ROYAL
CARIBBEAN CRUISES unveiled a new cruise line member of its
family on Friday when RCCL Chairman Richard Fain introduced Azamara
Cruises, a "deluxe" brand positioned between the premium and luxury
segments. The new line will comprise ships that were bound for the
Celebrity Expeditions brand, the Celebrity Journey -- now the
Azamara Journey -- and the Celebrity Quest, which will be renamed
the Azamara Quest this fall. The new line and the 710-person
Journey, which just completed a $19 million refurbishment, were
introduced to the public on May 4. The ships will sail the
itineraries that have been marketed under the Expeditions banner,
the line said, and will offer Asia and world cruise itineraries.
AZAMARA
CRUISES is introducing a new, "deluxe" category name to
mainstream cruising, and RCCL said Azamara will distinguish itself
from premium line Celebrity by offering destination-oriented
itineraries in remote places where Celebrity's larger ships can't
go, with butler service in every cabin category, no formal nights
and a more immersive shore excursion programs. "Because this is a
different product, and so distinct, it deserves a category name of
its own to represent the fact that we're offering something
different," said Fain. Azamara cruises will be priced above
Celebrity's but below luxury lines, said Azamara President Dan
Hanrahan, who also is president of the Celebrity brand.
THE AZAMARA
JOURNEY'S first passengers, who had been booked on the
ship when it was called the Celebrity Journey, got to take their
cruise for free: The vessel departed from Bayonne, N.J., on its
first sailing on May 6, a day late, because refurb work was still
being completed onboard. The line gave passengers a full
refund.
MAY IS A
BUSY MONTH for ship naming. The festivities begin May 13
when the Emerald Princess is named in Athens. (The Emerald was to
be named in a dual ceremony in Santorini, Greece, with the Royal
Princess, but now the Royal Princes will be christened on June 14
in Portofino, Italy.) MSC Cruises appointed film icon Sophia Loren
godmother of a fourth MSC Cruises' ship, the MSC Orchestra, which
she will christen in Civitavecchia, Italy, on May 14. Royal
Caribbean International will name the Liberty of the Seas in Miami
on May 18. Costa Cruises christens its 12th ship, the Costa Serena,
on May 19 in Marseille.
CARNIVAL
CRUISE DIRECTOR John Heald's blog is so popular that the
cruise line will host a "Bloggers Cruise" aboard the Carnival
Freedom in January. The event is geared towards readers of the
blog, which has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors since its launch
last month at www.carnival.com/freedom. The seven-day western
Caribbean cruise will sail from Miami Jan. 19 and visit three of
Heald's favorite ports: Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand
Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. "I hope this cruise will be the first
of many," Heald told his readers. During the cruise Heald will host
events like a "Welcome Aboard" reception, trivia contests and
question-and-answer sessions.
Cruise
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