NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE will make New York the
permanent home of its newest ship, the Norwegian Dawn. NCL will be
the only cruise line to offer year-round cruises from New York. The
Dawn was scheduled to offer seven-day cruises seasonally from New
York, beginning in May, and would have been based in New York and
Miami. The Dawn can sail 25 knots, the line said, and can "leave
the brisk weather of New York on Sundays ... guests can wake up to
sunshine and warm weather the next morning." On its seven-day
itinerary, the Dawn calls in Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla.,
Nassau, and NCL's private Bahamian island.
MEANWHILE, NCL will introduce Charleston, S.C.,
as a homeport to the Norwegian Majesty beginning Nov. 8. The
Charleston cruises will be NCL's first from South Carolina. The
Majesty will sail a series of seven-day cruises to the Western
Caribbean before repositioning to Boston for its Bermuda
season.
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 was reinspected by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and received a
satisfactory score of 92. The ship had been given a failing grade
of 85 on its previous inspection, which was done Jan. 3 in Fort
Lauderdale. An 86 passes.
INTERISLAND CRUISING in Hawaii is one step
closer to a reality now that the U.S. Senate on Jan. 23 passed its
version of the 2003 appropriations bill, which includes a provision
to allow Norwegian Cruise Line to sail up to three ships in Hawaii
without calling at a foreign port. The bill will now be taken up in
conference committee. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) introduced the
provision that would give NCL the same rights that interisland
cruiser American Classic Voyages enjoyed -- cruising in Hawaii
without having to call in a foreign port -- before it went bankrupt
in November 2001. NCL's current Hawaii itineraries offer seven-day
cruises aboard the Norwegian Star, and 10- and 11-day cruises on
the Norwegian Wind. Both tours stop at Fanning Island in the
Republic of Kiribati to comply with federal laws.
OCEANIA CRUISES will officially open its
Miami-based reservations department Jan. 27 for its 2003 inaugural
season aboard the Regatta and Insignia; the phone number is (800)
531-5658. The line's 2003 brochure should be available shortly,
Oceania said. The Regatta's maiden voyage will end in Dover,
England, instead of the previously announced Tilbury. In addition,
Oceania Cruises is paying 12% base commission on all cruises
through May 1. Oceania Cruises pays 10% commission on insurance,
pre- and post-cruise land packages, and 5% commission on air/sea
add ons.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES completed a $20 million
upgrade of CocoCay, the private island in the Bahamas shared by
Royal Caribbean Int'l and Celebrity Cruises. Additions include a
Snorkel Shack for checking out snorkel gear; a Wave Hut for wave
runner reservations; a nature trail; new picnic and seating areas;
new and renovated restrooms; and a new first aid station, RCCL
said.
A DVD for cruise planning? Cruise agency
CruisesOnly introduced an interactive cruise planner on DVD, which
gives viewers tips on how to choose and book a cruise, and compare
entertainment, dining and accommodations on different lines. The
DVD also includes presentations from different cruise lines, and,
of course, a Web link to CruisesOnly.