Emerald Princess is almost here
The first big maiden arrival of the season is just days away. Emerald Princess is currently sailing from Western Australia and will arrive in Sydney Harbour on Tuesday November 15. One of the largest ships in the Princess Cruises fleet, the ship carries more than 3,000 passengers and will sail 13 cruises in the South Pacific and New Zealand over the next five months. Onboard, passengers will find Princess signature features like Movies Under the Stars and Curtis Stone’s SHARE Restaurant.Cruise industry’s environmental conscience
13 of the 73 cruise ships on order for the next decade will be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) in an attempt to make the industry more environmentally friendly. Cruise lines have often been criticised for the high levels of environmental pollution they create, particularly from diesel fumes. Alternative fuels, like LNG, have the potential to reduce emissions of soot particles and sulfur oxides. Carnival Corporation is leading the way with the new breed of environmentally friendly ship, launching LNG-powered new builds for AIDA, Costa Cruises, P&O and Carnival.
Carnival Vista christened in New York
Carnival Vista, Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship megaliner, was officially christened in New York on November 4. The ship’s godmother is Deshauna Barber, the first member of the US military to be crowned Miss USA, and the launch was held in partnership with Operation Homefront, an organisation that works with military families. Festivities included a concert from country music star Carrie Underwood. The 4,000-passenger ship has already spent six months sailing around the Mediterranean and will now sail two cruises from New York before heading to its homeport of Miami Florida.
Mediterranean bouncing back
After a tough season, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio believes that the Mediterranean is on the road to recovery. He told Travel Weekly that bookings from North American across all three of NCL’s brands (Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises) has shown double digit growth over the past eight weeks.
