World Cup Fever Has Begun In Earnest!

As World cup fever gets well and truly under way, few thousand football supporters will be able to really enjoy their accommodation as Holland America Cruises have two ships, the Noordam and the Westerdam will dock at three South African ports, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban to follow the World Cup action between June 10 to July 12.

The ships have been chartered by One Ocean Club, a German based hospitality service, and are offering numerous two to five night packages. Although the packages do include transfers to the football grounds they don't include tickets to any of the matches, they have to be sourced from FIFA.

The two ships will also have African touches along with all the normal facilities the two cruise ship offer. Menus will included locally sourced African food and the standard show program will be replaced by African artists.

Holland America Cruises are expecting an international mix of passengers who all have one thing is common – football!

Chartering cruise ships for major sporting events is nothing new for One Ocean Club, it used cruise ships on a charter basis to act as floating hotels in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics.

With hundreds of thousands of worldwide football fans arriving in South African to watch the World Cup, those luck few thousand will really have the best of both worlds – as long as they remembered to book their tickets to the matches!

Image: Holland America Cruise ship Noordam

Themed Cruises A Big Hit With Passengers

Cruise passengers who adore 'soaps' will be delighted to know that they can experience more than watching they favourite 'soap' during their cruise! Celebrity cruises have a four day 'Soap Cruise' departing from Miami this season.

Themed cruises are becoming more and more popular as such many of the leading cruise lines have a variety of diverse themed cruise deals this year. From lectures, demonstrations, performances by top personalities and tours are amongst the vast ranges on offer, where passenger participation is encouraged and welcomed.

Crystal Cruises have seven Wine and Food Experiences of Discovery this year featuring top chefs and wine experts. Crystal Cruises also have a mind, body and spirit Wellness cruise Departing from Singapore in April.

Holland and America Line also have a gastronomic delights for their passengers with over seventy chefs from the US providing a wealth of knowledge for the most discerning of palettes throughout their 2010 cruise season, all demonstrations will be presented in the new on-board Culinary Arts Centre.

MSC Cruises have a whole host of different themed cruises throughout the season from baseball, big band, polka, bridge along with varied food and wine themes. On their cruise ship Melody there are some unusual themes which include n Circus, arts, crafts, magic and dreams; further themes include music, fashion. Beauty and dance on South America cruises until May.

The whole ethos of passengers being spoilt for choice certainly holds true as themed cruises are becoming an integral part of meeting passenger needs.

Image: MSC Melody

$62 Million Cruise Liner Terminal And Retail Centre Opens At Roatan

A $62 million cruise liner terminal and retail centre has opened at Roatan the Caribbean's latest private island.

Carnival Cruises have developed the complex to enable its Seabourn, Princess, Holland America, Carnival and P&O cruise ship to call there along with non-Carnival ships. The cruise centre is spread over 20 acres with an additional 10 acre private island which is expected to host over half a million passengers annually on board over 200 cruise liners.

The new ship terminal and private island will boast a number of innovative facilities for passengers which include:

* A 'Magical Flying Beach Chair', a cable suspended lift, will be one way in which passengers will be able to travel from pier to the beach.
* A beach with 825 feet of pristine white sand.
* An extensive range of shops and restaurants on the beach.
* Volleyball courts and water sports opportunities.
* Shore excursion facilities.

A new 3690 passenger, 130, 00-ton ship has also been ordered by Carnival for 2012 spring delivery. This ship will also include the latest innovative design features which include:

* A 300 foot corkscrew water slide.
* Indoor and outdoor cafés.
* Centres design with teens and children in mind.
* Cantilevered whirlpools which extend over the sides of the ship.
* A 24,000 square foot spa.

Further facilities are due to be revealed as the construction of the ship continues. Exciting times are ahead for cruisers looking for exceptional value for money and the very latest technological advances in the world of cruise ships.

Image: Carnival Sensation

Holland America Cruises Increases The Number Of No-Fly Cruises

For people who love cruising and yet don't like or are unable to fly out to ports to embark on-board cruises ships will be able to leave the Port of Dover as Holland America Cruise Lines begin their no-fly itineraries next year with three of their ships.

Based in Dover from May to August 2010 the 2,104 passenger Eurodam is scheduled to sail five 12 night cruises, one to the Norwegian fjords and the other four to the Baltic.

The Baltic cruise itineraries include ports of call at Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm and the Norwegian Fjord cruise visits Copenhagen, Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen, Invergordon, South Queensferry and Newcastle.

The Ryndam, with capacity for 1,400 passengers, will also be at Dover to begin a 20-night round trip to the Mediterranean, calling at Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. A further three 7-night cruises to the Baltic and Norwegian fjords will be available in July and August which is hoped will attract novice cruisers to indulge and experience what Holland America Cruise Lines, HAL, have to offer, with tasters of enjoying unique, yet unpretentious cruise deals.

The third ship is the smaller 793 passenger Prinsendan which will be sailing two 14-night round Britain cruises leaving from Tilbury on July 11th and August 29th.

Although prices have yet to be confirmed by HAL they are expected to offer exceptional value for money, the actual costs will be given when the Ryndam cruises go on sale next Monday, 25th January in the UK as HAL are launching a mini brochure ahead of their main 2011 brouchure.

Lynn Narraway, managing director of HAL has said 'We will start to talk to agents next week about the cruises to secure early bookings.'

HAL no-fly cruises began in 2009 with a 4-night mini break departing from Dover on the Eurodam. They will also have three full length cruises on the Eorudam also departing from Dover this year.

HAL will have a total of 7 ships sailing in Europe in 2011, including their latest ship Nieuw Amsterdam which is scheduled for launch this July.

'Signature of Excellence' Innovative Enhancements And Design Features

It was nearly five years ago when Holland America Line first told the world about its innovative Signature of Excellence, as the budget exceeds 525 million pounds passengers will find luxury at every turn as they walk their way around ms Holland, from the latest designs being used to update and enhance many aspects of this luxury cruise ship.

Ms Rotterdam's new look included the received the stylish Mix lounge, forward-looking Retreat Pool, chic Showroom at Sea, plus of the industry’s only Lanai staterooms. All staterooms have completely overhauled new cabins as well as new bathrooms designs.

The Signature of Excellence also features a pool named The Retreat, the Showroom at Sea, Canaletto Italian restaurant along with the new Mix lounge midship. Twenty three of the staterooms near the spa on the Veranda deck will become 'spa staterooms' which include a host of enhanced spa facilities.

Thirty nine new Lanai staterooms are to be created on the Lower Promenade Deck by existing window with Lanai doors which open directly onto the promenade with further rooms of this category being added.

The Holland America Line have scheduled three more of their luxury cruise ships, ms Ryndam, ms Maasdam and ms Statendam, to have the Signature of Excellence makeover and enhancements which will be carried out in two phases beginning in early 2010 and 2011 with the second phases taking place 2012 -2013.

Passengers who are looking for 5 star facilities, along with value for money cruise deals, will not be disappointed with the innovations Holland America Line cruise ships have incorporated to bring their cruise fleet into the 21st century with unadulterated chic styling and a host of new features to meet passenger demands.