Royal Caribbean 2010 Asia & Far East

Royal Caribbean Announces

2010 Asia & Far East Sailings

Asia – The Far East

Isn’t As Far As You Think

Known throughout the world as one of the most culturally unique destinations, from exotic cuisine to beautiful handmade crafts, ancient traditions and distinctive dresses; it truly is an once-in-a-lifetime voyage. Visiting such culturally diverse destinations as:
- Hong Kong – a cosmopolitan city that offers world-class shopping, spectacular
cuisine and the unforgettable scenic beauty China is known for.
- Singapore – East truly meets West - where towering skyscrapers overlook open-air
markets and running rickshaws.
- Nha Trang – Vietnam’s “Ocean City” lined with vast white-sand beaches and a crescent
shaped coastline.
- Cambodia – explore some of the world’s most beautiful ancient temples.

Royal Caribbean International released the 2010 Asia & Far East schedule today.

Legend of the Seas® will be your floating hotel for your exotic Asian itinerary.

Legend of the Seas® certainly earns its name with this unbelievable itinerary combined with all the comforts and amenities expected of Royal Caribbean International®, including:
- Signature rock-climbing wall
- Casino RoyaleSM
- Acclaimed Adventure Ocean® kids and teen programming
- Solarium with sliding roof
- Stunning open atrium Centrum
- Fabulous spa treatments
- 9-hole miniature golf course
- Delicious dining options
- Gold Anchor Service® - Royal Caribbean’s friendly and engaging signature service style

Choose from several different itineraries:

9-Night Exotic Asia

January 28, 2010
Singapore • Ho Chi Minh City (Vung Tau), Vietnam • Nha Trang, Vietnam • Hue/Danang (Chan May), Vietnam Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam • Hong Kong, China Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China

4-Night Taste of Vietnam

February 11, 2010

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China • Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam • Hong Kong, China

5-Night Gem of Asia

February 15, 2010

Hong Kong, China • Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, China Hualien, Taiwan, China • Hong Kong, China

5-Night Indo China Explorer

February 20, 2010
Hong Kong, China • Sanya, China • Hue/Danang (Chan May), Vietnam Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam • Hong Kong, China

6-Night Indo China Explorer

March 2, 2010
Hong Kong, China • Sanya, China • Hue/Danang (Chan May), Vietnam Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam • Hong Kong, China

5-Night Gem of Asia

February 25 & March 8, 2010
Hong Kong, China • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China • Hualien, Taiwan, China • Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, China • Hong Kong, China

5-Night Hong Kong to Shanghai

March 13, 2010

Hong Kong, China • Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, China (Overnight) • Okinawa, Japan • Shanghai, China

5-Night Asian Legacies
March 18, 23; May 26, 31;
June 5, 10, 15, 2010
Shanghai, China • Fukuoka, Japan • Busan, South Korea
Shanghai, China

So reserve your Asia cruise in advance, snag the best staterooms and plan the details of your vacation without the last minute dash. And don’t forget to add shore excursions to your voyage so you can see all the sensational nuances of this exotic locale. I'll be happy to help plan your cruise vacation to the Far East.

Norwegian Epic Open for Booking

NCL started it all with Freestyle Cruising® – where people can enjoy a cruise without being handed a schedule. A vacation where you are free to do whatever. And now they’re following one success with another. Welcome to Norwegian Epic: NCL’s incredible new ship that reinvents cruising yet again. You’ll want to be one of the first to experience this ship’s day and night entertainment where you can wander from one exciting venue to another. Aboard Epic, there are as many ways to have fun as there are to have dinner. And she’s got the most innovative and wide-ranging accommodations at sea. Norwegian Epic sails summer 2010. Be there.

Are you ready for the most innovative living spaces at sea? Introducing Norwegian Epic’s giant leap forward in accommodations. Starting with the New Wave Staterooms, where curved walls meet a curved ceiling with soft recessed lighting and where every “outside” stateroom has a balcony. Then there are the three “private-access” stateroom complexes – each with a unique ambiance: The Studios transform inside staterooms into cool, urban spaces with windows to the corridor, mood lighting and access to The Living Room, where guests can kick back, watch a flat-screen TV and have a drink before dinner. The Spa Staterooms and Suites have 24-hour access to the Mandara Spa thermal suites and the fitness center right next door. And finally The Villas, hidden away on their own deck, are accessible only by private elevator and offer an exclusive, all-pampering experience with private bar, pool, sundecks and even a private gym.

Open for Sale
Norwegian Epic has opened for sale for Latitudes members with an exclusive offer. Through 8/31/09 Latitudes members will receive up to a 3-category upgrade with additional savings of up to $100 per person. Or, if booking a Suite they will receive up to $500 per stateroom to spend on board. Rates for Latitudes members start at only $599.

For those not familiar with NCL, Latitudes members are guests that have sailed at least once before on any Norwegian Cruise Line ship.

Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group to headline Norwegian Epic’s entertainment offerings. NCL is changing the face of cruise line entertainment on their next generation of Freestyle Cruising ship, Norwegian Epic beginning in summer 2010 . Blue Man Group, best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics will be performing in the 685-seat Epic Theater. In addition, Norwegian Epic will have multiple, specially-designed entertainment venues throughout the ship so that guests can choose from a wide variety of entertainment each evening of their cruise.

Learn More
I am in the process of putting additional information together to share with you. If you need more information in the meantime, contact me via email or phone (see links for website details).

Arnhem - Walking Tour

High Point of the City of Arnhem

After lunch we walked, with another couple from the ship, to St. Eusebius Church in the heart of Arnhem. The four of us toured the inside of the church. When you enter the church the first thing you see is the main pipe organ, the Strümphler organ, which dates back to 1795 and is the replacement of the Wagner organ from 1770 which was destroyed completely in WWII. There are five columns that house the pipes. Each of the towers are adorned with angels.

The church was extensively damaged during the Second World War following Operation Market Garden in 1944, with the interior being completely burnt out. Later the tower, weakened by the fire, collapsed entirely. Following the war the church was restored between 1946 and 1961.

The church is no longer used for religious services but rather is a tourist attraction, specifically commemorating the bravery of the paratroopers of the Allied forces who attempted to isolate the Germans by capturing the bridge across the river. The fourth picture from the left in the collage above, shows the Paratrooper memorial inside the church.

The Eusebius Tower is an amazing feature of Arnhem. This is the high point of the city of Arnhem. It rose out of the ruins of the Second World War. It reached its highest point ever, 93 meters. In 1994, a glass elevator was added inside the tower up to the belvedere, a lookout point with glazed sides at 73 meters. Two of us paid the 2.50 Euro fee to ride up the elevator past all of the array of bells and into the loft of the church. We had a 360 degree view of the surrounding city from the observation tower. We decided to climb the additional steps, up a winding staircase, to the spire. You can see the steps and the view from the tower above and in our photo album. The view from there was phenomenal and worth the admission cost.

Other items of interest in the church include the Mausoleum of Duke Karel of Gelre, the Salvator Bell (a gift from Duke Karel), and the the crypt below the building where you can (if you dare) find ancient human bones which have been left in the state of their burial or death. Needless to say, we skipped the last part of the self-guided tour.

We really enjoyed our visit to this amazing church. Definitely put it on your to-do list when you are in Arnhem. Here are some additional photos from our walking tour:

Arnhem - St. Eusebius Church
Arnhem - Walking Tour

Arnhem was defintiely one of the highlights on our Tulip Time Cruise. History buffs will definitely enjoy the visit. Come back again to read about other stops on our Amalegro cruise.

Port Information - Arnhem

Welcome to the Province called "Gelderland"

Continuing our Tulip Time River Cruise on AMA Waterways Amalegro we next arrived in Arnhem, the capital of the province called Gelderland. Amsterdam, Volendam, and Edam were all located in the Dutch Province called North Holland.

After Edam, we traveled south again, through the Markermeer, formerly part of the famed Zuiderzee, and we entered the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. This canal is just over 50 years old, and connects Amsterdam to the lower Rhine River, where Arnhem is situated.

The tour, Monday, April 13th, focused on what Arnhem is most remembered for: The Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden. The events of this battle inspired the well known movie known as "A Bridge Too Far".

The battle which took place in Arnhem in September 1944 was a disaster for the Allied troops and was a saddening part of modern Dutch history. On September 17, 1944, 10,000 men from the 1st British Airborne Division were parachuted into Oosterbeek, just west of Arnhem. They were to then march on Arnhem and secure a bridgehead on the Lower Rhine River. Under the direction of John Frost, Commander of the 2nd British Battalion, this bridgehead was to be held until the American and Polish troops could make their way up from the south.

Scheduled to arrive were 20,000 Americans from the 18th, 101st, and 82nd Airborne Divisions, along with 3000 Polish soldiers, but they were delayed by unusually heavy fog. By the time they could arrive it was too late and the Americans destroyed the bridge to prevent Germans from using it. This very bridge became known as "A Bridge too Far", about which the movie was made in 1977. The bridge is now named the "John Frost Bridge".

Our visit to Arnhem began with a bus trip which included a photo stop at the John Frost Bridge followed by a stop at the Groesbeek Canadian Cemetery. After visiting the cemetery we drove to the Liberation Museum in Nijmegen-Groesbeek. The Liberation Museum recreates the period before the war, the occupation during the war, and the liberation during 1944-1945. After the tour we returned to the ship for lunch and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon on our own. I'll talk about the afternoon in another post.

Here are some pictures from the organized part of our tour in Arnhem:

Arnhem - John Frost Bridge

Arnhem - Canadian War Cemetery

Arnhem (Groesbeek) - Liberation Museum

Our visits to the bridge, cemetery, and museum were very moving. Reliving history, especially that of World War II, has become one of our favorite cruise activities. Perhaps it is because my father served in WWII and survived the D-Day landing and the Battle of the Bulge. This helps us to understand what sacrifices were made by the troops in those days.

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

Carnival Cruises Returning to Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in Mexico.

Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. For full details on modified itineraries, and the effective dates for the return to the original itineraries, click here.

In communicating this news to their travel partners, Carnival said "Please rest assured that the health and well being of our guests and crew is our highest priority and we are returning to Mexico after careful evaluation and consultation with the CDC. It is important to note that the concentration of H1N1 flu cases in Mexico has been inland rather than in the coastal resort areas where our ships visit."

The cruise industry works closely with U.S. public health officials in the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program in developing and complying with extensive policies and procedures that are effective in mitigating illness aboard cruise ships. Carnival will continue to follow CDC guidelines for cruise ships which include pre-boarding health questionnaires for all guests and crew, along with secondary screening by shipboard medical professionals as necessary. Additionally, all Carnival ships stock influenza test kits and anti-viral medications for treating type A influenzas.

Carnival concluded their travel partner update by saying "We are very pleased to be returning to Mexico and would also very much like to thank you for your understanding and patience during the past few weeks."

Royal Caribbean Resumes Mexican Cruises

Royal Caribbean Update on H1N1 Flu Precautions

Royal Caribbean International informed their travel partners that they will resume its port calls in Cozumel, Mexico, beginning with sailings that depart on or after May 24, 2009. RCI applauded the decision of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to downgrade their previous "Travel Alert" to a "Travel Health Precaution for Mexico."

Their statement went on to say "Like our guests we are anxious to return to Mexico. Until then, our guests will have time to fully review and understand the CDC's decision." The ships with Cozumel port calls include Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Enchantment of the Seas.

Mariner of the Seas will continue its modified Pacific Northwest itinerary, up to and including, its June 14 sailing. RCI will continue to utilize the Influenza Prevention and Response Plans, which their office of Medical and Public Health developed in coordination with the CDC and other health experts. The plan is based on three pillars: Preparedness and Communication; Surveillance and Detection; and Response and Containment.

Itinerary updates are provided daily at 1 PM. See the following link for latest update.