CRUISE SHIPS AGAIN
began calling in Cozumel, Mexico, this week. The docks were damaged
by Hurricane Wilma, but ships will anchor offshore and tender
passengers to the island. The Carnival Triumph and the Celebrity
Galaxy were the first scheduled ships to anchor in Cozumel, and by
Wednesday up to four ships will drop anchor there.
TO WELCOME
PASSENGERS to the destination, which was damaged by Wilma,
local government officials and businesses organized a weeklong
event called Festival del Mar Caribe that will take place in
Cozumels town square. The fiesta will feature music, dance
performances, artisans and street vendors selling crafts and
paintings.
MSC
CRUISES pushed itself to the forefront of mega-ship cruise
companies by confirming an order for two 3,300-passenger cruise
ships for delivery in 2008 and 2009. The ships, which will have a
maximum capacity of 3,887 passengers and 1,300 crew, will be the
second-largest cruise ships in terms of capacity, after Royal
Caribbean Internationals Freedom of the Seas. The ships will be
built at the Chantiers de lAtlantique yard in Saint-Nazaire,
France; Patrick Bossier, president of Alstom Marine division, which
runs Chantiers, said the contract is the largest-ever firm order
for the yard.
SELL A CRUISE,
WIN A CAR. Each booking an agent makes with Celebrity
Cruises by Jan. 31 counts as an entry into the Celebrity Treatment
sweepstakes. Bookings on the Zeniths four-day cruises in the
Caribbean and the Centurys Europe cruises count as double. The line
is giving away one 2006 Lexus ES300 and 100 gas cards each worth
$100.
EASYCRUISE began its first Caribbean season
on Nov. 12, launching its unique (orange-hued) brand of hop-on,
hop-off cruises from Barbados. The line, in what it said was a
first for an EasyGroup company, has reached an agreement with
Amadeus to offer EasyCruise inventory through that GDS, and travel
agents can book EasyCruise online at www.easycruise.com
for a 5% discount.