April 2015

Cruise line pays cruise taxes, port charges and fees, a savings of up to $200 savings per guest

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Get ready, Top Chef fans: Celebrity Cruises® has announced their 2015 Top Chef Signature Sailing. Like last year’s offerings, guests will able to dine, learn from, and interact with past cheftestants, which this year includes newest Top Chef alumni Gregory Gourdet and Doug Adams, as well as past favorites Nina Compton, Ash Fulk, Tiffany Derry and Chris Crary. The group will lead private cooking classes and best of all—and new to this year—host shore excursions with guests. Also new to this year: dual-style cooking demonstrations, which will pit cheftestants against each other in a culinary battle, while answering fans’ questions. In true reality show-style, the audience members will decide on the ultimate battle winner.

The 2015 Top Chef Signature Sailing will set sail on Saturday, November 14 onboard the Celebrity Reflection®. It joins Celebrity’s ongoing Top Chef at Sea activities, which include interactive Quickfire Challenges and Top Chef-inspired menu evenings on board nine of their ships, for all sailings departing through June 2016. Guests will indulge in some of the dishes the judges raved about on the show at Top Chef Night in the main restaurant.

Sign up now to see what culinary adventures lie in store for this year’s passengers. 

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Following its inaugural Europe season in 2016, Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam will homeport at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The ship will sail a series of Caribbean voyages and one cruise to the Bahamas from November 2016 through March 2017. Koningsdam’s Caribbean itineraries will be available for booking in late spring.

The seven-day cruises visit popular ports in the region, while the longer nine-, 10- and 11-day itineraries provide more time for exploring and include a diverse array of islands with exciting, off-the-beaten-path calls. A four-day cruise to the Bahamas kicks off the Caribbean season. All voyages are roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.

“We are excited to sail Holland America Line’s newest ship from Port Everglades on the most varied and robust Caribbean itineraries of any of our ships,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “The Caribbean remains among the most popular cruise destinations in the world, and by having itineraries that range from four to 11 days guests will be able to enjoy a vacation that fits their schedule.”

Four-day Bahamas Cruise
Koningsdam begins its inaugural season in the Caribbean with a four-day cruise to the Bahamas departing Nov. 9, 2016. Following an overnight in Fort Lauderdale, the ship calls at Nassau followed by Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s award-winning private island. The voyage is the perfect way to sample Holland America Line’s new Pinnacle-class ship.

Seven-day Caribbean Cruises & Holiday Sailing
Two different seven-day itineraries provide an ideal getaway in winter, when the balmy breezes of the Caribbean beckon. The first itinerary sails Jan. 8 and 29 and Feb. 12, 2017, calling at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Half Moon Cay. The second itinerary departs Jan. 15 and Feb. 5, 2017, and visits Half Moon Cay; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Key West, Fla. The two itineraries can be combined to create a nonrepeating 14-day Caribbean Collectors’ Voyage.

For the holidays, the Dec. 23, 2016, departure falls over Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, making it the most festive of voyages. The seven-day cruise will visit Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.

Nine-day Caribbean Cruises Include a New Year’s Option
Guests looking for a slightly longer Caribbean vacation can embark Dec. 14, 2016, for a nine-day voyage that showcases six popular ports. The ship calls at Half Moon Cay; Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; San Juan; and Grand Turk.

Another nine-day voyage departing Dec. 30 rings in the New Year with fun, sun, sand and surf. The ship will call at Falmouth, Jamaica; Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel and Key West.

10-day Caribbean Cruises Feature Southern Caribbean
From the turquoise waters of the Dominican Republic to the powdery beaches of the ABC Islands, Koningsdam’s 10-day itinerary highlights some of the most beautiful ports in the region. Departing Nov. 13 and Dec. 4, 2016, and Feb. 19 and March 12, 2017, the cruises call at Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; the exclusive cruise port of Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Willemstand, Curaçao; and Oranjestad, Aruba.

11-day Caribbean Cruises Offer Blend of Several Ports
The eastern Caribbean takes center stage on the 11-day voyages that depart Nov. 23, 2016, and March 1 and 22, 2017. Koningsdam will visit the ports of Philipsburg; Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; Fort-de-France, Martinique; Basseterre; St. Thomas; and Half Moon Cay. Guests aboard also will enjoy scenic cruising in Soufrière Bay and past the famed Mount Pelée volcano.

About ms Koningsdam
Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy, Koningsdam represents a new Pinnacle Class of ship for Holland America Line. When it sets sail on its Premier Voyage April 8, 2016, the vessel will debut several innovative concepts and new public venues while still featuring popular amenities guests associate with Holland America Line.

Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy fine dining in several alternative restaurants including Sel de Mer, a new French seafood brasserie; a new immersive farm-to-table dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine; a re-designed casual Lido Market with themed serving stations; a stunning main dining room; and favorites such as Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto Italian restaurant and pan-Asian Tamarind. The ship also will feature Holland America Line’s first purpose-built staterooms for families as well as single staterooms among its 1,331 guest accommodations.

Entertainment is taken to a new level with the energetic Music Walk area featuring all genres of music showcased in venues including Lincoln Center Stage performing chamber music nightly; Billboard Onboard where live musicians rock the crowd with chart-topping hits; and the popular B.B. King’s Blues Club in the Queen’s Lounge bringing the best of Memphis music to sea. World Stage brings 270-degree LED projection to the main showroom, enabling new concepts for showtime performances and immersing the audience in a panorama of sight and sound.

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Paul Gauguin Cruises, operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, and the 88-guest m/v Tere Moana, announces that world-renowned oceanographer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau will guest host four sailings on The Gauguin in 2016.

For more than 60 years, he along with his father, the legendary Jacques Cousteau, and his family, have been part of the greatest exploration of the oceans in all of history. In 1999, Mr. Cousteau founded the Ocean Futures Society to explore global oceans, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for their protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet.

During voyages on The Gauguin, Mr. Cousteau will offer a series of lectures with videos of his work in the world’s oceans and accompany guests on several dives. Voyages featuring Mr. Cousteau are:

• 10-night Society Islands & Tuamotus cruise:  March 2, 2016
• 10-night Society Islands & Tuamotus cruise:  June 1, 2016
• 10-night Society Islands & Tuamotus cruise:  September 21, 2016
• 14-night Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands cruise:  November 19, 2016

Also available in 2016 is Mr. Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program, which introduces young travelers (ages 9-17) to the natural wonders of French Polynesia through interactive, hands-on experiences with island ecosystems. The program is available on summer sailings from June through August and on select holiday cruises for a nominal fee of $329-$399 per child based on itinerary.

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Cruise Line’s Fourth Season Features Diamond Princess Sailing From Kobe and Tokyo to New Ports and Features UNESCO World Heritage Sites and National Cultural Festivals

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