Public to vote for names of Breakaway Plus ships

Posted on 11 September, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Public to vote for names of Breakaway Plus ships

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line has narrowed the potential names for its two Breakaway Plus vessels to 10, and said fans of its Facebook pagein five countries will choose the two names.

Fans in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Germany and Canada can vote up to once a day for their two favorite names. Norwegian said it will pick the two that get the most votes.

Anyone submitting a vote and completing an entry form is eligible for a sweepstakes that includes free cruises on the two ships and invitations to their inaugural festivities.

The choice of names are Bliss, Discovery, Dreamaway, Journey, Escape, Muse, Passion, Sailaway, Treasure and Triton.

Only residents of the five named countries can enter, and in Canada residents of Quebec are excluded.

New Carnival ship to be called the Vista

Posted on 29 July, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

New Carnival ship to be called the Vista

By Tom Stieghorst

The 25th Carnival Cruise Lines ship will be called the Carnival Vista, said Jim Berra, the cruise line’s marketing vice president, at a news conference aboard the Carnival Sunshine.

The design of the new ship will maximize views of the ocean, Berra said.

“We’re starting to use the ship names as a touchstone for how we think about design. With Vista, what we’re going to try to do is design a ship that is extremely open to the ocean.

“We think at the end of the day that is really why people are cruising. They want the salt air, they want the ocean breeze, they want to look out to the horizon and see the ocean, so a lot of what we’re thinking about in design and the inspiration for the design, is they want those views out to the ocean.”

Breeze 2.0 had been the working name for the ship, which will be 135,000 gross tons and carry 4,000 passengers. It is scheduled for delivery in 2016.

Regent orders new ship, touts it as most luxurious in cruising

Posted on 11 July, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Regent orders new ship, touts it as most luxurious in cruising

By Jerry Limone

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has ordered a new ship, a 738-passenger vessel that will be called the Seven Seas Explorer.

Scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2016, the Explorer will be Regent Seven Seas’ first new ship since the Seven Seas Voyager made its debut in 2003. It will also be the cruise line’s largest ship, at 54,000 gross tons. The ship will be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for about $450 million, Regent said.

“We strongly believe that now is the right time to expand our fleet, as our loyal guests have asked for a greater array of itineraries and our travel partners have proven that there is pent-up demand for a new Regent ship,” said Kunal Kamlani, Regent Seven Seas’ CEO.

Regent Seven Seas is touting the Explorer as “the most luxurious cruise ship in the era of modern cruising.”

Tillberg Design AB, RTKL Associates and ICrave are designing the all-suite ship. Suites will range in size from 300 square feet to 1,500 square feet, and each will have a balcony. The ship will have six open-seating restaurants, Regent’s signature nine-deck atrium, a two-story Explorer Theater, three boutiques and a large Canyon Ranch spa.

Frank Del Rio, CEO of Regent Seven Seas parent company Prestige Cruise Holdings, said the Explorer will “boast one of the highest space ratios and staff-to-guest ratios ever seen in the modern era of cruising.”

“The ship’s upscale yet timeless design, extreme use of exotic stones and polished woods, designer furniture, rich fabrics and sophisticated lighting combined with what promises to be a museum-quality, eclectic art collection will clearly position Seven Seas Explorer as the new standard in luxury cruising,” Del Rio said.