Posts

Showing posts from October, 2019

Bar Harbor Maine - A Quaint Port on Many New England, Canada Cruises.

Image
Arcadia National Park - Located Just Outside of Bar Harbor Maine Bar Harbor is one of the best ports on a New England, Canada cruise. The small city is quaint and has has many shops, restaurants and attractions but still retains it nautical feel. The port's close proximity to Acadia National Park allows cruise passengers the ability to take in the beauty and roughness of the landscape as well learn how the local live. Check out the latest review of Bar Harbor and learn more details about this cruise destination.  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => NewShipNews - Information and News on Cruise Ships being built. ,

Carnival Cruises' Carnival Sunrise Arrives in Fort Lauderdale for Winter Cruises to the Bahamas

Image
Carnival Cruises' Carnival Sunrise Arrives in Fort Lauderdale for Winter Cruises to the Bahamas After completing her 2019 cruise season from New York and a short stent in Norfolk, Virginia, the Carnival Sunrise has arrived in Fort Lauderdale - her new home-port for the winter. The totally transformed Carnival Sunrise arrived in her new home-port of Fort Lauderdale on 10/28/2019 to launch a schedule of four- and five-day Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Port Everglades. Today’s voyage – a sold-out five-day cruise to Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman – marks the first of nearly 40 departures from Fort Lauderdale through May 2, 2020. The ship’s inaugural call at Port Everglades was marked with a traditional maritime plaque exchange with port and government officials, as well as a reception and lunch for local dignitaries and travel agents. Carnival Sunrise debuted earlier this year following an extensive $200 million renovation that is part of a fleetwide $2 bill...

MSC Cruises' MSC Meravilgia - Closes out MSC 2019 Cruise Season from New York - Departing on a Southern Caribbean Cruise

Image
MSC Cruises' MSC Meravilgia - Closes out MSC 2019 Cruise season from New York - Departing on a Southern Caribbean Cruise MSC Cruise MSC Meravilgia closed out MSC Cruises 2019 season from New York to New England- Canada. At 7:04 PM, the largest cruise ship to call at Manhattan to date, the MSC Meravilgia silently pulled away from the pier 88 at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on her way to the Southern Caribbean and her new Winter Homeport - Miami. After completing her New England & Canada Program, the MSC Meravilgia departed on a  14 Day  repositioning cruise from New York (on October 28th) to the Southern Caribbean which includes a stop at MSC Private Reserve - Ocean Cay in the Bahamas. The cruise will end in Miami on November 10, 2019. Map of  MSC Cruises' MSC Meraviglia's October 28 Southern Caribbean Repositioning Cruise From New York The MSC Meraviglia  will spend the winter sailing to the Western Caribbean on 7 Day cruises from Miami. ...

Carnival Cruises Carnival Victory to be Transformed Into the Carnival Radiance

Image
Carnival Cruises Carnival Victory to be Transformed into the Carnival Radiance as part of a $200Million Dollar Refit Next year Carnival Victory will undergo a $200m bow-to-stern transformation to emerge as Carnival Radiance. The 38-day renovation will add all of the line’s food, beverage and entertainment innovations. These include Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse created by Food Network star Guy Fieri, Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant, Bonsai Sushi, Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub and the first Big Chicken restaurant created by Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer, Shaquille O’Neal. All of the ship’s spaces will be transformed including the water park, youth facilities, retail shops, Cloud 9 Spa and a new Liquid Lounge, home to Carnival’s high-tech Playlist Productions shows. Carnival Radiance will reposition New York in the Summer of 2020 sailing from New York to New England, Canada, the Caribbean, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda and private isla...

Norwegian Escape Leave and Norwegian Bliss Files In.

Image
Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape to Spend the winter tin the Western Caribbean In late November, Norwegian Cruise Line is swapping ships out of New York - Replacing the Norrwegian Escape with the newer Norwegian Bliss. There Norwegian Escape will depart New York on November 20, 2019, heading out of the Big Apple empty enroute to Miami. The Norwegian Escape will spend the winter sailing to the Western Caribbean from Miami until April, 2020.  In April the Norwegian Escape will sail back to New York for a 4 Day Bermuda Cruise on April 7, 2020 followed by a 7-Day cruise to Bermuda. The Norwegian Escape will them depart on 4/14/2020 on a 15-Day Cruise to the Azores, make multiple stops in Portugal and Spain then on to France and Italy where the cruise ends. Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss to spend the winter of 2019/2020 sailing from New York to the Eastern Caribbean, Florida and Bahamas The Norwegian Bliss sailing from Los Angeles to New Yor...

Princess Cruises Sea Princess Sails 2020 World Cruise Features Overnight Stays in New York City

Image
Princess Cruises' Sea Princess Makes Overnight Calls in NYC as Part of 2020 World Cruise Princess Cruises' Sea Princess will offer a 106-Day World Cruise from Sydney Australia departing on May 12.2020,   visiting 38 Ports:   Sydney, Australia | Brisbane, Australia | Komodo Island, Indonesia | Singapore | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Muscat (Mina Qaboos), Oman | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Aqaba (Petra), Jordan | Transit the Suez Canal, Egypt | Transit the Suez Canal, Egypt | Santorini, Greece | Sibenik, Croatia | Venice, Italy | Venice, Italy | Valletta, Malta | Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy | Cannes (for Monte Carlo), France | Barcelona, Spain | Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, Spain | Lisbon, Portugal | Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) | London (Dover), England | Bergen, Norway | Hellesylt, Norway | Geiranger, Norway | Tromso, Norway | Honningsvag (for North Cape), Norway | Lofoten Islands (Gravdal), Norway | Akureyri, Iceland | Isafjordur, Icelan...

Totally Renovated Carnival Victory to Sail From New York in 2020 as the Carnival Radiance.

Image
Carnival Cruises Carnival Radiance to Sail From New York in 2020 (formerly the Carnival Victory) Carnival Cruise Line today announced the diverse inaugural schedule for the totally transformed Carnival Radiance, including 9- to 13-day European voyages, the line’s first to Cuba from New York and Norfolk, four- to nine-day sailings to the Caribbean, Canada/New England from New York, and a winter season of voyages to the Caribbean and Cuba from Port Canaveral, Fla. Carnival Radiance’s Diverse 2020 Inaugural Season Following a $200 million dry dock that will take place in Cadiz, Spain, Carnival Radiance will debut April 29, 2020, with a 10-day Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona followed by nine-and 12-day departures visiting top destinations throughout the region, including Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, Malta and Spain. The ship will then embark on a 13-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York June 11-24, 2020, positioning the vessel for its inaugural se...

Carnival Sunrise to Return to New York in 2020.

Image
Carnival Cruises' Carnival Sunrise to Return to New York in 2020 Building upon the popularity of short Bermuda cruises introduced on Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise will offer a series of “long weekend” getaways to Bermuda as well as longer length Caribbean voyages from the Big Apple beginning May 21, 2020. The program includes eight, nine-day voyages with stops at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay and Nassau.  Eight, four-day “long weekend” voyages to Bermuda will also be offered, departing Thursdays and returning Mondays and spending a full day on the island.  Seven, eight-day voyages visiting beautiful ports in the Caribbean and Bahamas will be offered as well. The program concludes with a 12-day Carnival Journeys partial Panama Canal transit from New York to Fort Lauderdale Oct. 19-31, 2020. Carnival Sunrise will also sail from Norfolk, Va., in May 2020, offering a pair of five-day cruises to Nassau and Freeport, along with a three-port, ...

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 Set for 2020 Refit.

Image
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ro Undergo 3 week Refit in 2020 Cunard has confirmed that the Queen Mary 2 will undergo a refit in 2020. The 3 week refit will take place between November 6 and 23, 2020. The exact details of the modifications and upgrades are still being finalized as well as the location where the work will be completed. Queen Mary 2's  prior upgrade was a  £90 million makeover that included a redesign and refurbishment of the Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites and restaurants. Fifty brand-new cabins were also added and the Winter Garden was replaced with the Carinthia Lounge. The first sailing after the ship’s next dry dock is a three-night Christmas Markets in Belgium itinerary, departing from Southampton on November 28, 2020. Learn the latest on the refit as they become available here at NYCruiseInfo.  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cr...

Celebrity Cruises Closes Out 2019 Cruise Season From New York

Image
Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Summit Closes Out 2019 Cruise Season From New York Yesterday (10/20/2019) Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Summit departed New York (Cape Liberty Bayonne NJ) on a 6-day cruise to Eastern Caribbean. The Celebrity Summit is expected to make calls at St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan where the cruise will end on November 26. The Celebrity Summit will sail the winter from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean on 7 day itineraries. The Celebrity Summit will return to New York in May 2020. Departing San Juan on May 2, 2020, she will call at St. Maarteen, St Thomas and St Kitts before ending in Cape Liberty Bayonne N.J. 7 days later.  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => NewShipNews - Information and News on Cruise Shi...

Sky Princess Officially Joins The Princess Fleet.

Image
Princess Cruises' Sky Princess Delivered From Italy's Fincantieri Shipyard (October 15, 2019) – Princess Cruises, the world’s fastest growing international premium cruise line, today took delivery of Sky Princess from shipbuilder Fincantieri at an official handover ceremony at the shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The first ship designed from the ground up as a Princess MedallionClass ship, the 143,700-ton, 3,660-guest Sky Princess features an evolution of the design platform used for the cruise line’s previous Royal-Class ships. The milestone handover ceremony was attended by executives from Carnival Corporation & plc including Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation; Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation; Stein Kruse, Group CEO of Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Carnival Australia and Carnival UK, and Jan Swartz, Group President of Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia, Fincantieri was represented by Giuseppe B...

The Empire State Building Observation Area Rennovated and New Areas Open For Business.

Image
New 102nd Observation Tower Providing Panoramic Views of Manhattan and New Jersey The Empire State Building (ESB)   announced the third phase of its top - to - bottom re-imag in ed Observatory Experience , the newly renovated 102 nd f l oor Observatory . Opening to the public on October 12 , 2019 , t he 102 nd floor will feature floor - to - ceiling glass windows where Guests can step right to the edge of the World’s Most Famous Building Guests experience their first “wow” moment when they enter an all -glass elevator on the 86th floor. As they travel 16 stories through a newly-renovated glass shaft to 102, they will be provided a never-before-seen look  at the inside of the tower’s mast and a  glimpse of its world-famous  tower  lights.Once  the  elevator nears  its  destination, Guests get  a  sneak  peek at the breath taking views before stepping  out  onto  the Observatory. Made up of 24 c...

11,500 German Cruise Passengers Converge at New York.

Image
Phoenix Reisen's Amadea was one of 4 German Ships in New York on Monday. New York and New Jersey was host to over 11,500 German Tourists and crews as 4 ships focused on the German market called at the port on 10/14/2019. Monday saw 4 German cruise ships (plus the Caribbean Princess) docked in NYC. AIDA had 2 ships in port - The AIDAdiva & AIDAluna bringing some 6,250 passengers and crew to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Also at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal was Phoenix Reisen's Amadea which is a mid-sized ship carrying only 624 passengers and 300 crew. Finally in Bayonne, at Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal played host to over 3,900 passengers and crew from TUI's Mien Schiff 1.  The 4 ships menitoned above cater primarily to German speaking passengers and German is the primary language spoken on board. These ships spent multiple days in port to allow passengers the opportunity to explore all the city has to offer and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.  RETURN TO...

Carnival Closes OutTheir 2019 New York Cruise Season

Image
Carnival Cruises' Carnival Legend To Sail a Series of Cruises From New York in 2020. Today the Carnival Sunrise left New York for the last time for 2019. The ship left New York's Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at 11:50 AM without passengers heading to Norfolk Va. From Norfolk the Carnival Sunrise will sail 2 cruises to the Bahamas. In late October the Carnival Sunrise will begin sailing  a series of 4 & 5 Day cruises from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean or Bahamas. In 2020, Carnival returns to New York with multiple ships including the Carnival Sunrise, a short series of cruises on the Carnival Legend; the brand new Mardi Gras and the extensively renovated Carnival Radiance (formerly the Carnival Victory).  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cru...

First There Was Long Island and Then There was Staten Island.

Image
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas Spends Overnight in Lower New York Bay. Although Hurricane Melissa was well off shore, strong winds and rough high seas were encountered just outside of the New York Harbor this past Thursday. 10/10/2019. These adverse weather conditions caused ships to alter their itineraries. This past Thursday saw the Peaceboat - Ocean Dream, 2 Viking Ocean Cruises ships - the Viking Sea and Viking Sun and in Bayonne was Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas. Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas stayed quay side THursday evening until about 9:45 PM. At this time, the ship sailed toward the Statue of Liberty and went up the Hudson River to the Freedom Tower where she turned around and headed back down river. The Anthem of the Seas then stopped just short of the Veranzaro-Narrows Bridge just off Staten Island where the ship remained idle until 5:30 AM on Friday morning. After sailing under the bridge, the Anthem of the Seas proceeded to Boston Ma...

Norwegian Cruise Line Names Kelly Clarkson Godmother to Its Newest Ship, Norwegian Encore

Image
  Kelly Clarkson and Andy Stewart - Kelly to Name Norwegian Encore in Miami.   Clarkson to Headline Norwegian Encore’s Christening Ceremony in Miami on Nov. 21, 2019 Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, announced today on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that GRAMMY Award-winning artist and superstar Kelly Clarkson will serve as the godmother to its newest ship, Norwegian Encore, debuting in Miami in November. The cruise line’s President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Stuart appeared on Clarkson’s new nationally syndicated daytime show produced and distributed by NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution, to invite her to join the Norwegian Cruise Line family as godmother to Norwegian Encore.  As godmother, she will perform at the christening ceremony in Miami on Thursday, Nov. 21, as well as fulfill the longstanding maritime tradition of blessing and officially naming the beautiful Norwegian Encore.  “We kne...

Royal Caribbean Makes A Play For Freeport's Grand Lucaya Resort.

Image
Royal Caribbean in Negotiations to Purchase the  Grand Lucaya Resort in Freeport in the Bahamas Here is a news story that I had missed. It appears that Royal Caribbean is expanding its presence in the Bahamas and has made an offer to purchase the Grand  Lucaya Resort in Freeport. It appear that the negotiations began before Hurricane Dorian hit Freeport hard and the resort remains closed today due to storm damage. As of this time, It is uncertain where negotiation sit today. Royal Caribbean hinted that they intended to covert the resort into an experience very close to the "Perfect Day at Coco Cay". It is unclear if the amenities of the renovated resort will be available to hotel guests only - or be offered to cruise passengers and sold as part of a shore excursion. Here are some additional details on the negotiations from March 27, 2019. Lucayan Renewal Holdings Ltd. today signed a Letter of Intent with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) and the ITM Group to beg...

German Cruise Operator Hapag-Lloyd's Luxury Cruise Ships - Europa & Europa 2 Receive 5 Star Plus Berlitz Rating.

Image
Hapag-Lloyd's Europa and Europa 2 Receive 5 Plus Star Rating By Berlitz Cruising Guide German luxury cruise ship operator, Hapag-Lloyd receives 5 Plus Star ratings by Berlitz Cruising Guide. The Europa and Europa 2 both received the prestigious rating. The two ships are occasional callers at United States ports including the port of New York. Although German is the primary language spoken on board, there are cruises which cater to English speaking passengers. In addition the crew is fluent in multiple languages. I have visited the Europa 2 and encountered no issues interacting with the crew. Here are additional details on the exceptional 5-Plus Star Rating. The EUROPA and EUROPA 2, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ two luxury ships are the only cruise ships to receive the coveted distinction of 5-stars-plus in the latest edition of the renowned Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2020. As such, they have defended their top rankings as the best ships in the world in the “Top 20 Small ...

Nowegian Cruise Line's New Norwegian Encore Completes the Conveyance From Meyer Werft Shipyard Papenburg Germany.

Image
Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced that its newest innovative ship, Norwegian Encore, successfully completed another major construction milestone, when she departed the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and sailed down the Ems River towards the North Sea. On Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, Norwegian Encore began her conveyance to Eemshaven, Netherlands, with initial crew members on board already preparing to welcome her first guests this November.  At nearly 1,100 feet long, with a gross tonnage of almost 170,000 and a guest capacity of 3,998, the ship will be delivered to the cruise line on Oct. 30, 2019. She will be christened by Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson in Miami on Nov. 21, 2019 and will commence seven-day voyages to the Caribbean on Nov. 24, 2019. “Today we celebrate a huge milestone for our history-making ship,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Now is when th...

MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia's Maiden Arrival in New York And New England / Canada Cruises

Image
MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia Maiden Arrival in New York on Tuesday 10/8/2019  - will sail a series of New England & Canada Cruises before heading to Florida for Winter Sailings to the Caribbean. MSC Cruises is marking their return to New York with the maiden arrival of the MSC Meraviglia on Monday 10/7/2019. The 167,600 ton ship, which was delivered in 2017,  is 1,034 feet long and carries 4,500 passengers. After an overnight in port, the ship is expected to sail the afternoon of 10/8/2019 on a 10 day cruise to New England & Canada visiting Sydney Canada, Corner Brook Canada; Charlottetown, Canada; Quebec Canada,  returning back to New York. Map of  MSC Cruises' MSC Meraviglia's October 8 New England & Canada Cruise From New York The MSC Meraviglia  is expected to sail on a second New England / Canada cruise on 10/18/2019  to Bar Harbor, Me; St. John Nova Scotia Canada; Halifax Nova Scotia Canada, Sydney Canada, Portland, Me; Bos...

Carnival Corporation, Government of The Bahamas Sign Agreements to Develop Two New Destination Projects

Image
Holland America's Private Island to Get a Facelift as part of  Carnival's Bahamas' Port Expansion Effort. Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, and two of its cruise line brands today signed an agreement with the government of The Bahamas to build two major port developments. Under the agreement, Carnival Corporation will develop a new cruise port destination primarily for Carnival Cruise Line on Grand Bahama, and construction of a new addition, including a pier, on the Bahamian island of Little San Salvador, home to Holland America Line’s award-winning Half Moon Cay port. The Grand Bahama project will represent an investment of over $100 million, and the development on Little San Salvador will be an estimated $80 million investment over time. The agreement was signed today at the Prime Minister’s Office in Grand Bahama at a ceremony that included Dr. The Most Honorable Hubert A. Minnis, p...