Pride of America Gets Make-Over

Pride of America

Enhancements in 2013

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that its U.S.-flagged cruise ship, Pride of America, which sails the Hawaiian Islands, will undergo a $30M refurbishment in Spring 2013.

The ship will enter a 14 day dry-dock in Honolulu, HI, March 23, 2013, at which time it will receive major renovations including the addition of 24 ultra-luxurious suites, four Studio staterooms and four inside staterooms; Moderno Churrascaria, the line's signature Brazilian-style steakhouse; ship wide wireless internet connectivity; new carpeting throughout; flat screen televisions in all staterooms; updated décor; upgrades to the fitness center; new directional signage; renovations to the gift shop, photo gallery and art gallery; and much more.

Deck 13 Transformation

• Four Studio cabins will be added for solo travelers
• Twenty-four suites will be added
• Four inside cabins

Deluxe Owners Suites

•  Two  566 square foot suites
•  sleeping up to four guests
•  large bedroom, separate living area 
• 410 square foot balcony
•  premium custom furnishings, fabrics, carpets
•  state of the art bathroom featuring custom mosaic tiles
•  connecting doors to the adjacent Family Suites
•  sleeping up to 10 guests when combined
•  perfect option for families or groups who wish to travel in luxury together

Family Suites

•  ranging from 363 to 416 square feet
•  most sleeping up to six guests
•  two ADA compliant for guests with disabilities
•  245 square foot balcony

All of the new suites and staterooms will go on sale October 1, 2012 for sailings beginning September 7, 2013.

 

Additional Enhancements 

 

Green means "go" for food

Moderno Churrascaria

• Norwegian's signature Brazilian-style steakhouse
• cost is $20 per person  

Cagney's Steakhouse

•  Lazy J's Steakhouse will be converted

If you aren't familiar with these signature restaurants, see our past blog posts for more details - these are big favorites of passengers on other ships.    Dine like a Norwegian !!

 
Additional Renovations

•  new carpeting throughout the ship
•  flat-screen TVs in all cabins
•  upgrades to the fitness center
•  new directional signage
•  renovated gift shop, photo gallery and art gallery
•  updated decor in the Aloha Cafe, the ship's buffet restaurant

Pride of America will return to her seven-day Hawaii itinerary departing from Honolulu every Saturday when she returns to service in early April 2013. Ports of call include an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawai`i; Kona, Hawai`i; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kaua`i; and an afternoon cruise past the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.  This ship is the only one in the entire industry that sails a seven-day itinerary in the islands.

Dutch Teen Circles Globe Beats Previous Record

Laura Dekker Arrives in St. Martin     Courtesy Sky News

Youngest Sailor Completes Solo Circumnavigation 

of the World 

What goals did you have for you teen years? Did you ever consider sailing around the world by yourself before turning 17?

Well, Laura Dekker, a young Dutch girl had that dream and Sunday she completed her goal, breaking the previous record by almost 8 months.

Laura Dekker - Sky News Galleries

Beats Previous World Record

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)

Radiance OTS 2011 Makeover

2011 - The Year of the Makeover

For Royal Caribbean Fleet

Last November we reported that Royal Caribbean International® had scheduled dry-dock make-overs for five of their 22 ships.   When unveiling the the new enhancements to their fleet for 2011, Royal Advantage^SM was announced.   The program would expand their most popular innovations to select ships, giving more to see, more to do, and more to love, to more guests than ever before.

The five ships being updated are as follows: Liberty of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Splendour of the Seas.     Read more:  Introducing Royal Advantage

Exciting News for the Solo Traveler

If you travel much, you are familiar with the term "double occupancy".    It has been the pricing standard in the travel industry (including cruises) for as long as I can recall.   Hotels and cruise lines provide pricing based on two people occupying a room / cabin.   If you are traveling alone, you still pay the price that two people would pay, and in some cases, even more.

In the cruise industry, even though pricing is double occupancy,  quotes are provided on a per person basis.    For the solo traveler, the pricing includes what's called "single supplement".   Over simplified, this is a fancy way of saying that you pay the same price as two occupants or even more.   Sometimes there are lower rates during a promotion, but that is fairly rare.  

Obviously this makes traveling alone quite expensive and quite frankly turns many potential cruisers away, which is quite unfortunate.   What about the married couple that has cruised for years and their mate is now too sick to travel or is no longer alive?    Does that mean they have to now give up one of their favorite pastimes?    In many cases, unless they could find someone to travel with them, that was indeed what happened.

Good news ...    Last year Norwegian Cruise Line was the first to introduce cabins specifically designed for the solo traveler, and more importantly, priced for the single traveler.    No more paying the price for sailing alone.    Photos:  Norwegian Epic Studio Cabins

goes into dry-dock this May, and will emerge in June in time for the Alaskan cruise season.   In addition to the previously announced addition of the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, there will be three inside cabins added for solo travelers.   This will be the first for the Royal Caribbean fleet.    We suspect that Royal Caribbean is testing the waters to see how well the cabins are received. 

We see this as a positive step in accommodating  a segment of the public that has been unable to purchase a cruise vacation due to the penalty pricing for solo travelers.   It's only three cabins, which is dwarfed by the 100 cabin offering on Norwegian Epic, but it is a start.    Norwegian Cruise line has two new ships on order which will further expand the solo studio offerings.      I suspect this is only the first of many more changes for the solo travelers in months and years to come.

Radiance of the Seas Sails from Seward to other adventurous Alaskan cities, including Juneau and Skagway.

Studios for Solo Travelers on Norwegian EPIC

Photos courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

Introducing Studio Accommodations

Norwegian Cruise Line Gives Solo Travelers a Reason to Cruise on Norwegian Epic

Innovative concept focuses on Studios specifically designed and priced for the solo traveler

Norwegian Epic's Studio staterooms are the first to be designed and priced for single occupancy.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced a completely new concept to make cruising more attractive to solo travelers on their new ship, Norwegian Epic, launching this July. Norwegian Epic's Studios are the first staterooms designed and priced for single occupancy in the industry.

These specially designed and priced Studio staterooms available on all of Norwegian Epic's sailings - with no single supplement - go on sale Monday, January 18, 2010.

Studio
Lounge

The Studios on Norwegian Epic are a private key-card access complex on two decks consisting of 128 staterooms and the Studio Lounge. The Studio staterooms are approximately 100 square feet of living space. They feature a contemporary design with a full-size bed and separate areas for the bathroom, sink and shower.

Studio guests have private access to the Studio Lounge where they can have a cup of coffee in the morning, meet up with fellow cruisers and plan their day or relax with a drink in the evening. Since many of the Studio staterooms are connecting, there is also the opportunity for friends to travel together while giving each their own private space.

The Year of the Freestyle Vacation