Royal Caribbean Unveils Allure of the Seas' 24 Dining Venues

Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, which will debut in December, will introduce new culinary concepts compared to its sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. A Brazilian steakhouse will open for dinner in the Solarium and will feature Brazilian-style meats and seafood dishes, from Picanha cut sirloin steak to Atlantic salmon marinated with sea salt and garlic, served table-side and sliced straight off the skewer. In Central Park, recently anointed Chef de Cuisine Molly Brandt will offer a one-of-a-kind menu at 150 Central Park, a signature fine dining experience.

Rita’s Cantina, a new restaurant in the Boardwalk neighborhood, will serve Mexican fare such as shrimp ceviche tostadas, warm tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole, and entrées such as fajitas, fish tacos and Chipotle-style flautas. Rita’s Cantina also will boast a wide selection of margaritas served on the rocks or frozen in a variety of fruit-flavor combinations. In addition, the restaurant will introduce new nightlife to Boardwalk with live guitar music, drinks and dancing. Rita Cantina’s design will include large open breezeways and an outdoor seating area complete with high top tables and stools, and will be located in place of Seafood Shack onboard sister-ship Oasis of the Seas.

Also new to Boardwalk’s dynamic and engaging scene will be The Boardwalk Dog House, a hot-dog specialty counter located where The Donut Shop is on Oasis of the Seas. It will offer hot dogs, wieners, brats and sausages. The Donut Shop will remain on Boardwalk in a new location next to the Ice Cream Parlor. Other dining options in the Boardwalk are the Boardwalk Bar, offering fruit, salads and sandwiches; Boardwalk Donut Shop; Ice Cream Parlor; and Johnny Rockets.

Central Park also will offer Giovanni’s Table, an Italian trattoria; Park Café, a gourmet market featuring salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries and fudge; Vintages, a wine bar with pre-dinner tapas and cheeses; and Chops Grille, the line’s signature steakhouse.

In the pool zone are Solarium Bistro, a health-conscious dining option for breakfast and lunch; the Wipe Out Café, a casual self-service buffet with pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches and salads; and Izumi Asian Cuisine featuring a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking.

On the Royal Promenade are Sorrento’s Pizzeria, Café Promenade and the Cupcake Cupboard. In the spa is the Vitality Café, which offers healthy snacks, sandwiches, wraps, fruit and smoothies. The classic dining options include the three-tier Adagio Dining Room, which will offer both flexible and traditional assigned seatings; the casual Windjammer Marketplace; and room service, which includes Johnny Rockets hamburgers and Ghirardelli chocolate cookie

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Celebrity Cruises Celebrates Autumnal Equinox by

Naming Fifth Ship In Widely Heralded Solstice Class Fleet

 In light of the images of sun and shadow conveyed in the names of Celebrity Cruises' stylish Solstice Class ships, the world's top-rated premium brand is marking autumnal equinox by announcing the name of the fifth in its 'Xceptional' series: Celebrity Reflection.

"Selecting the name of the fifth ship in the class led us to reflect back on the significant impact the Solstice Class has had on the cruise industry," said Celebrity's President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. "Our Solstice Class ships offer the finest in premium cruising, with service provided by the best men and women in the hospitality business, as evidenced by the tremendous response from our guests, travel partners and the press, and a continuously expanding series of prestigious awards. There is no question that Celebrity Reflection will deliver an equally outstanding vacation experience for our guests."
Following delivery in November 2012, Celebrity Reflection will join Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Silhouette, rounding out the $3.7-billion class.
Celebrity Reflection will present vacationers with some new features, yet to be announced, along with many of the hallmarks found on some or all of her sister ships, including:
The hip "Celebrity iLounge" that made Celebrity Cruises the industry's first Authorized Apple Reseller
Uniquely unordinary "Qsine," the first seagoing restaurant to feature a menu and wine list on an iPad(R), and an engaging food-as-theater dining experience
Celebrity's iconic half-acre Lawn Club, with real, growing grass
Ten unrivaled dining venues, including Qsine
Modern, stylish interiors designed by some of the world's best architects and designers
Hip, cool nightclubs and lounges, including CellarMasters, complete with the industry's first installation of the innovative Enomatic by-the-glass wine serving system
One of the broadest and best wine offerings in the industry, served by one of the world's largest staffs of certified sommeliers
One of the world's largest permanent collections of original contemporary art, and the industry's first self-guided art tours to be presented on an iPad(R)
Widely varied entertainment, including custom aerial production shows and live music

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Luxury line Seabourn's newest ship to arrive ahead of schedule

The Yachts of Seabourn today announced its newest cruise ship, the Seabourn Quest, will be entering service several weeks ahead of schedule.

The luxury line says the 450-passenger vessel, currently under construction at the T. Mariotti yard in Italy, will be ready for delivery by late May instead of early June, allowing the company to add two new "pre-inaugural" cruises to its 2011 season:

-- A three-night round-trip voyage from Monte Carlo kicking off on June 9 that includes calls at Livorno and Corsica's Bonifacio. Fares start at $1,299 per person.

-- An eight-night voyage from Monte Carlo to Barcelona starting on June 12 that includes calls at Portofino, Cannes, Ile de Porquerolles, Port-Vendres and Valencia. Fares start at $3,499 per person.

The two trips can be combined to create an 11-night sailing, with fares starting at $4,549 per person.

Seabourn says there will be no change to the date for the official unveiling of the Seabourn Quest, which will remain on June 20 in Barcelona. A gala naming ceremony with fireworks is planned. The Quest then sets sail on a 14-night maiden voyage to Athens.

Seabourn Quest is the third of three sister vessels the line has been rolling out since 2009 in a major expansion that is tripling its capacity. The second new vessel, Seabourn Sojourn, arrived this past summer

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Royal Caribbean 2-Day WOW Sale!

 Reserve your next cruise on September 29th & 30th, 2010 on any sailing after January 1, 2011 and receive up to $200 onboard credit and 50% reduced deposit!

 2-Day WOW Sale includes cruisetours plus voyages on Oasis of the Seas^® and Allure of the Seas^SM

 CRUISE LENGTH          ONBOARD CREDIT       REDUCED DEPOSIT

3 to 5-Night                       $50 USD per stateroom       $50 USD/CAD per person

6 to 9-Night                       $100 USD per stateroom     $125 USD/CAD per person

10+ Night                         $200 USD per stateroom     $225 USD/CAD per person

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In line with the Cunard tradition of commissioning appropriate sculpture or portraits for display on board each ship named by a member of the Royal Family, the company has commissioned an official portrait of The Queen for the new Queen Elizabeth, due to be named by Her Majesty next month.
 
This new official portrait will be unveiled by the artist today at a private event at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
 
The portrait, which shows The Queen in the Yellow Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, was painted by 31-year-old, Lancashire-born Isobel Peachey. Although an accomplished award-winning portrait artist, she had never before been commissioned to paint a royal portrait.
 
“At my interview with Cunard, I answered many questions about how I would approach an important commission,” said Peachey. “But it was only at the end of the interview that the subject was revealed as The Queen. This was both a shock and a marvellous surprise.”
 
Commenting on how the artist was chosen, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks, said, “Apart from being impressed by the quality of Isobel’s work, which we originally saw on display in the National Portrait Gallery, we were keen to offer the commission to a young artist who had never before had such an opportunity. Isobel is, in fact, the youngest female artist ever to paint the monarch, and the quality of the finished work is such that our confidence has been greatly rewarded.” He added, “It is a truly wonderful picture of Her Majesty. It is even more remarkable when you consider that, lacking a private studio, Isobel executed this magnificent painting in her mum’s attic!”
 
The Queen granted three sittings for the portrait, a three-quarter length painting which shows her dressed in blue and wearing Queen Victoria’s collet necklace and earrings, which she also wore for her Coronation in 1953.
 
The Queen will see the finished portrait for the first time on 11 October when she visits Southampton to name the new liner Queen Elizabeth. The portrait will hang in a prominent position in the ship’s Grand Lobby.

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