CMA-CGM (The French Line) Service of 47 days Between Europe and East coast of the USA and Gulf of Mexico Ports

CMA-CGM ROSSINI, sailing under the French flag, has five cabins each with twin beds or a double bed.

The ship features a gymnasium (ping pong, rowing machine, home trainer etc.), small outdoor pool, deck chairs on the Sun Deck, and a passenger lounge. There is also a laundry on E Deck and this ship does have an elevator. Please be aware that elevators may not work in rough seas or emergencies so passengers still need to be able to handle stairs.

Passports must be valid for more than 6 months after your return and a U.S. Visa may be required.

Daily fares are Euro 100 per day each of two for double occupancy and Euro 110 per day for single occupancy.

Bookings of less than 10 days duration are subject to extra handling charges.
Segments may be available subject to cabotage and availability.
Please contact us for detailed itinerary and information.

Twiggy to Name Seabourn Sojourn

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On June 4 at Greenwich, Lesley Hornby, better known as model and actress Twiggy, will become the Godmother of Yachts of Seabourn’s second new ship of three, Seabourn Sojourn. Joining Seabourn Odyssey, the Sojourn has just been completed at the T Mariotti shipyard in Genoa.

The new 30,000-ton trio are joining the original 10,000-ton trio and at 450 passengers are reckoned to be the largest number of guests that can be served and still maintain the well-known Seabourn level of service. The Restaurant 1 will be able to accommodate all guests at once. An innovation for these ships is The Square, brainchild of Carnival ceo Micky Arison. In The Square a multipurpose reception area replaces the traditional purser’s desk and houses the concierge, library, internet centre, coffee shop and a comfortable seating area.

The new Seabourn Sojourn leaves Genoa on May 28, for Dover and Greenwich.

On June 6, she departs on her maiden voyage, a 14-day cruise to Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, the Norwegian Fjords and Amsterdam.

At the end of the summer she will make her first Transatlantic crossing from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale, where she will be introduced to the American market.

Carnival To Become No. 5 to Bermuda

Bermuda’s traditional April to October cruise trade began again last month with the first regular calls at Hamilton’s Front Street cruise piers since the Azamara Journey completed her Bermuda cruise season in 2007 by Holland America’s Veendam.

With Holland America being a newcomer to the Bermuda trade this year, its Veendam will make 24 cruises from New York direct to the Front Street cruise ships docks in Hamilton, with a tender call at St George’s en route. One call will also be made by the line’s Prinsendam. This year actually marks a return by Holland America to the Bermuda trade, where it had been a regular caller until the 1980s when it moved its centre of operations from New York to Seattle.

Other regular callers this year include Norwegian Cruise Line, with 45 calls by Norwegian Dawn from New York and Norwegian Spirit from Boston, and Royal Caribbean, with 40 calls by Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, New Jersey, and Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore to either King’s Wharf or Heritage Wharf, both located at the old Royal Navy Dockyard and served by ferry running into Hamilton. Celebrity Cruises will also offer seventeen cruises with its Celebrity Summit and Princess Cruises ten with Caribbean Princess.

Carnival Cruise Lines announced that it would offer a total of sixteen cruises to Bermuda in 2011, six from Charleston by Carnival Fantasy, five from Baltimore by Carnival Pride, four from New York by Carnival Miracle and one from Norfolk by Carnival Glory, all docking at King’s Wharf. This year will see only one Bermuda call by Carnival Miracle from New York but 2011 will see the largest number of Bermuda calls ever made by Carnival Cruise Lines, bringing them to No. 5 place after NCL, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Celebrity, and within one call of Celebrity at No. 4.

The Return of Paquet Cruises

by Mark Tre’ – "The Cruise Examiner

The French cruise market is seeing quite a revival at the moment. Hard on the heels of the maiden voyage of Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boréal from Marseilles recently, a fortnight ago saw the relaunch of the Paquet brand when Allegra sailed from the same port on the first of eleven cruises under the Paquet brand for 2010.

In an agreement with TMR of Marseilles, Costa Cruises, who have owned the Paquet brand since 1996, are using Costa Allegra, marketed in France under the name "Allegra," for four spring cruises and seven cruises this autumn. For these cruises, Costa Allegra will feature a French master, cruise director, maitres ‘d, receptionists and two French chefs, one of whom, Jean Abauzit, served on board the renowned Mermoz, retired a decade ago.

Allegra‘s first three cruises are sold out, although some space is still available on the June 16 departure, which will be a musical cruise celebrating French song.

TMR, headed by Jean-Maurice Ravon, has in the past chartered Norway (ex-France) as well as a couple of the ex-Renaissance "R" class, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

As well as Le Boréal and Allegra in the French market, Croisières de France’s all-inclusive Bleu de France returned from Brazil last month and has now commenced her summer series of Mediterranean cruises, also from Marseilles.

New Princess Ships

by Mark Tre’ – "The Cruise Examiner

 

Royal Princess and Regal Princess?
Two weeks ago to-morrow, Carnival Corp & PLC’s Princess Cruises placed a firm order with Italy’s Fincantieri for its two prototype ships, as yet unnamed, to be delivered in 2013 and 2014. One source, however, has speculated on Royal Princess and Regal Princess as possible names to be chosen. The first Royal Princess was a trend-setter as the first ship to have so many balconies and the second is about to be transferred to affiliate P&O, while Regal Princess was one of the Renzo Piano-designed pair that were originally ordered by Sitmar but delivered to Princess, and has sailed as Pacific Dawn for P&O Australia since 2007.

At 141,000 gross tons, the new Princess flagships will accommodate a maximum of 3,600 passengers and will be the largest cruise ships ever built by Fincantieri. Built to a prototype design, many of the best concepts will come from Ruby Princess, the last ship to completed for Princess by Fincantieri in 2008. It will thus be a gap of five years between new ships for Princess.

Further design details have not yet been made public but it will evidently include a number of successful touches from previous Fincantieri vessels and also some firsts. For instance, all outside cabins will feature private balconies, which will account for 80% of the accommodation. Public rooms will apparently also be enlarged compared to previous Princess ships and will incorporate a somewhat more luxurious décor than in the past.

Princess Cruises now operates seventeen ships, and the two new ships will be the largest in any Carnival fleet, with the sole exception of the 148,528-ton RMS Queen Mary 2. Fincantieri has built 53 cruise ships since the 1990s, of which 49 were for Carnival brands. A further twelve, including the two Princess ships, will follow by 2014.

Princess Adds Third Seating Time

Princess has announced the addition of a third Traditional Dining seating time on most voyages. The new seating time is in response to the high demand its received for the popular Traditional Dining option.

The new seating time will be in a separate dining room at either 5:15 pm or 5:30 pm depending on the voyage. The only voyages not offering the third seating will be on our small ships, or those sailing in Australia.

If you are booked through The Cruise People on an existing cruise with Princess who are interested in the new seating time, just let us know.

 

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New Carnival Ship to be Named CARNIVAL BREEZE

Carnival has announced that the Carnival Breeze has been selected as the name for its brand-new ship which will join the fleet in spring 2012.

The 3,690-passenger cruise ship will be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the current builder of  Carnival Magic (debuting in Europe May 1, 2011).

As the third ship in the Dream-class, passengers can expect all the amenities in Carnival Breeze that they’ve come to have in Carnival Dream. Features include expansive, modern facilities for children and teens, a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, and The Lanai, an outdoor promenade featuring cantilevered whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides.

Other features will include the popular WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide, and an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza. Of course, Carnival will offer a wide range of accommodation to match  tastes and budgets, including deluxe ocean views with two-bathrooms and some family-friendly accommodations that feature five berths.

Carnival Breeze will be the 24th vessel in Carnival Cruise Lines’ fleet, which operates three- to 15-day voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England and Europe.

 

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A Message from Cunard Line re Fuel Surcharge

May 4, 2010

Dear Travel Partner:

Because of the continued rapid escalation of fuel prices, Cunard Line and P&O (UK) will introduce a fuel supplement of $3.85 (USD) per person per day. These brands will also implement this fuel supplement on third and fourth passengers.

The new fuel supplements will apply to all new bookings effective May 10, 2010 and will apply to all departures from November 1, 2010. The fuel supplements will not exceed $154.00 per person per voyage.

For bookings made prior to May 10, 2010, no fuel supplement will apply.

We regret having to take this action, but fuel price increases have continued, and we now find it necessary to implement a modest supplement.

Please remember that all of your bookings made on or before May 9, 2010 will not be subject to the new fuel supplement. Most importantly, we want to thank you for your business and continuing support.

Sincerely,

Peter Shanks
President and Managing Director

The Expedition "Space Ship" – Le Boréal & L’Austral – American Small Ship Operators

by Mark Tre’ – "The Cruise Examiner"

Just before the Canadian company, Gap Adventures’ new Expedition began her European season to-day, The Cruise Examiner had a look at her in Portsmouth, from where she is leaving for Oban. Meanwhile, this Thursday sees the introduction of Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boréal and two American small ship operators, one of which is about to take on a new name, search out new itineraries.

STORY OF THE WEEK
The Expedition – "Space Ship" of Expedition Ships
Last Friday in Portsmouth, Gap Adventures invited tour operators and agents from both the UK and Continent to tour its ship and sample a typical dinner – at lunch time! In addition to an excellent meal, visitors were treated to a thorough examination of the new ship, freshly arrived and receiving a new coat of red paint after her first successful Antarctic season.

Being a former Baltic ferry, Expedition is graced with very light and bright public areas. The forward lounge and lecture room and the ship’s restaurant above it both offer views forward and to both sides of the ship. The lounge is equipped with tub chairs and banquettes at the sides, all fastened to the deck to ensure that they don’t become projectiles during the sometimes rough crossing of the Drake Passage between Tierra de Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Likewise, the dining room has some good-looking furniture and all the chairs are fastened to the deck. Off each side forward there are also wings that offer a slightly more private area with several tables on each side. This dining room is unique as it is the only one The Cruise Examiner has ever seen, other than on some night ferries, that is mounted up forward on the top of the ship below the bridge. Further aft on the same deck as the dining room is the Polar Bear Bar, a convivial social space that also offers views on three sides at the aft end of the ship.

At 6,336 gross tons and carrying 116 in lower berths (the ship’s eight triple cabins give her 124 berths), she offers a passenger space ratio of 54 tons per guest. With crowded ships scoring as low as 20, roomy ships above 40 and luxury ships about 60, this is a very good indication of just how roomy this new expedition ship is. Also in this league is  Akademik Ioffe at 59 (6,450 tons, 109 passengers) but  Expedition well exceeds Lindblad’s National Geographic Explorer at 44 (6,471 tons, 148 passengers).

Although only four years newer than Explorer, which Lars-Erik Lindblad first introduced in 1969, Expedition, which was built as a sturdy ice-strengthened ferry in 1972, has already proven to be a worthy successor to this little ship, which was lost in the Antarctic in November 2007. Explorer, which was at the end owned by Gap, has actually been replaced by two ships if one considers National Geographic Explorer, a former Hurtigruten ship, has also taken the original ship’s name.

THIS WEEK IN CRUISING
Le Boréal Introduced as L’Austral is Launched
Two weeks ago, Compagnie du Ponant launched its latest ship L’Austral, the second of two super luxury cruise ships the French owner has ordered from Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, due to enter service in 2011. Meanwhile, the first, Le Boréal, makes her maiden voyage this week, sailing from Marseilles on Thursday.

In terms of size and sophisticated décor both ships resemble large mega yachts. They will both fly the French flag and measure 10,700 gross tons on dimensions of 466 feet in length and 59 feet in beam. Some 260 guests will be accommodated in 132 cabins and suites, all with a sea view, and of which 94% have a private veranda. After her first season in the Mediterranean, Le Boréal will head to the Antarctic, where she will be chartered to US operator Abercrombie & Kent for the winter season. There she will succeed Minerva, which they had been operating as Explorer II, and the original Explorer, which it had sold to Gap Adventures.

Compagnie du Ponant, whose head office is in Marseilles, is the only French-flag cruise line to operate a fleet of deep sea ships, the others being one-ship operations. Its current fleet of three ships (Le Ponant, Le Levant and Le Diamant) will soon rise to five, serving a super-luxury customer target.
Founded in 1988, Compagnie du Ponant is a member of CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container line, which itself carries passengers on many of its ships serving Australasia, the Americas and Asia. Its French West Indies line offers weekly service between France and Martinique and Guadeloupe with twelve-passenger ships while it also offers frequent service to China with the largest passenger-carrying container ships in the world, accommodating up to ten passengers each.

American Small Ship Operators Explore New Routes
Founded in the 1960s by Luther Blount, the American Canadian Caribbean Line is not only introducing new itineraries but is also about to take on a new name. From the originators of the first New England to Saguenay River itineraries via the Erie Canal in the 1960s, 2010 see the introduction of a brand new itinerary between New York and Toronto.

Taking 9 nights in each direction, Grande Mariner will depart New York’s Chelsea Piers on August 14 and proceed by way of the Hudson River, Erie Canal, St Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario to Toronto, with calls at Troy, Little Falls, Oswego and Ogdensburg in New York and at Kingston, Port Weller (for Niagara Falls), Hamilton and Toronto in Ontario. The reverse itinerary leaves Toronto on August 25.
Further, ACCL is looking into cruises in Ontario’s Georgian Bay, once such a popular haunt for Great Lakes cruise ships that the last of the Great Lakes operators was actually called the Georgian Bay Line. Soon to be announced as well will be a name change for the company, which in honour of its founder, is apparently about to become known as Blount Small Ship Adventures.

Meanwhile, on the west coast, Cruise West, long famous for its Alaska trade, has introduced several new itineraries in recent years, in the Antarctic and the Galapagos, and on the Danube River, by chartering dedicated vessels from other operators, as well as sending its own Spirit of Oceanus on a new 335-day globe-circling world cruise, which it has recently announced that it would repeat for 2011.

These efforts have been successful that the small ship operator is now polling its customers for indications of interest for new itineraries involving the Mississippi River, the St Lawrence Seaway between Montreal and Toronto and the Hudson River. No details have been announced but itineraries are apparently being developed for 2011.