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BREAKING
NEWS
updated October 15,
1999
Katarina Witt Named Godmother Of Voyager Of The
Seas
Royal Caribbean International recently named Olympic
champion ice skater Katarina Witt godmother of Voyager of
the Seas. The most innovative cruise ship ever built,
Voyager of the Seas is the first vessel in history to have a
permanent ice rink. Voyager's Center Ice will debut this
November during a star-studded ice special featuring Witt
and other skating champions. The program, StarSkates On
Broadway, will air on November 28,1999 on NBC TV, 4-6 p.m.
EST.
A six-time European champion, four-time figure skating world
champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Witt has
dominated the sport since the 1980s. She won Olympic gold
medals in 1984 and 1988, a feat accomplished by only one
other figure skater. As godmother, she joins a distinguished
group of godmothers for Royal Caribbean International's
fleet of ship, which includes Whoopi Goldberg, former first
lady Roslyn Carter, Gloria Estefan, Lauren Bacall and Queen
Sonja of Norway. Witt will be the guest of honor at a
spectacular naming ceremony and charity event in Miami
benefiting the United Way Success by Six program.
A Peek At The New Millennium
Celebrity Cruises recently unveiled details about
Millennium, the newest addition to the premium cruise line's
award-winning fleet. One of the many distinguishing elements
of the 1,950-passenger Millennium will be an authentic and
exclusive maritime treasure: Adorning the interior of the
ship's specialty dining area will be the actual interior
paneling from the R.M.S. Olympic, sister ship to the R.M.S.
Titanic.
Celebrity Cruises' first specialty restaurant, appropriately
named "The Olympic," is a gem of history recreated within a
134-seat elegant restaurant. The origin of the room's design
stems from a rare collection of wood paneling that once
graced the premier a la carte dining room onboard the
glamorous R.M.S. Olympic. First launched in 1911, the R.M.S.
Olympic drew the wealthiest and most influential travelers
from Europe and the United States who enjoyed dining in
Louis XV splendor within the ship's most elegant dining
room.
First discovered by Celebrity Cruises in a private English
residence and offered for sale at Sotheby's, the paneling
from R.M.S. Olympic's restaurant has been installed onboard
Millennium to become the genesis for the stylistic statement
of the room -- and a framework for theming The Olympic
restaurant. The room becomes the signature for fine dining
afloat, creating a commanding visual statement as well as an
outstanding culinary experience. Millennium's Olympic
restaurant also will offer the industry's first
demonstration galley, along with a dine-in wine cellar.
Each of the varied dining areas onboard Millennium -- "The
Olympic" specialty dining room, "The Metropolitan" main
dining room, and the "Ocean Cafe" and "Ocean Grill" -- will
continue to feature the award-winning cuisine of Europe's
Master Chef Michel Roux, culinary consultant to Celebrity
Cruises. As he has for each Celebrity vessel since 1989,
Roux is designing the entire food service program onboard
Millennium, as well as overseeing galley design, menu and
wine list development and executive restaurant staff
training.
Just as its cuisine captures accolades, Celebrity
anticipates that the powerhouse onboard Millennium will do
likewise. Millennium will be the first cruise ship to
incorporate gas turbine technology, a propulsion system
which reduces exhaust emissions by up to 90 percent and
considerably curtails noise and vibration, offering guests
the ultimate in cruising comfort.
"Celebrity Cruises is incredibly enthusiastic about
ushering in the new millennium with a state-of-the-art
cruise ship that blends the beauty and grandeur of
turn-of-the-century luxury liners with the amenities and
breakthrough technological advances that guests in the new
millennium will demand," said James Lomonosoff, senior vice
president of Marketing for Celebrity Cruises.
Maintaining Celebrity Cruises' trendsetting tradition,
Millennium will offer a number of other new features and
amenities, several of them industry firsts:
- Millennium will offer 80 percent ocean-view
staterooms, 74 percent with verandas.
- Millennium will present the industry's largest
Penthouse Suites, encompassing nearly 3,000 square feet
with veranda and including such opulent appointments as a
butler's pantry, personal exercise equipment, and a baby
grand piano.
- Millennium's 25,000-sq. ft. AquaSpa(SM) will be the
largest and most sophisticated spa at sea.
- "The Emporium," Millennium's 14,000-sq. ft. shopping
area, will be the largest designer boutique afloat.
- Millennium will introduce the industry's first
glass-enclosed elevators, offering guests captivating,
panoramic ocean views as they move from deck to deck.
- Millennium will present the industry's first music
library, "Notes, " offering thousands of selections of
digital recordings and individual listening stations.
- Expanded choices for the physically challenged are
available onboard Millennium, with accommodations in a
variety of categories, including suites.
In addition to its new public spaces and amenities,
Millennium will expand upon Celebrity Cruises' highly
acclaimed, fleetwide signature elements, including
museum-quality contemporary art collections, Cova Cafe di
Milano, Michael's Club cigar lounge, and Martini and
Champagne Bars serving caviar and other delicacies.
Millennium will offer five varied European itineraries
from June through October 2000, before beginning alternating
eastern and western Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale
in November 2000.
"Millennium's itineraries in 2000 offer cruise
enthusiasts an incredible array of enticing ports of call,"
said Lomonosoff. "The potential for sailing to additional
worldwide destinations is virtually limitless, as our
Millennium-class ships are being built to Panamax standards,
enabling Panama and Suez Canal transits."
Each Millennium ship has a contract price of approximately
$350 million and is under construction at Chantiers de
l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France.
Princess Expands Shore Excursion Pre-Reservation
Options
Passengers on Princess Cruises' Caribbean and Panama
Canal itineraries can now reserve their in-port excursions
in advance, with a new pre-cruise reservation option for
local shore tours. Princess is the first cruise line to
offer this service on regular sailings to these regions. The
new program provides added convenience to vacationers who
can now choose from more than 280 shore options, including
snorkeling, sailing, sightseeing or golfing, before they
sail. Passengers may book all or some of their tour
selections by advance reservation. Shore excursions will
continue to be available for booking throughout each
sailing.
The new system will also allow Princess to gauge interest
in specific tours and even request extra capacity on
particularly popular excursions.
Cruise passengers will receive a reservation form which
lists all available shore excursions about 70 days in
advance of their sailing. They can then choose one or more
tour options in each port, indicating preferred time of
departure. Tours will be booked and a confirmation form sent
with each passenger's cruise documents. Tickets for each
tour will be issued onboard the ship and delivered to the
passenger's stateroom on embarkation day. All tour fees will
be charged to the passenger's shipboard account which is
payable at the end of the cruise.
Princess' extensive selection of Caribbean and Panama
Canal shore tours range from submarine journeys, island
drives, rainforest excursions and sightseeing tours to a
host of water sports. Princess' New Waves program on
selected voyages offers the only course in the area in which
passengers can earn PADI (Professional Association of Diving
Instructors) diving certification while on their cruise.
(Pre-registration for the New Waves PADI certification
program will continue to be offered through a toll-free PADI
phone number.)
The line's upcoming Caribbean and Panama Canal seasons
include more than 10 itineraries aboard six ships, including
the new Ocean Princess, which debuts in February.
QE2 To Switch Ports?
 Since
coming into service more than three decades ago, Cunard
Line's flagship has been based in Southampton. That may soon
change, as Cunard has been looking at the port of Harwich,
on the east coast of Britain, to base the Queen Elizabeth 2.
Though Cunard has confirmed the possibility that it may
switch ports for the QE2, a company spokesperson says that
Southampton would likely remain the port of registry. The
QE2's contract with the port of Southampton expires in April
of 2000.
Son of Famed Explorer to Join Luxury Antarctica
Cruise
Peter Hillary, son of Antarctic explorer and Mount
Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary, will headline an
all-star team of lecturers aboard a unique 26-day Antarctica
expedition, departing January 27, 2000. Orient Lines' luxury
liner, Marco Polo, will sail across the bottom of the world,
from the tip of Argentina to New Zealand, taking passengers
within 736 miles of the South Pole.
 The
Grand Antarctic Circumnavigation includes a 23-day luxury
cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Christchurch, New
Zealand; exploration by inflatable Zodiac landing craft at
sights of interest in Antarctica and a half-day tour of
Christchurch upon disembarkation. Prices start from $7,250
per person, based on double occupancy, and include all shore
excursions, meals and entertainment. Low airfare add-ons are
available from 48 cities.
 Northern
Europe On The Rise
Northern Europe now ranks as the world's fourth busiest
cruise destination after the Caribbean, the Mediterranean
and Alaska, according to the Cruise Lines International
Association.
Cruise Capacity Up
Cruise capacity worldwide rose 7% in the third quarter,
with the mass market lines accounting for the lion's share
of the growth. The number of mass market berths has
virtually doubled during the last 12 months.
Silversea Expansion On Schedule
Construction of Silversea Cruises' two new sister ships,
the 25,000 grt, 388-passenger Silver Shadow and Silver
Mirage, is progressing according to schedule at the
Francesco Visentini Shipyard near Venice, Italy. The first
of these two purpose-built, ultra-luxury ships, Silver
Shadow, will be delivered in September, 2000; Silver Mirage
will follow in June, 2001.
At I I decks high, 597 feet long, and 82 feet wide, the
ships will have a draft of 19.5 feet and a maximum speed of
21 knots. To date, the hull of Silver Shadow is completed up
to deck six, and work has begun on deck three of Silver
Mirage. The Silver Shadow hull will be launched on October
9th at the Visentini Yard, and will arrive at the T.
Mariotti Shipyard in Genoa on October 20th for the ship's
final construction and outfitting.
Silver Shadow's 11 -day Gala Inaugural voyage from Rome to
Lisbon is set for September 15, 2000. The ship will journey
from Rome to Livorno, Italy; Marseille, France; Barcelona,
Palma de Mallorca, and Malaga, Spain; Gibraltar (U.K.);
Casablanca, Morocco (for an overnight stay); arriving in
Lisbon. Per person, double occupancy rates begin at $9,395.
The ship's maiden voyage is fully booked and waitlisted.
Silver Shadow's Inaugural Season continues from September
through December with eight voyages, including a 14-day
Grand Transatlantic voyage from Lisbon to New York, followed
by Fall cruises down the colonial coast and through the
Caribbean. The ship will spend its first winter celebrating
South American summer as it travels the coasts of Brazil,
Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, taking guests through the
majestic Chilean fjords. Rates for the Inaugural Season
range from $5,195 for a Vista Suite to $30,495 for a Grand
Suite, per person, double occupancy, depending on itinerary
selected.
The style and design of the new ships will be similar to the
line's highly acclaimed Silver Cloud and Silver Wind (each
is 16,800 grt with a 296 guest capacity). Guests will be
pampered in the same Silversea style by a crew of 295, and
enjoy a passenger space ratio of 64, providing them with
more space per guest than any other cruise ship.
- Each ship will have 194 ocean-view suites, with more
than 80 percent featuring private teak verandas: two
Owner's Suites, four Grand Suites, 13 Silver Suites, two
Medallion Suites, 134 Veranda Suites, 35 Vista Suites (no
veranda), and two Handicap Suites (with veranda). The
ships have been designed to feature a greater
concentration of larger suites located midship.
- A standard Veranda Suite will be a spacious 349
square feet, including veranda, and feature a larger
bathroom and walk-in closet. Bathrooms will feature a
telephone, a double basin vanity, and a full bathtub with
separate shower. Also, new to Silver Shadow and Silver
Mirage will be eight connecting Veranda Suites that will
allow family and friends the opportunity to travel
together but in separate suites.
- New aboard each ship will be a Poolside Grille
offering guests a casual alternative to daytime dining.
The popular bistro-style Terrace Cafe will continue to
feature sumptuous breakfast and lunch buffets, while
evening menus will accent gourmet Italian, French and
Asian cuisine providing guests with yet another dining
option. Guests can expect the same six-star dining
in
- The Restaurant, the elegant, single seating dining
room featuring Silversea's award-winning, gourmet
cuisine. Of course, in-suite dining will always be an
option, and Silversea's exclusive partnership with Le
Cordon Bleu will continue aboard the new ships.
- An expanded Spa and Fitness facility (62 percent
larger) located on the top deck will include beauty and
massage treatments, men's and ladies' sauna and steam
rooms, and a complete line of exercise equipment.
Adjacent to the Spa will be the Observation Lounge which
will feature panoramic views of the world, and may be
accessed by one of five elevators aboard each ship.
- Other new features will be a Computer Center, a
comprehensive Conference Center, Cigar Club and a Wine
Bar. As an added convenience for guests, each ship will
feature several convenient self-service laundry
facilities. Award-winning Ships; All-inclusive Value
Accredited Courses At Sea
Holland America Line, working with the Florida-based
organization University at Sea, will offer 19 accredited
medical courses aboard its 2000 Caribbean, Panama Canal and
Alaska cruises, combining a luxury vacation with
professional enhancement for a wide variety of medical
practitioners.
Opportunities for enrichment in the medical field include
topics such as Risk Management & Malpractice, Infectious
Diseases & Pathophysiology of Aging, Pediatric Care
& Genetics and Chiropractic Medicine. Dr. C. Everett
Koop, former Surgeon General of the United States, will be
among the instructors featured onboard University at Sea
sailings.
Classes will be held on days at sea in Holland America's
comfortable meeting facilities with state-of-the-art audio
visual capability.
In other news, Holland America will introduce new
seven-day cruises to the Southern Caribbean aboard the ms
Veendam in fall 2000 -- the first time it has offered
seven-day sailings to this part of the Caribbean. Making
this possible is Holland America's new homeport of San Juan,
Puerto Rico, for the five-star, 1,266-passenger Veendam.
The seven-day Southern Caribbean cruises have nine
departures from San Juan between Oct. 20 and Dec. 15, 2000.
They call at five ports during the cruise, letting guests
experience a swirl of different Caribbean cultures and
flavors.
Also, Holland America Line will feature its newest
ship, the ms Zaandam, on a full program of seven-day
Caribbean cruises out of Ft. Lauderdale during summer
2000.
Following two 10-day inaugural sailings March 16 and April
5, the 1,440-passenger luxury cruise ship will begin a
series of seven-day Caribbean cruises from April 15 to Sept.
30. The five-star Zaandam will offer a total of 26 seven-day
sailings, alternating between Eastern and Western Caribbean
itineraries.
The Zaandam begins with its Western Caribbean itinerary,
departing Ft. Lauderdale on Sundays for Playa del Carmen
(service call) and Cozumel, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand
Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Holland America's private
island paradise, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.
The Eastern Caribbean itinerary offers Saturday departures
and features Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St.
John (service call) and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and
Half Moon Cay.
Orient Lines To Add New Ship
Orient Lines will add a second ship to its fleet in the
spring of 2000. The addition of the 1,050-passenger Crown
Odyssey, formerly Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Crown,
will more than double the amount of passengers that Orient
Lines now transports to exotic worldwide destinations.
 Orient
Lines' Crown Odyssey, which sailed for three years as
Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Crown, was christened
Crown Odyssey in 1988 by her original owners, the former
Royal Cruise Line. According to Deborah Natansohn, Orient
Lines' president, "The Crown Odyssey always had a loyal
following of passengers who appreciated unusual destinations
and the camaraderie which develops on board a mid-size
liner. That's why we decided to revert to the original
name."
The 34,250-ton vessel has 527 spacious staterooms decorated
in warm pastel tones, including 16 suites with balconies.
Grand public rooms include the Top of the Crown -- a
glass-enclosed lounge high atop the ship with 360 degree
views -- several bars and lounges, the elegant Seven
Continents Dining Room, Yacht Club alternative restaurant,
modern health club complete with indoor pool and two
whirlpools, casino, library, two-story theater with
extensive conference facilities, and an outdoor swimming
pool with two Jacuzzis. The Crown Odyssey will receive a
number of on-board enhancements prior to sailing under the
Orient Lines' banner.
Silversea Cruises to Manage the World's
First Ocean-Going Luxury Residence
As reported last week, Silversea Cruises has signed a
contract with ResidenSea Ltd. to manage the world's first
ocean-going luxury residence, The World of ResidenSea,
scheduled for delivery in December 2001.
Silversea will have full responsibility for the maritime
and hotel management of The World, a $262 million, 40,000
grt vessel comprised of 110 luxurious, privately-owned
residences and 88 luxury guest suites. Silversea will be
completely responsible for the sales and marketing of the
guest suites.
Forty-three of the private residences have been sold
prior to construction start. Some 50 percent of these buyers
are European, approximately 40 percent are American, and the
remaining 10 percent are from various parts of the world.
The majority of buyers are active business people in their
early fifties. The residences range in size from 1,106 to
3,242 square feet, and are priced from $2,000,000 to
$6,840,000.
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Copyright 1999 by Cruise
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