Cruise Guide: New ship launches pending
By Mike Coleman Could it get any better for cruise ship travel aficionados? Over the next 12 months, a series of new ships will be launched by various cruise lines, and a host of other vessels are now being constructed in shipyards around the globe for debuts in the coming years. Kicking off the parade …...
Cruise Guide: New luxury line, Cunard monument unveiled in Halifax
By Michael Coleman Halifax, the Nova Scotia capital so steeped in maritime history, stood briefly this month at the center of the cruise world. It wasn’t the nearby Citadel or picturesque Peggy’s Cove that garnered the attention, however. The news instead focused on the building of a new luxury cruise vessel in the...
Cruise Guide: Crystal Symphony undergoes extreme makeover
By Michael Coleman One of the world’s top luxury cruise ships will receive a $23 million stem-to-stern makeover this fall during a two-week dry dock at BAE Shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. The 940-guest, 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony, a perennial favorite among well-heeled cruise travelers, will enter the shipyard October 31...
Cruise Guide: The sky’s the limit . . . at sea
By Michael Coleman As the world’s largest passenger vessel was unveiled in Miami last week, I had but one question on my mind: What will they think of next? Royal Caribbean’s highly-anticipated Freedom of the Seas is not your typical cruise ship. She features 15 passenger decks, an onboard surf park, cantilevered whirlpools...
Cruise Guide: Industry rolls out global red carpet to woo cruise passengers
By Michael Coleman Cruise ship travel continues to gain in popularity – a record 10 million North Americans are expected to step foot on a major vessel this year alone. But it’s the economic impact on local communities across the globe that is propelling the industry to new heights Old piers are suddenly receiving...