News from the world of cruising ~
August 1-6, 2001
Back to Cruise News Weekly Index & Archive
PORT CANAVERAL'S NEWEST AND LARGEST CRUISE SHIP,
COMPLEMENTED BY ENTICING ITINERARIES, TO PROVIDE
EXCEPTIONAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE EXPERIENCE
MIAMI (08/03/01) -- Port Canaveral, Fla.'s, newest and largest cruise ship, the 88,500-ton Carnival Pride, which enters service Jan. 12, 2002, will feature a stunning and creative interior design combined with highly attractive year-round Caribbean itineraries.
The Carnival Pride's guest-friendly design is the result of 20 years of shipbuilding experience by Carnival Cruise Lines. With this ship, Carnival will for the first time offer seven-day cruises from Port Canaveral, whose location is convenient for guests driving from areas of Florida and the Southeast, as well as close to the Orlando airport and the many theme parks and attractions in Central Florida.
The Carnival Pride has a guest capacity of 2,124, providing a passenger-space ratio of 40, far greater than most mass-market cruise ships and rivaling many premium vessels. Carnival Pride features an attractive, long, lean hull design and an interior layout that leads guests from one public area to the next in a seamless flow.
Eighty percent of the vessel's staterooms have an ocean view, and 80 percent of those have verandahs--providing an intimate and private venue for enjoying the spectacular turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Equipped with the Azipod propulsion system, Carnival Pride can achieve a maximum speed of 24 and a service speed of 22 knots, enabling it to reach its far-flung Caribbean ports of call from Port Canaveral with ease.
The Carnival Pride is slated to sail year-round seven-day cruises departing Saturdays from Port Canaveral. The eastern Caribbean route calls at either Half Moon Cay or Salt Cay, both private Bahamas out islands, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Maarten, while providing three "Fun Days" at sea. This itinerary marks the first time Carnival has featured a private island on one of its cruise programs.
On western Caribbean sailings, the Carnival Pride calls at Key West, Fla.; Belize City, Belize; Playa del Carmen/Cozumel and Progreso/Merida, Mexico; with two "Fun Days" at sea to enjoy the ship's varied on-board amenities. "We believe that this combination of departing from Port Canaveral, outstanding ship design, unique ports of call and multiple days at sea creates a very attractive vacation alternative for our guests," said Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Among the Carnival Pride's design highlights are two atriums, one of which is an impressive nine decks high and capped by a dramatic red-tinted glass dome that forms the forward portion of the ship's funnel. Located at the top of this soaring structure is David's, an elegant reservations-only supper club whose menu includes prime aged beef, South African lobster, and a variety of other gourmet items.
The Carnival Pride also has a full walk-around promenade on Atlantic Deck, unusual on modern-day cruise ships. The majority of the promenade is exterior, allowing guests to stroll the circumference of the ship in the fresh sea air. Carnival Pride seemingly has a dance floor at every turn. From the Beauties Dance Club to the Starry Night jazz club, the Rafael Lounge, Ivory Bar, Butterflies Lounge and the grand Taj Mahal show lounge, dancing to live and recorded music is available throughout the ship.
The Carnival Pride's interior promenade meanders through public rooms on two decks, linking the ship's two atriums with myriad dining, entertainment and shopping venues. The Via Veneto is a quaint shopping street on Atlantic Deck featuring a series of storefronts housing exclusive shops, boutiques and Carnival logo products.
The main dining room, the stunning Normandie Restaurant, is two decks high with wrap-around windows located aft on Promenade and Atlantic Decks. Other highlights of the Carnival Pride include a chapel suitable for weddings or religious services; multi-level Nautica Spa; expansive casino; retractable glass cover over the main Lido Deck pool; "Fun House" children's facility; and an Internet café located in the Nobel Library.
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL. Information and reservations can also be obtained via the line's Web site at www.carnival.com. SOURCE: Carnival Cruise Line
Back to the top of the news list
Celebrity Cruises Deploys New Ships In Hawaii And Panama Canal
MIAMI, Aug. 2 -- Celebrity Cruises will deploy two of its newest, most environmentally advanced ships, Infinity and Summit, in Hawaii and the Panama Canal in 2002, offering 29 varied open-jaw sailings. Eighty percent of the staterooms on both ships offer ocean views; 74 percent of those have their own private veranda, allowing guests to enjoy spectacular views of these regions. Both Infinity and Summit are powered by smokeless gas-turbine engines.
Celebrity's 1,950-guest Infinity will reprise her presence in Hawaii next year, offering 12 sailings between May 10, 2002 and May 21, 2003, and visiting five exotic destinations in the Hawaiian Islands. Summit will sail four cruises between May 3 through September 24, 2002. Prices start at $1,199 per person, double occupancy.
Infinity and Summit also will present 13- and 14-night cruises through the Panama Canal to a myriad of destinations, including the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Costa Rica and South America. Eastbound departures are available from San Diego, and westbound itineraries from Fort Lauderdale or San Juan, with prices starting at $1,549 per person, double occupancy.
Infinity Hawaii Itineraries
Infinity will return to Hawaii for a series of 10-, 11- and 12-night sailings departing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Ensenada, Mexico, and Honolulu, and traveling to five exotic Hawaiian destinations, with overnight stays in Lahaina or Honolulu.
On May 10, 2002, Infinity commences the season with a 10-night cruise from Ensenada to Honolulu, with visits to Hilo and Kailua Kona, Hawaii; Lahaina, Maui and Nawililwili, Kauai. From Honolulu, Infinity heads northbound on May 20, 2002, for an 11-night sailing with visits in Nawiliwili, Lahaina, Kailua Kona and Hilo, ending in Vancouver.
On September 27, 2002, Infinity sails a 12-night southbound journey from Vancouver to Honolulu, with ports of call in Hilo, Lahaina, Nawiliwili and Kailua Kona.
Infinity sails eastbound on October 9, 2002, embarking on an 11-night cruise from Honolulu to Ensenada, and calling on Nawiliwili, Lahaina, Kailua Kona and Hilo.
On November 17, 2002, Infinity once again departs from Ensenada to Honolulu on an 11-night cruise, with calls on Hilo, Kailua Kona, Nawiliwili, and Lahaina. This itinerary repeats on February 2 and March 23, 2003.
From Honolulu, Infinity sails eastbound on November 28, 2002, and February 13 and April 3, 2003, on a 10-night sailing, with ports of call in Kailua Kona, Nawiliwili, Lahaina, and Hilo, ending in Ensenada.
Infinity's Hawaiian season concludes with a 10-night cruise from Ensenada to Honolulu on May 11, 2003, and an 11-night sailing from Honolulu to Vancouver on May 21, 2003. Ports of call for the 10-night westbound cruise include Hilo, Kailua Kona, Nawiliwili, and Lahaina. The 11-night northbound sailing includes visits to Lahaina, Nawiliwili, Kailua Kona and Hilo.
Summit Hawaii Itineraries
Summit enters the Hawaiian market on May 3, 2002, with a series of four sailings from Ensenada, Vancouver and Honolulu. The first is a 10-night westbound crossing from Ensenada to Honolulu, calling on Hilo, Kailua Kona, Nawiliwili, and Lahaina.
On May 13, Summit sails northbound from Honolulu on an 11-night cruise, with visits to Nawiliwili, Lahaina, Kailua Kona and Hilo, ending in Vancouver.
Summit's 11-night southbound cruise departs Vancouver on September 13, 2002, and calls on Kailua Kona, Hilo, Lahaina and Nawiliwili, before reaching Honolulu.
Summit sails eastbound on September 24, 2002, on a 10-night cruise from Honolulu to Ensenada. Ports of call include Lahaina, Nawiliwili, Kailua Kona and Hilo.
Infinity and Summit Trans-Canal Itineraries
Infinity and Summit will offer 13 voyages through the Panama Canal during the 2002 season.
On April 27, 2002, Infinity embarks upon a 13-night passage from San Juan to San Diego, with stops in Oranjestad, Aruba; Panama Canal (cruising); Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
A series of 14-night eastbound and westbound cruises between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale follow, on October 20 and December 8, 2002, and January 5, February 23 and April 13, 2003. Ports of call on the eastbound itineraries include Cabo San Lucas; Acapulco; Puntarenas; Cartagena, Colombia, and Oranjestad. The westbound sailings call on Oranjestad (includes overnight stay); Puntarenas; Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, and are offered on November 3 and December 22, 2002, and January 19, March 9, and April 27, 2003.
Summit also presents two 14-night eastbound and westbound cruises in the 2002 season. On April 19, the vessel embarks on a 14-night voyage from Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego, with ports of call in Oranjestad, Puntarenas, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, ending in San Diego. The eastbound sailing departs from San Diego for Ft. Lauderdale on October 4, with visits in Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco, Puerto Caldera, Cartagena and Oranjestad.
Celebrity Cruises is the highest-rated premium cruise line in the industry, with the youngest fleet of any major cruise line. Summit enters service in October, and Constellation will make its maiden voyage in 2002, bringing the Celebrity fleet to nine ships. For more information, visit the Celebrity web site at www.celebritycruises.com. SOURCE: Celebrity Cruises
Back to the top of the news list
Renaissance Cruises Announces Full Membership in the American Society of Travel Agents
Supporting the Travel Agent Community Is a Top Priority at Renaissance Cruises
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 2, 2001 - Renaissance Cruises today announced that it has become a full member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the travel industrys leading trade organization.
Renaissance Cruises is proud to be accepted into ASTA, said Jim Henwood, Renaissance Cruises Vice President of Sales. We are honored to be members of an organization that enhances the professionalism and profitability of travel agents in so many ways. As a member of ASTA, Renaissance Cruises is committed to the principles of professional conduct, ethics, and continued enhancement and improvement of the travel industry.
We are delighted to welcome Renaissance Cruises into the ASTA family, said Bill Maloney, CTC, ASTAs Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The commitment and support the Company has demonstrated to the travel agency community over the past 12 months has been tremendous. Renaissance Cruises made a pledge to adopt travel agent friendly policies and backed that pledge with a $1 million guarantee. They have not only kept all their promises but have donated $100,000 a year for three years to ASTA's consumer awareness campaign, Without a Travel Agent, you're on your own!
Added Henwood, The support of travel agents is and always will be a top priority for Renaissance Cruises. Over the next few months, we will continue to roll out programs and incentives that will make it simpler and more profitable for travel agents to book their clients on our award winning cruises.
This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of the American Society of Travel Agents, the worlds largest travel trade association. ASTA is the only professional organization that includes every segment of the travel industry. From travel agents to suppliers, travel educators to travel students, they all find common ground and a package of targeted benefits through their ASTA membership. ASTAs mission is to enhance the professionalism and profitability of member agents through effective representation in industry and government affairs, education and training, and by identifying and meeting the needs of the traveling public.
Renaissance Cruises distinguishes itself from other cruise lines with its extraordinary destinations and Five Star service, on the youngest fleet in the cruise industry. For two consecutive years, the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have named Renaissance Cruises one of the top three large cruise lines in the world. The Company's R-Class ships have also received top marks in CruiseReports annual "Top of the Class" rankings. Renaissance Cruises offers year-round itineraries to the Greek Isles, Tahiti and her Islands, Africa, Asia, Northern Europe and Scandinavia, South America, New Zealand and Australia, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean on eight brand new 684/698-passenger R-Class ships and two 114-passenger Renaissance-Class ships. The recent launch of the latest R-Class ship, R8, brings Renaissance Cruises total capacity to 5,742 berths and secures the company's place as the fifth largest cruise line company in the world. For further information about Renaissance Cruises, please visit our web site at www.RenaissanceCruises.com.
To book a Renaissance Cruises vacation, travelers should see their Professional Travel Agent or call 1-800-525-5350. SOURCE: Renaissance Cruises
Back to the top of the news list
CARNIVAL TO OFFER ADDITIONAL 10- AND 11-DAY SAILINGS ON
SMOKE-FREE PARADISE IN AUGUST 2002
MIAMI (08/01/01) - Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,052-passenger Paradise - the world's only smoke-free cruise ship - will operate two additional 10- and 11-day "exotic" Caribbean cruises from Miami in August 2002. The two voyages - an 11-day western Caribbean cruise departing Aug. 4 and a 10-day southern Caribbean cruise departing Aug. 15, 2002 - are in addition to a series of six 10- and 11-day Caribbean "exotic" cruises in spring, fall and winter 2002 which were announced earlier this year.
"Response to our initial announcement of the Paradise's 10- and 11-day sailings was fantastic, which prompted us to add two more smoke-free cruise options for our guests," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president. He noted that the 10- and 11-day "exotic" Caribbean cruises, combined with the Paradise's seven-day eastern and western Caribbean departures from Miami, offer vacationers four different smoke-free itinerary choices.
Ten-day sailings will feature St. Thomas/St. John; St. Lucia; Barbados; Martinique; and St. Maarten, while 11-day voyages will visit Curacao; Aruba; Colon, Panama (optional Panama Canal and Gatun Lake shore excursions available); Limon, Costa Rica; and Key West. Prior to and immediately following its new 10- and 11-day cruises in 2002, the Paradise will operate its regular schedule of seven-day cruises from Miami, alternating weekly to the eastern and western Caribbean. Eastern cruises visit Nassau, San Juan and St. Thomas/St. John, while the western route features Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. The Paradise, which entered service in November 1998, features a wide variety of dining, activity and entertainment options, all of which are enjoyed in a totally smoke-free environment.
The ship houses 10 passenger decks and 12 "themed" bars, lounges and nightspots, inspired by the great ocean liners of yesteryear. Venues include the Queen Mary Lounge, modeled after the famed Cunard luxury liner with replicas of the ship's classic funnel adorning the walls; the Normandie Show Lounge, a multi-level, art deco-style theater showcasing Carnival's legendary Las Vegas-style revues; and the Blue Riband Library, housing a variety of authentic maritime memorabilia and a replica of the Hale's Trophy awarded to the fastest vessel to sail across the Atlantic.
Dining venues aboard the Paradise include the Elation and Destiny formal restaurants serving multi-course, full-service meals, and the Paris Restaurant, an expansive casual poolside eatery offering buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, elaborate salad and dessert bars, and a 24-hour pizzeria. A patisserie and complimentary 24-hour self-serve ice cream/frozen yogurt and stateroom service are available, as well. All of these options comprise Carnival's Total Choice Dining(SM), cruising's most comprehensive dining program offering the widest variety of formal and casual options at sea.
The Paradise also features a 12,000-square-foot Nautica Spa offering exercise equipment and classes, saunas and steam rooms, and body and facial treatments. The ship also houses a 2,500-square-foot play area, part of the line's top-rated "Camp Carnival" program, a duty-free shopping mall, an Internet café, full casino gambling, and three swimming pools - one with a 115-foot-long water slide.
Carnival is currently accepting reservations for the Paradise's various 10- and 11-day "exotic" Caribbean sailings in 2002. Prices begin at $799 per person for 10-day voyages, while rates for the 11-day departures start at $849 per person. If purchased via Carnival's new "Fun Finance Plan(SM)," 10-day cruises are available starting at $37 per month and the 11-day voyages for $40 per month (based on a 24-month payment term at the lowest annual percentage rate available). Actual monthly payment and terms may vary according to the applicant's credit qualifications. Valid for U.S. individual bookings only. Certain other restrictions apply. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements available from a variety of North American gateways, are available, as well.
Additional information and reservations can be obtained by contacting any travel agent, calling 1-800-CARNIVAL or visiting www.carnival.com. SOURCE: Carnival Cruise Line
Back to the top of the news list
LEGENDS OF BASEBALL CRUISE
Set sail on December 2, 2001 aboard the 5-star CostaVictoria for Costa's first-ever Legends of Baseball Cruise. You'll join some of baseball's greatest legends including Ferguson Jenkins, Bob Feller, Amos Otis, Vida Blue, Earl Weaver and ESPN's Dave Campbell. Enjoy baseball contests, pitching, baserunning and batting clinics, photograph and autograph sessions plus much more as you sail to Key West, Progreso/Merida, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. For more information, contact a travel agent today. SOURCE: World's Leading Cruise Lines
Back to the top of the news list
Princess Cruises Continues to See Significant Benefits From Manugistics Pricing and Revenue Optimization Solutions
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 31 -- Manugistics Group, Inc., the leading global provider of Enterprise Profit Optimization (EPO) solutions -- the first solutions to simultaneously optimize a company's supply- and demand-side business processes -- today announced that Princess Cruises, part of the P&O Princess Cruises plc family of cruise lines, continues to see significant benefits from Manugistics pricing and revenue optimization solutions.
The solutions have better enabled Princess Cruises to forecast consumer demand, optimize fare-class mix, and create promotions that maximize net revenue contribution, enhancing the profitability of this premier North American cruise line.
Most important to Princess Cruises, which operates hundreds of voyages each year, is the positive impact the solutions have had on customer service.
"At P&O Princess Cruises, we are committed to using innovative technologies that can bring us closer to our many passengers,'' said Alan Buckelew, chief information officer at P&O Princess Cruises. "Manugistics pricing and revenue optimization solutions allow us to offer our Princess Cruises passengers a variety of value options that can better match their preferences -- while enabling us to better understand when passengers will book a sailing, in what category, at what fare, and for which voyage.''
The Manugistics solutions help create dynamic forecasts--by voyage--for hundreds of micro-markets correlated to individual or group demand. Cancellations, sales promotions and expected demand are then evaluated, and recommendations are made for when fare classes should be opened or closed, balancing the likelihood of booking a cabin with the probability of earning the greatest profit. The solutions also power regional or state-specific promotions designed to create higher-yield demand for berths that would otherwise go vacant or book at a lower fare.
In addition to enhanced profitability, the Manugistics implementation has produced other benefits. Said Deanna Austin, vice president of yield management at Princess Cruises,
"Using the Manugistics solutions, my team now spends less time pulling together data and more time figuring out tactical marketing strategies to fill our berths at the highest possible yield.''
Princess Cruises believes improved revenue management can also translate into cost savings for passengers. That's because with fuller ships booked using optimized fare classes, the company can offer more cabins at rates lower than it could charge if the ship sailed with fewer passengers and a smaller number of fare classes.
Said Greg Cudahy, Manugistics executive vice president of pricing and revenue optimization, "Manugistics highly values our multi-year relationship with P&O Princess Cruises. The company has long shown technology vision and was quick to recognize the significant and immediate revenue-enhancing possibilities of advanced PRO solutions. Manugistics continues to demonstrate a firm commitment to delivering value at P&O Princess Cruises and elsewhere across our deep base of transportation, travel, and hospitality clients.''
About Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises, one of the best-known names in North American cruising, is a global cruise and tour company. Part of P&O Princess Cruises plc, it operates ten ships on approximately 150 different itineraries calling at nearly 260 ports around the globe. By 2004, a further five ships will be added to its worldwide fleet. Cruises range from seven to 72 days in length to destinations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Panama Canal, Mexico, South Pacific, South America, Hawaii/Tahiti, Asia, India, Africa, Holy Land, Canada/New England, Bermuda and world voyages. Princess is also one of the leaders in Alaska cruise tour vacations, and owns four riverside wilderness lodges, with a fifth under construction, plus a fleet of UltraDome railcars and luxury motor coaches which take passengers through the heart of the 49th state. Princess additionally operates cruise tours in China, Australia, Africa, India, Europe, the Canadian Rockies and the eastern United States.
About Manugistics Group, Inc.
Manugistics is the leading global provider of Enterprise Profit Optimization (EPO) solutions, the first solutions to simultaneously optimize a company's supply- and demand-side functions. Manugistics EPO and eMarketplace solutions help companies lower operating costs, enhance profitability and accelerate growth. The company's list of clients includes industry leaders such as 3Com, Amazon.com, Boeing, BP, Brown & Williamson, Caterpillar, Cisco Systems, Coca-Cola Bottling, Compaq, DuPont, eConnections, Ford, General Electric, Harley-Davidson, Hormel, Levi Strauss & Co., Marriott, Nestle, Texas Instruments, Timberland, Unilever, and United Airlines. For more information, go to www.manugistics.com. SOURCE: Manugistics Group, Inc.
Back to the top of the news list
