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Latest Press Release from Celebrity
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Miami - Consistently striving to provide its guests with unmatchable vacation experiences, Celebrity Cruises is now offering guests an inside look into the fascinating world of cruise ship operations. A new addition to the unique and robust Celebrity Life onboard activities program, "Celebrity Inside Access" takes guests on a once-in-a-lifetime journey behind the scenes of Celebrity's renowned fleet, inviting them to discover the intricate details and functions behind modern luxury at sea. Celebrity's Inside Access program invites guests to join two intimate and exclusive activities, the "See How It's Done Tour" and the "Bridge Sail Away Experience."
Designed to provide a thorough and rich three-hour experience, the See How It's Done Tour guides an intimate group of guests through several otherwise non-public areas of the ship, including the bridge, mooring deck, crew gym, theater, engine control room, prep rooms and the main dining room galley. At each area of the tour, guests have the opportunity to interact with expert members of the Celebrity crew. Each tour is followed by a savory wine-paired lunch hosted by an officer in the main dining room.
The Bridge Sail Away Experience presents the opportunity for vacationers to join the navigational team on the bridge as the ship sails away from port. Beginning 30 minutes before and concluding 30 minutes after departing, guests are given a tour and an overview of the bridge conducted by a senior Celebrity bridge officer. Guests also have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the ship's captain.
"Celebrity has dedicated itself to providing guests with the finest in culinary experiences, award-winning service and engaging onboard activities," said Simon Weir, Director of Hotel Operations, Celebrity Cruises. "Now, with the addition of Celebrity Inside Access, vacationers can also satisfy their curiosity and gain rare, behind-the-scenes insight into a Celebrity ship's inner workings."
The Celebrity Inside Access program is offered on all ships and available for purchase onboard.
About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time. In addition to offering vacations visiting all continents, Celebrity also presents immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America. One of the fastest-growing major cruise lines, Celebrity is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL). Celebrity's fleet currently consists of 10 ships, with an additional Solstice Class ship, Celebrity Reflection, scheduled to join the fleet in Fall 2012. For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111 or call your travel agent. |
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E NEWS SUPPLEMENT...by Bill Miller
March 19, 2012
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Greetings!
I have just returned from an amazing voyage aboard the Regent Navigator. While I will share my full impressions at a later time, I will say that if you are looking for a really great cruise, Regent certainly will not disappoint. While their prices are slightly higher than the average mass-market category, their "all inclusive" features, plus the higher level of service make this line not only a great choice, but also a great value!
As I mentions previously, based on suggestions from members we have just added another "Hosted Cruise". This 7-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise will be aboard the new Celebrity Reflection departing on January 26, 2013.
One of our hosts for this cruise with be my friend, Ocean & Cruise News writer, and former cruise line senior executive, Art Sbarsky. In addition to our special and exclusive group amenities this cruise will feature something very near and dear to our hearts.....a fundraiser for The American Cancer Society.
For complete details, please call our WOCLS coordinator Beth Schmidt at (800) 828 4813 ext 1009.
For those of you who have forwarded other suggestions for WOCLS cruises, many thanks! We are currently working on them. For those who haven't time in not too late. Please let me hear where you would like to go and from where. We will try to put cruises together that will allow our member to meet each other. Please send me an email to membership@wocls.org.
If you have requested, and are waiting for, your 2012 Holland America Coupon please check your envelope containing your next Ocean & Cruise News.
Sincerely!
Tom Cassidy
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Airlines - Those friendly skies!
Airline travel is expected to double in the next 20 years - jumping from 731 million passengers in 2011 to 1.2 billion in 2032. And the added good news: passenger airfares will rise relatively slowly over that same period. |
Profit & loss!
Miami-based Carnival, parent of Italy's Costa Cruises, warned earlier this month that the sinking of the Costa Concordia last January could wipe out its overall profits this year. Carnival hints that the tragedy could reduce profits by as much as 82% this year. At least 30 people are believed to have died in the disaster. The $450 million ship is all but a total loss and costs of the disaster might well exceed $100 million. In the quarter to 29 February, it lost $139 million compared to a $152 million profit in the same period last year. Carnival's problems were exacerbated when another Costa ship, the older, smaller Costa Allegra, lost power & passenger amenities and then had to be towed to port last month. Costa Cruises is a subsidiary of Carnival and runs 14 of the company's total fleet of 101 ships. Other brands include the likes of Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Seabourn. The company said that bookings improved as media coverage of the disaster declined. It did comment, however, that booking volumes for the Costa line are running "significantly behind" the same period last year. Rebirth! The 1996-built Carnival Destiny will become the Carnival Sunshine when she emerges from the $155 million rebuild next year. There will be new entertainment venues, in addition to 182 new staterooms. The renewal of the ship and the addition of new features and services will bring the 101,000-ton ship in closer in line with the newer Carnival Breeze. Company officials described the rebuild as actually consisting of 20 to 30 different projects. The expansion will mainly come from the addition of a deck forward, Deck 13, and extending the two decks below. Some space will also be taken from the existing three-level theater, which will "lose" its top level. Other entertainment venues will be added, however. The extra deck will house a new and larger Cloud 9 spa, gym area and 96 new spa staterooms. On top of which will be an expanded three-deck high adults-only Serenity area. As for the ship's infrastructure, Carnival noted that the subsequent ships in the class, including the Carnival Victory and Carnival Triumph, were built with the additional deck. He added that escape routes were configured for the larger passenger number. For the Sunshine, elevators will also be extended both fore and aft. New staterooms are also being added aft on decks 5 and 3. The Lido area is being expanded aft and will house two alternative dining venues - the Italian Cucina del Capitano and a new full-service Asian restaurant, serving free lunch and charging nominal fees for dinner. At the very aft will be Havana Bar, a tropical-inspired night spot offering entertainment and ocean views through floor to ceiling windows. The design of the refitted Sunshine will be "light, airy, very Caribbean and tropical." Carnival called it "comfortable contemporary." |
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End of the line! 
The Costa Allegra, which broke down last month during a cruise in the Indian Ocean, will not return to Costa Cruises service. Actually earmarked for withdrawal prior to the break down, the 43-year-old converted former Swedish containership is now slated either for sale or scrapping. Meanwhile, the $650 million Costa Concordia will not be repaired, but take 10-12 months to salvage and most likely will be at least partially scrapped. The 114,000-ton ship will not return to Costa or to parent Carnival and instead "handed over" to the ship's underwriters, most likely to be demolished eventually.
Filling in!
The 872-passenger Costa Voyager - the onetime Olympic Voyager of now departed Royal Olympic Cruises - will take over future schedules for the Costa Allegra.
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 Jamaica - Special visitor!
Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II & son of Prince Charles & the late Princess Diana, recently did a Jubilee tour of the Caribbean. It is the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, celebrating her 60 years as monarch, and family members are substituting on overseas visits for the 86-yr old Queen. During his tour, Prince Harry visited Falmouth & stops included the port's brand new cruise terminal. |
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Swap! 
The 1,450-passenger Thomson Destiny, owned by Louis Cruises, is ending her charter to Britain's Thomson Cruises and being returned to Louis. The 1992-built ship might be remembered as NCL's Norwegian Majesty in her earlier days. Meanwhile, the Louis Majesty of Louis is being chartered to Thomson as a replacement & hereafter will sail as the Thomson Majesty.
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New York - Sights & sounds! 
I will be a guest speaker aboard the North River - that's the Hudson River - tour of the Working Harbor Organization on August 7th, 2012 (www.workingharbor.com). It is an evening event - the sun setting, the change in the day's coloring & mood and then the lights of the great Manhattan skyline. |
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Ocean Liner Collectibles - Cruising to the Holy Land!
The glossy, oversized brochure for a gala, 42-day Mediterranean cruise from New York in January 1963 aboard the Italian flagship Leonardo da Vinci sold recently for $45. The brochure, which included color photos, rates and full itinerary (ports went as far east as the Holy Land), was issued by the Italian Line's American headquarters in Lower Manhattan.
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Ocean Liner History - New face in town!
Sixty years ago, in 1952, one of the new ships to appear at New York was Holland America Line's 15,000-ton Maasdam. A modern ship that was routed between New York, Cobh, Le Havre, Southampton & Rotterdam, her accommodations were grouped between 39 in top-deck first class and then, occupying 90% of the 503-ft long ship, 842 in economically priced tourist class. A slower ship making 16 knots at top speed, the Maasdam and her twin sister, the Ryndam, took 9 days to reach Rotterdam from Holland America's US terminal at Fifth Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. Fares aboard the Maasdam were fixed at $45 a day in first class & $20 a day in less fancy tourist.
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Adding beds!
The British cruise market is growing. In May 2013, the 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas will join the 3,634-bed Independence of the Seas for mostly 7-14 day cruises from Southampton.
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Luxury at sea! 
The 2013 schedules for the luxurious, 116-berth Sea Dream I & Sea Dream II will include Black Sea ports during Mediterranean cruises
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 New look!
The select, 350-passenger Minerva has just emerged from extended dry docking in Portsmouth in England. The niche cruise ship now has more balcony cabins as well as refitted, upgraded public rooms.
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 Growing interest!
The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic will be the subject of numerous lectures, exhibitions, the reissue of the mega-film Titanic in 3D and no less than 7 Titanic theme cruises. Myself, I am aboard the 718-passenger Azamara Journey, sailing on a 8-night commemorative trip from New York & return (and with only one stop - at Halifax) on Apr 10th-18th. The 30,277-ton ship is specially chartered to Britain's Miles Morgan Travel & rates are currently discounted by as much as 50%(www.milesmorgantravel.com).
After being involved in the casting for the very recent HBO special Game Chance with Julianne Moore and about Sarah Palin & also acting in a play and of course all in the wake of producing Mr Ocean Liner, my dear friend & favorite producer-director Robert Neal Marshall has created a blog for our upcoming Titanic Commemorative Cruise. He'll be joining me & so together we set sail from New York on Tue Apr 10th, aboard the specially chartered Azamara Journey. Not taking a breath, it seems, Bob has also just penned a play about the infamous Titanic & her tragic sinking and aftermath. Yes, stay tuned ... more about Bob to come. But do take a look at the fine blog Bob has created: Here is the link: http://whitestarliner.blogspot.com/
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Ocean & Cruise News
Current & Past Issues Members can download a PDF of current and past issues using the following links
Past Issues of this "new" Email Supplement beginning with the Feb. 21, 2011 issue can be found by clicking our logo below
The above listed items are copyrighted material and are for the exclusive use of paid members in good standing. Any unauthorized duplication, transmission or distribution of this material without the written permission of The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society is strictly prohibited. |
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WORLD OCEAN & CRUISE LINER SOCIETY'S
HOSTED CRUISES
One of the great things about being a World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society member is joining us aboard one of our "Hosted" member cruises. Each cruise features low group rates, special amenities plus onboard lectures and events
Veendam - Bermuda (7 Night)
Jun 3, 2012 - Call for Currant Rates
Queen Mary 2 - Independence Day Cruise
July 1, 2012 - Call for Currant Rates
Queen Mary 2 - Canada / New England (11 Nights)
Sep 21, 2012 - Call for Currant Rates
*Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Government fees are additional.
For Reservations and Information Call WOCLS Group Coordinator Beth Schmitt at (800) 828 4813 Ext 1009
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About Bill Miller 
Bill Miller is an international authority on the subject of ocean liners & cruise ships --- from those "floating palaces" of yesteryear to the current generation of cruise ships, the "floating resorts". Called "Mr. Ocean Liner," he has written some 80 books on the subject: from early steamers, immigrant ships and liners at war to other titles on their fabulous interiors, in post card form and about the highly collectible artifacts from them. He has done specific histories of such celebrated passenger ships as the United States, Queen Mary, Rotterdam, France, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Crystal Serenity.
In all, he has also written over 1,000 articles for newspapers, magazines and nautical journals & newsletters. He even had his very own ocean liner quarterly, the Millergram. He has made nearly 450 voyages to date: Atlantic crossings, tropical cruises, coastal runs and even trips on container cargo ships and exotic banana boats. He has appeared in some three dozen video & television series, both in the USA, Britain, Europe and Australia, including Castles of the Sea, The Floating Palaces, The Super Liners, Inside the World of a Cruise Ship, Disasters at Sea, Deco: Age of Glamour, and Lady in Waiting: The Story of the SS United States. He has also appeared on The Today Show, CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, NBC Evening News and many other news broadcasts. He has been guest lecturer aboard over 50 different liners, sailing with the likes of Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Radisson-Seven Seas, Saga Cruises and others. Miller was a public school teacher, in middle school and for social studies, for 32 years. He was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2002.
A native of Hoboken, New Jersey, the once busy port just across the Hudson River from New York City, Miller was named Outstanding American Maritime Scholar in 1994, received the United States Maritime Preservation Award and also the Ocean Liner Council's Silver Riband Award, both in 2004. Also, he has been chairman of the Port of New York Branch of the World Ship Society, deputy director of the New York Harbor Festival, served on the selection committee for the American Maritime Hall of Fame, created the passenger ship database for the Ellis Island Museum and currently serves as Curator of 20th Century Maritime History at Manhattan's South Street Seaport Museum. He has also organized a 14-week college course on liners, and helped to create & then served as historian at the US Merchant Marine Museum. His private collection includes 4,000 books on ships, over 15,000 photos and some 1,500 miniature ship models, most of them being passenger ships.
By 2011, Miller had 10 new books in the works, was curator to Decodence (an exhibit at the South St Seaport on the design & décor of the grand French liner Normandie) and himself was the subject of a one-hour film documentary aptly titled Mr Ocean Liner. In 2011, he hosted Cinematic Crossings: Ocean Liners on the Big Screen, a 5-day film festival at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. Currently, he spends some 200 days a year lecturing onboard ocean liners & cruise ships.
Follow Bill's look back at ship's of yesteryear..
Heard Along the Boat Deck
And his current and past cruise experiences...
Scribblings |
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William Miller Books!
Busy scribbling! Our good friends Anthony Cooke & John Maxtone-Graham have new titles out on the shelves. London-based Anthony has just released Favourite British Liners with 216 pages & 216 photos (96 of them in color). Check through Mainmast Books in the UK. Meanwhile, Manhattan-homeported John has just finished a new title on the immortal Titanic. It was published by W W Norton & Company.
In the works! The presses are rolling over in England, at the History Press. I've penned a short, 10,000-word overview of passenger ships entitled The Great Liners. It should be out soon. It will be followed, at the same publishing house, by Great Passenger Ships 1910-20 and then Great American Passenger Ships. Happily, my finger keeps on typing ... and happily, there are still photos and anecdotes and maybe something new to be shared.
Another new book project! Happily, I have been signed to do another edition of the Classic Liners series for the History Press over in the UK. In the wake of our book on the Caronia, Cunard's "Green Goddess," this project will deal with two of the most popular, most beloved post-Second World War French liners, the Ile de France & Liberte. The Ile was built for the French but back in 1927; the larger Liberte came to them as post-war reparations, having been the German Europa of 1930. The Ile sailed the Atlantic between 1949 and 1958; the Liberte ran between 1950 and 1961. They transported thousands on the regular run between New York, Southampton or Plymouth and Le Havre, and even had occasional cruises. They were of course predecessors to the much larger, faster France, commissioned in 1962. If any of our readers has anecdotes, reflections, comments and shared materials on these great liners, please contact me through Ocean & Cruise News.
On the horizon! Brian Hawley is penning a new book, filled with lots of photos, about the Olympic, the White Star liner completed in 1911 and sister to the infamous Titanic
Ocean liners in words & pictures! An updated list of my published ocean liner books ... and available thru bmce48@yahoo.com.
Great Passenger Ships 1910-1920
It was an age of evolution, when size and speed were almost the ultimate considerations. 'Bigger was said to be better' and ship owners were not exempted from the prevailing mood. While the German four-stackers of 1897-06 and then Cunard's brilliant Mauretania & Lusitania of 1907 led the way to larger and grander liners. White Star Line countered by 1911 with the Olympic, her sister Titanic and a near-sister, the Britannic. The French added the France while Cunard took delivery of the beloved Aquitania. But the Germans won out -- they produced the 52,000-ton Imperator and a near-sister, the Vaterland, the last word in shipbuilding and engineering prior to the First World War. They and their sister, the Bismarck, remained the biggest ships in the world until 1935.
But other passenger ships appear in this decade --- other Atlantic liners, but also ships serving on more diverse routes: Union Castle to Africa, P&O to India and beyond, the Empress liners on the trans-Pacific run. We look at a grand age of maritime creation, ocean-going superlative, but also sad destruction in the dark days of the First War. It was, in all ways, a fascinating period.
Last Atlantic Liners: Getting There is Half the Fun (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2011
RMS Caronia: Cunard's Green Goddess
(co-authored with Brian Hawley) The History Press Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2011
Floating Palaces: The Great Atlantic Liners(Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2011
Great British Passenger Ships (The History Press Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2010)
SS Nieuw Amsterdam: The Darling of the Dutch (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2010)
Cunard's Three Queens: A Celebration (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2009)
Under the Red Ensign: British Passenger Liners of the '50s & '60s (The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2009)
SS United States: Speed Queen of the Seas (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, 2009)
And yet to come.....
Great Passenger Ships 1910-20 (The History Press Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, due Sep 2011)
I Was Born in Hoboken: Memories of the 1950s & '60s (Hoboken Historical Museum, Hoboken, NJ, due fall 2011)
Along the Hudson: Great Passenger Ships at New York in Photos (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, due 2012)
The Last Great Dynasty: The Royal House of Windsor (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, due 2012)
Great Atlantic Liners of the 20th Century in Color (co-authored with Anton Logvinenko; Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, due 2012)
Great American Passenger Ships (The History Press Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, due 2012)
The Cunard Yanks (co-authored with Ian Wright; pending but due 2012)
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 WOCLS E News & Renewals
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