Cruise Holidays Irish Cruise Blog

It's here! The Cruise Holidays & Tour America Red Cow Annual Holiday Sale Day.

Tour America & Cruise Holidays, Ireland's leading tour operator to the USA and Cruise Holidays, are this week launching our Annual Sale Day at The Red Cow Moran Hotel to take place on Sunday 7th October.

 

This is the 12th year Tour America & Cruise Holidays have run this holiday show, and we have organised for suppliers from all over the USA to join us on the day. From cruise companies such as Norwegian Cruise Line with a host of special offers and top tips for our cruise clients. Some of the key tourist boards from the USA will also be there including Florida Beaches, Las Vegas, Massachusetts, California, Deep South and much more.

There will be at least 30 exhibitors, with lots of gifts for you and your family; there will be a children's area, and all the Tour America experts there to bring you all the exclusive offers of the day. In addition, we will have key guest speakers to keep you up to date with all that is travel, and to provide you with additional information on all the destinations available to book in the USA wih tips, advice and special offers on the day.

And if you're a technology savvy person, you'll be able to connect with us on the day through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Foresquare. We'll be taking pictures and videos so you can tag yourself, we'll be tweeting event information (Q times, deals on the day etc.) and much more. And we'll have a competition on the day to give one lucky person a €100 One4All gift voucher just for checking in on their mobile phone either through Facebook or Foresquare. If you have been before, you will know how busy it is, so arrive early. If you have not been before, now is your chance to take advantage of the best holiday prices for the USA and cruising. Doors open at 10am (admission is free) and the fun continues till 6pm.

Next Disney cruise ship to have interactive Muppets game

Mickey and Donald will have some competition on Disney's Cruises next cruise ship - The Muppets.

Disney today announced that Kermit and the gang will be the subjects of a new adventure game aboard the 2,500-passenger Disney Fantasy, which debuts in March. This is the first time the Jim Henson-created characters have had a permanent presence on a Disney ship.

The Muppets will star in The Case of the Stolen Show, a treasure hunt-like game in which passengers use clues found in animated "enchanted art" around the ship to solve a mystery. It's a variation on the Enchanted Art Detective Game found on the eight-month-old Disney Dream, a sister ship.

The announcement comes after the debut of Disney movie The Muppets in theatres last week. Disney has owned The Muppets franchise since 2004.

The Disney Fantasy's maiden voyage is scheduled for March 31 out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship will sail seven-night Caribbean itineraries, alternating between an Eastern Caribbean route (with stops in St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and a Western Caribbean route (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel).

Special Eastern Caribbean sailings in November and December 2012 will stop in St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. All the itineraries will include a stop at Disney's private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.

Disney to launch cruises out of New York

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

The rapidly expanding Disney Cruise Line plans to offer voyages out of three new ports in 2012: New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas.

The cruise division of the Disney theme park empire says the 1,754-passenger Disney Magic, currently alternating between home ports in Florida and Spain, will move to New York in May 2012 for a series of 20 voyages through autumn. The ship then will reposition to Galveston in September for a series of 12 voyages.

The company says the 1,754-passenger Disney Wonder, which is spending this coming summer sailing to Alaska out of Vancouver, B.C., will move to Seattle for the summer of 2012 as it continues sailings to Alaska.

Disney's new voyages out of New York, to be announced today will include three different itineraries:

Eight-night Bahamas cruises that include stops in Nassau, Bahamas; Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas; and Port Canaveral, as a gateway to Disney World near Orlando. Disney says passengers will receive a one-day Disney World Park Hopper ticket and roundtrip transportation between Port Canaveral and Disney World to use during the Port Canaveral stop.

Five-night cruises to Canada that includes stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick.

Two-night sampler cruises that offer a single day at sea and no port calls. There will be three such departures in 2012, on June 15, July 13 and August 10.

The new Galveston sailings on the Magic, beginning September 22, 2012, will be seven-night trips to the Western Caribbean. The ship will call in Grand Cayman and Mexico's Costa Maya and Cozumel.

The Disney Wonder's new sailings to Alaska out of Seattle will be similar to this summer's sailings out Vancouver. Starting on May 28 2012, the ship will sail a total of 14 seven-night cruises from Seattle with stops in Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as Victoria, British Columbia.

Disney says the Disney Wonder also will sail a series of four seven-night Pacific Coast cruises in 2012 from Los Angeles to San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.

In addition, for the first time, the Disney Wonder will offer a single 15-night voyage to Hawaii from Los Angeles, with calls on Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai and Ensenada, Mexico. The Disney Wonder also will continue to offer a number of sailings to the Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles in 2012.

Disney Dream arrives in Port Canaveral

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

The newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Dream, sailed into its home port of Port Canaveral, Florida this morning after a 16-night trans-Atlantic voyage from Germany, where it has been under construction for nearly two years.

“We are delighted to welcome the Disney Dream to its new home port,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. “As we grow the Disney Cruise Line business, not only does this mean a positive economic impact for the region, but this allows us the flexibility to provide even more options to our guests. With new innovations onboard and new destinations to explore, ultimately we’re providing even more ways for guests to enjoy a family cruise vacation.”

With the arrival of the Disney Dream to its home port in Florida, preparations are underway for its inaugural cruises and events, including the traditional christening of the vessel.

Accommodating up to 4,000 guests, the 130,000-ton Disney Dream takes Disney’s special brand of family cruising to a whole new level with industry firsts such as the AquaDuck water coaster and Magical Portholes that transform inside staterooms into rooms with magnificent views. All of the ship’s new features – combined with Disney quality entertainment, unique dining experiences and age-specific areas for children, teens and adults – create an unforgettable cruise experience for the entire family.

 

A sister ship, the Disney Fantasy, is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and will arrive in early 2012. It will sail seven-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries, also from Port Canaveral.

With the addition of two new ships, Disney Cruise Line is offering a wider variety of itineraries and will sail to more destinations around the world, including a repositioning of the Disney Wonder to the West Coast of the United States, sailing Mexican Riviera and first-ever Alaskan itineraries in 2011. Meanwhile, the Disney Magic will spend another summer sailing European itineraries in 2011.

 

Disney Cruise Line takes delivery of Disney Dream

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Disney Cruise Line took delivery of its newest ship the Disney Dream yesterday

The company received the vessel from the Meyer Werft shipyard and hosted a traditional maritime ceremony onboard in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Construction of the Disney Dream began nearly two years ago and the ship will now sail to Florida to prepare for its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral on January 26th 2011.

Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line, said: "The Disney Dream is an extraordinary ship, in part because of the collaboration of the superb shipbuilders at Meyer Werft and the innovative technology and storytelling that our Disney team has developed and implemented aboard.

"I cannot wait for our guests to experience this newest addition to our fleet, a ship that will delight and surprise all ages."

Designed to deliver "family cruise experiences like no other", the vessel will feature a water coaster at sea, inside staterooms with virtual views, fine dining restaurants and other amenities.

 

A Bit of Disney Magic!

 

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

In something akin to a fairy-tale, Disney Magic, a Disney Cruise Line ship, rescued 18 Algerians last Friday who had been stranded at sea for 4-5 days.

After receiving food and medical care, the men and women were given staterooms and disembarked in Barcelona, which was one of the Disney Magic’s scheduled ports of call.

Disney spokeswoman Rena Langley said, "The shipboard team heard crew members from two other vessels talking on the radio about sighting the boat and then losing a visual of it, so the Disney Magic then joined the search and quickly spotted the small boat, which had lost power.”

 

Sweet Dreams

Disney Cruises has made some exciting changes to their leading vessel Disney Dream, just one year after their maiden voyage.

The new water play area will feature the world’s first onboard water coaster; the AquaDuck and there will also be an interactive sports deck featuring an elaborate nine-hole miniature golf course.

The Goofy’s Sports Deck is bound to be a hit with the kids but what about us adults? Well we’re also catered for with the quiet cove pool and pool bar areas, reserved strictly for over 18s. Here guests can sip on a margarita while enjoying the peace and quiet from the hot tub.

Disney Cruises' pint-sized passengers may also enjoy Nemo's Reef, a shaded water play area where children can splash alongside all their favourite characters from the hit DisneyPixar animation Finding Nemo. And for families who like to play together, the Donald Pool caters for all ages and overlooks a large LED screen showing all the latest Disney movies.