A Cruise Line is Born

Welcome to the new Viking Cruises

Just Announced May 17, 2013

Torstein Hagen, the visionary founder of Viking River Cruises, the world's largest and fastest growing river line, told the assembled travel agents, journalists and past passengers the company would launch its ocean-oriented cruise line in May 2015.  The announcement came at a gala banquet in Beverly Hills, California.

Click on this interactive image to start exploring the new cruise line and the first of its ships, Viking Star.



Viking Cruises, the new name of Viking River Cruises, announced the launch of its ocean product line, Viking Ocean Cruises, marking the introduction of the travel industry’s first new cruise line in nearly a decade.

Destination is Key Focus

Developed from the ground up to return the focus of cruising to the destination, Viking Ocean Cruises will begin sailing in May 2015 with its first vessel—Viking Star—embarking on maiden voyages in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

Leveraging extensive feedback and input from Viking River Cruises passengers, Viking Ocean Cruises was developed with experienced travelers in mind. Itineraries are curated for maximum time in port, often with late evenings or overnights, so guests can experience local nightlife or evening performances. Ports include both cosmopolitan cities and “collector ports,” and appeal to those with an interest in history, art and culture.

Small Ship Sailing with Unparalleled Value

All-inclusive pricing provides unparalleled value—with every cruise fare including a veranda stateroom, shore excursions in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Passengers also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; wi-fi; self-service laundry and 24-hour room service—a value of more than $2,400 per couple for an average cruise. 

Continued Fleet Expansion

Viking Cruises has aggressive expansion plans in both the ocean and river cruise categories, with a second ocean ship on order for delivery in 2016 and conditional orders and options for four more additional ocean vessels. The ocean ship order follows the company’s continued rapid fleet expansion in the river cruise sector, with 10 new river ships recently christened in March of this year and 12 new river ships planned to launch in 2014.

Earlier this year Viking set the World Record for the most ships launched on a single day: World Record Ship Launching

Working Closely With Viking to Launch New Cruise Line

Bookings Now Open for Viking Star 

World Record Ship Launching

Amsterdam Christening Ceremony     Courtesy Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises
Christening


Viking marks a historic day in cruising as they become the first company to christen 10 ships at one time.

Their new state-of-the-art Viking Longships—recently named "Best New River Ship" by Cruise Critic—feature the largest suites in Europe, full-size Veranda Staterooms and the Aquavit Terrace, a Viking exclusive, for al fresco dining.


10 New Longships

Four of the new vessels -- the Viking Aegir, Viking Embla, Viking Bragi and Viking Skadi -- were docked at the terminal during the ceremony. The other six ships -- Viking Atla, Viking Forseti, Viking Jarl, Viking Rinda, Viking Tor and Viking Var -- remained at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock, Germany where all 10 vessels were built. Christening attendees could see the latter six ships in a live video feed from the shipyard projected on large screens.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™

Christening of 10 new Viking Longships on March 20, 2013 was a proud day for Viking and for river cruising. Guests at the christening ceremony were treated to a presentation on the growth of river cruising & enjoyed remarks by each of the 10 distinguished Longships godmothers. To the delight of the entire Viking family and the guests in attendance, the ceremony was topped off when Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises, was presented with a certificate for 'The Most Ships Inaugurated in One Day by One Company,' by a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ adjudicator.

VIKING RIVER CRUISES SMASHES WORLD RECORD; INAUGURATES MOST NEW SHIPS IN A SINGLE DAY 

(Press Release - Read about the Godmothers)

Watch the video of the Christening Events:   Watch other videos about the Longships:

Viking Suites

Explorer Suites offer a private wraparound veranda with spectacular 270° views. Combined with a living room and a large bedroom that features a French balcony, the Explorer Suites provide the most lavish stay.

Whichever stateroom you choose, one thing is certain: hotel-style beds topped with European linens and duvets provide the perfect place to turn in after a full day of exploring Europe's great towns and cities.

The Aquavit Terrace

Now, with Viking's advanced design, a portion of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge can be rolled aside to create a unique area that combines the comfort of the indoors with the fresh air of the outdoors.

RIVER CRUISING GUIDE - Discover the Beauty of River Cruising Viking River Cruises 2012 Fleet Upgrades Viking Longboats Christened Viking River Cruises Longships Update

Congratulations Viking River Cruises 

on this Fantastic Accomplishment

Princess Cruises 2012-13 Europe Deployment

Princess Cruises® 


2012-13

Princess Cruises® has begun announcing their Summer 2012 - Spring 2013 Programs. We are highlighting their Europe Land & Sea Vacations in this post. Captain's Circle members can take advantage of special Launch Savings.

 If you are interested in this article, also see: 

Princess Mediterranean - Greek Isles - Holy Land 2012
Princess Scandinavia - Russia - Norway 2012
Princess British Isles - Iceland - Canary Islands 2012 

Experience the Best of Europe

Windsor Castle

Answer the alluring call of the Old World with Princess Cruises. Whether you're drawn to legendary ruins, charming villas or awe-inspiring landscapes, Princess Cruises can take you there.

Sail with a crew that shares your passion for exploring this timeless region, and you'll quickly discover why they've been voted "Best Cruise Line - Itineraries."

See more of Europe than you ever dreamt possible when you sail with Princess Cruises. Whether you’re drawn to the idyllic Mediterranean & Greek Isles, the storied Holy Land, sparkling Scandinavia and Russia or the grandeur of the British Isles, there is a Europe cruise vacation that’s perfect for you!

Giants Causeway - Belfast, Ireland

2012-13 Deployment Program

Church of the Spilled Blood - St. Petersburg, Russia

• 7 ships, 57 itineraries and over 125 voyages
• The largest Europe deployment in Princess’ history offering more sailings and more capacity with the addition of Crown Princess sailing the 12-day Greek Isles
• The most popular itineraries return, including the 12-day Grand Mediterranean, 11-day Scandinavia & Russia, 12-day British Isles, 12-day Holy Land, and 7-day Interludes
• Overnight stays in magical Venice on all 12-day Grand Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Greek Isles & Mediterranean and Egypt & Aegean sailings
• Our 2-day Experience in St. Petersburg on 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruises, 2-day Experiences in Egypt and Israel on 12-day Holy Land sailings and two days in Istanbul on our 12-day Black Sea & Crimean sailing
• New itineraries and maiden ports including Korcula, Croatia and Nessebar, Bulgaria – a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Land & sea vacations that tour Classic Italy, Ireland’s Ring of Kerry, Imperial cities of Eastern Europe, such as Prague and Vienna, and a remarkable journey to the ruins of Ancient Petra, Jordan and the Dead Sea

Princess Past Passengers are eligible for special savings when they book early! Earn up to $200 per couple; these savings can be combined with other discounts and special offers in the future.

Captain's Circle Launch Savings 

• Europe (3-day Europe has $50 savings) $100* 
• Europe Grand Adventure Cruises $200*

*Per Person Savings through 9/30/11

Europe land & sea vacations

Experience Europe in-depth on a land-and-sea adventure that combines a fabulous cruise with four to nine days on land exploring places like storied Rome and Florence, the enchanting cities of Vienna and Prague, or cruise Ireland’s magical Ring of Kerry.

Cruisetour	Nights Destination / Sailing†	Ship	2012 Dates
Tour 1: Europe’s Imperial Treasures	19 Nights 2 nights Budapest, 2 nights Vienna, 2 nights Prague & 2 nights Berlin / 11-day Scandinavia & Russia cruise	Emerald	May 4, 15, 26; Jun 6, 17, 28; Jul 9, 20, 31; Aug 11, 22
Tour 2: Classic Italy	17 Nights 3 nights Rome & 2 nights Florence / 12-day Grand Mediterranean or 12-day Greek Isles cruise	Ruby, Crown	May 13, 19; Jun 6, 12, 30; Jul 6, 24, 30; Aug 17, 23; Sep 10, 16; Oct 10; Nov 3
Tour 3: Ring of Kerry	16 Nights 1 night Shannon, 2 nights Killarney & 1 night Cork / 12-day British Isles cruise	Caribbean	May 10, 22; Jun 3; Jul 4, 28; Aug 9
Tour 4: Ancient Petra & the Dead Sea	16 Nights 2 nights Amman, 1 night Petra & 1 night Dead Sea / 12-day Holy Land cruise	Pacific	May 8; Jun 13; Jul 7, 31; Sep 29; Oct 23; Nov 16

†Port order and content for all itineraries may vary.

Norwegian Epic Arrives in Miami

Norwegian Epic is Here (click for images & savings)

Norwegian Epic, the brand new 153,000 ton addition to Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet of Freestyle ships, arrived in Miami as a fire boat saluted the new vessel.   The ship introduces a number of industry firsts, including an ice bar, cabins for solo travelers and performances by Howl at the Moon, Blue Man Group and others.  The entertainment is definitely among the best in the industry.

For Miami, Florida, the Epic represents the first new megaliner since 2007 to call the Port of Miami home.  The economy of Miami will get a boost with an anticipated 300,000 passengers sailing on the new ship which means approximately 90,000 passengers will arrive through Miami International Airport annually. The ship will support 1,000 jobs throughout the state and provide $3.5 million in annual revenues through fees according to estimates provided by the Port of Miami.

"We are bringing our best ship into Miami because we're proud of where we live and work," said Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Miami-based NCL Corp. 'We believe that the people of Miami deserve to have the best ship in the market there."

Norwegian Cruise Line had originally planned for two ships to be built by STX Europe but due to cost overruns, they backed out of their deal.   Therefore, Epic will be one of a kind.   

Be among the first to sail on this new engineering wonder.   Check out the pictures and videos by clicking the link above.   Take advantage of Norwegian Epic's Launch Bonus offer.

STS-129 Atlantis Mission a Go for Launch Monday

STS-129 Mission a "Go" for Launch - Photos Courtesy NASA

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Launch Monday, November 16

Launch countdown operations are on schedule with no issues to report, according to officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the STS-129 prelaunch briefing. With the unfortunate scrub of the Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station today, space shuttle Atlantis is cleared for launch at 2:28 p.m. EST Monday.

Why am I blogging about a Space Shuttle Launch?

Have I upgraded from Cruise Ship to Space Shuttle?

NO, I've not changed fields or unfortunatley, I'm not "cruising" on the space shuttle next week. There is a cruise connection, however ...

The space shuttle launch could impact YOUR plans ... if you are on the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas cruise that departs Monday from Port Canaveral, Florida.

As of now, weather is predicted to be perfect for launch, so barring any unforseen problems, the shuttle should take off at 2:28 PM Eastern time Monday.

Monarch of the Seas is scheduled to depart Monday, November 16, on a 4-Night Bahamas, Port Canaveral R/T. The cruise is scheduled to depart at 5 PM. That means that guests will start boarding the ship mid-day.

Allow extra time for heavy traffic

Due to the shuttle launch, traffic will be quite busy in the Port Canaveral area. Passengers should allow extra time to get to the pier. Also, if you are on the ship prior to launch, you might have a bird's eye view of the shuttle launch. This could be a once in a lifetime experience that you don't want to miss.

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