It was a relatively quiet week this week – plus Chuck is back and well we like you all… but Chuck’s been gone for a while and all…
Anyway in the luxury segment, Crystal is expanding it’s luxury hotel partnerships and Cunard will be showcasing Julliard School students during many trans-Atlantic sailings on QM2.
Disney is revamping their youth programs by adding some unique Disney twists, sadly they’re also bringing back fuel supplements for some too…
Finally, cruise ship Norovirus outbreaks were down significantly in 2009 even though more people were cruising in 2009 than in previous years…
Disney Cruise Line, the leader in family cruising, is once again reinventing onboard children’s experiences. Through an entirely new approach to youth activities, kids can let their imaginations set sail by customizing their cruise vacation. More youth activities than ever before are available and children choose experiences based on interest, not age.
Exciting new youth activities and dedicated children’s spaces are available now on the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder and are coming to the Disney Dream beginning with the ship’s maiden voyage in January 2011.
Customized Experiences On Disney Cruise Line, children can personalize their cruise vacation by selecting activities and events, regardless of age. Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are open to children age 3 to 12 on the Disney Wonder and age 3 to 10 on the Disney Magic.
While Disney Cruise Line will continue to recommend activities that appeal to specific maturity levels and ages, the entire menu of offerings is open to every child. With this evolutionary approach to shipboard youth activities, children and parents choose programs based on the specific interests of each child to create a customized and very personalized experience. Best of all, children of different ages — siblings, extended family and friends — can participate in youth activities together throughout their cruise.
The majority of children’s events and free-time activities occur within dedicated youth spaces on the ship and on Castaway Cay. As always, Disney Cruise Line youth activities are supervised by specially trained, experienced counselors.
Specific program information is available to guests on the day of check-in at the Youth Activities registration desk located in the Disney cruise ship terminal building prior to boarding, or onboard in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab.
A World of Youth Activities With more than 100 activities, events and programs, and with all youth activities open to all ages, children have more choices than ever before on Disney Cruise Line.
Many experiences draw inspiration from classic Disney stories and popular Disney characters: • During the new Cinderella’s Royal Ball, young guests can feel like royalty as Cinderella shows them how to be a prince or princess. • So You Want to be a Pirate offers adventurous tales of the high seas, pirate training for young buccaneers, swashbuckling fun and a special appearance by Captain Hook. • Children are immersed in the world of Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story” during Toy Story Boot Camp. Led by Corporal Green, toy recruits participate in interactive activities.
Hands-on activities appeal to children’s sense of creativity and invention: • The next great celebrity chef could be discovered at Ratatouille Cooking School, where children work together to bake tasty chocolate chip cookies. • During the new Animal Tracking Series, children discover that conservation can be fun as they learn about endangered animals, create an animal tracking device and locate (plush) cotton-top tamarin monkeys using telemetry tracking on Castaway Cay. • In Flubber, one of the most popular youth activities on Disney Cruise Line, children join Professor Goo in creating magical green goo and other interesting concoctions.
Other onboard youth activities include playful programs such as Mouseketeer Training and Little Einsteins for preschoolers; challenge-and solution-games like Stitch’s Great Adventure and Detective School with Goofy; high-action group activities such as Kim Possible: Cruise Control and The Challenge of Davy Jones; and unstructured free time to enjoy the youth areas, play on computers and spend time having fun with new friends.
The Most Family-Friendly Cruise Along with this evolution in youth activities, Disney Cruise Line continues to provide the most family-friendly cruise experience available.
While children are enjoying the most extensive youth activity areas at sea, parents can enjoy the ship “worry-free,” thanks to an onboard paging service that allows kids to contact their parents anytime and anywhere on the ship. Plus, Disney Cruise Line has the industry’s longest operating hours for children’s activities, providing greater flexibility for parents and even more fun for kids.
Recently introduced, Dine and Play allows families to enjoy dinner together, then gives kids more time to enjoy youth activities while parents relax at the end of the meal. With Dine and Play, parents may check their children (age 3 to 12) into evening youth activities during second seating in all of the main dining rooms. Families enjoy dinner together, then youth counselors whisk children away to play so the grown-ups can savor some time together in the adult-exclusive areas of the ship.
Disney stage productions, family activities, special events, first-run films in digital 3-D, poolside movies, deck parties, a family club and the Castaway Cay Family Beach provide even more opportunities for families to experience a memorable cruise vacation together.
This week there were quite a few long stories -
Azamara, who really needed a direction gets a new name and a new attitude. Maybe this one will work?
Costa’s newest completes technical trials, and the Seabourn triplets are getting renovations.
A new villainous show is coming to Disney and so are some family friendly shore excursions.
Princess looses a ship when Royal Princess heads to P&O while Silversea takes delivery of their newest Silver Spirit.
Oceania’s massive owner’s suites on Marina will showcase Ralph Lauren.
Carnival Dream isn’t compatible with a pier in San Juan.
A few of Holland America’s ships are getting some really cool tech…
We got a request to talk about a few other things from our Westerdam trip and there’s some new video’s up for you to check out as well!
In 2010, Disney Cruise Line will offer the most diverse itineraries in the line’s history – sailing Mediterranean, Northern European, Caribbean and Bahamian routes. With a wide variety of European itineraries, Disney Cruise Line is working closely with local tour operators to create family-friendly Port Adventures that allow guests to best experience these culturally rich and exotic locales.
All Port Adventures will offer impeccable Disney guest service and are designed to entertain and inspire both children and adults – in true Disney fashion. Added touches such as more scheduled breaks, complimentary snacks and beverages, and fun port journals for kids are provided on all Disney Cruise Line Port Adventures.
While every port of call will offer Port Adventures for families to enjoy together, many tours integrate separate activities for children and adults. While kids are engaged in age-appropriate activities supervised by youth counselors from the ship, parents are given the opportunity to explore cultural sites and points of interest in greater depth.
For the 2010 European season, each itinerary will include at least one tour that features distinctly Disney touches, beloved characters and rich storytelling to help bring local culture and customs to life. Itineraries also will showcase authentic cultural experiences in intimate, upscale settings during Signature Collection tours.
Some of the Port Adventures exclusive to Disney Cruise Line guests include:
Distinctly Disney At one port of call, on both Mediterranean and Northern European itineraries, a magical, one-of-a-kind experience brings local history and stories to life with the help of some Disney friends.
For example, in St. Petersburg, Russia, the majestic Catherine Palace provides the setting for an elaborate Royal Ball. The noble estate served as Russia’s imperial family summer residence for more than 200 years, but on this Port Adventure it is Disney Cruise Line guests who are treated like royalty.
Catherine Palace is the stage for a grand gala hosted by Disney princesses such as Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. Arriving by horse-drawn carriages, the princesses and their princes will entertain guests in the gilded Grand Ballroom. Live musicians and royal courtiers resplendent in period costumes and powdered wigs add to the ambiance and lead guests in song, dance and regal revelry.
Something for Everyone At many ports of call during the 2010 European season, at least one Port Adventure will bring youth counselors from the Disney Magic ashore to join the tour and direct special activities for children. While kids are enjoying “mini adventures” designed just for them, adults on the tour continue on with a more in-depth exploration of the destination. Everyone reconnects later in the tour to share their experiences.
During a tour of Florence, families experience city highlights together then divide into separate groups for their own style of fun. Children spend about an hour honing their skills as the next Michelangelo as they create their own traditional Italian fresco painting. During this time, parents are free to explore the rest of the impressive Palazzo Vecchio and take a deeper dive into the masterpieces of this Florentine palace.
Family Adventures Unique to Disney Cruise Line, one-of-kind family adventures will be offered at select ports of call. These immersive, interactive tours allow families to experience the sites and culture of the destination in a fun and entertaining way while spending quality time together.
In one instance, the Sidi Bou Said Treasure Hunt in Tunis guides families throughout focal points of this popular destination by following clues. This entertaining quest brings to life the culture, sites, sounds and flavors of the city.
As part of this Port Adventure, families visit a traditional Tunisian house, learn about the origin of Sidi Bou Said from a local storyteller, receive a hand-painted henna tattoo, bargain with local merchants for a keepsake water vessel, sip freshly prepared mint tea and get their name written in Arabic as a souvenir.
Signature Collection Signature Collection tours are found on all Disney Cruise Line itineraries and will be available as part of the 2010 European season. These exclusive tours are customized for guests seeking deluxe experiences ashore in intimate, upscale settings.
In Florence, the Tuscan Cooking School and Wine Tasting takes guests on a northern Italian culinary journey. An authentic Tuscan farmhouse is the venue where guests learn how to create delectable Tuscan cuisine using fresh, local ingredients.
An Italian chef provides one-on-one instruction and guides the hands-on participation. Guests then enjoy their culinary creations such as antipasto, grilled meats, pasta, focaccia and cantucci – traditional Tuscan almond biscotti. A sampling of wines bottled onsite at the farmhouse provides the perfect pairing to the regional feast.
The malevolent world of the Disney villains takes a comical spin in “Villains Tonight!,” a musical spectacular that Disney Cruise Line is premiering in spring 2010. The revue-style show will debut during the March 27 voyage aboard the Disney Magic and will delight guests aboard the new Disney Dream in early 2011.
“Villains Tonight!” is the first full-scale musical production dedicated to the Disney villains. The show is a family-friendly, fun-filled musical extravaganza that places these famous evil-doers in some irreverent funny moments.
Disney Cruise Line assembled an all-star creative team headlined by the Tony-nominated Broadway writing team of Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen. They are joined by director Allison Narver, choreographer Karma Camp and musical director Ben Cohn.
“Villains Tonight!” begins as Hades and his faithful sidekicks, Pain and Panic (“Hercules”), welcome new souls (the audience) to the Underworld. But instead of a frightening realm, guests will discover that Hades has turned the Underworld into an upbeat and happier place. The lively fun comes to a halt when The Fates arrive and predict that Hades will lose his position as Lord of the Underworld if he doesn’t ramp up the evil factor.
Worried by the news, Hades checks his Evil-O-Meter and discovers it is running dangerously low. So he comes up with a plan: He’ll conjure up the very best of the worst – the most powerful Disney villains – to help him replenish the world of evil. What ensues is a comical journey as Hades, Pain and Panic embark on a quest filled with wacky antics and amusing musical numbers featuring everyone’s favorite Disney villains and their sidekicks.
“Villains Tonight!” features a “Who’s Who” of the Disney villains, including Disney’s newest crook, Dr. Facilier from “The Princess and the Frog.” The show also features classic divas and scoundrels like Ursula (“The Little Mermaid”), the Evil Queen (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”), Captain Hook (“Peter Pan”) and Scar (“The Lion King”).
During “Villains Tonight!,” the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre becomes a hilariously wicked world through the use of elaborate sets and special effects, extravagant costumes and a fun-filled, contemporary musical score. The show’s scenery takes guests on a dazzling journey through many villainous worlds, from the deck of Captain Hook’s ship to Scar’s Elephant Graveyard to Ursula’s Undersea Lounge.
“Villains Tonight!” features irreverent versions of classic Disney villain tunes including a dance club version of “Cruella De Vil” (“101 Dalmatians”), a Copacabana-inspired take of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” (“The Little Mermaid”) and an electrifying version of “Friends on the Other Side,” from Walt Disney Pictures’ newest animated feature, “The Princess and the Frog.” In addition, Bell and Bowen developed two original songs especially for the show, “Welcome to the Underworld” and “Villains Tonight.”
The show was produced by Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, which has received acclaim for its productions around the world, including “Finding Nemo – The Musical” (Walt Disney World Resort in Florida), “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” (Disneyland Resort in California), “Twice Charmed” (Disney Cruise Line) and “The Golden Mickeys” (Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line).
“Villains Tonight!” joins the lineup of shipboard stage musicals as the Disney Magic gets ready to embark on an unprecedented five-month season of Mediterranean and Northern European cruises. Departing from Barcelona, Spain, Mediterranean cruises go from April 24 to May 26 and Aug. 7 to Sept. 8, visiting popular ports in Italy, France and North Africa. Departing out of Dover, England, the Northern European cruises will sail from June 12 to July 18, visiting St. Petersburg, Oslo, Copenhagen and other enchanting ports.
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