Cunard's New Queen Elizabeth Maiden Voyage Sold Out

April 1, 2009 -- The October 2010 Maiden Voyage for Cunard’s new ocean liner Queen Elizabeth, which was placed on worldwide sale to past guests at 8:00 a.m. today, sold out in a record 29 minutes – easily making this the fastest selling voyage in Cunard’s 170-year history. In fact, this voyage sold out quicker involving more guests than QE2’s Final Voyage when it set a previous Cunard sell-out record of 36 minutes in June 2007.

More than half of Queen Elizabeth’s remaining Maiden Season, comprising six voyages from October to December 2010, was sold within the first two hours.

"This is an impressive record set by what will be an impressive ship and speaks volumes about the Cunard brand as well as for the resilience of the cruise sector as a whole in these challenging times," said Carol Marlow, president and managing director of Cunard Line. "It is also very encouraging to see the level of interest in Queen Elizabeth coming from all our international markets, with bookings in the UK, US and Germany particularly strong. I urge our travel partners and those guests who have not yet booked to move fast in order to secure their place in history on Queen Elizabeth during her maiden season," added Marlow.

One of the youngest fleets in the industry, Cunard’s famous state-of-the-art award-winning vessels Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will be joined by Queen Elizabeth, and all three will take Cunard’s 170 years of history, heritage, impeccable service and tradition far into the 21st Century. This is a legacy recognized by Cunard guests, with up to 97% saying they will recommend Cunard to a friend and 98% saying they will return.

Queen Elizabeth will feature the unique Cunard traditions linking her with her sisters Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria and their predecessors, along with some exciting features that will give the vessel her own style and personality, plus all the modern day luxuries Cunard’s guests have come to expect.

Named after the first Queen Elizabeth, one of Cunard’s greatest ships, the new Queen Elizabeth will reflect her predecessor in interior grandeur, décor and style, but with a modern twist. From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery will hint at an experience that differentiates a Cunard liner from a modern-day cruise ship. This will be most evident in the ship’s adherence to liner traditions, with elegant double and triple height public rooms on a grand scale, luxuriously endowed with rich wood paneling, intricate mosaics, gleaming chandeliers and cool marbles. Art Deco features will pay homage to the original Queen Elizabeth and will allow the new ship to reflect a more civilized era of travel.

Queen Elizabeth’s maiden 2010 season will consist of six voyages, calling on 32 distinct ports in 18 countries. Her Maiden Voyage, now sold out, will depart from Cunard’s homeport of Southampton on October 12, 2010, en route to the Atlantic Isles.

The ship will then embark on five celebratory inaugural voyages, for which space is still available but selling fast:

Mediterranean Premiere – A 14-day voyage departing Southampton on 25 October 2010 with maiden calls to Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples (for Capri and Pompeii), Cartagena and Gibraltar. Fares start from $2,795 per person.

Aegean Introduction – An 18-day voyage departing Southampton on 8 November 2010 calling on Malaga (for Granada), Malta (Valletta), Venice, Dubrovnik, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus) and Alicante. Fares from $3,295 per person.

Gallic Debut – A five-day voyage departing Southampton on 26 November 2010 with maiden calls to Rotterdam (for Amsterdam), Brussels/Bruges (for Zeebrugge) and Cherbourg. Fares start from $1,195 per person.

Iberian Discovery – A 13-day voyage departing Southampton on 1 December 2010 with calls to Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Seville (Cadiz), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Tenerife (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), La Palma (Santa Cruz de La Palma) and Madeira. Fares start from $2,395 per person.

Festive Debut – A 22-day holiday voyage departing Southampton on 14 December 2010 with calls in the Caribbean, including Madeira (Funchal), Tortola, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada). Fares start from $4,795 per person.

Rhapsody of the Seas Loads in Sydney Harbor.

The port of Sydney, Australia has grown in popularity with the cruise ships. So much so, that a recent sailing of Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas could not get a berth. The ship. which was slated to load 2,435 passengers (along with luggage), had to be loaded via tender. All this had to happen while the ship was anchored in the middle of Sydney harbor.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Offer Discounts to Police and Fire Men

March 26, 2009 – In challenging times, good news is particularly welcome, and when it centers on those who do good for others, it’s even better. That’s the inspiration behind the introduction of new, special rates exclusively for police officers and firefighters on cruise vacations with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises.

Active employees of local, state or federal law enforcement agencies or fire departments in the U.S. now can book a Celebrity, Azamara or Royal Caribbean cruise vacation at fares up to 20 percent off the best prevailing rate on select sailings with each brand. Guests traveling in the same stateroom also are eligible to receive the special rate.

Police officers and firefighters interested in booking a cruise vacation at the new special rates will be asked to provide valid proof of employment (badge or police officer/firefighter ID card) when booking and upon boarding the ship.

Cunard Announces 2010-2011 Cruises

Queen Mary 2 Offers Expanded Transatlantic Crossings and Europe Voyages

Queen Victoria Spends Winter 2011 on US West Coast Calling on LosAngeles, Panama and Hawaii

31 March 2009 – Building on the exciting announcement of Cunard Line’s inaugural season for Queen Elizabeth, Cunard is pleased to announce the newly published Europe, Transatlantics and Americas 2010-2011 programme for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. 2010 will herald another important milestone for Cunard: not only will three Queens once again sail under the line’s banner, they will also comprise the youngest, most modern luxury fleet in the world. In addition, the expansion of the Cunard fleet in 2010 allows the company to offer a wider range of worldwide itineraries with Queen Elizabeth’s maiden season and the voyages of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria which are available for sale on 17 April 2009.

Guests will experience a new Golden Age of Ocean Travel in contemporary surroundings while being offered the classic traditions and legendary White Star Service for which Cunard is renowned. All of this, together with one of the most generous Groups Programmes in the industry means there has never been a better time to experience Cunard and “the most famous ocean liners in the World”.

As one of the youngest fleets in the industry, these award-winning vessels will take Cunard’s 170 years of history, heritage, impeccable service and tradition far into the 21st Century – a legacy recognized by Cunard guests, with up to 97% saying they will recommend Cunard to a friend and 98% saying they will return.

Cunard President Carol Marlow said, “2010 will see Cunard again operating three Queens as Queen Elizabeth joins her sister ship Queen Victoria and our flagship, Queen Mary 2. While Queen Elizabeth sails her maiden season, Queen Mary 2 will, for the first time, offer the choice of six-day Transatlantic Crossings as well as seven-night eastbound Transatlantic Crossings, while Queen Victoria will offer a mixture of voyages originating from both the UK and Mediterranean before she sails her first Americas season for winter / spring 2011.”

Queen Mary 2
The grandest ocean liner in the world, Queen Mary 2, will continue her reign on the Atlantic in 2010 with 24 Transatlantic Crossings including an extra day on Eastbound Transatlantic voyages between New York and Southampton. Now guests will have the choice of 6-, 7-, 8- or 9-day Crossings between New York and Southampton, Cherbourg or Hamburg providing them more time to experience the multitude of onboard activities such as enjoying a lecture through the Cunard Insights programme, checking out one of the 8,000 volumes in the Library, nightly dancing to an orchestra in the Queens Room, viewing all of the cosmic journey offerings in the only planetarium at sea and honing their dramatic arts skills in a RADA workshop, to name a few.

There will also be more “Grand” voyages roundtrip from New York whereby guests can combine two Transatlantic Crossings with a Mediterranean, Northern Europe and for the first time, a short Getaway voyage in Europe. In the summer of 2010, Queen Mary 2 will also offer five voyages to Northern Europe from Southampton and Hamburg including maiden calls to the North Cape and Tromso in Norway. After her short Getaway for the July 4th Holiday, she returns to New York in fall 2010 for a season of voyages in the Americas including two explorations of Canada & New England and five Caribbean voyages departing roundtrip from New York.

Fares for the following itineraries start from:

Transatlantic Crossings $1,295 (6 days)

“Grand” Voyages (roundtrip from NY) $3,585 (17 days)

Northern Europe $1,895 (7 days)

Fourth of July Getaway voyage $1,295 (5 days)

Canada/New England $1,395 (7 days)

Caribbean $1,695 (10 days)

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria begins her 2010 season in Southampton for a series of voyages to Iberia, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in addition to her first sailing around the British Isles. After repositioning to Venice, she will begin a series of “open jaw” sailings between this jewel of the Adriatic and Rome or Barcelona. Many of these sailings will feature overnight stays in popular destinations like Venice, Istanbul and Barcelona.

The ship then returns to Southampton and across the Atlantic to start a new Americas season in 2011. Queen Victoria’s American journey begins with a 17-day voyage from New York to Los Angeles through the magnificent Panama Canal. From the City of Angels, she will embark on two 14-day voyages to Hawaii, including a maiden call at Nawiliwili (Kauai), and her first west coast 4-day Getaway voyage to Mexico. After another full transit of the Canal from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale,Queen Victoria will offer an 11-day Panama Canal voyage roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale before heading back across the Atlantic on a 16-day voyage that will take in the US east coast, Lisbon and Dublin.

Fares for the following itineraries start from:

Mediterranean $1,195 (7 days)

Northern Europe $1,895 (7 days)

Atlantic Isles & Canary Islands $1,295 (7days)

Hawaii $2,495 (14 days)

Panama Canal $1,995 (11 days)

Mexico Getaway voyage $995 (4 days)

All referenced fares are per person, based on double occupancy.

Reservations for Cunard’s 2010 and 2011 itineraries will be open for booking on April 17. For more information, please contact your travel professional.

Fred Olsen to Retire Black Prince.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced it will retire its vessel Black Prince in October 2009. The 441 passenger ship, which was built for the company by Flender Werft in Lubeck in 1966, will operate a series of four Farewell Cruises starting on 9th September from Liverpool, and ending on 16th October in Southampton.When Black Prince entered service for Fred. Olsen Ltd on 19th October, 1966, it was in the role of a joint passenger/freight ferry operating between the UK and the Canary islands in the winter, and the UK and Norway in the summer.

The ship was converted to a full-time cruise ship in 1987 and from February that year became a key player in the cruising market in the UK.Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines managing director Mike Rodwell said: “This is a very sad announcement for the company to make as Black Prince is one of the best loved ships that caters to the UK market, and many passengers have cruised on her so often that even they have lost track of the number of holidays they have taken. We know that there will be thousands of passengers who have sailed on her who will be very sad on that final day.”Black Prince’s Farewell Season will begin on 9th September 2009 with a ten night Around the UK cruise from Liverpool, then a three night mini cruise from Liverpool to Southampton.

The season continues with a 10 night Historic Home Ports cruise from Southampton back to Southampton; followed by her final cruise of 14 nights to the Canary Islands.

The ship returns to Southampton on Friday 16th October, 2009.Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines currently operates a fleet of five ships mostly from UK ports on worldwide itineraries.

Norwegian Majesty to Join Louis Fleet In December

In December the Norwegian Majesty will be transferred to Louis Cruise Lines (LCL). Louis Cruise Lines completed the deal to buy the 731cabin Norwegian Majesty from Star Cruises last year, at a price of $162 Million dollars. This transacation makies Louis the fifth biggest cruise company in the world.

LCL has leased the Norwegian Majesty back to Star Cruises until December 2009. The newly purchased ship is a replacement for the lower-capacity Princesa Marissa and Serenade that the company sold for scrap in early 2008.

The 41,000-ton Norwegian Majesty was built in Finland in 1992 and underwent a major refurbishment in 1999 at a cost of $53 Million dollars. She can accommodate 1,937 passengers in 731 cabins and suites, 481 of which have outside views.

The ship has nine decks, five restaurants, six elevators, three pools, a spa, Fitness, health and beauty center, multiple show lounges, casino, bars and other public rooms.

No details have been released about the deployment plans for the ship, but once she joins the Louis fleet, she is expected to operate in the Med.

UPDATES Regal Empress and Seven Seas Voyager

Here is an update to some of our previous articles.

Regal Empress - As per our earlier posts, the Regal Empress, which was withdrawn from cruising for Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, earlier this month, has been sold for scrap. The ship was sold for just over $3.073 Million dollars. She proceeded to the Bahamas, where she will be offloaded of miscellaneous items and prepared for the final voyage to India. She is anticipated to depart Freeport in the Bahamas on March 28th.

The Seven Seas Voyager, which had her propellers entangled in fishing nets, will need to be dry docked to have her pods serviced. The ship, which is on her world cruise, skipped calls at Mumbai and Abu Dhabi, after the inspection in Cochin, India uncovered the extent of the damage. Once arriving in Dubai, the ship will be dry docked and the pods repaired. Regent Cruises is hopeful the ship will be able to resume the next leg of her cruise as scheduled on April 1st.

Costa Cruises Celebrates 50 Years of Cruising from Florida

When the Costa Fortuna sailed into Port Everglades on December 21, 2008, she celebrated Costa’s 50th Caribbean cruise season from South Florida. In 1959, Costa Cruises became the first cruise line to offer regularly scheduled Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades with the elegant Franca C, setting the stage for the modern day cruise vacation that so many travelers from South Florida enjoy today.

“We’re proud to bring a little bit of Italy to South Florida each year with our seasonal departures from Ft. Lauderdale to the Caribbean and value the loyal clientele we’ve established in this market over the years,” said Maurice Zarmati, president and ceo of Costa Cruise Lines—North America. “Our modern, state-of-the-art ships may differ from the smaller vessels that set sail in these waters 50 years ago, but one thing remains the same – our warm, authentic and genuine Italian hospitality and flair that keeps guests sailing with us year after year.

”The convivial atmosphere onboard back in 1959 aboard the Franca C was marked by Italians and Americans mixing and mingling against a glamorous tropical backdrop. The 552 berth ship featured sleek, elegant interiors designed by Nino Zoncada and accommodations, all in one class, featured bathrooms and air conditioning, heralding a new era of pleasure cruises. Guests sipped cocktails and played cards on the lido deck, creating the indelible impressions of cruising’s heyday that would eventually become a more accessible luxury for guests to enjoy.

Today, Costa Cruises is still bringing its signature style of “love, laughter and la dolce vita” to guests departing on cruises from South Florida.

Mona Lisa Chartered by Germany's Lloyd Nelson

After completing her winter/Spring season for Peaceboat.org, the Mona Lisa has again found Summer employment with Germany's Lord Nelson Seereisen.

The Mona Lisa (formerly the Kungsholm of Swedish America Line, Sea Princess of Princess Cruises, Victoria of P&O Cruises and Oceanic II for Pullmantur) also operated as Mona Lisa for the short lived educational cruises at sea called the ScholarShip.

Under summer charter for Lloyd Nelson, the ship will sail North Cape, Spitzenberg Iceland, and Norwegian Fjord Cruises, The charter starts June 1st and runs through the first week in September.

The Mona Lisa is a classic cruise liner and when originally built, was an upscale liner for passengers traveling on longer cruises from New York to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and Asia.

The Mona Lisa is an intimate size ship weighing 28,891 tons, 660 feet long and 87 feet wide. She carries 782 passengers and a crew of 417.

Mano Marine Buys MSC Cruises MSC Rhapsody

Mano Marine has purchased MSC Cruises' MSC Rhapsody and will be renaming her "Golden Iris".

The "Golden Iris" entered service in 1977 as the Cunard Princess for Cunard Line. Built by Burmeister & Wein, she sailed for Cunard until 1995. This modest size ship, weighs 17,095 tons, measures 541 feet long, carries 812 passengers and has a crew of 370.

Since 1995 she has been operated by MSC cruises as the MSC Rhapsody. After completing her winter series of cruise from Durban, South Africa, the MSC Rhapsody will arrive in Genoa on March 25, 2009. Shortly thereafter, she will be handed over to Mano Marine and undergo a refit before entering serice from Haifa, Israel on May 31, 2009.

Mano Cruise Currently operates the Iris (formerly the Konstantin Simonov / Francesca) and Royal Iris ( formerly Eagle / Eloise / Azur /The Azur).