Tag Archives: makeover

Carnival Triumph getting a $200M redo and a new name

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Carnival Triumph is to become the Carnival Sunrise.

Carnival Cruise Line will budget $200 million for an overhaul of the Carnival Triumph so sweeping that the ship will get a new name, the Carnival Sunrise.

It is only the second time that Carnival has renamed a ship of its own design. In 2013, it rechristened the former Carnival Destiny as the Carnival Sunshine. 

Carnival said the two ships will form the new Sunshine class. The $200 million sum is the largest ever spent by a cruise line in a ship renovation.

By the time the work begins next March, the Triumph will be 20 years old. It is perhaps best known for an engine-room fire in 2013 that left it disabled off the coast of Mexico without power for most hotel services. The ship had to be towed back to the United States, on a four-day odyssey that was memorialized as “the poop cruise” because toilets didn’t work for most of the trip.

In the two-month renovation, to be done at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, a laundry list of Fun Ship 2.0 features will be added to the ship, including seven restaurants, two bars, two lounges, three new pool deck attractions, a newly designed spa, two new children’s play areas and new retail spaces, including a candy store. 

Gus Antocha, Carnival’s chief operating officer, said the additions complement certain upgrades that had already been made to the Triumph, such as Guy’s Burger Joint.

Unique to the Sunrise will be what Antocha called “bridge wing suites,” encompassing two junior suites and two larger Captain’s Suites adjacent to the bridge, which will be redesigned with floor-to-ceiling windows. That means the ship’s capacity, listed as 2,758 passengers at double occupancy, will remain relatively unchanged.

“We’re adding a handful of different spaces,” Antocha said. When the Carnival Sunshine was created, an extra 182 cabins were added to the Carnival Destiny.

The first sailing of the Carnival Sunrise, following a renaming ceremony, will be from Norfolk, Va., where the ship will begin a series of five- to seven-day cruises on April 29, 2019. It will then move to New York for the summer for a series of four- to 14-day cruises, starting May 23. It will move to Fort Lauderdale for four- and five-day cruises in October.

Multi-Million Pound Make-Over For P&O Cruises Aurora

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 by Danielle Fear

P&O-Cruises-Aurora

P&O Cruises has unveiled its plans for a £26 million pound make-over for Aurora this winter, the first ship in the fleet to receive the bold new livery design.

The refurbishment will take place November 29 to December 18 in Hamburg, ahead of its Christmas and New Year cruise and before the South America & Pacific Adventure world cruise itinerary departing January 8, 2015.

Launched in 2000, Aurora’s last refit was in 2009.

The planned changes for 2014 include:

  • A new look livery design, which celebrates P&O Cruises heritage and its place as Britain’s favourite cruise company. It features a contemporary version of the Union Flag on its bow and new blue funnels with illuminated rising sun designs
  • The introduction of Sindhu restaurant for evening fine dining (replacing the library on deck 8) with an Indian fusion menu designed by Michelin-star celebrity chef Atul Kochhar
  • The Glass House restaurant and wine bar is replacing Café Bordeaux on deck 8. Available for brunch, lunch and dinner it will house wine displays and wines selected by expert and TV presenter Olly Smith. Enomatic wine systems allow passengers to buy premium wines by the glass. There will also be a private room for wine tastings and dinners
  • A complete refurbishment of the buffet restaurant (Lido deck, deck 12) with new décor
  • In the evening, The Beach House menu replaces the Pennant Grill menu to include family favourites such as Fillet of Beef on Lava Rock
  • A complete refurbishment of The Reef children’s clubs with room names changed to reflect Reef club names across the rest of the fleet
  • The introduction of Freedom Dining to Medina Restaurant with more tables for two and Marco Pierre White dishes on gala evenings
  • A refurbishment of the Sidewalk Café and the introduction of Costa Coffee and brand new “Grab and Go” counter, a great option for breakfast and lunch on the go
  • The library relocates to the current cyb@study space adjacent to the Crow’s Nest on deck 13
  • Casino and Champions refurbishment with new open-plan design, new furniture and improved stage area for entertainment, live music and quizzes
  • Photography gallery upgrade to include more touch screen technology
  • An extensive shop refurbishment
  • Refurbishment of Oasis Spa
  • Upgrade of all sound and light equipment in the theatre and show lounge
  • New soft furnishings for all cabins with flat-screen TVs

P&O Cruises marketing director Christopher Edgington said: “This is a massive investment. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to ensure continuous improvement of our ships and consistency across the fleet.

“Both Ventura and Arcadia underwent huge multi-million pound refits last year and Aurora is the next in line with Azura planned for 2015.

“Not only will Aurora feature firm favourites from Azura and Ventura, such as Sindhu and The Glass House restaurant and wine bar, but we will also see brand new initiatives as well as the distinctive new livery.

“As the very first ship to display our new livery, we have big plans to welcome Aurora back in to Southampton. We can’t wait to see her.”

Info courtesy of P&O Cruises

Serenity refurb a breath of fresh air

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By Tom Stieghorst

Outside the Galaxy Lounge on the Crystal Serenity.The Crystal Serenity’s $17 million makeover is notable as much for what was subtracted as what was added.

After emerging from a drydock in Cadiz, Spain, the most noticeable change to the 2003-built ship is the complete disappearance of one of its pools.

The space that had been devoted to a pool area with a retractable roof for shelter in inclement weather has been turned into another restaurant, called Tastes. The area, now filled with wicker seating, is also home to the Trident Grill and Scoops ice cream bar.

“It’s great to say we have two pools,” said Crystal President Edie Bornstein. “But the reality was it was really never used.”

Tastes, which has an eclectic menu that runs from Alsatian tarts to California street tacos, opens in the early afternoon for lunch and then is transformed after 6 p.m. into a casual eatery with what Bornstein called a “summer-in-the-Med feeling.”

The Serenity’s other pool remains, as do other fitness facilities such as a 360-degree outdoor promenade for walking, a golf driving range and putting green and two paddle tennis courts.

Another focal point in the makeover was the four penthouse suites.

In an ultracontemporary remodel, interiors of the 1,345-square-foot suites were gutted and the dining area moved closer to the outdoor veranda. The former dining room became a den/library/media room. The color scheme has been lightened to light gray and creme with purple accents.

Another change during drydock was the addition of air- and surface-cleaning equipment to 70 cabins, meant to reduce the irritants that cause allergies.

The so-called hypoallergenic rooms, an industry first, are a boon to passengers who have allergies or other sensitivities that can disrupt a vacation. Now a state-of-the-art, medical-grade air purifier filters out 99.9% of all airborne impurities on an ongoing basis.

A new cherry wood dance floor in the Palm Court gives that area a fresher, richer feel. And the Lido Cafe area has been remodeled with more tables for two and food stations replacing older-style buffet counters.