Drive a Ferrari whist ashore

P&O Cruises have come up with one of their most inovative ideas for a shore excursion. Driving a Ferrari around town for the day is one of a set of options available along side the regular shore based excursions currently on offer. If that sounds too scary then how about racing a private yacht along the coast. P&O Cruises managing director Nigel Esdale said: “We are attracting more new cruise passengers than ever before and these holidaymakers are looking for something a little different to do on shore than a guided coach tour. “We can now offer them experiences that simply would not be possible on any other type of holiday.” The Ferrari option is of course available in Italy, to cruisers who arrive in Livorno, while racing a private Beneteau 40 yacht might appeal when your cruise takes in Antigua. Zip wiring trips through the rainforest can be experienced in Jamaica. For the more romantic amongst us there is the opportunity to create your very own personal fragrance whilst in Grasse, near Cannes, with help from a master perfumer. Exploring, glaciers and ice-fields near Reykjavik may well appeal to some. Some of these new excursions are available now with others available in 2009.

MSC Introduce Online Check-in

MSC Express is a new service introduced by MSC Cruise Lines that allows passengers to check-in online for their cruise.
MSC are confident that this will save passengers substantial amounts of time by way of reduced queues, it is available in all Northern European and Mediteranean ports. Prior to the cruises’ departure. Passengers can visit the Crusie lines website http://www.mscexpress.net/ and enter the necesary details, the print out they then recieve will be used to fast track them on arrival at the port.

Express check-in desks will spped up the whole process. “We hope that this new service will help our passengers to start their trip sooner and ultimately" a company spokesman said.

P&O Ban Smoking on 3 Vessels from October

P&Ohave introduced a smoking ban on 3 ships from 3 October 2008

This will apply to all inside areas onboard the Oceana, Ventura and Artemis. The family orientated Oceana and Ventura along with the Adults only Ventura will however still allow smoking in designated area outside on all 3 ships. Passengers will also be allowed to light up on their cabin balcony. Being a British company, P&O Cruises are falling in line with UK law which prohibits smoking in all indoor public areas.

Costa Cruises plan for the future

Costa Cruises are looking to build on their success by opening new routes and markets. Their plans will not be revealed until September as they make plans for the deployment of their expanded fleet for the year 2010. Costa Cruises have led the way in the introduction of cruises that appeal to everyone with itineraries to regions such as Dubai, the Indian Ocean and Asia. Sales for 2009 are already higher than at the same time last year for 2OO8.

Plans also include a double naming ceremony of the 3,78O-passenger Costa Pacifica and the 2,826-passenger Costa Luminosa. This will take place in Genoa on June 5 2009.
The larger ship will then ply it's trade in the Mediterranean while Luminosa will operate out of Amsterdam with voyages to the North Cape.

The Cruise line have plan to add five more vessels to the fleet by 2012, giving them a total of 17 operating Ships.

Get Married by the Captain aboard an Azamara Cruise

Guests can now get married at sea by captains onboard Azamara Cruises’ and Celebrity Cruises' ships. The captain-led wedding ceremonies have been launched to complement the existing vow renewal and in-port wedding offerings. "While many of our guests come onboard seeking a once-in-a-lifetime wedding or vow renewal location, and we've been happy to provide them with in-port weddings led by a local official, their number-one request is for captains to perform the ceremony," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Azamara Cruises and Celebrity Cruises Vice President of Hotel Operations. "Now, we're able to fulfill that wish, while sailing the open waters of the world." Celebrity Cruises, in partnership with The Wedding Experience, has previously offered onboard vow renewals at sea and in-port wedding ceremonies, and with the recent re-registration of seven of Celebrity Cruise's eight ships in Malta, where Azamara Cruises' two ships are also registered, government regulations have changed to allow Captains to perform legal marriages at sea. Guests being married at sea by Azamara Cruises’ and Celebrity Cruises’ captains will be offered a variety of packages that include private receptions in their ship's specialty restaurant to cake and champagne. Basic Captain-performed wedding packages cost from $2,500. Guests who wish to take their love to new heights can also enjoy Celebrity Cruise's unique offering on its cruisetours to Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and The Hotel Alyeska, in Alaska where guests can get married or renew their vows amidst the breathtaking hanging glaciers of the Girdwood Valley, or with stunning views of Mt. McKinley as a backdrop. These ceremonies can take place from June to September as part of a Celebrity Cruises pre- or post-journey cruisetour. Guests should book their wedding in advance of their sailing in order to allow time for the processing of licenses and other legal documents.

Book these at CruiseDirect.

Star Cruises look to Europe

Star Cruises are significantly increasing their European marketing after establishing that interest and sales have grown steadily in the market recently.

Michael Dupont has been promoted to Assistant VP Sales which the company say is a reflection of their optimism for the European market for cruising in the Far East, year round.

Said Dupont: “The untapped potential in the European market is a large growth area for Star Cruises. "The increasing number of long-haul friendly cruises of at least five-nights means that we have more options to sell in these markets. "To support this we have enhanced the booking process and agents can now take advantage of live availability online and sell cruise-only itineraries as part of a tailormade Far East tour.”

Star Cruises sail from the ports of Hong Kong and Singapore.

Carnival wheel for Oasis of the Seas

When RCI unveil the Oasis of the Seas, soon to be the worlds largest cruise ship it will feature a carnival wheel and loft apartments. The ship which will sail in the Caribbean from December next year, will also feature an amphitheatre, the first of it's kind on a cruise ship.

A 43-foot rock-climbing wall and a "zip-line" which will run at a level of 9 decks above the ship's main deck is also a unique feature to be unveiled.

The twin level suites will be the loftiest accomodation available at sea with features such as windows that stretch from floor to ceiling.

This huge new ship will carry 5,400 passengers in 7 areas , each with it's individual theme which will include Central Park. RCI's Oasis of the Seas will also feature 16 decks with 37 different grades and types of accommodation, the views from some of these will be unique.

At 220,000 tonnes the ship is huge by current standards and will initially operate from its home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, begining on 12th December 2009.

Booking will be available from 3rd September 2008. The ship will operate 19, 7 nights cruises in succession to the ports of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas in the Eastern Caribbean.