Cruise News Miami Headlines
Cruising’s big annual convention, Cruise Shipping Miami, took place in Florida from March 12-15, with a host of up-to-the-minute stories from all the major lines. Simon & Susan Veness report from the South Beach Convention Center.
More from MSC
MSC CRUISES were possibly the busiest of the major companies as they announced the addition of a fourth new-build to their fleet, hosted a special lunch for journalists, took part in the annual State of the Industry debate and revealed new UK charter flights. Impressive chief executive Pierfrancesco
Vago was one of the six company CEOs involved in the keynote address, which started with an in-depth review of safety and other regulations in the wake of the recent Costa Concordia tragedy. MSC then followed up with their own
NEW REGENT DINING
All three luxury vessels in the REGENT SEVEN SEAS fleet will debut a new restaurant this summer, Sette Mari at La Veranda, a casual dining experience that broadens the all-inclusive line’ s diverse gourmet options. Each evening, La Veranda, a popular breakfast and lunch buffet venue, will transform into Sette Mari offering an extensive menu of authentic antipasti and Italian speciality items paired with distinctive Italian wines.
Using fresh, gourmet ingredients, each
hand-crafted dish is prepared al momento (cooked to order), with al fresco dining available so guests can dine under the stars. Regent president Mark Conroy explained: “Sette Mari will not require reservations based on guest feedback and offers the perfect complement to the other dining venues. After a full day ashore, guests can select appetisers and the house-made pasta on their own and be finished in as little as 45 minutes or enjoy a leisurely evening ordering specialties from the menu.” More info: 02380 682280 or
www.rssc.com
16 WORLD OF CRUISING I Spring 2012
lunch reception at the smart Casa Tua restaurant to provide more in-depth discussion of new acquisition MSC Preziosa, the fourth of their 140,000-ton Fantasy-class vessels, with No 3, MSC Divina launching in May. The ship, from the same STX yard in
France, was originally ordered by a Libyan consortium but foundered with the chaos in that country last year and has been taken over by MSC as it will actually be a twin sister to Divina. Vago explained: “The new ship represents an investment of €550million and will be delivered at the end of March 2013. Negotiations with STX France have lasted over nine months, a significant but
understandable period of time considering the importance of the investment and the unexpected nature of the takeover. “When Preziosa is delivered, we will
have four ships of every class, giving us a total capacity of over 40,000 berths and the strength to sail in all seas. Preziosa herself will sail the Mediterranean, exploring the beauty of the Greek Islands, which repre- sents the highlight of European cruising.” MSC has also launched new regional flights from Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast from March-November to join MSC Splendida, Fantasia and Musica. The flights, serviced by easyJet and Jet2, will join departures from Barcelona and Venice and be priced at £230 per person return, including port transfers. Meanwhile, MSC is introducing the
French Antilles to its winter season in the Caribbean, complemented by a new array of shore excursions with MSC Lirica. The inaugural voyage begins on November 30 from Genoa on a 16-day cruise to Martinique, followed by a series of 7-day sailings every Saturday from Martinique and every Sunday from Guadeloupe. More info: call 0844 561 1955 or
www.msccruises.co.uk.
A RIGHT ROYAL PRINCESS
PRINCESS CRUISES revealed more details about dining aboard the Royal Princess, their new ship for June 2013, which will include special venues and experiences, plus fresh twists on some Princess favourites. Among the new options are a special
Chef’s Table Lumiere surrounded by a curtain of light to take the Chef’s Table experience to a new level, as well as wine cellar-inspired private dining spaces in the main dining rooms. The 3,600-passenger ship will offer a larger Horizon Court buffet with a new
layout, action stations, intriguing bistro options (like a crab shack and fondue restaurant) and even a dedicated pastry shop, an industry first. For a full evening experience, several
restaurants and bars have been located together, including the Crown Grill which has been combined with the Wheelhouse Bar, and Sabatini’s Italian restaurant, now adjacent to Vines wine bar. The line also released a preview video at
www.princess.com/royalprincess/ dining.
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