Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth

I know it is hard to believe but on 12th October Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her first birthday.

Here are some fun facts that you probably didn’t know about Cunard’s latest superliner.

  • By her first birthday Queen Elizabeth would have visited 108 different destinations
  • She would have travelled approximately 123,351 nautical miles
  • Celebrities and speakers which have sailed onboard include; Lord Jeffery Archer, Ruth Scott, Brian Hoey & Robert Kershaw
  • A total of 78 guest speakers would have travelled onboard by her 1st birthday
  • She has constantly received over 90% in her customer service questionnaires
  • Queen Elizabeth met her 2 sisters for the first time in New York on 13th January 2011, there was big celebrations & fireworks and Peter Shanks (Cunard MD) rang the stock exchange bell in NYC
  • A special celebration was held in the Queens Room on the day of the Royal wedding, where guests could watch the event on a screen and were given cake
  • Maiden call to Fjords in May, the first interactive voyage and blog of an onboard experience by Cunard’s New Media Executive.
  • Maiden call to Travemunde in June, where an estimated 20,000 people greeted the arrival of Queen Elizabeth.

Will you be sailing on Queen Elizabeth on her 1st Birthday voyage? How would you like Cunard to Celebrate her birthday onboard?

NCL unveils more ‘Breakaway’ cabin designs

NCL unveils more ‘Breakaway’ cabin designs

By Jerry Limone
Breakaway spa mini-suiteNorwegian Cruise Line has unveiled more cabin designs for two ships scheduled for delivery in April 2013 and April 2014.The ships don’t have names yet, and Norwegian is calling the venture “Project Breakaway.”

Similar to the balcony and mini-suite cabins revealed this summer, other cabins “combine the form and function of the line’s Jewel-class ships’ staterooms with the modern and contemporary design touches of the Norwegian Epic,” Norwegian said.

The 59 studio cabins on each ship will have a separate sink and shower to provide more personal space. Guests in studios will have private keycard access to an exclusive two-story lounge with a bar.

Twenty-eight spa balcony cabins and 20 spa mini-suite cabins will feature “tranquil spa decor” and will be adjacent to the spa and fitness center, plus offer complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suite during operating hours, said the cruise line.
Breakaway studio
Oceanview cabins will have large windows. Of the 158 oceanview staterooms on each ship, there will be approximately 42 family cabins that sleep up to five guests.

Each oceanview family cabin will have a bathroom similar to the mini-suite: modern double sink, bathtub and second wardrobe for added storage.

The family mini-suites located on Deck 12 and 13 will feature all the attributes of the mini-suites and will be located near the children’s facilities. Some of these cabins will have bathtubs.

Each of the 449 inside cabins will have two lower beds that can be converted to a queen-size bed. Many cabins will be connecting and sleep up to four guests each, Norwegian said.

Each of the ships will have 4,000 passenger berths.

Norwegian Cruise Line ships to be named Breakaway and Getaway

Norwegian Cruise Line ships to be named Breakaway and Getaway

By Donna Tunney
NCL Breakaway renderingNorwegian Cruise Line has selected the names for its two new ships: Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.

The Breakaway is scheduled to launch in April 2013, and the Getaway in April 2014.

The names were selected following a naming contest held in conjunction with USA Today.

Norwegian said it felt the selected names “best reflected the innovation of the brand along with the freedom and flexibility of the line’s signature Freestyle Cruising, and invoked the feeling that these ships will provide a ‘break’ at sea from the stress of everyday life.”

The contest winners are Kimberly Powell of Lafayette, La., who first submitted Norwegian Breakaway, and Dennis Hultman of Vienna, Va., who first submitted Norwegian Getaway.

Powell and Hultman each will receive a trip for two to Norwegian Breakaway’s inaugural festivities, including the christening ceremony (date and location to be determined).