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FUN SHIP 2.0 is the next wave of innovation from Carnival. Imagine everything
you already love about a Carnival cruise, enhanced with new experiences that get
you dancing more, laughing more and simply having more fun onboard.
You've played CONNECT 4 and YAHTZEE games, but have you ever even imagined
yourself onstage, in a competition that puts your gaming skills to the test?
You'll have your chance with Carnival Cruise Lines' onboard Hasbro Game Shows, which take funtime
favorites and infuses them with other games you know and love.
From SORRY
SLIDERS! to YAHTZEE BOWLING, CONNECT 4 BASKETBALL, OPERATION SAM DUNK and SIMON
FLASH, you'll team up to win great prizes!
John Heald, Senior Cruise Director of Carnival Cruises, and fellow CDs and ACDs were on-hand in Philadelphia, PA., to learn about the new game show experience which will be introduced starting with the roll-out of the brand new Carnival Breeze this June.
After experiencing the new entertainment first-hand, John writes in his blog:
"There will be a full evening dedicated to the show and I have to say
that it’s going to be a great night of fun and excitement. The sets are
huge and the games really will be crowd pleasers for sure."
Be among the first to experience this new game at sea on one of the following ships:
Last October, Carnival Cruise Lines announced $500 million dollars worth of enhancements spanning through 2015. The initiative, entitled "Fun Ship 2.0", builds on the success of Carnival Magic’s new branded experiences.
Carnival Liberty was the first ship to undergo the face-lift, adding about half of the 11 new features. As Carnival Breeze comes closer to completion, the remaining features will be coming to the forefront. The new features belong to the following four categories.
Dining
For added dining , TV personality and Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri has joined forces with Carnival to bring Guy’s Burger Joint. Guests will have the their choice of homemade burgers made with choice ground beef and complimented with hand-cut fries. This will be a lunch or dinner option for guests, topped off with their own condiment bar. Also added will be a new Cantina with Mexican delights like to order burritos and tacos. All complimentary.
Comedy
Comedian George Lopez has revamped the Punchliner Comedy club, adding some of his own talent and appearing on some of Carnival’s ships personally. The Punchliner Comedy Club Presented by George Lopez will have pre-recorded video and voice messages from Lopez. Carnival will launch Punchliner brunch as well offering entertainment in the main dining rooms on-board.
Bars
Carnival is giving bars at sea a new name. Carnival partnered with sports video game company EA SPORTS to bring an interactive sports bar at sea. Not only will there be tournaments and trivia but 16 46-inch big screen TV’s and a 24/7 live sports ticker. To expand on the ever-so-popular Red Frog Pub that was introduced on Carnival Magic, Carnival will be adding Red Frog Rum Pub and BlueIguana Tequila Bar. For the folks that are cruising to heal their sorrows, Carnival is adding an Alchemy Bar where passengers will create their own drinks on a prescription pad. The Library Bar will be added also, being coined “an intimate cocktail lounge.”
Entertainment
Carnival is taking entertainment to the next level with Playlist Productions, 30-minute shows with LEDs, special effects, and sing alongs. Teaming up with game leader Hasbro, Inc. to create interactive game shows at seas. Also Carnival is teaming up with DJ Irie and creating Spin’iversity for folks who want to learn to mix music.
Which Ship is Right for You
By the end of 2012, three ships in the fleet will host 10 of the 11 new features of Fun Ship 2.0 with three more having at least 4 of the features. Even among those ships, there will be a variance in which features are deployed on each vessel. We've put a chart together, based on information that has been released to date, showing the features on each ship.
We've also included the schedule so that you can plan your cruise vacation following the dry dock that will complete the transformation.
Fun Ship 2.0 Feature
Liberty
Breeze
Dream
Conquest
Glory
Splendor
Punchliners Comedy Club
x
x
x
x
x
Guy’s Burger Joint
x
x
x
x
Hasbro, The Game Show
x
x
x
EA Sports Bar
x
x
x
DJ IRIE Spin’versity
x
x
x
x
x
x
Playlist Productions
x
x
x
RedFrog Rum Bar
x
x
x
x
x
x
BlueIguana Tequila Bar
x
x
x
x
x
x
BlueIguana Cantina
x
x
x
Alchemy Bar
x
x
x
x
Library Bar
x
In future articles, we'll look closer at some of the new features. The first of which is
You've heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Today, we decided to let some pictures tell the story that is still unfolding in the frigid Mediterranean waters off the coast of Giglio, Italy.
To be honest, we've never even heard of the village of Giglio before the Costa Concordia accident. Although we've been to the Mediterranean, that wasn't on our tinerary, nor was it for the passengers of the Concordia.
When the story of 2012 is told in pictures, these images will undoubtedly be among those. We'll let them tell their story...
First pictures inside Costa Concordia following the tragic accident . Several areas of the ship are shown, including before and after pictures of the restaurant, as crews start to explore the ship for survivors and victims.
Here is amazing footage from the search and rescue operations being carried out by the Italian Navy. It is in Italian, but you don't need a translation to understand the effort involved here. We salute the brave crews who are still working to account for all the passengers and crew of the Costa Concordia.
Artist Rendition of Oceania Riviera Courtesy Fincantieri
Oceania Riviera Facts
Oceania Cruises announced that the debut of its next ship, the
1,250-passenger Riviera, has been delayed due to recent strikes at the Fincantieri shipyard near Genoa, Italy where it is being built. It is a sister ship to Marina which debuted last year. It was also built by the same shipyard.
Delay Cancels Two Cruises
The maiden voyage of the 66,000-ton vessel has been pushed back to
May 16 from April 2, 2012. Two cruises scheduled to take place between April
24 and May 16 are being canceled.
"We sincerely regret any
inconvenience that this may cause our guests," Oceania President Kunal
Kamlani says in a statement accompanying the announcement. "We are
working very closely with the shipyard to ensure Riviera is completed to
meet Oceania's high standards of quality and service."
Second Delay for Debut
This is the second announced delay, within the last six months, to the maiden voyage of the Riviera. The line announced in August that the ship's debut was being pushed back from April 14 to April 24. Delays to maiden voyages, while rare, can happen for a number of reasons. In this case, a strike over reorganization planned at the shipyard due to a slowdown in newbuild orders, lasted longer than expected.
Oceania
says customers on the canceled cruises will be contacted by the line or
their travel agents to discuss alternative cruise dates. Those who
choose to rebook onto a later voyage will receive a credit ranging from
$250 to $1,000 per person, depending on category of accommodation. Those
who do not wish to rebook will receive a full refund.
The new maiden voyage is a 10-day ‘Pearls of the Aegean’ cruise that
includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before departing for Dubrovnik,
Kotor, Corfu, Monemvasia, Crete, Santorini, Delos, Mykonos and Athens.
UNESCO has called on the Italian government to restrict access
of large cruise ships to culturally and ecologically important areas,
particularly Venice and its Lagoon which are visited by some 300 large
cruise ships a year.
Arriving in Venice on Star Princess
Docked Next to RCCL Voyager of the Seas
UNESCO World Heritage Site - Venice
In a letter sent to the Italian Environment Minister on behalf of
Director-General Irina Bokova, the Assistant Director-General for
Culture Francesco Bandarin writes that “the tragic accident [of the
Costa Concordia on 13 January] reinforces longstanding concern over the
risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World
Heritage List, particularly the Venice Lagoon and the Basin of San Marco."
After presenting UNESCO’s condolences for the tragic loss of life caused by Costa Concordia accident and praising the efforts of the rescue teams and local population in dealing with the disaster, the letter urges the government to act quickly to develop alternative plans for maritime traffic around the World Heritage site of Venice.
UNESCO contends that the cruise liner traffic in Venice is particularly damaging because of the fragile structure of the city. The ships cause water tides that erode the foundations of buildings. They contribute to pollution and impact the cityscape as they dwarf monuments in the heart of the city.
Venice Canals from Star Princess Deck
Sailing into Venice
Those that follow our blog on a regular basis know that we were on Star Princess last May/June for a 12 Night Greek Isles & Mediterranean Cruise - Rome to Venice. Our captain urged us to be up on the outside decks before 7 AM to see the ship entering into Venice harbor. It was an amazing sight - seeing Venice from a different perspective.
As you can see from these images, the pier where we were docked was
far from the heart of the city. In fact, one must take a water taxi or
use the people mover to get into the city proper.
What Does the Future Hold
UNESCO's plea is not a new one, but it seems to have some new life as Italy's environment minister, Corrado Clini, appeared to take up the cause Tuesday.
"The aim is to free St. Mark's basin from the big ships once new canals have been dug," Clini was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA as saying during a public appearance in northern Italy.
But Clini added that "in the meantime, it will be up to the port
authority and to the city to decide which (sea) traffic is sustainable
and compatible" with Venice's particular situation."
Venice officials have said that since tug boats guide the big cruise
ships through the part of the lagoon weaving through the city, the risk
of accidents is virtually eliminated.
In a city where "cars" are replaced by gondolas and small water craft, it is unthinkable that there could be a ban on larger vessels. Let us hope that the cruise industry, UNESCO, and Italian authorities can work out a plan which protects Venice for years to come and still allows future generations the pleasure of seeing this amazing city of canals from the perspective of a cruise ship.
If a Mediterranean cruise, that includes Venice, is on your bucket list, you might want to plan that trip now in case restrictions are indeed put in place in the near future.
Preparations Underway to Salvage Fuel from Costa Concordia
Upon becoming aware of the evacuation of Costa Concordia, SMIT approached the
owners and underwriters of the Costa Concordia bidding for the salvage contract.
SMIT has an extensive
track record relating to marine emergency response, refloating stranded
vessels and wreck removals. In the days following the accident, a
contract was awarded by the Owners to SMIT and local partners Tito Neri
for the removal of the bunker oil and pollution control.
The estimated amount of bunkers in the vessel is 2200 MT of IFO
(intermediate fuel oil), 185 MT of MGO (marine gas oil/diesel) and
lubricants, distributed over 17 tanks. We have seen conflicting reports of the amount of fuel. The latest number we have seen involves 13 double-bottomed tanks and 10 single-bottom tanks.
In the days following the accident, a contract was awarded by the Owners
to SMIT and local partners Tito Neri for the removal of the bunker oil
and pollution control.
24 January - Preparation Begins
Following a press conference held by the authorities yesterday on the
island of Giglio, which was also attended by representatives of Costa
Cruises and SMIT Salvage, it was stated that SMIT Salvage would be
allowed to commence with the preparations for the oil removal today. The work will be done in tandem with the search and rescue efforts.
The Process
SMIT Salvage placed its work/crane barge Meloria, pictured above, alongside the
Costa Concordia.
Divers from SMIT Salvage will then inspect parts of
the underwater ship and make the necessary preparations to remove the
fuel from the ship.
Next stage will be the drilling of holes in the fuel
tanks and the installation of valves by means of a hot tap.
While the fuel has been submerged, it has become solidified. A hot tap is used to heat the fuel back into a liquid state so that it can be extracted. This process will take several weeks with current estimates at 4 to 6 weeks.
Precautionary Measures
Double containment booms around the ship ( to concentrate oil in thicker surface layers so that skimmers, vacuums,
or other collection methods can be used more effectively)
SMIT has mobilized an oil tanker with emergency response equipment including sweeping arms, booms and a skimmer. (to respond to any spill that might occur)
25 January - Preparation Continues
Divers from SMIT Salvage together with its partner Fratelli Neri have made significant progress:
Inspected forward section of the submerged
underwater part of the ship
Marked the drilling locations of
the heavy fuel oil tanks
Installed second inner protection barrier (oil booms)
Installation of hot tap valves on the outer hull of the vessel and drilling of holes through the hull into the oil tanks must be done before pumping of the oil can commence.
28 January - Hot Tap Animation
At a press conference held today on the island of Giglio, SMIT Salvage
and its partner Fratelli Neri provided a technical briefing on the oil
removal operation. SeeOil Removal Briefing - Click Here for Details
Two of the six forward fuel tanks have now been installed with a sealed
flange and the remaining tanks were due to be prepared today. The six
forward tanks are estimated to hold approximately two thirds of the
(intermediate) fuel oil in the casualty.
Unfavorable weather once again played a role and the crane barge was disconnected from the casualty and brought into the protective port of the island Giglio.
Dutch born 16-year-old Laura Dekker sailed into the harbor of St Martin, completing a journey around the world which began last August from this Dutch and French island in the Caribbean. In order to beat the world record, she needed to complete the circumnavigation at least 3 days before her 17th birthday which is September 20, 2012. Previous record holder, Australian Jessica Watson, completed her trip in May 2010, three days before she turned 17.
The two journeys were slightly different with Laura sailing no more than three weeks at a time, stopping in various ports along the way while Jessica sailed non-stop around the world.
"I can't really take in what I've done," she told reporters once back on dry land.
"The sailing was always nice... I often saw dolphins. I enjoyed it a lot and I'm very happy."
Laura had a struggle to overcome before even setting sail. The Dutch courts had blocked plans for her to cast off two years ago, saying she was too young at 14. In July 2010, the Dutch child welfare authorities finally allowed her to depart on her journey.
Her parents and a small group of well-wishers were on hand for her homecoming on Sunday. Congratulations for accomplishing such a task at such a young age.
For those of you that aren't quite as adventurous as Laura, you can leave the driving to someone else by joining as passengers on one of the cruise line's World Cruises.
Many any of the major cruise lines
offer full world cruises from 65- to 144-enchanting days aboard some of
the finest cruise ships in the world. Liner Voyages of 31 to 76 days and
Segment Voyages of 12 to 25 days are also available on some cruise
lines so you can experience the special ambiance of a world cruise by
joining the ship when she visits your favorite part of the world!(Click image or here for upcoming cruises)
