Archive for May, 2008

Just Cruises News : May 17

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Tim
on May 17, 2008
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Security Camera Captures Woman’s Fall from NCL Ship

Representatives from the F.B.I. and authorities from Bermuda boarded Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn this morning after it docked at Bermuda’s King’s Wharf.. Their goal? To investigate the incident that presumably ended the life of Mindy Jordan, 46, who fell overboard soon after the ship set sail on Sunday evening.Although the investigation is ongoing, one thing has been firmly established: Ms. Jordan was alone and acted alone when she fell from the balcony of her Deck 9 stateroom and into rough seas. According to an official statement from the cruise line, Norwegian Dawn’s extensive and advanced safety and surveillance system has documented, from both inside and outside the ship, most of the time that remains in question.

Royal Caribbean Changes Its Infant Policy

According to the new policy, infants on most cruises must be 6 months old by the first day of the sailing in order to board. However, babies on trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific, Hawaii, select South America cruises and cruisetours, and other select cruises and cruisetours must be 12 months old to sail.

Queen Victoria Makes a Crashing Entrance in Malta

Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Victoria cerrtainly made an entrance as it arrived for its maiden call in Malta — by hitting a quay.The 90,000-ton, 2,014-passenger ship arrived in the dock around 11:30 a.m. GMT. Queen Victoria was being manoeuvred to berth alongside the waterfront in Grand Harbour when the incident occurred, damaging the stern. Cunard has confimed that the ship, which left Southampton on a Mediterranean cruise on May 6 with 1,887 passengers onboard, will now remain in Malta until tomorrow for repairs. It had been due to call in La Goulette in Tunisia but unfortunately this has been cancelled.

 

Just Cruises News :: May 10

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Tim
on May 10, 2008
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ROYAL CARIBBEAN

You asked for it, we listened! Now Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Plus Members can save $5 off any laundry charge of $25 or more. Look for your new laundry coupon in your Ultimate Value Booklet.

MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN: Savings certificates are our way of thanking you for our relationship. From now until June 30, 2008, you can receive new members-only savings certificates, saving you up to $200 USD! Log onto RoyalCaribbean.com, click on Crown & Anchor, then click on “Special Offers” and start saving today. 

AIRLINE INFO

Most airlines are now charging $25 if you check a second suitcase. Remember,
the first can only weigh 50 pounds!

PRINCESS

Princess Adds Piazza, Crown Grill to Star, Caribbean Princess

Princess Cruises is adding several of the innovative new signature venues that debuted on Crown and Emerald Princess (and will appear on Ruby Princess when it is launched in the fall) to older ships in the fleet. Star Princess, which goes into dry dock in September, and Caribbean Princess, which gets a refurbishment in January 2009, will emerge with new features. These include: Atriums will be transformed with the now-signature Piazza, an energetic space that blends colorful entertainment, on-site bakery, Internet cafe, and wine and sushi bar, that has become a must-visit place on Crown and Emerald Princess. You’ll be able to hide from crowds in the Sanctuary, the top-of-the-ship, adults-only area that boasts padded lounges, shady and sunny areas, “Serenity Stewards” on call to provide beverages and snacks, available MP3 rentals, and spaces for massages (for an additional fee, of course). FYI, the addition of the Sanctuary won’t be limited to just Star and Caribbean Princess. Earlier this month Princess announced that it would introduce the adults-only concept fleetwide by 2010. The for-fee Crown Grill, whose menu blends seafood and steakhouse fare in an elegant mahagony ambience — complete with open kitchen — will replace the existing steakhouses on Star and Caribbean Princess.

MSC CRUISES

MSC Introduces Pre-Paid Onboard Credit Cards for Teens
Want to give your teen a little more responsibility, but don’t want him to rack up a high onboard bill with Internet time and mocktails? MSC Cruises has a solution: a new pre-paid credit card for use onboard. It’s available on all MSC ships for use by 12 to 17-year-olds.”My Teen Card” functions like the typical onboard credit card/stateroom key used on most ships, but with a catch: The card comes with a prepaid spending limit. Once a teen has spent the prepaid amount, no more purchases will be allowed on the card. Parents will have to purchase a new card if they want their child to continue to have spending privileges. Cards cannot be reloaded.On Caribbean cruises, parents can choose from a $35 card (pay $30 and get a $5 bonus) or a $60 card (pay $50 and get a $10 bonus). On Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises, choose from a 35-euro card (pay 30 euros, get a 5-euro bonus) or a 60-euro card (pay 50 euros, get a 10-euro bonus). Not only will parents be able to limit teen spending while letting the kids take responsibility for their purchases, but they’ll get free money to boot.Passengers under the age of 17 will not have spending privileges onboard MSC ships without a Teen Card.Don’t forget – Kids are free on MSC cruises.

 

Just Cruises News : May 3

Published
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Tim
on May 3, 2008
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NCL’s Pride of Aloha Fails CDC Inspection

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) recently released a cringe-inducing review of NCL’s all-Hawaii ship — with stomach-turning revelations worthy of a “Fear Factor” episode — giving the ship a flunking score of 78.  The CDC grades ships on a 100-point scale. Any score below 86 is deemed unsatisfactory, and failing ships must correct the violations, or face a recommendation from the VSP that the ship not be allowed to sail. The most disturbing health violations include poorly refrigerated beef; food kept past the recommended seven-day post-preparation period; an ice machine decked in pink and black mold; a filthy meat grinder; and counters covered with food particles and mold. Add to this list an improperly chlorinated whirlpool — cruisers soaking in the tub had to get up and get out when onboard inspectors discovered that the chlorine levels weren’t up to snuff. The CDC’s report cited other unsanitary conditions such as utensil handles that came into contact with food and inadequate sneeze guards in the buffet;food residue on the waffle irons; food-soiled coffee cups and plates laid out for use; and a contaminated ice cream maker. Editors Note: The Pride of Aloha will be leaving the NCL fleet later this month.  Other NCL ships have passed CDCsanitation tests.

Make Your Royal Caribbean Specialty Restaurant Reservations On-line

By the end of May, you will be able to make reservations for the specialty restaurants on most Royal Caribbean ships.  The specialty restaurants have been very popular and reservations at prime time (7 to 8:30PM) on the days at sea have been hard to get.  Here’s your chance to get a jump on the crowd.

Fox News’ Unfair and Unbalanced Reporting

Fox News reported that a family of 5 was kicked off Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas in their pajamas with a sick child. Watching Fox News, I thought that Captain Bligh ran the ship.

According to Royal Caribbean, the parents brought their sick child to the infirmary less than an hour before the ship was to sail from Nassau.  The child presented with vomiting and diarrhea .  Because the next port was Coco Cay with no medical facilities, it was recommended to the parents (and they concurred) that the child be hospitalized.  Royal Caribbean gave them the option of having one parent go with the child while the others stayed on the ship.  The family decided that they would all go with the child.  Royal Caribbean arranged for a complimentary hotel in Nassau as well as an ambulance to take the child to the hospital.  Fortunately, the illness was not serious and the family returned home at a cost of over $1700.
It should be noted that the family elected to decline travel insurance and had no passports (legal but not smart).

We can’t say that Royal Caribbean handled the situation perfectly, but we know that Fox News was grossly unfair in their reporting.  Our media loves to spin a story and make it sensational.  There is no objectivity left in this once proud but now sleazy profession.

Goodbye to the Galaxy

Celebrity’s Galaxy will be leaving the Celebrity fleet and moving to a German cruise line next March.  We have always liked this ship and its sisters, the Mercury and Century.  You still have almost a year to get a cruise on this great ship.