A Felicitous Event
AVALON RIVER CRUISES launched the latest member of their river-cruise fl eet at a special naming ceremony in Volendam, Holland, to give Avalon Felicity an impressive send-off to her regular ‘Romantic Rhine’ itinerary.
By Richard Partridge W
ith Canadian soprano sensa- tion Measha Brueggergosman (pictured) acting as Godmother
against a colourful backdrop of traditional 18th century fi sherman’s dwellings the christening champagne was suitably cracked against the hull of the ship and the assem- bled crowd enjoyed a celebratory glass. It also marks the start of a busy period for
Avalon, who will be operating two new river vessels this year, with Avalon Luminary being launched in July. Both newcomers will sail on the popular 8-day Rhine itinerary from Amsterdam to Zurich, and vice versa.
At 363ft long and 37ft wide, Felicity can take 138 passengers in 65 staterooms, which measure 172sq ft and feature fl oor-to-ceiling windows and French balconies, with hotel-style beds, fl atscreen TVs and large wardrobes. There are also 4 capacious suites for those who like even more room. The Sky Deck at the front has an extended outside seating area, with sun loungers and an outdoor Jacuzzi situated just under the bridge. There is also a grill station on deck for lazy lunches on clement days. The inaugural overnight cruise was the
fi rst opportunity for the Indonesian crew to work their magic in the kitchen. Breakfast from the buffet bar was of the highest quality, with the Egg Station a signifi cant feature and a great array of breads, cereals and tradi- tional breakfast fare. After a sojourn to a 350-year-old water-pumping windmill just outside Volendam, where we were treated to a presentation from a real-life Miller, we returned to the boat for early evening drinks in the bar before the Gala Dinner. Avalon includes a selection of alcoholic drinks with dinner as part of the normal full board fare, but all choices from the bar were reasonably priced, with a great selection of cocktails on offer.
Alaskan Boost
OCEANIA CRUISES is featuring Alaska for the fi rst time in 2011, adding 10 departures to its award winning summer itineraries, including two full days of glacier cruising and a choice of both popular and off-the-beaten-track port calls. The new cruises are on the 684-passenger
Regatta, renowned for its open-seating gourmet dining with no surcharges, luxurious public rooms and warm, attentive service. Port calls include Sitka, Skagway, Juneau
and Ketchikan as well as less-visited outposts such as Kodiak, Homer and Hoonah. Depending on the itinerary, travellers will also cruise past the inspiring Hubbard Glacier, the Gulf of Alaska, Tracy Arm and College Fjord. The four itineraries are: Majestic Alaska: A 14-night round trip from
San Francisco, another maiden port for Oceania Cruises, visiting Victoria, Vancouver, Sitka, Hoonah, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Astoria (Oregon). Alaskan Grandeur: 12 nights cruising between San Francisco and Vancouver, visiting Astoria, Victoria, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka and Ketchikan. Frontiers and Glaciers: A 10-night round trip from Vancouver, calling at Sitka, Hoonah, Kodiak, Wrangell and Ketchikan. Glacial Wilderness: 12 nights cruising between Vancouver and Anchorage, visiting Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Skagway, Sitka, Seward and Homer. More info: call 0845 505 1920 or visit
www.OceaniaCruises.co.uk.
Cruise News Shrek And Co
Take to Seas! SHREK, Donkey, Kung Fu Panda and characters from the fi lm ‘Madagas- car’ are coming to ROYAL CARIBBEAN ships courtesy of a new marketing tie-up with DreamWorks Animation. The alliance will come to life on the new Oasis-class Allure of the Seas in December with 4 signature elements, including an Ice Show based on the recent hit fi lm ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ and an array of characters in the AquaTheater show. Children will get enhanced Adventure Ocean features, with an exciting new line-up of activities, games and adventures rooted in DreamWorks fi lms.
Another new element will be full
3-D fi lm capability in the main theatre to allow guests to experience both new and favourite DreamWorks movies on the big screen. All these features will be added to Oasis, Liberty and Freedom of the Seas once they have debuted on Allure. “Royal Caribbean and Dream-
Works share many of the same philosophies when it comes to high-quality family entertainment, so there is a lot of synergy in this alliance,” said president and CEO Adam Goldstein. “We’re constantly striving to offer dynamic and engag- ing programming and couldn’t think of a better brand than DreamWorks to help take it to the next level.” DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg added: “Royal Caribbean is a leader in the cruise industry who excels at fi nding innovative ways to raise the bar in family entertainment at sea. We look forward to working with them to incorporate DreamWorks charac- ters and story-telling throughout the entire cruise experience.” Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean is to
retro-fi t various Oasis-class features to Freedom-class ships Freedom and Liberty of the Seas. Starting in early 2011, the two slightly older vessels will benefi t from new Broadway-style theatre shows, the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, outdoor video screens, the novel Cupcake Cupboard boutique bakery, and new décor and wine offerings in the Vintages lounges.
Summer 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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