Home-Based Travel Agent - February 2008 - (Page 54)

Cruise FOR THE AGENT WHAT’S COMING ONBOARD IN 2008 AND 2009 New ships and newly constructed or renovated ports mean more selling opportunities for travel agents Most ship deliveries scheduled through 2012 have already been announced. Since agents won’t be able to book those future ships for some time, we’ve limited this rundown to vessels entering service in 2008 and 2009. We’ve also detailed some ports under construction or receiving renovations and upgrades. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line New Ships: Independence of the Seas (May 2008), Project Genesis (fall 2009) Early Word: Independence rounds out RCCL’s Freedom class. Unlike its predecessors, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, Independence will homeport in Europe. Expect features similar to those of prior Freedom-class ships, such as a rock-climbing wall, full-length basketball court and the guest-favorite FlowRider wave simulator. Genesis ships will surpass Freedomclass ships by 60,000 tons. Carnival Cruise Lines New Ships: Carnival Splendor (July 2008), Carnival Dream (fall 2009) Early Word: Splendor will begin its lifespan sailing out of Dover, England, operating a northern Europe itinerary. The ship will be larger than previous Carnival ships and feature a new amenity: spa staterooms, which will exist in tandem with the ship’s Cloud 9 Spa. MSC Cruises New Ships: MSC Poesia (April 2008), MSC Fantasia (fall 2008), MSC Splendida (spring 2009) Early Word: Poesia is the final ship in MSC’s Musica class and will have similar attributes as its sister ships, Musica and Orchestra. Fantasia represents a new class for MSC and therefore will be Celebrity Cruises New Ships: Celebrity Solstice (December 2008), Celebrity Equinox (summer 2009) Early Word: Celebrity received input from women from all walks of life on how Solstice should look and feel. The results? Staterooms will be 15 percent larger than Celebrity’s prior Millenniumclass ships and will contain higher beds for storage underneath, bigger bathrooms with glass-paneled shower doors and more muted coloring. Another innovation: spa staterooms called AquaClass, which incorporate spa elements and give guests special access to the ship’s spa. There will also be a restaurant called Blu specifically designed for spa guests. Princess Cruises New Ship: Ruby Princess (November 2008) Early Word: Ruby Princess is the sister to the well-received Emerald Princess, which debuted in the Mediterranean last May. Ruby’s maiden season will be in the western Caribbean, and the 3,080-passenger ship will boast similar Seabourn Cruise Line New Ship: Seabourn Odyssey (June 2009) Early Word: Many are anxious for the Rooms on Celebrity Solstice will be larger than previous Celebrity ships (top); a rendering of Carnival Splendor, entering service in July (bottom) markedly bigger than the line’s previous ships—more than 40,000 tons larger, with a capacity of 3,900 passengers. Holland America Line New Ship: Eurodam (July 2008) Early Word: The 2,044-passenger, $450 million Signature-class ship Eurodam marks Holland America’s next class of vessels, which will be the largest ever constructed for the line. It will have 11 passenger decks and such innovations as a Pan-Asian restaurant and a lounge overlooking the ocean and Lido pool. facilities as its sister, including a piazzastyle atrium and the Sanctuary, an outdoor adults-only lounge area adjacent to the spa. 54 Home-BasedTravelAgent F EB RUARY 2008

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Home-Based Travel Agent - January/February 2008 Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight: Tracy Dennis News Hot Deals Reader Survey All-Inclusive Resorts Home-Based Travel Agent Expo Portugal New York Bermuda Cover Story: Singapore Cruise: What's New Tours: Adventure New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - February 2008

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