China, Asia-Pacific region beckon Voyager of the Seas
By Michael Coleman VENICE, Italy — July 30, 2011 – The largest cruise ship in the world, just a decade ago, is set to make a big splash in the world’s largest market. Voyager of the Seas, the globe’s most innovative cruise ship when it was launched in Nov. 1999 and which spawned the large …...
Voyager of the Seas dazzles a decade later
By Michael Coleman VENICE, Italy, July 29, 2011 – Voyager of the Seas, a marvel of engineering, foresight and ingenuity, still shines bright just over a decade after her launch. Once the world’s largest cruise ship — it took three years and some 10 million man hours to build before it debuted in Nov. 1999 …...
Follow us in the Mediterranean aboard Voyager of the Seas
By Michael Coleman Royal Caribbean’s 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas is in the midst of a 7-night roundtrip Mediterranean journey from Venice, Italy, this week. Just over a decade ago it was the largest cruise ship in the world. Today, five other ships within the Royal Caribbean fleet alone are larger, but Voyager at 137,276...
Royal Caribbean planing a fleet wide ship revitalization
By Jackie Roseboom Royal Caribbean has announced it will bring the latest innovations to all their ships and introduce the highest guest-rated programs from its Oasis-class ships. Coming soon at are a variety of new onboard dining and entertainment options, pervasive Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations and more. “The Royal Advantage...
NCL to offer pizza delivery 24/7
By Michael Coleman You’ll have to book a cruise to enjoy it but Norwegian Cruise Line announced this week it will now offer pizza delivery service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, fleet-wide. Presently offered only aboard the line’s newest ship, Norwegian Epic, “Pizza 24/7’’ is scheduled to roll out to the eight …...
Celebrity Silhouette completes tight squeeze
By Michael Coleman The shiny new Celebrity Silhouette will welcome passengers for the first time later this month in Germany but that’s the easy part for one of the world’s premium cruise lines. Silhouette departed the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany for open seas this week but not before completing a 26-mile navigation of...
Carnival, Princess adopt new onboard smoking policies
By Michael Coleman Carnival and Princess, two of the world’s most popular cruise lines, have adopted new onboard smoking policies which will be rolled out in the coming months. Citing its “ongoing commitment to keep pace with changing guest preferences’’ the 23-ship Carnival fleet, effective this week, will only permit cigarette...
All-inclusive Regent sets sights on longer itineraries
By Michael Coleman Intrepid luxury cruise travelers seeking more of Europe and South America in 2012 have been eyeing new, longer itineraries recently unveiled by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The line’s “Grand Voyages’’ — London to Stockholm, 29 nights in June, 2012; or Monte Carlo to Buenos Aires, 27 nights in November, 2012 —...
Three’s A Charm: Seabourn Quest Debuts
By Michael Coleman Ultra-luxury small-ship operator Seabourn unveiled its third new ship in three years when the 450-guest Seabourn Quest debuted this week. “She is a beautiful vessel, and I have no doubt she will earn as much praise from the experts, and as much affection from our guests as her two sister-ships,’’ said Richard...
American Safari Cruises eyes Hawaii
By Michael Coleman Hawaii bound vacationers have an extra incentive to book an inter-island yacht cruise aboard American Safari Cruises’ 36-guest Safari Explorer. To celebrate its inaugural season in Hawaii, the line is offering guests a $150 per person travel credit for reservations made through July 29, 2011. Sailing weeklong or...