Cruise Lines Create Innovative Cuisine

Cruise Lines Create Innovative Cuisine

As you face the turkey left-overs, the turkey fry-up, the turkey sandwiches and the turkey soup, spare a thought for those lucky cruisers who’ll be tucking into the appetizing cruise line cuisine in 2012.

A major trend in shipboard dining is more choice of restaurants and cuisines, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) (see Cruise Lines Redefine Shipboard Dining).

The new larger cruise ships especially reflect this trend. Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas each offer 25 dining options, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic offers more than 20.

Carnival Cruise Lines is investing $500-million in the first phase of a “Fun Ship 2.0” program offering new dining and entertainment choices on 14 ships; Cunard Line is enhancing its well-established dining traditions with new alternative restaurants and more international menus; Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Dream features Remy, the company’s first-ever premier dining option, created by Michelin two-star chef Arnaud Lallement.

Silversea Cruises has teamed up with the exclusive “Relais & Chateaux L’Ecoles des Chefs” interactive cooking school. Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ “Food, Wine & Spirits Spotlight Series” features partnerships with Napa Valley’s Private Reserve and Tommaso Barletta, proprietor of the “Let’s Get Cooking Culinary Institute.”

In addition to its shipboard Culinary Arts Centers which feature a wide range of culinary enrichment programs, Holland America Line has introduced new dishes created by the celebrity chefs of the line’s Culinary Council. Princess Cruises has partnered with the Mighty Leaf Tea Company to create the “Leaves Tea Lounge and Library” on the Grand Princess.

For more information about CLIA and cruise ship dining, please visit www.cruising.org.

There is much more about cruises and cruise lines at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine, your favorite Internet cruise magazine source at www.ProwsEdge.com

Norwegian Breaks Booking Record

Norwegian Cruise Line broke its single-day booking record on Monday, January 24, 2011 as it saw continued growing demand for its fleet of 11 Freestyle Cruising ships, particularly for its newest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Epic. Overall bookings rose substantially above the company’s previous best booking day and Norwegian Epic achieved the highest number of individual reservations in a single day since her launch.

On January 31, Norwegian will continue with its popular Wave Season promotion “Free Upgrades For All” (www.ncl.com/upgrade) by offering balcony upgrades on its Alaska sailings. New reservations booked through March 27, 2011 receive up to a four-category upgrade, along with e-coupons in on-board savings of up to $400. In addition, bi-weekly special offers on select ships and destinations will continue featuring Hawai’i, Bermuda, Bahamas and Florida, as well as another Epic offer.

For an UPDATED overview of Norwegian Cruise Line visit the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine Cruise Line Profile section.

Guests can make a reservation on any of the line’s 11 Freestyle Cruising ships by calling Norwegian at 866-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784), visiting www.ncl.com, or contacting a travel professional

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

An Optimistic Wave Season for 2010

This is the busiest time of the year for cruise lines - it is when they take the most bookings, or hope to take the most bookings - and it's called the "Wave Season"! And this year so far, it has been a very successful wave season.

Many of the cruise lines are reporting record sales citing increases of more than 20 % ahead of last year.

Norwegian Cruise line, for example, have claimed an almost 100% increase in overall sales, Hurtigruten are "21 % ahead of the same last year in revenue", and Avalon Waterways tell us that "Europe river cruise bookings in the wave season are up more than 90 percent over 2009.”
Carnival reports record wave season bookings as does Royal Caribbean International.

Even the luxury cruise line sector is doing well. Crystal Cruises reported a 205% increase in sales for January over the same month last year, Seabourn cites a 215 % increase

In a time of economic gloom – these figures are promising, but we shouldn't be too surprised. In our blog about the large number of ships on order from the cruise lines in 2010, (12 so far) a sure marker of the state of the industry, we predicted just such a successful year ahead.

The good news is that despite these figures, there are still amazing deals to be had. Take a look at a few of these in our news section at www.prowsedge.com/cruises-news-110310-Cruise-Lines-International-Association-CLIA.html or check out our last blog at http://prows-edge-cruise-magazine.blogspot.com/2010/03/special-deals-from-clia-member-cruise.html devoted to detailing these special deals.

Special Deals from CLIA Member Cruise Lines

The nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is North America's largest cruise industry organization representing 25 major cruise lines. Here are just some of the special deals their member cruis lines are offering cruise passengers.

AMAWATERWAYS
• A "Be our Guest at Oktoberfest" promotion which includes a complimentary 2-night stay in Munich; free airfare or free companion air on select 2010 sailings

AMERICAN CRUISE LINES
• Early bird discounts of $400 per stateroom for any reservations made 3 months in advance of the sailing

AVALON WATERWAYS
• $300-$1,000 off per stateroom on selected European River Cruise Vacations/Avalon Waterways River Cruises; no single supplement on select departures

AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES
• 2-for-1 fares and book a Club Veranda Stateroom for the price of a Club Oceanview stateroom when booking by March 31 on 2010 Europe voyages (sailings April 25 - December 9)

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
• A variety of attractive fares, including Early Saver rates starting at less than $70 per day, with guaranteed lowest rate with Early Saver’s price protection feature

CELEBRITY CRUISES
• New low rates; reduced third- and fourth-guest rates; "Upgrade Your View" to veranda accommodations promotion (Offers on select sailings in Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe and Alaska)

COSTA CRUISES
• Up to 60 percent off select 2010 sailings; up to $100 in onboard credits for select summer Mediterranean cruises

CRYSTAL CRUISES
• Two-for-one fares for all destinations; All Inclusive – As You Wish spending credits for all destinations – up to $2,000 per couple; Free round-trip air with most cruises; Business class air for Penthouse categories in Europe; 2010 Price Guarantees

CUNARD LINE
• Savings of up to $600 per person on Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossings. Save up to $1,000 per person off early booking fares, based on double occupancy for Balcony staterooms on select Queen Victoria Mediterranean voyages.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE
• Select European cruises from April 10 through May 5, starting at just $50 per person, per day, including 14-night transatlantic voyage, 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
• Savings of up to 40 percent on ocean-view and verandah accommodations and third and fourth guest savings

HURTIGRUTEN
• Summer Special – savings of up to 20 percent off retail rate – to promote 6, 7 or 12-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages this summer (May 1 - October 6)

MSC CRUISES
• “Wave Season” special rates on select 3- and 7-night Caribbean cruises, including theme cruises (comedy, baseball, country music, big band and more) on MSC Poesia, for bookings through January 31, including best available stateroom within the same category at time of booking; $100 per person deposits on all cruises

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
• “Year of the Freestyle Vacation” promotion that includes up to a six category upgrade and onboard savings certificates of up to $400 for all new reservations made through March 14 on any of the line’s 10 Freestyle Cruising ships
• All travel partners with qualifying bookings on balcony staterooms or above made during the promotion will be entered to win a cruise

PAUL GAUGUIN CRUISES
• Free or 2-for-1 airfare from Los Angeles to Tahiti, plus up to 45% standard published fares for bookings made by June 30, 2010. Also no single supplement on select spring departures

PRINCESS CRUISES
• “Balcony Bonanza” – through February 28, travelers can choose to a private balcony for the cost of an oceanview stateroom; “Denali on Sale” - savings of up to 25 percent on a land and sea Alaska cruise tour

SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
• Two-For-One cruise fares plus value-priced round trip airfare add-ons to all 2010-2011 Europe and Asia cruises aboard Seabourn’s award-winning, all-suite fleet of five intimate, ultra luxury cruising yachts. Bookings must be made between March 23 and June 30, 2010

SILVERSEA CRUISES
• Up to 60& savings, plus free air and transfers on select voyages

UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES
• Upgrade to Business Class Air from only $199 per person from New York to Europe on select cruises by booking and paying in full by March 26. Spring Savings up to $600 per couple on Europe River Cruises by booking and depositing by April 30. Single Supplement waived on select cruises; and 50 percent off for young travelers on family-friendly cruises

WINDSTAR CRUISES
• “Europe on Sale” promotion features 7-day sailings in the Mediterranean and Greek Isles at exceptional savings; $100 per person shipboard credit for bookings by March 31; early payment gratuity package valued at $84 per guest for payment in full 6 months or more in advance

THREE NEW CRUISE LINE PROFILES TO WET YOUR APPETITE

Most cruise magazines bring you endless news of fun on cruises with Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and all the other major cruise lines. No doubt there is fun to be had on board all these major cruise ships, but there are quite a number of other cruise lines, small and large that offer some unique experiences. At Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine we aim to give you the whole picture.

To that end, three new cruise line profiles have been added to the Prow's Edge web site at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines.html and they are, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon Waterways and Oceanwide Expeditions.

Aqua Expeditions, the brainchild of Francesco Galli-Zugaro, is entirely unique to the Peruvian Amazon, offering trips for discriminating, adventurous travelers exploring the more remote and pristine areas in the upper Amazon River and its tributaries.

The award-winning small ship cruise company Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands and is making waves in river and small ship cruising by offering travelers the newest, most luxurious ships in Europe, China, Egypt and the Galápagos.

And last, but not least, Oceanwide Expeditions is a pioneer and one of the market leaders in the Polar Regions and has – since 1996 - been offering expedition-style cruises to the Arctic and Antarctic regions with chartered ice-strengthened Russian vessels, very suitable to offer exploratory voyages with passengers.

Prow's Edge offers profiles of more than 60 cruise lines, and reviews of more than 40 of those cruise lines in the Cruise Review section at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruises-reviews.html