April 30, 2008 - Royal Caribbean International christened Independence Of The Seas, the third in the famed Freedom Class of Ships, on April 30/08 in Southampton, England. The Independence was christended by Elizabeth Hill, who became the godmother of the ship as result of an open contest. She was chosen because of her contribution to the causes that help youth. Independence of the Seas is the First to Sail in Europe for its inaugural season

MIAMI, April 17, 2008 - Continuing its legacy of creating revolutionary vacation experiences, Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its newest innovative ship - Independence of the Seas - during a ceremony at Aker Yards in Turku, Finland, today. Just days away from her debut in Europe, Independence of the Seas, is the third of the line’s Freedom class of ships and will be the largest cruise ship ever to be home-ported in Europe, when she sails out of Southampton, United Kingdom, for her inaugural season. Independence shares the title of world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship with sister-ships Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, which launched in the U.S. in May 2006 and 2007 respectively, and which offer Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida.

In the first nationwide search of its kind in the United Kingdom, Royal Caribbean is bestowing the title of Godmother of Independence of the Seas to an ordinary woman who has done extraordinary things to further the well being of youth in her community. The search was conducted with the cruise line’s charity partner and British five-time Olympic gold medalist, Sir Steve Redgrave. The four Godmother finalists - who were nominated by peers or family members - joined Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and CEO, Richard Fain at Aker Yards, to welcome Independence into service. The four finalists are Barbara Natasegra, Elizabeth Hill, Madeleine Henry and Sue Stones. The Godmother, who will be announced on April 18, will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges, including Sir Steve Redgrave; Royal Caribbean executives and guest judges. She will have the honor of participating in the inaugural celebrations and official naming ceremony in Southampton on April 30.

“We are delighted to welcome Independence of the Seas to our fleet and to introduce her to vacationers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Positioning one of our largest and newest ships in Southampton reaffirms Royal Caribbean’s strong commitment to the region and will provide the opportunity for more European guests to experience the distinctive and award-winning vacation our brand has become recognized for throughout the world.”

Following a series of preview sailings in Oslo, Norway and Southampton, Independence will embark on her maiden voyage on May 2. Through the summer of 2008, she will sail 14-night ‘Mediterranean Treasures’ and ‘Italian Mediterranean’ itineraries round-trip from Southampton. Ports of call include Gibraltar.; Barcelona, Malaga, Vigo and Seville, Spain; Nice and Cannes/Monte Carlo, France; Florence/Pisa and Sardinia, Italy; and Lisbon, Portugal.

Guests also can enjoy two, four-night getaways from Southampton to Cork, Ireland and St. Peter Port, Channel Islands. Three, 11-night Canary Islands itineraries, also roundtrip from Southampton, will close the fall season, calling on Madeira, Portugal; Tenerife, Las Palmas and Lanzarote, Canary Islands; and Vigo, Spain. Independence then heads to the United States to begin a series of warm weather Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida starting in November 2008.

At 160,000 GRT and a capacity of 3,634 guests, Independence of the Seas will feature all of the industry-first amenities which are trademarks of the Freedom-class ships: a FlowRider surf simulator; the H20 Zone water park with its interactive sculpture garden for families; cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 ft. above the ocean in the adults-only Solarium; a full-size boxing ring and a 14-person family suite. Unlike her sister-ships, all pools and the water park on Independence will be heated.

Independence also will feature some of the other distinctive offerings the global cruise line is known for including, an ice-skating rink; a rock-climbing wall; an award-winning children’s program; fine to casual dining venues; Broadway-style entertainment and the Royal Promenade - an entertainment boulevard stretching the length of the ship with its shops, restaurants, bars and lounges, which provides guests with an endless variety of choices and experiences to suit their taste and preference.

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 21 ships currently in service and two under construction. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and New Zealand.
View my photos of the Inaugural in New York of the first of the freedon class ships, The Freedom of the Seas by following this link http://www.chtravel.com/rci/freedom/index.html

Luxury Riverboat Is Tauck’s Second New Ship In Two Years

ANTWERP, BELGIUM (April 3, 2008) Tauck family members, Tauck World Discovery executives, travel agents, local dignitaries, journalists and other special guests gathered at the Antwerp Cruise Terminal in Antwerp, Belgium today for the official christening of Tauck’s new MS Swiss Sapphire luxury riverboat. The launch of the Swiss Sapphire comes just two years after the launch of its sister-ship, Tauck’s MS Swiss Emerald.
The Swiss Sapphire was christened in a dock-side ceremony by Lee Tauck, godmother to the ship and matriarch to the third generation of the Tauck family to lead Tauck World Discovery, an 83-year-old luxury tour, cruise and safari operator. The christening ceremony included speeches by Tauck executives and city officials, performances by a local musical ensemble, and fireboats firing cannons and spraying towering geysers of water skyward in celebration. Following the ceremonies, the Sapphire and its guests set sail on a three-day luxury cruise along the Albert Canal.

The Swiss Sapphire was constructed in Hardinxveld Giessendam in the Netherlands, and it will alternate with the Swiss Emerald on six different itineraries. The launch of the Swiss Sapphire highlights Tauck’s sixth year offering European river cruises, and it marks the company’s continued expansion in the category. Besides the launch of the Sapphire, the company is also adding two new European river cruise itineraries this spring.

Despite the expansion of its fleet and its cruise offerings, Tauck is intentionally managing its growth, says CEO Dan Mahar. “We’re taking a very deliberate and measured approach as we grow our river cruising business, to make sure that the quality of the experience continues to live up to Tauck’s standards, and to exceed the expectations of our guests,” said Mahar. “Our goal is not to be the largest river cruise company in the world, it’s to be the best.”

The 361-foot Swiss Sapphire accommodates a maximum of just 118 guests, compared to 150 or more on other similarly sized vessels. Guests aboard the Sapphire can choose among 59 outside-facing staterooms, including 14 luxury suites. Each suite boasts 300 square-feet of living space highlighted by floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets and marble baths with full size tubs. An additional 45 junior suites and cabins range from 150 to 183 square-feet. All suites and cabins are well appointed with plasma TVs, mini-bars, terry cloth robes, radios, safes, individual air conditioning and L’Occitane toiletries. The ship also features a 24-hour Jacuzzi, Lido bar, lounge, restaurant and wellness center. Along with a ship’s crew of 29, the Sapphire also has an onboard staff of three Tauck Directors and one Tauck Cruise Director to ensure superior service and attention to guests’ needs.

http://www.europe-river-cruise.com/eurivcrssearchresult.htm?Site=NxCamb&dir=offr&OfferId=816092

The Federal Appeals Court of Pasadena, California has ruled that laptops or other electronic media arriving at a US Customs port of entry can be searched by border agents without having to demonstrate “reasonable suspicion”. This may present a problem for business travelers or individuals arriving with sensitive data on electronic medium. Encryption of the data may be a reasonable alternative, however it would seem that the electronic medium can be seized, refused entry or the owner may be asked to un-encrypt.
The Association of Travel Executives (ACTE) noted that government has no guidelines on what may trigger an inspection or seizure of an electronic device.

Frontier Airlines filed today for bankruptcy protection. The Airline maintains that all financial obligations will be met and flights will operate as scheduled. According to Frontier the move was brought about because the principal credit card processor is going to withhold larger amounts of the proceeds from ticket sales as of April 11.
“This change in established practices would have represented a material change to our cash forecasts and business plan. Unchecked, it would have put severe restraints on Frontier’s liquidity and would have made it impossible for us to continue normal operations.” Frontier CEO Sean Menke said.
As all US Airlines, Frontier has struggled amid rising fuel prices and aggressive competition at Denver International Airport. It blamed a 16.3 per cent jump in fuel costs for a third-quarter loss that more than doubled from the previous year.

Carnival Corporation has just announced an increase in the fuel supplement charge from $5 to $7 per person per day for double occupancy and a charge of $2 per day for 3rd/4th/5th passenger in a cabin. The increase will be in effect for all new bookings as of April 21/08.
Carnival also announced a voluntary refund of the company’s fuel supplement on March 31, 2008 for applicable U.S. bookings that were made prior to November 7, 2007 under an agreement with the Florida Attorney General’s Office. The fuel supplement, announced November 7, 2007, was applied to all U.S. bookings for voyages departing on or after February 1, 2008.

The company will now refund the fuel supplement for those guests who were already booked at the time the supplement was announced. Refunds for affected guests will be implemented based on cruise departure date according to the following schedule:

- For cruises departing on or prior to April 4, 2008, guests will receive a refund in the same form they used to purchase their cruise;
- For cruises departing from April 5, 2008 through June 23, 2008, guests will receive an on-board credit;
- For cruises departing on or after June 24, 2008, guests’ bookings will be adjusted to eliminate the fuel supplement
This ruling applies to all Carnival Brands including: Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourne Cruises, Costa Cruises and Cunard

Another carrier has been hit by the high cost of fuel and stiff competition. Asian low cost carrier, Oasis Airlines, flying the Vancouver Hong Kong and London Hong Kong routes has halted operations after just 17 months in operation. The Hong Kong Economic Times suggested that Oasis had been loosing money on virtually every flight it flew.

Many passengers are holding tickets for future flights since they were being sold until the end of March. Executives for the Oasis said they were looking for a way to help customers affected by the shutdown. A government official on Wednesday told reporters it is negotiating with other airlines that fly Oasis’ routes to get them to provide low-cost tickets to its customers.

“We sympathize with the many passengers…who have been stranded by the Oasis’ decision, and we will do our very best to help them through this difficult and stressful period,” Cathay Chief Executive Tony Tyler said in a statement. Cathay has established a help site for ticket holders offering a special one way fare of $320 on the Vancouver HongKong route.  More information can be found at  http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_CA/offerspromotions/offerdetails?refID=277c9cdd60d29110VgnVCM10000010d21c39____
The Oasis website http://www.oasishongkong.com

As of May 5, 2008 Continental airlines will fall in line with other US Carriers and restrict baggage allowance for coach passengers to one bag with a charge of $25  applying to a second bag. Presidential class card holders and non elite customers purchasing full-fare and premium class tickets are also exempt.

Air Canada Passengers affected by flight delays or cancellations can now contact a specially trained Air Canada representative to arrange for alternate travel or accomodation if required. The service is called “On My Way” and will cost $25 for short haul flights and $35 for long haul flights each way. The service is available for Air Canada and Jazz flights within Canada and to the USA including Hawaii and Alaska.

ATA airlines filed for Chapter 11 on April 2, 2008. Passengers holding unused tickets on ATA are advised to contact their travel agent or credit card company on how to obtain a refund. ATA states that they are in no position to refund a ticket from available cash. Southwest Airlines which was a codeshare partner with ATA is rebooking travelers to the closest departure available.