Miami Dolphins cheerleaders to christen Norwegian Getaway

South Florida's version of the Rockettes? That would be the Miami Dolphins cheerleading squad. Norwegian Cruise Line announced that the cheerleaders for the NFL franchise will be godmothers of the Norwegian Getaway when the ship debuts in February. Getaway is designed to sail year-round from Miami and be iconic of all things from South Florida. It has Latin restaurants, and a Miami artist designed the hull art. As part of the package, Norwegian becomes the official cruise line of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, where the football team plays home games. Previously, Norwegian picked Radio City Music Hall troupe The Rockettes to be godmothers of the New York-themed Norwegian Breakaway, which debuted earlier this year.
For more information and to make cruise reservation on any Norwegian Cruise ship, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884 or email at info@thecruiseoutlet.com

Disney Magic cruise canceled to complete renovations

Disney Cruise Line has canceled a sailing of the Disney Magic in order to complete extensive renovations to the 15-year old ship. The five-day cruise was scheduled to depart Miami Oct. 20, but bad weather during a transatlantic crossing from Spain made it impossible for workers onboard to finish needed refurbishment work on time. The ship had been undergoing renovations in drydock in Spain following its Mediterranean season. Passengers booked on the cruise will get a full refund and a complimentary Disney Magic sailing between now and May 16. Airline change fees will also be covered. Alternately, they can opt for a 35% discount on a Bahamas or Caribbean cruise anytime in the next two years, excluding holiday dates. The Disney Magic is getting new restaurants, children's play areas, water slides and other features, along with a complete overhaul of furnishings, fixtures and color schemes. For more information and to make cruise reservation on any Disney ship or land program, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884 or email at info@thecruiseoutlet.com

Power Outage Hits Royal Princess; Ship Heads Slowly to Naples, Cruise Cancelled

Another cruise ship has had power issues and this time its a sparkling new one. The 141,000-ton Royal Princess, which was christened and launched in June by the Duchess of Cambridge, had a power failure on Sunday en route from Mykonos, Greece to Naples, Italy. Princess Cruises said neither the ship nor its 3,594 passengers and 1,336 crew members onboard were in any danger. After assessing the unexpected mechanical issue, though, Princess has canceled the rest of the ships 12-day cruise. "The ships technical team continued to evaluate the problem overnight and, upon further assessment, it became apparent that repairs need to be made to fully resolve the situation," the line said in its latest statement. We sincerely regret this means the remainder of the current cruise will be canceled, Princess said, also noting it was making flight arrangements to help guests return home after the ship arrives in Naples on Tuesday, a day later than expected due to the vessel's slower-than-normal speed. Guests are expected to spend Tuesday night onboard and depart the ship on Wednesday. Passengers were enjoying the seventh day of a 12-day cruise from Venice to Barcelona. As a result, they'll miss going ashore to explore Rome and Florence (Livorno), two bucket-list destinations for most first-time Mediterranean cruisers. Theyll also miss a port call at Toulon, France. Princess Care Team has been sent to Naples to assist passengers and make flight arrangements. In addition, the line said it will provide a full refund as well as a 25 percent future cruise credit to guests on the shortened voyage. The power problem surfaced at 1:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. The captain notified guests of the situation, the ship slowed to conserve existing power and the ships emergency generator kicked in to maintain such important services as lighting and toilets.

Some passengers indicated that they experienced power outages of 3.5 to six hours. Guests also reported issues with air conditioning, electrical and plumbing, but Princess told the online consumer cruise site that those issues were unrelated to the outage. Whats the status of the ships next cruise? The line said: "The impact of the repairs on the next Royal Princess cruise, scheduled to depart from Barcelona on September 27, is not yet known and we will keep passengers fully advised as details become known."  Power issues have plagued several ships this year, most notably Carnival Triumph after an onboard fire earlier this year. Princess Cruise Line is owned by Carnival Corp. The vessel is sailing throughout the Mediterranean this summer, and will reposition later this fall to Port Everglades, FL, for the winter season.

For more information, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884 or info@thecruiseoutlet.com

Norwegian to Expand Touch-Screen Signage Fleetwide

Norwegian Cruise Line will expand the interactive touch-screen signage first introduced on Norwegian Breakaway to the entire fleet by summer 2015. The digital signs let guests get directions and make reservations for dining, shore excursions and entertainment with a scan of their stateroom key. The screens will also be included on the Norwegian Getaway upon delivery in February. When the project is complete, each Norwegian ship will have 30 to 50 touch and static screens in prominent locations. Guests also can use the touch screens to order beverages, flowers, dining packages and more. The signs provide directions and maps to other locations on board. The signs also can communicate safety information in case of an emergency

Celebrity Millennium's remaining 2013 Alaska cruises canceled

Celebrity Cruises called a premature end to the Alaska season for the Celebrity Millennium, canceling the ship's remaining four cruises on its schedule. Celebrity acted after mechanical problems with the ship's propulsion units kept it in port for at least part of the last two cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska. The canceled cruises, in addition to the current one, were scheduled to depart Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 6 and Sept. 13. Celebrity is in the process of contacting passengers on those cruises and rebooking or refunding them. Affected passengers are being offered a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit. The next scheduled sailing of Millennium will be a Panama Canal transit cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 22.
For more information about the Millennium and making reservations on other Celebrity shis, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at info@thecruiseoutlet.com or call 203-288-1884

Sun Princess cruise canceled at last minute

The first cruise of the Sun Princess after a two-week, $30 million renovation was canceled abruptly because the ship's electrical switchboard malfunctioned. According to several U.K. media reports, about 2,000 passengers were booked on the ship, which was scheduled to leave Singapore on Aug. 20 on a 14-day voyage to Australia. Most of those taking the cruise are from Australia, the reports said. In a statement, Princess said, "Regretfully, we've made the decision to cancel the cruise scheduled to depart today in order to carry out the necessary repairs." The 18-year-old Sun Princess had been fitted with new restaurants, decor and elements that reflect its predominantly Asian itineraries. Guests on the canceled cruise will get a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

Celebrity cruise canceled due to propulsion problem

Celebrity Cruises canceled the rest of a cruise between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, after the Celebrity Millennium developed a propulsion problem. The Millennium had left Vancouver on Aug. 16, but has been moored in Ketchikan since Sunday because one of its two propulsion units failed. Guests are being flown home and will get a 100% refund and a 100% future cruise credit. "Our engineers, along with expert consultants from the motor’s manufacturer, and our marine operations team in Miami, have continued working around the clock to resolve the mechanical issue onboard Celebrity Millennium," a statement said. "Regrettably, as of this time, they have been unable to find a satisfactory solution." The Millennium spent three days of its previous cruise stuck in Seward while another propulsion problem was repaired. Celebrity has not said if the two problems are related. Thirty Celebrity employees are flying to the ship to assist disembarking guests.