Norwegian Cruise Line Introduce Kids Upgrade

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced it is revitalising its current youth programme and will implement a new best-in-class programme fleet wide in order "to better meet the needs of the growing family holiday market."

The re-branded programme will be introduced on Norwegian Gem in mid-February and will be rolled out to all of the line’s Freestyle Cruising ships subsequently. The current programme, NCL’s Kid’s Crew, has been in place since 1999 and will be renamed, with the age groups being redefined to better address the skills and interests of children. The new age groups will be: three to five years; six to eight years; nine to 12 years; and two teen groups, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17 years. There will also be programming for babies and toddlers from six months to two years. 

The new fully developed and enhanced curriculum tailored to each age group is being produced in conjunction with The King’s Foundation and Camps, a UK-based organisation that provides high quality sport and activity programmes designed to make a positive impact on children. More focus will be placed on sporting activities, arts and crafts, theatre and technology.

The company has engaged Cirque Du Jour, a New York-based company that specialises in teaching children real circus skills such as scarf juggling, ball juggling, plate spinning, clowning and acrobatics. Circus workshops and shows will also be offered for the entire family. 

The youth programmes will also be expanded to utilise other areas of the ships, including the sports courts, rock walls, theatres, lounges and public spaces and will feature more family events such as parades and scavenger hunts. In addition, other family activities will be offered, including Nick Jr. story time, family trivia and special arts and crafts sessions.

For all NCL booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

It's A New York Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new state-of-the-art 4,000 passenger ship, Norwegian Breakaway will sail from her year-round home port of New York City to the Bahamas, Florida and the Caribbean during her inaugural winter season next year.

Following a summer inaugural season sailing seven-night cruises from New York to Bermuda, Breakaway will embark on a series of 25 seven-night cruises to the Bahamas & Florida beginning on October 13, 2013. The ship will also sail two 12-night Southern Caribbean itineraries on January 5 and 19, 2014. 

Her ports of call will include stops in Nassau, NCL's private island in the Bahamas, (Great Stirrup Cay) and Port Canaveral in Florida along with three relaxing days at sea. These sailings run to April 27, 2014.

The ship’s 12-night Southern Caribbean cruises weill include Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Kitts, along with five sea days. Currently under construction at Meyer Werft in Germany, Breakaway will be 144,017 gross tons and is scheduled for delivery in April 2013.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

NCL's Big Changes For 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced its summer deployment for 2013/2014, with a four-ship deployment in Europe – continuing with two ships based in the region year-round.

New to the European fleet is Norwegian Star, which replaces the Sun in the Baltic, further increasing the capacity in this popular cruise destination. Further highlights include the addition of a third ship in Alaska, sailing seven-night ‘open jaw’ itineraries between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whittier, Alaska.

In Europe, Norwegian Epic (above) returns for her third season, sailing seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona from May 5, 2013, to October 13. A new itinerary features five ports of call in three countries - Spain, Italy and France - and a call to Palma in Majorca.

Norwegian Jade returns to Venice in May for the summer season and will offer alternating seven-night Greek Isles and seven-night Adriatic, Greece and Turkey itineraries. In the Autumn/Winter, Jade repositions to Rome (Civitavecchia) for a series of eight 10-night Eastern Med and nine 11-night Mediterranean & The Holy Land itineraries from October 26, 2013, to April 12, 2014.

In Alaska, beginning May 20, 2013, Norwegian Sun’s northbound itinerary to Whittier departs Vancouver on Mondays and will cruise the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier and make stops in the Alaskan favourites of Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau.

Beginning May 18, 2013, Norwegian Jewel will sail a series of 18 seven-night Sawyer Glacier itineraries from Seattle every Saturday, with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Victoria (British Columbia).

Pride of America will continue as the only US-flagged vessel sailing among all four of Hawaii’s main islands, offering seven-night inter-island cruises that depart Honolulu every Saturday. Ports of call include: an overnight in Kahului (Maui); Hilo and Kona (on the Big Island); an overnight in Nãwiliwili, (Kauai); and an afternoon cruise along the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

For a shorter cruise option, Norwegian Sky will continue sailing three and four-night cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami through April 25, 2014.

For booking options, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialsts, the Cruise Line Ltd.

Save Big With NCL This Winter

Norwegian Cruise Line is launching its new “Norwegians set SALE in Europe” promotion where customers can save up to £400 per stateroom on European and Atlantic crossings. The sale launches today (Dec 7) and is valid on sailings of six nights or more, including in peak holiday periods. Customers can make savings on bookings made until February 29, 2012.

Guests will be able to enjoy savings from a choice of four ships as Norwegian’s largest ever European deployment arrives in 2012. Sailings included in the offer are Norwegian Epic’s ‘Western Mediterranean from Barcelona’, Norwegian Spirit’s ‘Grand Mediterranean from Venice or Barcelona’, Norwegian Sun’s ‘Baltics from Copenhagen’ and Norwegian Jade’s ‘Greek Isles from Venice’.

A seven-night Western Med voyage from Barcelona, fly-cruise, on Norwegian Epic departs on various dates between April and October, sailing from Barcelona, to Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence/Pisa), Villefranche (for Nice/MonteCarlo), Marseille and back to Barcelona. It is priced from £849 per person based on an October 14 departure.

A 12-night Grand Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona fly-cruise on Norwegian Spirit also departs on various dates from April-October, sailing from Barcelona, to Toulon (for Provence), Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Mykonos, Istanbul, Izmir (Ephesus) and Venice. It is priced from £1,176 per person based on an April 28 departure.

A nine-night Baltic Capitals from Copenhagen fly-cruise on Norwegian Sun departs on various dates from May-September, sailing from Copenhagen, to Warnemunde (for Berlin), Tallinn, St Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki, Stockholm and back to Copenhagen. It is priced from £1,339 per person based on a May 13 departure.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Norwegian Dawn's Big Refurb

Norwegian Dawn has just completed an impressive multi-million dollar refurbishment while in dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas. The 2,224-passenger ship is receiving extensive renovations, including: the addition of 28 suites; Moderno Churrascaria, the popular Brazilian steakhouse restaurant introduced on Norwegian Epic; the relocation of the Spinnaker Lounge; flatscreen TVs in all guest and crew staterooms. The ship re-entered service on May 27, 2011 in Boston, her new seasonal homeport.

The full refurbishment profile reads as follows:

* 58 new suites and staterooms available from the September 16, 2011 sailing, including: Four Deluxe Owner’s Suites ranging from 667-732sq ft; 14 Family Suites from 408-452sq ft, most sleeping six guests; 10 Family Suites with balcony from 409-495sq ft, most sleeping six guests; 18 Inside staterooms.

* Moderno Churrascaria speciality restaurant, in the space previously occupied by Salsa, the Tex Mex restaurant, which features a large salad bar and tableside passadors serving a variety of skewered meats.

* Upgraded flatscreen TVs in all guest and crew staterooms broadcast on a digital signal.

* Relocation and total renovation of the gift shop, art gallery, photo gallery, conference centre, Spinnaker Lounge and Blue Lagoon restaurant.

* Enhancements to the Dawn Club Casino, including new layout, fixed furniture and carpet.

* Complete renovation of the Kid’s Crew and Teen Club to offer a more versatile layout and to cater to the range of children’s ages and interests. Updates include new game systems, activities and sound and light. There will also be a room dedicated to the Under 2 Zoo where parents can accompany their children aged under two and enjoy age appropriate activities.

* Aesthetic improvements in the fitness area and Garden Café.

* Atrium Lobby refresh including new furniture in Java Café and plant replacement.

* Complete refurbishment of crew dining and recreation areas.

Technical modifications include the replacement of one engine, as well as preventative maintenance, removal and replacing of both bearings on the port and starboard azipods; application of a new hull coating; and an upgrade to the hot temperature regulation which will reduce energy consumption.

Norwegian Dawn is currently sailing a series of seven-day Bermuda itineraries departing from Boston every Friday with three days in Bermuda until October 21 followed by a two-night cruise on October 28. The ship will then reposition to Miami and begin sailing 10 and 11-day Southern Caribbean itineraries until April 8, 2012.

Dawn is the second of three Freestyle Cruising ships scheduled for improvements this year. Norwegian Sun completed her dry dock renovations in March and Norwegian Spirit will enter dry dock on September 26.

For more info, visit www.ncl.co.uk or, for bookings, contact the cruise specialist agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

NCL's Great Bahamas Upgrade

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that it has completed the first phase of enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay (above), the line’s 250-acre private island in the Bahamas.

The company has opened a new marina and dining facility on the island, representing a significant milestone in the more than $20 million enhancement project currently under way.

Norwegian Sky’s 2,000 guests were the first to experience the opening of the marina basin with four docks for the island’s tenders and the new 8,500sq ft dining facility, complete with two bars and four picnic pavilions.

NCL president and CEO Kevin Sheehan explained: “Both the new marina and the dining facility greatly enhance the guest experience on Great Stirrup Cay, which is our second busiest port of call this year. By moving the tenders’ arrival to the marina and away from the beach, we have now opened up a great expanse of beachfront for our guests to enjoy and relax. We’ve also built a new, large dining facility that is similar to the action station restaurants we have on board our Freestyle Cruising ships.”

The marina is approximately 12ft deep at low water and is home to the island’s four tenders. It took more than eight months to excavate the basin and the entrance channel. The dining facility includes a central pizza-making station, two grills, hot and cold food stations, as well as fresh fruits and breads. There are two full bars on either side of the facility for added convenience.

The four pavilions, each more than 1,800sq ft, offer picnic tables with a total seating capacity for more than 500 guests. Enhancements have been under way since January 2010 and will continue until the end of this year.

Several new activities have been added since the project began, including more than 16 wave runners, kayak rentals and an eco-adventure boat tour around the island. These are in addition to the existing snorkelling, floats, inflatable hippo slide and parasailing.

The second phase of enhancements includes an arrival/departure pavilion; additional bar facilities; several comfort stations; a band stand; cruise programme activity area; private beachfront cabanas; a kids' play area; straw market; and beach volleyball courts. The beachfront will continue to be expanded on the island’s west end.

NCL has owned the island since 1977 when it became the first to offer an uninhabited tropical island experience exclusively for its guests. Great Stirrup Cay offers magnificent white sand beaches, majestic palms and calm, pristine waters where an abundance of colourful marine life inhabits the surrounding coral reefs.

Norwegian Gem, Jewel, Sky and Pearl regularly call there throughout the year. For more information, call 0845 201 8900 or visit www.ncl.co.uk.

A Jewel For Alaska

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced it will position Norwegian Jewel in Alaska for the first time in 2012/13. Jewel will replace Norwegian Star, which will offer sailings to Bermuda from her new home port of New York.

Jewel will cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. The weekly Sawyer Glacier cruises will depart from May 26-September 8, 2012, and will call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Families onboard can enjoy Jewel’s Nickelodeon at Sea entertainment, offering live Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows, Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; character breakfasts and meet and greets and Nick-themed dance parties.

NCL will sail two ships to Bermuda weekly from April until October calling at King’s Wharf. Star will sail from New York on Sundays, staying for three full days, and Dawn will sail her Bermuda itinerary departing on Fridays from Boston, also with three days at the island.

Kevin Sheehan, NCL's chief executive officer, insists: “The 2012/2013 season is filled with new and exciting Freestyle Cruising choices. Whether it’s our ships cruising different destinations, disembarking from new homeports or sailing new itineraries, we offer the most freedom and flexibility when it comes to cruise travel. We are pleased to bring Norwegian Jewel to Alaska and Star to Bermuda, along with continuing our popular Hawaii inter-island cruises and short cruises to the Bahamas through early 2013.”

Additional itinerary announcements for 2012/13:

Norwegian Jewel will sail a seven-day Sawyer Glacier cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 19, 2012, and a seven-day Sawyer Glacier from Seattle to Vancouver on September 15.

Norwegian Pearl (above) will return to Seattle sailing her weekly seven-day Glacier Bay cruises departing on Sundays from May 13 to September 9, 2012, calling at, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria.

Norwegian Pearl will also sail a seven-day Glacier Bay cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 6, 2012, and a Seattle-to-Vancouver cruise on September 16.

Pride of America will continue as the only US-flagged vessel sailing among all four of Hawaii’s main islands. Her seven-day cruises from Honolulu are available now until April 7, 2013. Ports of call include: an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; an evening sail by the Kilauea Volcano (weather permitting); Kona, Hawaii; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai; and an afternoon cruise of the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

Norwegian Sky will continue sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami until April 15, 2013. The three-day Bahamas cruise departs on Fridays and includes stops in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. On Mondays, the ship departs on a four-day cruise with stops in Grand Bahama Island, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau.

For more information, call 0845 201 8900 or visit http://www.ncl.co.uk/, or check out the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Norwegian Epic’s Inaugural Season in Europe

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Norwegian Epic’s inaugural season in Europe takes place next year from May until October. The round-trip departing from Barcelona offers the chance to get a taste of Tuscany in the mellow squares and art galleries of Renaissance Florence, take a tour of Pompeii – the stunning city buried under volcanic ash for nearly 1,700 years - or get to know Rome in an exclusive visit to the Vatican City.

While onboard, guests can choose from no less than 20 international dining options and take in a number of fantastic shows, such as the Blue Man Group or Legends in Concert. There is plenty of opportunity to get active, with onboard rock-climbing, 10-pin bowling and fitness centre and aqua park. Or, for guests who prefer to simply relax, Norwegian Epic is also home to the largest spa at sea.

Itinerary: Western Mediterranean – round-trip Barcelona

Ports: Livorno; Civitavecchia; Naples; Palma.

Duration: 7-night fly-cruise

Price from: £839

What’s included: Return flights to/from Barcelona, 7 nights freestyle cruising on board Norwegian Epic, including all meals and entertainment (price based on October 9 departure).

For more information, visit http://www.ncl.co.uk/ or call the cruise specialist agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Miami, Honduras & Mexico

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Central America and the Western Caribbean have always had a fascinating appeal to many dedicated cruisers. With that in mind, Norwegian Cruise Line have put together a voyage in the region. Their incredible new ship Norwegian Epic (above) is reinventing cruising once again with new entertainment options and amazing nightlife, including the first true Ice Bar at sea.

Norwegian Epic also has innovative and flexible accommodation, from Studios designed and priced specifically for solo travellers, with exclusive access to their Studio Lounge, to the private Villas on board. Add twenty different dining options, a huge aqua park for all the family and you’ll see why the company say this is Freestyle Cruising on a truly grand scale.

The beauty of cruising is that it encompasses all forms of tastes - whether you prefer adventure voyages and getting up close to nature, red in tooth and claw, or the sort of family, single holiday that’s full of the fun and entertainment that Norwegian are so good at offering.

The company say there’s only one thing to do with rules – scrap them. So that’s what they’ve done. They pick the ports and the rest is down to you. NCL visits destinations from the Caribbean to Hawaii, Alaska to New England, Bermuda to Mexico and Europe.

In her maiden season, Epic has a series of departures up until the end of April 2011 visiting The Western Caribbean. Departing from Miami, she will call at Costa Maya in Mexico, The Roatan Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras and the tiny tropical island of Cozumel, 12 miles off Mexico’s coast before returning to Miami.

Among the highlights is the chance to steer a personal All Terrain Vehicle along the jungle trails on the wild side of Cozumel; take a thrilling ride along zip lines from Roatán’s Creation Rock to a party on Tabyana Beach; and see the Mayan ruins in Tulum, built on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean.

NCL Line are exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham.

The Best Free Dining at Sea? It's An Epic Choice

It's fascinating to watch the details continue to roll out ahead of this summer's launch of the new Norwegian Epic, the largest and most feature-packed vessel in the history of NCL.

So far, we've seen a revolutionary take on cabin design, an amazing line-up of entertainment, the largest-ever Spa complex at sea and some superb children's programmes, all of which we have detailed in recent months here on our Time Spent At Sea blog. Now comes the full array of Dining choice - with no less that 11 complimentary experiences (out of 21 in total), arguably the most comprehensive and eye-catching of any ship to date.

The free-to-dine restaurants include many that are new to NCL, such as the Manhattan Room, reminiscent of an elegant supper club and complete with music, dancing and entertainment; O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, serving American favourites; Spice H20, serving Latin and Asian-influenced cuisine; the Studio Lounge, serving snacks and light fare to solo travellers; and the Epic Club, the exclusive dining venue for Norwegian Epic's Suites and Villa passengers. Other regular options include the Garden Cafe buffet, the Great Outdoors al fresco pool grill and even a Kids Cafe.

The additional 10 dining options will all have a nominal cover charge (ranging from $5-$25 per person), with a la carte pricing in Shanghai’s noodle bar and Wasabi sushi bar.

I especially like the sound of Taste (picture above), a dramatic-looking and high-energy style of restaurant that promises an array of traditional and contemporary cuisine, and Cagney's Steakhouse & Churrascaria, as NCL have always done this style of dining extremely well.

NCL also insist that there is one more upscale dining option still to be revealed in May. Get your tastebuds ready!

Meanwhile, the luxurious Mandara Spa will be the largest at sea, housing 24 treatment rooms, two private couple’s villas, two exotic steam Rasul rooms, a DIY Scrub Experience, Hydrotherapy Courtyard & Thermal Suite, full-service salon, fitness centre with TRX training and a barber shop. The Spa features more than 50 treatments for both men and women, including Elemis facials, massages, body therapies, bliss® face and body treatments, and acupuncture, along with cosmetic medical treatments performed by a licensed doctor. The salon features hair, nail and waxing services. In addition, kids and teens can choose from a selection of child-friendly spa services.

Once again, it all serves to highlight the astonishing array of facilities that are being packed into this ship - and the mind-boggling choice that cruising represents in the 21st century.

Time for a moan

OK, I've watched all the press releases roll in this week saying how the new SS Fantastic is going to be the greatest ship ever and the forthcoming Ocean-Going-Behemoth-Of-The-Seas will have the most amazing dining features in the whole world, but I'm also detecting a worrying pattern on sneaky extra onboard revenue earning. And I don't like it. At all.

The one that really set me thinking was Carnival's new 'Behind The Fun' guided tour, an "informative three-and-a-half-hour tour that offers participants a behind-the-scenes look at a wide range of shipboard venues that are normally off limits to guests. During the tour, key shipboard personnel, including the captain, chief engineer, chef de cuisine and other department heads, share their vast knowledge in their particular area of expertise."

Now I know this is really only bandwagon-jumping on Carnival's part (both Princess and NCL have already announced similar onboard revenue opportunities, I mean tours, in the past 12 months), but it does raise the question - is there nothing cruise lines can't now package as a ship 'tour,' 'experience' or 'programme'?

We fully understand cruise lines need to raise the revenue they have cut back on by offering a large range of discounts this year, all aimed at keeping passenger numbers up in the face of the economic meltdown.

But, if they keep adding new ways to separate passengers from their money whilst on board (and Carnival's new 'Behind The Fun' tour is 'only' $95 per person), then people are quickly going to cotton on to the fact that cruise ships are nothing more than large fleecing machines aimed at luring the wary and then emptying their pockets while they're not paying attention.

Providing 'alternative' dining options that all come at an extra cost was only the start, it seems. How much longer before they start charging for cabin service ("Changing the linen? That will be $10 per person, per night, please."), basic meals ("Only $15 a head for breakfast!") and even the dreaded "resort fee" because ships provide things like state-of-the-art fitness centres and casinos (even though many may not even use them)?

It may be a bit of a leap to go from a new paid-for guided tour (albeit, the kind of thing many ships did for free in the past) to completely deconstructing the all-inclusive nature of cruising, but there is something about these recent moves that make me deeply uneasy.

Or am I just being cynical?