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Showing posts with label Norwegian Pearl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norwegian Pearl. Show all posts
Norwegian Pearl Kicks Off Summer Program in Boston
The Norwegian Pearl is in Boston today to kick off its 2023 summer program in the U.S. Northeast.
Following a winter season in the Caribbean, the Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is set to offer different itineraries to Bermuda, Canada and New England departing from the Massachusetts homeport.
Extending through mid-October, the program begins with a series of week-long cruises to Bermuda. In addition to two or three overnights in King’s Wharf, some of the itineraries also include a visit to Bar Harbor, in Maine.
Continuing its Boston-based season, the Norwegian Pearl offers itineraries to Canada and New England starting in mid-August.
The fall and foliage program comprises both roundtrip and open-jaw departures and continues through late October.
Also sailing from Quebec City, the ship’s week-long itineraries in the region feature visits to destinations such as Halifax, Saguenay, Sydney, Charlottetown and Portland.
Upon completing its schedule in the Northeast, the Norwegian Pearl is set to return to Florida for a winter season sailing from PortMiami.
Following the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Jade, the Norwegian Pearl debuted in 2006 as the third ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel Class.
Built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the vessel has 93,000 tons and a capacity for nearly 2,400 guests.
While a new scrubber system was added to reduce the ship’s emissions, for instance, the design of all of the public rooms and staterooms was updated.
According to Norwegian, the refit aimed at giving the Pearl a fresh and modern look, which included new art pieces, new carpets, new upholstery and more.
Another area that went through a complete refurbishment was The Haven, the vessel’s ship-within-a-ship luxury suite complex, with got new furniture and finishings.
A Look at the 13 Charter Cruises on Norwegian Pearl
With Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings rolling out its “Experiences at Sea” division, the company also announced the Norwegian Pearl will sail 13 back-to-back theme/charter cruises starting later this month.
The 13 back-to-back cruises from Jan. 20, 2023 – Mar. 27, 2023, include:
Cruise Perfect (Jan. 20 –23) Miami to Nassau, Bahamas – The five dudes from Dude Perfect host an action-packed three-day cruise full of trick shots, challenges and fun for the whole family.
The Rock Boat XXII (Jan 23. – 28) Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Nassau, Bahamas – Guests will enjoy a five-day cruise hosted by Sister Hazel and featuring over 30 acts from Need to Breathe, Neon Trees, American Authors, Lit and so much more.
On the Blue (Jan. 28 – Feb. 2) Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize to Costa Maya, Mexico – Hosted by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, guests will enjoy a five-day classic rock cruise featuring an array of musical performances.
Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea (Feb. 2 – 6) Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas – Chris Jericho hosts a four-day cruise featuring the perfect blend of rock and world-class wrestling.
Nursecon at Sea (Feb. 6 – 10) Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic – The Ultimate Nursing Conference created by Nurse Blake will provide attendees with the perfect balance of vacation, entertainment, fun with professional learning (including accredited CNE courses) and networking.
Cayamo 15 (Feb. 10 – 17) Miami to Philipsburg, St. Maarten and Tortola, British Virgin Islands – Guests will celebrate the 15th anniversary of this Americana journey through song with over 40 artists, featuring Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird, Trampled by Turtles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Patty Griffin, Neko Case, Shovels & Rope and many more.
Sail Across the Sun (Feb. 17 – 21) Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic – Guests will embark on a four-day cruise hosted by Train with performances from over 20 artists including Fitz and the Tantrums, G. Love & Special, plus comedy from Nick Swardson, wine tastings and more.
Outlaw Country Cruise 7 (Feb. 21 – 27) Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas to Cozumel, Mexico – Celebrating the seventh edition, guests will enjoy performances from over 40 artists including once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, featuring The Mavericks, John Anderson, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle & The Dukes and more.
The Friendship (Feb. 27- March 3) Miami to Nassau, Bahamas to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas – Hosted by All My Friends and Gary Richards, DESTRUCTO, the music festival returns for its third year hosting a soon-to-be-announced line-up of artists and schedule of events for electric dance music (EDM) aficionados.
The Beach Boys Cruise (March 3 – 8) Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize to Costa Maya, Mexico – The Beach Boys are not only bringing their good vibrations, but also performances by The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Righteous Brothers, Mark McGrath and so many more on this five-day cruise.
311 Caribbean Cruise 7 (March 8 – 13) Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize to Roatan, Honduras – 311 host 3/11 Day at Sea with featured performances by Arrested Development, G. Love & Special Sauce, Less Than Jake, and more, plus shows from comedians still to be announced.
Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea VIII (March 13 – 17) Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic – Joe Bonamassa hosts a celebration of blues with over 20 artists, featuring Little Feat, Dion, Bobby Rush, Robert Randolph Band and more.
Atlantis (March 17 – 27) Miami to Key West to Cozumel, Mexico to Harvest Caye, Belize to Colon, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia to Georgetown, Grand Cayman – Each Atlantis cruise offers a carefree experience for the gay community based around friendship, camaraderie, relaxation, indulgence, adventure and pure uninhibited fun.
Plus: The Broadway Cruise (March 31 – April 5) New York City to Bermuda on Norwegian Gem – Guests can immerse themselves in the world of Broadway with special performances from Tony-Award winners Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming and more, plus panels and activities from the best creators in the business.
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line Cancel Sailings as Omicron Cases Surge
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday cancelled sailings amid rising fears of Omicron-related coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise for Jan. 6 after nine guests on its Jan. 2 trip were identified as close contacts to a local Hong Kong COVID-19 case.
The contacts have tested negative but the cruise ship will return to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Jan. 5 to test all guests and crew who must take a second test on Jan. 8, the company said.
A similar decision to cancel trips by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd was made against the backdrop of the United States reporting the highest daily tally of any country for new coronavirus infections on Monday.
“Due to ongoing travel restrictions, we’ve had to modify a few sailings and unfortunately have had to cancel,” the 17-ship strong cruise operator said, with the embarkation dates for a few cancelled sailings as far out as late April.
The cruise line, which requires everyone on board to be vaccinated, has also had to cut short a 12-day round trip from Miami on its Norwegian Pearl ship, citing “COVID related circumstances.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had last week advised people to avoid cruise travel after launching investigations into onboard cases on more than 90 ships. The health agency starts scrutiny if at least 0.1% of the guests test positive.
Norwegian Cruise said guests, who were supposed to embark on the cancelled sailings on the eight ships, will receive full refunds and bonus credits for future bookings.
The Omicron-led travel uncertainty is also causing guests on other sailings to cancel their bookings as a few ships have also had to skip ports due to onboard infections.
“We booked the cruise last March and assumed that things would be getting back to normal… by mid-December, I was mentally prepared for a change of plans,” said Holly Bromley, a consulting arborist, who cancelled her booking on Norwegian Epic.
Meanwhile, bigger rival Carnival Corp said it has not cancelled any upcoming voyages, but its shares fell on Wednesday to close down 2.6%. Royal Caribbean lost 2.1% and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings 3.6%. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Arun Koyyur)
Norwegian Dawn Kicks Off Tampa Program as the 10th NCL Ship Back in Service
The Norwegian Dawn is welcoming guests back today as the tenth vessel to resume commercial service for the Norwegian Cruise Line.
The 2002-built ship is also marking the company’s return to homeport operations in Tampa after a 21-month hiatus.
Through April, the Dawn is set to offer 15 cruises from the Florida port, sailing to the Bahamas, the Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
The five- to 11-night itineraries feature visits to popular destinations such as Cozumel, St. Thomas, Curaçao and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s private resort in Belize.
Originally ordered for Star Cruises, the Norwegian Dawn entered service in 2002. The 92,250-ton vessel is a sister to the Norwegian Star and can carry up to 2,200 guests in double occupancy.
The Germany-built ship also introduced the concept of hull art, a feature that was later added to the entire fleet.
In 2016, the Dawn underwent an extensive revitalization as part of The Norwegian Edge program, which aimed to elevate the standard of the NCL fleet. During the refit, the vessel received several new features, including Los Lobos Cantina, a Mexican speciality restaurant, and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
The design and décor in all of the ship’s public rooms and staterooms were also updated, including a complete makeover of the Garden Villas, the largest suites in the Norwegian fleet.
In addition to the Norwegian Dawn, the Norwegian Pearl is also resuming guest services this month. The 2,400-guest ship is set to welcome passengers back on Dec. 23 in Miami, kicking off a program of Caribbean and Panama Canal itineraries.
The brand later expanded its restart to additional destinations, including Alaska, the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean, the West Coast, Bermuda and more.
Currently, Norwegian is offering cruises in the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Mexican Riviera and Europe from nine different homeports.
Norwegian Cruise Line boss nets $1.3m in the share sale
Norwegian Cruise Line boss Andy Stuart netted $1.3 million from the sale of shares.
He sold 25,000 shares in parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in two tranches last week, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The sale at $50 per share came after the company reported record second-quarter financial results with earnings of $240.2 million for the three months to June 30.
The lift in profits came despite the impact of the abrupt US government ban on cruise ships calling into Cuba and a technical problem with the ship Norwegian Pearl which forced one cruise to be amended and another to be canceled.
Company president and CEO Frank Del Rio said at the time: “The underlying fundamentals of our business remain strong across all core markets, and we continue to expect record financial results in 2019, despite the impact from the change in federal regulations which resulted in the cessation of premium-priced Cuba sailings.”
NCLH has a market capitalization of $10.88 billion and controls NCL alongside Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Thousands of passengers are stuck in Barcelona on a stricken cruise ship while another of its voyages has been cancelled with just days' notice
Norwegian Pearl
A mechanical issue has left thousands of cruise passengers stuck in Barcelona, while another of its voyages has been cancelled entirely with just days' notice.
Norwegian Pearl was sailing a 13-day voyage from northern Europe to the Mediterranean when it experienced a technical issue - causing it to travel at a slower speed.
The problem meant the ship, which has 2,300 guests on board, missed a stop in Palma, Majorca, as well as Monte Carlo and is currently stranded in the Spanish city.
Additionally, an upcoming cruise of the Greek Isles and Italy, which was due to depart on Friday (July 5), has been cancelled much to the fury of its passengers.
She said: 'We were supposed to depart to Livorno at 6am and only miss the second port of call.
'They changed it around 9am to tell us we may not be able to go to Civitavecchia (Rome), will not be travelling to Livorno, will be receiving a 50 per cent refund and credit for a future cruise. If guests wanted to fully disembark they were allowed to and to make other travel arrangements.
'Then they announced we will not be sailing to Civitavecchia, our last port of call where most guests have flights booked. We are now kindly asked to disembark the ship by Friday at noon.'
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A picture was taken by Cheyenne Lewis, a passenger on the cruise, showing people lining up at guest services to try and re-arrange their travel plans
She continued: 'A good portion of the guests aren’t from Europe and will be spending a lot in fees to get to another destination. They are reimbursing $300 for airfare costs and have given customers an hour of free WiFi.
'However, flight tickets will soon run out or be price gouged.
'I was fortunate enough to have a WiFi package so when the first announcement about disembarking came on, I just bought my family and I flights to Rome and a hotel room.
'However, from what I’ve heard walking around, some of the flights are not remotely close to the $300 guests will be reimbursed.'
Another passenger Kelly Flint expressed her frustration on Twitter posting: 'Stuck on Norwegian Pearl in Barcelona. Already missed two shore stops. No info from NCL.
'Learned on the internet that next cruise has been cancelled. Don’t know how to get to Rome for flights home. Come on NCL.'
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Several passengers took to Twitter to vent their frustration at being stuck in Barcelona
Jessica Monroe also took to social media to vent her anger.
'Still stuck on the Norwegian Pearl in Barcelona. They said we’d leave at 6am, pretty sure the engine still won’t start. Can they update us so I can book a flight out of Barcelona?'
While Simon also tweeted: 'I was on the Norwegian Epic last February when we missed all ports of call due to engine problems. Used credits to book Norwegian Pearl - now cancelled due to engine problems. Want to vacation with you again but you're not making it easy.'
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said: 'On July 1, 2019, Norwegian Pearl, which is currently sailing a 13-day repositioning cruise from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean, experienced a mechanical issue which necessitates that she travel at a reduced speed.
'As such, she did not call to Palma, Majorca, and instead sailed directly to Barcelona where further assessments were made.
'Due to necessary repairs, Norwegian Pearl’s upcoming Greek Isles and Italy sailing departing on July 5, 2019, will be cancelled.
'We recognise the disappointment and inconvenience our guests have experienced as a result of this unforeseen situation and we offer our sincere apologies.
'Our team is working diligently to assist all of our guests, and we thank them for their continued support and loyalty.'
Norwegian Cruise Line to deploy six ships in Europe in 2019
Norwegian Bliss entering Southampton, photo by Dave Jones
Norwegian Cruise Line will deploy an additional ship in Europe next summer.
The 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl will offer ex-Amsterdam itineraries and sailings from Rome, Barcelona and Venice, having spent the 2018 summer season sailing out of the US.
Pearl will join five other NCL vessels in Europe: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Star and Norwegian Jade.
The sailings will go on sale on July 31, while Norwegian Jade and Spirit’s new 2019 programme will become available to sell on August 6.
NCL will deploy Norwegian Spirit in China from the summer of 2020, but next year it will operate ex-Southampton itineraries.
Nick Wilkinson, NCL’s vice president and managing director of UK & Ireland, said the decision was made in response to customer demand from Europe.
He said: “If you look at the robust demand environment around the world which was demonstrated by Norwegian Bliss – the best selling ship in our history – customers were booking nine, 12 and 18 months in advance.
“The message to the trade is this is our commitment to Europe. There are some great itineraries in the programme which gives agents more choice to offer their clients. The new home port in Amsterdam or Rome, for example.”
The 2,000 passenger-capacity Norwegian Spirit vessel will undergo a bow-to-stern revamp as part of the Norwegian Edge fleet refurbishment.
Spirit’s journey from Europe to Asia will feature sailings which include maiden calls for the line in South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives.
Jade will offer a season of sailings throughout south-east Asia, departing from Singapore and Hong Kong in winter 2019/20.
Ports of call include in-demand locations such as Phuket, Langkawi, Penang, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay.
Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’s president and chief executive, said: “The booming demand environment in our core markets around the world, coupled with Norwegian Bliss’ record-breaking performance, continue to exceed our expectations.
“As a result, we are leveraging the strategic benefits of our growing fleet to quickly seize sizeable opportunities in overperforming, and unserved markets to meet the demands of our global customer base and drive higher returns for our shareholders.”
Walking Dead cruise will be held on the Norwegian Pearl.
Fans of the hit television series The Walking Dead can rejoice.
Officials have announced that the third annual Walker Stalker Cruise will return in 2018.
According to the official website of the Walker Stalker Cruise, the four-night voyage on the Norwegian Pearl will depart from New Orleans on Jan. 26, 2018; stop in Cozumel, Mexico; and then return to the United States on Jan. 30.
This year’s Walking Dead-themed cruise will feature several of the top stars from the TV series, including Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alanna Masterson, Lauren Cohan and more.
In addition, Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and special makeup effects supervisor Greg Nicotero will also be along for the cruise, with more names from the series being added in the coming months.
With around 2,500 Walking Dead fans onboard the Norwegian Pearl, the activities include meet-and-greet sessions with the cast and crew, Q&A panels, zombie-themed activities, live music and access to the ship’s amenities and services.
Prices for the voyage start at $895 per person (based on double occupancy), before taxes and fees. For more information about the Walker Stalker Cruise, check out the voyage’s official website.
Whatever floats your boat - the unstoppable growth of themed cruises
Image copyrightwill byingtonImage captionKiss typically perform two shows per cruise
Not content with filling stadiums around the world, and selling more than 100 million records, the face-painted, fire-breathing US hard rockers also have their own navy.Show-stopping rock band Kiss were always going to go the extra - nautical - mile.
Every autumn Kiss hire a huge cruise liner to sail around the Caribbean for a week with 2,300 of their diehard fans. This year will be their sixth voyage, or Kiss Kruise VI.
The band perform two shows on the ship, and fans get to meet and hang out with the four band members.
There are 13 bars on board, plus 12 restaurants, a swimming pool, a gym, a spa, a casino, an indoor theatre and a tattoo parlour for getting a new Kiss ink work.
Image copyrightSixthmanImage captionEach Kiss Kruise sets sail from Miami
Members of the so-called Kiss Navy fly into Miami from around the world to attend, and Kiss vocalist and bass guitarist Gene Simmons says the cruise is one of the highlights of his annual calendar.
"It's rock and roll all night and party every day," he says. "Anyone who has ever been on one of our cruises comes back raving to their friends.
"Imagine 2,300 crazy friends, swimming, shopping, gaming and visiting exotic ports of call with us."
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionKiss perform both with and without their famous face paint on the cruise
While Kiss might not be to everyone's taste, the rock group has helped to transform the once staid world of cruise lines.
Whereas cruises were traditionally the preserve of elderly holidaymakers, over the past decade - and especially in the past five years - there has been an exponential growth in the number of "themed cruises" - cruises aimed at people with a specific interest.
This has opened up the world of cruising to a much younger demographic, and given the cruise industry hundreds of millions of dollars in additional earnings.
Image copyrightFrederick M. BrownImage captionGene Simmons will even officiate at fans' weddings on the sailingsImage copyrightwill byingtonImage captionSome Kiss fans get a new tattoo on the cruise
From music cruises - at which Kiss are leading the way - to cruises for people with specific political views, or cruises for poker players, or fans of Italian food, there is a ship sailing for pretty much everyone.
For example, if you are passionate about your constitutional right to bear arms, you might be tempted to join the Freedom Alliance and National Rifle Association's cruise down the River Danube in June. Guest speakers include US Republican politician - and former speaker of the US House of Representatives - Newt Gingrich.
Or if you are transgender, Transgender Vacations organises cruises around the Caribbean.
Disney holds regular sailings for fans of the Star Wars movies, where you can dress up as a stormtrooper or ewok and meet some of the actors.
'Intimate environment'
Howard Moses, founder and president of the Cruise & Vacation Authority, says that more than 700 themed cruises now set sail around the world each year, compared with less than 30 a decade ago.
"Themed cruises are absolutely by far the biggest growth area in the industry," says Mr Moses, whose organisation is based in the US state of Georgia.
Image copyrightWill ByingtonImage captionMusic cruises are not just about listening to your favourite band
"It has enabled the cruise industry to reach beyond people who are our traditional customers, to people who are passionate about a certain subject.
"For music cruises, there can be a very young crowd.
"And for the political cruises we joke that the attendees are often people who said they would never go on a cruise, yet they have the time of their lives, and are the first to lead the conga line."
Image copyrightWill ByingtonImage captionRock band Paramore is another group which sells cruises
At Atlanta-based Sixthman, the world's largest organiser of music cruises, its communications manager Alaidriale Derway says the business has just wrapped up its busiest ever spring sailing season, with 10 back-to-back cruises.
Sixthman now has more than 500 acts on its books, including Kiss. Other acts for whom it organises cruises include Weezer, Paramore, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock.
The company charters the ships and helps to organise support acts.
Image copyrightSixthmanImage captionKiss fans also get to meet their idols
Ms Derway says: "More and more artists want to get involved.
"Cruises are a great way for artists to interact with their fans in a much more intimate environment, and collaborate with each other.
"In terms of the cost for a fan, they pay a set fee, and then pretty much everything is free except for alcohol and soda. All the food is included unless someone wants to pay for more speciality dining."
She adds: "Lots of people really hesitate to do the whole cruise thing, there is still a bit of a stigma attached, but you can really connect with people who are passionate about the same things as you are."
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionGame of Thrones fans can now visit its British Isles sites via cruise ship (and a connecting bus)
While the music cruise industry is very much based in the US, themed cruises are also a growing phenomenon on the other side of the Atlantic.
Mike Bugsgang, chief executive of the UK-based Association of Group Travel Organisers, says there has been a big rise in the number of cruises that include visits to locations that have featured in well-known movies.
One such cruise organised by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is called "UK Scenes from the Silver Screen". Sailing around the UK and Ireland, the itinerary includes trips to settings from TV series Game of Thrones and the Harry Potter movies.
Image copyrightSixthmanImage captionSixthman uses vast ships for its music cruises
Back in the US, Kiss' Gene Simmons doesn't just have to prepare for performing live on the Kiss Kruise, he also has to brush up on his wedding officiating. An on-board extra for Kiss' hard-partying fans is the chance to splice more than just the mainbrace. They can tie the marital knot, with Mr Simmons or a fellow band member performing the service.
But one thing a Kiss Kruise is not is restful.
As Mr Simmons admits: "It's tough to get to sleep on the cruises... it is fair to say, both the band and the fans are completely exhausted once we leave the cruise."
