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Europe celebrated the christenings of five new cruise ships in the last four months, as international cruise lines took delivery of new vessels built in European shipyards, Cruise Lines International Association announced.
The five new ships, which represent a total investment of over
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Along with the first Breakaway Plus ship, which is scheduled for delivery in October 2015, these two new vessels will be the largest in the line’s fleet at approximately 163,000 gross tonnes and 4,200 passenger berths each.
The ships will be similar in design and innovation to the line’s current Breakaway class, the first of which, Norwegian Breakaway, launched in New York in early May.
The combined contract cost of the two Breakaway Plus class ships is approximately
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Five people have been convicted of manslaughter in a court in Italy following the sinking of the Costa Concordia last year.
The vessel sank off the island of Giglio in January 2012 with the loss of 32 lives.
Two officers, the helmsman, the head of cabin service and the head of the crisis team were given up to two years and ten months in jail for multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck.
However, all five had agreed plea bargains and may avoid custodial sentences.
Capt Francesco Schettino, who is blamed for sailing too close to the island and causing te sinking, is being tried separately.
Schettino is charged with multiple manslaughter and abandoning the vessel before the vessel was evacuated.
His case will resume on September 23rd, and his request for a plea bargain has been rejected by the prosecution.
Capt Schettino faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty.
He denies the charges and says that without his actions many more people would have died.
RecommendedYorkshire picks up Tour de France mantelNorwegian Cruise Line announced today that its two new Breakaway Plus class ships will be the first new builds in the cruise industry to feature innovative scrubber technology developed by Green Tech Marine (GTM), a world leading marine scrubber supplier.
The two new vessels will be built by MEYER WERFT GMBH in Germany and delivered to the fleet in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Green Tech Marine will provide five scrubbers per ship for the engines which range from 14.4 to 16.8 megawatts. This installation will be the largest scrubber plant in the world with a total engine power of 76.8 megawatts.
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Norwegian Cruise Line and Belleair Cruise Holidays have partnered with Midcounties Co-operative to offer exclusive rail & stay cruise packages and fly, stay & cruise packages to Co-operative Travel customers.
The dedicated brochure, in stores 15 July 2013, showcases a portfolio of holiday options including attractive new rail and stay-cruise holiday packages between 8 and 12 nights combining return rail journeys from London St. Pancras with hotel nights and cruises in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean from Barcelona, Marseille and Venice. In addition, guests can chose from fly-and stay-cruise packages offering flexible departures from most regional airports
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After recently announcing details on ports of call never before offered by a cruise-line or tour company in a single sailing, Cuba Cruise is excited to reveal their diverse shore excursions highlighting the magic of Cuba.
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises has placed an order for a new 738-passenger vessel to be called Seven Seas Explorer.
Scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2016, the Explorer will be Regent Seven Seas’ first new ship since the Seven Seas Voyager made its debut in 2003.
It will be the cruise line’s largest ship, at 54,000 gross tons, and will be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for about $450 million.
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American Cruise Lines (www.americancruiselines.com), operator of the newest riverboats and small cruise ships in the United States, announced today the details and events of its 2013 holiday cruises. Brand new Christmas and New Year’s Eve cruises will offer festive onboard and onshore activities that showcase the beautiful regions cruised as well as the spirit of the holidays.
Southern Christmas
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Carnival plc has announced the opening of five new offices in China that will represent Princess Cruises and support the brand’s increased passenger sourcing in this growing market.
The new offices are located in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
The offices will be overseen by Cherry Wang, who has been appointed Princess Cruises country director for China. She will be based in Shanghai. Wang was previously general manager of Princess Cruises’ ISA group in China, the international sales agent for Princess Cruises and Cunard Line since 2005. Prior to this, she managed sales for several travel agencies and hotels, including Zhejiang International Business Travel Co. Ltd.; Zhejiang Overseas Travel Company; American Bazza Scarf Co. Ltd. Zhejiang office, and Shangri-la Hotel Hangzhou.
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Windstar Cruises, a leader in yacht-style cruising, celebrates the Fourth of July with exceptional savings on 2013 sailings. Guests can book the yachting vacation of their dreams for as low as $1,776 per person on more than 25 grand voyages through July 8, 2013. Take advantage of these savings and cruise in Windstar Style, the perfect pairing of comfort and luxury. Experience the glamorous ports of the French Riviera on Glitter & Glam of the Riviera. Fall in love with Spain’s coastal jewels, a unique blend of east and West, on the Splendors of Southern Spain. Windstar’s Facebook fans will enjoy an additional special offer during this saving event.
Guests can also explore the beautiful islands of the Mediterranean on Windstar’s Islands of the West Med for the exceptionally low price of only $1,576 per person. For those looking to unwind and relax, Windstar’s Ocean Crossing is the perfect fit with voyages starting at $976 per person. No matter which voyage they choose, guests sailing on board Windstar Cruises will enjoy pampering without pretense, extraordinary destinations, and casual elegance that feels like their own private yacht.
RecommendedBreaking Travel News interview: Holger Schroth, general manager, Emirates PalaceA private ballet performance in the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, sipping wine in a Tuscan castle with three tenors singing in the background or a jazz concert at Villa Rufolo high above the Amalfi Coast
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Six Holland America Line ships will sail 28 full and partial transits of the Panama Canal during the fall 2013 through spring 2014 season, which coincides with the canal’s 100th anniversary. Ranging in length from 10 to 22 days, the extensive itinerary options provide guests with more ways to experience the Panama Canal than any other cruise line.
From September 2013 through April 2014, ms Amsterdam, ms Statendam, ms Veendam, ms Westerdam, ms Zaandam and ms Zuiderdam will transit the canal from six departure cities
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Crystal Cruises is planning a magical winter wonderland holiday with a new Antarctica Christmas/New Year’s cruise. In addition to three days sailing Antarctic waters, the December 21, 2013 Buenos Aires-Valparaiso voyage aboard the award-winning Crystal Symphony sails through Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Falkland Islands, Drake Passage, Cape Horn, and the Chilean Fjords, with multiple excursions to the Antarctic continent. Generous booking savings are available until August 30 for the unique voyage—the only one of its kind for 2013 and 2014.
Crystal is one of the few cruise lines permitted to sail to Antarctica, due to the strict environmental regulations, for which Crystal has incurred extra cost and planning efforts.
“We are always very environmentally conscious of the destinations we visit,” says Anita Hodson, Crystal’s director of nautical and port operations. “We’re thrilled to be able to meet the new standards required to bring guests to this spectacular region this year.
Guests can fly, hike, and zodiac over and on the icy continent, viewing Air Force homes, penguin breeding grounds, and the gorgeous glacial scenery of King George and Ardley Islands. Extremely-limited Crystal Adventures also explore more of Antarctica, taste local specialties, and overnight at the Chilean Eduardo Frei Antarctic Base (INACH).
The 18-day cruise is filled with opportunities to explore nature in all ports, from seeing volcanos, waterfalls, humpback whales, and marine elephants to kayaking the Strait of Magellan and visiting working farms in the Falklands and Patagonia
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The Disney Magic arrives today in Venice, Italy where Captain Robert Olmer and shipboard officers are hosting local port officials and community leaders onboard for a traditional maritime plaque exchange ceremony.
This event symbolises the partnership between the ship and the destination in honour of her first call.
The Disney Magic, Disney Cruise Line’s first ship, was originally constructed in Italy in two pieces, partially in Marghera, just outside Venice, and partially in Ancona.
This is the ship’s first return to her
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In a cruise industry first, ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has launched a complimentary service that provides streaming movies and live television news broadcasts to guests’ mobile devices aboard Silver Cloud.
The service can be accessed on any Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, smartphone, tablet, or even e-book reader—anything with a browser. It includes access to an extensive library of classic and recent Academy Award-winning feature films, with more than 80 per cent of the movies offered in five languages: English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Fabio Agostini, Silversea’s chief information officer, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this innovative service to enhance our guests’ onboard experience. Smartphones and tablets are a necessity for today’s travellers, who rely on instant access to information. Jason Cohn, our director of infrastructure, and his valuable team worked closely with RedCell Technologies, HMS, and On-Board Movies to develop a streaming media service that would fit seamlessly with our guests’ increasingly technology-driven lifestyle.”
A limited supply of iPad minis is also available (on a first-come, first-served basis) to Silver Cloud guests wishing to borrow a tablet to view the streamed movies and television during the voyage.
By the end of 2013, the service will be rolled out to four additional ships: Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Wind and Silver Galapagos. In the coming months, the company is also planning to add an expansive selection of international newspapers to its menu of streamed media offerings, an option currently in the testing phase.
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Pandaw River Expeditions are delighted to announce the construction of two new vessels in Burma. The Sinmalike shipyard in Rangoon have been awarded the contract to build two K plus class vessels of 56 meters length with 20 deluxe staterooms. This is a new design with an ultra-shallow draft of less than a meter enabling the ships to pass through channels that at low water would be blocked to other vessels.
These ships, the Kindat Pandaw and the Kalaw Pandaw, will be finished in traditional Pandaw style with teak and brass. Pandaw ships are unlike other river cruise ships being exact replicas of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company ships of the 1920s with spacious promenade decks running around them.
Pandaw founder Paul Strachan says:
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