Posts from — January 2010

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, one of Haiti’s largest foreign investors for almost 30 years, announced its plans to provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief to Haiti in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Port-Au-Prince. Royal Caribbean will be partnering with charitable organizations – such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation, and the Solano Foundation, the company’s foundation in Haiti – to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti. Royal Caribbean will also be delivering much needed goods and supplies to Haiti via their cruise ships.

“The effect of the earthquake on Haiti has been catastrophic, leaving the country in need of not only immediate support, but assistance in their long-term recovery,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Royal Caribbean wants to do its part to help out not only the general response, but also our hundreds of Haitian employees and their families through this disaster.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America.

Nikki Cascone, television personality, chef, author and co-owner of Prince 24 Restaurant in New York, is scheduled to sail aboard ms Prinsendam as part of the guest-enrichment program on a 10–day segment of Holland America Line’s Grand South America Explorer Voyage.

Cascone will board the vessel March 13 in Manaus, Brazil, and sail until March 24, when the voyage ends in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. During Cascone’s time on board, the ship will call at Parintins, Brazil; Devil’s Island, French Guiana; Bridgetown, Barbados, and Ponce, Puerto Rico.

While cruising, Cascone will conduct cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes for guests in the ship’s state-of-the-art show kitchen. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises.

Silversea Cruises’ newest ultra-luxury ship, Silver Spirit, welcomed guests aboard its maiden voyage, an 11-day “Holiday Spirit” cruise departing from Barcelona and concluding in Lisbon after visiting Malaga, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Casablanca and Tangier on December 23, 2009.

Amerigo Perasso, Silversea’s president and chief executive officer, said: “The delivery of Silver Spirit is an important milestone for our company and represents our commitment to the development of the Silversea brand. With her Art Deco touches lending a timeless elegance, this new flagship of our fleet represents an important evolution in the design of our vessels. As guests step aboard Silver Spirit today, they will find a ship that continues our legacy of innovation, offering all our signature luxury amenities, plus more space, more dining options, and more unique features. Although Silver Spirit is larger than her sister ships, she has the same intimate feel, relaxed ambiance, and sense of camaraderie so treasured by our international clientele. I’m sure guests sailing on this maiden voyage, many of whom are repeat guests of Silversea, will feel right at home.”

Perasso continued: “I wish to express my deep gratitude to the entire team of professionals that contributed to the development of Silver Spirit, including those on Silversea’s side, the teams at Fincantieri and V. Ships, and of course, the ship’s architect, Giacomo Mortola. Most of all, I am grateful to our shareholders for their continued support.”

At 36,000 tons, and accommodating just 540 guests, this intimate ship has the largest suites in the Silversea fleet – with 95% featuring a private veranda – and one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea today. The onboard decor lends a sophisticated 1930′s Art Deco ambiance to the public spaces, highlights of which include an indoor/outdoor spa measuring over 8,300 square feet (770 square metres), a resort-style pool, four whirlpools, and a choice of six dining venues including Seishin, showcasing Asian-fusion cuisine, and the innovative Stars Supper Club, offering trendsetting menus and all-night entertainment.

In the US, Silversea has been voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times), and ratedNumber-One luxury cruise line by high-net-worth consumers in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI).  International awards include “Best Innovation in Products and Services” from the Italian Innovazione Marketing Oggi Awards (2009); “World’s Leading Small Ships Cruise Line” from World Travel Awards (2009); “Five Star Diamond Award” from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2009); “Number One” small-ship line in the Readers’ Choice” survey conducted by Britain’s Condé Nast Traveller magazine (2007); “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Spain’s Cruceros & Destinos magazine (2008); “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Australia’s Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (2009); and “Best Luxury Cruise Operator” according to Asia’s Travel Weekly (2008).

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Norwegian Cruise Line spread holiday cheer by taking part in The Ellen DeGeneres show’s 12 Days of Giveaways with a huge surprise for the entire audience: a seven-day Freestyle Cruising vacation for two. On day 11 of the 12-day series on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the cruise giveaway to more than 300 in-studio audience members was also in celebration of Norwegian declaring 2010 as “The Year of the Freestyle Vacation.” The audience cheered and jumped up from their seats as Ellen announced that they would all receive a cruise for two aboard Norwegian Cruise Line while four ship officers distributed the bright yellow cruise packets to the audience. [Read more →]