NORWEGIAN
CRUISE LINES christened its third Hawaii vessel, the Pride
of Hawaii, during a ceremony in Los Angeles on May 20. Sen. Daniel
Inouye (D-Hawaii), who sponsored legislation in 2003 that allowed
NCL to complete construction of two of its U.S.-flagged ships in
Europe and to re-flag a third foreign-flagged vessel, dedicated the
ship. The Pride of Hawaii departed L.A. on May 22 and is en route
to the Aloha State, where it will begin seven-day interisland
cruising from Honolulu on June 5. At 93,500 tons and with room for
2,466 passengers, the Pride of Hawaii will be the largest ship in
the NCL America fleet.
NCL ALSO
SHED TWO SHIPS in May. Parent company Star Cruise is
selling the Norwegian Crown to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in August.
The ship will become Olsens fifth vessel in November 2007, after
completing its current NCL schedule in Bermuda, this summer and
next, and in South America this winter. The Norwegian Wind will be
transferred to Star Cruises, becoming the SuperStar Aquarius, in
April 2007 and will be replaced by the larger Norwegian Sun on its
Hawaii route. The departure of the two ships coincide with the
scheduled deliveries of two new NCL ships, the Norwegian Pearl and
Norwegian Gem.
CRYSTAL
CRUISES will be the first cruise line to offer a shore
excursion to Tanzanias 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, said John
Stoll, Crystals director of land programs. Starting in March 2007,
the nine-night pre- or post-cruise program will be available to
Crystal Serenity passengers on two cruises out of Cape Town, South
Africa. The hike scales the highest mountain in Africa, ending on
the continents only glacier. The climb encompasses an average of
four to six hours of hiking each day. According to Stoll, the
excursion is geared toward people who are a lot more active and
more interested in living on the edge. Its not for everyone and its
not meant to be.
ROYAL
CARIBBEAN had another tough week on the P.R. circuit.
First, the attorney for the family of 21-year-old Daniel DiPiero of
Canfield, Ohio, who disappeared from the Mariner of the Seas on May
14, issued a statement criticizing Royal Caribbeans handling of the
incident. The statement claims that DiPiero was recorded going
overboard by video cameras but that the footage was not promptly
reviewed, leading to a significant delay in rescue efforts. Then,
Royal Caribbean division Celebrity Cruises had to dismiss the
captain of the Celebrity Mercury after he failed a breath alcohol
test administered by the U.S. Coast Guard in Seattle.
Cruise
E-Letter Editor:
Johanna
Jainchill
Phone: (201) 902-7940
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].