CRUISE UPDATES AND HINTS #8

CRUISE NEWS UPDATES: P&O SPECIAL OCCASION PACKAGES
P&O has released new specialoccasion packages! These packages are only available on cruises 5 days or longer. Prices for these package start from $159.00 saving of 21% off retail price onboard.

Available packages include:
Special Occasions Package
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Dinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan for 2 people*Ernest Hillier boxed chocolates - milk and dark$50 Onboard spending money per booking
Romance Package
Moet & Chandon Brut ImperialDinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan for 2 people*A dozen roses bouquet Ernest Hillier boxed chocolates - milk and dark P&O Cruises logo teddy bear Framed portrait photo from cruise
Foodies Package
Dinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan for 2 people*P&O Cruises cook book "Holidays"Trout Valley pinot noir, Nelson Glandore Estate chardonnay, Hunter Valley$50 onboard spending money per booking
Double the Fun Package (for groups of 4 toshare)
Dinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan for 4 people*Tyrell's Old Winery rose, Hunter Valley Dusky Sounds sauvignon blanc, Marlborough $100 Casino Credit per booking


CRUISE PORT OF CALL: Vanuatu (Champagne Bay)
Champagne Bay is known for its pristine beaches and ranked among the most beautiful beaches in the world. Go for jungle safaris and visit the Mele Cascades for a memorable experience ofwalking under them and into a cave. Shopping while in Champagne Bay includesmarket like stalls where you can buy trinkets, handicrafts, sarongs, woven hats and much more. Champagne Bay holidays are great for escaping the city life to forget your worries and relax by the beach.


CRUISE HINT: SMALL CARRY BAG
A hint would be is to pack a small empty carryon bag as the last night of the cruise; you have to set your luggage out before midnight so that it can be picked up. So you can use your small carry bag to store the clothes you would like to wear home and also is a place to stash the pyjamas, toothbrush etc.

CRUISE UPDATES AND HINTS #7

CRUISE UPDATE: Titanic II announced

AUSTRALIAN billionaire Clive Palmer has signed an agreement with a Chinese shipyard, CSC Jinling, to build the Titanic II! The ship will be as luxurious as the original Titanic, except it will have 21st century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems. Titanic II will debut in 2016 with a Trans-Atlantic crossing.

CRUISE UPDATE: Pacific Dawn’s Refurbishment

P&O’s Pacific Dawn two week multi-million dollar refurbishment, has been completed and has departed on it’s first post-refurbishment cruise. Pacific Dawn created more benefits to the local economy.  Over 600 specialist workers, 600 ship crew and dockyard’s workforce of more than 200 people were handling the scheduled refurbishment of the Pacific Dawn which included the installation of a giant poolside entertainment screen, ice cream parlour and new interconnecting family cabins. “Over the past five years the Queensland’s cruise industry has boomed, where now the Sunshine State now has Pacific Dawn permanently based in Brisbane full time” said Carnival Australia CEO, Ann Sherry. Refurbishing P&O’s ships in Brisbane adds more money to the local economy, the cruising economic contribution in Queensland is due to raise significantly this means the cruise industry has a very important future in the Sunshine state of Queensland.

CRUISE PORT OF CALL: P&O’s New Destination, Papua New Guinea

The new destination of Papua New Guinea will feature two different itineraries, with Pacific Dawn sailing from Brisbane to the waters of Milne Bay, where it will visit the local capital Alotau as well as the beautiful white sand beaches of Doini Island and the Trobriand Islands otherwise known as the Islands of love. P&O’s new 2013-14 itineraries include the Papua New Guinea sailings these are priced from $1049 per person quad share for a nine-night cruise. Visit our website www.eseacruising.com.au or email us at cruises@eseacruising.com for further enquiries for these new fantastic itineries.  Don’t miss out, cabins are selling fast!

CRUISE HINT: MONEY FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

When travelling to the Pacific Islands it is recommended to take small notes eg. $5 or $10 for the markets as it is easier for them to exchange notes to their own currency other than coins. As a nice gesture swap the coins for your smaller notes.

CRUISE UPDATE: THE FLAVOUR OF P&O

New Zealand Natural is about to embrace cruising with the new signing of an agreement between P&O. The agreement will see P&O score its very own flavour of New Zealand Natural premium ice cream. This flavour will be unveiled on board the Pacific Dawn as part of the choice of flavours in the new New Zealand Natural Premium Ice Cream Parlour which is currently being installed during her scheduled refurbishment. When the dawn sets sail on the 1st of May the new P&O flavour will be revealed!

CRUISE UPDATE: P&O’s Pacific Dawn add Papua New Guinea to its itinerary

New for 2013/2014 P&O’s Pacific Dawn is sailing from Brisbane and adding two new unique itineraries to the remote and strikingly beautiful region of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Both itineraries feature the ports of Alotau and Doini Island, as well as the Trobriand Islands.

Alotau (Milne Bay) is the Capital of Milne Bay province; it has rich history and is famous for its coral reef and scuba diving experiences.

Doini Island is located in the heart of Milne Bay on the Easter tip of Papua New Guinea. The island is surrounded by beautiful beaches and is home to the classis white sand beaches and pristine turquoise waters.

Trobriand Islands lie along the Northern straits of Milne Bay and are more widely known as the ‘Islands of Love’. Kiriwana Island and Kaileuna Island are rich in culture where as Kitava Island is known for its beautiful beaches which are perfect for swimming, snorkerling and canoeing.

There are a total of three departures: one 9-night departure October 2013 and two 10-night departures in November 2013 and April 2014.

CRUISE HINT: WHAT TO TAKE TO THE ISLANDS

While on the islands a useful hint would be to take reef shoes for swimming and walking on the beach as you don’t want to be stepping in coral. Also a nice gesture would be to take along some gold coins for the islanders as many ports have groups of people singing with a donation box in front of them as it is only a couple of dollars to us however the small amount means a lot to them.

CRUISE UPDATES AND HINTS #4

CRUISE UPDATE: COSTA CRUISES

Costa have defied the odds and have reported that bookings for its 2012 Easter cruises were record breaking and exceeded the numbers for Easter 2011. Five Costa ships spent Easter in the Mediterranean including Costa NeoRomantica, Costa Mediterranea, Costa Pacifica, CostaDeliziosa and Costa Serena.

CRUISE SHIP: CARNIVAL SPIRIT

When cruising your holiday starts as you step on board and thearrival of Carnival spirit in Australia is exciting for families. CarnivalSpirit provides age appropriate programs for everyone and youth activities aresupervised by trained and experienced staff.

· Camp Carnival provides toys and arts and craftsfor young kids aged 2-5.
· Juniors 6-8 are also catered for and for thoseaged 9-11 there are pool parties and scavenger hunts.
· Circle “C” for the 12-14 gives the young teenssomewhere to hang out and watch late night movies, danceparties
· Club 02 is for the older teens with their ownlounge area and a non alcoholic drink bar and teenparties.

The ship also provides the best waterpark at sea, mini golf,a choice of swimming pools, a sports court, and a 2deck fitness centre.

CRUISE HINT: THEME NIGHTS

New cruisers are often unaware of the theme nights offered on some cruises. An idea is to take some inexpensive accessories on the cruise with you. Some of the theme nights include Country Western, Island Night, 70’sNights, Rock and Roll Night and Pirate Night.

CRUISE UPDATES AND HINTS #3

CRUISE UPDATES:

RHAPSODY REVEALED

The Rhapsody of the Seas has undergone an onboard US$45 million revitalisation project and has finally been completed, with the vessel now en-route from Singapore to Australia. Once the Rhapsody of the Seas arrives in Australia it will depart on 13th April for a 17-night Trans Pacific Cruise to Hawaii before heading off for her Alaskan season on the 11th May.

SEABOURN IN AUSTRALIA

Next year will be the Seabourn Quest’s first ever visit to the shores of Australia, she will be calling into ports at Sydney, Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Townsville, Cairns and Thursday Island in February. The newest addition to the Seabourn Fleet, Quest’s Australian visit is part of a 116 day world cruise. Australians will also be able to cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey in our local waters next year, for three months as the liner explores the islands and coastlines of Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand. A regional visit includes a 16 night voyage from Bali to Sydney departing on the 21st of December 2012 and will visit Komodo Island, Darwin, Thursday Island, Cairns, Townsville, Hamilton Island and Brisbane.

CRUISE HINT FOR THE WEEK: Keeping in touch with fellow Cabin Mates

Take along a mini whiteboard or a packet of post-it notes so that you can leave notes for each other on your movements throughout the day in a prominent place, for example the mirror.

CRUISE UPDATES:

AUSTRALIANS ADVANCING ON AZAMARA

The Azamara Clubs third largest market is of course Australia and is the first choice of destination if a third ship is added to this fleet. Azamara is the Royal Caribbean’s premium line and operates “destination-immersive” voyages aboard the 694 passenger Quest and Journey ships. These luxury cruises sail through Asia, Europe and South America and include complimentary wine with lunch and dinner and overnight port stays. However, there are no solid plans to base an Azamara vessel in Australia in the near future we are confident to know that if a third ship is added to the fleet it will be sure to come to Australia.

REALITY CRUISE SHOW: LOVE FOR SAIL WITH NCL

Love for Sail is a new US reality dating TV series, which follows four women and a group of single men who are all looking for love. Norwegian Cruise Line vessels have been selected to be the host for this new reality show! The Norwegian Cruise Line Directors will help organise events for the ladies, these including romantic dates onboard and in port. Once this show is aired in Australia, viewers will be able to see the Norwegian Cruise Line vessels first hand; Love for Sail will feature the Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Pearl and the Norwegian Star.

CRUISE HINT FOR THE WEEK: INSIDE CABINS

An idea for anyone who books an Inside cabin and does not realise how dark these rooms can be. For those who want to wake up still with the morning light a hint would be to leave your television on with no sound overnight onto the Cruise Camera channel so that when the sun rises your room will light up too.

CRUISE NEWS UPDATES & HINTS

CRUISE UPDATES:

RHAPSODY BROADENS ITS DINING

The Rhapsody of the Seas will be adding five new signature dining establishments.

For the next four weeks, the Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas will be undergoing a major renovation and adding five new signature dining establishments to the liner. The Rhapsody of the Seas will offer a new variety of dining options and a total of seven restaurants once the ship returns to sea. These including The Chops Grille, the company’s flagship steakhouse, Italian and Japanese options and a gourmet market-style setup offering sandwiches, soup and pastries.

NORWEIGIAN SHIPLIKELY WITHIN TWO YEARS

The Norwegian Cruise Line may base a ship in Australia in 2014.

This cruise line is the only major cruise line company without a superliner in Sydney,however Norwegian Cruises hopes by 2014 to send a Norwegian ship to Australia. Two new ships are being launched in the next two years and they need a place to call home and where better else then Sydney, Australia. As reported that Australia is Norwegian Liners fourth biggest international market following the UK, Germany and Spain. Final decisions of placements for these new ships are yet to be revealed, but hopefully Norwegian Cruise Line chooses to base a ship in Australia so that more of us can experience of these amazing major cruise liners.

CRUISE HINT FOR THE WEEK:

KEEPING ORGANISED

Take a long a highlighter, not only can you use it at Bingo (Saving you money on buying a dabber) you can also highlight you chosen activities on your cruise daily. If you want to keep your daily newsletters from the cruise safe to take home as a memory, take along a display book too.