COSTA
CRUISES inaugurated its newest and largest vessel, the
Costa Concordia, July 7 in Civitavecchia, Italy. The 112,000-ton
vessel was christened by Czech-born supermodel, Eva Herzigova, in a
ceremony; Italian television personality Antonella Clerici was the
master of ceremonies. The christening show, called the Waters of
Rome, was a tribute to Rome as a city of cinema and water, and the
3,780-passenger ship was the backdrop for a two-hour series of
dances performed in a pool of water and by dancers suspended in the
air above; the event culminated with a fashion show and fireworks.
NORWEGIAN
CRUISE LINE was the first cruise lines to implement
cellular phone service technology fleetwide, the line said.
Passengers aboard NCL ships will be able to use their own mobile
telephones no matter where the ship is, using a service provided by
Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of Cingular Wireless
and Maritime Telecommunications Network. NCL began offering cell
phone service on select ships two years ago. Colin Veitch, NCLs
CEO, said in a statement that while we recognize that some guests
traveling with us choose to disconnect, others need to stay
connected to loved ones or business associates in order to get
away.
SILJA
LINE and the Tallink Group agreed to merge, forming what
the companies say will be the largest cruise operation in the
Baltic Sea. The two lines carried a combined total of more than six
million passengers in 2005. Together, the two companies will have
21 vessels on routes that connect Finland, Estonia, Germany, Latvia
and Sweden. No name changes are currently planned, and the ships
will continue to operate under their current flags.
DISNEY CRUISE
LINE is capitalizing on the enormous success of the
Pirates of the Caribbean movies by anchoring the Flying Dutchman
ship off Disneys private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay. The
175-foot ghost ship is meant to provide a scenic photo backdrop
from the island, and guests who rent boats on the island can get a
closer look at the ship, Disney said. Having the Flying Dutchman
ship at Castaway Cay is something truly unique that only Disney
Cruise Line could offer guests, said Disney Cruise Line President
Tom McAlpin.
Cruise
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