Oceania Cruises’ new Marina is destined to set new standards for culinary excellence at sea with 10 dining venues, six of which are no-charge, gourmet restaurants. The 1,250-guest ship, which debuts later this month, was designed for food and wine lovers with an ambitious goal to offer dining experiences comparable to the very best shore-side restaurants.
How do you make the best even better? Celebrity Cruises believes you break the rules, stay ahead of the curve, and provide what vacationers want most – often before they even say they want it. That belief is vividly reflected in the distinctive, luxurious, vacation-enhancing venues Celebrity will introduce on the fourth and fifth ships in its award-winning Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection.
While the holidays are a good time to count our blessings and reflect on the past year, it’s important to remember those that may not have been so fortunate. Keeping that in mind this holiday season, The Cruise Web decided to reach out to Bright Beginnings, a local child development center in Washington, DC, and offer a little holiday spirit. After establishing a company goal for donations, it was exciting to watch our company pull together for a better cause. Altogether, our employee donations, which were matched by The Cruise Web, exceeded our original goal! We used the donations to buy clothing, toys, shoes, diapers, and other much-needed items for Bright Beginnings, their children and families.
My sweet, tiny, late Swedish grandmother, Svea, was the most giving person that I’ve ever known. “Mormor” (translated “Mother’s-mother”), as my siblings, cousin and I called her, grew up in the small southern Swedish seafaring village of Brantevik. There, she found her love, my “Morfar” (“Mother’s-father”), Lennart Larsson, a marine painter and artist, before marrying and moving to the bigger cities of Eslöv and then Malmö, where they raised two beautiful daughters, Lena Ingegerd and Ann-Marie. When the girls reached teenage years and Svea had extra time, Svea leveraged her studies in child-care to begin caring for neighborhood children from her home.
“Tant Svea” (“Aunt Svea”), as all the neighborhood children called her, was everyone’s favorite. She always had little snacks in her coat pockets for every smiling face, and no tiny neighbor could pass by her kitchen window without being invited in for a cookie and some hot cocoa. Svea was always kind and sweet, taking joy in the happiness of every child, and feeling any child’s hurt as if it were her own. When discipline was required, Svea had to force herself to try to seem sterner – yet she always betrayed her efforts with soft caring eyes that just couldn’t play along.
Recognizing that even one day of assistance can make a difference, Crystal Cruises introduces a complimentary, participatory shore excursion program that enables its guests and crew to assist with charitable projects in destinations they visit during their cruise. Beginning in 2011, the line’s “You Care, We Care” initiative is designed to assist a local project and educate participants on local community needs, as well as enhance travelers’ personal growth and their intimate connection with a destination.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises competed against 22 of the country’s finest restaurants at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. The ultra-luxury line’s Prime 7 steakhouse participated in the “Blue Moon Burger Bash;” proceeds from the sold-out event benefit the Food Bank For New York and Share Our Strength®.
Carnival Cruise Lines and the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital are proud to announce a partnership for 2011.
The year-long partnership will include several in-kind and monetary donations and fundraisers, as well as bringing smiles and fun to the patients of the MUSC Children’s Hospital.
A handful of Cruise Web employees recently returned from the inaugural cruise of the brand new Celebrity Eclipse. The inaugural, which sailed out of Miami, provided an opportunity for employees to experience the ship before the general public. The following employees were nice enough to share their impressions:
