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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 26, 2012
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Greetings!
Another issue of our Enews. I hope you enjoy!!
Sincerely!
Tom Cassidy
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Royal troubles! 
The giant, 2,600-berth Queen Mary 2 has had her troubles lately - she lost power twice this month while on her world cruise out in the Pacific. Earlier, in February, while "steaming" across the Indian Ocean, she had an outage as well. Previously, the 1132-ft Cunard flagship, but now registered in Bermuda, had a small, but disruptive fire last October and before that an explosion in a switchboard in Sep 2010. Fresh out of a major refit at Hamburg last fall, the 2003-built QM2 is said to be heading to her birthplace, at St Nazaire in France, for a far greater refit in 2013-14.
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 Greece - Down slightly!
In 2011, 936 cruise ship visits brought 2 ˝ million passengers into the port of Piraeus and entry to Athens. This year, with only 800 calls, that number is expected to fall under the 2 million mark. |
 Old friends!
Rudi Sodamin & I did a lecture slot together at New York's Culinary Institute back in 1997. Being a world-class chef & author, Rudi spoke of cooking; I did the history of the great & grand floating palaces of the past between, well, his delicious courses. Rudi has had continued & well deserved success - he has just been named best signature chef of any cruise line. He has been affiliated with Seattle-based Holland America in recent years. Aboard last summer's trans-Atlantic crossings on the flagship Rotterdam, there was very little that wasn't delicious!
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International Shipping - Diverse & different jobs!
The little, 226-berth coastal cruise ships Cape May Light & Cape Cod Light never quite made it into regular service when they were constructed back in 2001 - the Cape May Light was never even completed while the Cape Cod Light made only 3 cruises for American Classic Voyages before that company went bust and they were laid-up in Florida backwaters. Well, the story of each 4,950-grt ship has evolved. In 2008, both ships were to become floating retirement centers (in Florida), renamed Valencia & Algeria respectively. But that idea never came to pass. Instead, by 2009, and in the hands of International Shipping, a multi-national firm but based in Miami, the Cape May Light became the Sea Voyager and last year served as housing for construction workers in Canada's Deception Bay. Last fall, however, she moved to Maryland, becoming a dorm for almost 250 students at St Mary's College. Meanwhile, the ex-Cape Cod Light is now the Sea Discoverer and is doing duty as accommodation for crews constructing wind turbines in the Irish Sea.
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Italy - End of the line! 
The Sea Venture was an innovative cruise ship built in 1971 for otherwise shortlived Flagship Cruises. The 20,000-ton ship went on, however, to Princess Cruises & to far greater fame and success as the Pacific Princess. She was the star of TV's Love Boat, the hugely successful weekly series that ran for ten years, from 1976 until 1986. Her popularity continued later because of her cozy, smallish tone. She was outsized, however, by 2002 and sold to Spain's Pullmantur, Royal Caribbean's Spanish cruise division. She sailed as the Pacific, doing Mediterranean cruises in summer and then winter service in Brazil under charter to CVC Cruises (and later as the temporarily renamed New Pacific). She was later sold to another Spanish line, Quail Cruises, but fell into poor, neglected condition. Sent to Genoa for repairs in 2008, the 550-ft long ship was soon seized by creditors & subsequently has sat idle for four years. Earlier this month, the 41-year-old ship was sold to Turkish scrap merchants for $3 ˝ million. She'll be dismantled at the small port of Aliaga.
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Merchant Shipping - Tough times!
The international cargo trade has hit rough, some say very rough, seas while the tanker business is also in trouble with too many ships against a weakening demand. Chile's container cargo line CSAV, for example and which long, long ago ran passenger ships between Valparaiso, New York & the Panama Canal, is up for sale. Israel's Zim Lines is also in trouble. They also ran passenger liners back in the 1950s & '60s. In the oil tanker business, onetime giant Global Maritime has filed for bankruptcy & then the long-established Torm Lines, which is Danish based, is also said to be headed for troubles.
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 Big change for ambitious plans!Under the Gaddafi regime in Libya, the state shipping line GNMTC planned to commission not one but two giant, 140,000-ton cruise ships. The first was already well under construction, at the STX yard in St Nazaire, France, when the revolution began and the Gaddafi era finally ended. That ship, with over 4,000 berths, has been sold for an estimated $750 million to Italy's MSC Cruises. She'll be commissioned next spring as the MSC Preziosa. The fate of the 2nd, giant new build is undetermined.
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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. |
New & improved...and bigger!
The Company's newest ship, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, to be introduced in April 2013, will feature the fleet's largest facilities for children and teens. The announcement came at a press conference Thursday, where the line also revealed the names for its updated youth programs, which debuted on Norwegian Gem in February.
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Ocean Liner Collectibles - Legendary liner!
A large poster of Cunard Line's immortal Lusitania, a glorious four-stacker, a 32,000-ton super liner of her time and then which was hideously torpedoed off the Irish Coast in World War I, in May 1915, with the loss of nearly 1,200 lives, sold recently for nearly $6,000.
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Ocean Liner History - Bound for France!
In July 1936, 6,000 pilgrims sailed from Canada to France for a Canadian war memorial for service in the First World War. There were war veterans as well as women on their way to the grave of a father, husband, son or brother. Five liners took the pilgrims - the Ascania & Antonia of Cunard and Canadian Pacific's Montrose, Montcalm & Duchess of Bedford. Four of the liners left from Montreal at exactly the same time and were given a rousing, crowd-filled sendoff.
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Greatest congratulations!
The new Marina, commissioned a year ago, was the Grand Winner in the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society's annual poll. She was followed, in the "top ten," by the Seven Seas Navigator, Crystal Serenity, Nieuw Amsterdam, Queen Mary 2, Allure of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, Sevens Seas Mariner, Seabourn Odyssey & Crystal Symphony.
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 Spring cleaningThe Port of Port Everglades is spending $54 million on refurbishment & upgrades for four of its cruise terminals.
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Great success!
Princess Cruises had the biggest booking day in its history for a new ship's inaugural season with the anticipated debut of Royal Princess. Opening the books on its 2013 Mediterranean season on March 15th, sales for the new Royal Princess reached an all-time record for the most bookings of any ship's maiden season voyages.
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Changing cast!
The oldest ship is the vast Royal Caribbean fleet, the 73,941-grt Monarch of the Seas, completed in 1991, is going off into the sunset - well, the Spanish sunset. When first commissioned, she and her two sisters, Sovereign of the Seas & Majesty of the Seas, were among the very largest cruise ships afloat. The Monarch's godmother was, by the way, legendary film star Lauren Bacall. In spring 2013, the 2,390-bed ship is being transferred to RCI's Spanish cruise arm, Pullmantur.
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Running late! 
After a long strike at Fincantieri's Palermo shipyard, the refit onboard the Saga Sapphire, the onetime German Europa of 1981, was greatly delayed. Consequently, her first cruise under Saga and on April 2nd is now a shorter trip from Southampton to the Med.
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Bump!
The sleek Silver Shadow collided on March 10th with a local vessel while cruising in Viet Nam's scenic Ha Long Bay. There was little damage, however.
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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).
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United Caribbean Lines - No news yet!
We haven't any further news from this virginal company, wanting to use ex-Danish ferries on a regular service between Tampa, Havana & Mexico's Yucatan. Of course, they'd need the green light from the US Federal Government.
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Viking Ocean Cruises - Waiting in the wings!
We've heard no further news as well on Viking River Cruises' plan to built two & possibly three 888-passenger, high-end cruise ships at the big STX Shipyard in St Nazaire, France. We hear, through the cruising grapevine, that Viking might be interested in resurrecting a sort of "revived Royal Viking Line," the famed cruise company created in 1970 and then which passed into the sunset (then as an arm of Cunard) in 1998.
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Ocean & Cruise News
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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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