STX France Receives Order for Two Cruise Ships from Viking

Shipbuilder STX France SA announced today that it has received an order to build two luxury cruise ships for Viking Ocean Cruises, an apparent new affiliate of
　
　
　Viking River Cruises. The vessels will be delivered in spring 2014 and spring 2015. An option for a third ship is being considered. STX said the vessels will be operated primarily on the Mediterranean seas and be dedicated mainly to Viking’s U.S., British and Australian customers. Calls to Viking’s U.S. office for more information were not immediately returned. The vessels accommodate include 888 passengers in 444 cabins and 444 crew members. Construction is expected to start in mid-September for the first vessel and in mid-September 2013 for the second one. The contract is subject to financing. STX noted that Viking River Cruises currently operates a fleet of 23 river vessels, and has eight river ships under construction. STX said the two ocean-going vessels will be built with destination cruising in mind. For more information on this and booking any Viking River Cruise, contact The Cruise Outlet at 203-288-1884 or email at info@thecruiseoutlet.com

Norwegian Cruise Line to Introduce New Youth Program

Norwegian Cruise Line plans to replace its current Kid’s Crew program, which has been in place since 1999, with a new program that will be introduced on Norwegian Gem in mid-February. The rebranded program will then roll out to the rest of the fleet. "We’ve already taken family programming to the next level by offering Nickelodeon experiences on some ships," said Norwegian CEO Kevin Sheehan. "In fact, close to 150,000 children sailed on our ships in 2010 and that number continues to rise." The revamped program will divide children among new age groups: 3 to 5 years old; 6 to 8 years; 9 to 12 years; 13 to 14 and 15 to 17 years. There will also be programming for babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 2 years. The new curriculum is being produced in conjunction with The King’s Foundation and Camps, a U.K.-based organization that provides sport and activity programs. More focus will be placed on sporting activities, arts and crafts, theater and technology. Activities will change every 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the age group, and will be set within blocks of programming time in the morning, afternoon and evening. Norwegian also has engaged Cirque Du Jour, a New York-based company that specializes in teaching children circus skills such as scarf juggling, ball juggling, plate spinning, clowning and acrobatics. Circus workshops and shows will also be offered for the entire family. The company also is increasing the ratio of staff to children and establishing new criteria for the hiring of counselors, including the requirement of a college degree in recreation or child care or the equivalent experience. The line currently offers Nickelodeon family events on three ships: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Gem beginning mid-February.

Celebrity Cruises Offers Interactive, Behind-The-Scenes Tours

　
　
　Celebrity Cruises is the latest line to offer a behind-the-scenes tour of areas not usually visited by cruise ship passengers. Celebrity Inside Access includes two activities, the "See How It’s Done Tour" and the "Bridge Sail Away Experience." The "See How It’s Done Tour" visits the bridge, mooring deck, crew gym, theater, engine control room, prep rooms and the main dining room galley. At each area of the tour, guests can interact with Celebrity crew members. Each tour is followed by a wine-paired lunch hosted by an officer in the main dining room. The "Bridge Sail Away Experience" lets guests join the navigational team on the bridge as the ship sails from port. Beginning 30 minutes before and concluding 30 minutes after departing, guests are given a tour and an overview of the bridge by a senior Celebrity bridge officer. Guests also can meet and take photos with the captain. The Celebrity Inside Access program is offered on all ships and available for purchase onboard

Several Cruise Lines Suspend Parasailing Excursions in Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have suspended all parasailing excursions throughout the Caribbean after a Celebrity passenger died in an accident on Nov. 15 in St. Thomas. Carnival Cruise Lines suspended parasailing excursions in St. Thomas until further notice. The 60-year-old woman from the U.S., who was sailing on Celebrity Eclipse, died after participating in a company-sponsored parasailing shore excursion. The guests 34-year-old daughter was also injured in the accident. The excursion crew provided initial care until both guests were transported by ambulance to the Roy L. Schneider Hospital in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, where the woman was pronounced dead. The daughter is still being treated at the hospital, Celebrity said in a statement. A member of the lines Care Team is providing support and assistance to the hospitalized guest and her family. An investigation is under way, and Royal Caribbean and Celebrity said the parasailing excursions will remain cancelled indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation

American Cruise Lines to Feature Lewis & Clark Theme Cruises

American Cruise Lines is offering Lewis & Clark theme cruises next year on the 120-passenger Queen of the West paddlewheeler on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest. The cruises, which begin in April, operate between Portland, Ore., and Clarkston, Wash., following the footsteps of the legendary explorers. Guided tours explore Lewis & Clark National and State Historic Park, including Fort Clatsop, Salt Works and Netul Landing. Onboard lecturers and entertainers will share stories of Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery. The featured guest speaker, Todd Weber, brings tales of the patriots, fur traders, Indians and explorers of America alive through his period clothing and colorful presentation. On one evening, Lewis & Clark impersonators will appear during an evening of dining, entertainment, trivia and more. Also scheduled is a screening of Ken Burns’ documentary "Lewis and Clark -- The Journey of the Corps of Discovery."
　
　
　
Queen of the West, an authentic paddlewheeler, was built in 1996 with a Victorian theme and recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. For more information, call 800-775-1884 or visit www.thecruiseoutlet.com.

Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship Set to Debut Muppets Interactive Adventure

Newly popular again after a hit movie ("The Muppets"), the Muppets will make their debut at sea on Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Fantasy, due out in March. The Muppets will be featured in an "interactive adventure quest" around the ship in search of Kermit’s missing banjo and other items. "The Case of the Stolen Show" is a self-paced adventure game designed for guests age nine and older. Other new features on the Disney Fantasy include be more than 20 pieces of "Enchanted Art," which seem to come alive. The Animator’s Palate restaurant will have a new show called "Animation Magic," in which guests can draw a character using a template on their placemat. Then, just before dinner, house lights dim, black-and-white drawings appear and then turn into color. In Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab youth areas, Disney characters making appearances on a 103-inch plasma screen include Crush, the animated sea turtle from the "Finding Nemo," and Stitch, from "Lilo & Stitch." The Disney Fantasy also features real-time video views in monitors in the 150 inside staterooms. Sometimes an animated Disney character will fly by. High-definition cameras on the exterior of the ship feed the video to the monitors. Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab will feature a Magic PlayFloor, which has 16 light pads on the perimeter that detect motion and location and trigger actions. There are 28 monitors integrated with one another to create a grid display 15-by-15-feet. The games are thematically tied to Disney stories and characters. The adults-only area on Disney Fantasy, Europa, features bars and lounges inspired by European travel. Skyline provides birds’-eye views of city skylines. The venue’s nine windows are actually 65-inch LCD screens that will show views of cities such as Paris, London, Barcelona, Florence, Athens, Budapest and St. Petersburg.
　

Royal Caribbean International to get a new class of ship

Royal Caribbean International's parent company has signed a letter of intent with German shipyard Meyer Werft to build at least one 4,100-passenger, 158,000-ton ship for the line, with scheduled delivery in fall 2014. The order would also include an option for a second ship, with a spring 2015 delivery. "This next generation will not disappoint," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean's parent company Royal Caribbean' Cruises, Ltd., in a statement. Fain would not divulge any of the features that "Project Sunshine," as the class of ship is now code-named, might have, but he did say to expect "new activities and entertainment concepts." "It will offer features for everyone," Fain said. "From grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families." Fain also said the ships would take the leading-edge energy efficiencies and environmental technologies "one further step." The 158,000-ton ships are almost exactly the same size as Royal Caribbean's 160,000-ton, 3,600-passenger Freedom-class vessels, and significantly smaller than the line's last two new builds, the 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ships. Fain told Wall Street analysts in late January that "the time may be right" to order a new ship, and that the line had been working on a new design.