Cruise News

Cruise Travel, July, 2000

NCL Sails "Green" Seas

Guests will experience traditional Irish folklore, music, and cuisine when Norwegian Cruise Line brings Ireland to the high seas aboard the Norwegian Majesty during a special series of Irish theme cruises this fall. From September 3 through October 15, the Norwegian Majesty will feature Irish entertainment, dining, and activities on its weekly cruises to St. George's, Bermuda, which sail roundtrip from Boston every Sunday.

In addition to the current line-up of stunning revues, Jean Ann Ryan Productions will present special performances including a mini "Riverdance" production. The Broesler Irish Step Dancers will be performing several show openers, as well as providing step dance instruction. Featured in the Royal Fireworks Lounge will be the Irish Rovers, an authentic Irish duo from Dublin.

After brushing up on facts from an on-board television channel providing nearly 50 hours of Irish cultural, folkloric, and historic highlights, guests can test their knowledge in Irish Trivia Contests. Also contributing to the Celtic ambience aboard will be Irish tunes set as background music, Irish toasts by the cruise staff, and dining and bar staff donning colorful Irish attire. Guests will also get a real taste of Ireland with regional dining offerings from the buffet on the Sun Deck. In addition there will be whiskey tastings from a selection of more than 40 brands.

For more information contact your travel agent or Norwegian Cruise Line (Cruise Travel Magazine), 7665 Corporate Center Dr., Miami, FL 33126.

Queen Mary 2 Contracted

Cunard Line recently announced that the company has signed a letter of intent to build its super-liner Queen Mary 2 at the Alstom Chantiers de L'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The liner is expected to be launched in the last quarter of 2003. Once launched, the Queen Mary 2 is intended to fly the British flag, with her home port being Southampton, England.

"The level of excitement and interest in this project is beyond anything we could have imagined," said Cunard Line president and CEO Larry Pimentel. "Queen Mary 2 will measure over 1,130 feet in length--that's just 117 feet shorter than the Empire State Building is tall. She'll tower nearly 21 stories in height from keel to masthead, with a gross registered tonnage of nearly 150,000." The $700-million vessel will thus be the longest and largest cruise liner ever built, and with an anticipated cruising speed of 30 knots, the fastest since the Queen Elizabeth 2.

A recent agreement with the City of Long Beach, California, and its affiliates, which operate the floating hotel Queen Mary, has cleared the way for Cunard Line to use the name Queen Mary 2 for its new liner. The final building agreement is subject to several conditions, including the finalization of definitive contracts and financing.

For more information contact your travel agent or Cunard Line (Cruise Travel Magazine), 6100 Blue Lagoon Dr., Miami, FL 33126.

Princess Reflags Fleet

Following the tradition of fellow ships Pacific Princess and Royal Princess, the remainder of the Princess Cruises fleet is now flying a new flag, the prestigious British "Red Ensign." With this move, Princess ships join a long tradition of British seagoing excellence.

The reflagging process began with the line's newest ship, the Ocean Princess, as part of that vessel's February inaugural ceremonies. The remainder of the fleet was reflagged to the British registry by mid May, with the exception of the Grand Princess and Crown Princess, which were reflagged in Bermuda and also fly the Red Ensign as Bermuda is affiliated with the British registry.

P&O, Princess's parent company, is the oldest and largest of the great British shipping companies, and has a 160-year-plus commitment to the highest operating standards. With the reflagging, there will be no change in the nationality of the officers, which are predominantly British and Italian.

For more information contact your travel agent or Princess Cruises (Cruise Travel Magazine), 10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067.

ICCL Relocates Offices

The International Council of Cruise Lines has relocated from Washington, DC, to space adjoining the Arlington, VA, offices of Alcalde & Fay, the government affairs firm that has represented the cruise industry for 22 years. The move will enable the industry trade association, which has 17 member cruise lines, to draw upon A&F's personnel to augment present operations.

The two organizations are now located at 2111 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; the ICCL's web site is www.iccl.org.

Viking Buys KD River Cruises

KD River Cruises of Europe, the continent's oldest passenger cruise line, was recently purchased by Viking River Cruises. The sale included Viking's acquisition of KD's nine river cruise ships and dock ownership throughout Germany. As a result, Viking has become the world's largest river cruise line, overseeing the operation and management of 26 vessels.

Represented in the U.S. by J.F.O. Cruise-Service Corp. in Purchase, NY, KD River Cruises will continue to operate and take reservations for its complete river cruise program, consisting of 36 different itineraries on many of Europe's most scenic waterways, among them the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, and Rhone. Beginning in 2001, Viking River Cruises' newly established U.S. division will offer a number of all-inclusive programs created specifically for English-speaking passengers. These itineraries, ranging from four to 14 nights, will use selected ships in the combined Viking/KD river cruise fleet.