Norwegian Offers Upgrades, Lower Deposits, $100 Onboard Credit

Norwegian Cruise Line, in a major new offer across the fleet, is giving early-booking rewards to those who book 2012 or 2013 cruises between July 11 and Aug. 14. The offer is good on voyages at least three days long to Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Europe and Hawaii. The offer includes same-category upgrades, up to $100 per stateroom in onboard credit and reduced cruise deposits fleet-wide. Norwegian’s deployment for 2012 and 2013 includes several firsts for the line. Norwegian Pearl will sail from New York beginning in October 2012, offering 21 seven-day Bahamas and Florida cruises, along with three 12-day Southern Caribbean voyages. In April, Norwegian Star will start weeklong cruises to Bermuda from New York. In the company’s largest European deployment ever, Norwegian Spirit will join Norwegian Jade sailing year-round in Europe beginning in April. Norwegian Spirit will operate 12-day “Grand Mediterranean” voyages in the summer and fall, along with nine-day Canary Islands cruises in the winter and spring. In Alaska, Norwegian Jewel will replace Norwegian Star in May and cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. In another limited-time offer, those who book a Europe cruise on Norwegian Epic by July 31 receive up to $300 spending credit. The Western Mediterranean sailings depart Barcelona and visit Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Florence (Livorno), Nice (Villefranche) and Provence (Marseille).

For more information, call The Cruise Outlet at 203-288-1884.

Bill Cosby to Perform on Norwegian Pearl in Seattle

Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Pearl will host Bill Cosby for one night when he performs in the ships Stardust Theater on July 24. Cosby will perform two 70-minute comedy shows, complimentary to guests, while the ship is docked in Seattle.

Norwegian Pearl will overnight in Seattle on July 24 in order to undergo technical repairs to the ships propeller. The ship will depart at noon on July 25 on its seven-day Alaska Glacier Bay cruise. Because of the delayed departure, the ship will bypass its call in Juneau. Guests will be compensated with a $150 onboard credit per stateroom, as well as a future cruise credit of 10 percent of the cruise fare paid per guest. In addition to Cosby’s performance on Sunday night, guests will also enjoy complimentary house wine with dinner and 50 percent off on specialty restaurant cover charges.

We understand that missing Juneau will cause disappointment for some of our guests, so we wanted to do something very special to make the cruise memorable, said Norwegians CEO Kevin Sheehan. Bill Cosby is a huge name in entertainment and we felt that he would deliver an incredible show. We are very pleased to have Mr. Cosby performing on board Norwegian Pearl.

For more information, contact the Cruise Outlet at 203-288-1884!

Norwegian Cruise Line Rewards Those Who Plan Ahead

Norwegian Cruise Line is rewarding those guests who plan their vacations in advance beginning on Monday, July 11, 2011. Vacationers who book their 2012 or 2013 cruise between July 11 and August 14, 2011, can take advantage of special offers on Norwegian’s Freestyle Cruising voyages* to Alaska; Bahamas & Florida; Bermuda; the Caribbean; Europe; and Hawai’i. Guests who book early will cruise happy with same-category upgrades, up to $100 per stateroom to spend on board (based on cruise length and category) and reduced cruise deposits fleet-wide.

Norwegian’s deployment for 2012 and 2013 includes many exciting firsts for the line. From the northeast, Norwegian Pearl will set sail from New York beginning in October 2012, offering a series of 21 seven-day Bahamas and Florida cruises, along with three 12-day Southern Caribbean voyages; and, in April 2012, Norwegian Star will embark on weeklong cruises to Bermuda from New York. In the company’s largest European deployment ever, Norwegian Spirit will join Norwegian Jade sailing year-round in Europe beginning in April 2012. This is also the first time Norwegian Spirit will sail in Europe offering 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages in the summer and fall, along with nine-day Canary Islands in the winter and spring. In Alaska, Norwegian Jewel will replace Norwegian Star in May 2012 and cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. Guests sailing on Norwegian’s fleet of 11 Freestyle Cruising ships can experience award-winning entertainment, accommodations to suit an array of needs from solo travelers to families; and enjoy dinner around the world with options ranging from Italian, French, Chinese and classic American to sushi, Teppanyaki and Brazilian churrasco.

For a limited-time, guests who are looking to set sail on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise vacation through Europe can receive up to $300 to spend on board (based on stateroom category) on new reservations made on Norwegian Epic by July 31, 2011.

Norwegian Cruise Line Adds Surcharge for Late-Night Room Service

Thinking of ordering room service at 1 a.m. to quell those late-night hunger pangs?

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers will soon have to pay for the privilege. In coming months, the line will begin charging $3.95 per room service order delivered between midnight and 5 a.m. The new policy will be rolled out fleet-wide in July for the line's eight ships sailing from U.S. ports and in August for its two Europe-based vessels, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jade. NCL spokeswoman AnneMarie Mathews tells that the charge is being instituted in order to cut down on food waste, which she said was more of an issue during the early a.m. hours.

Passengers with late-night cravings will still be able to get their fix without any added fees provided they're alert enough to leave the cabin. The line's signature 24-hour diner-style restaurant (O'Sheehan's on Norwegian Epic, Blue Lagoon on NCL's other ships) will remain surcharge-free. If NCL's new late-night surcharge seems familiar, that's because Royal Caribbean instituted a nearly identical fee 2.5 years ago. At the time, RCI's fee sparked vigorous debate.

In other food-related news, NCL also announced that it would be rolling out 24-hour pizza delivery fleet-wide. The for-fee dining option -- $5 for a 16-inch pie (cheese, pepperoni, veggie) delivered anywhere on the ship -- debuted on NCL's Norwegian Epic. One note: Passengers who order pizza (or beverages) between midnight and 5 a.m. will not be charged the late-night service fee in addition to the $5.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Fails Sanitation Inspection - June 26, 2011

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 failed a vessel sanitation inspection on June 10 with a score of 84, two points below the level of 86 that is considered satisfactory by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report cited improper storage of food, pests and dirty pool areas, among other infractions.  The company acknowledged the failing grade and said the issues have been addressed. “Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 received an uncharacteristically low score of 84 following her voluntary Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) inspection in New York on June 10,” Cunard said in a statement. “On most previous inspections she has scored over 95, on three occasions achieving the maximum of 100. The poor assessment on June 10 resulted largely from one small area of the ship’s overall operation. All the issues raised in the report were immediately addressed and have now been corrected.  “Ship and shore management have now redefined certain roles and responsibilities to clarify accountability, and the company’s already-rigorous training schedule has been stepped up. The company is confident that failings of this nature will not occur again, and that the ship’s VSP scores in future will return to the customary consistently high level.”  According to the CDC’s VSP site, the Queen Mary 2 scored a 98 on July 19, 2010; a 97 on Jan. 4, 2010; a 98 on Aug. 23, 2009; and three perfect 100 scores on April 14, 2009; Aug. 7, 2008; and Jan. 20, 2008. For more information, contact The CruiseOutlet.com