Cruise News MISSISSIPPI MARVELS
Fresh from the amazing demand for their first all-new river-cruise ship, Queen of the Mississippi, which debuts on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers this August, AMERICAN CRUISE LINES have announced they will be adding another new vessel next year. We met with ACL CEO Charles Robertson, who revealed the line has been inundated with requests for the 150-passenger Queen and so has gone ahead with an order for a similar, slightly larger, vessel. He said: “We recognise a considerable strength in river cruising and have observed increased interest in our US river cruises over the last several years. We look forward to introducing yet another new authentic paddlewheel riverboat to meet this demand.” And, while the motif will again by the luxurious, period style
of the Queen, the third new riverboat will feature private balconies and a centre atrium with a grand staircase, various lounges and other amenities including: • 300-plus sq ft staterooms • Various unique lounges, libraries and cafés
• Fine hotel-style bathrooms • Room Service • Wi-Fi in all staterooms • Satellite TV and DVD player in all staterooms
• Single, open seating dining • Complimentary cocktail hour More info: www.
americancruiselines.com. A TOTAL BREAKAWAY
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE also made an impressive splash with the latest details of their new ship Norwegian Breakaway, the first of their new two-ship series out in spring 2013. Based on the highly successful entertainment-and-dining package of 2010’s Norwegian Epic, but slightly smaller at 140,000 tons, Breakaway will feature two dramatic new design innovations to enhance the main interior decks 6, 7 and 8. The Waterfront will provide a spectacular inside-outside aspect to Deck 8, giving the ship a proper exterior promenade and providing that connection to the sea many modern vessels omit. Five restaurants – Cagney’s Steakhouse, Moderno Churrascaria, La Cucina, the new Ocean Blu seafood diner and the Wasabi Sushi Bar – will all have dual aspects, while Shaker’s Cocktail Bar and Maltings Beer & Whisky Bar will also have both inside and al fresco options. This will also be just one part of the 678 Ocean Place development, which ties the three decks together in an inter-connected space occupied by the ship’s main restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment options, all centred on an eye-catching three-storey atrium. Main dining room Taste will be split into two contrasting sections, Taste and Savor, with a new bar in between, while O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill will be moved to a new position. Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan led the presentation in dynamic style and promised more exciting details to come as the line announces its entertainment line-up in the next few months. Unusually, Breakaway will also be sailing year-round from New York, to Bermuda in the summer and Florida and the Caribbean in winter. More info:
www.breakaway.ncl.com.
KUDOS FOR OUR WRITERS!
To prove World of Cruising really does bring you the best stories from the best writers, regular contributors GARY BUCHANAN, JO FOLEY and MICHAEL DEFREITAS have all been
commended for their work in the past year. Buchanan, one of the best-known cruise writers in the
UK and a celebrated author and former Chairman of the British Guild of Travel Writers, was Highly Commended in the River Cruise section of the inaugural Passenger Shipping Association Cruise Journalism Awards for his piece ‘Barging in Burgundy’ in last year’s Autumn edition. Gary also has three pieces in this issue, with a wonderful essay on Transatlantic cruising (P19), a journey aboard the Orion II in the Far East (P71) and a look at the destination of Santa Monica (P69). World of Spas editor Foley was also Highly Commended in the PSA awards for Best Spa Feature for an article in the Daily Mail. You can read her latest thoughts and a feature on Big City Spas on pages 45-48. Another magazine regular, adventure-cruise photo- journalist Steve Newman, was short-listed for Best Cruise Photography and Reportage. DeFreitas, from British Columbia, Canada, has been a
regular contributor for the past four years and specialises in off-the-beaten-track destinations, hence he has reported on the likes of the Amazon, Tierra del Fuego and the Galapagos for us. Last year, he featured a boutique, small-ship voyage with American Safari Cruises to Alaska and his piece ‘Alaska’s Un-Cruise Experience’ earned him a bronze award in the North American Travel Journalists Association awards. He also picked up another gold award for a Jungle Fever feature and a silver for a photographic study of Hawaii. You can see more of his work at
www.iwritetravel.com.
Spring 2012 I WORLD OF CRUISING
17
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