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VIKING Ocean Cruises new cruise line will make its maiden voyage in 2015.
AZAMARA Club Cruises unveiled its 2015 itineraries, 52 sailings ranging from 5nights to 18-nights Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest will visit a total of 203 ports in 62 countries, including 16 maiden port calls. Celtic Link ferries are transporting caravans free of charge between now and Christmas. DUN LAOGHAIRE Killiney hotelier, Eithne Scott Lennon, was appointed as Chairperson of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company by Minister Varadkar. THOMAS COOK announced Cunard and P&O 2015 World Cruise offerings and a Weddings at sea package.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN launched Ocean Voyages, a collection of revised onboard programmes and new shore excursion packages on sailings between Europe and the Americas. All Royal Caribbean International ships to sail Ocean Voyages will also have completed revitalisation by early 2014.
LIVERPOOL's Cunard Building where many Irish emigrants once began their journeys, could become a cruise terminal if a proposed relocation programme put forward by Liverpool City council goes ahead. LLOYD's List, claimed as the shipping industry bible, one of the oldest newspapers in the world, abandoned print after 279 years to go on-line only.
CELTIC LINK Ferries will be the only ferry company sailing between Ireland and France in January and most of February in 2014. Celtic Link Ferries will begin their January schedule on January 14th after taking a few weeks off for ship maintenance.
CELEBRITY A new late-night, adultonly entertainment format will open on Celebrity's 3046-passenger Celebrity Reflection and 2886-passenger Celebrity Silhouette. "Sin City Comedy" is designed to be "funny and a little bit sexy," combining comedians with burlesque acts. It's produced by the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood "Sin City" group. The show will be in addition to existing music, jazz, vocal, party band, and stage shows.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN commemorates a quarter-century of Alaska cruising next year when the cruise line places two ships in service there. 34 sailings will leave from Vancouver or Seattle on seven-day itineraries. Next year Royal Caribbean promises up to 11 dining options, a new entertainment array, kids and teen programs, and a new babies and tots nursery for youngsters from six months to three years of age. In ports of call, it will offer 5300-foot-long zip rides, dogsledding, White Pass and Yukon train rides, off-roading , canoeing, and more CRYSTAL has completed some remod-
eling to add more connecting staterooms. The company says it notices an increase in multigenerational cruising and has refitted 18 outside staterooms to enable connections.
irish Ferries premium suite on board Oscar Wilde
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Irish Ferries brings crusie ship style comfort to ferry
rish Ferries have formally launched their three Premium Suites on board the Oscar Wilde which sails from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff. Situated high up on deck 8 overlooking the bow of the ship with unobstructed sea views, the twin-room suites offer passengers a level of comfort more akin to cruise ships. Cabin service are provided by a dedicated steward, each double-
roomed suite consists of a sitting room with sofa seating and an adult sofa bed and an adjoining bedroom with king size double bed and ensuite facilities. Other little luxuries that passengers can look forward to include a stocked minibar and complimentary fruit basket; Nespresso coffee and tea making facilities; a 32'' satellite web-connected television with wireless keyboard; air conditioning; a trouser press and hairdryer and breakfast for two in
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ublin welcomed its millionth cruise passenger this month. A big fuss was made when Diane Taylor, from Newfoundland, stepped off Carnival Legend with her husband, Doug. She was presented with flowers and champagne and they were brought off to the Guinness Stre-
house for VIP treatment. The next passenger off the ship had cause to be very grumpy indeed. According to cruise director John Heald, Mr Ayers of Iowa would have been the millionth passenger if only his wife had not paused at the top of the gangway "to sort her purse out." Carnival Legend was the
100th cruise ship to visit the city this year and is now heading for New York on a 14-night sailing via Dublin, Glasgow, Belfast, Reykjavik, Qaqortoq and St John's, Newfoundland. Cruise passenger numbers to Dublin have tripled in a decade and are expected to quadruple during the next 10 years.
the ship’s plush Berneval restaurant. Aimed at those who like to pamper themselves, the new Premium Suites add to the accommodation offering onboard the Oscar Wilde which includes a choice of 2, 3, 4 and 5-star cabins and onboard facilities that include a choice of restaurants and lounges, two cinemas, Wi-Fi internet access, mall style shopping, children’s play zones and a hair and beauty salon.
A million up