Nieuw Amsterdam’s naming will take place in Venice on July 4, and she will be the 11th HAL ship since 1929 to be launched by a member of the Dutch royal family. Sister ship Eurodam was named by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 2008.

Built to a similar design, Queen Elizabeth will be launched in Southampton in October, and there can be only one person appropriate for the job of pronouncing the words “I name this ship . . . “

Her Majesty the Queen launched Cunard’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, in January 2004, but as yet there is no confirmation that she has agreed to do the same for her own namesake – or even that she has been invited.

Cunard spokesman Eric Flounders said gnomically: “How can we say we are waiting for her to confirm something we haven’t said we have asked?”

But surely HM is not pacing the carpets at Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace, muttering to her aides and wondering when she’s going to get the call, or indeed who else would have the temerity to do the job if she’s not asked.

Maritime tradition dictates that ships are named by women, who become the vessel’s godmother, and Cunard more than anyone value traditions, and do their utmost to uphold them.

There will at least be another royal link for their new ship – I understand that the Queen’s nephew, furniture designer Viscount Linley, is involved in creating and supplying items for the vessel. Further details are expected to be announced next month.

Like Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who launched Cunard’s Queen Victoria in 2007, Princess Maxima is the wife of an heir to the throne. The daughter of an Argentinian politician, she married Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002.

As befits its name, the theme for the 86,000-ton vessel’s interior decor is New York (Nieuw Amsterdam was the original name for the settlement on Manhattan island) and the authentic 1981 Checker cab is being placed in the teenagers-only Loft club.

The ship’s main restaurant will be the Manhattan Dining Room, and the atrium art is inspired by skyscrapers. Launching later this year, it will be the fourth ship to carry the name.

The first Nieuw Amsterdam was in service from 1906 to 1932 and was powered by both sail and steam. At just 17,149 tons she carried 2,886 passengers, 2,200 of them in third class – more than the new vessel’s capacity of 2,106.

Nieuw Amsterdam II joined the fleet in 1938 and its silhouette is still portrayed on the company’s logo. It was pressed into service during the second world war and carried nearly 400,000 troops on 44 voyages. After the war, she was rebuilt and carried celebrities such as Katherine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Spencer Tracey and Albert Schweitzer on Transatlantic crossings.

The 33,900-ton Nieuw Amsterdam III was launched in 1983, and since 2003 has been sailing as Thomson Spirit.

Externally similar to sister ship Eurodam – and Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth – the fourth Nieuw Amsterdam is scheduled to make her maiden voyage in July and will be sailing in Europe during summer 2010 and 2011.

Figures released this week show that 1.53 million Brits took a cruise last year – up four per cent from 2008 – and a record 1.75 million are now predicted to holiday at sea in 2011.

Almost 600,000 Brits started their cruise from a UK port, while 939,000 flew off to join their ships in destinations such as the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Bill Gibbons, director of the Passenger Shipping Association, told a conference in Miami: “The UK cruise industry proved resilient in 2009 despite the very difficult economic climate and much of this success can be attributed to the all-inclusive nature of cruising and the very high standards of quality and service. These are values intrinsic to cruising and will continue to encourage greater numbers of passengers, with the PSA predicting 1.65m Brits taking a cruise holiday in 2010.”

“There are 14 new ship launches this year bringing capacity for an additional 28,000 passenger berths. Among the new ships are three dedicated to the UK market – Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and P&O Cruises’ Azura. Cruise & Maritime has a second ship, Ocean Countess, and Royal Caribbean International is providing a year-round service from Southampton with Independence of the Seas. Disney Cruise Lines and Holland America Line are also introducing full length cruises out of Dover.”

Is it any wonder that cruising is proving so popular, with value deals like these, brought to you each week by the Daily Mirror and Captain Greybeard:

For a start, you could join me on a cruise to the magnificent capitals of the Baltic on board P&O’s brand new superliner Azura – which will be launched by ballerina Darcey Bussell next month. Departing from Southampton on May 26, the ship calls at Kristiansand, Stockholm, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Oslo. We’ll have a great time together. Fares start at £1,294 per person, sharing a balcony twin stateroom (that’s just £92 a night). Go to www.pocruises.co.uk or call 0845 3 555 333.

Combine seven nights in the Quality Inn International, Orlando with a seven-night cruise on Carnival Legend from Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan Island. Fares from £899 per person based on two adults sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis and including flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick. Hotel stay on a room only basis and split between pre and post cruise. Based on departures on 2 December 2010. Go to www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk or call 0871 781 9893.

Fly to Barcelona from London on April 18 or 25 for a seven-night cruise on Norwegian Jade. Ports of call include Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples (for Pompeii) and Palma. Fares from £719. Go to www.thelca.com or call 0870 122 5115.

Depart from Harwich on May 14 for a 14-night cruise on board Page & Moy’s Athena to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and the Faeroes. Ports of call include Bergen, Olden, Alesund, Akureyri, Grundarfjordur, Reykjavik and Torshavn and fares start at £889 . Go to pageandmoy.com or call 0844 567 3322.

And if you’re still not sure whether cruising is for you, then take a two-night mini-cruise on Fred Olsen’s Boudicca from Liverpool on June 4 and spend a day in Dublin before arriving at Greenock on the Clyde. Fares from £189 per person in a twin outside cabin, including coach transfer back to Liverpool. Go to www.fredolsencruises.co.uk or call 01473 742424.

For more information on cruise ships and destinations, go to www.discover-cruises.co.uk

USA Today

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Cunard: Longer, seven day trans-Atlantic crossings are here to stayUSA Today

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]]> http://www.cruisefan.net/2010/03/18/cunard-introduces-new-brochure-bestcruisedeal-co-uk/feed/ 0 http://www.cruisefan.net/2010/03/17/inside-cunards-queen-elizabeth/ http://www.cruisefan.net/2010/03/17/inside-cunards-queen-elizabeth/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:51:20 +0000 John Honeywell It will never float, but this unique model has been giving visitors at the Cruise Miami convention this week a sneak preview of the interiors of Cunard’s new ship, Queen Elizabeth.

So far, we’ve seen only artists’ impressions, architectural drawings, and photographs of construction work at the Marghera shipyard near Trieste in Italy.

But here’s a chance to see the real thing, albeit in miniature, accurate to the last detail – apart from the fact that there are no passengers or crew to be seen. I wonder what Cunard president and managing director Peter Shanks (right) is saying to Guiseppe Bono, CEO of shipbuilder Fincantieri.

The ship is scheduled to embark on her maiden voyage from Southampton on October 12.

Azura
• Cruising to the Central and Western Mediterranean, Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, Western Europe and Caribbean
• Sailing 17 ex-UK cruises from April 2011 to October 2011 and 11 Caribbean fly cruises from October 2011 to March 2012
• Cruises range from a four night cruise break to Azura’s inaugural 15 night Icelandic cruise
• Overnight calls in Venice and St. Petersburg
• Prices starting from £599 for a seven night cruise break in April 2011

Oceana
• Cruising to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Atlantic Islands, Western Europe, Caribbean and USA
• Sailing 31 ex-UK cruises from March 2011 to March 2012
• Cruises range from a two night party cruise to a 24 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise
• New ports of call – Ashdod and Haifa, Israel, and Oporto, Portugal
• First time offering year-round cruises from the UK
• Prices starting from £199 for a two night party cruise in May, September or October 2011 and £1,099 for a 14 night Mediterranean cruise in April or November 2011

Arcadia
• Cruising to the Eastern, Western and Central Mediterranean, round Britain, Baltic, Canada and USA, Alaska, Caribbean and Atlantic Islands
• Sailing 13 ex-UK cruises from March 2011 to January 2012
• Cruises range from a 13 night round Britain cruise to a 72 night Grand Alaska Adventure
• Eight new sectors available on the Grand Alaska Adventure, ranging from 10 to 28 nights
• New Ports of call – Liverpool and Oporto, Portugal
• Overnight calls in San Francisco, New York, Quebec and St. Petersburg
• Prices starting from £1,049 for a 12 night Atlantic Islands cruise in November 2011 and £1,149 for a 14 night Western Mediterranean cruise in April 2011.

Oriana
• Cruising to the Western and Central Mediterranean, Baltic, Caribbean, Western Europe and Atlantic Islands
• Sailing 20 ex-UK cruises from March 2011 to January 2012
• Cruises range from a two night party cruise to 34 night Caribbean cruise, roundtrip from Southampton
• New ports of call – Koper, Slovenia, Oporto, Portugal, Ravenna and Salerno, Italy
• Overnight calls in New Orleans, Venice and St. Petersburg
• Prices starting from £199 for a two night party cruise in June or December 2011, and £3,049 for a 34 night ex-Southampton no-fly Caribbean cruise in September 2011

Aurora
• Cruising to the Western and Central Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands, Black Sea, Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, Greenland, Caribbean, Canada and USA
• Sailing 16 ex-UK cruises from April 2011 to January 2012
• Cruises range from a two night party cruise to a 24-night Canada & New England cruise, roundtrip from Southampton
• New Ports of call – Catania, Italy, and Oporto, Portugal
• Overnight calls in New York, Quebec and St. Petersburg
• Prices starting from £199 for a two night party cruise in November 2011 and £2,299 for a 21 night Black Sea cruise in August 2011

Ventura
• Cruising to the Western and Central Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Atlantic Islands, Caribbean and Western Europe
• Sailing 21 ex-UK cruises from March 2011 to October 2011 and 11 Caribbean fly cruises from October 2011 to March 2012
• Cruises range from a two night party cruise to a 17 night Central Mediterranean cruise
• Overnight call in Venice
• Prices starting from £599 for a seven night cruise break in April 2011 and £1,199 for a 14 night Caribbean fly-cruise in December 2011

More details at the P & O website.

Queen Elizabeth
• Based in her home port of Southampton, a Maiden Season of 22 voyages from five- to 24-nights from £499 per person.
• Five short five-night voyages to give access to aspiring Cunard guests and a taste of the most notable ship to come into service in 2010.
• Voyages from Southampton feature the Fjords, the Baltic, the British Isles, the Mediterranean, USA / Canada and the Caribbean.
• Four ‘Maiden Voyages’ to the Baltic, Around the British Isles, the Fjords and USA / Canada with a total of 52 maiden calls in her first season.

Queen Victoria
• 23 voyages from seven- to 22-nights from just £799 per person.
• Strong Southampton programme from April to August with the best of the Canaries, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Fjords.
• Fly-voyages to the Mediterranean with eight voyages for 12-nights sailing out of Venice, Rome and Athens from £1,349 per person.
• A 15-night Caribbean voyage from Venice to Fort Lauderdale from £1,999 per person.
• A 14 night Christmas voyage from Los Angeles taking in the best of Hawaii from £2,699 per person

Queen Mary 2
• 21 Transatlantic voyages between Southampton and New York; most crossings are now seven nights in duration – from £899 per person.
• The only way to visit famous cities in the USA and Canada from the UK with no flying and as much luggage as you like
• 11 roundtrip Southampton departures to Europe and the Caribbean from two- to 29- nights from £399 per person.
• A repeat of the popular ‘Around the British Isles’ voyage, eight-nights from £999 per person.

More details at Cunard’s website.

Adults-only Adonia – a replacement for Artemis – will be based in the Mediterranean from October next year, offering six fly-cruises departing from Savona, Athens, Trieste and Naples.

Cunard’s Queen Victoria will operate eight Mediterranean fly-cruises visiting up to nine different ports over 12 nights, from Venice, Rome and Athens.

Thanks to her smaller size, Adonia will be able to visit some smaller ports of call not available to larger ships in the company’s seven-strong fleet. The new ports on P&O’s itineraries are a welcome introduction as many popular destinations are at risk of becoming overcrowded with passengers from the growing numbers of cruise ships in Europe. They include Bourgas in Bulgaria; Flekkefjord, Norway; Foynes, Ireland; Jersey in the Channel Islands; Koper, Slovenia; Sassnitz, Germany; Savona, Italy; and Zadar, Croatia.

The 710-passenger ship, currently sailing as Royal Princess, will initially sail cruises from Southampton between May and October next year, from seven to 26 nights to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. There will also be a round-Britain voyage.

Old favourite Oceana will sail a total of 31 ex-UK cruises year-round, departing from Southampton between October 2011 and April 2012 to the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, Canary Islands and the Caribbean and US.

“Some people don’t want to fly for various reasons, so with Azura in the Caribbean in winter we had the opportunity to try ex-UK cruises year round,” said P&O managing director Carol Marlow. “It gives us the option to offer more variety for people.”

The company’s largest ever sailing programme sees the first full year of cruising for 3,100-passenger ship Azura, which will be launched in Southampton by ballerina Darcey Bussell next month. Azura will sail 17 ex-UK cruises from April to October 2011 and 11 Caribbean fly cruises from October 2011 to March 2012.

Azura cruises range from a four night cruise break to an inaugural 15-night Icelandic cruise. The ship will also make overnight calls in Venice and St Petersburg.

Marlow said: “This is our biggest ever programme launch, with 156 cruise holidays to 270 destinations in 90 countries. More people will spend more time with us next year than ever before.

“The introduction of Mediterranean fly-cruising is an exciting step forward for P&O Cruises, and one that we know will make many of our existing passengers very happy. We listen to our customers and always try to give them what they want.

“At the same time, we hope this will attract new customers who have previously chosen a holiday in a Mediterranean resort.

“Our passengers particularly love the way we tailor everything to their British needs; the way we actually celebrate being on a ship, with the officers and crew making this a real nautical experience. They also love the way that a cruise with us is a special occasion that they will remember for a long time to come.”

Early bookings discounts of up to £800 per couple for a 14-night cruise apply to bookings made before June 30. Free car parking is offered on all Southampton departures of seven nights or more. On board spending money of between £50 and £250 per cabin is available for cruises of four nights or more.

Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Elizabeth – to be launched in October – will be based in her home port of Southampton, sailing a maiden season of 22 voyages from five to 24 nights duration, to destinations including the Norwegian fjords, the Baltic Sea, around-Britain, the Mediterranean, Canada and New England, and the Caribbean.

Sister ship Queen Victoria will sail 23 voyages – the shortest of seven nights, the longest, 22. From April to August she will be sailing from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Baltic, the fjords and the Canaries. After her fly-cruise season, she will sail 15-night Caribbean cruise from Venice to Fort Lauderdale, Miami. Christmas 2011 will be spent on a 14-night voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii costing from £2,699.

Flagship Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to undertake 21 seven-night Transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York, with fares starting at £899.

Cunard President and Managing Director Peter Shanks said:”Three new ocean liners in just six years proves the demand for the Cunard brand from guests looking for the best in luxury cruising and the ability to experience a unique sense of heritage, history and tradition.

“With three liners in the fleet we can now offer a choice of all the best destinations. In 2011 we will be covering Europe, the Americas, Transatlantic, the Caribbean and with our world voyages – the world.”

Business Intelligence Middle East (press release)

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