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Jimmy Barnes Rocks Australia Day 2017 On Board Pacific Eden.

Over 5000 cruislings have celebrated Australia Day on three P&O Cruises Australia cruise ships on Sydney Harbour. While guests onboard Pacific Eden enjoyed a surprise concert by Australian rock royalty Jimmy Barnes.

Jimmy – who was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in today’s Australia Day Honours – kicked off his special morning acoustic performance with the popular Flame Trees, performing to hundreds of guests on Pacific Eden’s Oasis pool deck, against the backdrop of Sydney.

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P&O Cruises Australia ships have played an integral part on Australia Day on Sydney harbour for the past five years. This year sees P&O Cruises Australia up the Ante with Australia day celebrations on Pacific Eden, Pacific Pearl and Pacific Dawn all will be berthed in Sydney for the day’s celebrations.

As part of the cruise line’s Great Australian Deck Party, guests are enjoying front row seats to all the Harbour activity as well as a day of Australian movies and food including a BBQ, green and gold pancakes and lamingtons. 

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 P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said Australia Day was a big day on the cruise line’s calendar.

“As Australia’s only homegrown cruise line, as well as the nation’s largest cruise line, Australia Day is a big event for us and we’ve very proud to celebrate it with more than 9000 guests across our five ships today,” Mr Myrmell said.

Popular Australian chef Luke Mangan – who has restaurants across P&O’s fleet – was also onboard Pacific Eden during the day, creating a deconstructed “lamb-ington” treat for guests.

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All three P&O Cruises Australia ships that are on Sydney Harbour departed the same evening, with Pacific Pearl returning on Friday the 27th of January this cruise will be her last return voyage to Sydney before making her way to New Zealand for her final cruises and ending her time in the P&O Cruises Australia fleet.

Pacific Eden will be sailing back into Sydney on Saturday the 28th of January while Pacific Dawn will be cruising back to its homeport of Brisbane. Both the Pacific Aria and Pacific Jewel are both spending the day at sea.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

Australian Cruising News.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 Berthing Arrangements At Overseas Passenger Terminal Come To A Head!

In another embarrassment for Sydney ports Royal Caribbean International has had to decide which one of its ships will berth at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay.

This has happened because Radiance Of The Seas And Ovation Of The Seas are scheduled to berth at the same time, both ships are scheduled in Sydney on the 28th of January 2017 and the 09th of February 2017.

As we all know this cannot happen and is showing the lack of berthing facilities east of the harbour bridge.

In an embarrassing situation that Royal Caribbean International has been put into, the smaller of the two ships [Radiance of The Seas] has been forced to sit at anchor at Athol Buoy.

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Passengers embarking Radiance Of The Seas on the 20 January 2017 please see the following information :

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/contentWithGallery.do?pagename=itinerary_update_2017

The check-in and embarkation for Radiance of the Seas, departing 20th of January 2017 will take place as normal at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia.

For those who will be disembarking and embarking Radiance Of The Seas on the 28th of January 2017 please see the following information :

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/contentWithGallery.do?pagename=itinerary_update 

For the 09th of February 2017 please see the following information :

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/contentWithGallery.do?pagename=itinerary  you will be ferried to a dedicated Royal Caribbean International marquee that will be set up next to the White Bay cruise ship terminal.

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The dates that are affected by these changes are as follows: 20th, 28th January 2017 and the 09th February 2017.

For further information please contact www.royalcaribbeaninternational.com.au on: 1800 754 500.

While it’s not possible to see two big ships berthed at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at the same time, the situation at hand certainly presents some big issues that Sydney ports need to address!

Sydney ports you need to take some action now !

Information supplied by: Australian Cruising News.com.au

Photo credit : Brian Gaskin Of www.australiancruisingnews.com.au

Extraordinary Painting Of Ovation Of The Seas Handed To Captain Henrik Loy In 'Giving Back' Ceremony !

While On Board Ovation Of The Seas on Tuesday the 09th of January 2017, www.australiancruisingnews.com.au  was invited to a ‘giving back’ceremony.

Stan Stefaniak who is a marine artist presented Ovation Of The Seas Captain Henrik Loy with an original painting of the ship.

The tradition for Royal Caribbean International and Stan first started back to 2011.

2011 was the first time that Radiance of the Seas have ever visited Sydney and yesterday marked the fifth occasion where such a commission of such a painting Stefaniak had received.

Born in Sydney, Stan’s passion for painting maritime scenes stems from virtually a lifelong interest in shipping. The 1960’s and early 1970’s were years of fondly remembered countless ship visits after school in the port of Sydney, full of shipping activities with vessels belonging to numerous companies and countries of registry.

From a very early age Stan developed a love of drawing and painting, but it was his love of ships that inspired him to paint maritime subjects. Stan’s enrolment in art classes at the Ross Davis painting studio in Sydney for a few years had developed his understanding of the use of colour which he expressively uses in his paintings.

Pictured : Stan Stefaniak, Marine Artist

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Several of Stan’s paintings have been used to illustrate covers for books about Australian and New Zealand shipping written by the well-known maritime historian Peter Plowman. His paintings are included in private collections in Australia and the United Kingdom, Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line, as well as on display in the Member’s Lounge at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Prints of his paintings have been sold through the shop at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney and at the Maritime Centre, Newcastle. Feature articles about his paintings have been published in the Australian ‘Go Boating’ magazine and several issues of World Wide Cruising magazine.

Adam Armstrong managing director for Royal Caribbean International for Australia and New Zealand said yesterday that a lot of VIP'S, Media, and Travel Agents had been thrown at Ovation Of The Seas for her inaugral season in Australia.

Adam said that extraordinary gift that Stan has spent putting many man hours into, infact over two weeks painting honours the captain and crew aboard each of ships that have visited Australia, it's sign of gratitude from the local Royal Caribbean team for all the hard work that the captain and his crew have done.

Pictured are : Stan Stefaniak, Marine Artist and Captain Henrik Loy, Ovation of the Seas.

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A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International has informed www.australiancruisingnews.com.au  that bookings for Ovation Of The Seas local sailings have been sailing at full capacity. A number of her up and coming sailings are completly sold out including both of Ovation Of The Seas five and eight night sailings to Tasmania.

Ovation Of The Seas carries over 4,900 guests on each departure from Sydney, Australia  with 85- 90% coming from the ever so popular Australian cruising market which is set to grow even further in the coming years.

Information supplied by: Australian Cruising News.com.au

Photos Credit : Brian Gaskin Of www.australiancruisingnews.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

 

 Interactive Guest Experience Platform Ocean Medallion To Be Implemented In Late 2017.

The world's largest leisure travel company with 10 global cruise line brands, today announced it has developed the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service for millions of guests.

The Carnival Corporation today unveiled the Ocean Medallion™, a first-of-its-kind wearable device that enables a personal concierge by bridging the physical and digital worlds to deliver a new level of personalized service not previously considered possible -- including sophisticated wayfinding, food and beverage on demand, an array of interactive gaming, personalized entertainment experiences and more.  The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc can be accessorized with jewelry, clips, key chains and bands or simply carried in a pocket or pocketbook. 

Powered by proprietary technology developed by Carnival Corporation that features an Internet of Things (IoT) network of intelligent sensors and experiential computing devices, the Ocean Medallion revolutionizes guest service not only for the cruise industry, but the broader vacation industry. It will be officially introduced by CEO Arnold Donald on January 5 when he becomes the first travel industry executive to deliver the opening keynote address at CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show.

The Ocean Medallion goes well beyond the growing number of wearables used by theme parks and other vacation companies by leaving behind the required action of "tap" and ushering in a new paradigm for guest interactions.

Some of its benefits will:                                

  • streamline and expedite the port embarkation and disembarkation process
  • allow guests to access their staterooms as they approach the door (no keycard required)
  • locate friends and family around the cruise ship
  • enable guests to purchase merchandise without any transaction, cards or paper
  • deliver enhanced dining experiences based on food and beverage preferences
  • power an array of interactive gaming and immersive entertainment experiences
  • significantly enhance interactions with crew members and guests.              

"With this interactive technology platform, we are poised to have our global cruise line brands at the vanguard of forever changing the guest experience paradigm – not just in the cruise industry but in the larger vacation market and potentially other industries," said Carnival Corporation's Donald. "Our focus is on exceeding guest expectations every single day and consistently delivering great experiences, and we do that extremely well. Now we are in prime position to take the guest experience to a level never before considered possible and build on cruising's popularity and value as the fastest growing segment of the vacation sector."  

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The Ocean Medallion is the only accessory needed to elevate the guest experience before, during and after each cruise in what the company is calling Ocean Medallion Class™.

The Ocean Medallion pairs with an optional personalized digital concierge called the Ocean Compass™, a digital experience portal available online, on smart devices, on kiosks in home ports, on stateroom TVs, on interactive surfaces located throughout the cruise ship and on devices carried by all guest service hosts.    

Both innovations combine with an invisible network of proprietary sensors and computing devices embedded throughout the ship, home ports and destinations that collectively form the "Experience Innovation Operating System" – xiOS™. 

The proprietary xiOS uses a guest-centric, Internet of Things approach to enable guests to maximize their experiences in real-time based on their choices and preferences – delivering enhanced personalization across every aspect of their cruise vacation. The xiOS seamlessly leverages hardware and software to enable all experiences including access, lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, retail, navigation, payment and media.

The new guest experience platform will debut on Princess Cruises' Regal Princess in November 2017, followed by Royal Princess and Caribbean Princess in 2018. The new Medallion Class on Princess Cruises will be rolled out over multiple years on the entire Princess Cruises fleet.

The guest experience platform is a key element of O·C·E·A·N™ or One Cruise Experience Access Network™, a bold new effort by Carnival Corporation focused on expanding the cruise vacation market through guest experience innovation, the development of original experiential media content that includes new TV programs airing on national TV, and expanding its portfolio of exclusive and unique destinations.

Ocean Medallion Class leverages multiple technologies that work together to transform guest experience

Key elements include:

"Ocean Medallion" – a revolutionary, "wearable" device that enables a highly personalized vacation experience The Ocean Medallion is a quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc that facilitates the enhanced guest experience. It has no discernible technology – no on-off switch, no charging, no menu to navigate – and can be worn as a pendant on a wristband in a clip or simply placed in a pocket to reveal enhanced services and personalized experiences without guests having to push a button or take any action. The device, laser-etched with the guest's name, ship and date of sailing, is provided to all passengers at no cost. Inside each guest's Ocean Medallion are multiple communication technologies including – Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).                                                                                                                  

"Ocean Compass" – a digital concierge that creates the ultimate vacation experience Ocean Medallion works in conjunction with Ocean Compass, a digital experience portal that serves as a vacation concierge before, during and after vacation. The Ocean Compass requires no education or instruction thanks to its intuitive, innovative interface.  Ocean Compass is available online, on smart devices, on kiosks in port terminals, on stateroom TVs, on interactive surfaces located throughout the cruise ship and on devices carried by crew members. Guests can use Ocean Compass to enhance their vacations, select experiences and create personalized event-based itineraries. No guest is required to have a personal device to access Ocean Compass. The Ocean Compass also serves as a digital media platform that features custom experiential media content as well as access to vacation photos captured during a cruise.                                                                                                                                                     

xiOS - Experience Innovation Operating System – "IOT" intelligent sensor network – powers experience personalization from behind the scenes The xiOS is an invisible network of interactive intelligent sensors and embedded devices mounted throughout the ship, home ports and destinations that uses a guest-centric, Internet of Things approach to enable a seamless guest experience. The xiOS unifies hardware and software to create an "Experience Platform." The platform is deployable on any ship regardless of ship age or size.

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Technology-enabled innovations create a new level of personalized guest service interactions. "The Ocean Medallion creates an elevated level of service that's made possible by technology but doesn't feel like technology," said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. "Whether guests are exploring new experience options, having a drink delivered to their seat at the night's show or trying their luck gaming while lounging poolside, we will assist our guests wherever they are, while engaging with them in a uniquely personal way. Our mission is to help our guests make the most of every moment of their vacation."

Throughout each guest's vacation, the Ocean Medallion will enable ease and simplicity, while also creating special moments to delight guests in unexpected ways, creating an entirely new level of service that will elevate the vacation experience. Examples of never- before-possible service innovations include:

  • Ocean Ready: Streamlined and expedited port embarkation and disembarkation processes. For instance, at the terminal, Ocean Medallion-carrying guests can board the ship, engage with crew members and begin their vacation at their leisure as they already have the "key" to their stateroom (no check-in required).
  • Easy Access to Everything: Allows guests to browse and purchase products (utilizing Medallion Pay™) such as retail merchandise, photos, spa services and destination excursions both intuitively and conveniently from any Ocean Compass (mobile device, browser, stateroom, public) at anytime (before, during or after cruise).
  • Seamless Navigation: Enables point-to-point wayfinding across the ship thanks to an intelligent navigation assistant – similar to a car or phone GPS app.
  • Personalized Dining: Facilitates ordering, menu exploration and delivery of food and beverage services. Guests can even place orders and view the whereabouts of their food and beverage, as well as place future orders and have them delivered wherever they plan to be at a designated time.
  • Anytime-Anywhere Entertainment and Gaming: Expands gaming options to include new digital games guests can play independently or with others, for fun or based on casino rules of the house, inside or outside of the casino including poolside, in staterooms or in any other ship location.
  • Enhanced Crew Interactions: Takes personalized service to a new level because crew members are equipped with a Crew Compass that empowers personalized guest interactions. For example, when guests arrive at the airport, guest service hosts will be able to provide personalized greetings and guest services. 
  • Easy Payment: Enables guests to conveniently and securely make payment for experiences using their Ocean Medallion. Guests can associate any number of credit cards, reward cards, gift cards and advanced payment services with Medallion Pay.

Carnival Corporation will demonstrate its Experience Innovation Operating System at the company's invitation-only Experience Center at CES Tech East, LVCC, South Hall 3, including in-depth and interactive displays of the new technology.

For information, visit Ocean.com. To book an Ocean Medallion Class cruise, visit Princess.com/ocean.

Information supplied by: Carnival Corperation.

Australian Cruising Newscom.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

SuperCruising Arrives In Just One Day, Ovation Of The Seas Arrives Into Sydney !

 

Royal Caribbean And The Today Show Introduce SuperCruising To The Nation.

When Ovation of the Seas makes her hometown debut in Sydney, TV viewers around the country and those streaming online will be able to take a very special look inside the brand new world of supercruising when Channel Nine’s TODAY show broadcasts live from Australia’s biggest, newest and most technologically advanced ship on Friday 16 December.

Which of the TODAY show’s intrepid presenters will try the iFly skydiving at sea?  Who will tackle the surf on the FlowRider?  Is someone brave enough to try the trapeze or scale the rock climbing wall?  And will Lisa, Peter and Richard go head to head on the bumper cars?

TODAY Executive Producer, Mark Calvert, said; “We’re really excited to be broadcasting the show from such a fantastic venue. The team can’t wait to be let loose onboard to try all the amazing activities and introduce our viewers to a whole new way of cruising and holidaying.”

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“Hosts Lisa Wilkinson, Richard Wilkins, Peter Stefanovic and Natalia Cooper will be among the first Australians to try supercruising on Ovation of the Seas for themselves,” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia & NZ.  

“We’re confident – like everyone sailing on this beautiful ship over the summer - they will have a sensational time on board, whether they’re looking for adventure or some R&R.”

Ovation of the Seas will make her historic arrival to her new Sydney home on 15 December after calling to Perth on 6 December, Adelaide on 11 December and Hobart on 13 December. The TODAY show will broadcast live from onboard the ship in Sydney Harbour on 16 December, from 5.30am to 9am. 

Ovation of the Seas spans 18 decks, encompasses 168,666 gross registered tons, measures 347 metres long, carries 4,905 guests in total and features 2,091 staterooms. 

Information supplied by: Royal Caribbean International.

Australian Cruising News.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

First On Board App For P&O Cruises Australia, Set To Be A Hit For Social Media Savvy Cruisers.

With many cruise lines now introducing a way to be more social media savy, and making crusing more accessable, Australia’s leading cruise line, P&O Cruises Australia has launched its first onboard app. The app is called WhatsOn it allows the guests to plan their daily and nightly activities, make bookings and share all their cruising holiday experiences in real time throughout their cruise.

The WhatsOn app will be free on personal devices when you are connected to P&O Cruises Australias' Wi-Fi, the best thing about this is that it will not cost you any money to connect to the WhatsOn app [ Interface ]. WhatsOn app provides will provide a new way for cruislings on board to stay in touch with their family and friends during their cruise.

The app will allow families and friends travelling together to send messages to one another, check in and ‘like’ locations as well as recommend activities, ensuring no one misses out on any holiday fun. 

Guests can also book shore tours with a few clicks, check their onboard account, view special promotions available across the ship and keep up to date with the latest news from around the world. 

With the app also providing the daily schedule of activities for the entire cruise, guests can book their preferred activities online and create a wish list for each day. 

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P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the app would revolutionise onboard customer service. 

“We’re delighted to be able to offer this easy-to-use technology free of charge to all our guests to help them stay connected during their holiday and provide easy access to onboard and shore experiences. It’s as simple as connecting a personal device to the P&O Wi-Fi and opening a browser to discover everything WhatsOn has to offer,” Mr Myrmell said.

“Never again will our guests suffer from FOMO or wonder which restaurant or bar their friends are in. This app will be the new must-have item for all P&O guests.”

The new WhatsOn onboard app has been succesfully rolled out on Pacific Eden, Dawn, Jewel and Pacific Pearl. P&O Cruises Australia have said that Pacific Aria set to come online later this week.

The cruise line is also rolling out new cash kiosks which will allow guests to transfer money onto their cruise card without needing to queue up at the front desk.

“Australians are getting more and more used to self-service so we thought it was time to bring more of it onboard. We hope that by empowering our guests to organise some elements of their cruise quickly and easily through technology, they’ll have even more time to enjoy their cruise holiday.”

For more information visit pocruises.com.au, call 13 24 94 or see a licensed travel agent.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

Australian Cruising News.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

 

Princess Cruises Scoops The Pool In This Years Cruise Passenger Awards.

Princess Cruises has topped this year’s Cruise Passenger Readers’ Choice Awards, winning four awards - including the leading category of Best Ocean Cruise Line Overall for the second year running.

The cruise line has also won the title of Best Premium Cruise Line for the third year in a row, while taking out the awards for Best Entertainment and Best Spa for the second consecutive year.

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Princess Cruises Vice President Australia & New Zealand Stuart Allison said he was proud that Princess had won so many categories across the field, including the top gong.

"To win all these awards over consecutive years is a real honour,” Mr Allison said.  

“We’ve been cruising from Australia for almost 15 years, and over that time we’ve continued to develop and evolve our holiday offering, so these awards are fantastic recognition from the cruise passenger community -- we’re delighted to know so many travellers enjoy our cruises,” Mr Allison said.

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“The past 12 months have been huge for us – we’ve launched new SHARE by Curtis Stone restaurants and enhanced our entertainment offering with the introduction of new shows like Magic to Do by award-winning Broadway producer Stephen Schwartz and the popular Voice of the Ocean competition. 

“We’ve even brought two other ships – Emerald Princess and Golden Princess – Down Under for the first time, so these awards are a great endorsement of all that we are doing in the local market.”

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Mr Allison said Australia was a key market for Princess Cruises, with five ships based Down Under over the 2016-17 cruise season.  Princess carries two-thirds of Australians cruising to New Zealand and is the only cruise line to offer roundtrip world cruises from local shores.

“We pride ourselves on being the destination experts, taking Australians to more places than any other cruise line.  Our holidays are designed to enrich our guests and deliver a truly memorable experience, so we’re thrilled to see that we are continuing to hit the mark with Australian cruisers.”

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Launched in 1996, Cruise Passenger magazine is a quarterly independent magazine published by Big Splash Media.

Information supplied by: Princess Cruises.

Photos Credit: Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

Australian Cruising News.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

P&O Cruises Australia Voted As Best Family Cruise Line In Australia.

Well to say it's been a BIG year for P&O Cruises Australia would be an understatement ! With the introduction of two newly referbished ships in Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden growing the homegrown fleet to five ships. The cruise line has again been finished the year on a high with the news that P&O Cruises Australia has been named Best Family Cruise Line in Cruise Passenger’s annual Readers' Choice Awards, which are voted by the cruise passengers themselves.

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The nod from Australia’s only dedicated consumer cruise magazine follows another ‘Best Family Cruise Line’ award earlier in the year from the readers of leading family publication - Out & About with Kids.

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With shiploads of family friendly innovations on the horizon and family groups making up almost one third of guests, P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the cruise line was thrilled with the award. 

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“As the nation’s homegrown cruise line, we’ve been helping Australian families holiday at sea for more than 80 years so it’s really wonderful to hear that we’ve been named as the best family cruise line by Cruise Passenger readers, topping off a big year of family accolades,” Mr Myrmell said.

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“Cruising is only going to get more exciting for families in the New Year with the arrival of our first top deck waterparks on our Brisbane-based superliner Pacific Dawn and latest ship Pacific Explorer, which will sail from Sydney from June 2017, as well as Australia’s first virtual reality experience at sea as part of an exclusive partnership with Sony.”

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P&O’s five-ship fleet caters to families of all types and sizes with triple, quad and interconnecting cabins; the P&O Edge adventure park at sea offering adrenaline-inducing activities such as rock climbing and zip-lining; kids’ clubs catering to children from the age of two to 17; late-night babysitting and exciting onboard activities from movie-making to Lego. 

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

Photos Credit: Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

Australian Cruising News.com.au The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

Royal Caribbean International LIVES LIFE BIG WITH NEW TV Commercial.

Keep an eye out for Royal Caribbean’s brand new 60 second television commercial, which premiering last night during Nine News Sunday.

Featuring all the big features Australians have come to know and love from Royal Caribbean, like big adventure, big fun and the biggest ships with the space to do it all or nothing at all, the TVC brings to life the Royal cruise experience across the fleet.

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Created in both a 60 second version and two 30 second versions, the TVCs will air on Channel Seven and Nine in a variety of programs in coming months.

To view the new TVC online or for further information, head to www.royalcaribbean.com.au/royallife or https://www.youtube.com/user/rciaustraliaandnz.

Information supplied by: Royal Caribbean International.

Cruise The Seas Media, The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

Luke Mangan's Culinary Experiance Officer May PAN OUT As Luke Mangan CEO.

Two talented home cooks shortlisted as finalists for Luke Mangan's Culinary Experience Officer, and will have dishes included across five Salt grill restaurants on P&O Cruises’ ships

Accomplished Australian restaurateur Luke Mangan has hand-picked two talented home cooks and foodies Sammy Jakubiak and Sofia Levin as short-listed finalists in his Search for a CEO (Culinary Experience Officer) campaign, launched in March. The campaign marks Mangan’s milestone of becoming the first restaurateur in the world with dishes served on land, sea, air and rail following a recent partnership with Eastern & Oriental Express. 

LUKE MANGAN WINNERS

Mangan called on foodies across the country to enter for the chance to be short-listed in one of the following categories: The Drinks Connoisseur, The Artisan Supplier and The Talented Home Cook, for which Sammy and Sofia were selected. The final crowned ‘CEO’ will be awarded with a smorgasbord of tasting and travel experiences at Luke’s international restaurants, across P&O Cruises’ ships, Virgin Australia and Eastern & Oriental brand partnerships in October. 

Of the five dishes created for the occasion, Sammy’s was a beautiful creation of orange and amaretto cheesecake while Sofia’s was a delightful beetroot cured kingfish. Chosen by a panel of judges including Luke Mangan and P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell and a popular vote on the day, the two winners will now create a dish each to be available in all Salt grill restaurants onboard all five P&O Cruises’ ships. 

Luke opened his first restaurant at sea onboard a P&O ship in 2009 and now has a Salt grill onboard each of the cruise line’s five ships. His next Salt grill will launch in June 2017 when P&O’s latest ship Pacific Explorer debuts in Sydney.

“To have five Salt grill restaurants at sea speaks volumes about P&O’s innovative approach to cruise cuisine as well as Australians’ love of good food, and I’m thrilled they’ve been a partner in my search for a CEO,” Luke said. 

 

IMG 1789Sammy commented on her shortlisting and opportunity to create a dish with Luke: “I’m excited for the chance to create a dish with one of Australia’s biggest foodie personalities. I can learn so much from Luke!” 

Sofia said of her selection: “Cooking kingfish for Luke, the crown prince of kingfish, was a gamble – evidently one that paid off! I’m honoured to be through to the finals and keen to see what I can create for P&O.”

Sammy and Sofia join Luke Ashton who won the Tourism Australia cocktail phase and the yet to be decided Artisan Supplier.

Mangan commented on the pair’s selection: “The standard of home cooks here in Australia is exceptional; a product of the passion and produce this nation has on tap. So much so we couldn’t pick just one!”

“The huge pool of outstanding Australian expertise in the food and beverage industry has really shone through during my search for a CEO, with a huge amount of applications showing amazing talent from

across the country. The aim of the campaign is to showcase what Australia has to offer to an international audience, via my network of restaurants and brand partnerships.”

The final three candidates will be assessed in September by Mangan and the President of P&O Cruises Sture Myrmell, Tourism Australia, Virgin Australia and Hilton Hotels before the CEO winner is announced.

The crowned ‘CEO’ will land the role of a lifetime and a money-can’t-buy smorgasbord of travel and tasting experiences in October, including a four-night P&O cruise to Hamilton Island onboard the Pacific Aria and joining Mangan for his restaurant’s inaugural journey on board the Eastern & Oriental Express between Singapore and Bangkok. They will create content for report on Mangan’s extensive portfolio, including a taste of Virgin Australia’s Business Class, as well as dinners at his restaurants in Asia and the Maldives. 

Applicants were required to submit an application to become Luke Mangan’s CEO, applicants must visit lukemangan.com.au/CEO and explain in 50 words or less why they’d be a great addition to Luke’s team. Supporting materials such as recipes, food photography, blog posts, published articles or video could also be provided as supplementary information.

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Below are the Biographies of each finalist.

Sammy Jakubiak made the change to cooking in 2011 after working in marketing and fashion for many years, winning season 2 of My Kitchen Rules with her sister Bella. Since then, they’ve successfully opened a boutique catering business, Sammy and Bella Catering, opened a pop-up burger bar at Bondi Farmers market and also started their own sauce range, The Saucy Sisters.

Sofia Levin, a freelance foodie journalist by trade, established a content marketing company in 2012 – Word Salad – which specializes in copywriting, editorial and social media. Currently writing for a number of publications including Fairfax’s good food supplement, Sofia is also the owner of virally famous Instagram dog, Jinkee.

Images of each winner are available for download here. 

Short videos of each of the five Home Cook phase finalists outlining their motivation behind entering Search for a CEO and why they love cooking at home can be found at the following URLs:

* Michelle Walsh: https://youtu.be/v2R7vFllvmI  * Sammy Jakubiak: https://youtu.be/Dwq1Zvs9aYg * Sofia Levin: https://youtu.be/E8QG-uLfxWU * Tristan Lutze: https://youtu.be/aQ7g4tHpVnM * Laura Blanot: https://youtu.be/YOxnW9rCgUI

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The CEO Trip Of A Lifetime.

On Shore:

Australia: Dinner in Sydney at MOJO by Luke Mangan / glass

Asia: Dinner in Salt Tokyo, Salt grill Jakarta, Salt grill Singapore, Salt Tapas Singapore

Maldives: To stay at Amilla Resort – 5 star resort in the Maldives and dinner at Lonu by Luke Mangan (depending on availability)

At Sea: 

P&O Cruise to Hamilton Island that includes dinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan

On Rail:

To join the inaugural journey on board Asia’s most luxurious train, the Eastern & Oriental Express from Singapore to Bangkok

In the Air:

To experience Virgin Australia Business Class 

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About Luke Mangan & Company.

 

1990 - Luke moves to London to work at Waterside Inn with Michel Roux

1999 - First restaurant, Salt in Darlinghurst Sydney

2003 - Approached by Sir Richard Branson to consult for Virgin Atlantic & Virgin America First Class

2005 - Founded the Appetite for Excellence Program | glass brasserie, Hilton Hotel Sydney

2006 - Salt restaurant, Tokyo

2009 - Salt grill opened on P&O Cruises Pacific Jewel | Launched Luke Mangan Providores range

2010 - Salt grill opened on P&O Cruises Pacific Dawn & Pacific Pearl | Consulting chef for Virgin Australia Business Class | Salt grill & Sky bar, Singapore

2011 - Salt grill, Hilton Hotel Surfers Paradise

2012 - Salt tapas & bar, Singapore

2013 - Salt grill, Jakarta | MOJO by Luke Mangan, Sydney

2014 - Amilla, Maldives

2015 - Salt grill restaurants opened on P&O Cruises Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden – totaling five restaurants on five P&O ships

2016 - Partners with Eastern & Oriental Express, Asia’s most luxurious train service running between Singapore and Bangkok

 

For more information on Luke Mangan & Company please visit http://www.lukemangan.com.

Information supplied by: Luke Mangan Company.

Cruise The Seas Media, The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

 

Carnival Spirit Heads To Asia With A Voyage To Singapore Offering A Taste Of The Orient.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced a special voyage to Singapore for Carnival Spirit, giving Australian holidaymakers a rare chance to enjoy an adventure through Asia combined with the fun of a Carnival cruise.  

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On sale now, Carnival Spirit’s 19-night cruise sails from Sydney on May 3, 2018 and will include five fabulous ports, including Airlie Beach and Darwin in Australia, Bali in Indonesia, as well as the ship’s maiden calls to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for an overnight stay, and beautiful Ko Samui in Thailand. Carnival Spirit will reach the South East Asia hub of Singapore on May 22. 

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The Singapore voyage will feature the cruise line’s new Carnival Journeys enrichment program, designed to offer guests a deeper, richer connection with destinations visited as well as a fun and fully engaged experience onboard. 

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Guests on the cruise will have the chance to join Carnival’s new Academy of Fun knowledge-building sessions, and discover more about each destination with local entertainment classes featuring music and dancing. The 1980’s themed Throwback Sea Days will provide the perfect excuse to channel Madonna on the dance floor and enjoy a midnight buffet, and there’ll also be time to get to know the ship’s crew with special Q&A sessions, ship tours and even a crew talent show. 

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Carnival Cruise Line Vice President Jennifer Vandekreeke said Carnival Spirit’s Singapore cruise would open up a world of opportunities for holidaymakers, enabling them to discover exotic destinations in Asia while having more fun than ever onboard the popular superliner. 

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“We’re excited to be taking our guests on such a special cruise, with Carnival Cruise Line’s first-ever visits to Ho Chi Minh City and Ko Samui and a fun-filled itinerary packed with new experiences both on and off the ship,” Ms Vandekreeke said. 

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Carnival Spirit will enter dry dock when she reaches Singapore in May 2018. She will then sail on a series of voyages around Asia from Shanghai during the local summer season before returning home to Australia in late 2018.

Carnival Spirit’s 19-night cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore on May 3, 2018 is now on sale. Fares start at $2449 per person twin share.

For more information and bookings call 13 31 94, see a travel agent or visit www.carnival.com.au

*Subject to availability, conditions apply.

 

Photo supplied by: Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

Information supplied by: Carnival Cruise Line, Australia.

Cruise The Seas Media The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

 

 

  THREE OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S LARGEST SHIPS  CRUISE FROM SINGAPORE IN BIGGEST CRUISE SEASON.

200,000 Guests Expected On 55 Cruises Over Eight Months 

The Southern Hemisphere’s largest cruise ships Ovation of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas will be back sailing from Singapore from this October to May 2017 to offer Royal Caribbean International’s longest-ever Singapore season, which will run for eight months totalling 55 cruises and expected to bring an estimated 200,000 guests to ports in Southeast Asia. 

The deployment of the three ships will increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in 2017 in Southeast Asia by 30 per cent. 

Kicking off the season is Mariner of the Seas from October 2016, with 39 sailings through to March next year. Mariner will offer sailings ranging from three to seven nights to popular destinations including Penang, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Phuket, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My). New itineraries for the season include a three-night Penang Weekend Cruise which will feature night touring and a four-night Phuket cruise. 

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Other highlights for Mariner of the Seas include her festive cruises for Christmas and New Year in December and Chinese New Year in January 2017 which offer guests special entertainment, decorations and feasts onboard. A range of special theme cruises will also feature during the season including a Salsa Cruise this December featuring renowned international salsa dancers and the second Cosfest Sea Cruise next February where guests can look forward to a cosplay themed parade, anime party and treasure hunt. 

Ovation of the Seas

The largest and newest ship sailing in the Southern Hemisphere, Ovation of the Seas which made her debut in Singapore in June introducing a whole new way to holiday – supercruising - will be back sailing in the region from March to April 2017 after her maiden Australian season. The US$1 billion vessel will offer a total of 10 new sailings, comprising of three to five nights to Penang, Phuket, Bangkok (Laem Chabang) and a 12-night one-way cruise to Tianjin with an overnight call at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), as well as calls to Hue/Danang (Chan May), Hong Kong and Seoul (Incheon). Ovation of the Seas alone is expected to add some 42,000 additional guests to the Singapore cruising scene, and deliver millions through in-port spend. 

Voyager of the Seas in Sydney

Voyager of the Seas will again return to Singapore in May 2017 after her Australian season, to offer six Southeast Asian sailings, ranging from three to five nights to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang, Phuket and an eight-night one-way cruise to Hong Kong, with an overnight call to Bangkok (Laem Chabang), and calls to Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) and Nha Trang. 

Next-Generation Cruise Amenities

Royal Caribbean’s unmatched innovations in onboard attractions introduced onboard Ovation of the Seas include the North Star, a glass viewing capsule that takes guests more than 90 metres above the ocean for incomparable panoramic views. For guests seeking an adrenaline-fueled experience there is the thrilling RipCord by iFly skydiving experience, and the FlowRider surfing simulator, where guests can surf on the high seas. 

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By day a lounge with incredible 270 degree views of the ocean at the aft of the ship, Two70 transforms into a multifunctional entertainment venue at night with a troupe of dancing Roboscreens. The young at heart will love SeaPlex, the largest indoor activity space at sea, offering basketball, roller skating, bumper cars, a trapeze school and more.

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There are 18 restaurants onboard Ovation with a variety of international cuisines to choose from, including Jamie’s Italian, Michael’s Genuine Pub, the enchanting Wonderland and Royal Caribbean favourites like Chops Grille steakhouse and Izumi Japanese. 

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Well-appointed accommodations include the unique Loft Suites which offer the most luxurious accommodations at sea, while Virtual Balcony staterooms mean all accommodations, including interior staterooms have a view thanks to large digital screens displaying real-time views of the destinations the ship visits.

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The 15-deck, 3,800-guest Voyager Class ships Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas are also packed with entertainment and activities for guests of all ages, such as the Royal Promenade, ice skating rink, full-sized sports court and DreamWorks Entertainment. In addition, Voyager of the Seas also features Royal Caribbean’s signature FlowRider surf simulator.

For further information or to book a Royal Caribbean cruise, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au, phone 1800 754 500 or see your local travel agent.

Information supplied by: Royal Caribbean International.

Cruise The Seas Media, The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

National Geographic Travel Team Cruises To PNG With P&O Cruises Australia.

P&O’s cruises to Papua New Guinea are in the international spotlight, with the prestigious National Geographic Travel team joining a Pacific Aria voyage to the islands earlier this month.

The trip marked the first time that National Geographic Travel has worked with a cruise line in Australia, as well as its first visit to the remote Papua New Guinea Islands of Alotau, Kitava and Kiriwina and the city of Rabaul.

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US-based Associate Photo Producer Jess Mandia and Associate Producer Becky Davis travelled to Brisbane to join the memorable 10-night voyage, which saw them learning about the history of Papua New Guinea, visiting special sites such as the skull caves of Alotau and Rabaul’s live volcano and enjoying beautiful snorkelling in the waters off Kitava and Kiriwina.

During their trip the duo produced daily Snapchat pieces and posted several images on the NatGeoTravel Instagram and Twitter accounts, attracting more than half a million likes. A story will appear on the National Geographic Travel website next month.

Pictured in the attached image are (L-R): Jess Mandia – National Geographic Associate Photo Producer, Pacific Aria Captain Anthony Herriott and Associate Producer Becky Davis.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

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Record Number Of Australian Cruisers Fill In Census Forms At Sea.

More than 5000 P&O guests will be filling in their Census forms at sea tomorrow night, with three of the cruise line’s ships sailing domestic waters on August 9th when the next Census is conducted. Census staff were busy handing out individual Census packs to guests boarding Pacific Jewel in Sydney on the weekend, giving travellers the option to complete the Census form online during their cruise or fill in the paper form, which will be collected when the ship returns on August 12th.

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Working in liaison with P&O, the Australian Bureau of Statistics will also have a team of staff supplying Census forms to passengers sailing on Pacific Aria from the Brisbane Cruise Terminal today August 8th as well as guests leaving Sydney on Pacific Pearl on the evening of August 9th. The three P&O ships will be sailing on domestic cruise itineraries on August 9, which means that while passengers will be offshore, they will not have cleared customs but they must be included in the Census count. While cruise ships have been counted in previous Census operations, three cruise ships sets a new record. Australia’s largest peacetime operation, the Census aims to count everyone who is in Australia on Census night, collecting valuable data which helps inform planning and Government funding decisions for services and infrastructure.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

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Pacific Eden Makes History Cruising From Singapore, As Asian Itenaries Become Popular !

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Eden is making history in Asia this month, chalking up seven maiden calls for the Australian cruise line as part of her inaugural Singapore season.

The 1500-guest ship departed on her first cruise from Singapore on Saturday, marking the start of a month-long deployment in the region which will see her offer four roundtrip seven-night cruises visiting a range of stunning ports in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.

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Pacific Eden’s itineraries feature a series of maiden visits for P&O, commencing with the cruise line’s first call to Langkawi in Malaysia today. Tomorrow (August 2) she will make P&O’s maiden visit to Krabi in Thailand, followed by the cruise line’s first calls to Phuket on Wednesday (August 3) and Sabang in Indonesia on Thursday (August 4).

After returning to Singapore on Saturday, Pacific Eden will sail on her second roundtrip cruise from the city which will include P&O’s inaugural visits to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville (August 8), and Thailand’s beautiful Ko Chang (August 9) as well as the island of Koh Samui (August 11).

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Her final cruise from Singapore will be a 14-night sailing to Cairns, where she will be homeported for two months, becoming the first ship to be based in the northern Queensland city.

The Singapore season follows the expansion of P&O’s fleet with the addition of Pacific Eden and her sister ship Pacific Aria last November, opening the way for P&O to establish new homeports and extend its itineraries.

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P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the cruise line was excited to be offering so many new Asian ports to its guests.

“The seven-day itineraries mean guests can discover a fantastic collection of stunning ports throughout Asia, while enjoying all the comforts of our stylish Pacific Eden, so they really are quite special,” Mr Myrmell said.

“These cruises underline one of the great benefits of cruising - the ability to easily access a range of remote destinations in one holiday, something which would be quite difficult to achieve by land or air.” 

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Mr Myrmell said many Pacific Eden guests had combined the ship’s eastern and western Asia itineraries to create a longer 14-day holiday at sea, visiting eight ports across four countries.

Pacific Eden will return to Singapore in July next year offering two seven-night roundtrip cruises priced from $899 per person quad share.

For more information visit www.pocruises.com.au, or see a licensed travel agent.

 

Photo supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

Cruise The Seas Media The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

P&O Cruises Australia Named As Australia’s Most Trusted Cruise Line !

P&O Cruises has continued its winning streak, retaining its position as one of Australia’s most trusted brands for the fourth consecutive year.

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The cruise line has been named as Australia’s most trusted cruise line in the Reader’s Digest 2016 survey of Australia’s Most Trusted Brands announced this week.

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P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said he was thrilled that P&O Cruises had claimed the title yet again.

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“The past twelve months have been huge for us. We’ve introduced our two latest ships Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden, announced the very first new-build ship exclusively for the Australian market and revealed details of the next addition to our fleet, Pacific Explorer,” Mr Myrmell said.

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“Throughout that time, we’ve worked hard to offer a quality, contemporary product that speaks to Australian cruisers and our continued recognition in these awards is a wonderful vote of confidence in our brand”.

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The annual survey has been operating for 16 years as an independent survey of the Australian public. This year, 65 categories from biscuits to banks were featured in the largest survey to date, with more than 2400 people surveyed. For more information visit www.pocruises.com.au

Photos Credit: Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

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 Emerald Princess’ Australian Debut Coundown Is On !

The countdown is now on for the maiden arrival of the biggest Princess Cruises’ ship to be based Down Under this summer – the spectacular 3082-guest Emerald Princess, which will sail into Sydney Harbour on November 15.

One of the largest ships in the Princess fleet, the superliner will introduce a range of exciting new dining, shopping and entertainment offerings to Australian waters.

Emerald Princess will make her Australian debut in Fremantle on November 8, before visiting Busselton, south of Perth, on November 9 and Melbourne on November 13. 

She will arrive in the Emerald City two days later to begin her inaugural five-month season of cruises from Sydney, sailing on 13 roundtrip cruises to destinations in the South Pacific, New Zealand and around Australia.   Fares start from $1199* per person twin share for an 11-night South Pacific cruise departing Sydney on January 21, 2017 and visiting five beautiful ports in New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

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Australian travellers can get a taste of cruising on Emerald ahead of her arrival following the release of a new video from Princess as part of its #EmeraldCountdown campaign.  

Stretching 290 metres, Emerald Princess’ highlights include SHARE by Curtis Stone, a stunning 125-seat restaurant overlooking the aft decks and featuring delicious offerings from the award-winning internationally known chef.  The restaurant is one of more than a dozen dining options on the superliner, which also features Princess’ new Salty Dog pub, serving up gourmet small dishes developed with renowned US chef Ernesto Uchimura, and whiskey flights.

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Emerald Princess’ arrival will also set the stage for the debut of some great new entertainment offerings in Australia including the much-anticipated onboard musical Magic to Do from Oscar and Tony award-winning Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz.  Guests can also enjoy the spectacular new Voice of the Ocean competition, exclusive to Princess, which brings the spectacle of TV's wildly popular international singing competition to the high seas.

Emerald Princess features more than 1500 guest rooms – including nearly 900 balcony staterooms. Every room offers the cruise line's new Princess Luxury Bed, developed in collaboration with US sleep specialist Dr Michael Breus and Canadian HGTV interior designer Candice Olsen, and designed to deliver the ultimate night of sleep at sea. 

Also on board are eight showrooms and lounges, two nightclubs and four swimming pools as well as signature Princess offerings such as the child-free Sanctuary, poolside Movies Under the Stars and the luxurious Lotus Spa.  Guests can enjoy fantastic shopping, with options including a stunning EFFY jewellery outlet, a first in the Australian market.

Information supplied by: Princess Cruises.

Cruise The Seas Media The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

P&O Cruises Australia Sets The Standard, Being Voted Australia's Favourite Family Cruise Line.

P&O Cruises has been voted Australia’s Best Family Cruise Line by the well-travelled readers of one of Australia’s leading family publications - Out & About with Kids.

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The cruise line has taken out the top cruise gong in the magazine’s annual Best of Family Travel Readers Choice Awards.

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P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the award was a welcome win at a time of expansion for P&O, which is the largest cruise line in Australia, offering five ships sailing from eight different homeports year round. 

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“We pride ourselves on offering great value, fun and memorable family holidays and to be voted Australians’ favourite family cruise line is a real honour. With the recent announcements of our new waterparks for Pacific Dawn and our latest ship Pacific Explorer, family cruising with P&O is about to get even more exciting,” Mr Myrmell said.

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P&O caters to families of all types and sizes with triple, quad and interconnecting cabins, the biggest adventure park at sea – P&O Edge, kids clubs, late-night babysitting and fun onboard activities from movie-making to Lego. 

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The 2016 awards feature 18 categories across a variety of Australian and international travel products and are voted for by the magazine’s well-travelled readers. For information on the awards see the latest issue of Out and About with Kids or visit http://www.outandaboutwithkids.com.au/winners-of-the-best-of-family-travel-awards-2016/

Photos credit : Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

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Carnival Cruise Lines New Wi Fi Social Media Plans, The Reaction By You The Cruiser.

 

First of all I just want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who responded to the article that I posted on Wednesday the 13th of July 2016.

 

I have had some great feedback from you all about what cruisers want from having Wi Fi on board to what you expect from the cruise in regards to service and how much we all think that we should be paying.

The comments that are expressed in this article are those NOT expressed by me but of those of your fellow passengers, so please keep that in mind!

Australians have always wanted a way to show how much fun they are having on their cruising holiday. It has become very important to lots of Australians that we want to keep in touch with our loved ones [ family ] and friends to also show them on how much fun we are having at sea or for that fact any holiday abroad.

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But with that comes the issues of Accessibility and affordability of being able to have Wi FI internet access at sea. The issue that lots of people have is that it is too expensive and that when used the bandwidth is no capable of handling many people on the Wi-Fi system. This is due to when you are at sea there are other capability and supply issues, which are out of one’s control.

We have people making these points and expressing how they feel if a service that is going to be provided at a premium, but not going to be reliable or get value for money.

One reader who responded to the article said “Costs a fortune on board your ships as I type this” and he was not happy that he was having to pay so much to keep in touch with family and friends. Then there were others who have expressed that they would only purchase it for the last day.

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With one person saying “I purchased it the last day of cruise just so I could check in at airlines and print our boarding passes and info” This reader also noted that several people were using it that day to do what she had been doing and when asked why she didn’t do it for the whole cruise, the response was the COST involved.

Cost seems to be a major factor when it comes to using the Wi Fi at sea, with one person saying “We paid 15 per day 3wks ago and I agree prices should come down”. If the cruise lines see this as a way to bring in more revenue wouldn’t it be better to lower the price a bit more giving everyone a chance to use it??

Then there is the value side of it, if a cruise line is going to offer a Wi Fi social media plan/s at sea one would think that you need to show substantial value in what you are offering. There has been much talk of others comparing different cruise lines in what they have to offer.

This just from one reader “Princess has great Wi-Fi and free to a certain amount when Platinum” you get better deals all round with Princess.

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Some people even think that if you combine certain packages that you get a better deal just like this one from P&O Cruises Australia, with one person saying “Can’t talk for carnival but can speak for P&O Cruises Australia, Was just on Pacific dawn and brought the 199 photo pack and came with 7 days free use of Wi-Fi for social media. Was fantastic. Plus we got every photo taken on the ship. Was well worth it.

Then there are the issues with the bandwidth and also the capability and supply issues at sea. There are those that think that just by having Wi-Fi available to them at sea is going to be the same as if they were on land.

Well I can assure you that it is not, on a coastal cruise to Moreton Island which for those of you who don’t know it is near Brisbane. As you enter Morton Bay, Moreton Island is on your port side going into Brisbane and on your starboard side coming out of Brisbane.

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There have been times that if the ship is close to land going to or from Moreton Island depending on your mobile carrier that you may or may not receive service.

Some have been very happy to pay for the social media package only to come across capability and supply issues. With one person saying “I did use the social media package. My daughter called me one evening on FB. The call was like a relay call. I did not use it a lot. I was able to post pictures and send messages but I did fine that there were lots of drop outs”.

This is just one example of a coastal cruise where people may or may not have received mobile service. It also depends on the satellites and the cloud coverage and how far the ship might be out to sea.

Then there is the weather which can be great one day and evil the next, there are many factors that have a bearing on whether or not you’re going to able to receive an internet service by Wi Fi at sea.

So keeping all this in mind I just think that it’s up to each individual to make their own informed decision. Before you go on a cruise research the cruise line and the cruise ship you are going on. Have a look at what they have to offer in the way of Wi-Fi Internet and whether it’s going to suit you and your needs and what you want to use it for.

From May 2016, Carnival is introducing faster and cheaper internet and social media packages on its ships based in Australia - Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit. The improved internet access offers “significantly increased” bandwidth and speed, with “value package” (AU$ 30 per day) for unlimited access to the web and faster “premium package” (AU$ 50 per day), which allows vacationers to make Skype video calls to family and friends. 

The new social media package offers unlimited access to sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, from AU$ 15 per day. Additional discounted plans are available for the entire sailing. The new packages follow the 2015 launch of Carnival’s Selfies at Sea app. Available for download free of charge at Android and Apple stores, the app collates a series of photos taken onboard into a mini-movie which to be shared on social media channels.

 

I hope that this has been helpful, and happy cruising to all.

Ship photos credit : Brian Gaskin Of Cruise The Seas Media.

 Information supplied by: Cruise The Seas Tavel And Media, Cruising Australia The HOME Of Australian Cruising!

Cunard Creates Cocktails For It's Commodore Club Onboard QM2, Inspired by Knighted Commodores.

Cunard has revealed a new menu for its popular Commodore Club, featuring a blend of signature cocktails created in honour of each of the cruise line’s seven knighted commodores. 

The menu shares the fascinating stories of the knighted Cunard Commodores and features special illustrations in a modern menu design, infusing the cocktail experience onboard Cunard’s three Queens with rich maritime history. 

Creating Cunards new Chieftain of the Clan cocktail

With the Commodore Club enjoying a prime location on each of the Cunard Queens, the transformed menu is one of a number of new food and beverage concepts being launched across the fleet.

The seven newly designed cocktails include ‘Over the Top’ inspired by Commodore Sir James Charles (1865-1928). Known for doing things on a grand scale, this Commodore’s dinner parties aboard Aquitania were renowned as opulently social affairs, and this aromatic and refreshing sharing cocktail is extravagantly presented, just the way Sir James would expect. 

Cunards New Commodore Club Cocktails All Consuming Passion

Another cocktail on the menu is the ‘Punch Romain à la Carpathia’, believed to be the last libation served onboard the Titanic. This intriguing cocktail is inspired by Commodore Sir Arthur Rostron (1869–1940), who led the safe rescue of passengers on the Titanic, and features Advocaat as the signature ingredient.

Cunard worked with illustrator Lauren Crowe who created intricate pencil illustrations of each of the knighted Commodores as part of the new menu design.  

Cunard Director Angus Struthers said commemorating Cunard’s seven most decorated Commodores was testament to their prestige and rich history. 

“Inspired by this history, each character is reflected in an artful and carefully crafted way, and we hope our guests enjoy this new series of cocktails celebrating the Commodores’ remarkable stories,” Mr Struthers said.

Images by : Cunard Line.

Information supplied by: Cunard Line.

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