Northeast Cruise Guide

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Cruise From Your Back Yard Rather Than Travel By Air

Just last week United Airlines announced that they were changing the configuration of their aircraft to reduce the size of the already compact seats from 18" inches to 17" inches. The configuration change will make the already cramped planes, capable of handling 6 more passengers in coach.

Many other airlines have already stated that they will follow United's lead.

The airlines continue to find new ways to make air travel less convenient, less comfortable and less affordable for the average traveler.

Cruises are available from New York and Baltimore year-round and seasonal from Boston, Norfolk, Quebec and Montreal. Save the airfare and take a cruise from a city nearby.

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Monday, September 10, 2012

Norwegian Breakaway's Hull Art Revealed.

Norwegian Cruise Line's New Norwegian Breakaway's Peter Max Hull Art Design

Norwegian Cruise Line today revealed Norwegian Breakaway’s signature hull artwork designed by pop icon and America’s most popular living artist, Peter Max. This is the first time Norwegian has commissioned a well-known artist to paint the hull artwork on one of its ships. Launching in April 2013, Norwegian Breakaway will be the largest ship to homeport in New York City year-round. Max’s signature artwork will cover approximately 40,000 square feet of Norwegian Breakaway’s hull.

“While it has been an honor to have my art exhibited in museums and galleries, I have also enjoyed creating giant ‘canvases’ for public view, including my 600 ft. Woodstock stage, a giant World’s Fair mural, the body of a Continental 777 super jet, and now, the hull of Norwegian Breakaway,” said Peter Max from his New York studio. “The artwork is a composite of New York City and cosmic imagery— the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, a giant sunburst, planets, stars, and musical notes. That’s my New York! And now Norwegian Breakaway is my New York cruise ship ‘canvas.’”

“Norwegian Breakaway is New York’s ship and this colorful artwork by Peter Max will make the ship an instant icon,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “The Big Apple is known for its love of art and its many galleries – and now, Norwegian Breakaway becomes a floating piece of art that will cruise in and dock every Saturday on New York’s West Side. With this distinctive design, unlike anything else on the water, the ship will be recognizable to the millions of New Yorkers who will see her as she journeys up and down the Hudson River each week.”

Peter Max

With paintings on exhibition in hundreds of museums and galleries worldwide, Max and his vibrant colors have become part of the fabric of contemporary culture. Max has been successively called a Pop Icon, Neo Fauvist, Abstract Expressionist and the United States’ "Painter Laureate."

Max has achieved his place in history having painted for various Heads of State, including six U.S. Presidents. From art that appeared on the first U.S. 10-cent stamp bearing the title “Preserve the Environment,” to 235 U.S. Border murals greeting millions of people entering America each year, Peter Max seeks to capture themes of America at its finest in his art.

He has a long-standing career as the preeminent Pop artist in America. His art has appeared on a Continental Boeing 777 jumbo jet; a 600-foot stage for the Woodstock Music Festival; the covers of Verizon's New York City yellow and white pages; and a giant mural unveiled at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Max has also been designated Official Artist of five Super Bowls, six Grammy Awards, World Cup USA, The World Series, the United Nations Earth Summit, and numerous other events. Max was honored at the Jefferson Awards with an award for his lifetime dedication to America, and its charitable causes.

Norwegian Breakaway

The 4,000 passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in her year-round homeport of New York City in early May 2013. The ship will begin weekly summer seven-day cruises to Bermuda on Sunday, May 12, 2013. From October 2013 through April 2014, New York’s ship will offer voyages from the heart of Manhattan to the Bahamas & Florida and the Southern Caribbean.

To date, the company has revealed the ship’s groundbreaking design, including The Waterfront and 678 Ocean Place; a wide range of indoor and outdoor venues on three dynamic decks that will create a whole new complex at sea that enhances guests’ connection with the ocean. Norwegian Breakaway’s entertainment will include three Broadway shows: five-time Tony nominated ROCK OF AGES; the dance sensation BURN THE FLOOR; and CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER JUNGLE FANTASY. The famed comedy troupe The Second City, Howl at the Moon dueling pianos, and New York’s own Slam Allen will also perform on the vessel. Celebrity Chef and Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian will also debut his first restaurant at sea on Norwegian Breakaway: Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian.

The top decks of Norwegian Breakaway will feature the first Aqua Park at sea with five full-size water slides, including twin Free Fall slides, the first ever at sea, and a three-story sports complex that includes the largest ropes course at sea, a nine-hole miniature golf course, basketball court, rock climbing wall and more.

The ship will also feature a rich mix of stateroom options including The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 Suites at the top of the ship and 18 additional Suites located throughout the ship; the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers; the re-introduction of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites; along with Spa Balcony, Mini-Suites and Suites in close proximity to the spa.

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Today's Cruise Update and Hurricane Leslie

Aurora - PO Cruises - New England - Canada Cruises

The seasonal shift of ships from Bermuda to New England / Canada has occurred with last week,

The New England / Canada season kicked off, big time this week with the departure of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem, Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess and Carnival Cruises' Carnival Glory all setting sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In addition, Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Summit, set sail from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ for Portland, Maine.

P&O Cruises Aurora is steaming toward New York and is expected to arrive in New York today (Sunday)with a full complement of British Passengers as part of a U.S., New England, Canada cruise.

Holland America's Veendam, sailed for New England / Canada last week and will complete the remainder of her 2012 fall season from Boston.

Both the Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn continue to sail to Bermuda. The Norwegian Dawn set sail from Boston on Friday, en-route to Bermuda. Norwegian Cruise Line stated that the Norwegian Dawn's Bermuda arrival will be delayed but did not state by how much.

The Norwegian Star is enroute to New York and is expected to arrive in New York early today (Sunday) and no changes have been announced for her Sunday departure for Bermuda.

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas is returning to Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ from Labadee, Haiti. The Explorer of the Seas will depart tomorrow (Sunday) for Bermuda. No modifications have been announced for her upcoming sailing as of now.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Norwegian Cruise Line Offers Onboard Discounts

Norwegian Cruise Line Offers On Board Credits.

Norwegian Cruise Line is launching its “Cruise Event Week” limited time offer today, Tuesday, September 4, 2012, giving guests the opportunity to earn additional on-board amenities when they book a new cruise vacation to one of Norwegian’s popular destinations including the tropical waters of the Caribbean, with fares starting at $399*. Guests who make a new cruise reservation will receive a variety of on-board amenities, based on stateroom category, plus reduced deposits when they book any five-day or longer Norwegian cruise by Monday, September 10, 2012. Special resident rates are also available on select sailings.

From studios to oceanviews and balconies to The Haven, every room comes with great perks for guests to enjoy. Solo travelers who book a studio stateroom on board Norwegian Epic or those who book any inside stateroom will receive a bottle of wine to toast to their vacation. Guests who sail in an oceanview stateroom will receive a bottle of wine, plus decadent chocolate-covered strawberries. Balcony guests will also receive a bottle of wine and chocolate-covered strawberries, along with a complimentary dinner for two in Norwegian’s signature Italian restaurant. Mini-suite guests will enjoy all of the amenities received by those in a balcony stateroom, plus an additional dinner for two at Norwegian’s signature steakhouse, a guest favorite specialty restaurant, located on every Norwegian ship. Suite guests will receive all of the amenities entitled to guests sailing in a mini-suite, plus an additional $50 spa credit to use towards any pampering treatment in the Mandara Spas on board. Guests who set sail in Norwegian’s luxurious suite complex, The Haven, available on board Norwegian Epic, Gem, Pearl, Jewel or Jade, will enjoy all of the amenities received by suite guests, plus dinner for two in Norwegian’s signature French restaurant, and an additional $75 dollar on-board credit to use towards another relaxing spa treatment, exciting shore excursions, dinner in a specialty restaurant or towards beverages in one of the many bars and lounges on board.

As the weather gets cooler, the tropical cruise season heats up with nine ships sailing from four convenient departure ports – Miami, New Orleans, Tampa and New York – and amazing itineraries that offer a slice of paradise in the Eastern, Western or Southern Caribbean.

Guests can chase the sun on a Caribbean cruise from Miami on board Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Pearl or Norwegian Sun. Norwegian Epic, recently named “Best Ship for Sea Days” by Cruise Critic, will sail a series of seven-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean beginning November 3, 2012; Norwegian Pearl will sail to the Western Caribbean on a series of seven-day cruises beginning October 21, 2012; and Norwegian Sun will sail to the Southern Caribbean on 10 and 11-day cruises starting on October 14, 2012.

Guests wishing to sail from Tampa can do so on Norwegian Dawn, sailing seven-day Western Caribbean cruises beginning November 11, 2012.

Norwegian Gem sets sail from New York on nine-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean from New York starting October 20, 2012.

Norwegian Jewel also offers convenient getaways from New York on seven-day cruises to the Bahamas & Florida from October 14, 2012 through December 30, 2012 or they can sail to the Southern Caribbean on a 12-day cruise between January 6, 2013 and February 3, 2013.

Guests who wish to sail from New Orleans in 2012 can set sail on Norwegian Star, sailing seven-day cruises to the Western Caribbean starting November 4, 2012.

In an exciting first for the line, Norwegian Jewel will be the first Jewel-class ship to homeport in New Orleans. Starting October 13, 2013, Norwegian Jewel will offer seven-day cruises to the Western Caribbean through April 13, 2014.

Residents of the Northeast can be one of the very first to experience the line’s newest and most innovative ship, Norwegian Breakaway, on a seven-day cruise to Bahamas & Florida from New York City, starting October 13, 2013.

For those who prefer a quick tropical getaway, Norwegian Sky offers three and four-day cruises year-round to the Bahamas from Miami.

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