IT'S DEFINITELY NOT ABOUT SLEIGH BELLS IN THE SNOW...

Traveling to Sydney is, for most of us, something new and spending Christmas in a hot climate is a sure fire novelty - but to add to the mix, here's a further idea in the same train of thought - how about Christmas Day on Sydney’s magnificent Harbour, enjoying delicious food and Christmas festivities with Captain Cook Cruises Christmas Day Lunch cruises.

There are four fantastic lunch cruises to choose from and the prestigious three level MV Sydney 2000 will host three of the Christmas Day lunches including the deluxe Sky Deck menu and the Club Deck and Show Deck Christmas buffet, while sailing catamaran Aussie Legend hosts a Premium Christmas buffet lunch.

The Sky Deck lunch offers a five course premium menu with premium wines and is the ultimate Christmas Day lunch. Situated on the first class upper deck level, the Sky Deck lunch also includes an open bar of spirits, premium wines, beers and soft drinks and a live band will entertain guests as they dine, dance and take in the beautiful sights of Sydney.

The Club Deck, Show Deck and Aussie Legend Christmas buffets offer a fabulous festive Christmas feast including Virginia baked leg ham, roast turkey, Sydney rock oysters, king prawns, smoked salmon, a wide selection of salads, plum pudding and mince pies.

The Club Deck Christmas buffet is situated on the spacious restaurant deck of the MV Sydney 2000 and includes the house selection of wines, beers and soft drinks, the Show Deck Christmas buffet is situated on the main deck of the MV Sydney 2000 and includes a welcome drink and a premium Christmas buffet lunch is hosted on Aussie Legend and includes still and sparkling wine and local and imported beers.

The MV Sydney 2000 departs 12 noon on Christmas Day, Friday 25th December, from No.6 Jetty Circular Quay and returns at 2.45pm. Pricing starts from $249 per person for the deluxe Sky Deck experience, $179 per person for the Club Deck buffet and $129 per adult for the Show Deck Buffet. Children and concession pricing is available.

Aussie Legend departs 12 noon on Christmas Day, from Pier 26 Aquarium Wharf Darling Harbour and returns 2.45pm and is priced at $199 for adults and $99 for children aged 3 - 14 years.

For more information about Captain Cook Cruises see the Prow's Edge cruise line profile at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines-captain-cook-cruises.html or visit the official Captain Cook Cruises web site at www.captaincook.com

WARNING ABOUT PHISHING SCAM

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. The messages request that users create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the CDC.gov web site.

An example of the phishing email is below:



Users that click on the embedded link in the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

Do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
Do not click links embedded in emails from unknown senders.
Use caution when entering personal information online.
Update anti-virus, spyware, firewall, and anti-spam software regularly.

Saying Goodbye to the Artemis

The final cruise of P&O Cruises Artemis went on sale at 10am yesterday and sold out in just 17 minutes.

The 14 night, Artemis Farewell Voyage departs from Southampton on 12 April 2011, and calls at Gibraltar, Alicante, Palma, Sorrento, Rome (from Civitavecchia), Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Southampton.

“This is the fastest selling farewell voyage I have ever known," said P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow. "It is fantastic to see how much Artemis is loved by our passengers, and to know that her final send-off will be a truly memorable experience. I hope to join our passengers on board for what will be a very special cruise, giving passengers and crew the chance to bid arewell to a dear friend and remember happy times on board.”

The cruise will include a special jazz and classical Music Festival at Sea, commemorative memorabilia, surprise guest entertainers and passengers will enjoy champagne sailaways. Prices started from £1,100 per person based on two sharing.

For more information about P&O Cruises visit the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine P&O Cruises profile at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines-p-and-o-cruises.html or visit the official P&O Cruises web site at http://www.pocruises.com

Photo Courtesy P&O Cruises

New Private Resident Cruise Ship Coming Up

Samsung Heavy Industries and Utopia Residences have agreed to go ahead with plans for a 105,000-ton luxury residential ocean liner - and the superlatives are already rolling out!

“This ocean liner will be the most luxurious ship in the world, and the largest passenger ship ever built on the Asian continent,” comments JW Kim, the the Vice Chairman of Samsung.

David Robb, the Chairman of Utopia Residences adds, “This will be the grandest ship in the world and will be a center for learning, cultural exchange and philanthropy unlike any platform ever created.”

The new ship will have 200 private residences, as well as 204 staterooms intended for sale to cruise guests. The residences range from 1,400 to 6,600 square feet and cost from $4 million to $15 million each. Owners will have their own private club and facilities onboard, including their exclusive own pool and sun deck area, gym, bar and restaurant, in addition to six private elevators.

The ship will also be family-oriented and feature a rock-climbing wall, water slide and outdoor theater.

"Itineraries will be event-driven," says Captain Ola Harsheim, senior vice president of shipbuilding and operations, " The ship will spend 250 days a year in port while tracking events around the world. " The ocean liner will carry its residents and guests on a perpetual tour of ports hosting world-famous cultural and sporting events.

Already there has been a strong interest in the ship and many reservations for residences. The new cruise ship is expected to hit the waters in 2013.

The Pandaw Cruises Charity

With the appointment of a new CEO for Pandaw Cruises comes news that Founder Paul Strachan is stepping aside to focus on the Pandaw Cruises charity projects.

Pandaw Cruises and their passengers have been actively involved in a variety of community, humanitarian and cultural projects since 1995.

Some of the countries highlighted in the the unique Pandaw Cruises itineraries are amongst the poorest in the world and passengers want to give something in return for the wonderful travel experiences these places offer.

There are a number of ongoing projects like a school construction programme in Burma and support for orphanages in Cambodia, and even protection for threatened cultural artefacts.

Pandaw Cruises are also ready to move fast in the event disaster strikes, as their teams did in Burma after the May 2008 Cyclone Nargis hit the Delta area. The Pandaw Floating Clinic continues to operate in this devastated area thanks to the support of old passengers, known as 'Old Pandaw Hands'.

Passengers can donate after visiting these projects on board whilst on a Pandaw cruise or they may donate after returning home.

For more information about these projects visit http://www.pandaw.com/pandaw-charity-c-104.html or to make a donation tothe cyclone appeal, visit https://www.pandaw.com/cyclone_appeal_burma.php/cPath/104_103

New Destination Cruise Line, Voyages to Antiquity Launches With Generous Incentives to Explore the Mediterranean.

The new cruise line Voyages to Antiquity, founded by Gerry Herrod, founder of Ocean Cruise Line and Orient Lines, is set to showcase the cultures and people who created the "cradle of civilizations" of the Mediterranean.

Cruises on the Aegean Odyssey will begin in May 2010.

Offers include:

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS on most sailings, in selected stateroom categories

$1,000 OFF PER STATEROOM (double occupancy) on May 31, June 28, July 26 & August 9 departures from North America

$500 OFF PER STATEROOM (double occupancy) on May 3, May 17, June 14, July 12 & August 23 departures from North America *The No Single Supplement offers do not apply to "Time Fears The Pyramids" itinerary departing on November 12.These Special Launch Offers are strictly capacity controlled, not combinable and may be withdrawn from sale at any time.

For more information about the new cruise line take a look at the Prow's Edge news item at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruises-news-271109-voyages-to-antiquity.html or visit the official Voyages to Antiquity web site at www.voyagestoantiquity.com

THE MAGIC OF THE WOODEN SHIPS

Following on from our news about the Maine Windjammer Association being featured in Patricia Schultz's NYT bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, here is a wonderful video by Eniko 1 at You Tube which gives a great taste of the magic of the oldest fleet of historic vessels offering sailing vacations in America.

Drydock Journal shares Transformation of Tahitian Princess into Ocean Princess

For those of you who enjoy all the behind the scenes details of the cruise lines and their cruise ships, Princess Cruises is again offering an opportunity to follow a vessel through the renovation process.

In the newest installment of the Princess online drydock journal, the current Tahitian Princess will not only undergo a makeover, but also get a new name. The vessel, one of the small ships of Princess, will be transformed into Ocean Princess during the two-week process, giving her a new moniker reflecting her global range of fascinating itineraries.

The fifth in this unprecedented series, the Ocean Princess Drydock Journal will run through December 2 on www.princess.com, and will be updated regularly with photos as the ship progresses through its drydock at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. Viewers can follow along as the ship’s name is removed and replaced on the bow and throughout the vessel – including on equipment such as the lifeboats. The journal will also chronicle changes as the ship is lifted from the water and receives a new coating of energy-efficient silicone paint, plus the interior refurbishments, with new upholstery, carpet and flooring.

“Response to our drydock journals has been remarkable – passengers love to see what’s done to the ship and how much work is involved in such a short time,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “This latest journal will give cruise fans yet another insiders’ peek behind the scenes, with the added interest in seeing the name change.”

The Ocean Princess Drydock Journal follows the enthusiastically received online journals chronicling work on Golden Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and Coral Princess. The journal can be found on the Ocean Princess page in the website’s “Ships” section, and it will be updated throughout the ship’s two-week drydock.

After the drydock the newly named Ocean Princess will set sail on a 16-day Treasures of Southeast Asia cruise from Singapore to Shanghai, beginning a season of unique Asia, India and Africa sailings, followed by a summer of European voyages.