Final bow section placed on Disney Fantasy

Posted on 13 September, 2011 by Spacejunkie2

Final bow section placed on Disney Fantasy

By Donna Tunney

The final building block has been placed on the Disney Fantasy, a ship under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Builders placed a 265-ton portion of the ship’s bow, complete with the signature Disney Cruise Line golden filigree.

The 4,000-passenger vessel, a sister ship to the Disney Dream, is scheduled to launch in March 2012.

Some of the new features on the Disney Fantasy include Europa, a nighttime entertainment district exclusively for guests 18 and older; a new show at the Animator’s Palate restaurant, where diners will serve as guest animators; the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a salon where kids receive the “full fairy tale treatment with pixie-dusted and piratical makeovers”; and a Broadway-style show called “Disney’s Aladdin — A Musical Spectacular.”

The Disney Fantasy will sail seven-night Caribbean cruises. The maiden voyage is scheduled for March 31.

Costa to resume Japan port calls

Posted on 15 August, 2011 by Spacejunkie2

Costa to resume Japan port calls

By Donna Tunney

Costa Cruises said that its 1,680-passenger Costa Classica will resume Japan itineraries later this month.On Aug. 26, the ship will depart Shanghai for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka, Japan, and Cheju, South Korea, before returning to Shanghai.

Costa said the move demonstrates its “confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support to the revitalization of the local tourism industry.”

Through mid-October, the Costa Classica, which is based in Shanghai, will operate 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea. Cheju will be the only port call in South Korea. Besides Fukouka, other calls in Japan will be to Nagasaki and Kagoshima.

In 2012, Costa plans to expand its operations in Asia and the Far East, with the deployment of the 2,394-passenger Costa Victoria, which will replace the Costa Classica.

The switch will increase Costa’s capacity in the region by about 40%.

The Costa Victoria next year will sail to several new destinations in Japan, including Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama; Osaka; Yokohama; and Tokyo.

QM2 going for a refit

Posted on 9 August, 2011 by Spacejunkie2

Here’s a bit of good news regarding Cunard’s flagship.

Not only has she been given a clean bill of health by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (after failing miserably only six weeks ago!), but we’ve received news that she’ll be going into dry dock in November for a bit of a face-lift too.Cunard are yet to reveal the finer details, although they have said “all the cabins and most of the public rooms on the ship will be refurbished.”Rumour has it, the under-used Winter Garden might get converted into a coffee bar.