Allure of the Seas nabs a new chef for 150 Central Park

Maureen Brandt of Stillwater, Minn. Nabs Job as Chef de Cuisine for 150 Central Park Onboard Allure of the Seas

Central Park

MIAMI, August 9, 2010 - After hsting an eight week-long contest, which culminated with five intense hours in the competition kitchens at The Culinary Institute of America, Royal Caribbean International has found the next culinary superstar to lead the kitchen of the signature restaurant onboard Allure of the Seas, the cruise line's newest ship which will make her debut in December 2010 and share the title of world's largest and most innovative cruise ship with sister-ship Oasis of the Seas.  Maureen "Molly" Brandt of Stillwater,Minn. has landed the job of a lifetime: a one-year paid contract to be the Chef de Cuisine of 150 Central Park onboard Allure of the Seas.

  

Avalon Waterways is adding another ship to its Fleet in 2010 the Avalon Panorama

Avalon Panorama

Completed in 2010 and sailing in 2011 the Avalon Panorama is the newest addition to the Avalon Waterways fleet. With an average ship age of only 2.5 years, Avalon Waterways prides itself on having a young fleet that provides Inspired river cruises throughout Europe. The Avalon Panorama gets her name from the views in which she will provide her passengers. Providing two decks of suites on board and massive windows in everyone of them, Avalon Waterways has spared no expense in getting their passengers to be fully emerged in a Panoramic experience.

Extend your Stay in Bermuda for a Few Days

For a low, low price of $1500. Here is the catch, your time will be spent in a jail cell for possession of drugs. This is what happened to George Koumoulis from Abingdon, Maryland after police found 7.66 grams of marijuana in his cabin on the Norwegian Dawn. Koumoulis was busted because many of his cruising neighbors could smell the drug being burned in his cabin and reported the smell to cruise officials and he is very sorry.

Reports from The Royal Gazette of Bermuda.

Allure vs Oasis: What's the Difference?

Oasis of the Seas

The Oasis of the Seas made history when she was completed in 2009 as the largest and longest passenger vessel ever built.  Carrying over 6000 passengers and being over 225,000 gross tons, she is an impressive sight to see. 

Royal Caribbean is known for pushing the limits when it comes to building ships.  In 1999 the Voyager of the Seas was completed, and became the first ship to have an ice rink, rock climbing wall, and promenade including shops and a cafe.  The Oasis includes all of these features plus much more.

Is Laughter the newest feature for Cruise Lines?

USA Today reports that due to the popularity of the comedy club on their ship, the Carnival Dream, Carnival is now installing a dedicated comedy club on all of their ships. The comedy clubs will be called "Punchliner" and are going to be transforming lounges found on the rear of the ship. With promises of 2 performances per night and 10 total performances per trip for short trips and 20 performances per long trip, Carnival is truly making an investment in laughter.

In other comedy news, check out the Lewis Black Comedy Cruise sailing out of Miami on November 7th on the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas.

Celebrity Century moving from Baltimore to Australia

Gene Sloan from the USA Today reports that earlier today Celebrity announced their moving of the Celebrity Century from Baltimore to Australia in 2011. "The new Australia and New Zealand cruises will be book-ended by a series of vacation options in Hawaii as well as voyages that stop in Indonesia and French Polynesia. The lineup includes 10 distinct itineraries with six departure ports including Sydney and Perth (Fremantle), Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Honolulu, Hawaii; San Diego, California, and Ensenada, Mexico." For passengers booked on various Celebrity Century out of Baltimore in 2011-12 will be proactively contacted by Celebrity Cruises, the line says. Passengers with questions specific to those bookings also can call 888-281-9343.

[Sources: Out of Baltimore and Into Australia]

Gym Time: Oasis, Epic, and Nieuw Amsterdam

I believe that the single most important feature on any ship is the workout facilities. This is an area where every passenger must share not only equipment but also a common desire to exercise while out at sea. This is the first article of the Gym Time series that will focus on the gyms and workout facilities that are available to cruisers.


The first three ships we will be taking a look into are Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, and Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Epic. The details of the workout facilities which I will be covering are the Cardio Machines, Resistance Machines, Free-Weights, Classes, and other athletic features.
 
Pictured Above, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas Spin Room.

Cruise Industry Survives Gulf Oil Spill

The entire hullabaloo over the Gulf oil spill has brought into question the fate of many industries. The cruising industry is one of the most profitable in the Gulf, and its dependence on the water makes it a likely candidate for major disruptions.

Several major ports including Galveston, Mobile, and New Orleans have already been directly impacted by the spill in some way or another. Carnival Cruise Line has the most to lose since it has ships sailing out of Galveston and Mobile, putting its ships at risk of colliding with the oil spill.

Norwegian Epic makes its first visit to St. Thomas

Boasting a focus on "Freestyle Cruising" the 4100 passenger Norwegian Epic from Norwegian Cruise Lines is the newest ship in the Caribbean. Some features on the Epic include performances by the Blue Man Group, Ice Bar, a dueling piano bar and a wide selection of night clubs. Want an impressive display of dinner and  a show? The Epic provides a casual dinner experience during their Cirque Dreams and Dinner show which aims to fulfill your mind and stomach.

Enough about the ship, how are travelers going to react the St. Thomas only a few days after a gang shootout took the life of fellow cruiser? I would imagine the usual festivities are going to be shortened and the typical exploration of the island will be kept on the ship. Even though St. Thomas is a great place to visit and sight see, the incident may be too fresh in the mind of most tourist.

 Read on for a video about the Norwegian Epic

Shooting in St. Thomas kills one Cruiser

USA Today reports that two passengers from the Carnival Victory were victims of a gang shootout that happened during their visit to island of St. Thomas. One of the victims, a 14 year old female was fatally injured, while the other only sustained minor injuries.

2,106-Passenger Nieuw Amsterdam is Holland America's Newest Vessel

With the ever growing size of cruise ships, Holland America takes its first serious step over the 2000 passenger barrier. The Nieuw Amsterdam IV weighs in at 86000 tons and hopes to carry on the tradition with which her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother established. To enhance her rich history a large investment has been placed into the artwork which will be found around the ship.

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The goal for this blog is to create a consistent source of information related to all things cruising.