All Eyes on London for Royal Wedding

London & the World Watching

The Royal Wedding

Prince William & 

Catherine Middleton

Friday 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey

The wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will be available to watch on the Royal Channel Live Stream, accompanied by a live multi-media blog put together by St. James's Palace.   Read more       Visit The Official Royal Wedding Website

Those in United States will have to get up early in the morning to watch the festivities live.  Of course there will also be rebroadcasts and news highlights, so you will have every opportunity to watch history in the making.

If you are on a cruise ship, there are many lines celebrating with special screenings and also parties.  

We featured one of them in a past blog post:  Cunard Celebrates Royal Wedding At Sea

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Royal Wedding-themed "special dining events" on its vessels that come with an extra charge:

• The Prince and Princess Brunch, at $15 per person, will include eggs poached in champagne and served on English muffins, kippers, scrambled eggs with grilled lamb, toast with marmalade and fruit salad with clotted cream.
• Royal High Tea, at $10 per person, will include an assortment of sandwiches such as the classic cucumber, scones with jam and cream, lemon curd sponge and a selection of cakes.

Royal Caribbean International  offered an exclusive Royal Caribbean wedding package for couples looking to tie the knot at sea.

MSC Cruises will be broadcasting the Royal Wedding in English across the MSC fleet (excluding MSC Sinfonia and Opera, which will not be sailing in European waters).   Bars on board will be serving a great selection of champagnes and prosecco together with a special commemorative Royal Cocktail (sparkling wine, cognac and grand marnier).

Princess Cruise Line will be airing the Royal Wedding on the Movies Under the Stars giant screens. Also, onboard viewing parties will add a celebratory flair to the event with British-style refreshments and special royal-themed cocktails. Passengers can also test their knowledge with royal wedding trivia competitions and participate in a William and Kate look-alike contest.

Several cruise ships will be docked in Southampton, England.  The ships include Ventura, Independence of the Seas, Saga Pearl II, and Vision of the Seas.  CruiseSouthampton.com has posted a special day planner for cruisers that will be in port on the Royal Wedding day.   Southampton City Council has designated the newly refurbished Guildhall Square to be the venue to hold a free mass Street Party for everyone between 10am - 4pm.  Additional details are available on the site.


The world anxiously awaits the joining of this happy couple in the wedding event of the century.  There hasn't been this much excitement since Princess Diana and Prince Charles wed 30 years ago.  We'd love to hear your stories about how you celebrated this Royal Wedding, especially if you were on a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean 2012 Harwich England

An international port located on the estuary of the rivers Stour and Orwell in northeast Essex, Harwich is one of England's busiest coastal towns. It's also just 69 miles from London. Throughout history, the town has been a crucial port, providing a sheltered anchorage for many ships. The old town of Harwich is a conservation area, where you'll discover many historic buildings. The neighboring town of Dovercourt is a bit more modern, but equally quaint and fascinating to explore.

2012 – Summer Europe & Transatlantic Sailings 


 JEWEL of the SEAS®

Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing   Deck Plans | Dining Menus | Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos 

On May 3, 2012,  JEWEL of the SEAS® sails a 12-Night Eastbound Transatlantic from Miami, Florida to Harwich, England which will serve as its home port for the Summer 2012 season.   On August 31, 2012, the ship will sail a 16-Night Westbound Transatlantic from Harwich to Boston, Massachusetts.

12-Night Scandinavia and Russia

Harwich, England • Cruising Gothenburg, Sweden • Cruising • Tallinn, Estonia
St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight) • Helsinki, Finland • Stockholm, Sweden • Cruising
Copenhagen, Denmark • Cruising Harwich, England

12-Night Fjords and Iceland

Harwich, England • Cruising • Bergen, Norway • Flam, Norway • Geiranger, Norway
Lerwick/Shetland, Scotland • Klaksvik, Faroe Islands • Cruising
Reykjavik, Iceland (overnight) • Cruising • Harwich, England

2012 EUROPE CRUISETOUR DEPLOYMENT

 Get a local's view of the great cities and sights of Europe, as well as its hidden treasures. 

16-Night Paris & London Cruisetour #6EB

Featuring an 12-Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise
& 4-Night Pre-cruise Escorted Paris & London Land Tour

May 11, 23; June 4, 28; July 10, 22; August 3, 15; 2012

Day 1: Paris
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: Paris/London
Day 4: London
Day 5: London/Harwich
Days 5-17: Jewel of the Seas®
12-Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise

16-Night Paris & London Cruisetour #6EB

Featuring an 12-Night Fjords & Iceland Cruise
& 4-Night Pre-cruise Escorted Paris & London Land Tour

May 11, 23; June 4, 28; July 10, 22; August 3, 15; 2012

Day 1: Paris
Day 2: Paris
Day 3: Paris/London
Day 4: London
Day 5: London/Harwich
Days 5-17: Jewel of the Seas®
12-Night Fjords & Iceland Cruise

Royal Caribbean Northeast Deployment 2012

Bay of Fundy

WHY NOT DISCOVER NATURE’S COLORFUL SIDE?

 ENCHANTMENT of the SEAS®

EXPERIENCE THE CHARM, HISTORY AND BEAUTY OF CANADA & NEW ENGLAND

 JEWEL of the SEAS®

New England and eastern Canada have an unmistakable charm, history and natural beauty all their own, and there's no better time to visit than the fall. The foliage is brilliant in every imaginable color, lighthouses dot the coastline, and there's always an authentic lobster bake going on somewhere.

Hamilton, Bermuda

 BERMUDA: RELAXATION MANDATORY, SNORKELS OPTIONAL

EXPLORER of the SEAS®

Nearly 600 nautical miles off the coast of North Carolina, this island is known for its pastel painted houses, brilliantly colored gardens, cricket matches and charming shorts. Its pink-sand beaches, excellent shopping, and proximity to the U.S. make it an ideal destination for a getaway cruise vacation.

2012 Northeast Sailings

Are now Open for Booking

Itinerary	Itinerary Highlights†	Ship	2012 Dates
5-Night Bermuda	Baltimore, Maryland • Cruising Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Kings Wharf, Bermuda Cruising • Baltimore, Maryland	Enchantment	Apr 14
8-Night Bermuda & Northeast	Baltimore, Maryland • Cruising Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Kings Wharf, Bermuda Cruising • Boston, Massachusetts • Newport, Rhode Island • Cruising Baltimore, Maryland	Enchantment	Apr 19; May 3, 17, 31; Jun 14, 28; Jul 12, 26; Aug  9, 23
6-Night Bermuda	Baltimore, Maryland • Cruising Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Kings Wharf, Bermuda Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Cruising Baltimore, Maryland	Enchantment	Apr 27; May 11, 25; Jun 8, 22; Jul 6, 20; Aug 3, 17, 31; Sep 14, 28; Oct 12, 26
8-Night Canada & New England	Baltimore, Maryland • Cruising Portland, Maine • Bar Harbor, Maine Saint John, New Brunswick (Bay Of Fundy) Halifax, Nova Scotia • Cruising • Cruising Baltimore, Maryland	Enchantment	Sep 6, 20; Oct 4, 18
7-Night Canada & New England	Boston, Massachusetts • Portland, Maine • Bar Harbor, Maine • Saint John, New Brunswick (Bay Of Fundy) Cruising • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Cruising Boston, Massachusetts	Jewel	Sep 16, 30; Oct 14
7-Night Canada & New England	Boston, Massachusetts • Cruising Halifax, Nova Scotia • Cruising Saint John, New Brunswick (Bay Of Fundy) • Bar Harbor, Maine • Portland, Maine • Boston, Massachusetts	Jewel	Sep 23; Oct 7, 21
5-Night Bermuda	Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey • Cruising Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Kings Wharf, Bermuda Cruising • Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey	Explorer	May 5, 19; Jun 2, 16, 30; Jul 14, 28; Aug 11, 25
7-Night Bermuda	Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey • Cruising Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Kings Wharf, Bermuda Cruising • Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey	Explorer	Sep 9, 16, 23, 30; Oct 7, 14, 21, 28

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary. Additional itineraries opening soon.

St. Patrick's Day Greetings from County Cork

Blarney Castle                 Charles Fort

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.



On St. Patrick's Day, which falls in the middle of the Christian Lenten season, Irish families would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The Irish would dance, drink and feast on the traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage. Lenten regulations about not eating meat were waived if necessary so that the traditional meal could be eaten.

Pictured above are two well-known attractions that can be visited in a day trip while docked in Cobh (Cork), Ireland.   Blarney Castle, which was constructed over 600 years ago, is most widely known for the Blarney Stone.  Legend has it that if you kiss the stone, you'll never be lost for words.  Each year visitors climb to the top to reach the stone and hang by their feet to kiss it.  The picture on the right is of Charles Fort in Kinsale, Ireland.  This 17th Century fort, which protected Kinsale, is one of the last remaining examples of a star-shaped fortress.   

More pictures and information ...  British Isles - Cork, Ireland

The Irish countryside is beautiful, the towns are quaint, and the people are very friendly. It is a great place to visit. Cruises to the British Isles stop at one or more Irish ports. June is a great time to visit Ireland. The weather is usually mild and you'll be comfortable in a light jacket on the cooler days.   Plan your Summer British Isles cruise and be sure it stops in Ireland.
 

A special offer just crossed my desk ...   here's some Saving O' the Green...

3 days of special savings on 2010  

Canada & New England - Summer Caribbean vacations 
 Special St. Patrick's Day savings event starts March 17th.