2014-15 Northern Europe & Transatlantics

Royal Caribbean 2014-15
Deployments

Northern Europe as defined by the United Nations (marked blue):

Northern Europe

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Southern Europe

Northern Europe
Transatlantics
Now Open

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of the European continent. A United Nations report published in 2011 defines Northern Europe as including the following ten countries and dependent regions: Denmark (with Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland (with Åland), Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Sweden, and the UK (with Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey).

8 Ships in Europe for 2014

Royal Caribbean International will continue to scale back its ships in Europe in 2014, deploying only eight of its 22 vessels across the pond.

Demand for cruises in Europe continues to diminish as the price for air fare keeps summer travelers on this side of the pond.  In 2012, Royal Caribbean had a record 12 ship (out of 22) in the region.   For 2013, that number falls to nine with an additional ship dropping off the following year.

Royal's 2014 Europe deployment will include the Liberty of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas in the Mediterranean, and the Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas in Northern Europe.  Missing from this list is Vision of the Seas.

• Adventure of the Seas^®: crossing from Miami to Southampton, England; sailing Norway, Iceland, and the Baltic, plus longer Mediterranean voyages. learn more
  
• Brilliance of the Seas^®: crossing from Tampa to Harwich, England; sailing Scandinavia and Russia, the fjords and Iceland. learn more
  
• Independence of the Seas^® crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton; sailing to France, Spain and the Mediterranean. learn more
• Legend of the Seas^®: crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Copenhagen, Denmark; sailing Scandinavia and Russia, the fjords and Iceland. learn more

The Northern Europe and Transatlantic sailings on these ships is now open for booking.   The remaining ships, which will be sailing in the Mediterranean, will go on sail March 28th.

See the following for the entire 2014-15 Deployment schedule.  We will update links to the other areas as they are released.   2014-15 Royal Caribbean Deployments

Want to Sail to Europe in 2013

Now through the end of the month, there are some special offers which you might want to consider:

Royal Caribbean Europe Extravaganza

Transatlantic Beverage Package Offer

Gusty UK Impacts Cruises

UK Experiencing

Gale Force Winds & Flooding

A nation that earlier in the week was celebrating their Queen's Diamond Jubilee, was forced indoors as Mother Nature brought Gale Force Winds and Rain to south-west England, the Midlands, the South East, and Wales Thursday and Friday.  The Met Office issued severe weather warnings and flood warnings and alerts for Wales and southern England as the weather system moved north-east.

Cruise Ships Impacted

MSC Opera, which was scheduled to dock Friday morning local time (GMT) in Southampton, made it into port at 4 p.m.  The adverse weather conditions and focus on passenger safety prompted the delay which threatened to impact the 8-Night Baltic & Northern Europe cruise departure.

Costa NeoRomantica was unable to dock in Dover, the ship's turn-around port, Friday as scheduled.

Instead, the ship  was redirected to Amsterdam to offload passengers from the current cruise and pick up those scheduled to sail on the next, also an 8-night Baltic & Northern Europe cruise. Passengers on both itineraries were being shuttled by air at the cruise line's expense.  No further delays were expected.

Weather Improving   

The Met Office forecast called for improving conditions on Saturday feeling warmer with some sunny spells.  Some areas however,especially northern England and mid and north-west Wales, will continue to see rainfall and flood warnings remain for many parts of the UK.

More information about the unusual weather for June:

BBC: Bad weather and flood warnings as UK hit by strong winds

Met Office: Stormy end to the week

Has Weather Ever Impacted Your Cruise?

We had a June departure scheduled from Dover, England one year where our ship was diverted to Southampton due to strong winds, similar to those of this weekend.   Once again, the cruise line handled the logistics for passengers so that they could get home or join their cruise.

What weather-related cruise stories do you have?  We'd love to hear your stories and how the cruise lines handled the situation.    As Hurricane Season gets into full swing, we can expect more weather-related itinerary changes.  We'll do our best to keep our readers informed as we have in the past.

Costa Voyager Replacing Allegra in Europe

Costa Voyager Redeploying 

to Mediterranean

Red Sea Voyages Canceled

2012 continues to be a year of cancellations and itinerary shuffling for Costa Cruises, in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster and the Costa Allegra fire.

In the wake of the Costa Allegra fire, February 27th, Costa Crociere is replacing the 28,500-ton, 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra with the 24,400-ton, 927-guest Costa Voyager, starting March 18.

The company has not determined how long it will take to repair and bring Costa Allegra back into service and restore planned cruises. Costa Cruises continues to conduct inspections and technical evaluations to ascertain what caused the generator-room fire.

Revised Costa Voyager Schedule

March 18 to July 1	various length cruises	French market - Mediterranean and Northern Europe
July 13	9-day cruise	Amsterdam to Savona
July 23 to August 20	7-day Mediterranean	Barcelona,Spain; Villefranche, France; Livorno and Capri, Italy; Malta; Cagliari, Italy and Minorca, Spain
August 28 onward	various length cruises	French market - Mediterranean

About Costa Voyager

Costa Voyager is a new-generation ship that entered service in 2000 and was renovated in November 2011. The ship has 416 cabins, three restaurants, four bars, a spa with fitness center, solarium, swimming pool, two Jacuzzis, theater, casino, disco and shopping center.

Canceled Red Sea Cruises

Costa Cruises is temporarily suspending Costa Voyager’s “Corals and Ancient Treasures” Red Sea itinerary. Guests who have booked this itinerary will be re-protected on equivalent cruises.   

Among the options offered are:

• 7-day UAE "Jewels of the Emirates" cruise - Costa Favolosa
• 7-day Caribbean "Pearls of the Caribbean" - Costa Luminosa
• any 7-day itinerary in western or eastern Mediterranean - Costa Atlantica, Costa Classica, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Favolosa, Costa Magica, Costa neoRomantica or Costa Serena.

Alternatively, guests booked on a Costa Allegra cruise may cancel without penalty and receive a full refund and a voucher equal to 30 percent of the rate paid toward the purchase of a future cruise.

Related Blog Posts:

Costa Allegra Adrift After Engine Fire

Costa Explains Fire Prevention & Fighting at Sea

Costa Allegra Arrives in Seychelles

Cruise Lines Return to Europe in 2011

Cruise To Europe in 2011

In 2009 the cruise lines were over-deployed in Europe, and as the economy took a turn for the worse, they were forced to re-deploy ships to other destinations.  Cruise lines have begun announcing their deployments for Summer 2011, and once again they are including Europe in their schedules.

Passengers wishing to visit Europe in 2011 will find a wide selection of itineraries and ships traveling to the most popular destinations including Northern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, the Mediterranean, and the Norwegian Fjords.  Another popular choice is Transatlantic cruises for passengers wishing to only have one long flight between the states and Europe.  Learn more about European destinations.

Since the demand for cruising in Europe is now at an all time high, many of the cruise lines will be offering the most ships and itinerary choices than any time in the past.  Disney Cruise Line is even entering the market with 10 and 11-night Mediterranean cruises.   We will take a closer look at the Europe choices in other columns.   Search past columns for information about our visits to European destinations.

Despite the additional capacity in Europe, it is still wise to plan well in advance for your European escape.  The best cabins and popular destinations will sell out fast.   The most popular cruises will be those that feature overnight stays in various ports of call, such as Copenhagen and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Europe is a family destination and planning for the trip can be a family project.  You will want to plan your daily itinerary in  advance so that you will be able to take full advantage of your time in port.   A cruise specialist can assist you in the planning;  take advantage of their expertise.

Traveling to Europe is a great way to take the classroom learning experience to a much higher level.   Instead of reading about the great battlefields of the past, imagine walking on the same hollowed ground where battles raged.   Let the pages of the history books come to life for you and your family as you explore the historical locations using your comfortable cabin accommodations as your base of operations.

 

   

Disney Wonder to Get New Home in 2011

Disney Wonder Getting New Home at Port of Los Angeles

Cruise Ship Will Arrive for Extended West Coast Stay in 2011

Disney Cruise Line® has announced plans to reposition the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship from its base in Port Canaveral, Fla., to the West Coast in 2011. A two-year agreement, with a three-year extension option, was considered by the Port of Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on April 2, 2009.

With the port's proximity to the Disneyland® Resort, you'll be able to enjoy even more magical Disney vacation choices - both on land and sea! The addition of a new homeport for Disney Cruise Line is part of the overall expansion plan for The Walt Disney Company. Two new ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, will arrive in Port Canaveral, Fla., in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Disney Cruise Line successfully tested the West Coast market with two summer seasons of Mexican Riviera cruises in 2005 and 2008. Disney Cruise Line has not yet announced the details of its itineraries for 2011. As soon as they are announced, I'll share that information with you.

Known for establishing family travel in the cruise market, Disney Cruise Line continues to be a leader in the industry. The Disney Wonder was recently named the top large cruise ship experience by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the 9th annual “Reader’s Cruise Poll.”

The Disney Magic Cruise Ship, which was also ranked in the top five cruise experiences in the poll, will embark on a season of limited itineraries exploring Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in 2010. Salings for Disney Cruise Line

Crystal has something better than "all inclusive."

AS YOU WISH PROGRAM

With Crystal Cruises' new As You Wish promotion you’ll receive up to $2,000 in shipboard credits to spend anyway you wish. Indulge in spa treatments, fine wines, a Vintage Room experience with your friends, gratuities for your favorite waiter, something special from the boutiques, or even a unique Crystal Adventures® shore excursion.

The choices – all of them – are yours.

Chose to be pampered with an aromatherapy massage in the Crystal Spa followed by a shopping spree in the fine boutiques onboard. In the evening, dine at Prego and try the popular braised beef short ribs paired with your favorite bottle of red wine. You may also wish to spend your $2,000 on fascinating Crystal Adventures ashore. Decide from a long list of excursions and select one that fits your desires.

Choose from 17 Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises, as well as New England & Canada, Panama Canal, Caribbean, Trans-Atlantic or South America cruises to spend these credits as you wish, and you’ll soon realize that award-winning luxury has never afforded you this much freedom.

Call me to learn more about Crystal Cruises itineraries and this offer. You can also visit Sea Luxury Cruises by Cruises Inc. Luxury - You Deserve It

Why Not Europe 2010

Why Not Cruise to Europe in 2010

If you watch television at all, you've probably seen the commercials for Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line (RCCL). They have branded themselves "The Nation of Why Not" in their current ad campaigns.

They are featuring many of the activities that can be done on the Freedom Class ships in their fleet (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas).

As of March 12th, you can book your 2010-2011 Europe cruise and cruisetours. Once again, RCCL will have several ships in Europe next year. In fact, they will have 8 ships in Europe to serve that market.

Adventure of the Seas starts off with a 13-night Transatlantic cruise and then does 4 - 7 night Western Mediterranean cruises and ends with 5-night Canary Island cruises.

Brilliance of the Seas will do 12-night cruises to Mediterranean Greek Isles, Mediterranean Venice, and Egypt & Eastern Mediterranean.

Independence of the Seas, the largest ship sailing in Europe, starts with a 14-night Transatlantic cruise and then does 10-night Canary Islands, 4-night Cork Short Break, 3-night Paris Short Break, 14-night Italian Mediterranean, and finally 14-night Mediterranean Treasures.

Jewel of the Seas starts with a 13-night Eastbound Transatlantic cruise and does 12-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise, and ends with a 14-night Westbound Transatlantic cruise.

Navigator of the Seas starts with a 14-night Transatlantic cruise followed by 12-night Eastern Med & Egypt, 7-night Eastern Mediterranean, 7-night Western Mediterranean, and ends with a 14-night Westbound Transatlantic cruise.

Splendour of the Seas starts with a 14-night Eastbound Transatlantic then continues with 6, 7, and 8-night Greek Isles (some include Turkey), and 7-night Mediterranean cruises.

Vision of the Seas features 13-night Northern Europe & Med, 12-night Holy Land, and 9-night Mediterranean cruises.

Voyager of the Seas starts and ends with 14-night Transatlantic cruises and features 7-night Mediterranean cruises throughout the season.

All Royal Caribbean ships have plenty of onboard activities to keep you entertained on the sea days. The largest of the ships sailing in Europe, the Independence of the Seas, has a FlowRider Wave Simulator, Ice Skating Rink, H2O Zone Family Water Park, Boxing Ring, Rock Climbing Wall and more.

Whether you are looking for short or long cruises, big or small ships, Mediterranean to Transtlantic, one or more of these cruises should meet your criteria. So, I ask you, Why Not start planning your European get-away for next year right now? I'd be happy to provide you with more information and help you plan your cruise / cruisetour.