Cruise lines cancel Puerto Vallarta port calls

Posted on 12 May, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Civil unrest and violence around Puerto Vallarta led to cruise lines canceling ship calls there.

The Celebrity Infinity bypassed the Mexican port on May 10 for a day at sea, spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said. On May 12, Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas will substitute a sea day for Puerto Vallarta.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (parent of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean) said the decisions were made “due to the recent episodes of violent civil unrest, stemming from criminal gangs that have engaged in armed conflict with local authorities.”

Disney Cruise Line distributed a letter to passengers on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise aboard the Disney Wonder explaining that the May 12 port call was being canceled, citing “several reports of unrest in the area around Puerto Vallarta.”

Disney said taxes, fees and port expenses associated with the visit would be refunded to the original source of payment used by the passenger to book the cruise.

The Carnival Miracle will continue with its scheduled May 12 stop, but some shore excursions have been canceled, a spokesman said.

The U.S. State Department issued an updated travel warning for Mexico on May 5 detailing the “risk of traveling to certain places in Mexico due to threats to safety and security posed by organized criminal groups in the country.”

Disney Cruise Line’s enviable kid clout

Posted on 25 February, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Almost without exception, you can tell which cruise lines are serious about attracting families by whether there are animated characters prowling the pool deck.

Whether it is Smurfs, Cinderella, Kung-Fu Panda or SpongeBob SquarePants, they generally signify which lines have a year-round business attracting kids and which don’t.

Some lines make no claim to providing characters or attracting children, including Oceania Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and, soon, Viking Ocean Cruises. Others don’t do a lot of family business during the school year, often because of longer itineraries.

Of the lines that do provide characters, one stands above the rest. Disney Cruise Line’s advantage is almost unfair, its roster of characters so deep and historic, that if characters are a primary consideration, it has to be tops on the list.

And the line isn’t content to rest on its laurels. Its animation factory just keeps turning out the hits.

On Sunday night, Disney took home an Oscar for its movie “Big Hero 6,” featuring Marvel Comics superheroes, who are also present on Disney Cruise Line ships. That comes on top of last year’s Oscar for “Frozen,” the top-grossing animated movie of all time.

“Big Hero 6” topped DreamWorks Studios’ entrant in the Oscars derby, “How To Train Your Dragon 2.” DreamWorks characters such as Shrek are exclusive to Royal Caribbean International ships.

Of course, popular films emerge from other studios besides Disney. The DreamWorks stable includes notable franchises such as Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar.

But Disney’s four ships have so many characters to pick from. This summer it will feature characters from “Frozen” on cruises to Norway and Iceland. Next year it will have “Star Wars Day at Sea” on eight selected sailings, featuring characters from the Star Wars movies.

The ownership of Disney Cruise Line by entertainment powerhouse Walt Disney Co., of course, gives it access to these properties. And it kind of puts the success of the cruise industry in perspective. When you ask which cruise company has the biggest investor value, it isn’t Carnival Corp, valued at $34 billion. It is Walt Disney, valued at $178 billion.

Land of ‘Frozen’ coming to Disney Cruise Line

Posted on 23 January, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Disney Cruise Line will offer experiences inspired by the animated hit ‘Frozen’ beginning in summer 2015. They include a deck party, a three-song stage show production number, opportunities to meet characters and storybook adventures ashore. A new addition is planned for Castaway Cay, too.

The experiences will debut on select Disney Magic and Disney Wonder sailings to Europe and Alaska.

One one day the ship will transform into a winter wonderland, culminating with an extravagant celebration with friends from the Kingdom of Arendelle. Passengers will awake to discover a magical freeze has overtaken the atrium lobby with sparkling icicles adorning the grand staircase, resembling the mountaintop ice palace of Queen Elsa.

Activities for the entire family throughout the day include new character meetings and themed experiences such as moments with

Anna, Elsa and, ‘for the first time in forever,’ Kristoff and Olaf. There will be an ‘Anna’s Chase for the Chocolate’ scavenger hunt for with a surprise for finishing the game and a ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman’ activity where kids take on Elsa’s magical powers to make snow and ice.

‘The Maypole Swirl and Twirl’ gives families the chance to learn a traditional Scandinavian dance, spinning and braiding giant ribbons.

A ‘Frozen’-themed dining experience includes a menu inspired by traditional Nordic fare and dishes inspired by the film.

The evening fun kicks off with ‘Freezing the Night Away with Anna, Elsa and Friends,’ a family-friendly interactive deck party featuring the royal sisters of Arendelle and their Nordic companions. By now, the freeze has spread to the upper decks of the ship, with giant snowflakes, icicles and snow-covered rocks.

The celebration begins with a line dance set to the movie’s ice cutting scene, featuring the arrival of Kristoff, twirling his ice picks, and Princess Anna.

The evening concludes with more family dancing on the pool deck, followed by fun just for adults in the nightclub featuring dance performances and frozen specialty drinks.

This summer, friends from ‘Frozen’ will make their stage show debut at sea in the Walt Disney Theatre aboard Disney Magic. In the original production, ‘Disney Dreams … An Enchanted Classic,’ Anna, Elsa and Olaf join the line up of Disney characters who together teach a young girl the power of her dreams.

New scenes featuring ‘Frozen’ characters include renditions of ‘Let it Go,’ ‘For the First Time in Forever’ and ‘In Summer.’ Special effects include a snowfall throughout the theatre and the transformation of the young girl’s room into her own ice palace.

Children and families will have the opportunity to meet and take photographs with their favorite ‘Frozen’ friends on Disney Fantasy, Disney Dream, Disney Wonder and Disney Magic.

Passengers on Disney Magic in Norway, the land that inspired Arendelle from ‘Frozen,’ will have the opportunity to join new excursions that bring this fairytale setting to life. One signature adventure ashore in Å̊lesund, created exclusively for Disney Cruise Line, will immerse participants in a storybook village with the help of Elsa and Anna.

Other shore excursions highlight natural wonders, architecture and the Scandinavian culture depicted in the film.

Seven and nine-night voyages begin June 6, sailing through Norwegian fjords and calling on ports including Stavanger, Ålesund, Geiranger, Molde, Olden and Bergen.

Meanwhile, in the Bahamas, Disney will cool down Castaway Cay with the addition of Olaf’s Summertime Freeze bar, serving non-alcoholic specialty frozen drinks in souvenir cups. The bar opens summer 2015 near the Pelican Point tram stop by Castaway Cay Family Beach.