PRESS RELEASE_CELEBRATION, Fla. (July 17, 2018) – This year, unwrap a holiday adventure for the whole family: a cruise aboard the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy, all decked out with holiday cheer.
Starting early November, Disney Cruise Line adds sparkle to each ship during Very Merrytime Cruises, with traditional “turkey day” fanfare, Christmas feasts, “snow flurries” and more. During these voyages, special stem-to-stern holiday events include: “Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic” in the atrium lobby on the first night of the cruise, where Disney characters lead holiday carols and the lighting of the glittering, three-deck-tall tree. “Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball” in the atrium lobby, where Disney cruisers welcome the guests of honor, Santa and Mrs. Claus, with a grand celebration featuring Broadway-style entertainment, favorite Disney characters and classic holiday tunes. This evening of enchantment is made complete when a special pair of royal sisters joins the party and causes a flurry of “frozen” fun as a magical snowfall overtakes the atrium. Dickens-inspired carolers carrying the spirit of the holidays throughout the ship while singing holiday classics, sometimes with the help of favorite Disney friends. At the end of the cruise, children will have the opportunity to join the carolers onstage for a special farewell show. Family holiday activities including building gingerbread houses and meeting Santa Claus. Youth holiday crafts such as decorating stockings and gingerbread men cookies, making holiday cards and creating holiday animation cells. “Deck the Deck Holiday Party,” a tropical celebration with Disney friends leading games such as hula hooping and limbo under oversized candy canes, along with dances for the whole family like the “Yuletide Slide” and a conga line around the pool. A special holiday edition of the cheerful farewell celebration on the final night of the cruise, with beloved Disney characters and the ship’s crew in an engaging musical finale led by Mickey Mouse. On Thanksgiving Day, guests will enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving Day feast and visits from Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Thanksgiving attire. Also during the special Thanksgiving voyages, NFL football games will be broadcast live on the ships’ outdoor, jumbo LED screens – Funnel Vision – located near the family pool. On Christmas morning at the atrium lobby tree, Santa Claus and his helpers will have a surprise for all the kids, and guests will delight in a special musical performance from the children. A traditional Christmas dinner will be served that night in the dining rooms. Christmas services will be held on Christmas Day with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Hanukkah services will be held each day, Dec. 2 to Dec. 10. When the ships stop at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, during the holidays, the celebration continues with “snow flurries,” a decked-out Christmas tree, Disney character meet-and-greets and holiday island music. To celebrate the holidays, the Disney Magic sails four-, five- and seven-night Bahamian cruises, five- and six-night Eastern Caribbean cruises, and five-night Western Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 10 to Dec. 23; the Disney Wonder sails four-, six- and seven-night Western Caribbean cruises and seven-night Bahamian cruises departing from Nov. 2 to Dec. 21; the Disney Dream sails three- and four-night Bahamian cruises departing from Nov. 9 to Dec. 24; and the Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Nov. 10 to Dec. 22. PRESS RELEASE_MIAMI – July 17, 2018 – Once again, Celebrity Cruises is set to transform the industry with the unveiling of THE CELEBRITY REVOLUTION, a more than $500-million reimagining of the fleet in partnership with more than 500 leading architects, designers, and engineers designed to bring the rest of the brand’s award-winning fleet to the Edge.
“We launched THE CELEBRITY REVOLUTION to do one thing – transform the way our guests experience the world. It began with the introduction of the industry-changing Celebrity Edge, and continued with the stunning Celebrity Flora,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “Our dedication to improving the way guests experience the world knows no bounds. We are taking our entire award-winning fleet to the edge and giving people the vacation they truly deserve.” THE SUITE LIFE JUST GOT SWEETER Transforming the brand’s award-winning ships gave Celebrity the opportunity to bring its already world-class suite experience on board Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Infinity, and Celebrity Summit to lavish new heights with the help of visionary designer Kelly Hoppen, MBE. She will also infuse the newly added Reflection Suite and Signature Suites (found today on Celebrity Reflection) to Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Silhouette, with her signature style – a subtle, coordinated fusion of East meets West, with clean lines, neutral tones, and a warm, inviting opulence. “This was a new and exciting challenge to recreate something stylish and luxurious yet totally different from the accommodations that I have designed for Celebrity Edge,” said Hoppen. “I wanted to invoke a feeling of timeless luxury that welcomed guests into their own haven. Your bedroom is where you sleep and where you wake, two of the most important times of day, especially when you are on vacation. It was important to create space, harmony and luxury within a home away from home setting and I think we achieved this balance perfectly.” MARINER SPORTS DECK: From rock climbing to waterslides and even a virtual reality bungee trampoline, Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas has an activity for every member of the family. Take a tour of the ship's newly amped up sports deck and all it has to offer. TIME LAPSE DEPARTURE: Royal Caribbean International’s much-hyped Mariner of the Seas sails from her new home in Miami.
PRESS RELEASE_Geneva, Switzerland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 11, 2018 – MSC Cruises and Miami-Dade county announced the signing of an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, commented: “The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises, as we continue to strengthen our global footprint, with a strategic focus on North America." PortMiami is the Company’s exclusive home-port in the U.S. The new agreement extends MSC Cruises’ existing Saturday preferential berthing rights also to Sundays. Additionally, the new terminal — which is projected to be completed by October 2022 — will be able to accommodate MSC Cruises’ next-generation, still under construction MSC World Class cruise ships carrying up to 7,000 guests. Currently the revolutionary MSC Seaside, which debuted only a few months ago in late 2017, sails year around from Miami to the Caribbean from the recently completed Terminal F. MSC Divina also sails seasonally to the Caribbean from October through March, and MSC Armonia will join MSC Cruises’ North American-based fleet beginning year-round cruises to Havana, Cuba in December 2018. In addition, as of November 2019, MSC Meraviglia, the Company’s largest ship at 171,598 GRT with the capacity to carry 5,714 cruise guests (4,488 at double occupancy), will join the other three ships at PortMiami. “PortMiami is committed to providing a world-class experience to its guests and thanks to a long-standing collaborative relationship with Miami-Dade County we are thrilled that in less than 18 months MSC Cruises will have four ships sailing from the Port,” said Rick Sasso, Chairman of MSC Cruises USA. “This will also allow us to make a significant additional contribution to the economy of Miami and the county in its role as the Capital of the Cruise World, especially thanks to the large percentage of international guests traveling to Miami and South Florida to embark and disembark from MSC Cruises ships calling PortMiami. We now look forward to further extending our partnership with the Port and working closely on the development of the new cruise terminal AAA.” "In 2017, MSC Cruises worked with PortMiami on the completion of Terminal F, home to MSC Seaside, the first MSC Cruises ship to be built specifically for North American market and the Caribbean,” said Roberto Fusaro, President of MSC Cruises USA. “The construction of another cruise terminal is further testament of our commitment to U.S. travel partners and their guests, as it will allow us to continue to enhance our service, starting right from embarkation.” “Investing in PortMiami's infrastructure positions Miami-Dade County as a global destination for visitors," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "The construction of a new cruise terminal AAA with the capacity to berth an additional 7,000-passenger cruise ship represents thousands of jobs and increased opportunities for our community. We are grateful for MSC Cruises continued partnership.” "We are proud and extremely honored by MSC's commitment to PortMiami and Miami-Dade County,” said Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa. “MSC’s continued partnership is a big win for the growth and expansion of tourism in Miami-Dade County.”9 PRESS RELEASE_Seattle, Wash., July 2, 2018 — Holland America Line announced that Prinsendam has been sold and will leave its fleet July 1, 2019 and transfer to the German cruise company Phoenix Reisen. Following the sale, the 37,983-ton, 835-guest Prinsendam is being chartered back to Holland America Line to continue sailing its planned voyages through July 1, 2019. Prinsendam’s itineraries from July 1, 2019, onward are scheduled to be assimilated by Rotterdam, Volendam and Veendam. Holland America Line is reaching out to booked guests and their travel professionals to re-accommodate guests on these cruises. “Prinsendam has proudly served our guests since 2002, and we share in the fondness that many of our loyal cruisers have for this special ship,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “As we look to the future and focus on delivering the programming and innovations that our guests are asking for, we remain focused on exceeding guest expectations on every cruise and will continue to offer the unique itineraries that Prinsendam sailed on our other, smaller ships.” Prinsendam was built in 1988 as Royal Viking Sun for Royal Viking Line. The ship was operated by Cunard Line from 1994 through 1998 and then transferred to Seabourn Cruise Line, where it became Seabourn Sun in 1999. In 2002 the ship joined the Holland America Line fleet and was renamed Prinsendam. Phoenix Reisen is a Germany-based travel agency that also operates a fleet of cruise ships and first began operating cruises under its own brand in 1988. Today, its ships include ms Amadea, ms Artania, ms Albatros and ms Deutschland, and the company also operates approximately 50 riverboats. PRESS RELEASE_VALENCIA, Calif., July 2, 2018 — Luxury cruise line Cunard has partnered with The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation on its crowdfunding campaign to help build the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. The Museum, scheduled to open in 2019, will celebrate the Statue of Liberty’s story, explore how she has evolved from national monument to global icon, and be the new home for her original torch. The partnership is a natural fit as Cunard played a critical role in the immigration movement to the US in the late 1800s -- one in five immigrants who came through Ellis Island arrived on a Cunard liner. Today passengers can travel the same route as hundreds of thousands of immigrants did, during Queen Mary 2’s Transatlantic Crossing, sailing by the Statue of Liberty before arriving in New York harbor. Donations during the month-long campaign, launching July 4th, will go toward the fundraising initiative being led by the Foundation and campaign chairperson Diane von Furstenberg; donors can give at www.forladyliberty.org. The first person who donates $10,000, by selecting this exclusive perk on the campaign page, receives a Transatlantic Crossing for two on Queen Mary 2, a Cunard signature voyage with seven nights at sea to cross the Atlantic as many immigrants once did; includes airfare. The first person who donates $5,000, by selecting this exclusive perk on the campaign page, receives a private tour and lunch for two in the Britannia restaurant onboard Cunard’s flagship ocean liner Queen Mary 2 while the ship is docked in New York (includes airfare for two to New York). The first 100 people to donate $18.86, (the year Lady Liberty was dedicated), by selecting this exclusive perk on the campaign page, receive an exclusive branded Cunard Desktop Notepad engraved with the iconic Cunard crest. |
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