Nov 18, 2009 by Amber Nolan - 1 comment
Amber Nolan is on deck with the latest cruise deals, industry news, ship reviews, and advice on finding the perfect voyage to suit your personality.
If you’re thinking that this trend of over-the-top onboard entertainment is the new direction of the cruise industry: think again. One cruise line that has recently surfaced is traveling back in time by placing emphasis back on the ports of call. Voyages to Antiquity will soon be sailing the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Red Sea with a focus on the culture and history of each destination. Founded by Gerry Herrod, (who also introduced Ocean Cruise Line and Orient Lines), Voyages to Antiquity will offer nine unique itineraries aboard its boutique vessel, the Aegean Odyssey – which is slated to debut in May 2010.
I flipped on the car radio this morning as I was cruising down Ocean Drive heading for Port Everglades, and it was the talk of every morning announcer. The largest cruise ship ever would be arriving in Fort Lauderdale any minute after a rocky ocean crossing that had delayed its initial arrival.
I stepped on the gas.
As I approached the port, I could easily tell where the ship was arriving by the herds of passengers gathering on the top decks of other cruise ships trying to get a birds-eye view. I parked the car, hopped out and was immediately hit with the ocean spray from several fire boats escorting the Oasis of the Seas into the United States.
At 20 stories tall, the ship towers nearly half the height of the smokes stacks in the port – easily dwarfing her fellow cruise liners. In fact, I could not capture Oasis in her entirety in my camera lens and had to take a video instead. Take a look, but you have to see it first hand to believe it.
I’ll be onboard next Friday, November 20 to give you a sneak preview inside this floating metropolis.
It’s about time. After sailing with two family-friendly ships for the past decade, Disney has announced that bookings are now open for the newest addition to its own family – a 4,000 passenger cruise liner set to debut in 2011.
Despite the fact that Carnival just recently launched its own “Dream” ship, (see Carnival Dream Inaugural) Disney is naming its newest masterpiece the Disney Dream. We’ll let the “pre-used” name slide, after all Disney is known for dreamers and aboard the new ship is no exception. The creative team developed a 3-D digital movie theater, an interactive ocean lab for kids that lets them “navigate” the high seas, and a high-powered water coaster that sends guests soaring through a translucent funnel before making a 150-foot plunge.
On Friday Royal Caribbean’s latest masterpiece, the Oasis of the Seas, set sail from Finland on its maiden voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The massive ship is five times larger than the Titanic and twenty stories high, which made sailing under a low bridge in Denmark a bit too close for comfort. Even after the smokestacks were lowered, Oasis cleared the Great Belt Fixed Link with less than two feet to spare.
Carrying a $1.5 billion price tag, the new ship is loaded with innovative entertainment options like an outdoor theater featuring acrobatics and high diving acts, a boardwalk, zip line, carousel, and – in the middle of it all – rests a living garden appropriately named “Central Park”.
The ship is expected to arrive in its home port of Port Everglades on Thursday, November 12 and will embark on a series of inaugural voyages before settling in to its routine schedule in the Eastern Caribbean.
For an up-to-date status of ship’s transatlantic journey, visit www.oasisoftheseas.com.
After years of planning and endless public updates announcing each stage of development, the long-awaited Carnival Dream will soon embark on the last of her series of inaugural sailings in the Mediterranean. While a handful of lucky cruisers have already experienced Carnival’s latest addition, many others are anxiously waiting for the “dream ship” to make its initial appearance in the United States this November.
Do you have your credit card handy and want to become a part of Norwegian history? Well then, you’re in luck. NCL is now accepting reservations for its newest and largest vessel, Norwegian Epic, whose maiden 7-day voyage to the Eastern Caribbean is set for July 10, 2010. Sailing round-trip from Miami, the ship’s itinerary includes stops at three gorgeous ports: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Starting rates for this cruise are $1,149 for inside cabins.
Summer rates on Caribbean cruises have begun to decline now that fall is within reach. If you can push off that vacation a bit longer, you’ll save a bundle on island-hopping cruises and can put that cash towards a deluxe cabin upgrade.Our editors have uncovered an autumn itinerary aboard Holland America’s latest upscale ship, the ms Eurodam, with balcony staterooms priced for less than the cost of interior cabins on similar summer voyages. Most balcony cabins on a 7-night cruise are priced well over $1,000 – especially on a newer vessel – but with this offer you can experience a taste of luxury from just $699.
After embarking from Amsterdam on July 5, the new Viking Legend is nearing the end of its inaugural voyage. During the 15-day Grand European Tour, the new ship has been navigating the water of five nations, including the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. As the ship sails down the Rhine and Danube Rivers passengers can enjoy the scenery in nearly every public area of the ship, from the panoramic windows in the atrium to the 360 degree views on the outdoor sundeck. Of the ships 97 staterooms, an impressive 74 percent offer French balconies, and all of the remaining rooms contain a picture window.
After six years of anticipation, a new luxury vessel, the Seabourn Odyssey, has been unveiled as the newest addition to The Yachts of Seabourn. This 640 foot vessel was launched on June 24 on its maiden voyage from Venice to Istanbul, and is exemplary of quintessential decadence throughout its 225 suites. The ship weighs in at a staggering 32,000 tons, and suites are equipped with décor equaled to that of a 5-star hotel, 90 percent of which contain verandas to overlook picturesque waterways while sipping on complimentary champagne. Seabourn Odyssey redefines cabins from small spaces used for changing, sleeping and showering, to spacious staterooms like the Grand Wintergarden Suite, which showcases ocean views from the glass-enclosed solarium, as well as outdoors on its two verandas.
As we’ve reported, the recent swine flu epidemic has caused a number of cruise lines to cancel port stops in Mexico, and instead many have re-routed ships to the Pacific Northwest. (Many have announced they will be resuming the regular service soon.) Although some passengers feel that they have been short-changed on their vacation, other travelers are jumping at the opportunity to visit ports that are not as heavily trafficked as the destinations in Mexico. What’s even better, is that while sailing the Pacific Northwest can be costly, because cruise operators are desperate to fill cabins prices have dropped drastically, and a 7-night cruise can be had for as little as $459.
