TODAY Samples Alluring Food and Beverages

TODAY Show Hosts Sample Allure of the Seas Food

What Do You Feed 

5000 Hungry People?

18,000 lbs. Watermelon

14,000 lbs. Pineapple

10,000 lbs. Fish

4,000 lbs. Vegetables

Allure's executive chef  takes you behind the scenes to show you how much food is needed each week and how the staff prepares it.

All We Do is Eat & Drink

Cruise vacations are well known for fabulous food and beverages served 'round the clock.  While some people may gain weight during their cruise, that doesn't have to be the case as we'll learn in this video clip.

One thing for certain, Allure of the Seas does have some "alluring" food for you to chose from.   Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb were able to sample selections from the various venues including Samba Grill and Cupcake Cupboard.   Watch this video to get an idea about the mouth watering foods available on the Allure of the Seas.

Video: Royal Caribbean's 'alluring' fare

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Video: Cruising for Cocktails

Kathie Lee and Hoda sampled some of the signature libations that can be found on the Allure of the Seas. Whether you are poolside or at one of the specialty dining venues, there is a colorful and tasty drink awaiting for you. Just ask one of the friendly bartenders to pour one of their specialties and enjoy.

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TODAY Ship Shape Swimsuits on Allure

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Today Show Broadcasts Live from Allure of the Seas

Swimsuit Fashion from the Allure of the Seas

We continue our coverage of Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb broadcasting the TODAY show live on the Allure of the Seas. In this segment, they take a look at what to wear on a cruise. Also, we'll look at great products to take on weekend getaways (which of course could be on a cruise ship).

The hosts were onboard Allure of the Seas November 19, 2010.   For the full story, see MSNBC's website.. The cruise portion started at 10 AM Eastern time.

Video:  Look Hot in These Cool Bathing Suits

TODAY style editor Bobbie Thomas sought out the greatest in swimsuits for when warm weather calls. Watch what happens when this red bikini gets wet ...

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Video: Bobbie's Buzz on Weekend Getaway Goods

For products featured in the following video, check out Bobbie's buzz: Top tools for trips on MSNBC's TODAY Show website.

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Coming Soon:  Our behind the scenes report from Allure of the Seas

Today Show Broadcasts Live from Allure of the Seas

Tune in to NBC's TODAY on Friday, November 19th between 10:00 am and 11:00 am Eastern, when hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will broadcast live onboard Allure of the Seas. 

The TV personalities will lift the curtain on the distinguished line-up of entertainment and innovative onboard amenities that differentiate Allure from Oasis of the Seas®. Don't miss it!

 

Just as they did when Oasis of the Seas arrived in Flordia, the crew of the TODAY show will broadcast live from Allure of the Seas.   This will be your first opportunity to see the Allure of the Seas as final preparations are made for the first revenue guests to arrive in December.

We will update this post later today with highlights from their visit.

Don't forget ....  We will be on the Allure of the Seas for one of the pre-inaugural cruises and will bring you our pictures and videos from the latest entry in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Meanwhile, you can check out our other posts about Allure of the Seas by searching this blog for "Allure".

As promised, here are three video clips from the TODAY Shows visit on the Allure of the Seas today.   You'll get to watch them experiencing the ship, including a quick zip from one end of the Boardwalk to the other.

Related Blog Post (click link):  TODAY Ship Shape Swimsuits on Allure

Video:  Kathie Lee, Hoda Go Cruising

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Video: 'Alluring' Activities are Fourth-hour Fun

From taking a ride on the zip line to getting a 14-karat-gold facial, Kathie Lee and Hoda check out all the activities aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.   Watch this video to check out the activities.

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Video: Kathy Lee, Hoda's Fantasy Cruise

The TODAY hosts tour the Allure of the Seas cruise ship and imagine all their favorite actives aboard the ship.

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We hope you have enjoyed these clips from the TODAY show. Allure of the Seas is an amazing ship, just like her sister, the Oasis of the Seas. One of the myths about cruising is "there is nothing to do". We'd be amazed if you could still say that after watching these videos.

See you soon from onboard the Allure of the Seas.

Creating Central Park on Allure of the Seas

Construction of Allure of the Seas Central Park

How Do You Plant a Garden on a Cruise Ship?

That may sound like a silly question, but for Royal Caribbean International, that was just one of the final preparation processes that had to be solved while the Allure of the Seas is in its homeport of Port Everglades. The answer of course, is by crane.

Oasis of the Seas - Central Park

Creating  Central Park

Pictured here is the Oasis of the Seas finished version of Central Park.  The Allure will once again benefit from the experience of its sister ship as Central Park is recreated one more time onboard a cruise ship.

Just like one would plan their own garden in the back yard, Royal Caribbean's designers drew up plans for the finished garden, ordered the various trees, flowers, and shrubs, and waited for the assembly day to arrive.    On the assembly day, the plants and trees were organized and "airlifted" by crane from the pier to the ship.   Crews quickly  unloaded the crates and the planting began.   It didn't take long before Central Park took shape.

In this video, you'll see first-hand hour Central Park was assembled by a talented team of gardeners.

Video: Creating an Ocean Garden: Planting Allure’s Central Park

Thousands of plants, flower gardens and green thumbs go into making Allure of the Seas' expansive Central Park come to life! Watch as crews finish the final details on this luscious, serene and vibrant neighborhood onboard.

Travel Alert fo St. Lucia After Tomas

Hurricane Tomas Caused Extensive Damage

In the wake of Hurricane Tomas, this normally picturesque Caribbean paradise is without much of its infrastructure, prompting a recent Travel Alert by the U.S. State Department.  St. Lucia's Prime Minister declared a state of emergency, and reports indicate that St. Lucia’s transportation and communication infrastructure was seriously affected.  This Travel Alert expires on December 1, 2010. 

According to the travel alert, "There are no reports of U.S. citizens killed or seriously injured in the storm or its aftermath.  However, major roads and bridges on the islands are closed due to landslides and flooding, making transportation around the island extremely difficult or impossible.  Cell phone towers are down, resulting in limited communication, and some areas do not have electricity or water.  St. Lucia authorities are working to restore services as soon as possible.  Both airports on St. Lucia are open, but operating at limited capacity."

St. Lucia wasn't the only country impacted by Tomas in the region. St. Vincent and the Grenadines also experienced significant damage due to Hurricane Tomas in the northern part of the country, but areas generally frequented by travelers were not severely impacted. 

What does this mean for tourists?

Cruise lines are monitoring the situation and may substitute a different port of call for St. Lucia.   The travel alert indicated  "U.S. citizens should contact their tour operator, airline, or hotel for further information on the situation before traveling."      

U.S. citizens who choose to travel to St. Lucia despite the Travel Alert are urged to enroll with the State Department's travel registration website.  Please continue to monitor the Embassy’s website for updated information at https://www.usembassy.gov/barbados/.  

Updates from the Islands

Latest local updates from the special hurricane correspondents on the islands (with pictures):

  Barbados  --  Dominica  -- Grenada -- Trinidad & Tobago

Martinique -- St.Lucia  -- St.Vincent & Grenadines -- 

We wish the people of St. Lucia well, and hope that they will be able to quickly restore the infrastructure so that their lives can return to normal and tourists can once again visit this beautiful country.

 

Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Mexican navy vessel P110 holds position off the
port bow of the Carnival cruise ship C/V Splendor
(Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy)

Carnival Splendor Out of Service

Miami - November 16, 2010 – 11am

Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled voyages of the Carnival Splendor through the departure of January 9, 2011, to allow time for repairs following an engine room fire last week. The ship is scheduled to re-enter service on January 16, 2011.

Guests who were scheduled to sail on these voyages will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and air transportation costs, along with a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

Carnival Splendor was towed to San Diego following the fire which occurred off the Mexican coast on November 8. A team from the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB and flag authorities, along with Carnival's engineers and technicians, is currently on board investigating the cause of the fire. Carnival personnel are being assisted by representatives of the shipyard that built the vessel and other manufacturers of engine room components in assessing damage and necessary repairs.

"We realize how much guests look forward to their vacations and know that they are very disappointed by this news. We too are disheartened that we are not able to fulfill the dreams of those who have entrusted us with their important vacation plans. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was scheduled to sail on these cancelled voyages and look forward to welcoming them aboard in the future. Now that we have a full technical team engaged in the assessment, we wanted to provide this information as quickly as possible," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

Carnival is contacting travel agents and guests on the affected sailings and providing assistance in finding alternate cruises. Travel agent commissions on the cancelled sailings will be protected.

Please continue to check back here for updates. 

If you are affected by this, please click here for an important notice detailing your options.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
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Cruise Itinerary Changes Following St. Kitts Robbery

Photo courtesy of Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

In the wake of Sunday's brazen robbery at gunpoint of a bus full of Celebrity Mercury passengers on a St. Kitts shore excursion, at least two cruise lines have canceled calls on the island.   Carnival Miracle, scheduled to visit St. Kitts  headed to Antigua, and Princess Cruises' Grand Princess will make a similar detour on Wednesday.

Two masked gunmen on St. Kitts held up 17 passengers from Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Mercury who were on a ship-sponsored tour, called "Essential St. Kitts", that includes a sight-seeing drive of the city of Basseterre.  The tour was headed to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a popular tourist spot.

According to police reports, the gunmen blocked the road with a fallen tree which prompted the bus driver to exit the vehicle to clear the road.   When this was done, the band of robbers emerged from the  bushes and robbed the tourists at gunpoint before disappearing back into the woodlands.  The passengers' cash, jewelry, cameras and other valuables were taken and fortunately noone was injured in the incident.

Celebrity Cruises has cancelled the tour indefinitely and indicated that it will closely monitor the safety situation in St. Kitts, but has yet to cancel any calls at the island.  They released the following statement:


"We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.  A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events."

St. Kitts-Nevis Observer was told by a police spokesperson, "this tour bus robbery is an unprecedented incident in St. Kitts, where visitor safety is of the highest priority. Last year, over (500,000) cruise passengers safely disembarked in St. Kitts...we deeply regret any type of incident that might tarnish our visitors' experience."

It is believed that the recent surge in violence in the Caribbean is linked to an increase in drug traffic. Much of the cocaine headed for the U.S. and European markets from South America transits the Caribbean.

Watch here for updates from the cruise lines in reaction to this incident.