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August11, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Hi again, Cruisers! Welcome to the 8/3/03 edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News. I'm a little slow this evening- sun-burned and windblown from a day in the stands at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Today was the 10th annual Brickyard 400 NASCAR Race. Having been to a number of tracks around the country, I am still amazed that we can leave our seats along with 350,000 other people and be back across town in 20 minutes. Cheers for traffic control that works. So much for our day. I hope yours was terrific. Perhaps you're in the mood for a cruise? If so, Pat has great rates for Alaska in September, especially if you're 55 or over (that's a senior as cruise lines define them). Interested? Call Pat as soon as possible! And remember, September in Alaska is lovely. The aspens change early and the first signs of " termination dust" are on the mountains. (That' s Alaskan for the early snows of fall). The air is crisp. The souvenirs are cheap. Pat is waiting to hear from you at 1-866-424-1090 toll-free, or write him at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com You're always welcome at www.7seascruises.com too! And now, some news??¦ Princess Serious About the Caribbean Backing up its commitment to become a major cruise operator in the Caribbean, Princess will launch its most extensive season there ever in fall 2004, with six of its largest and newest vessels sailing throughout the region. The new 2004-05 schedule represents a dramatic 75 percent increase in Caribbean capacity from the season before, and features the youngest fleet sailing in the region.Featuring 152 departures on 16 unique itineraries with 26 different ports of call, Princess will offer four seven-day and two 10-day ships sailing the Caribbean between October 2, 2004 and April 24, 2005. Highlights of the season include the new Caribbean Princess, a host of new itineraries, a new port of call in Belize, and a new home port of Galveston. Europe Cruises Heating Up??¦ Following a sharp drop-off in 2001 and 2002, European cruises are on the rebound this summer with more Americans booking cruises on ships sailing Mediterranean and Baltic itineraries. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, Europe cruises are up 9% over 2002, and 27% over 2001. Consumers can choose from nearly 3,000 cruises in Europe this summer, compared with slightly more than 2,000 in 2001. Oosterdam is Now Offical??¦ Holland America christened the 81,769-ton, 1, 848-passenger Oosterdam in Rotterdam this week. The choice of Rotterdam for the inauguration ceremonies was a sentimental one; Holland America itself was "born" here, in 1873, and this year is celebrating its 130th anniversary. The Netherlands' Princess Margriet served as godmother, her second such stint. She also was godmother on Rotterdam though, ironically, due to seasonal timing, that ship was inaugurated in Ft. Lauderdale rather than Rotterdam. Speaking of which, Rotterdam (the ship, not the city), helped provide quite a dramatic backdrop to the festivities -- it was docked nose-to-nose to Oosterdam. The two ships were barely 12 feet apart. The ceremony was rather low-key but joyful nevertheless. There was the company's traditional "blessing of the bell," in which captain Hans van Biljouw, Oosterdam's master, and representative members of Holland America's Mariner Society, each tossed a glass of champagne at the bell. Sounds like a waste of champagne to me, but it might have been Dutch champagne, so ??¦who cares? The most dramatic moment was the ceremonial smashing of champagne. A magnum, which was hanging from a rigging on Rotterdam sailed via high wire to Oosterdam and successfully crashed against its hull. Then, doves were set free, flags were unfurled (Rotterdam had the American, Oosterdam's was Dutch), and confetti was tossed from each ship. The event concluded with ceremonial horn-blasting from Oosterdam and Rotterdam. Oosterdam, the second ship in Holland America's Vista class, means "east" in Dutch. It's the tenth ship built for the line by Fincantieri (at present, Fincantieri is responsible for all current vessels except for Noordam and Prinsendam). Oosterdam will sail its maiden voyage on August 3, offering a series of four Baltic itineraries before heading south for autumnal cruises in the Western Mediterranean. After a big band-themed transatlantic repositioning, Oosterdam will spend the winter offering alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages out of its home port in Pt. Everglades. We're going to try to post an edition of this newsletter from our cabin on the Oosterdam when we cruise her August 27. Stay tuned??¦ NCL Announces 2004-2005 Caribbean Schedule Sailing to the Caribbean has never been easier with Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) 2004-2005 Caribbean schedule, the line's widest ranging lineup ever. Passengers can visit the world's most popular cruise destination from six close- to-home ports aboard seven NCL Freestyle Cruising ships. NCL's Caribbean deployment will be highlighted by a series of unique aspects, including an extended slate of 10- and 11-day itineraries on Norwegian Dawn from New York in the winter; longer port calls in the exotic Southern Caribbean and the only Western Caribbean itinerary offering Roatan, Honduras and Belize. Under NCL's innovative Homeland Cruising program, the company will offer Caribbean departures from Charleston, S. C., Houston, New Orleans, Miami, New York and San Juan. Europe by River??¦ Viking River Cruises, the leader in European river cruising, announced its 2004 sailing schedule which features the debut of three new itineraries along the Rhine, Danube and Dnieper Rivers. The Viking River Cruises 2004 sailing season, encompassing 11 ships, 13 itineraries, and now 15 countries with the addition of Ukraine, will begin in March, 2004 and extend through December, providing passengers with a variety of dates to experience the luxury of river cruising. An updated Eastern European Odyssey sails Budapest-Black Sea-Vienna (or reverse). This 14-night itinerary offers a comprehensive sampling of Eastern Europe with stops in Vienna, Constanta, Bucharest, Belgrade and along the Black Sea's coast. New for 2004, Viking River Cruises offers a 10-night Treasures of the Rhine itinerary from Antwerp to Basel (or reverse) on the recently acquired Viking Sky. The cruise explores the highlights of the Rhine including visits to Brugge, Amsterdam, Cologne and Heidelberg. Back by popular demand, Viking River Cruises other itineraries include: a Dutch Journey, round- trip from Amsterdam, a 12-night European adventure,from Vienna to Amsterdam (or reverse) , the Grand European Tour for 14 nights, the Romantic Danube, from Budapest to Nuremberg, or reverse, or the Danube Explorer (7 nights), Vienna to Nuremberg. There is also the Scenic Elbe (10 nights),French Vineyards & Vistas (7 nights), Paris & the Heart of Normandy (7 nights), or Waterways of the Czars, from St. Petersburg to Moscow or the other way round. Pat will be happy to get prices for you on any of these itineraries, or on any ship in the Mediterranean, Baltic or Trans-Atlantic. We're guessing that Europe will be even more popular next season, so plan now. And remember, if you book now and the price goes down, Pat will get that lower price for you. Not every cruise agent will! In fact, some will say "we got you an upgrade," when in fact, your cabin price went down. Pat thinks it ought to be up to you whether to upgrade or take the lower price! That's it for now. I go off in search of aloe and offer this wish for your coming week: May each day be better than the one before. See ya next week! Teri |
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August11, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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