Seuss proving a coup for Carnival

With the addition of Dr. Seuss characters and the makeover of Camp Carnival into Camp Ocean on some of its ships, Carnival Cruise Line has more appeal than ever to the family cruise segment. 

The changes, announced a year ago, bring an instantly recognizable name to Carnival's kids offerings.

"For Dr. Seuss, as soon as you mention Cat in the Hat, they already know who it is," said Ana Klacinski, youth director on the Carnival Freedom.

It's a step up for Carnival, which competes at sea with characters from Nickelodeon (Norwegian Cruise Line), DreamWorks (Royal Caribbean International) and, of course, Disney on Disney Cruise Line.

Now Carnival offers a kids parade through the Freedom once each cruise, led by characters from "The Cat in the Hat," as well as a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast featuring Sam I Am.

At the same time, Carnival has significantly improved the kids facilities on the Freedom and other ships. Seuss is now playing on 10 of Carnival's 24 ships, and Camp Ocean has been installed on the Freedom, Breeze, Magic and Triumph.

The big change is to give each age group its own themed space to play in, from Penguins (ages 2 to 5) to Stingrays (6 to 8) to Sharks (9 to 11). Klacinski said kids are excited to see the play space has lost its day-care vibe.

"They have a name, but not only that, they have their own space that they don't have to share with anybody," she said. "And they love it." 

The Freedom also received a Dr. Seuss Bookville area adjacent to Camp Ocean. It provides space for unscheduled time that children and parents can play together and an introduction to Seuss books guests may not know.

Part of the magic of the Seuss parade is its mystery, Klacinski said. It begins with an announcement that Seuss characters are onboard and an invitation to gather in a lounge 15 minutes before the parade. No one knows quite what for. When the time is ripe, a chant begins: "Dr. Seuss is on the loose!"

One by one, the characters are introduced and then the parade begins, through the ship, with kids banging noisemakers and keeping the chant going until arrival at the ship's main theater, where they're invited on stage for a group reading of "The Cat in the Hat" while parents watch.

"It's like a good, family-friendly event and comedy show at the same time," Klacinski said.

The Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, held later in the cruise, attracted about 50 kids and parents on the cruise I was on. Food, including mint-green scrambled eggs, is served by wait staff attired as Thing One and Thing Two from "The Cat in the Hat," and Sam I Am appears to greet and hug kids.

Chuck Soukop, a passenger from Punta Gorda, Fla., said he was delighted with the upgrades to Freedom's kids programming. "It's nice to have something for the kids to do that isn't as expensive as Disney [Cruise Line]," he said.

Delightful detours on the Black Sea

The Sept. 29-to-Oct. 8 sailing aboard the Silver Spirit, the largest ship in the Silversea fleet, was originally going to be a total Black Sea cruise. But the unrest in the region caused Silversea, like other cruise lines, to eliminate calls in Ukraine (i.e., Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa) and Sochi, Russia.

Silversea still started and ended the cruise in Istanbul, one of the great cities to explore; kept their calls on the west side of the Black Sea (as did most cruise lines); and then added in some lesser-known ports in Greece and Turkey. For me, one of the appeals was that beyond Piraeus/Athens, all of the other ports were new places to see.

The onboard experience was outstanding in every way: food, service, entertainment and the ship itself. And it turned out to be an excellent series of stops. 

Here is a recap of some of the ports of call:

Athens/Piraeus: There's no way to see all that Athens had to offer in one day. 

The absolute highlight has to be the Acropolis, sitting high on the hill where the Parthenon, its most famous structure, is in full view. The massive renovation project is nearly done, making a visit ideal for everyone; there's a bit of a climb to reach the site, but it's not too rigorous. 

Museums abound in Athens; the best one for Acropolis buffs is the Acropolis Museum, featuring a great collection, videos and outstanding views. 

Organized tours included a variety of stops: Constitution Square and the Royal Palace (with the very proper changing-of-the guard ceremony), Olympic Stadium, Temple of Zeus and more. Everywhere one looks, there's history. 

And then there's the shopping and eating mecca, the Plaka district and adjacent Ermou Street. 

Experienced travelers can just jump in a taxi at the port of Piraeus and go into Athens; for two or more people, it's cost- and time-efficient compared to cruise line transfers.

Izmir, Turkey: Izmir is Turkey's third- largest city and its biggest seaport on the Aegean Sea. The primary shore excursions are trips to Ephesus, which has to be one of the most breathtaking ancient treasures ever to be uncovered. New areas, such as the Terrace Houses, continue to be discovered. 

Having already been to Ephesus a few times, I chose to take the Izmir city orientation tour that included the Agora ruins, which are constantly undergoing discovery and rebuilding. It also went to the Archaeology Museum; the mosaic exhibit may be the best I've ever seen. Izmir's waterfront goes on for miles with one restaurant after another (grilled calamari time!) on the inland side and walking paths and statuary on the water side.

Constanta/Bucharest, Romania: Constanta is the largest Romanian city on the Black Sea, but the highlight was the ship's full-day, complimentary tour to Bucharest. 

I've never really enjoyed three-hour bus rides (in both directions) but this was really worth it. The ride was pleasant enough with some nice scenery, and the two skilled tour guides did a terrific job. 

Bucharest itself was fascinating, with stops made at key highlights: Palace of Parliament; Patriarchal Hill and Church; the open-air Village Museum; lunch featuring local cuisine and folk dancing; and photo stops or drive-bys at some of the well-preserved Eastern European-style buildings and churches. 

Nesebur, Bulgaria: The last scheduled port of call was to be Nesebur, a rocky peninsula sitting on the coast. Unfortunately the waters were rough and the tendering operation had to be scrapped. Thus I did not get to see the city considered to be one of the great Unesco World Heritage Sites with its Greek and Roman ruins. 

While I had planned on touring Nesebur, fellow guests had planned on seeing Pomorie, rumored to be a lovely resort city on the Black Sea. I guess I'll have to go back.

2015 itineraries

Lines are still adjusting itineraries for 2015 due to the situation in Ukraine. Silversea, for example, will not be calling at any Black Sea ports, while Seabourn will still be calling at Constanta, Izmir and Nesebur. 

Both lines will be calling at some smaller spots in Greece and Turkey, including Limnos, Thessaloniki, Volos and Santorini in Greece and Marmaris and Kusadasi (also a port call for Ephesus) in Turkey. This creates a terrific mix of port calls for experienced as well as first-time visitors to the region. 

As long as the cruise begins or ends in Istanbul, a pre- or post-hotel stay is an absolute must. For those concerned about safety in the area, Istanbul is at least 500 miles away from the Syrian border; it's not a city to be avoided because of regional issues.

Celebrity depicts new Suite Class restaurant

Celebrity Cruises released renderings of what Luminae, its new restaurant exclusive to Suite Class guests, will look like when it debuts in April.

There are separate versions for Solstice-class and Millennium-class ships, Celebrity said.

Items on the Luminae menu will only be featured once during a two-week cruise, Celebrity said. A menu example is  caviar and creme fraiche, black truffle risotto with fricassee of wild mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a cote de boeuf with roasted root vegetables and bearnaise sauce.

Menus will feature locally sourced and seasonal ingredients inspired by the destinations where Celebrity sails, according to the cruise line.

There will be more than 400 selections on the wine list, Celebrity said.

Koningsdam to sail Norwegian cruises during inaugural season

Holland America Line said its Koningsdam ship will sail seven- and 14-day Norwegian cruises from Amsterdam in the summer of 2016, after its initial inaugural cruises in the Mediterranean.

The Norwegian season starts in late May, after a 13-day repositioning cruise from Civitavecchia, Italy. In addition to Norway, Koningsdam will sail the British Isles and in the Baltic. 

At the end on the season, Koningsdam sails from Amsterdam to Civitavecchia (Rome) on a 12-day journey that visits England, Gibraltar, Portugal and four ports in Spain. 

On Oct. 24, the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale for a 14-day voyage that crosses the Atlantic following calls at Alicante, Malaga (Granada) and Huelva (Seville), Spain; and Funchal, Madeira.

American Cruise Lines to give U.S. river cruising a new look

American Cruise Lines (ACL) has big plans for the future of U.S. river cruising that go far beyond the handful of paddlewheelers currently plying the Mississippi and Columbia rivers.

The Guilford, Conn.-based river cruise line has unveiled an ambitious strategy to begin building a fleet of modern vessels alongside its existing and forthcoming paddlewheelers. Starting in 2017, the company says, this new fleet will begin sailing inland waterways across the U.S. — many of which haven’t seen overnight passenger cruising in a very long time, if ever.

The list of waterways that ACL is eyeing for development include the Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, Missouri River, Des Moines River, Wabash River, Illinois River, Apalachicola River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mid-Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Erie Canal, Hudson River, Oswego Canal, Potomac River and Alaska’s Inside Passage.

In terms of the company’s cruising options, ACL President Charles Robertson said, “There’s more than 15,000 miles of navigable waterways in the United States.”

In April, ACL will launch on the Mississippi its second paddlewheeler built from the ground up, the 150-passenger American Eagle. It will join the company’s 150-passenger paddlewheeler, the Queen of the Mississippi, which launched on the river in 2012, as well as the refurbished Columbia River paddlewheeler Queen of the West and four yacht-style coastal cruisers: the Independence, American Star, American Spirit and American Glory.

Following the launch of a new paddlewheeler on the Columbia and Snake rivers in 2016, Robertson said he expects the pace of construction of new vessels to start ramping up, starting with at least two new vessels in 2017.

Asked whether the modern-style river vessels will look more like the river ships in Europe, Robertson responded that in fact, they will not look like the European models, or like anything else for that matter.

“You won’t look at one of these and say, ‘Oh, that’s like a European boat,’ ” he said.

On the other hand, he added, “You won’t say, ‘Oh, it looks like a Mississippi Victorian riverboat,’ because it won’t look like that either. It will be a new look.”

In Europe, the dimension and size of the vessels is much more constrained by the height of bridges and the size of locks than it is in most of the U.S. So in designing its new fleet, ACL has much more freedom to play with the dimensions of each vessel.

Each will be built to accommodate the specific constraints presented by the waterway it will navigate. For example, he said, the locks and the bridges on the Erie Canal are much smaller and lower than they are on the Mississippi, and the constraints along the western portion of the Erie Canal are different from the eastern part of the Erie Canal.

Some of the vessels will be smaller than ACL’s current vessels, while others will be the same size or larger. As for the overall look and feel, generally speaking, these more modern vessels are being designed to feature more glass to let in more natural light and will feature more open layouts, he said.

On the other hand, ACL doesn’t plan to stop building paddlewheelers, which the company will continue constructing alongside the modern vessels, Robertson said.

“If you look at the Mississippi River, it just sort of screams for a Victorian riverboat with all of the history of the Mississippi River and Mark Twain and so on,” he said. “That’s less true on some other waterways. … The Victorian feel of it becomes less important, and that gives us more freedom to do stuff with glass and more contemporary designs.”

Even so, where the paddlewheeler style fits a particular river, ACL will go with it.

“We spent a lot of time talking to folks, particularly travel agents, about what their customers would like, and we think there’s another portion of the market that would be more attracted to something with a more contemporary feel,” — ACL President Charles Robertson.

Pricing for cruises on the more modern vessels will be in line with pricing for those on the paddlewheelers.

“We spent a lot of time talking to folks, particularly travel agents, about what their customers would like, and we think there’s another portion of the market that would be more attracted to something with a more contemporary feel,” Robertson said.

He added that along with a growing demand in the U.S. river cruise market in general, river passengers in the U.S. are increasingly expecting something more in line with the amenities and services they experience in the evolving, rapidly modernizing hotel and ocean cruise markets, whether than means private balconies, quick and efficient elevators or larger cabins.

Hardware aside, Robertson seems determined to introduce travelers to some of the country’s less well-known scenic waterways and the towns and cultural and historical heritage through which they wind. Many areas of the country, he said, are “gorgeous.”

He acknowledged that ACL is not the only player that senses opportunity along these untapped waterways.

“I don’t expect that we’re going to be the only ones in this business,” he said.

Indeed, in 2013 Viking Cruises teased plans to bring a version of its latest European river vessels, the Viking Longships, to the U.S. in 2015. But by the end of the year, Viking said it was exploring options on the Mississippi for the 2016 season.

As for the other major player on the U.S. rivers, American Queen Steamboat Co. (AQSC), its senior vice president of sales, Bill Diebenow, said that while AQSC has considered looking into other North American waterways, its current focus is “to maximize our two terrific assets on the rivers we currently cruise.”

AQSC owns and operates the 436-passenger American Queen on the Mississippi, and the 223-passenger American Empress on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest.

RCCL to launch new
web-based res. system

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) will launch a new Internet-based reservations system for retailers in March called Espresso, its first complete upgrade since it introduced CruiseMatch in 1990.

Espresso will modernize the functions that travel agents use to book cruises, making them more productive, company executive said. It will be used by all of the RCCL brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.

“Espresso will help agents focus more on their customers, rather than looking at their computer screens,” said Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president for sales at Celebrity.

She said it would be a faster, more powerful, more intuitive system that will shorten the number of steps to make an online booking from seven to five.

Another feature enables agents to compare up to four potential bookings at one time.

Espresso will be optimized for mobile phones and tablets, which is important to home agents visiting clients, said Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of sales.

It will have a robust function for providing past guest information, she said.

RCCL will hold a series of in-person training sessions in six cities around the country in February and March before launch. There will also be webinars, a three-minute instructional video, and an online site that simulates Espresso, at www.espressocbt.com.

Royal plans to run Espresso concurrently with Cruise Match for three to four months to enable agents to get up to speed.

CruiseMatch was launched as a GDS system in 1990 and converted to be primarily Web-based in 1998, with further upgrades in 2007 and 2009. 

Long cruises in demand, CLIA survey shows

Travel agents are reporting an increase in bookings for longer cruises, according to an agent survey by CLIA.

Thirty-seven percent of agents reported an increase in bookings for 14- to 100-day cruises. Such cruises are increasingly popular with both retired and affluent travelers.

Agents said longer cruises are attractive because they give passengers the ability to see many places hassle free, without having to deal with multiple airports and packing and unpacking. Travelers also like the itineraries to destinations that would be difficult to visit on land.

CLIA conducted the survey of 434 CLIA agents in September, using Survey Monkey.

Norwegian Getaway 2016 itinerary includes Olympic Games

Next year will see the Rio 2016 Olympic Games being held, in what is expected to be one of the best in years, although we don’t think it can beat the magic of London 2012. Ok, we are a little biased, and no doubt there is a lot to look forward to, as it is going to be a very popular destination next year.

With Rio 2016 expected to be so popular Norwegian Cruise Line has included the Olympic Games as part of its Norwegian Getaway 2016 itinerary. This is so that the ship will be ably to help increase the capacity of the hotels within the region.

The ship is able to accommodate just under 4,000 people, although this is based on double occupancy and will call the Maracanã Stadium home during the Olympics.

You will notice that when you run a search for a 2016 Norwegian Getaway cruise no results are returned. The company has yet to detail how much they are to charge for a room during the Olympic Games, but we cannot see it being cheap, as you will not only get privileged treatment, but also have a great view, depending on your cabin of course.

However, you could always just stay on the top deck and watch out for some of the sports that take place on the water.

The stretching of MSC Sinfonia is underway

MSC Cruises’ €200m Renaissance Program will see the second ship in drydock for the next 10 weeks as the MSC Sinfonia arrived in Sicily for her stretching.

Fincantieri’s marine engineers will carefully bisect MSC Sinfonia’s hull, after which the two halves of the ships will be slowly drawn apart.

On January 20-21 they will insert a prebuilt 2,200-ton, 24-metre midsection containing 193 extra cabins. Then they will refit and renew much of the ship’s interior, bringing an enhanced sense of comfort and space.

On Jan. 9, the new midsection was floated into the shipyard and hauled into the drydock area where MSC Sinfonia will remain for the duration of her stay.

Once the work is complete and sea trials completed, the larger MSC Sinfonia will weigh anchor from the shipyard on March 25 for Genoa, from where she’ll begin for her maiden cruise to Ajaccio, Barcelona and Marseille.

MSC Sinfonia will feature new purpose-built areas for children created in partnership with Chicco and LEGO,  and a new Baby Club, Mini Club, Young Club and Teens Club. MSC Cruises has also reimagined the onboard dining experiences, keeping the buffet open 20 hours per day and installing fresh new dining spaces, a brand new lounge and an extended restaurant.

The ship’s MSC Aurea Spa will also be enriched with additional massage areas, and a new outdoor spray park will be added on deck 13 – an exciting series of playful water features and jets.

The remainder of the Renaissance Program will progress according to the following schedule:

•    MSC Opera: 2 May to 4 July 2015
•    MSC Lirica: 31 August to 2 November 2015

MSC Cruises currently carries roughly 40,000 guests per day, but by 2022 will double its capacity to 80,000 guests a day – 3.4 million per year – once the Renaissance Programme is completed and the last of seven planned ships is delivered.

Carnival Vista launch event, January 22nd, 2015

News on the Carnival Vista has remained rather elusive since we first heard details of its existence, but all that is about to change. This is because we were recently contacted about the Carnival Vista launch event, which should help to paint a clearer picture of what to expect.

The date for the Carnival Vista launch event will take place on January 22nd, 2015. However, we believe that there are to be two events, one will be in New York, with the other being in London.

We will be heading to London on the evening of Jan. 22nd for a special dinner that will begin at 7PM. During the evening Carnival Cruise Lines will announce the launch of its latest ship, the Carnival Vista during a special presentation.

People that attend, including us, will then be given further information to take away with them.

There has been a great deal of hype in regard to this new cruise ship, so depending on what time we get back from the event, we hope to share many of those details with you on January 22nd. However, we can tell you that Carnival will take delivery of its new ship in the Spring of 2016.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises reveals pics of new luxury ship

The ship's atrium lobby.

Promising "the most luxurious cruise ship ever built," Regent Seven Seas Cruises president and COO Jason Montague unveiled renderings of the interior of Seven Seas Explorer at a news conference in New York this morning.

The 750-passenger ship will be Regent’s first in over a decade when it is delivered in 2016.

The Compass Rose restaurant.

Renderings show public rooms with rich fabrics, vibrant colors and exotic materials. The ship’s Explorer Lounge, for example, has columns sheathed in mahogany wood and a black marble bar ringed with plush, deep opal blue bar stools.

A standout feature will be the two bedroom, 3,875-foot Regent Suite, which boasts an in-room spa with unlimited Canyon Ranch treatments included and a glass-enclosed outdoor sitting garden where guests enjoy an unobstructed 270 degree forward view. The suite also comes with unlimited laundry service, a private car and driver at each port, and a limousine service on departure and arrival.


The master bedroom in the 3,875-square foot Regent Suite.

"There is nothing like the Regent Suite in the cruise industry, and I believe it rivals anything on land, too," Montague said.

Guests boarding the ship will step into a lobby with a circular inlaid marble floor, matched by twin etched glass staircases and punctuated by a cascading crystal chandelier.

Regent said each suite category will have its own unique layout and design elements, ranging from a warm and welcoming island manor style for the Deluxe Suite to a more sumptuous jewel inspired look in the Penthouse Suite.

Public rooms include those featured on current Regent vessels, including the Compass Rose main dining room, Prime7 steakhouse and Verandah buffet restaurant, which transforms into the table service Sette Mari restaurant for dinner. 

The in-room spa retreat in the Regent Suite includes a steam room, sauna and treatment area.

Explorer also features a two-story, 675-seat Constellation Theater and a silver, gold, black and white Observation Lounge. Tables in front of the theater seats will each feature a hand-blown, Murano glass lamp. 

"This ship will offer our guests a new level of grandeur throughout, from its lavish suites to its elegant public spaces and gourmet restaurants,” Montague said. 

Explorer will sail in the Mediterranean starting in July 2016. Reservations open Jan. 19.

Carnival introduces Internet plans based on type of usage

Carnival Cruise Line is testing a new method of delivering Internet service to guests, giving them a choice of three packages based on their online activities instead of charging guests for minutes used.

Carnival is piloting the new Internet packages on three ships: the Freedom, Sunshine and Breeze.

The least expensive option is the social media package, which enables guests to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Pinterest for a flat fee of $5 per day or $25 per voyage during the initial testing period. 

Those who want to check email and surf the Web can upgrade to a value package for $16 per day or $60 per cruise. 

A premium package provides “the fastest available connection speed,” said Carnival, and is for heavy Internet usage. Those who want to use the Skype video calling application must buy the premium package. It costs $25 per day or $99 per cruise.

Guests do not have to log on or off while their plan lasts. 

On Carnival’s other ships, the cruise line charges $29 for 45 minutes, $59 for 120 minutes, $89 for 240 minutes and $159 for 480 minutes.

Also, the cruise line is piloting a free smartphone app on the Carnival Breeze. The app provides a searchable deck plan, information about restaurants, the guest’s Sail & Sign account balance, itinerary details and a schedule of shipboard events. 

A chat feature that costs $5 for the entire cruise enables guests to exchange messages with traveling companions. 

The mobile app and new Internet packages will roll out to additional ships following successful completion of pilot programs, Carnival said.

Rolls Royce to improve Norwegian Epic passenger comfort

The Norwegian Epic was only delivered to the Norwegian Cruise Line back in 2010, but the company understands the need to make improvements to the ship. One system that takes the most pounding on any cruise ship is its propulsion and so has looked to Rolls Royce to upgrade the package.

Rolls Royce has worked on an innovative permanent magnet tunnel thruster, which is a far better solution than the current one. There are several advantages to such a system, one of which is the reduction of noise, although there will also be a noticeable difference in the amount of vibration, as this will also drop considerably.

Another advantage, one that will appeal the Norwegian is that there will be an increase in power output by as much as 25 per cent, even with using the same size propeller. Repairs will also become far easier, as the system can be removed underwater, meaning no waiting for an opportunity to get into a dry dock.

The chairman from Rolls Royce seems very happy that Norwegian is the first cruise line to opt for the new propulsion package, and hope other companies will follow. For more details you can read the full press release below

Rolls-Royce press Release

ROLLS-ROYCE PERMANENT MAGNET TECHNOLOGY FOR NORWEGIANCRUISE LINE TO HELP INCREASE PASSENGER COMFORT THROUGHREDUCED NOISE AND VIBRATION

Rolls-Royce is pleased to announce that Norwegian Cruise Line has selected a highly

innovative and efficient Rolls-Royce permanent magnet tunnel thruster to upgrade the

propulsion package onboard Norwegian Epic.

The permanent magnet tunnel thruster offers numerous advantages over traditional

tunnel thrusters including significant reduction in noise and vibration, an increase in

power output of around 25% from the same size propeller, and is removable

underwater eliminating the need for dry docking.

Jay McFadyen, Senior Vice President - Marine Services, Americas, Rolls-Royce said:

“We are delighted that Norwegian Cruise Line is the first cruise customer to select our

new permanent magnet tunnel thruster as an upgrade to an existing propulsion

package. Passenger comfort is a top priority for cruise lines, and the reduction of both

noise and vibration, which our permanent magnet technology provides, is of paramount

importance to successful cruise operators like NCL.

“This highly innovative and cutting edge permanent magnet technology is suitable for a

range of applications in both merchant and offshore vessels, where exceptionally low

noise levels, high power output, and rapid response to power demand will benefit

operators, crew and, very importantly, passengers alike.

“What we have seen so far through the experience of our first permanent magnet

tunnel thruster in operation on the Rolls-Royce designed Olympic Octopus, a highly

advanced offshore anchor handling vessel, is that a permanent magnet motor thruster

is quiet, efficient and durable. It is capable of running for thousands of hours in

intensive dynamic positioning (DP) mode, where rapidly varying loads and alternating

thrust directions are the norm.”

The permanent magnet tunnel thruster design concept comprises a permanent magnet

motor in a rim, which drives the propeller in the centre. The permanent magnet motor

consists of two main parts – a stator that carries a number of electrical coil windings,

and a rotor fitted with a number of very strong permanent magnets. A rotating magnetic

field is created by the stator which interacts with the fields of the permanent magnets

on the rotor, which generates force to drag the rotor around, providing the mechanical

power.

Other benefits of permanent magnet technology include the freeing up of space directly

above the thruster where traditional tunnel thruster motors are located, and a

symmetrical design that gives equal thrust to port or starboard. It is available in

1600mm and 2000mm diameter.

Lindblad's National Geographic Orion to cruise Europe

Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Orion vessel will spend the spring, summer and fall on a series of one-week cruises in Europe.

Itineraries include exploring Portugal, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, the Baltic republics and Scandinavia.

“A ship like National Geographic Orion depends heavily on past guests, and a vast majority of her past guests have been to the Kimberley and the South Pacific,” said Sven Lindblad, founder and president of Lindblad Expeditions. “We are committed to providing them the most compelling opportunities available on the Orion and have listened to their feedback for new destinations."

Lindblad said the 22 voyages on the 102-guest ship will be led by a team with a a diverse scope of expertise about history, political science, art, viniculture and music of the destinations, and will include active options like hiking, biking and kayaking.

Disney cruise stages dramatic rescue

Disney cruise stages dramatic rescue of passenger who fell overboard from passing Royal Caribbean liner after holidaymakers spot him in water

• 22-year-old had been a guest on Royal Caribbean ship Oasis of the Seas
• Spotted in the water by crew aboard Disney Magic vessel later in the day
• A lifeboat was dispatch to rescue the passenger near Cozumel, Mexico
• Questions raised over cruise ship passenger detection technology

A passenger who went overboard during a luxury cruise was rescued by a passing Disney liner.

The 22-year-old, who had been a guest on Royal Caribbean ship Oasis of the Seas, was only spotted in the water by the eagle-eyed passengers and crew of the Disney Magic vessel as it passed by later in the day.

The incident happened on Thursday morning as the Magic was approaching Cozumel off the coast of Mexico.

It is not yet known how the passenger came to be in the water.

However, the incident is raising questions over whether cruise ships have the proper technology to detect when someone goes overboard.

Disney has credited a combination of passengers and crew from the Magic with spotting the man in the water, lowering a lifeboat, and getting him aboard the Magic.

Below is the Video of the Rescue.

The rescue mission was launched by Disney Magic after passengers and crew spotted someone bobbing in the water

The man was immediately transported to shore for treatment.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the ‘22-year-old male guest from Oasis of the Seas went overboard near Cozumel, Mexico.

‘He was spotted by a crew member from another cruise ship, and picked up. We are grateful for the other ship's assistance.’

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said the cruise line has not yet provided additional comment, beyond its statement.

Scott Sanders, founder of The Disney Cruise Line Blog, said such a rescue at sea by the Magic crew is unusual.

‘It's pretty darn fortunate that they were sailing in the vicinity,’ said Sanders, whose blog is not affiliated with Disney.

Jim Walker, a maritime attorney who reported on the incident on his Cruise Law News website, said the case points out the need for cruise ships to have better monitoring systems for detecting when someone falls off or jumps from a ship.

He said systems he would support include motion sensors and thermal detection systems that would indicate if someone goes overboard.

He also favours linking such systems to an alarm notification for crew so that an immediate search-and-rescue operation could begin.

The Oasis of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship, with a capacity of 6,360. The ship — which is based at Port Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale — was on a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean when the incident occurred.

The vessel has the capacity to house 5,400 passengers and 2,394 crew. It cost £800m and took three years to build in Turku, Finland before it was launched in 2009.

At 1,187ft, the Oasis of the Seas is longer than the Shard and wider than Boeing 747.

Emerald Princess to sail in Australia

Princess Cruises is redeploying the Emerald Princess to Australia, giving it five ships there during the winter season.

The 3,082-passenger ship will be the largest and youngest of the five. It was built in 2007.

The Emerald Princess will be based in Sydney from November 2016 to April 2017. Currently it sails in the Caribbean. Its itineraries to New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific will be announced in detail later this spring.

The Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and Sun Princess sail year-round from Australia. The Diamond Princess splits its time between Australia and China.