2010

The Disney Dream--- New Feature – Miniature Golf Course!

The top of Disney Cruise Line's next ship will feature a miniature golf course themed around Goofy and a water play area for kids that has Nemo as its inspiration.

The 2,500-passenger Disney Dream, currently under construction at a shipyard in Germany, also will boast an adults-only decktop pool area with a swim-up bar.

The new decktop features, unveiled today, are in addition to a previously announced high-speed flume ride that will wrap around the top of the vessel  -- a cruise industry first. 

The Dream is Disney's first new cruise ship in more than a decade. It's scheduled to debut on Jan. 26, 2011 -- exactly one year from today.

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Disney says Goofy's Golf, as the nine-hole miniature golf course is to be called, is part of an interactive sports deck that also will have two digital sports simulators and two mini-sized sports courts where small children can play soccer and basketball. There also will be a full-court basketball area that can be transformed into a mini soccer pitch or volleyball court.

The sports deck also will have table tennis and foosball tables, and it will be ringed by a walking track.

The Nemo-themed water play (illustration above) will feature a small water slide, water jets and other water features. It'll also be enclosed with glass.

Disney says the adult-only area will be called Quiet Cove.  Its pool, notable, will be fresh water (as all three pools atop the Dream will be).

Disney says the ship also will have a Mickey Mouse-shaped pool for small children (something already found on the line's two existing ships) and another family-focused pool called the Donald Pool. 

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OASIS- Did You Know?

• Pier 18 is designed to get each cruiser from the curb to the check-in procedures and onboard the Oasis of the Seas within 15 minutes, once all departing guests have been cleared.

• Pier 18 boasts a 4,000-square-foot skylight, frosted glass accents, and TVs to direct guests to securityand check- in areas.

• The Cruise Highlights flyer will be delivered to guests on the first day of the cruise to help with planning activities and entertainment for the week.

• Onboard Oasis guests won’t have to retrieve life jackets from their stateroom and then go to their muster station, life jackets will be stored there.

• Digital signage on the Oasis provides real time updates to be communicated to guests easily clearly it assists with:

o Mustering

o Departure information

o Entertainment

• You can rent a phone onboard called the WOW phone. You can do the following with the WOW phone:

o Call any other WOW phones, or guests stateroom.

o Text message between devices.

o Receive onboard real-time location services that allow guests to locate another member in of their traveling party.

o Track your Children in Adventure Ocean or elsewhere on board.

o View activities and events for each day of your cruise and a map of the ship.

• The Adventure Ocean Theater, is the first-ever children’s theater at sea. It has a stage, curtains, audience seating, and state-of-the-art production equipment. Children of all ages can learn about theatrical productions, take part in talent shows, or sign up for hip hop dance classes.

• The AquaTheater pool is 17.9 feet deep, making it the largest pool at sea. The pool depths will rise and fall to meet the needs of each performance and for its various functions throughout the day.

• Central Park will be the first ever living park at sea. It will have 12, 175 plants, 62 vines, and 56 tress and bamboo.

• Guest can pre-book online flowrider lessons for up to 8 people in a group.

• Guests can pre-reserve show tickets online for ice shows, Opal Theater, AquaTheater, and comedy club

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Declare Your Independence from
Ordinary Vacations

Royal Caribbean Reduced Deposit Offer!

Reserve your next cruise between February 5 and March 6, 2010 on ANY Royal Caribbean ship and sail date and take advantage of 50% Reduced Deposit!

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Cunard Welcomes Filmmakers Dori Berinstein and Judd Ehrlich on 29 April
Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossing

Film industry documentarians to be featured Cunard Insights speakers 

18 February 2010 – In association with Cunard's partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival, which included the sponsorship of the 2009 World Documentary Feature competition and recognition as the 2009 Official Cruise Line of the Tribeca Film Festival, the iconic ocean liner company welcomes acclaimed documentary filmmakers Dori Berinstein and Judd Ehrlich on the 29 April Transatlantic Crossing from New York to Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2. With this upcoming sailing, Berinstein and Ehrlich join a distinguished list of luminaries and tastemakers that have sailed this legendary voyage with Cunard, operator of The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World.

April marks the start of Cunard’s Transatlantic Crossing season, and the 29 April voyage is one of more than 21 six-, seven-, eight- or nine-day Crossings between New York and Southampton, Cherbourg or Hamburg offered by Cunard until mid-November this year.

During the Crossing, Berinstein and Ehrlich will participate in Cunard Insights, the line's award-winning onboard enrichment programme, and will each screen one of their films. Berinstein will discuss “Gotta Dance,” a documentary focusing on a unique dance team made up entirely of senior citizens. Ehrlich will screen “Run for Your Life,” a feature-length documentary about the enigmatic running guru and founder of the NYC Marathon, Fred Lebow. In addition, they will engage in a panel conversation with the ship’s entertainment director where they will share stories about their multi-faceted careers and the many roles they play in the entertainment industry – from director to producer to writer. All programmes will be held in Queen Mary 2’s spectacular 450-seat, stadium-style theatre, Illuminations, which is also the only planetarium at sea.

“Cunard’s partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival represents our commitment to celebrating the art of filmmaking,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “We welcome these distinguished documentarians aboard Queen Mary 2 and are confident that the real-life stories they capture through their work, and in turn share through the Insights programme, will thoroughly entertain and engage our guests.”

Dori Berinstein is an award-winning director, producer and writer of film, theater and television. Her first feature film, “Show Business: The Road to Broadway,” about Broadway behind-the-curtain, was named one of the top five documentaries of 2006 by the International Documentary Association. Berinstein’s second feature, “Some Assembly Required,” about kids nationwide competing in a toy invention competition, will be released in 2010. Her most recent film, “Gotta Dance,” was released theatrically during the summer of 2009; a Broadway adaptation is underway. Berinstein is a three-time Tony-winning Broadway producer (“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” and “Fool Moon”). Her 11^th Broadway show, “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” currently is playing in London and on tour across the United States. Berinstein has served as an executive and/or consultant at DreamWorks, Walt Disney Imagineering, Paramount and Sony Pictures.

Judd Ehrlich, a native of New York City, most recently directed and produced “Run for Your Life.” The film, which features interviews with notables from Olympian Frank Shorter to Mayor Ed Koch, premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, was acquired by Screen Media Films/Universal Studios and was released theatrically. Ehrlich's directorial debut, “Mayor of the West Side,” the coming-of-age story of a teenager with multiple disabilities, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Documentary and is airing on PBS nationwide through 2010. Ehrlich collaborated on the editing of Ric Burns' epic PBS series and Emmy Award-winner, “New York,” and worked for acclaimed PBS independent documentary series “POV” and edited for CBS News. Ehrlich has also created and curated multiple film series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum and the JCC in Manhattan. He currently is completing a documentary, following young magicians at the country's premier magic camp.

“It has been wonderful to again share our commitment to providing quality entertainment and engaging thoughtful experiences for audiences with Cunard,” said Nancy Schafer, executive director of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Both Dori and Judd’s crowd pleasing films played to sold out audiences at the Tribeca Film Festival and I know that Cunard guests will enjoy the experience of not only screening their films but having the rare opportunity to connect with the filmmakers directly.”

Delving deeply into a variety of compelling and relevant topics, Cunard Insights introduces guests to stimulating experts and accomplished visionaries who reflect the line's heritage of adventure and prestige. Through a series of lectures, Q&A's, social gatherings and workshops, guests connect with authors and intellectuals who have achieved notable distinction in areas including history, world affairs, science, politics, arts and literature. The Insights programme underscores Cunard's longstanding view that onboard entertainment should afford guests a provocative and rewarding cerebral experience.

Widely considered the definitive ocean travel experience, a Cunard Transatlantic Crossing offers guests myriad opportunities for intellectual interaction, leisurely pursuits, health and wellness activities and gourmet dining. Unique Cunard amenities found aboard Queen Mary 2 include the famed Princess and Queens Grill accommodation, the first Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea and the first Todd English restaurant at sea.

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Port of San Francisco Gets Millions for Improvements, Expansion

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N E W S

19 February 2010 - History was made in Sydney today when, in a world first, Cunard’s Queen Victoria was illuminated in pink while berthed at Sydney’s Circular Quay. Queen Victoria was bathed in vibrant pink light from dusk to support Australia’s National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), which officially launched its 2010 fundraising target of $17 million at an event onboard. Pink lights illuminated the entire ship, providing the ideal setting for the event.

“Pink has become synonymous with the fight against breast cancer, so we are delighted to offer NBCF the opportunity to boost awareness of research and claim a world first by being the first to illuminate a liner in pink,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line.

Queen Victoria will make history again this time next year when she sails her first "Americas" season, traversing the Panama Canal on more than one voyage, making rare roundtrip sailings from Los Angeles to Hawaii, plus debuting her maiden Mexico Getaway voyage.

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CRUISE PLANNERS DONATES $18,000 TO FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

Donation funds collected through t-shirt sales and silent auction

during annual convention

MIAMI, FL – February 24, 2010 –Cruise Planners/American Express, the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the cruise industry, donated $18,000 to the Fisher House Foundation as part of its CP Cares initiative. The funds were collected at the company’s annual convention late last year through Cruise Planners t-shirt sales and a silent auction.

“Cruise Planners has shown their commitment to improving the quality of life both locally and nationally by donating such an impressive gift,” said Mary Berrocal, director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Miami VA Healthcare System, who accepted the donation on behalf of the Fisher House Foundation. “We are most grateful for Cruise Planners’ donation and their support for America’s military. The Miami VA Fisher House is in the final stages of construction and these dollars will not only trickle down locally, but assist the foundation as a whole.”    

CP Cares is an outreach program created by Cruise Planners to support charitable organizations throughout the U.S. and around the world. Cruise Planners is committed to raising and donating funds to various charities as well as providing hands-on service to the community. Through CP Cares, Cruise Planners has shown support to US troops and veterans and assisted entrepreneurial veterans with opportunities to be a franchise owner.

Along with sending a New Year’s care package to a unit recently deployed to Afghanistan, Cruise Planners has donated more than $20,000 to the Fisher House Foundation and approximately $62,000 in incentives to help veterans transition into franchise ownership. In addition, Cruise Planners teamed up with Royal Caribbean International for the Voyages for Veterans program, where Royal Caribbean will donate $50 to the Fisher House Foundation for every cabin booked through a Cruise Planners agent on one of 12 select sailings throughout 2010. Cruise Planners

Fisher House Foundation, founded in 1990, currently operates 43 purpose-built “comfort homes” providing free accommodations to the families of U.S. military service members and U.S. veterans who undergo treatment at a military or VA medical facility. Fisher House serves more than 12,000 families annually, and allows America’s military and veteran families to be together in a home-like atmosphere through extended recovery periods.

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Oasis of the Seas Exclusive Offer!

$100 OBC for select Oasis of the Seas sailings
Details:

• $100 OBC is per stateroom for Inside, Outside, Balcony, Deluxe
• Now through March 24, 2010 on select sailings.
• Bookings must be created and paid in full at least 3 days prior to sailing in order to qualify for the OBC (Oasis departs on Saturdays, so by Wednesday).

Dates:

$100 OBC per stateroom on the following sailing dates:

3/6/10, 3/13/10, 3/20/10, 3/27/10,

4/3/10, 4/10/10, 4/17/10, 4/24/10

5/1/10, 5/8/10, 5/15/10, 5/22/10, 5/29/10

6/5/10

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Uniworld’s Newly Remodeled Ships Grace European Waterways

Two of Uniworld’s boutique river cruise ships, River Queen and River Empress, sailing the Rhine River were recently remodeled for the 2010 season, and when Uniworld remodels a ship, it is not simply putting a new coat of paint on the walls or resurfacing the floors. It’s a major production led by Mrs. Beatrice Tollman, Godmother and namesake of Uniworld’s ultra-luxurious River Beatrice, and President of Uniworld’s sister company, Red Carnation Hotels (RCH)—a collection of award-winning, luxury boutique hotels.

The RCH team personally oversees every aspect of all of Uniworld’s new ships, as well as all their remodels. Borrowing the same concepts when decorating the Red Carnation Hotels, Uniworld’s guests can always expect the ship’s interior design, décor, and art selection to be infused with the same thoughtful signature touches the RCH team masterfully creates when decorating their boutique hotels. And “boutique” is at the core of what they bring to Uniworld. Being a boutique, hotel-style cruise company means all of Uniworld’s ships have a totally different look and feel, yet they all share the same common threads of distinction, warmth, and intimacy. Unlike other conventional “cookie-cutter” ships, Uniworld deliberately designs all of their fleet to stand out from the ordinary as with Uniworld’s River Beatrice—honored by the Editors of Cruise Critic as the Best New River Ship in 2009.

With that in mind, the legendary River Queen, the only river cruise ship in the entire world to have a working fireplace, has been totally transformed to be in vogue with timeless chic. Inviting blues and white tones paired up with warmer browns and creams can be found throughout the ship. In the main lounge, for instance, an eclectic selection of furniture, some of which is draped in rich Turnell & Gigon fabrics in St. Tropez navy and white provides beauty and comfort—a real five star home away from home atmosphere—and the bar top in Caesar white stone makes this public space shine.

The River Queen’s staterooms have different patterns, color schemes, and various eye-pleasing accent pieces to give each category of st aterooms their own distinct flair. The 400 category of staterooms have blue and white fabric walls, and curtains in a leaf design by Bernard Thorpe. The 300 category of staterooms have red and cream fabric walls with a traditional crewel design, and Roman shades in cream fabric from Marson with fine stitching; and the 200 and 100 category staterooms have green and cream pinstripe fabric walls and Roman shades in a cream corduroy fabric by Warwick.

The newly remodeled River Empress is also dressed to impress with its own inviting color schemes throughout the different category of staterooms with category 400 comprised of a very attractive cream and grey fabric with a floral sway band from Marson called Jasmine, and carpet with a scallop traditional trellis design. Category 300 staterooms have James Hare blue and beige silk pavilion stripe fabric walls, and Roman shades in light blue with grosgrain ribbon bands; and 200 and 100 category staterooms have been adorned in Jasmine color aqua and cream fabric walls, and Roman shades in aqua.

All staterooms on both ships have custom-made-to-order English Savoir beds with unique headboards of various designs, and bathrooms with special marble in various color-schemes. Added high-end amenities such as L’Occitane bath products, thick towels from Christies of Manchester – the oldest towel maker in Europe – and cozy bathrobes can be found throughout the entire Uniworld fleet.

Every element that goes into designing a Uniworld ship is to provide guests with a pleasing atmosphere comprised of inviting décor and a warm ambience. So whether it is enjoying Uniworld’s new Springtime Along the Rhine itinerary while sailing on the River Empress, or discovering the Legendary Rhine & Moselle while onboard the River Queen, Uniworld’s guests are certain to feel truly special, so every time they venture off on their shore excursions, they will be excited to return back to their “home-away-from home.”

About Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Los Angeles-based Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the premier river cruise company, is recognized in: Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Top Small Ship Cruise Lines; Condé Nast Traveler's prestigious Gold List and their Readers’ Poll for Top 50 Small Ships, and their Readers’ Choice Awards for World's Top Small Ship Cruise Lines; Cruise Critic’s Editors’ Pick for Best River Cruise Line and Best New River Ship for the River Beatrice; Zagat’s ranked in the category of Top Cabins and Top Dining, and is the only river cruise line represented in their cruise survey with the best of the best in the cruise ind ustry. Uniworld features elegant, boutique hotel-style cruise ships designed for the experienced traveler, with an average capacity of 134 guests, expertly planned itineraries with custom-blended, included shore excursions, world-class cuisine, and award-winning hospitality from an all-English speaking staff with a ratio of one staff member to every three guests. The company offers over 500 departures on 35 itineraries sailing on 9 rivers in 16 countries throughout Europe, Egypt, and China.

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