Cunard honours the Queen
In an impressive dawn ceremony on Tuesday 5 June, the three Cunard ships sailed together in single file up Southampton Water, to honour Her Majesty the Queen.
It was the largest Diamond Jubilee celebration outside London and as they were welcomed by a flotilla of small boats, and with whistles sounding in salute, a huge banner was unfurled across the Queen Mary 2 which simply said “Congratulations Ma’am’.
It was the first time ever that the fleet, the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth, has arrived and departed together at their homeport.
Peter Shanks, president of the Cunard Line, told Cruise Weekly it was fitting they celebrate the occasion, as Queen Elizabeth II has had a long association with the ships. She had attended the launching of the original Queen Elizabeth in 1938, then launched Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, and then named the new Queen Elizabeth in 2010.
The celebration culminated in an evening display of fireworks and special effects.
Queen of the Mississippi set to go
A different Queen is all set to go.
American Cruise Lines has announced that its brand new Queen of the Mississippi is now en route to New Orleans and her first cruise will depart early in August.
The new 150-passenger ship will cruise as far north as St Paul in Minnesota on the Mississippi, and as far east as Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, on the Ohio River.
Uniworld goes East
If you’re looking to explore parts of Asia you’ve never been to before, then Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has the answer with three new luxury small ships being launched in Asia next year.
The luxury cruise line has partnered with Pandaw in Vietnam and Cambodia, and Century River Cruises in China, to operate several cruises on the new ships along the Mekong and the Yangtze.
John Molinaro, general manager of Uniworld told Cruise Weekly that demand for Cambodia and Vietnam had exceeded the company’s expectations.
“We quickly sold out all of our departures for 2012, so it made sense for us to add an additional ship on the Mekong,” he added.
The three new 398-passenger ships will have special features such as an exclusive executive deck, a large indoor pool and spa area, and Uniworld Signature Suites which include ‘VIP Benefits.’
All of the ships, The River Orchid, the Century Legend and the Century Paragon, will offer “an unmatched level of comfort, luxury and relaxation never before experienced on the Yangtze”, says
Uniworld
Norwegian Cruiser Hurtigruten sails from Greenwich
Norwegian cruise line specialist, Hurtigruten, is offering round-trip itineraries departing from Greenwich, UK.
This is a first for the company and outlined in their new 2013/2014 Explorers Brochure.
The itineraries include a new voyage exploring Norway and Scotland before finishing in Greenwich, and another that departs from Greenwich and explores the UK before sailing to Hamburg.
Apart from the ever-popular cruises in Spitsbergen,(including the ‘In the Realm of the Polar Bear’ circumnavigation) Greenland, Antarctica and Europe, highlights of the cruising programme include a new 19-day Great Antarctic expedition from Ushuaia to the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Orkney Islands and Antarctica.
Costa Classica’s Dubai base
Due to popular demand, Costa Classica is moving to Dubai, where she will join Costa Atlantica and sail week-long middle-east itineraries from November 2012.
The 1680-passenger ship was originally based in the Mediterranean where she sailedl during the northern hemisphere’s winter 2012/2013 season.
But from November 2012, the larger 3470-passenger Costa Magica will replace Costa Classica in the Mediterranean. She will host 12-day eastern Mediterranean voyages to Greece, Israel and
Turkey, as well as 11-day western Mediterranean cruises around Portugal and Morocco.
Grandeur’s Revamp
RCI’s Grandeur of the Seas has just undergone a US$48m revamp which includes five new dining venues, new furniture and carpets, a new Royal Babies and Tots Nursery and a refreshed Viking Crown Lounge.
Disney’s Pixar-themed cruise
Toy Story fans will have a ball on Disney Cruise Line’s Pixar-themed seven-night Californian Coastal Cruises onboard Disney Wonder.
Guests will be able to interact with all their favourite Pixar characters, including Mr Incredible, Remy, Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear.
They’ll also be able to see story boards, character sketches, environment paintings and other art used to create Pixar movies in a special art exhibition on the ship.
More, there will be the complete library of Pixar films, as well as a selection of rare animated shorts.
The cruise also offers workshops for keen animation buffs, which include behind-the-scenes tours into the creative process used in the development of an animated feature.
Night owls will be able attend a Pixar-themed dance party on ship.
Voyages will take place between 16 September and 14 October 2012.
Athena sails to Australia
Classic International Cruises has announced Athena will sail for the first time ever from England to Australia in 2013/14.
The new 44-night cruise will depart from Tilbury in the UK on 29 September 2013, and voyage to Perth, arriving 12 November 2013.
The cruise will take in France, Spain, Portugal, St Vincent, Ascension, St Helena, South Africa, Reunion Island and Mauritius.
Passengers can make savings with special combo fares if they combine two cruises. If they sail to the UK from Perth in April 2013, and spend the summer in UK and Europe, they could then catch the September 2013 cruise back to Perth. The special fare would include 84-nights onboard for the round trip, as well as all meals and entertainment.
The 580-passenger Athena features traditional wooden deck chairs, a pool and fitness centre, five bars and lounges, a casino, library, a cinema and two restaurants. All 277 cabins have baths.
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