Adventures by Disney Introduces New 2017 Itineraries

April 20, 2016

Adventures by Disney recently revealed new itineraries for 2017, including an expansion of popular river cruising vacations with AmaWaterways, as well as enhancements to family journeys to China and Australia.

New European River Cruise Sailings on the Rhine River

In addition to offering a second season of Danube River sailings, Adventures by Disney will expand offerings to include sailings along the Rhine River in 2017. The new Rhine River itinerary gives adventurous travelers the opportunity to experience the beauty of four countries – France, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Combining the award-winning service and luxury of AmaWaterways with the proven family travel expertise of Adventures by Disney, these river cruise sailings offer a vacation experience that is all-inclusive and hassle-free. Designed with guests of all ages in mind, travelers can customize their trip to fit their family’s needs by choosing from a variety of activity options offered at ports along the Rhine River and onboard each day.

“Last year, river cruising itineraries on the Danube River sold out rapidly, proving that families are eager to enjoy this immersive and luxurious new way to travel through Europe with Adventures by Disney,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Adventures by Disney.

“For 2017 we dreamt even bigger, expanding our offerings to include not only the already popular Danube sailings, but also exciting new experiences along the Rhine River. Here we can make unforgettable vacation memories a reality for even more travelers by offering family river cruise sailings that are effortless, personalized, and exhilarating.”

Guests will sail on the Rhine River aboard the all-new, 170-passenger AmaKristina, a river cruise ship being custom built by AmaWaterways with families in mind.

Family-friendly design elements include sets of connecting staterooms and suites, some of which accommodate three- and four-person families, and other details that lend themselves to luxury family vacations. Adventures by Disney has also worked closely with AmaWaterways to reimagine shipboard spaces and activities, offering unique programming for kids, teens, and adults.

Highlights of the eight-day/seven-night adventures include:

Ride a toboggan, hike along a waterfall or zipline through the Black Forest.
Visit the famous storybook Heidelberg Castle.
Enjoy tubing, snow biking, curling and more at Germany’s first indoor ski hall.
Explore the Alsace Region of France by canoe or on horseback.
Get hands-on during clog painting and a cheese making demonstration in Holland.
Bike along the Rhine River, within the German wine countryside, through towns and beyond.
Savor unique local dining, including Swiss fondue, a French macaron cooking class, German chocolate tasting, and more.

A post-cruise land package is also available in Amsterdam at the conclusion of the Rhine sailings, offering a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk and a private farewell dinner.

“AmaWaterways is ecstatic to continue working with Adventures by Disney, further expanding the options for family travelers seeking a unique way to explore Europe,” said Kristin Karst, co-owner and executive vice president of AmaWaterways. “A Rhine River cruise with Adventures by Disney, aboard the beautiful AmaKristina, will offer families an immersive, unforgettable experience. They will have the chance to witness firsthand the beauty, history and culture of the region’s most breathtaking destinations, while creating memories that will last a lifetime!”

Enhanced Itineraries to Visit Shanghai Disney Resort in China, Gold Coast in Australia

Also new for 2017 are enhancements to Adventures by Disney vacations to China and Australia. With the June opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, the China itinerary has been reimagined to include a visit to this exciting new destination.

Adventures by Disney guests will explore the newest Disney theme park with VIP tour guides, offering a truly world-class experience. In Australia, travelers will now enjoy time on the beautiful Gold Coast, including kayaking on Bryon Bay, whale and dolphin spotting, an excursion to Mt. Tamborine, and more.

New United States Vacations Allow Travelers to Discover America

The new 2017 itineraries join an existing lineup of more than 35 other guided group vacations to destinations on six continents, including three recently announced vacations to the diverse United States locales of Central Florida, Montana, and Washington, D.C. & Philadelphia.

Debuting in summer 2016, each of these weeklong trips is filled with activities unique to the destinations. In Central Florida, families will enjoy unprecedented backstage access and VIP experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, airboat through Florida marshlands, and thrill to a visit to the “Space Coast.”

Montana offers glamorous camping, or “glamping,” near Yellowstone National Park and a stay at a dude ranch in Big Sky. And American history comes alive during a visit to the nation’s capital, and the United States’ first capital city.

Whether travelers are setting sail in Europe, exploring exotic destinations in far-off lands, or savoring the majesty of America’s national parks, Adventures by Disney offers exceptional service and hands-on, active experiences that appeal to travelers of all ages.

Bookings for all 2017 vacations open on April 22, 2016.

Arrival of Port Canaveral’s Newest Cruise Ship Celebrated Today

Dana Lawson

April 20, 2016

Carnival Cruise Line and the Canaveral Port Authority hosted a special event earlier today to celebrate the arrival of the Space Coast’s newest ship, the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic.

Today also marked the official grand opening of the Magic’s new Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse designed by Food Network star Guy Fieri.

The invitation-only event was highlighted by the carving of a massive, six-foot-long pulled pork sandwich by officials from Carnival and the port to commemorate the debut of Fieri’s new BBQ venue which was installed during a multi-million-dollar dry dock last month.

The event also included a traditional maritime plaque exchange between Carnival Magic Captain Antonio Marchetti, Carnival’s Vice President of Commercial Port Operations Carlos Torres de Navarra and Captain John Murray, chief executive officer of the Canaveral Port Authority.

Carnival Magic is the newest Carnival ship to sail from Port Canaveral, joining Carnival Victory and Carnival Valor on year-round departures from the Space Coast, as well as the Carnival Sunshine which operates seasonal sailings.

Together, these four ships will carry more than 650,000 guests annually from Port Canaveral – more than any other cruise operator. Carnival operates more than 200 three- to eight-day cruises annually from Port Canaveral, providing the widest variety of year-round cruise choices from the Space Coast.

“Port Canaveral is one of our most popular and fastest-growing homeports. We now have four exceptional ships based there offering our most highly-rated guest features, a huge array of staterooms and suites with private balconies, and a wide variety of itinerary choices,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“For 20-plus years, Carnival Cruise Line has sailed from Central Florida’s port providing their guests with an enjoyable ‘Fun ship’ experience,” Murray said. “We are delighted to continue to be a popular homeport for Carnival guests.”

The new Fieri-designed BBQ venue was among the many new features added during an extensive makeover that also incorporated the new cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, the RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, BlueIguana Cantina Mexican eatery, and Guy’s Burger Joint — also designed by Fieri.

Carnival Magic offers a variety of family-friendly features as well, including a WaterWorks aqua park highlighted by a 312-foot-long Twister slide, supervised activities and play areas for kids in three age groups, and the Seuss at Sea program which includes the ever-popular “Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in The Hat and Friends” and the “Seuss-a-Palooza Story Time and Parade.”

Carnival Magic departed this afternoon on its inaugural cruise from Port Canaveral with a three-day voyage to Nassau and will launch year-round seven-day sailings from the Space Coast April 23, 2016.

Carnival Magic will offer two distinctly different week-long itineraries from Port Canaveral – a western Caribbean route featuring Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan) and Costa Maya; and an eastern Caribbean option calling at St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk and Nassau, or Amber Cove.

Unusual Reasons To Choose A Costa Cruise

By
Chris Owen
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April 19, 2016

Cruise travelers focused on the Caribbean, Mexico or Alaska probably don’t see many ships from Costa Cruises. Those areas commonly visited by those from North America are not the playground of the Italian cruise line. Just about any other place in the world? The distinctive yellow funnel of Costa ships are commonly found. Make that focus the Mediterranean and we’re talking about Costa’s back yard; a part of the world they call home while other lines simply visit on a seasonal basis. Costa is rarely the first choice of cruise travelers from North America, but maybe they should be. Let’s look at some unusual reasons to choose a Costa cruise

A European Cruise Experience
The first hurdle to get past before considering a Costa Cruise is how comfortable one might be traveling with those of other cultures, backgrounds or from different parts of the world. If looking around the dining room and seeing familiar faces, like a trip to the grocery store at home might bring, Costa could be a bad choice. But if exploring the world with a bit more local flavor is on the table, a more international passenger mix on Costa could work well.

Destination Immersion Before Leaving The Ship
Many cruise travelers who live in the countries of Europe, think of the Mediterranean as we do of the Caribbean. They too sail there often due to the close proximity, abundant ports they can drive or take a ferry to, and ability to build past guest benefits along the way. Like I know a great guide and driver in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, they know locals at nearly every port along the way.

A Taste Of Luxury
Sailing in the Caribbean we commonly see more ‘foreigners’ on higher-priced, more luxurious lines and fewer on big ship budget-oriented lines. Sailing with a more internationally sourced group of passengers on a comparatively inexpensive Costa cruise brings that unique interactive element without the expense of a luxury cruise. In a way, sailing with Costa is a try-before-you-buy way to experience the more international makeup of passengers we have seen on Seabourn, Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal Cruises and others.

A Taste Of Italy, The Real One
Like visiting a friend’s home who has an Italian heritage, there is no better Italian cuisine on any other cruise line. That’s a big, broad claim probably helped along the road to credibility by ships full of Italian chefs and crew members. Relating back to the world of North American Caribbean cruising, sailing with Costa is like we might imagine dining at Jimmy Buffett’s house when Guy Fieri drops by for a barbecue.

Seriously Safe Cruise Travel
As one might expect after the grounding of Costa Concordia, Costa Cruises might very well have overcompensated for the safety issues raised after that tragic event. That’s a good thing for those who have not considered cruise travel due to personal safety concerns. That’s not to say other cruise lines are not as safe. They are. Costa earns bonus points in the safety area for having lived through a serious event that resulted in higher standards for the worldwide cruise industry.

Dirt Cheap Pricing Close To Home
The flip side of not sailing year round in the Caribbean brings some of the most attractive pricing available for a 7 day cruise. The Costa Caribbean season runs basically from November through March, so late spring break, summer and early fall are not possible. Still, a 7 day Caribbean sailing in December of 2016 starts at $695 per person.

All of the above make for good reasons to choose a Costa cruise. Also significant, Costa is part of the Carnival Corporation family of brands that includes Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn, the UK’s P&O Cruises and new impact travel cruise line Fathom.

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

Holland America Line’s ms Koningsdam Is Born

By
John Shallo
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April 18, 2016

KONINGSDAM – ITALIAN OPERA

A beautiful look as Holland America Line’s, ms Koningsdam is born at the Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy. Koningsdam first Pinnacle-Class ship in the fleet. The signing ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy.

The 2,650-guest ship will be christened during a ceremony in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 20, 2016. The ms Koningsdam is the first in a new class of vessel for the line. Following its Europe season, Koningsdam will sail to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for winter and spring Caribbean cruises. To learn more visit this special page to learn more.

Drone Flight Over ms Koningsdam

By
John Shallo
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April 18, 2016

Watch this amazing video and see a drone fly over of Holland America Line’s brand new ship, ms Koningsdam.

Let us know what you think of this amazing video and ship? Do you plan to sail on her? Leave a comment below.

Carnival Extends Time in Port in Cozumel

By
Dana Lawson
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April 18, 2016

Carnival Cruise Line has extended the length of time its ships spend in Cozumel, Mexico, on more than 750 voyages, providing guests with even more opportunities to experience and explore one of the Caribbean’s most diverse vacation destinations.

On “Cozumel Plus” itineraries, guests now have access to a variety of new excursions, many taking place on Mexico’s mainland – with unforgettable tours like swimming with whale sharks, visiting centuries-old ruins and swimming in hidden caverns, complementing nearly 50 existing tours already available.

“With magnificent beaches and interesting landmarks and historical sites, Cozumel is the Caribbean’s premier cruising region, and our ‘Cozumel Plus’ itineraries provide our guests with a seemingly endless variety of new ways to explore this fascinating destination,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “These new itineraries provide our guests with the opportunity to create wonderful vacation memories and our travel agent partners an exciting cruise option to market to their clients.”

Carnival is kicking off its new “Cozumel Plus” itineraries with a special promotion offering a $25 per person shipboard credit that can be used toward shore excursions. The shipboard credit offer is available through April 22, 2016, when booking in combination with Carnival’s Early Saver rates.

Designated by a special notation on Carnival’s web site, Cozumel Plus itineraries are operated by 17 different Carnival ships offering more than 750 four- to eight-day cruises from six U.S. homeports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Carnival Cruise Line offers the greatest variety of cruises to Cozumel than any other cruise operator, providing guests with unparalleled choice and convenience in their shore excursion options.

The additional time in port has enabled Carnival’s shore excursion experts to partner with local tour operators to create one-of-a-kind excursion offerings that allow guests to fully immerse themselves in Mexican culture and participate in truly unique landside experiences.

“Cozumel Plus” tours are up to eight hours in duration and include everything from extended, day-long tours visiting ancient Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza – one of the Seven Wonders of the World dating back to 750 A.D. – to snorkeling the exquisite turquoise waters of Xel-Ha, a magnificent group of lagoons connected by a series of bridges.

On other excursions, guests can explore Mexico’s famed “secret river” — subterranean caverns connected by underground waterways with stunning natural rock formations that are millions of years old — or participate in a seasonal excursion of swimming in open waters with whale sharks, gentle sea creatures measuring up to 40 feet in length and weighing up to 47,000 pounds.

Of course, the additional time in port provides guests with more time to check out Cozumel’s legendary white-sand beaches, excellent fishing, snorkeling and water sports, and unique shopping and dining opportunities.

Cruises visiting Cozumel dock at Puerta Maya, Carnival’s modern three-berth facility in Cozumel which, in addition to offering easy access to the various tours via an on-site transportation center, includes a variety of retail shops, boutiques and restaurants, enhancing guests’ on-shore experience.

Carnival Corporation Now Accepting Bookings for Cuba Voyages

By
Dana Lawson
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April 18, 2016

Santiago de Cuba

Carnival Corporation & plc announced today that the company is continuing discussions with Cuba to allow cruise ships to operate in the same manner as current air charter operations, which transport Cuba-born individuals to and from Cuba.

Carnival Corporation also announced that it is accepting bookings on its 10^th and newest brand, Fathom, from all travelers to Cuba, regardless of their country of origin, and is looking forward to its historic inaugural voyage to Cuba on May 1, 2016.

Fathom will begin sailing its 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise ship to Cuba every other week starting on May 1, marking the first time in over 50 years that a cruise ship has sailed from the U.S. to Cuba.

While optimistic that Cuba will treat travelers with Fathom the same as air charters today, should that decision by Cuba be delayed past May 1, Carnival Corporation will delay the start of its voyages to Cuba accordingly.

“We want everyone to be able to go to Cuba with us,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We remain excited about this historic opportunity to give our guests an extraordinary vacation experience in Cuba.”

“We have already seen tremendous consumer interest in the incredible Cuba journey we have put together,” said Tara Russell, president of Fathom. “Our guests will visit three beautiful and unique destinations on the island all in one week, with the convenience of only having to unpack once while we sail on the Fathom Adonia, our premium small ship with its excellent and diverse dining, service and accommodations.”

During each sailing, Fathom will visit Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, three ports of call for which Carnival Corporation has obtained berthing approval.

As part of this historic sailing in this inaugural year, travelers will enjoy an exciting Cuban experience, where they can choose to partake in onboard experiences, including Cuban- and Caribbean-inspired food and films, music and dancing, and much more.

Special onboard programming will include a wide variety of activities covering an array of interests, ranging from an orientation to Cuba’s history, customs and culture, to geographic-inspired entertainment, to casual and fun personal enrichment activities, along with conversational Spanish lessons.

Seven-day itineraries on Carnival Corporation’s Fathom brand depart from Port Miami on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The ship will arrive at its first destination, Havana, the following morning (Monday) at 11 a.m. ET. The Adonia returns to its homeport, Port Miami, at 7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Prices for seven-day itineraries to Cuba start at $1,800 per person, excluding Cuban visas, taxes, fees and port expenses and including all meals on the ship, onboard experiences, and several on-the ground activities. Prices will vary by season.

Her Majesty Queen Máxima Named Godmother of ms Koningsdam

By
Dana Lawson
-

April 18, 2016

Holland America Line’s tradition will continue when Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands christens the cruise line’s new Pinnacle-class ship, ms Koningsdam.

She will christen the 2,650-guest ship in a ceremony in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 20, 2016. The ms Koningsdam is the first in a new class of vessel for the line.

Members of the Dutch Royal Family have launched 11 Holland America Line ships. Most recently, then-Princess Máxima christened ms Nieuw Amsterdam in 2010, and then-Queen Beatrix served as ms Eurodam‘s godmother in 2008.

Statendam III in 1929 was launched by Prince Hendrik and Nieuw Amsterdam II in 1937 by Queen Wilhelmina. Then-Princess Beatrix named Statendam IV in 1957 and Prinses Margriet in 1960. Rotterdam V was launched in 1958 by Queen Juliana. Princess Margriet dedicated Prinsendam in 1972, Nieuw Amsterdam II in 1983, ms Rotterdam VI in 1997, and ms Oosterdam in 2003.

Her Majesty Queen Máxima

“We are incredibly honored that Her Majesty Queen Máxima will carry on the tradition of Dutch Royalty christening Holland America Line ships, which began 87 years ago,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line.

“We chose Rotterdam as the location for the official ceremony because of the deep historic connection between Holland America Line, the city, and the people of the Netherlands. May 20 will be a very special day in our company’s 143-year history as we officially dedicate ms Koningsdam.”

The official ceremony will take place in Rotterdam onboard the ship during a special 13-day Christening Cruise departing Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, May 9. Following that voyage, Koningsdam will spend the summer sailing from the port of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on itineraries to Norway, the Baltic, and Iceland.

Following its Europe season, Koningsdam will sail to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for winter and spring Caribbean cruises.

Holland America Line’s fleet of 14 ships offers more than 500 cruises to more than 400 ports in 98 countries, territories, or dependencies around the world.

From shorter getaways to 115-day itineraries, the company’s cruises visit all seven continents with highlights including: Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations, and exotic Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages, four annual Grand Voyages, and popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Panama Canal.

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