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Holland America Expands B.B. King’s Blues Club Experience To Five Ships In 2014

By
John Shallo
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Holland America Line’s Eurodam
Holland America Line’s Eurodam extends 2021 Mediterranean cruise season through October and will sail five 12-day itineraries from Italy, Greece or Spain.

Due to the exceptional popularity of its first B.B. King’s Blues Club on ms Eurodam,Holland America Line will expand the experience to five ships in 2014. The concept that debuted in March 2013 will become an integral part of the nightly entertainment experience on Eurodam, ms Noordam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Westerdamandms Zuiderdam.

In addition, “Live from BB King’s” headlines one night on the ship’s main stage in the Show Lounge. Enthralling guests with its musicianship and quality, the B.B. King Blues Club Band will return to Eurodam for an open-ended run starting on March 23, 2014, following their current run through Dec. 8, 2013. The Club will be onboard Westerdam now through April 5, 2014, and Zuiderdam now through March 17. Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam begin open-ended runs of B.B. King’s Blues Clubs, with launch dates of Dec. 16 and April 6, respectively.

Holland America Expands B.B. King’s Blues Club

“The B.B. King’s Blues Club on Eurodam is packed full every night and is one of our highest-rated entertainment offerings,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president of marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “By expanding it to other ships in the fleet, more of our guests will be able to enjoy these talented musicians and their engaging performances.”

The music and excitement that comes direct from Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn., thrills guests five nights a week when world-class musicians from the B.B. King Blues Club Band create a dynamic sound to get the crowd energized. The eight-piece band features two vocalists backed by a drummer, bassist, guitarist, sax player, trumpeter and organist.

Each ships’ Queen’s Lounge will be trimmed with portraits of the Memphis Blues legend, illuminating the prominence of Memphis blues and its influence on everyone from Sam & Dave and Otis Redding to The Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond. A special stage will be crafted to resemble a Memphis nightclub with hanging guitars as a backdrop. Exclusive specialty cocktails from the land-based clubs also will be served, featuring the tasty, rum-based Lucille and Rock Me Baby concoctions mixed with different fruit liqueurs and juices.

“We couldn’t be happier that this collaboration will be featured on several ships in the Holland America Line fleet,” said Tommy Peters, B.B. King’s Blues Clubs’ CEO. “We always knew it would be hit on Eurodam, but the guests have embraced the show and its success has gone beyond our expectations.”

About B.B. King’s Blues Club

Created and named after the reigning king of the blues and recording artist for more than four decades, B.B. King’s Blues Club is a supper club–style restaurant. B.B. King’s offers a perfect blend of some of the finest live music and a variety of the South’s most delicious comfort foods influenced by flavors from New Orleans all the way to the Mississippi Delta. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.bbkingclubs.com.

James Taylor and Band will perform aboard Queen Mary 2 in 2014

By
John Shallo
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Cunard's Flagship Queen Mary 2
Cunard's Flagship Queen Mary 2

Cunard Line will commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Queen Mary 2 in 2014, and one of the most exciting highlights will be when the flagship welcomes back Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter James Taylor and his band for two special concerts during the 27 August 2014 Transatlantic Crossing. Passengers on board the eight-day sailing from New York to Southampton, England, via Halifax, Nova Scotia, will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy these legendary performances in the Royal Court Theatre.

“We are thrilled to welcome back James Taylor aboard Queen Mary 2, particularly during her 10th Anniversary year,” said David Dingle, CEO for Cunard Line. “Our guests will be thrilled to enjoy this intimate concert experience with an American music icon, which will make this special eight-day Crossing that much more memorable.”

As a recording and touring artist, Taylor has set a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired. His warm baritone is among the most recognized voices in popular music, and his distinctive style of guitar-playing has been enormously influential. Over the course of his celebrated song-writing and performing career, James Taylor has sold over 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards for classics ranging from Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October Road in 2002.

James Taylor has won multiple Grammy awards over his career and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, Taylor was awarded the distinguished Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony. He was also one of a select few music artists who performed for both of Obama’s inaugurations.

“I’ve always wanted to take an ocean liner back to Europe, and in June 2009 we got the chance to do that. It’s such a civilized way to go, and Queen Mary 2 is the last word in first-class travel,” Taylor said.

He added, “In 2009, we realized a collective dream using that passage to transport and rehearse for our European summer tour: band, crew and family — kit and caboodle. Now, in 2014, I am looking forward to celebrating the ship’s 10th Anniversary alongside her crew, staff and guests by performing two on board concerts as my band and I make our next European passage. Hallelujah, no jet lag!”

To view highlights of James Taylor’s 2009 Transatlantic Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2, watch more below in two parts.

James Taylor is part of Cunard’s illustrious history of hosting famed entertainers with peerless cachet. Legendary notables such as Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant and Clark Gable frequently crossed the Atlantic on Cunard’s earlier Queens, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth; and since Queen Mary 2’s debut nearly ten years ago, in addition to Taylor, the ship has welcomed musical notables such as jazz legend Dave Brubeck, Rod Stewart and Lenny Kravitz.

For nearly 175 years, Cunard Line’s Transatlantic Crossing has appealed to a broad range of sophisticated travellers with a love of glamour, elegance and tradition. Each Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 features a series of Royal Nights themed balls on the largest dance floor at sea in the Queens Room; and the Royal Court Theatre presents West End-style musical revues and guest performers.

For more information about Queen Mary 2 and to book a voyage, contact your Travel Agent, call Cunard toll-free at 1-800-728-6273, or go to www.cunard.com

Five Reasons Why A Carnival Cruise May Very Well Be Your Best Cruise Vacation Value

By
Brooke Faulkner
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Guests on board the new Carnival Magic try out SkyCourse, the first-ever ropes course at sea in which participants can traverse suspended cables with views 150 feet to the sea below. The course is part of an expansive outdoor recreation area on the ship called SportSquare. Photo by Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the world, annually sailing more families, more seniors and more everything in-between than any other cruise line on the planet. One of a host of nicely differentiated Carnival Corporation brands, Carnival Cruise Lines recently positioned their latest effort, Carnival Sunshine at the port of New Orleans, adding a second ship sailing from the Big Easy. Right now, across the board, for any cruise traveler, a Carnival cruise is a best value vacation.

Coming Off A Round Of Negative Publicity

A while ago, it was as though Mr Bad Luck had Carnival’s number and was calling frequently. But from technical problems with Carnival vessels has come a comprehensive fleet review and implementation of what will be an industry-leading ship maintenance program that goes as far as pollution scrubbers that have environmentalists drooling.

Also coming off that round of negative publicity: fabulous fares. Don’t expect them to last forever but right now, Carnival has some of the lowest prices offered in recent memory.

A Diverse Fare Qualifying System

Carnival considers more factors that could result in a lower fare more frequently than any other cruise line. Already competitively priced, Carnival ship fares are fair with a high percentage of passengers rating their experience high and exceeding their expectations.

Almost always available:

  • Past Guests Almost Always Come Out Better– Carnival almost always has a deal for their VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) passengers that brings a lower price and the maximum in-category upgrade
  • Military Members Honored Year-Round- What other cruise lines offer from time to time to fill up ships, Carnival has all the time. Discounted rates for those who serve or have served are some of the lowest offered.
  • Highly- Discounted Third/Fourth guest rates- While all cruise lines discount third/fourth guests in a cabin, Carnival’s discount is more generous. Only Costa Cruises (where kids sail free) discounts more than Carnival.
  • Everyday Low Prices- Booking at the last minute, cruise travelers can find low rates on a number of lines. Looking at Carnival pricing, day in and day out, we find the lowest fares when looked at on a $ per person, per day view.

Got Kids? Carnival Has You Covered

Carnival Cruise Line’s award-winning youth program that includes branded age-appropriate experiences for different age groups continues to evolve. Camp Carnival offers tons of activities designed for children in three different age groups: 2 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years, and 9 to 11 years.

Hate Kids? Carnival Has You Covered

Adults only areas of the ship are quiet or have the sounds of others having fun masked by fountains, walls and location.

On The Verge Of Something Big

Coming up next month, Carnival will launch a new initiative, said to be a follow up to their re-defining Funship 2.0 initiative. Stay tuned on that. A big announcement coming up in December should tell the story and we’ll bring you that information as it happens.

MSC Divina’s Arrival to Port Miami (VIDEO)

By
John Shallo
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MSC Divina Ship Review

MSC Divina Completes Maiden Voyage to Miami

By
John Shallo
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MSC Divina Completes Maiden Voyage to Miam
MSC Divina

The MSC Divina has made cruise history this morning, when it was escorted into PortMiami by a fleet of high-powered FIAT personal watercraft. With today’s arrival, MSC Divina becomes the first MSC Cruises ship to sail year-round from North America.

With today’s show-stopping entrance, MSC Divina concludes her 18-night Atlantic Ocean crossing to Miami from Venice, Italy. During the voyage, a fabulous Rosso Brillante (metallic red) Fiat 500, or Cinquecento as it is known in Italy, was loaded onto the ship to accompany MSC Divina across the Atlantic.

“With MSC Divina’s debut, we are thrilled to welcome one of our finest and most innovative vessels to North America,” said Richard Sasso, President and CEO of MSC Cruises USA. “Today marks an important milestone for MSC Cruises as we continue to grow in this region, offering more destinations and appealing to wider audiences. We look forward to offering North American cruisers something new and fresh.”

“Like the MSC Divina today, the FIAT brand made a trip from Italy to America two years ago to bring Italian style, European technology and great value for money into this market,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC and Head of FIAT Brand Worldwide. “We have been welcomed by the American customers and, as we expand our portfolio, we will continue to offer to them vehicles that are unique and that celebrate their individuality in true Italian style.”

MSC Divina guests will experience several new, exciting features. Two entirely unique dining venues created in partnership with Italian restaurant emporium Eataly in Manhattan, New York will include the upscale Ristorante Italia and spectacular regional steakhouse, Eataly Steakhouse, fashioned after the famed restaurant in Eataly’s Manhattan location. Eataly was founded by Oscar Farinetti in 2007 and launched in the U.S. in partnership with celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich.

MSC Divina will also be the first ship to offer Aqua Cycling at sea. Reported as this summer’s latest fitness craze by Extra TV and highlighted on Good Morning America, New York Times and Time Magazine, among other media, Aqua Cycling will allow MSC Divina guests to take spinning to new heights while cruising the Caribbean.

Unlike any other luxury onboard experience, MSC Divina will also feature the MSC Yacht Club for the first time in North America. Our unique “ship-within-a-ship” will now be available in the Caribbean for guests looking for unparalleled indulgence, luxury and comfort. From personal butler, 24-hour concierge service and complimentary select wines and spirits available any time of the day, guests booked in the MSC Yacht Club Suites are pampered throughout the MSC Yacht Club’s exclusive lounges and pool area. This oasis of premium tranquility provides several private venues, including Le Muse panoramic restaurant, Top Sail Lounge, pool and relaxation area as well as private access to the MSC Aurea Spa.

For more information about MSC Divina’s first season in the US and its unique new features and special offers, please visit www.msccruisesusa.com.

The Fiat 500 personal watercraft have made multiple appearances this year, including the iconic waterfront of San Francisco and Chicago, in addition to this summer’s Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California.

A review of Carnival Miracle in Alaska and Cruise News

By
John Shallo
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Carnival Miracle

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We talk to Nancy Schretter of the Family Travel Network. Nancy gives us her review of her 7 night sailing on the Carnival Miracle. Stewart Chiron joins us with cruise news.

Watch the Brilliance of the Seas Inaugural Sail away from Tampa, FL

By
John Shallo
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Brilliance of the Seas
Brilliance of the Seas
Continue

Pre-Cruise Checklist Can Eliminate Headaches Later

By
Chris Owen
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Pre-Cruise Checklist
Pre-Cruise Checklist

Seasoned cruise travelers know that getting ready for an upcoming cruise vacation takes more than just packing and making sure they have the right travel documents. Those two things are important but becoming familiar with the ship, the ports of call and taking a good look at other elements of the cruise experience before boarding is just as critical.

Getting Ready Can Be Easy

Not to say passengers should make a job out of getting ready to cruise but taking advantage of resources provided by major cruise lines and travel agents before sailing can elevate a good vacation to trip-of-a-lifetime status easily.

Getting ready to sail on a Princess Cruises ship, we received a series of emails from the cruise line to help in the process. One of them asks and answers common questions with links to information about a variety of topics. Reminders, checklists, directions to the pier and more were found here, giving even the most experienced Princess passenger critical information. The thoughtful email even tells us what movies will be playing on board, invites us to join the Princess Book Club and more.

This is not something we will find in advertisements for the line, but paying attention to details like this series of pre-cruise emails that all passengers can have access to can add real value to our cruise experience…if we are aware of it.

This is just one reason why completing online registration with the cruise line as soon after booking as possible is important. Without our email address, none of this information would be available.

Cruise Boarding Pass Is Not Line Airline Boarding Pass

Often, booked guests on a number of lines look a pre-cruise registration much like printing a boarding pass for an airline flight, something to do at the last minute. As we can easily see, there is a whole lot more to be gained from registering early than the piece of paper that makes getting on the ship easier. That’s important too but the benefits of receiving pre-cruise information, only available via email, is staggering compared to not having it at all.

Cruise line websites too allow booked and registered guests to access a wealth of information on a number of lines. Carnival Cruise Lines has a similar program that features a countdown to cruise clock, updated every time we log on. Royal Caribbean‘s Pre-Cruise Planner allows much more than simply booking shore excursions and printing a boarding pass too.

It May Be Personal But It Needs To Be Correct

Aside from all these benefits, booked guests get to see their personal information as it appears on the cruise line records which may not always be the same as an invoice created by a travel agency. I can’t count the number of times when passengers have told me they did not realize that “Bobby’s” real name that appears on his passport, the document used to board the ship which must match cruise line records or boarding could be denied, is really “Robert”.

Meet Carnival Imagination’s Cruise Director Skip Lyons

By
John Shallo
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We meet Skip Lyons, the Cruise Director of the Carnival Imagination in this in-depth interview. We learn about his life and work at sea. Skip offers us advice for having a great cruise vacation and much more.

Woman Reportedly Jumps From Cruise Ship

By
John Shallo
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Ruby Princess
The beautiful Ruby Princess at sea.

A 54 year old woman reportedly jumped from the Grand Princess just northeast of Hawaii on Wednesday afternoon. According to a statement from Princess Cruises, the women was later seen intentionally jumping overboard on the ship’s video surveillance.

Once Princess Cruises had learned of the overboard, crew members from the Grand Princess contacted the US Coast Guard and the FBI. The Coast Guard arrived on scene shortly after and assisted the ship in a search and rescue operation. According to Princess, crews searched waters approximately 650 miles northeast of Hilo.

At this time, the women has not been discovered and is presumed dead.

The Grand Princess was three days into a 15 day round trip Hawaii sailing when the incident occurred.

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