Small Ship Operators Expand Operations Into New Areas

In the wake of the demise of CruiseWest and the American Majestic Line we are seeing a number of new small-ship entrants into the Alaskan, Mississippi River and Snake River Markets.

The newest entrant into the Alaska Small ship market is InnerSea Discoveries which is backed by the owners of American Safari Cruises. Inner Sea Discoveries has totally renovated 2 small inter-coastal cruise vessels - the Wilderness Discoverer and Wilderness Adventurer. Both have been extensively refurbished. These vessels are capable of carrying 68 and 60 passengers respectively.

The ships will offer 7 and 14-day Alaska Inside Passage cruises with an emphasis on exploration, nature and outdoor recreational activities.

Starting in 2012, small ship operator, American Cruise Line will begin offering 7 and 11-night Alaskan cruises as well. Cruises depart from Seattle Wa. to Juneau and then a series of 7 day round trip sailings from Juneau through Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm and more. After completing the season, the ship will sail from Juneau back to Seattle. The ship carries 100 passengers in 53 staterooms.

American Cruise Line has also expanded operations into the Snake and Columbia Rivers with the acquisition of the Queen of the West. The stern-wheeler has totally been remodeled.

American Cruise Line is also constructing a new paddle-wheeler which will begin sailing almost the full length of the Mississippi River.

These cruises are in addition to the extensive US East Coast Cruise program normally operated by American Cruise Line.

No small ship cruise line discussion would be complete with the mention of Blount Small Ship Adventures (Previously American Caribbean Canadian Cruise Line). Blount offers cruises up the Hudson River, through the Erie Canal and to the Great Lakes. Blount offers cruises throughout the Great Lakes, US East Coast and Canada.

This year Blount Small Ship Adventures is expanding operations to include the Mississippi River utilizing their 68 passenger Niagara Prince.

Small Ship cruising does not offer all of the amenities that the larger ships do and they can be quite pricey but they do offer an intimate experience, a sense of adventure and discovery and a quality cruise experience.

It also should be noted that these small cruise ships are registered in the US.

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Saga Cruises' Saga Sapphire Cruises Available for Purchase

Saga Cruises will be introducing their new Saga Sapphire in March, 2012. The Saga Sapphire which will undergoing a multimillion dollar refit, started its life as the Europa (of 1982) for Hapag-Lloyd; later sailed as the SuperStar Europe and SuperStar Aires for Asia's Star Cruises; Holiday Dream for Pullmantur; and most recently as the Bleu de France for CDF Croisières de France.

The Saga Sapphire was built for the exclusive, luxury market and is a favorite among cruise enthusiasts. The Saga Cruises refit of the Saga Sapphire will definitely enhance the ship.
Work expected to be completed includes:

• Extensive renovations to the public spaces and cabins.
• 16 Cabins on deck 10 will be retrofitted with private balconies.
• The Observation Lounge will be transformed into the Drawing room which will feature laptops and PCs for use.
  
• An outdoor cinema screen is expected to be added.
• An alternative Asian Fusion Restaurant will be added.
• Passenger Capacity will be reduced from 1,500 to approximately 710 passengers.
  

On March 26, 2012, the Saga Sapphire, will undertake a 23 Night cruise departing Southampton to Atlantic European Ports and the Mediterranean. Below is the itinerary map.


Saga Cruises caters to cruise passengers over 50 years of age and offers traditional ships and world wide itineraries.



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United Caribbean Lines Sets Eyes on Tampa - Havana Sailing

A new Havana, Cuba to Tampa Ferry service is under consideration. Spear headed by the cruise executive veteran Bruce Nierenberg, the new service is expected to cater to Cuban Americans wanting to travel home and bring goods to friends and family.

With new US government ruling, in addition to the 400,000 passengers that traveled to Cuba on flights last year, new rulings allow licenses for religious, academic and journalists.

The initial service will be from Tampa to Havana Cuba utilizing a European Ferry capable of carrying 2,000 passengers. Amenities will include restaurants, theater, cabins, lounges and entertainment. In addition to the cabin accomodations, there are also airline style seats that can be reserved at a reduced rate.

Included in the cruise fare is the meals, entertainment, movies and passage, Extras are beverages and purchases in the gift shop.

The overnight sailing is expected to take 18 hours.

Expected to operate under the banner of United Caribbean Lines, the approval is still being evaluated by the US Treasury Department.

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Princess Cruises Announces New Royal Princess Details

Princess Cruise has announced details on their new Royal Princess - expected to sail in the spring of 2013.

Under construction at Italy's Fincantieri Shipyard, the Royal Princess will be the largest Princess yet. At 140,000 tons and carrying 3,600 passengers double occupancy, the Royal Princess will incorporate some new features.

Revealed so far is the Sky Walk. The Sky Walk is located 128 feet above the ship and juts out 28 feet over the side of the ship. To make it more impressive, the Sky Walk has a glass floor where passengers can see the sea below.

The Royal Princess will feature many traditional amenities found on other Princess Ship - but on a grander scale. She will feature 3 pools including an adults only pool; Movies under the stars, the Piazza Atrium; The Sanctuary; and 80% of the staterooms will have balconies.

The Royal Princess boasts 260,000 square feet of public spaces including multiple dining establishments and entertainment venues.

Other features are to announced as construction continues.

A sister-ship to the new Royal Princess is expected in 2014.

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American Cruise Line New Paddle Wheeler for the Mississippi

American Cruise Line is constructing a new paddle wheeler for operation on the Mississippi River. The new ship is to be named Queen of the Mississippi. The Queen of Mississippi is to set sail on August 12, 2012 from New Orleans on a 7 day cruise to Memphis.

Under construction at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard in Salibury Md, the Queen of the Mississippi is capable of carrying 140 passengers. Measuring 260 feet long, 52 feet wide and 7 foot draft, the Queen of Mississippi will have 75 staterooms including 60 twins staterooms, 6 Suites and 9 single staterooms.

Staterooms will feature a Veranda, Twin or King size bed, flat screen TVs, private bathrooms, high speed internet and adequate storage.

Featured public spaces include paddlewheel bar, sky lounge, main showroom, dining room, chart room, card room, library and internet area.

Elevators make it easy to access any deck.

Deck space includes sunbathing area, calliope, putting green and exercise area.

The Queen of Mississippi is expected to Navigate the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.

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Small Ship Operator - Inner Sea Discoveries Starts Operations

In the wake of the demise of CruiseWest we are seeing a number of new small-ship entrants into the Alaska Market.

The newest entrant into the Alaska Small ship market is InnerSea Discoveries which is backed by the owners of American Safari Cruises. Inner Sea Discoveries has totally renovated 2 small inter-coastal cruise vessel. Both the Wilderness Discoverer and Wilderness Adventurer have been extensively refurbished. These vessel are capable of carrying 68 and 60 passengers respectively.

The ships will offer 7 and 14-day Alaska Inside Passage cruises with an emphasis on exploration, nature and outdoor recreational activities.

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Carnival Magic Offers a Number of Firsts to the Carnival Fleet

Carnival Cruise Line has just introduced the new Carnival Magic. The ship features a number of firsts for the cruise line including the new SportSquare. The SportSquare is an outdoor recreation areas which consists of the SkyCourse - a 230 foot rope course suspended above the deck. The SkyCourse proved very popular during the ship's introduction and can handle over 1,400 people per day.

The second area on the Carnival Magic is the SkyCourt which provides a large screened in area where passengers can play basketball, volleyball or football. On-board the Carnival Magic, passengers can play during free time play or take part in orchestrated completions.

There also is the SkyFit which is an outdoor weight training area and miniature golf course.

The WaterWorks Area on the Carnival Magic is also a family favorite with it's PowerDrencher. This mini outdoor water-park has an over sized bucket that can hold 300 gallons of water and tips over on bathers below every few minutes. The kids were having a blast.

For those looking for an inside activity, there is Carnival's first Pub at sea - the Red Frog Pub. The Pub is exclusive to the Carnival Magic. The Red Frog has a Caribbean theme and has it own signature beer - the Thirsty Frog Red Beer. In the spirit of the finest pubs found around the world, passengers are able to play darts, checkers and chess. The food in the Red Frog Pub is available at an extra fee.

The Carnival Magic has a new specialty restaurant on-board - the Cucina del Capitano- which offers Italian Specialties served family style.

The Carnival Magic brings many new experiences to cruise passengers and if successful, we may see these features retrofitted on other ships in the fleet.

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Dick West to Start Explore Tours

Dick West, the ex President of the now defunct Cruise West is expected to start a new Cruise Line and Tour operation called Explor Tours.

The new company is expected to charter a existing vessels and/or resell space on other cruise operator. The first offerings are expected to be cruises to the Galapagos and Ecuador. With sights next on Southern Patagonia.

At this time Explor Tour is still in negotiations with the various operator and is expected soon to make an announcement.

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Construction Begins on Celebrity's New Celebrity Reflection

Reflecting on the success of Celebrity Cruises’ stylish Solstice Class fleet, the line’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan has activated the first cut of steel for the fifth in the five-ship class, Celebrity Reflection on March 31st 2011, at shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The sleek, 3,030-guest ship will debut in the Fall of 2012.

Proudly watching over her sister ship’s start, Celebrity Silhouette is in the midst of the final phases of her own construction. Celebrity Silhouette sets sail in July of this year, enhancing guests’ precious vacation time with a host of industry-first venues and experiences within The Lawn Club, including the interactive “Lawn Club Grill,” where guests can select and grill their own meats side-by-side with Celebrity’s expert chefs, or have them cooked to order; the relaxing, private, wi-fi-equipped cabanas called “The Alcoves”; “The Porch,” a breezy, casual dining spot offering sandwiches, coffees and captivating views of the sea and the ship’s lush lawn, and “The Art Studio,” where vacationers can bring out their inner artist. The ship also will present another entirely new venue, “The Hideaway,” an intimate, quiet space reminiscent of a childhood tree house.

Celebrity Reflectionwill present all the new venues, in addition to the line’s first AquaClass suites, expanding on Celebrity’s in-demand, spa-inspired AquaClass stateroom accommodations. The distinctive new experiences will join the diverse array of other modern venues and attributes already associated with Celebrity’s Solstice Class ships.

Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of the world’s top-rated premium cruise line, with spacious, stylish interiors; dining experiences elevated to an art form; personalized service, with a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2:1; unexpected, trendsetting onboard activities, all designed to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers’ precious time. Celebrity sails to Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. One of the fastest-growing major cruise lines, Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships, with two additional Solstice Class ships scheduled to join the fleet: Celebrity Silhouette in July 2011, and Celebrity Reflection in Fall 2012.

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Silvesea Silver Shadow Gets Major Refit

Silversea Cruises' Silver Shadow has a fresh new look thanks to a major renovation completed during the two weeks that the ultra-luxury ship spent in dry dock in Singapore, before returning to service on March 19.

As with the refurbishment of sister ship Silver Whisper last year, the enhancements made aboard Silver Shadow echo the sophisticated contemporary design themes and warm color palettes of Silversea's newest ship, Silver Spirit.

Some of the highlights of Silver Shadow's makeover include:

New Look for Suites: All carpets, headboards, curtains and veranda furniture were completely replaced. The sofas and chairs feature new upholstery. Each suite has a new mattress custom-made exclusively for Silversea. The mattress features an individual spring system with a soft and firm side that can be reversed to suit each guest's preference. There is also a new memory pillow top that covers the mattress when configured as a queen-sized bed.

The larger suites (Owner's, Grand, Royal and Silver) have also been outfitted and a new state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen home audio system.

Refreshed Public Areas: La Terrazza, the Bar, Panorama Lounge, Reception area, Card Room and Conference Room received new upholstery, carpeting, curtains and wall treatments. New carpet was laid in the Observation Lounge. The Spa features new wood flooring with new tiling and wall décor in the treatment rooms. The Restaurant's hardwood floor was completely reconditioned and polished and the chairs dressed in new upholstery. An upgraded sound system was added to the Show Lounge, Panorama Lounge and La Terrazza. New carpet was installed in all corridors, landings and staircases.

Upgraded Outdoor Spaces: The jogging track features all-new synthetic turf, and the pool area has been outfitted with new deck furniture, plus a new sound and light system for evening entertainment and outdoor shows. The pool itself has been upgraded inside and out with new tiles. A large awning was installed over the outdoor dining section of La Terrazza, along with new outdoor furniture. And the Pool Grill, sporting a new awning as well, will become The Grill for evening dining featuring the popular new Black Rock cooking concept that debuted aboard Silver Spirit. At the new outdoor restaurant, guests will enjoy an interactive dining experience that lets them cook prime meats and fresh seafood on heated volcanic rocks at their table.

In addition to enjoying a fresh reconditioning and polishing of teak decks and woodwork, the ship underwent thorough maintenance on mechanical and propulsion systems.