September 2012

Celebrity Cruises Wins Big In Travel Weekly's Annual Magellan Awards

Published Saturday, September 8th 2012

Celebrity Cruises' contemporary, unforgettable modern luxury vacation experience has just added 18 new awards to its roster. The annual Travel Weekly Magellan Awards honor the best in travel. With the announcement of the 2012 winners, Celebrity is celebrating a win of 11 Gold Magellan Awards and seven Silver Magellan Awards, more than any other cruise line this year.


Celebrity's 2012 Gold Magellan Awards:


Cruise - Overall

  • Blog - Solsticizing Blog
  • Mobile App - Celebrity Xplorer
  • Premium Ship - Celebrity Silhouette (Celebrity's second consecutive win in this category)
  • Large Cruise Ship - Celebrity Silhouette
  • Loyalty Program - Captain's Club


Cruise Marketing

  • Advertising/Marketing Campaign - Modern Luxury and Exit/Enter
  • Promotional Video - Brand :30
  • Promotional Video - LXTV segments
  • Website - CelebrityCruises.com (Celebrity's second consecutive win in this category)


Cruise Elements - Premium Ship

  • Restaurant Design - Qsine, Millennium Class (Celebrity's third consecutive win in this category)
  • Spa Design - AquaSpa by Elemis, Celebrity Silhouette


Celebrity's 2012 Silver Magellan Awards:

Cruise Marketing

  • Direct Mail - Captain's Club News
  • Print Advertising - Regional (San Francisco) Magazine - "Post-It" ads
  • Web Marketing/Advertising - Food Network Ad Unit
  • Web Marketing/Advertising - New York Times 'Word Train"


Cruise Elements - Premium Ship

  • Atrium Design - Grand Foyer, Celebrity Eclipse
  • Suite Design - Penthouse Suite, Celebrity Millennium
  • Entertainment - "Silhouette, The Show"

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New "Extreme Makeover - Ship Edition" Brochure Showcases Crystal Cruises' Design Prowess

Published Saturday, September 8th 2012


Crystal Cruises’ alluring new publication illustrates why the ultra-luxe line has been reaping awards lately for its smart spaces and chic cruise experiences.  Styled like a traveler’s vintage photo journal, the six-page brochure builds on the company’s fresh, contemporary Begin a New Story brand campaign, showcasing:
  •  $100 million+ overall recent investment to keep Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity not just au courant — but on the cutting edge of cruise ship and hotel design 
  • $40 million 2012 and 2011 extreme makeovers of Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, respectively — via a pictorial photo spread as elegant as the ships themselves
  •  Crystal’s design-related awards over the past six years
  •  High-tech digital/electronic enhancements
  •  Style inspirations
  •  Luxury design details


With Crystal Symphony just emerging from its dry dock this summer, a majority of the pages flaunt the theaters, play areas, lounges, and other spaces that are freshly made over, completing an ambitious five-year plan to restyle every room on board.


“Design is such an important element of discerning travelers’ vacations – from their decision-making about where to spend it to the experience they have when they get there,” says Crystal President Greg Michel.  “We think travelers will appreciate seeing many of the stylish ways we’ve enhanced Crystal’s ‘World’s Best’ vacations.”  


Over the past year, Crystal Cruises has been awarded the Association of Retail Environments' Crystal design award, Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, for luxury ship, suite and stateroom designs, and Hospitality Design magazine’s first-ever Distinctive Cruise Design award, as well as Condé Nast Traveler’s #1 and 2 cruise medium-sized cruise ships and Travel + Leisure readers' choice awards for the World’s Best Cruise Line and World’s Best Service in the large ship category.


For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent.

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Celebrity chefs spice up Silversea voyages

Published Saturday, September 8th 2012

Celebrity chefs spice up Silversea voyages

Leading cruise operator Silversea, renowned for its ultra-luxurious ships and exotic destinations, has announced a line-up of renowned chefs and food writers that will host seven upcoming Culinary Arts voyages.


The voyages will showcase the skills of culinary experts and award-winning chefs of top dining establishments from around the world who will share some of the world’s finest gastronomic traditions. This includes the internationally acclaimed chefs of Relais & Châteaux, the distinguished international association of charming properties and gourmet restaurants.


The voyages also feature escorted provisioning trips to international markets, food and wine pairings, creative regional dishes, and a five-course grand gourmet dinner.


“We’re delighted to feature some of the world’s top chefs and rising stars on our Culinary Arts voyages,” said Steve Odell, Silversea President UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.. “For inquisitive luxury travellers who appreciate fine food and wine, these culinary themed cruises are a great way to travel and learn.”


The Flavours of Europe

A special Culinary Arts voyage titled “The Flavours of Europe,” will offer an array of culinary demonstrations and activities both on board and ashore. The voyage will be hosted by Chef Rudi Scholdis, Silversea’s Culinary Director; Chef David Bilsland, Culinary Trainer for the “Relais & Châteaux L’Ecole des Chefs” cooking school aboard Silversea; and Conrad Combrink, Silversea’s Director of Expeditions.


Guests will have the opportunity to visit a farm near Bordeaux dedicated to the cultivation of heirloom fruits and vegetables; learn how to prepare Basque pintxos (bite-sized delicacies); partake in a gastronomic celebration at Château Kirwan in the Bordeaux countryside; experience an authentic afternoon tea at a manor house in Guernsey; and join Silversea’s culinary team for a provisioning excursion to a seafood market in Santander, Spain.


“The Flavours of Europe” will take place aboard Silver Explorer’s Expedition Voyage 7309. Sailing from Lisbon to Portsmouth from April 29 to May 13, 2013.


Throughout these special sailings, the featured guest chef and Silversea’s executive chef are on hand to share their culinary expertise and answer any questions. Celebrity chefs will also display their exceptional talents during dynamic and informative cooking demonstrations where guests can taste and learn firsthand the secrets of enticing signature dishes.


Following is a list of chefs tapped to host Culinary Arts voyages in the coming months:


Ying Compestine: Born in China, she is an authority on Asian culture and cuisine, an award-winning author and former food editor for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, and the author of four cookbooks, including Ying’s Best One-Dish Meals and Cooking with Green Tea.  She will host a culinary presentation on Silver Shadow’s transpacific Voyage 3227, September 6 - 23, 2012, Vancouver to Tokyo.


Eyvind Hellstrøm: This Norwegian superstar chef, who earned two Michelin stars for Oslo’s legendary Bagatelle restaurant, will share his talents aboard Silver Wind’s Arabia and Indian Ocean Voyage 2237, December 5 - 22, 2012, Dubai to Mauritius.


Robert Wemischner: Based in Los Angeles, this pastry chef and culinary educator has always been intrigued by the flavor potential of ingredients, from turmeric to tea and from cumin to coffee. Author of four books including his latest, The Dessert Architect, he will share his expertise aboard Silver Spirit’s Voyage 5303, January 17 - February 1, 2013, Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles.


Dale Gartland: A native of Shropshire, England, Gartland is group executive chef for Relais & Châteaux member properties The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown, New Zealand. The award-winning chef will share his modern European cuisine with guests on Silver Shadow’s Voyage 3302, January 18 - February 1, 2013, Auckland to Sydney.


Aaron Patterson: This top chef won his first Michelin star at 23 and has been head chef since 1991 at Hambleton Hall, a Relais & Châteaux member property in Rutland, England.  Known for using the finest seasonal ingredients to create sumptuous modern British cuisine, he will host a cooking program on Silver Shadow’s Singapore-to-Hong Kong Voyage 3305, February 25 to March 6, 2013.


Shane Delia: One of Melbourne, Australia’s most innovative chefs, he has authored a cookbook and regularly appears on TV. His restaurants include the much-awarded Maha Bar & Grill and recently launched St. Katherine’s. He will be highlighting cuisine with an Asian twist for guests on Silver Shadow’s Voyage 3311, April 22 - May 6, 2013, Hong Kong to Tokyo.

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Carnival Dream Enters Dry Dock for Fun Ship 2.0 Additions

Published Wednesday, September 12th 2012


Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Dream has entered a two-week dry dock that will add two new bars -- RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar -- along with Cherry on Top, a retail outlet specializing in confections, custom apparel and other merchandise. The work is part of Fun Ship 2.0, a $500 million enhancement program.


The two new watering holes will be located poolside on Lido Deck. RedFrog Rum Bar has a Caribbean vibe, with rum-based frozen drinks and beers, including Carnival’s private label draft brew, ThirstyFrog Red. Across the deck will be BlueIguana Tequila Bar, which has a Mexican-themed atmosphere and tequila-based frozen drinks and Mexican beers. Cherry on Top features bins of bulk candy, gifts, novelties, custom apparel and more.


Following the dry dock, Carnival Dream is scheduled to resume its year-round seven-day Caribbean schedule from Port Canaveral on Sept. 22.

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Cunard Cancels Queen Victoria’s Oct. 3 Cruise Due to Propulsion Problem

Published Wednesday, September 12th 2012


Cunard has canceled the Queen Victoria’s Oct. 3 cruise so it can repair the vessel’s propulsion system. The canceled cruise is a 16-night “Adriatic Discovery Voyage.” Passengers and are offered an alternative Cunard sailing or a full refund, along with an additional 15 percent future cruise credit.


“Although there are no safety issues relating to this maintenance, it does preclude the ship achieving the speeds required to deliver the voyage itinerary and therefore it is necessary to take the ship out of service for a short period,” Cunard said in a statement.


The ship will enter a dry dock in Bremerhaven, Germany, for the repairs. It will return to service on Oct. 17 with a new two-night voyage from Southampton. Queen Victoria then is expected to depart Oct. 19 as scheduled on a 23-night Caribbean voyage.


“We are very sorry to disrupt our passengers’ travel plans,” said Cunard President Peter Shanks said.  “We are doing all we can to minimize the impact on our passengers and to help everyone affected find suitable alternative holidays.”


Before undergoing repairs Oct. 3, the ship will sail current voyages at slightly lower speeds, which will mean changes to one port on scheduled itineraries (the substitution of Oporto for Vigo). Passengers have been informed.


Queen Victoria’s Oct. 3 voyage was due to sail round-trip from Southampton and call at Cadiz, Katakolon, Corfu, Split, Venice, Dubrovnik and Malaga.

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Cruise Ship Grazes Pier

Published Wednesday, September 12th 2012


Holland America's Maasdam had a minor collision with a berth in Montreal while docking September 8. No one was injured, but repairs to the ship were made.


At the time of the incident the ship was under the hands of two regional river pilots dispatched by the Laurentian Pilot Authority, a Holland America Line spokesman told Cruise Critic. Maasdam sustained "minor damage above the water line," when it hit the number 17 berth, the spokesman said.


The damage to the ship was not severe, though it was delayed in departing Montreal. All necessary repairs were made. The Canadian Coast Guard is investigating the mishap.


The ship, which is on a seven-night sailing from Montreal to Boston, was originally scheduled to depart September 9 from Quebec, but rough seas caused by Tropical Storm Leslie prompted an overnight stay and a September 10 departure.

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US lawsuits targeting Carnival in Italian, Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster.

Published Wednesday, September 12th 2012

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Despite legal obstacles that might force them to sue in Italy, hundreds of Costa Concordia passengers and up to 1,000 businesses on the island where the capsized cruise ship ran aground are pressing ahead with U.S. lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages from Miami-based Carnival Corp.

The lawsuits filed in both federal and state courts contend that Carnival is the corporate parent of the Costa brand, which operated the vessel, and is ultimately responsible for any safety violations, negligence or recklessness that may have led to the Jan. 13 accident that claimed 32 lives. Investigators say the ship rammed a reef while passing too close to Giglio Island, off Italy’s Tuscan coast.


“Costa Cruise Lines is the alter ego of Carnival,” said Edward Ricci, whose lawsuit seeks to represent Giglio Island tourist-related businesses that claim the disaster deterred visitors, polluted environmentally sensitive local waters and depressed property values.


Even though the Costa Crociere subsidiary is based in Genoa, Italy, and the Concordia itself never sailed to a U.S. port, Ricci contends that it and Carnival’s other brands all answer to its Miami headquarters. Carnival, he noted, announced a company-wide audit of safety practices after the disaster that is being overseen by Miami-based executives.


“It is from this headquarters that the tragic crash of the Costa Concordia could have been prevented by insisting on better training of officers, safer operation and navigation of ships, and elimination of the reckless practice of ‘sail-by salutes,’” Ricci said in court papers, referring to evidence that the Concordia’s captain sailed too close to the island on purpose for publicity and to impress passengers.


Similar claims are made in at least four other lawsuits, one of them filed last week that represents 155 passengers from 14 countries, including some U.S. citizens. All together the lawsuits seek tens of millions of dollars in damages from Carnival, which is the world’s largest cruise line.


A Carnival spokeswoman said the company would not comment on pending litigation beyond the court filings.


In those court documents, Carnival contends that the Italian Costa line is a separate corporate entity and that any lawsuits should be filed in Italy. Lawyers for Carnival say the company does not own the Concordia and does not manage Costa’s day-to-day activities.


“This is an Italian dispute and should be tried in an Italian court,” said Thad Dameris, representing Carnival in the case involving Giglio Island businesses. “This case has no real connection to the United States.”


Still, the companies are closely intertwined. Costa Crociere is a subsidiary of London-based Carnival plc, which appears on the surface to be separate from the Miami-based Carnival. Yet they share the same top executives and board of directors and “operate as a single economic enterprise,” according to Carnival’s court filings. And Costa Cruise Lines Inc. is based in Hollywood, Fla., and issued statements after the accident.

Source By Associated Press

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