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July21, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Hi Again, Cruise Fans, Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News! Pat tells me that we have a whole boatload of new subscribers this week, so here' s an especially warm "Welcome Aboard" to all of you. This week, Pat wants me to tell you that he has received a stack of coupons from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. If you book an ocean- view or balcony cabin or a suite on just about any Royal Caribbean ship between now and the end of September, Pat will be able to save you an additional $50 to $200 per cabin. This includes everything from 3 and 4 night Monarch of the Seas cruises this summer and fall to 14- night Panama Canal trips this fall. So, check out what Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have to offer at www.7seascruises.com and then write Pat at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com or give him a call (toll-free in the U.S.) at 1- 866-424-1090! And now, some cruise news??¦ A Little Late, But Better Than Never??¦ Holland America's brand new Oosterdam left the Italian Fincantieri shipyards on Friday. Now it's in route to Amsterdam where official naming ceremonies at the end of the month will coincide with the 140th birthday celebration of the Holland America line. Ought to be quite a spectacle. The Queen of the Netherlands is expected to be on hand. This ship is just a bit behind schedule, forcing the line to cancel two cruises and turning the August 3 England to Copenhagen 12-day Scandinavian cruise into the ship's maiden voyage. (On a personal note, Pat and I were very interested in this news since we're booked on the August 27 sailing! Ours will be the ship's third cruise. They ought to have the bugs out by then! More about this in weeks to come.) They've Been Busy at Fincantieri??¦ And just two weeks after delivering Carnival Cruise Lines' new 110,000-ton Carnival Glory, Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri today laid the first in a series of approximately 50 building blocks for a sister ship, Carnival Valor. The new 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor, which is being constructed at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, is expected to enter service in December 2004. Carnival Glory arrived in Port Canaveral, Fla. On July 11 for its maiden voyage Monday, July 14. Interestingly, today's massive cruise ships are constructed using a modular method in which giant blocks of the hull and superstructure - some of which measure four decks high and can weigh upwards of 600 tons - are assembled via crane piece by piece, much like a jigsaw puzzle. Fincantieri has delivered or is under contract for seven 100,000-plus-ton Carnival ships, beginning with the Carnival Destiny in 1996. And Cunard Has Kept Fincantieri Busy, too. The 85,000-ton, 1,968-passenger Queen Victoria is being built at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard. The keel ceremony took place last week at which a prefabricated section of the keel was lowered onto the building dock. Ultimately, the ship, when completed, will feature a covered wrap-around promenade deck, a forward-facing observation lounge, and a large Lido pool with a retractable roof. Exterior elevators with glass walls will rise ten decks high on both sides of the ship. The Queen Victoria was originally intended to be part of Holland America's Vista class of ships but the order was transferred to Cunard by corporate parent Carnival Corp. She is scheduled to launch in April, 2005. More About Antarctica??¦ This week, we heard from several readers who were fascinated with the ResidenSea's Antarctic itinerary, but-how shall I put this delicately??-thought their price was just plain stupid! Well, I have to agree, so Pat and I started doing some looking and found several cheaper ways to get down there to the white continent. No budget solutions, however. Going that far on that specialized an itinerary is never inexpensive. But, it can be do-able. For example, Holland America offers a 21-day South America and Antarctic Experience on the ms Amsterdam. It sails December 18, 2003, and January 8, January 29 and December 15, 2004. Ports include Rio, Buenos Aires, three days cruising Antarctica, plus all the usual around-the-Horn ports winding up in Valparaiso, Chile. Cost? Right around $3000 per person, double occupancy-plus air for an ocean-view cabin. If you're interested, give Pat a call and he'll get a genuine discounted price for you! Another option is Orient Lines' Marco Polo. This ship is small enough to actually offer Zodiac craft landings for passengers, so you don't just see Antarctica, you walk on it! Better plan on an extra $1000 per person for this option-plus air. But tips are included! We'll keep looking for that illusive Antarctic bargain, and when we find it, we'll let you know! Settling for the Arctic? If you're willing to settle for a visit to the Arctic Circle, there are several ways to get there. We'll look into those and tell you about your choices next week. In the meantime, there is still time to plan your holiday cruise! There are still some good summer prices available and some genuine bargains for this fall. And until next week, here's wishing you smooth seas and sunshine, Teri |
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| << July07, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
July21, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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