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Welcome to the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine Blog where we keep you up to date with things about cruises that are part of cruise news, useful, interesting and even irrelevant but fun in the world of cruises and cruising.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Cruise Ship Lectures

We have all been to those lectures on board a cruise ship - very often wondering why we would bother if it were not for the significant other telling us it woud be good and then finding out that they were right!

And haven't we also - years later - wished that we could have made notes about all that wonderful information.

Well - now Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine is pleased to introduce a new section CRUISE LECTURES in which we bring you those notes you had wished you had made.

Starting the new section, Dr John Augelli shares his notes from his lectures on a wide range of topics from cooking in Italy to all about the Vikings.

John Augelli has authored three books, five monographs, 41 major articles, and more than 50 other scholarly publications, and is also the recipient of numerous honors and recognitions.

Take a look at this and other new features aboard Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Monday, November 22, 2010

Windjammer Gatherings of the Fleet

At certain times of the year and for special events the sailing ships of the The Maine Windjammer Association get together in what is called the “gathering of the fleet”.

It is a rare thrill to see all these beauties together.

The line up for 2011 gatherings includes:

• Schooner Gam – Week of June 13th, 2011
Kick off the summer season with a windjammer gathering of the entire fleet! Relive the age of sail during this quiet rendezvous of more than a dozen 19th-century-style sailing ships. Location is determined by the weather of the day!



• Windjammer Days – Week of June 20th, 2011
Participate in a grand sail parade through picturesque Boothbay Harbor. Majestic windjammers come from up and down the coast to participate in this exciting early-season event. Shoreside activities include music and fireworks.



• Great Schooner Race – Week of July 4th, 2011
More than two dozen tall ships gather for an exciting all-day race in which guests may participate. This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the Great Schooner Race, North America’s largest annual gathering of tall ships!



• Maine Windjammer Parade – Friday, July 15th, 2011
The entire windjammer fleet participates in an afternoon Parade of Sail past the mile-long Rockland Breakwater, providing spectators with stunning, close-up views of Maine’s fleet of tall ships. Festivities also include tours of the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, free trolley rides to satellite parking areas and Owls Head Transportation Museum flyover.



• Music Festival – Week of August 1st, 2011
Many of the windjammers gather midweek for the Sweet Chariot Music Festival on Swans Island where more than a dozen groups perform traditional music of the sea. Fleet also gathers on Friday night for live shipboard performances ranging from sea chanteys and blues to story-telling and folk.



• Camden Windjammer Weekend – September 2nd & 3rd, 2011
The fleet gathers in picturesque Camden Harbor for festivities reminiscent of the days when hundreds of coastal schooners lined the waterfront. Festivities include a parade of sail, flag-raising ceremonies, live music, dancing and fireworks. 


• WoodenBoat Sail-In – Week of September 12th, 2011 (Tues. Sep. 13th)
The fall gathering of the fleet takes place in Brooklin, Maine, headquarters of WoodenBoat Magazine and WoodenBoat School. Now in its 25th year, the event includes refreshments, live music, tours and a harbor full of historic schooners.

For an overview of the ships of the Maine Windjammer Association, take a look at the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine profile at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines-maine-windjammer-cruises.html or for more information about the Maine Windjammer Association visit the web site at http://www.sailmainecoast.com

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Black Sea Specials from Variety Cruises

Variety Cruises offers a whole new line up of new cruises including Black Sea Treasures and Turquoise Coast & Islands of Eastern Aegean in 2011 with pre-/post-cruise land specials.

Passengers can book by February 1 to enjoy free accommodations, breakfast, transfers and tours to compliment their intimate cruise expedition.

The eight-day Black Sea Treasures cruise sails July – August 2011. The Pegasus mega yacht (22-cabins) travels one-way from Odessa, Ukraine to Istanbul, Turkey (or reverse direction). Passengers breathe in the history of ancient sites in Romania, Bulgaria and the Crimea Peninsula. Fares start at $2,690 per person. Limited Time Special – Free land tour in Istanbul OR Kiev, plus two hotel nights with daily buffet breakfast and private transfers.

The eight-day Turquoise Coast & Islands of the Eastern Aegean cruise will sail aboard the Halis Temel motor yacht (12 cabins) April – November 2011. The program explores coasts of Turkey and Greek islands of the Aegean. Fares start at $1,490 per person. Limited Time Special – Free two-night Istanbul stay with hotel and daily buffet breakfast OR three-night Marmaris stay with hotel and daily buffet breakfast.

Specials are available for a limited number of cabins and subject to availability at time of booking. For more details, please visit www.varietycruises.com or call 1-866-944-8498 (Canada) and 1-800-319-7776 (US).

For more information about other cruise lines, take a look at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Mid-Voyage Land Adventures from Silversea

Exploring the further reaches of ports of call is usually only possible at the start or end of a cruise, when there is more time to do so. This is one of the reasons that pre- and post cruise packages are so popular.

Recognizing this, Silversea Cruises has introduced a whole new line up of single- and multiple-day inland adventures for their cruise passengers, offering them a more extensive experience of the ports of call and what lies beyond.

"We continue to develop new programs that will allow our guests to enjoy authentic onshore experiences," said Darius Mehta, Silversea's associate vice president of air and land programs. "These mid-voyage adventures are carefully designed to take guests further into a specific region, giving them plenty of time to actively engage in its scenery, activities and cultural heritage."

The exciting selection of these new land-adventures include discovering the heart of the Australian outback by rail aboard the glamorous Indian Pacific train, venturing into the eastern Pyrenees to find the tiny, landlocked Principality of Andorra, or taking a trip to Camp Jabulani, set within the Kapama Private Game Reserve of Kruger National Park.

For more details of this and other land adventures offered by Silversea Cruises, take a look at the latest Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine news item at SILVERSEA REVEALS NEW MID-VOYAGE LAND ADVENTURES.

For more information about Silversea Cruises visit the official web site at http://www.silversea.com

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

SeaDream Chef Sudesh Kishhore joins the chefs at Prow's Edge

Executive Chef Sudesh Kishore with SeaDream Yacht Club joins the impressive line up of international and celebrity, cruise line chefs who have shared their recipes with Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine.

In this latest addition to the line up of free recipes for the readers of Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine, Chef Sudesh Kishore presents a recipe for Cream of Pumpkin Soup.

Having joined SeaDream Yacht Club in 2001, Chef Sudesh Kishore knows how to make a SeaDreamers’ mouth water. His recipe for Cream of Pumpkin Soup is no exception.

Aside from the ever popular and delicious lobster and lamb entrees, Sudesh always adds his Indian heritage onto the menu somewhere. In fact, it’s now become a given for guests to get their Indian cuisine fix by the master himself. Some say a voyage with Sudesh just wouldn’t be complete otherwise.

Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine offers more than 30 cruise line food recipes highlighting the talents of more than 25 cruise line chefs like Jacque Pépin for Oceania Cruises and Rudi Sodamin for Holland America Line.

Recipes, advice and everything you need to know about cruise food can be found at the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine Cruise Food section - from how to figure out where the best cruise line food is to be found, to the cruise line's cookbooks.

More information about SeaDream Yacht Club can be seen at http://www.seadreamyachtclub.com/

9 Awards for Holland America Line


Holland America Line has just won a whole slew of awards from Porthole Cruise Magazine's 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards.

These awards include :

· Best Eco-Friendly Cruise Line
· Best Private Island (Half Moon Cay)
· Best Alaska Itineraries
· Best Northern Europe Itineraries
· Best Central/ South America Itineraries (including Panama Canal)
· Best Canada/ New England Itineraries
· Best Shore Excursions
· Best Medical Facilities
· Best Overall Facilities for Physically Challenged Passengers

For more information about these awards and Holland America Line visit the latest Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine news item Holland America Line wins 9 awards from Porthole Cruise Magazine or visit the Holland America Line site at http://www.hollandamerica.com

Monday, November 15, 2010

World's Largest Ships Meet


Royal Caribbean International’s newest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas, received a warm welcome from more than 8,000 guests and crew members aboard sister-ship Oasis of the Seas on Saturday, November 13.

The world’s two largest and most revolutionary cruise ships were together for the first time at sea just two days after Allure of the Seas completed a 13-day trans-Atlantic journey from Turku, Finland.

In a friendly case of sibling rivalry, Allure of the Seas' captain, Hernan Zini, confirms that his ship is five centimeters longer than Oasis of the Seas, allowing room for even more exciting onboard features, such as new dining options, including the first Starbucks at sea, entertainment, including the DreamWorks experience, retail offerings, and Royal Caribbean's continued commitment to provide its signature Gold Anchor Service.

For more information about Royal Caribbean International visit http://www.royalcaribbean.com or for over 500 pages of quality information about cruises i general take a look at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Friday, November 12, 2010

Exciting New Alaska Cruises Shore Excursions

If you have been on a cruise to Alaska you’re probably intimate with the many wonderful things the state has to offer in the way of shore excursions - from taking a helicopter ride over the mountains of ice to wildlife watching.

The competition of most of the cruise lines now trying to attract repeat passengers is to offer new and even more exciting shore excursion opportunities.

Oceania Cruises is no exception.

In their new line up of Alaska shore excursions for 2011, exciting new opportunities incude their most unusual “Bering Sea: Crab Fisherman’s Tour” led by a seasoned Bering Sea captain and crew aboard Aleutian Ballad, the storied crab boat seen on Season 2 of the Discovery Channel series, “Deadliest Catch.”

Another is the “World’s Largest Zip-Line” on Ziprider, the world’s largest and longest zip-line over the treetops and down a mountain at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

For a full line up of these new shore excursions in Alaska take a look at the latest Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine news item about OCEANIA CRUISES ALASKA SHORE EXCURSIONS FOR 2011.

For more information about Oceania Cruises visit the official web site at http://www.oceaniacruises.com/

Or for a comprehensive travel web site all about Alaska, take a look at Travel Tidings Alaska.

Photo: Courtesy Icy Straight Point

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Cunard Line Joins the Parade

For the first time, Cunard Line is set to take part in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade® with a float designed by renowned artist and float designer Raul Rodriguez.


“We are delighted to be part of such a celebrated event like the Rose Parade,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “This year’s Rose Parade theme of building dreams, friendships and memories, ties perfectly with our legacy and heritage. For more than 170 years sailing the seven seas, the Cunard name has been synonymous with fulfilling aspirations, fostering life-long friendships, and creating memorable experiences for all of our guests.”

Fiesta Parade Floats based in Irwindale, California, is the leading, award-winning float-builder in the Tournament of Roses Parade, having designed and built 17 consecutive Sweepstakes Trophy winners. Fiesta is also considered the leader in both floral technology and floral application throughout the float and floral industries - led by Jim Hynd, vice president and floral director - surpassing all other builders in the field of computerized and hydraulic animation.

For more details about the float, visit the latest news page Cunard Line reveals their float for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade taking place Saturday, 1 January 2011, at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Best Cruise Line Food - Prow's Edge Results

The results are in!

Gathering information and feedback from our readers in various polls over the past year, as well as taking their unsolicited comments into consideration, and adding to the mix, the opinions of our regular professional travel writers and contributors, Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine is pleased to announce the cruise lines that top their lists for BEST CRUISE LINE FOOD for 2010.

The Best Cruise Food to be found on CONTEMPORARY CRUISE LINES in 2010


Royal Caribbean International voted as one of those offering the best food in the contemporary cruise line category for 2010 best cruise lines

Disney Cruise Line  voted as one of those offering the best food in the contemporary cruise line category for 2010

Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line vie for joint leader position in both food and food service on a contemporary cruise line for the year 2010.




The Best Cruise Food to be found on PREMIUM CRUISE LINES in 2010

Celebrity Cruises voted as one of those offering the best food in the premium cruise line category for 2010

Celebrity Cruises consistently comes to the top of the list of the premium cruise lines for 2010 in both the food and food service categories.




The Best Cruise Food to be found on LUXURY CRUISE LINES in 2010

Crystal Cruises voted as one of those offering the best food in the luxury cruise line category for 2010

Regent Seven Seas Cruises voted as one of those offering the best food in the luxury cruise line category for 2010

Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are at the head of the list in 2010 of best cruise food on a luxury cruise line. Crystal Cruises score slightly higher in food service.




The Best Cruise Food to be found on ULTRA-LUXURY BOUTIQUE CRUISE LINES in 2010

SeaDream Yacht Club voted as one of those offering the best food in the ultra-luxury cruise line category for 2010

The Yachts of Seabourn voted as one of those offering the best food in the ultra-luxury cruise line category for 2010

Silversea Cruises voted as one of those offering the best food in the ultra-luxury cruise line category for 2010

SeaDream, The Yachts of Seabourn, and Silversea Cruises top the list of offering the best cruise food in the ultra-luxury cruise line sector in 2010 with SeaDream leading the way in food service.

For more information about crusie line food, with recipes from the cruise line chefs - take a look at the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine Cruise Food section.

Volga Dream Cruises Into Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

MS Volga Dream, the only 5-star river vessel in Russia which operates cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg and between Moscow and Astrakhan is one of the most elegant river ships in Europe and she has now joined the long list of cruise line / cruise ship profiles in the cruise line section of Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine.

Widely lauded as one the best small ships and rating top of the list in food quality and friendly staff and crew, the Volga Dream is responsible for introducing European standards of quality and service on the Russian Waterways.

MS Volga Dream carries 109 passengers, with a crew of 60. The ship has 56 comfortable cabins and all feature either a window or a porthole and a bathroom with separate glass shower. Each cabin is equipped with air conditioning, mini-bar, safety deposit box, telephone, and flat screen television featuring international satellite programming and films as well as various radio and music channel options.

With 60 crew members and a capacity for just over 100 passengers, the Volga Dream has the lowest passenger-to-crew ratio on the waterways. With so few guests amid the ship’s spacious arrangement, it feels like sailing aboard a private yacht.

For more information about the 190 passenger, MS Volga Dream – take a look at the Volga Dream profile at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine or visit the official web site at www.volgadream.com

Royal Caribbean Revitalizes 5 Cruise Ships

Good new for fans of the Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean has announced that two more ships will be added to the 3 cruise ships already programmed for extensive improvements and enhancements.

The Radiance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas join the Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas for revitalizations planned for 2011 as part of the cruise line’s 40th Anniversary - just a taste of what Royal Caribbean calls “The Royal Advantage”, the cruise line’s commitment to provide guests with the industry’s most innovative cruise ships, exciting destinations and superior Gold Anchor Service to help create an extraordinary cruise vacation.

“The Royal Advantage is our commitment to continuously contemporize and innovate our vacation offering and deliver the highest the standards of guest satisfaction through our Gold Anchor Service,” said Betsy O’Rourke, senior vice president of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International.

“The planned enhancements of five ships in 2011 will help expand some of the most successful programs that we have launched on our incredible Oasis-class ships to deliver these new ‘wows’ to more ships in our fleet. With November 7 marking our 40th anniversary, we are proud to continue to deliver more to see, do, and love than ever before to our guests.”

For information about these improvements, take a look at the latest new pages at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine and in particular, http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-news-royal-caribbean-ship-revitalizations-1109.html

For the official Royal Caribbean web site visit: http://www.royalcaribbean.com

Best Cruise Line for Seeing the World

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has triumphed in the Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards. The Ipswich-based cruise line – with its Norwegian heritage, and fleet of four smaller, traditional ships – has been voted Best for Seeing the World by the influential cruise website.

Fred. Olsen operates cruises all over the world, most of which are ex-UK and sail from a number of convenient regional ports. They range from 2-3 night mini-cruises, to long epic voyages, ‘Around the World’ and ‘Around South America’.

Commenting on the award, Fred. Olsen’s Marketing Director, Nigel Lingard, said, “The human scale of our ships appeals to many people, who enjoy an informal and friendly experience and, of course, as the judges have recognised, smaller ships have access to some of the more remote and fascinating ports around the world - places that larger ships cannot reach.”

Find out more about Fred. Olsen’s cruises worldwide by visiting www.fredolsencruises.co.uk

Monday, November 8, 2010

New Princess Cruises Cruisetours

If you are looking to make the most of your Europe cruise, instead of just flying in the ship and flying home again, Princess Cruises has announced two new exciting two new cruisetour options for passengers on Europe cruises next year.

The 16-night Ancient Petra and the Dead Sea Cruisetour and the new 20-night Timeless Cities of the Rhine River cruisetour add to the already impressive list of Europe Cruisetours that include the Rome and Venice Cruisetour and the Europe’s Imperial Treasures tour.

Take a look at the latest Princess Cruises news about these tours at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-news-princess-cruises-cruise-tours-1108.html

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess offers its passengers the opportunity to escape to the top destinations around the globe, ranging in length from seven to 107 days.

Visit Princess Cruises at http://www.princess.com/

Friday, November 5, 2010

More Cruise Recipes at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine now offers many more free cruise ship recipes from world famous and celebrity chefs, like Jacques Pépin and Georges Blanc. For a taste of what's on offer take a look at the latest Prow's Edge video introducing these cruise line chefs.




Or visit the cruise line chefs recipes pages now at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Cruise Ship Wi-Fi Access

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced that guests can now benefit from a Wi-Fi service on board its ships. Currently, the service is live and fully operational on three ships in the fleet - Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral. It will be available on Boudicca from January 2011.

There are Wi-Fi ‘hot spots’ on each ship. They are located as follows:-

Black Watch – Library
Braemar – Library and Braemar Lounge
Balmoral – Library, Card Room and Braemar Lounge

Guests can purchase tokens and bundle packages for Wi-Fi internet minutes from Reception, at competitive rates, and these charges will be applied to their onboard accounts. Each token contains a PIN code, and the user will be prompted for this when their laptop or mobile device connects to the wireless network.

Guests wanting Internet access, without using the Wi-Fi service, will still be able to make use of the Internet Centres, on all four ships, to connect whilst on board.

The new service means that guests can connect using their own laptops or mobile devices, if they wish to, and will have greater choice and more flexibility for staying connected while on board.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.co.uk

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

New Cruise Food Section at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine introduces the brand new cruise food section with news about the latest in cruise food, with items of interest such as the historic partnership of Holland America line with famed Le Cirque restaurant in Le Cirque teams up with Holland America Line Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin is working with Le Cirque’s Executive Chef Craig Hopson to re-create the legendary eatery’s whimsical ambiance and award-winning dining experience on board .

There is news too about news about cruise line chefs like three Star Michelin chef Heinz Beck, Master Chef Andre Soltner and colorful celebrity chef Jon Ashton joining the Crystal Cruises’ 15th annual Wine & Food Experiences of Discovery series in 2011 in Star chefs star on board Crystal Cruises in 2011 In addition to food events and hands-on instruction, days at sea will feature chefs’ demos, wine tastings, pairing sessions and lessons in the art of the perfect cocktail.

There is also cruise food news from Holland Holland America Line at Holland America Line Creates the Holland America Line Culinary Council about Holland America Line's Culinary Council of celebrated chefs from around the world who have come together to enrich Holland America Line’s culinary initiatives and to present signature recipes to be featured in all dining venues on all 15 ships. The Culinary Council members include Council Chairman and Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, along with renowned international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Marcus Samuelsson, Jacques Torres and Charlie Trotter.

And there is news also about how Celebrity Cruises has adapted their casual dining experience in Celebrity Cruises redesigns their evening casual dining experience with news about the revamping of the Celebrity Cruises evening offerings in its “lido,” or primary casual dining venues.

For more cruise food news and indeed many pages of information about cruise line food, take a look at the Cruise Food Section of Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine and discover a host of cruise ship recipes and more.

Monday, November 1, 2010

New Rudi Sodamin / Holland America Line Cookbook

Completing the Holland America Line Culinary Signature Collections cookbooks, published by Rizzoli, Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin has written his third cookbook, “A Taste of Celebration” .

The first two titles are Sodamin’s “A Taste of Excellence” and “A Taste of Elegance”, and all three are available at the Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine Cookbooks page and in bookstores and on on board Holland America Line cruise ships.

“A Taste of Celebration” is filled with Sodamin’s inspired recipes for complete menus — from appetizers to desserts — for 16 celebratory occasions.

These include 11 holidays: Valentine’s Day, Passover, Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Also included are recipes for a Captain’s Dinner, Master Chef’s Dinner (a Holland America Line signature event), Super Bowl Sunday, birthday or anniversary celebration and a cocktail party. All of the menus feature distinctive four-star favorites from Sodamin’s extensive recipe collection.

Chef Rudi Sodamin shares one of the recipes for Prow’s Edge readers – Vegetarian Black Bean Chili – the perfect dish for Super Bowl Sunday – and joins the many celebrity chefs featured in the cruise food section of Prow's Edge.

Sodamin is internationally recognized as a food authority and one of the hospitality industry's most innovative chefs. He continues to direct the evolution of fine dining and unique menu options at Holland America Line, including the introduction of alternative dining venues such as the Italian-themed Canaletto and pan-Asian Tamarind, a highly acclaimed, exclusive dining experience on Signature-class ships ms Eurodam and ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Sodamin is a member of the Academy Culinaire de France, Maîtres Cuisiners de France and Honoree Member Club des Chefs des Chefs.

For more recipes from cruise line chefs, visit the popular Cruise Line Recipes at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine.

For more about Holland America Line visit the official web site at http://www.hollandamerica.com