Cunard releases details of upcoming QM2 refurb

Posted on 15 October, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

The Queen Mary 2 is getting 30 solo cabins.

Solo cabins and extra Britannia Club balcony staterooms being added to Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 will pay tribute to the liner’s art deco heritage while adding luxury touches, Cunard said in releasing details about the ship’s refit.

Fifteen solo cabins and 30 more Britannia Club rooms will be added to the ship in a 25-day refit scheduled for June 2016.

The designs will include softer color tones to enhance the feel of space and new contemporary carpet patterns inspired by the geometric diamond designs on the original Queen Mary, Cunard said.

Nine of the 15 solo cabins will be on Deck 2. Six larger single staterooms to be built on Deck 3L will feature two circular windows with bench seat cushions and a central console table.

“Catering to the changing tastes of our guests is a priority at Cunard,” said Richard Meadows, president of Cunard North America. He cited U.S. Travel Association figures showing that solo travelers comprise about 23% of all leisure travelers.

Meadows said Cunard was seeing strong demand for the Britannia Club accommodations, as well.

Norwegian Star exits drydock with Five O’Clock Somewhere bar

Posted on 31 March, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

By Rebecca Tobin

Norwegian Cruise Line’s partnership with Margaritaville is taking shape on the Norwegian Star, which carries the line’s first Five O’Clock Somewhere bar following a two-week drydock.

The Five O’Clock Somewhere bar will sell Margaritaville signature drinks like the “Who’s to Blame Margarita” and LandShark beer. Norwegian, which announced its partnership with Margaritaville last year, will offer a Margaritaville restaurant and Five O’Clock Somewhere bar on the Norwegian Escape, which debuts this fall, and it also plans to construct Margaritavilles at its private ports of call.

In addition to introducing the Five O’Clock Somewhere bar, the line also eliminated a $15 cover charge on the Star’s Ginza restaurant. The Asian specialty restaurant will offer a complimentary menu and items priced on an a la carte basis.

An O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill was added to the ship. The Brazillian steakhouse-style Moderno Churrascaria was moved to what Norwegian called a “more intimate” setting on Deck 13, and a Sugarcane Mojito Bar was installed adjacent to the steakhouse.

Other additions to the Star include new carpeting and flooring throughout guest areas and updates to the pool deck. Touch-screen signage, which was introduced on the Norwegian Breakaway, was added to the Star.

On the technical side, the Azipod propulsion system was updated and the hull coated with silicone paint. Norwegian said the measures would improve fuel efficiency.

The ship will sail in northern Europe this summer.
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Correction: A scrubber system was not installed during the recent drydock.

Three Fred Olsen ships to be revamped before Christmas

Posted on 10 November, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

Three Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ ships – Black Watch, Braemar (pictured) and Balmoral – are to be refurbished before Christmas.

The vessels are all due to enter dry dock in Hamburg in November and December in preparation for the forthcoming winter cruise season.

Work has started with 804-passenger Black Watch ahead of a 14-night mystery cruise departing from Tilbury on November 15. An additional 27 balcony cabins are being built as part of the revamp.

The 929-passenger Braemar will arrive in Hamburg on November 12 for work prior to a three-night cruise to France from Southampton on November 20.

Balmoral’s dry dock work starts on December 9 with the 1,350-passenger ship leaving the shipyard for a two-night pre-Christmas sailing from Southampton on December 19.

The line’s managing director, Mike Rodwell, said: “We experience extremely high demand for balcony cabins across our fleet, and in particular on board the smaller-sized Black Watch, and our new balcony terrace cabins are an innovative response to this.

“We are also looking forward to being able to give guests the experience of fine coffee and chocolates on board Balmoral and Braemar, as they have already been enjoying on Boudicca and Black Watch.

“Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is pleased to be returning to Blohm+Voss for this important work. Balmoral and Braemar are both well-known to the Hamburg shipyard, as they both underwent mid-section extensions in 2007 and 2008 respectively.”