Cruise Holidays Irish Cruise Blog

Fred Olsen Launch Retirement Package

Pensioners travelling on cruise holidays with Fred Olsen could soon be taking advantage of a new package, designed specifically for those nearing retirement.

The new package has been dubbed the "Retirement Celebration" by the firm and is set to be made available with any sailing departing from January 2013.

According to Fred Olsen, the new deal has been designed to help passengers celebrate retirement as a "time to relax and take it easy" by the firm.

The package includes a special champagne and canapés service delivered to the passenger's cabin along with a greetings card and special celebration cake.

Priced at £45 sterling per person, the retirement package must be booked at least 28 days before the departure.

Further details of the new package will be published in Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' Worldwide Cruises 2013-14 brochure, which is being released in June 2012.

Would you go on a retirement cruise?

P&O Cruises Promise Cocktail of Cruises in 2013

P&O Cruises have promised a cocktail of cruise holidays for 2013.

The comments came as P&O Cruise celebrated its 175th anniversary with the unveiling of an exclusively made cocktail set to go on sale across the company's fleet.

Fans were treated to a special taste of the new drink at the Bombay Sapphire bar in London, with the new cocktail proving one of a number of additions to the P&O stable.

Ms Marlow promised that 2013 would bring a "really broad programme of cruises with a carefully considered range of onboard experiences and themes" for holidaymakers.

The new cocktail offering, Brodie's Bombay Cooler, is among these new additions.

Mixing gin with elderflower, cranberry juice and tonic water, the drink gets its name from P&O Cruises co-founder Brodie McGhie Wilcox.

It represents one of the many new additions to the firm's holiday mix, with 200 new cruises set to be offered through the firm from March 2013.

Among the highlights on offer will be a special series of seven Strictly Come Dancing cruise performances and the arrival of chef Marco Pierre White aboard the company's fleet.

MSC Preziosa to offer technology, elegance and exclusivity

MSC Cruises new ship is named MSC Preziosa and will become the 13th addition to the MSC Cruises’ fleet.

“The new ship represents an investment of 550 million euros and will be delivered at the end of March 2013.”

“MSC Preziosa will sail the Mediterranean, exploring the beauty of Greek Islands, which represents the highlight of European cruising.”

MSC Preziosa will boast 1,751 cabins, 26 lifts, and 18 decks, 14 of them for passengers. Guests will be able to enjoy four main restaurants, two speciality restaurants, 21 bars, a casino, four swimming pools, including an infinity pool, 12 whirlpools, a bowling alley, a sports area with playing fields, a fitness centre, a children’s area and the superb MSC Aurea Spa.

An exclusive feature of MSC Preziosa - and of all fantasia-class ships in the MSC fleet - is the MSC Yacht Club. Privileged passengers staying in the 69 exclusive MSC Yacht Club suites will be able to take advantage of the private bar, solarium, hydro-massage pools, and the spectacular glass-walled observation lounge with amazing ocean views. A butler service will offer assistance at check-in, transport luggage, unpack, serve traditional English afternoon tea as well as arranging cigars and beverages, booking tables at restaurants, treatments in the MSC Aurea Spa, ad hoc excursions and even arrange private parties.

MSC Preziosa’s total construction is 45% complete, and her mechanical zones are 70% complete. The best, however, is yet to come! MSC Cruises will soon begin the fitting and furnishing of the 333 metre long, 38 metre wide ship and work its unique Mediterranean magic on turning MSC Preziosa into a stylish masterpiece and a perfect mix of advanced technology, elegance and exclusive services.

Cruise guests who want to play their part in reducing carbon emissions can also relax in the knowledge that MSC Preziosa’s green features, including an advanced waste water treatment system (AWT) and advanced energy saving systems, with a focus on air-conditioning, will gain the same impressive industry-leading ecoship and cleanship credentials as her sister ship MSC Divina.

 

Amazon Adventures with Fred Olsen Cruises

Fred Olsen Cruises is offering cruise holiday makers the chance to embark on a special trip up the Amazon River.

The line's latest Amazon Adventure cruise is scheduled to take place in 2013 and will see passengers travel aboard the Boudicca cruise liner.

Scheduled to depart from Portsmouth on January 5th, the new trip will see travellers take in 900 miles of the famous river as part of a 35-night cruise.

The outward voyage of this cruise will travel via the island of Madeira, stopping in the capital of Funchal before travelling to Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands.

From there, the Boudicca will then sail to Macapa in Brazil where it will begin its trip along the Amazon river, all the way up to Manaus.

Along the way, holidaymakers will be able to embark on shore excursions including a guided walk along forest trails in the Santa Lucia Woods.

The return voyage will take in trips to the Caribbean islands of Tobago, Barbados, St Vincent, Antigua and St Lucia.

This cruise is being offered as part of a special 'Amazonia' experience with talks and lectures planned as part of the onboard entertainment offering.

Tour America welcomes Ellen DeGeneres to Ireland

 

Tour America decided since Ellen DeGeneres and her show would be in the Guinness Store in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day to record a broadcast of her show to air on U.S. national TV, we'd put a little video together, doing the famous Ellen dance with our staff and giving her a BIG Tour America welcome to Ireland :-) Check out the very funny results!!!

Norwegian Cruise Line Announces New Innovation

Norwegian Cruise Line have announced an exciting new innovation on their latest cruise holiday ship Norwegian Breakaway launching in April next year.

The Waterfront and 678 Ocean Place is a new concept and includes an oceanfront boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants and bars, combined with three expansive, flowing decks of dining, bars, entertainment, gaming and more.

 “With our newest ship, Norwegian Breakaway, we are continuing our tradition of innovation with a brand new ship design that will provide our guests with a unique experience unlike anything else at sea,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. 

“The heart of Norwegian Breakaway and the elements that truly set it apart are The Waterfront and 678 Ocean Place.  Guests will enjoy al fresco dining while admiring the beauty of the ocean, along with the excitement and exhilaration of three expansive action-packed decks, as everything is designed to flow seamlessly."

Located on Deck 8, The Waterfront is a revolutionary outdoor experience that adds a whole new dimension to the line’s signature Freestyle Cruising, by offering a number of seaside venues that feature breathtaking views and a sense of connection with the ocean. 

The hub of the ship is 678 Ocean Place, a space that uniquely flows, intertwines and connects three decks of daytime and nighttime amusements. There will be a total of 17 dining venues combined on both 678 Ocean Place and The Waterfront, along with 12 bars and lounges. 

Norwegian will also introduce a new dining concept on Norwegian Breakaway, Ocean Blu, the line’s first ever all-seafood restaurant, which will include a premium raw bar, along with a separate sushi bar.

MSC Divina to Launch in May

MSC Cruises has announced the launch of its latest cruise ship, the MSC Divina, which is set to be officially christened in May of this year.

The new cruise ship, which is described as a megaliner, is set for its debut voyage from Marseille in France this May.

This vessel comes as part of MSC Cruises enhancement program, with the MSC Divina joining the top Fantasia class of ships alongside the MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia.

Five restaurants, four pools, ten bars and lounges as well as twenty spa and entertainment options await travellers with casinos and lives shows available on the boat.

The MSC Divina will also offer guests the chance to join the exclusive yacht club on the boat, offering 24 hour butler service, complimentary drinks, a private restaurant, bar and pool along with much more.

Managing Director of MSC Cruises Lynne Clarke said: “the Yacht Club is fantastic offering for guests who want to cruise, but value their privacy."

"Given the added value, high level service and additional extras, the cost to upgrade into the Yacht Club is truly excellent value,” she added.

Germany to be Europe's largest Cruise market

Cruise industry bosses believe that Germany will overtake the UK as Europe's biggest cruise holiday market.

Peter Shanks Cunard's president and managing director said there was "no question"
Germany would overtake the UK to become the world number two for cruise sales behind the US.

Shanks said: “Germany is our fastest-growing market. The German market is 1.3 million a year now and the UK 1.7 million.”

Speaking at German trade show ITB in Berlin, Shanks said: “There is large package holiday market in Germany that is ready to upgrade to the cruise experience. There is no question in my mind the country will overtake the UK to become the biggest cruise market in Europe.”

Shanks added: “We trade on history, heritage and quality [at Cunard]. We are very different to the US cruise model. We thought we might have to provide a German experience for the German market, but we find our German guests want a British experience.

“We are working hard with German travel agents who are highly experienced in a fast-growing market.”

Azamara Club Cruises president and chief executive Larry Pimentel agreed, saying: “Germany will usurp the UK as the number-two cruise market in the world in no time.”

He did add that “Cruising is still just 2% of the travel leisure market.”

Also at the German trade show Aida's Germany president Michael Thamm said: “We will see double the figures in Germany by the end of this decade, with 2.5 to three million Germans cruising in a European cruise market of 10 million.

“The question is whether we have the right passengers and the business model to justify the huge investment.”

Dominic Paul, Royal Caribbean Cruises vice-president and group managing director for Europe, said: “Cruising is a still a well-kept secret. The potential is high and the value for money depressingly good.”

 

Love Lost for Love Boat

The former Pacific Princess, famous to millions as the "Love Boat", is heading to the scrapyard according to Italy's La Repubblica.

The ship which is over 40 years old has been sold to a Turkish demolition company for just over €2.5 million.

The 19,903-ton, 600-passenger ship, tiny compared to today's mammoth ships, has been at one of the Genoa dock's in Italy for over a year. She last sailed for Spanish based Quail Cruises after changing hands several times since sailing for Princess Cruises from 1975 to 2002.

Built in 1971, Pacific Princess enjoyed worldwide fame for over a decade as the backdrop for ABC's The Love Boat television series, which aired from 1977 to 1986 and gave the cruise holiday industry a massive boom.

Mariah Carey christens Disney Fantasy

 

Cruise holiday fans were treated to a spectacle in New York recently as pop superstar Mariah Carey christened the new Disney Fantasy.

The Grammy Award winners appearance came as part of an impressive ceremony in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal aimed at celebrating the arrival of the new vessel.

"The Disney Fantasy is a spectacular addition to our fleet and builds on the creativity, innovation and artistry that are hallmarks of the Disney Cruise Line," said Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger. "Like her sister ship, the Dream, the Fantasy will connect guests to iconic Disney characters and storytelling, creating unforgettable, one-of-a-kind vacation experiences for the entire family."

Designed in Germany to accommodate 2,500 cruise holiday passengers, the vessel has spent much of the last week travelling from its construction yard in Europe to New York.

The journey was evidently worth it, as fans from across the country came out to see the vessel, which marked its arrival on scene in style.

Mariah Carey led fans in a countdown that saw a six-foot-tall imitation champagne bottle shoot confetti on the waiting crowds.

"May God bless this ship and all who sail on it," Carey said as she later broke a bottle of real champagne against the hull of the vessel.

The appearance of Carey marked the conclusion of an hour-long show of entertainment. Neil Patrick Harris was among the highlights with a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Mary Poppin’s classic Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious replacing the chorus with "super splashy synergistic glitzy celebration." Comedian Jerry Seinfeld also delivered a memorable 15-minute set as part of the event.

Have you been on a Disney cruise?