Join Cruise Addicts as we cruise aboard the Carnival Liberty to experience Carnival LIVE and Journey in concert. On this show we’ll be speaking with Felipe Couto, Cruise Director of the Carnival Liberty. He’s going tell us all about Carnival LIVE and some of what happens behind the scenes.
I’ll also chat with guests Carrie McLaren of CarrieWithChildren.com, Rick Howard of TravelWithRick.com, Amanda Tinney of WheresAmanda.com and Julie Elsdon-Height of SoberJulie.com to get their review of Carnival LIVE and the Journey concert. Next we’ll be stopping off in Grand Turk and meet several local icons. We’ll be speaking with Barbie from Barbie’s Restaurant and also Jack of Jack’s Shack. You’ll meet them and get some tips on how to eat, drink and enjoy Grand Turk like a local.
Carnival LIVE tickets for 2015 range from $35 to $60 for general admission, significantly less than land-based concerts. VIP tickets are available for $125 to $250, offering fans seating in the first four rows, an artist meet and greet, a souvenir photo with the artist and a commemorative concert pass.
For a calendar of spring 2015 Carnival LIVE concerts and to learn more about the Carnival LIVE sailings this fall featuring Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Jewel, Daughtry and more, visit www.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE
Our ticket to enter the Carnival LIVE Journey concert aboard Carnival Liberty.
As the ship’s clock struck 9 p.m., the band Journey took to the stage aboard the Carnival Liberty, offering 1,300 lucky guests a once-in-a-lifetime Carnival LIVE experience. Beginning with songs “Any Way You Want It,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Be Good To Yourself.” The band treated us to a set of sixteen legendary songs along with two guitar solos and a keyboard medley.
A Journey fan for most of my life, being able to see them live in such a small venue was a bucket list moment. Frontman Arnel Pineda put on an amazing show filled with powerful vocals and unending energy. He ran and jumped to all corners of the Venetian Palace’s stage, reaching out to guests with high fives and interacting with them, making for a special experience.
A highlight of the show was hearing Jonathan Cain tell the story how the song “Faithfully” was written on the road aboard a bus one night and recorded the next day. The song recounts the life of a “Music Man” with its circus atmosphere on the road. As one of my favorite songs, hearing this story followed by the song live with its subtle intro, followed by the thunderous drums and guitar was almost surreal.
Journey take the stage aboard Carnival LIVE aboard Carnival Liberty
Neal Schon still has some hard feelings towards Steve Perry even after all these years. During the intro to “Lights,” he took a quick jab. He said “(Perry) says I only wrote 25 percent, but it wouldn’t sound this good with guitars if I only wrote 25 percent.” This surprised me since the the song was released in August 1978.
The Carnival LIVE Experience
One thing I enjoy most–next to cruise travel–is great live music. I’ve been to some amazing concerts in my life. Carnival LIVE offers the best of both worlds. It allows you to experience a great cruise vacation and have the option to see an amazing live show in an intimate setting for great price. You don’t have to drive to the arena, pay for parking, or sit on uncomfortable arena seats.
Carnival LIVE shows take place in the ship’s main show lounges — which range in seating capacity from 900 to 1,300 – for an on-board performance where there is never a bad seat in the house. Your seats are comfortable, and you even have a place to hold your drink, which is delivered to you before the show begins. Ticket prices for 2015 range from $35 to $60 for general admission. VIP tickets are available for $125 to $250 and come with a seat in the first four rows, an artist meet and greet, a souvenir photo with the artist, and a commemorative concert pass. Unlike other concert cruises, these sailings are not group cruises or full charters where the price of the concert is included in the price. The cruises are priced just like other sailings but give you the option to see a Carnival LIVE concert while onboard.
More Shows To Come – Carnival LIVE 2015 Schedule
Carnival LIVE continues its second season of concerts with more shows by the following:
Smokey Robinson performs in Cozumel, Mexico. Ticket prices: General admission $35/VIP $125
April 21 – Carnival Paradise departing from Tampa
April 22 – Carnival Ecstasy departing from Miami
April 23 – Carnival Breeze departing from Miami
Rascal Flatts perform in Cozumel, Mexico. Ticket prices: General admission $60/VIP $250
May 5 – Carnival Paradise departing from Tampa
May 6 – Carnival Ecstasy departing from Miami
May 7 – Carnival Breeze departing from Miami
STYX performs in Nassau, Bahamas. Ticket prices: General admission $35/VIP $125
June 16 – Carnival Sensation departing from Port Canaveral
June 17 – Carnival Sunshine departing from Port Canaveral
June 18 – Carnival Fantasy departing from Charleston
June 20 – Carnival Ecstasy departing from Miami
How To Book and Helpful Tips
When booking your Carnival LIVE sailing, be sure to consider the following tips:
Buy Tickets When Booking – Purchase your concert tickets when you book your cruise since tickets are limited. You can do this when you complete your initial check-in at Carnival.com and reach the step to purchase any optional tours and activities. Your Carnival LIVE sailing will have an extra line added (ie. Nassau – Little Big Town – BUY TICKETS) with an option to buy tickets if they are not sold out.
Get To Show Early – Once onboard your Carnival LIVE cruise, come to the show early to get the best seats. General Admission seats are not reserved, so you will need to show up early to get the best pick. You may also consider sitting in the upper level instead of the lower level. These seats may offer you an unobstructed view, even if someone stands up during the show.
Relax, You’re On A Cruise – You won’t have to drive to the arena or stadium. The need for a designated driver won’t be necessary. Don’t worry about the traffic jam leaving the show or having to get up for work in the morning. You’re on a cruise! Relax! When you leave the show, you’re only steps away from your cabin!
For a calendar of spring 2015 Carnival LIVE concerts and to learn more about the Carnival LIVE sailings this fall featuring Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Jewel, Daughtry and more, visitwww.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE
Princess Cruises recently announced a first-of-its-kind cruise industry partnership with three-time Oscar winner and composer of Wicked, Pippin and GodspellStephen Schwartz. At a special event at the Hudson Theater in New York City, Cruise Addicts was on hand to cover this special announcement in partnership with Cruise Radio.
We sat down with composer Stephen Schwartz, Jill Whelan, from The Love Boat, Ben Souza from CruiseFever, and Mike Faust from CruiseCurrents to hear more about this new partnership.
Listen To The Podcast:
Stephen Schwartz’s Award Winning Career
Three-time Oscar winner and composer of “Wicked” Stephen Schwartz partners with Princess Cruises to oversee the creative development of four new musicals for the cruise line.
During his 40-year career, Schwartz has won four Grammys, three Academy Awards for “Best Song” and “Best Score” for Pocahontas and “Best Song” for The Prince of Egypt and has been nominated for six Tony Awards. He is the only songwriter in Broadway history to ever have three shows run more than 1,900 performances.
His first musical for PrincessCruises will celebrate Schwartz’s lifelong fascination with magic. Called Magic to Do, the show will combine thrilling magic with some of Schwartz’s most famous songs and a brand new song written exclusively for Princess. The show will debut aboard Crown Princess in the fall.
“Stephen is hands down one of the most talented and accomplished Broadway composers of all time and we couldn’t be more honored to partner with him to ideate and bring fresh talent together to create memorable entertainment experiences for our guests,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Princess is known for introducing product innovations and we’re thrilled to embark on this extraordinary new live-show entertainment, unlike anything any cruise line has ever before offered.”
“I’m excited about the possibility of using the enormous resources available with Princess to create new and innovative theatrical entertainment,” said Schwartz. “Their onboard theatres are Broadway-caliber venues with state-of-the-art technical capability, and coupled with their access to first-rate performers, I see it as an extraordinary and almost irresistible opportunity. I have already received overwhelming and enthusiastic interest from talented colleagues – writers, directors, and designers to whom I have spoken – and I hope together we will create new kinds of cruise ship shows to entertain and inspire Princess guests unlike any other productions at sea.”
Schwartz will oversee the creative development for all four shows, bringing together a cadre of Broadway talent to support the productions through direction and design. The Magic to Do team includes: Don Frantz, associate producer of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, among many other Broadway and international accomplishments; Gabriel Barre, internationally acclaimed director whose credits include the national tour of Pippin and the current Broadway-bound musical, Amazing Grace; Jeremy Railton, four-time Emmy winner whose extensive background in theatre, film, television and multi-media design includes the 2002 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and the Academy Awards; Ken Billington, Tony award-winning lighting designer with nearly 100 Broadway show credits to his name, including Sweeney Todd and the current production of Chicago; Mark Hartman, award-winning music director with numerous Broadway credits including Sondheim on Sondheim, Avenue Q and the national tour of Pippin; and Jennifer Paulson-Lee, choreographer with credits including Enter Laughing, the Musical, A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream, 101 Dalmatians and Seussical.
“Magic to Do,” will celebrate Stephen Schwartz’s lifelong fascination with magic and include a brand new song written exclusively for Princess Cruises.
In addition, Jim Steinmeyer, the mastermind behind many of the great magic illusions over the last 25 years, will create the magic experience in Magic to Do. Steinmeyer has worked with some of the greatest magicians of all time including Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy and David Copperfield.
Help Wanted! Top Talent and Performers
Auditions for Magic to Do begin next week in New York and Toronto, followed by Los Angeles and Vancouver. Schwartz will participate in the audition process, helping source top talent and performers for the 45-minute show. More information can be found here: http://www.playbill.com/jobs/job_detail/343715.
Theater Producer Jayson Raitt will be working closely with Schwartz and consulting on the creative development of the three additional shows.
When someone mentions the band Journey, it brings me back in time to recall moments of my life. One such moment was in the Summer of 1981. I was ten years old and climbed aboard the bus to take me to the local Mall. Entering, I was on a mission to first play video games and then go into Camelot Music and BUY a special album. This being the just released Journey “Escape” (stylized as E5C4P3 on the album cover album) album.
For me and millions of other fans, Journey’s songs became the soundtrack of our lives. The band’s success is legendary, with sales of 47 million albums in the U.S., making them the 28th best-selling band. Worldwide sales have reached almost 90 million records, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time.
Walking out of the Mall, with my new Journey Escape album in hand. I couldn’t wait to get home and listen to it. I didn’t know that this album would go on to have fourBillboard Hot 100 singles – “Don’t Stop Believin’” (#9), “Who’s Crying Now” (#4), “Still They Ride” (#19) and “Open Arms” (#2). The album continued to sell over 12 Million copies and go platinum 9x.
So when invited to join Carnival Cruise Line to experience their Carnival LIVE concert series featuring Journey, I had to go. Starting in Port Canaveral on March 15th. It will be a seven night sailing aboard Carnival Liberty with stops in Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas. What’s amazing is how this sailing includes two of my favorite things, great music and cruise travel.
What is Carnival LIVE?
Carnival LIVE is unlike a full charter group or theme cruise, which many “concert” cruises are sold as. Carnival LIVE sailings are just like regular cruises but, during the booking process you have the option to buy tickets to a great concert which takes place during your cruise. The band or artist comes on board the ship while in port and plays in the ship’s main show lounge.
The Carnival LIVE concert series debuted in 2014 to rave reviews. Returning in 2015 you too can join the the fun by booking your own Carnival LIVE sailing by reviewing the following tour dates. This year will feature artists and bands like Journey, Rascal Flatt’s, Smokey Robinson, Little Big Town and Styx. Be sure to check the tour dates page regularly, as more dates are artists are expected to be announced in the near future.
Tickets to the shows cost between $35 and $60 per guest (depending on the band), and VIP tickets are $125–250 per guest. As a VIP, you’ll get some of the best seats to the show, a laminated commemorative VIP pass… plus an exclusive meet-and-greet with the band, including an opportunity for a photo.
Follow Me On My Journey!
I look forward to sharing more with you during this cruise and afterwards. Follow aboard Carnival Liberty via our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Cruise Addicts who may have tired of the same ole’ itineraries can rejoice! Carnival Cruise Line has rewrote the book on the traditional routes and is offering a unique collection of nine- to 15-day voyages. No need to wait as they will be offered as soon as this fall and feature spectacular ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii and Mexico, along with unique shipboard experiences created especially for this one-of-a-kind cruise program.
Carnival Journeys is designed to provide guests with exciting new itinerary choices that will feature less traveled, more exotic ports of call. Carnival Journeys itineraries have been specifically designed for guests who are looking for a longer cruise vacation that will provide the opportunity to visit a wide variety of great destinations and more time to fully enjoy all of the features and facilities available on a selection of the line’s newest and most innovative ships. Carnival Journeys cruises will also include exciting shipboard activities to provide a truly unique Carnival vacation experience.
“We have received a tremendous amount of feedback from our guests and travel agent partners about the importance of consistently offering new Carnival cruise experiences,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.
“Carnival Journeys was created to offer our existing customers even more options while helping us to attract those guests who have not had the opportunity to sail with Carnival and may be enticed by these longer, more exotic itineraries. These new cruises also offer our valued travel agent partners a tremendous new sales opportunity and a great way to earn enhanced commissions based on the longer cruise duration,” she added.
Incredible Itineraries
Carnival Journeys will debut with an 11-day cruise aboard Carnival Dream from New Orleans to San Juan Oct. 4, 2015. The program will run through Nov. 27, 2016, encompassing 28 departures from eight convenient North American homeports including Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, Miami, Port Canaveral, New York, Baltimore and San Juan. Cruises will operate either round-trip from these homeports or one-way between these ports and San Juan. The itineraries are unique and not available on any other cruise line. A detailed listing of all 28 Carnival Journeys sailings is available here. Additional Carnival Journeys sailings will be announced in the near future.
On Carnival Journeys, guests can experience and explore nearly 40 different tropical destinations, including less visited ports like Tobago, Grenada, La Paz, Martinique, Bonaire and Ixtapa, each home to diverse cultures, centuries-old landmarks and historical structures, and unforgettable natural attractions.
Memorable Activities
Carnival Journeys participants can also enjoy unique shipboard experiences that will be tailored to each itinerary in the areas of dining, entertainment, team member connections and enrichment, all infused with the line’s spirited brand of fun. These experiences will include:
“Local”-tainment: From calypso, soca and Goombay to colorful folkloric entertainment, Carnival Journeys participants will get an up close and personal look at their destination through local entertainment performances taking place outside the ship or on board.
Academy of Fun: Through these educational enrichment sessions, Carnival’s shipboard experts will instruct guests in topics ranging from cooking and arts and crafts to digital photography and social media, even celestial navigation. All of these activities will be performed with the fun and entertaining style that only Carnival can provide.
Throwback Sea Day: Carnival will set the “way back machine” to 1987 and recreate a fun day at sea with retro pool and deck games, old school dining options like Baked Alaska and the gala midnight buffet, a white glove Captain’s Celebration, popular movies from that era, a circa 1987 version of the Carnival Capers shipboard newsletter, and more.
Shipboard Team Member Connections: Here, Carnival Journeys participants can learn more about shipboard life through informative question and answer sessions hosted by the ship’s captain, cruise director, hotel director and others, held at different times throughout the voyage and providing an opportunity to engage and interact with the Carnival team in a fun and casual setting. There will also be an unforgettable show performed by the ship’s crew during the voyage.
Reserve your Carnival Journey
All Carnival Journeys adventures are currently open for reservations. For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com. Additional information on Carnival Journeys sailings, as well as details on the new onboard activities, is available at www.carnival.com/journeys.
Guests can save up to $3,000 per booking on sailings to Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska and other sought-after destinations
With most of the country covered in snow, Celebrity Cruises is looking ahead to spring and heating things up by unveiling up to $4 million dollars’ worth of savings and value for its guests. Celebrity’s “Spring into Savings” promotion is available on more than 300 sailings with savings of up to $1,000 per booking. Plus, vacationers who choose a standard veranda in Europe, or Concierge Class, AquaClass and Suite Class accommodations in Europe and other Celebrity destinations, will receive the all-inclusive offer – free classic beverage packages, free gratuities and up to $300 to spend on board. For a total combined value of up to $3,000, guests must book during March 2015.
A highlight of Spring into Savings is the rich, industry-leading offer for Europe. When a vacationer books a standard veranda stateroom, they will save up to $300 dollars per booking and receive Celebrity’s all-inclusive offer of free classic beverage packages, free gratuities and up to $300 to spend onboard – a total combined value of up to $2,300. Celebrity is the best choice for Europe with more than 65 different overnight stays, modern luxury ships with the highest percentage of verandas, award-winning dining with up to 12 distinctive restaurants, and more.
“Spring into Savings is our way of saying goodbye to the winter chill by combining great value with modern luxury experiences that travel partners and guests know and love,” said Dondra Ritzenthaler, SVP, Sales, Celebrity Cruises. “We’re visiting must-see worldwide destinations, and in Europe we’re the number-one choice with exceptional benefits only available on Celebrity.”
Spring into Savings is available for a limited time on new individual and select group reservations made through March 31, 2015 for sailings from May 2015 to April 2016.
Andy Stewart, President and COO of Norwegian Cruise Line
Andy Stewart, President and COO of Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has announced that company veteran Andy Stuart has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line effective today, following the resignation of Drew Madsen. Stuart has been with Norwegian Cruise Line since 1988 and has held a number of leadership positions, most recently as Executive Vice President of Sales.
“Given the recent restructuring of the role and job responsibilities, Drew has decided to step down. We thank him for his contributions and wish him well,” said Frank Del Rio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “As we continue to build the newly merged organization, we are tapping into the tremendous company and industry knowledge that Andy has, along with the strong relationships he has built with our travel partners.”
“Andy and Norwegian are virtually synonymous. He is very well known and respected by our guests, travel partners, officers, crew, and team members. I am extremely confident that he is the perfect leader for the next phase of Norwegian’s growth,” added Del Rio. In this role, Stuart will report to Del Rio.
Stuart has been instrumental in building the Norwegian brand, particularly in the roll out and marketing of the line’s signature Freestyle Cruising. He also greatly strengthened relationships with travel partners with the introduction of Partners First, the company’s corporate philosophy of always putting its travel partners first. During his 27-year tenure with the company, he has held responsibility for a number of key areas including: Global Sales, Passenger Services, Revenue Management, Marketing and Public Relations. He also served as Chief Product Officer, responsible for delivery of the Freestyle Cruising product across the Norwegian fleet, ensuring that it provided exceptional value and quality for guests and was consistent with the marketing and brand positioning of the company.
“Having seen Norwegian Cruise Line grow significantly during the course of my career, I am thrilled and proud to lead this incredible company as we continue to enhance and build the brand,” said Stuart. “The future is extremely bright and I am looking forward to continuing to work with our travel partners through our expanded sales team, delivering an exceptional product to our guests in conjunction with our hard-working officers and crew and ensuring that our team members are motivated and engaged, all the while building value for our shareholders.”
Carnival Elation also Moves to Jacksonville, Carnival Fascination to San Juan In Spring 2016
Cruise Addicts their is a big new ship coming to the big easy. The Carnival Triumph will be replacing the Carnival Elation on its four- and five-day short cruise program from New Orleans. The much larger Carnival Triumph will increase capacity by 34 percent when she replaces Carnival Elation next spring.
In turn, Carnival Elation will reposition to Jacksonville, Fla., for year-round four- and five-day cruises and Carnival Fascination will shift to San Juan for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning in spring 2016, providing consumers with fresh and exciting new choices in these markets. As previously announced, Carnival Liberty will replace Carnival Triumph on the line’s year-round four- and five- day cruise program from Galveston next spring.
“Repositioning these ships to New Orleans, Jacksonville and San Juan provides our guests and valued travel agent partners with fresh and exciting new ‘Fun Ship’ choices in three important and highly attractive cruise markets,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.
New Choices in the Big Easy
Carnival Triumph will shift from Galveston to New Orleans to launch year-round four- and five-day cruises to Mexico beginning April 4, 2016. On this route, four-day “long weekend” cruises depart Thursdays and call at Cozumel while five-day cruises depart Mondays and Saturdays and visit Cozumel and Progreso. During these fun and affordable getaways, consumers can relax on world-class beaches, enjoy a variety of dining, shopping and cultural opportunities and visit centuries-old Mayan ruins including Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Carnival Triumph will also offer a special three-day cruise round-trip from New Orleans April 8-11, 2016.
Carnival Triumph has undergone an extensive dry dock that added a number of Fun Ship 2.0 innovations, including Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, poolside watering holes BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, the BlueIguana Cantina Mexican eatery, cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, and Cherry On Top, a “candy and more” store. Carnival Triumph also features more than 500 staterooms and suites with private balconies that are not generally available on other short cruises and are highly coveted by Carnival guests.
Carnival Elation to Jacksonville, Carnival Fascination to San Juan
Carnival Elation will reposition from New Orleans to Jaxport beginning April 23, 2016
Carnival Elation will shift from New Orleans to Jacksonville to operate year-round four- and five-day cruises from Jaxport beginning April 23, 2016, providing a newer ship on this highly attractive cruise program.
Carnival Elation will assume Carnival Fascination’s four- and five-day schedule from Jacksonville and continue cruising’s only year-round program from that port. Four-day cruises depart Thursdays and visit Freeport and Nassau and five-day voyages depart Mondays and Thursdays and visit the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
In turn, Carnival Fascination will reposition to San Juan to operate year-round seven-day southern Caribbean cruises beginning April 24, 2016. These week-long adventures feature five breathtaking Caribbean islands: St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten. In addition to some of the world’s best beaches, these tropical seaside destinations are known for their exceptional snorkeling, scuba diving and water sports.
Exciting Six- to 11-day Voyages from New Orleans and San Juan
In anticipation of its new homeport, Carnival Elation will offer two exciting longer length cruises visiting some of the Caribbean’s most stunning ports of call. An 11-day cruise will depart New Orleans April 2 and arrive in San Juan April 13, 2016, with port calls at Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua, and St. Thomas, while a 10-day cruise will sail from San Juan to Jacksonville April 13-23, 2016, featuring Barbados, Grenada, Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Thomas.
Carnival Fascination will also offer a special six-day cruise departing Jacksonville April 18 and arriving in San Juan April 24, 2016. Featured ports on this one-time voyage will include St. Thomas, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.
All of these cruises have been specially designed to offer our guests who have previously sailed with Carnival from New Orleans or Jacksonville, with new itineraries that visit more exotic ports of call. The unique appeal of these voyages should provide first-time cruisers with even more incentive to experience a Carnival cruise vacation. The 10- and 11-day cruises also offer our valued travel agent partners with the ability to earn higher commissions due to the longer cruise duration.
How to book?
Reservations are currently being accepted for all of these cruise programs. For additional information and reservations contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
MSC Cruises presents a futuristic vision with a new contemporary cruise ship designs and extend the current fleet. The Vista project will create new ships for all seasons, adapting and transforming communal spaces throughout the year, evolving to best suit each itinerary. The Seaside project plans to extend the existing fleet to follow the sun, making the most of the outdoor traveling experience within a luxury setting.
Harmony of the Seas, featuring the cruise line’s design of seven distinct neighborhoods for which Oasis class is known, will offer the most amazing collection of experiences, amenities and activities at sea.
Cruise Addicts its time to meet, Harmony of the Seas. Set to launch in April 2016. The third in the Oasis class of ships – currently the largest cruise ships in the world – will continue the award-winning cruise line’s philosophy of innovation and imagination to offer a unique vacation adventure for guests.
“We are orchestrating a medley of new exciting concepts with the best Royal Caribbean innovations to strike the perfect chord for adventurous vacationers. That is why we are calling our third Oasis-class ship Harmony of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
Harmony of the Seas, featuring the cruise line’s design of seven distinct neighborhoods for which Oasis class is known, will offer the most amazing collection of experiences, amenities and activities at sea. Guests can test their mettle on the ship’s three multi-story waterslides, all of which twist and turn over Central Park 10 decks below. One of the slides also will feature a champagne bowl that swirls guests around as they make their approach to the end of the ride.
“The Oasis class ships continue to astound and delight both new and experienced cruisers. They shatter preconceived notions of what cruising can be and continue to stand in a category by themselves,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “With Harmony of the Seas, we are making the most exciting experience at sea even better.”
Harmony of the Seas also will feature a new Bionic Bar on the Royal Promenade. The Bionic Bar was first introduced aboard Quantum of the Seas, and feature robot bartenders serving up one-of-a-kind crafted cocktails while dancing to a fluid beat. Additionally, guests onboard Harmony of the Seas will enjoy RFID technology with Royal WOWBands that provide them access to their staterooms as well as make onboard purchases and reservations. Like her sisters, Harmony also will feature the fastest Internet connection at sea where guests can stream video; Skype with family and friends back at home; and share their vacation memories through social media instantly while at sea.
While Oasis and Allure offered some of the largest staterooms in the fleet, on Harmony of the Seas the company has made some stateroom categories even larger. Interior accommodations also will be outfitted with Royal Caribbean’s exclusive Virtual Balconies which offer a view in every stateroom, while single travelers will have studio stateroom choices. Suite guests also will have exclusive new areas to enjoy, from a well-appointed suite lounge and a private suites-only restaurant called Coastal Kitchen to an exclusive full-service Suite Sun Zone sun deck.
Harmony of the Seas will feature three multi-story waterslides, all of which twist and turn over Central Park 10 decks below. One of the slides also will feature a champagne bowl that swirls guests around as they make their approach to the end of the ride
Younger and young-at-heart guests can take a spin on the handcrafted carousel or enjoy a new classic games arcade on the ship’s Boardwalk neighborhood. While parents enjoy the newly relocated Starbucks café on the Boardwalk, kids can meet new friends at a new climbing play area.
New specialty restaurant concepts will provide even more variety for guests including Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, with a new teppanyaki menu, and the Sabor Modern Mexican restaurant. The new Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine will give guests the chance to experience a unique culinary adventure for the senses when Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes in a whimsical setting that challenges the imagination with never-before-seen fare.
Harmony of the Seas will span 16 decks, encompass 227,000 gross registered tons, carry 5,479 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,747 staterooms. The Oasis class is an architectural marvel touting Royal Caribbean’s exclusive seven neighborhood concept, including Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.
Join Cruise Addicts as we cruise aboard the Carnival Liberty to experience Carnival LIVE and Journey in concert. On this show we’ll be speaking with Felipe Couto, Cruise Director of the Carnival Liberty. He’s going tell us all about Carnival LIVE and some of what happens behind the scenes.
