Norwegian Set to Keep Two Ships in Europe Year-Round

Norwegian Cruise Line will keep two ships in Europe year-round for the 2014-15 winter season. Norwegian Jade will operate a variety of itineraries, including seven-day Greek Isles, seven-day Adriatic, Greece and Turkey, 10-day Eastern Mediterranean and 11-day Western Mediterranean. Norwegian Spirit will offer 12-day "Grand Mediterranean" voyages and 10-day Canary Islands and Morocco itineraries. These cruises are now open for sale. Norwegian Jade will depart from Rome (Civitavecchia) during the winter and sail alternating 10-Day Eastern Mediterranean itineraries from Nov. 12, 2014, through Dec. 13, 2014, and Jan. 14 through April 8, 2015. This itinerary stops in Olympia (Katakolon), Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Ephesus (Izmir) and Istanbul, Turkey; and Naples, Italy. The 11-day Western Mediterranean itinerary will operate from Nov. 1, 2014, through Dec. 23, 2014 and from Jan. 3 through April 18, 2015. From Civitavecchia, this itinerary includes visits to Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Provence (Toulon), France; Barcelona and Valencia, Spain; Cagliari, Sardinia; Carthage, Tunisia; Palermo, Sicily; and Naples. From Nov. 26, 2014, through April 15, 2015, Norwegian Spirit will sail 10-day itineraries to the Canary Islands and Morocco from Barcelona or Malaga, Spain. This new itinerary visits Casablanca, Morocco; Funchal, Madeira; Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Lanzarote, Canary Islands; and Granada (Málaga), Spain. For more information and to make a reservation contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884

　

Holland America Line Adds to Dancing With the Stars Pro Lineup

Holland America Line has added celebrity and professional dancers to its 2013 Dancing with the Stars: At Sea theme cruises. Professionals scheduled to appear are two-time champion Mark Ballas, champion Kym Johnson, Chelsie Hightower, Tristan MacManus and Lacey Schwimmer. Celebrities scheduled to sail are singer Joey Fatone, actress Sabrina Bryan and television personality Carson Kressley. The six theme cruises in 2013 and early 2014 will give guests a chance to meet the dancers, ask questions and take photos. Theyll also feature dance lessons and a production starring the celebrities and dance pros, complete with glamorous costumes and routines from the TV show. Performers are subject to change. Professional dancers Schwimmer and Ballas are scheduled to appear on Eurodams Feb. 16 Eastern Caribbean cruise. Joining the pros on the seven-day voyage are Fatone and Bryan. Hightower and Ballas are scheduled to sail June 22 on the Veendams seven-day Canada and New England voyage. The celebrities are to be announced. Johnson and MacManus are scheduled to sail on Oosterdams June 30 and July 7 seven-day Alaska cruises along with celebrity Carson Kressley. Additional celebrities are to be announced. Dancing with the Stars: At Sea theme cruises for 2014 are on the Nieuw Amsterdams Jan. 5 seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailing and Jan. 12 seven-day Western Caribbean cruise. For more information and to make reservations contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884

Royal Caribbean Offers Free Drink Package on Select April Sailings

Royal Caribbean International is offering a complimentary Premium Beverage Package for two to those who book a balcony or higher-category stateroom aboard four select trans-Atlantic cruises in April by Feb. 15. Eligible sailings are Navigator of the Seas 15-night crossing from New Orleans to Rome departing April 6; Independence of the Seas 13-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton, U.K., on April 7; Brilliance of the Seas 11-night sailing from San Juan to Lisbon on April 13; and Adventure of the Seas 14-night voyage from San Juan to Southampton on April 21. The complimentary Premium Beverage Package is only available for the first two guests in a booking. The Premium Beverage Package includes house wines, beers under $6.25 each, fountain sodas, and well, call and premium brands of liquors and frozen drinks at restaurants, bars and lounges when open. The offer does not apply to group bookings. For more information and to make reservations contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884

Carnival puts 15-drink daily cap on alcohol package

Carnival Cruise Lines has incorporated a daily limit of 15 drinks into its single-price drinks package. The package, which is now being offered on 13 Carnival ships, lets passengers pay for all beverages on a cruise in a single payment. A Carnival spokesman said the cruise line recently "formalized" the limit on how many alcoholic drinks guests will be served within a 24-hour period running from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. the following day. It started on one ship last summer and has since been expanded to about half of Carnival's fleet. Sodas and most other non-alcoholic beverages remain unlimited and are not counted toward the 15 drink ceiling. For more information contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884

Norwegian Breakaway to Feature Fireworks Show on Every Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Lines new Norwegian Breakaway, scheduled to enter service in May in New York City, will have a fireworks show on every cruise. The environmentally-friendly display will take place on the second-to-last night at sea each week, after the ship departs Bermuda during its summer inaugural season. The produced show will be set to a playlist of classic 1980s hits including Come on Feel the Noise by Quiet Riot, Whip It by Devo, Cherish by Madonna, Final Countdown by Europe and Purple Rain by Prince.  The 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in its year-round homeport of New York City on May 7. The ship will begin seven-day cruises to Bermuda on May 12. From October through April 2014, the ship will offer cruises to the Bahamas & Florida and the Southern Caribbean.  For more information and to book this ship or other NCL ships contact TheCruiseOutlet,com, exclusive rates and programs for NCL at 203-288-1884 or email:  info@thecruiseoutlet.com

Carnival cancels Belize calls, says port is overcrowded

Carnival Cruise Lines is forgoing port calls in Belize through the end of 2013 because the port has become too congested, Carnival said. Although we have a confirmed berth in Belize, local officials accepted calls for additional ships. Consequently, their tender capacity is not able to effectively handle the increased volume of guests without creating long delays and limiting your time ashore," Carnival said in a letter to customers. Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to come to an acceptable agreement with Belize Port Authority regarding this situation. The Carnival Glory and the Carnival Legend, the two ships that had scheduled calls in Belize this year, instead will call in Costa Maya, Mexico. For more information contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884