Cruise

Windstar buys 3 from Seabourn

Windstar Cruises is doubling the size of its fleet with the purchase of three Seabourn ships by its owner, Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Xanterra has reached an agreement with Seabourn to purchase the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Spirit. Under the project name Global Windstar, the expansion will double the size of Windstar's recently renovated, three luxury sailing yacht fleet, making the company the market leader in small-ship cruising with 300 or fewer passengers, with a total of 1,230 berths. The Feb. 15 purchase is one of several recent Xanterra Parks & Resorts acquisitions,...

Carnival cancels 12 additional Triumph sailings

As the Carnival Triumph continues to be towed to Mobile, Alabama, following an engine room fire on Feb. 10 that left the ship without propulsion, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced the cancellations of 12 additional voyages. The 12 cancelled cruises, which encompass sailings from Feb. 21 through April 13, are in addition to two previously cancelled voyages scheduled for Feb. 11 and Feb. 16. Affected guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, as well as non-refundable transportation costs, pre-paid shore excursions, gratuities, and government fees and taxes. Guests will also...

Royal Caribbean adds 2014 Big Apple sailings

Royal Caribbean International has introduced new summer 2014 cruise vacations, sailing from the New York metropolitan area, Baltimore, and Port Canaveral and Port Everglades in Florida. Five- to nine-night itineraries are available to Bermuda, The Bahamas and the Caribbean, aboard Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. Royal Caribbean has opened 67 sailings through August 2014 for bookings. In the Northeast US, vacationers can choose seven-night Bermuda or Bahamas itineraries aboard the newly revitalized Grandeur of the Seas,...

Schiffner leaving Cruise Holidays

Travel Leaders Leisure Group has announced that Mark Schiffner has officially resigned from his post as vice-president and chief operating officer of Cruise Holidays, effective April 30. Schiffner has led the organization over the past four years. In a statement, Schiffner explained he will become the owner and chief executive officer of a growing hair care franchise company in Canada, his home country. "It has been an honour to be a small part of where Cruise Holidays has come over the last four years,"he said. "My sincere hope is that in my new venture I will have the same privilege to work...

Fire leaves Carnival ship stranded, no injuries reported

The Carnival Triumph, while on a four-day cruise that departed Galveston Feb. 7, experienced an engine room fire on Sunday morning and has been without propulsion in the Gulf of Mexico since that time. The ship's automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the fire was successfully extinguished. No injuries were reported. Last night, the first of two tugboats arrived and tied up to the ship. "We had originally planned to tow the ship to Progreso, Mexico, the closest port to the ship's location early Sunday. Since that time, the ship has drifted about 90 miles north due to strong...

Cunard takes guests behind the scenes

Adding to its extensive list of onboard activities, Cunard Line is now offering "Behind the Scenes Tours"for the curious guest. Led by Cunard senior officers, the tours offer guests unprecedented access to the ships' private areas, such as the Medical Centre, Engine Control Room, Butchers Shop and the Mooring Deck. Topics range from environmental concerns, such as recycling 15,000 litres of used cooking oil, to the logistics of stocking more than 5,000 lines of consumable products, such as shower gel and beef joints. During the tour, guests learn first-hand of the many provisions required to...