Cruise Holidays Irish Cruise Blog

Norwegian Cruise Line launches online shopping

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Norwegian Cruise Lines has just launched its online shopping portal at www.nclgiftshop.com with branded merchandise ranging from men’s, women’s and children’s apparel to travel and promotional items, including special Norwegian Epic paraphernalia.

Cruise holiday guests can purchase items pre or post-cruise to build excitement for their upcoming sailing or check the site for items they may have forgot to purchase while on board.

Norwegian’s past guests will receive 10% off purchases using promotion code LAT10, and to celebrate the online store’s opening, the first 200 customers will receive a complimentary Norwegian drawstring backpack.

Fans of the line on Facebook should also stay tuned to the fan page at www.ncl.com/facebook for a special promotion code redeemable for an exclusive fan-only t-shirt.  The first 200 Facebook fans that place an order on www.nclgiftshop.com will receive the t-shirt. 

NCL's Royal Wedding Extravaganza

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Norwegian Cruise Lines are really pushing the boat out (pardon the pun) for the Royal Wedding this month.

As well as showing the event on the big screens, special dining events will be held throughout each cruise - including the 'Prince and Princess Brunch' with eggs poached in champagne and served on English muffins, kippers, scrambled eggs with grilled lamb, toast with marmalade and fruit salad with clotted cream.

Cruise holiday guests may also enjoy an afternoon 'Royal High Tea' with an assortment of sandwiches such as the classic cucumber, scones with jam and cream, lemon curd sponge and a selection of cakes.

Traditional fish and chips will be the special of the day in the pubs and 24-hour eateries, and guests can enjoy English fare such as pie and mash, and bread and butter pudding in select dining venues. For dessert, wedding cake adorned with a Union Jack will be available in the ships’ action-station restaurants.

After the royal couple has said their vows, guests can raise a toast with a glass of bubbly, G&T or a pitcher of Pimm’s. And if that's not enough they can then attend Street Parties held in true British style, complete with music playing tribute to the Beatles.

The event will be shown across the fleet (with the exception of Norwegian Sky in the Bahamas). Guests will be able to watch the day unfold on two-story big screens on Norwegian Pearl, Jewel, Jade, Gem and Epic.

Where will you be watching it?

Celebrity Infinity features

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

A new "Qsine" restaurant, whose modern cruise menus and wine lists are presented on iPads, is part of the just-completed rehab of Celebrity's 1950-passenger Infinity. The same restaurant was added to the 2034-passenger Constellation last year.

Additional new Infinity features: aqua-class accommodations in conjunction with spa programs, a Mediterranean-themed "Blu" restaurant, an iLounge and iLearn classes, additional cabins, an ice-topped martini bar, a creperie, new furnishings, new carpeting, flat-screen TV, and an expanded collection of original, contemporary art.

Celebrity is preparing for the rollout of its newest ship, the 2886-passenger Celebrity Silhouette. It takes to the waves in July from Hamburg, Germany, with a series of naming festivities. During the summer it will be based in Rome, conducting 12 and 13-night Holy Land cruises and in autumn it will move to New York.

Silversea’s announces 2012 schedule

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Silversea's 2012 schedule contains more than 200 voyages! They'll visit some 450 destinations in more than 100 countries on seven continents.

The 381-passenger Silver Whisper will conduct a 115-day world cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Monte Carlo, via South America, Africa, the Far East, Arabia, and Europe.

The 296-passenger Silver Cloud will spend the summer in Northern Europe and the fall in the Med.

An Alaska summer series awaits the 382-passenger Silver Shadow and a 64-day circumnavigation of South America opens the year for the 540-passenger Silver Spirit.

Exciting stuff,  anyone planning a cruise holiday for 2012 yet?

Royal Caribbean’s short films

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Royal Caribbean has released two short films starring well known Hollywood stars to showcase Allure of the Seas. James Brolin and Jenny McCarthy directed and also starred in the films.

Royal Reunion
James Brolin directs and stars in a heart-warming film about a multi-generational family who sets sail to celebrate the parents' 40th Anniversary. The cast includes Dean Cain, Amy Yasbeck, Caroline Lagerfelt, Chelsea Ricketts, and Justin Baldoni.

 

The Allure of Love
Jenny McCarthy directs and stars in a sexy romantic comedy where two friends hatch the perfect plan to bring a couple back together, but things go awry when the former lovers -- at first unaware that they're on the same ship -- start a picture posting battle to prove they are over each other. It's an unexpected comedic journey, but will they find love again on the high seas?

 

What do you think?

Cruise to Russia's Far East

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Are you a laid-back cruiser or an adventure cruiser? Do you want to eat, sunbathe and little else, or do you do you long to experience extreme countries with adrenalin filled activities?

If you consider yourself the latter then you may be interested to hear that Orion Expedition Cruises has revealed a new itinerary called 'Natural Treasures of the Far East”. The voyage starts at Sapporo and ends in Petropavlovsk, following 32 volcanoes en-route which stretch across the Bering Sea, otherwise known as the Northern Ring of Fire.

Passengers will have the opportunity to climb caldera wall to a hydrothermal field - with hot springs and sulphur crystals, visit seaside village markets, and experience amazing native wildlife, from whales and seals to arctic foxes.

Would you take a cruise holiday to Russia’s far east?

Celebrity Cruises embraces street art

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Celebrity Cruises recently commissioned a well known street artist Kurt Wenner, the inventor of 3-D street art, to create an amazing art installation at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the anticipated arrival of their newest ship, Celebrity Silhouette. Check it out here.

   

 

ZZ Top to headline new 'rock legends' cruise

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

All you music enthusiasts will be happy to hear that you can now combine your love of music with your love for cruising.

The Rock Legends Cruise, as it's being called, will take place on Royal Caribbean's 3,634-passenger Liberty of the Seas in December and will include performances from John Kay and Steppenwolf, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Foghat, Johnny Winter, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, Blackfoot, Pat Travers, and SwampDaWamp. Excitingly the headline act is the amazing ZZ Top!

The five-day sailing kicks off on December 1st in Fort Lauderdale and includes stops in Nassau and Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

The voyage is being organised by the Native American Heritage Association who are raising funds for self-help programs for Sioux Native Americans living on reservations in South Dakota.

Good cause, great music and fantastic cruise ship…anyone interested?

Fred. Olsen's new Vistas Programme

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Fred. Olsen has introduced 'Vistas' - a new and enhanced programme of special interests to replace The Artsclub.

One of their new themes includes 'Chocoholics' which promises to teach you everything there is to know about chocolate – the science behind it, the history and of course tastings.

'Vistas' was launched in style this week at a glittering reception held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

The event was attended by a number of VIP guest speakers who have appeared as guest speakers and lecturers, both past and present, including: Lars Tharp, antiques expert and broadcaster; Sir Bernard Ingham, journalist and former press secretary to Margaret Thatcher; Hedli Niklaus, ‘Kathy Perks’ in the BBC’s longest-running series, The Archers; and Matthew Briggs, Royal Horticultural Society judge and regular panellist on Radio Four’s Gardeners’ Question Time.

Vistas carries the strapline of ‘Rewarding Curiosity’, and gives passengers the opportunity to delve deeper into more subjects than ever before, to the point where new found interests can be enjoyed ashore as well as on board. For example, painting or photography enthusiasts may get the chance to visit an artist’s house, or a particularly scenic site.

Nigel Lingard, Fred. Olsen's MD said: “We are delighted to be launching our new onboard enhancement programme, Vistas, which will allow our guests to be inspired, and in turn to aspire to new levels of knowledge. The programme opens up a whole new world of insights and understanding of fascinating subjects, which are brought to life by our team of world-renowned experts.”

Some of the notable speakers in 2011 will be:

Martin Saunders – BBC wildlife cameraman. Credits include: the 1976 ground-breaking BBC series Life on Earth, during which he filmed the memorable sequence of David Attenborough with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda; Wickers World; and the recent Attenborough series The Life of Birds and Polar Bears, for which he was awarded a BAFTA.

Mike Cowan – former England Cricketer and fast bowler. For nine years, played with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, sharing the opening bowling with ‘Fiery’ Freddie Truman.

David V. Thomas, MVO – the Crown Jeweller from 1991 until 2007, responsible for the care of the Crown Jewels, as well as the personal collection of H.M. the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Dr. Mike Maloney, OBE – for 30 years, Group Chief Photographer on Mirror Group Newspapers. Recipient of 106 major photographic awards, he was recently awarded the OBE for services to photojournalism.

Other expert speakers include: Mike Purcell, watercolourist and broadcaster; Rosalind Cooper, wine educator and writer; Ken Lennox, photographer and Fleet Street picture editor; Professor Henry Hutchinson, scientist, physicist and expert on climate change; and David Mercer, sports journalist and broadcaster.

‘Vistas’ covers a wide range of themes including: The History of Weather, Photography, Ballroom Dancing, Antiques, Classical Music, The Archers, Agatha Christie, Sporting Personalities, Gardens and Gardening, Wine, History of the Royal Family, and Comedy.