Bahamas.
Norwegian Spirit, which underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment in 2008, returns to New Orleans sailing a series of 24 seven-day Exotic Western Caribbean cruises. Ports of call include: Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala; and Belize City, Belize. Norwegian Star sails back to Los Angeles for a series of 24 seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises with stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Holland America Line has opened a new Culinary Training Program, designed in cooperation with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), at its training center in Manila, the Philippines, to train shipboard culinary staff for its expanding fleet of premium cruise ships. Trainees will live at the facility while completing a three-week immersion culinary course.
The curriculum was designed by the CIA under the direction of a Holland America Line Culinary Operations team lead by Steve Kirsch, director of culinary operations, and Rudi Sodamin, master chef. CIA Master Chef Almir Da Fonseca launched the initial training course in Manila this past fall. Those attending the school will receive culinary training as well as specific coursework that covers our upscale Pinnacle Grill restaurants, main dining rooms, renowned Lido Restaurants, specialty lounges and the Tamarind and Canaletto restaurants found currently on the new Signature-class ship, ms Eurodam.
The residential training center located on a hill overlooking Manila also functions as a school for front desk personnel and beverage staff, and has space to conduct leadership and other training classes for crew and officers. A former hotel manager aboard the line’s ships, Brian McNeil serves as director of training at the facility and manages all training programs. Holland America Line corporate trainers facilitate the three-week culinary classes comprised of 20 candidates.
The training areas are designed to give the students a realistic experience that replicates many of the conditions they will encounter when they are assigned to the line’s ships.
Holland America Line operates a similar residential program in Indonesia at the ms Nieuw Jakarta facility where dining room waiters, housekeeping stewards, clerks and other staff receive training.
We’ve talked quite a bit about how great the deals are that are being offered right now. This week however we take a closer look at the common offers from the cruise lines. While there is definate value in what is being offered, we look at just what it is that is being offered because some of the deals out there actually sound better than they really are.
This week we look at just what an upgrade is and why cruise lines like shipboard credits. The two for one and free air deals are also looking very attractive, but you should still look closely at just what the bottom line really is.
There was also a bit of news this week, almost all of it construction related.
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