Royal Caribbean offers to give Parliament the horn

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The Queen Elizabeth Tower holds the Big Ben Bell.

Royal Caribbean has offered up one of its ship’s horns to be played from Parliament Square after it was announced Big Ben would be silenced for four years.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has written to Speaker of The House of Commons, John Bercow MP, offering to adapt one of its horns to strike every hour to the note of E – accompanied by four quarter blasts every 15 minutes.

Yesterday, the House of Commons said it would look again at the length of time Big Ben will be silenced during renovation work after “concerns” were raised.

The bell is to be put out of use – except for special occasions – for four years on Monday to allow repairs to the surrounding Elizabeth Tower.

But Prime Minister Theresa May said “it can’t be right” that the famous bongs will not be heard again until 2021.

The letter from Royal Caribbean reads: “Having chimed – almost – unbroken for the past 157 years, we’ve heard The Great Bell will be out of action for four years and were compelled to try and help.

“Rather than leave the capital in silence, the Royal Caribbean team have put in a word with our UK and Ireland managing director, Ben Bouldin (the other Big Ben), and he would be more than happy to lend you one of our ship’s horns until 2021 to play from Parliament Square. To keep as close as possible to our great traditions, we could specially adapt our horn to strike every hour to the note of E – accompanied by four quarter blasts every 15 minutes.

“Let us know if this floats your boat (ship)…”

Royal Caribbean lands Bonnie Tyler to perform on eclipse cruise

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Bonnie Tyler will perform Total Eclipse of my Heart.

Google “Eclipse song” and you’ll find the lyrics to Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 pop hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

So it’s appropriate that Tyler sing the song on a cruise celebrating the upcoming total eclipse on Aug. 21.

Tyler, 66, will roll out her biggest hit before a performance by the considerably more youthful Joe Jonas-led pop band DNCE, best known for “Cake By the Ocean,” recorded 32 years later.

DNCE was previously announced as entertainment on the Royal Caribbean International’s “Total Eclipse Cruise” aboard the Oasis of the Seas. The addition of Tyler was a surprise.

The Oasis will be cruising in the path of the total eclipse a few hundred miles off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 21, giving guests an early look before the sun in eclipse reaches the coast of South Carolina.

The seven-night Total Eclipse Cruise sets sail on Aug. 20 from Port Canaveral, visiting St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Majesty of the Seas to sail Cuba cruise in 2019

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Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International’s Majesty of the Seas will become its second ship to visit Cuba in 2019.

The line plans a four-day voyage from Port Canaveral departing March 25, 2019. The cruise will include a full day in Havana. Prices will start at $549 plus taxes and port fees, Royal Caribbean said.

Thus far, Royal Caribbean has only offered Havana on Empress of the Seas itineraries from Tampa, Miami and Port Everglades.