Royal Caribbean releases itinerary details for new Allure of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas will sail seven-day, alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries beginning Dec. 12, 2010, Royal Caribbean International said Monday.

The 220,000-ton, 5,400-passenger Allure and its sister-ship the Oasis of the Seas will be world’s two largest cruise ships when they debut: the Oasis this November and the Allure one year later.

Both ships will be based out of Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, with the Allure leaving on Sundays and the Oasis on Saturdays.

Both Allure itineraries will feature three days at sea, and in the eastern Caribbean will call in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Nassau. In the western Caribbean, it will go to Falmouth, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach on the northern coast of Haiti.

Bookings for the Allure’s inaugural season open on April 2 for Diamond- and Diamond Plus-level members of the Crown & Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program, and on April 8 for all Crown & Anchor Society members. General bookings will open on April 13.

Thanks to Travel Weekly for the update.

Norwegian Epic to Have Studio Staterooms, New Spa Suites

In its latest "Epic" reveal, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) unveiled the full range of accommodations -- appealing to both low and high ends of the market -- on its new F3 class ship, Norwegian Epic. The line also announced that it is opening group block space reservations on Norwegian Epic today, exclusively for its travel agent partners.

Among the highlights of the new accommodation offerings are: a new design of studio inside staterooms; spa cabins, a first for the line; and the largest ship-within-a-ship complex at sea offering luxury accommodations.

"Since this ship is our largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising vessel to date, we've taken a fresh approach to our stateroom mix, offering niche accommodations such as our family and spa categories, along with creative, ground-breaking design as evidenced by The Studios with Living Room and largest ever Courtyard Villa complex," said Kevin Sheehan, NCL's CEO.

According to Sheehan, the new Studio staterooms are designed with the budget-conscious traveler in mind and were created to maximize space, as the Studios are slightly smaller than standard inside staterooms. Each studio can sleep up to two people and features a large, round window that looks out into the corridor, along with customizable color changing light effects that mirror different stages of the day. Guests can also change the light by mood settings, such as the love setting.

The 128 Studios occupy decks 11 and 12 and Studio guests have exclusive key-card access to the Living Room, a two-story lounge area featuring a concierge, bar, room service, two large TV screens, a quiet reading section and comfortable seating for hanging out.

NCL will also be introducing spa balcony, deluxe balcony staterooms and suites within the spa for the first time. Guests in the 39 Spa suites, which feature a unique look and feel, will have complimentary 24-hour access to the ship's thermal suite and fitness center. In addition, eight of the spa suites each feature an in-room whirlpool.

Norwegian Epic's ship-within-in-a-ship complex will be comprised of 60 suites and villas spanning two private decks (decks 16 and 17) at the top of the ship. The suite category choices will include Courtyard Villas, Penthouse Suites and Deluxe Owner's Suites. Guests staying in one of these suites will have exclusive access to the Courtyard Villa, which features a pool, two whirlpools, gym, saunas, sundeck, the Uber bar, a concierge lounge and indoor/outdoor dining.
Norwegian Cruise Line's popular family-friendly staterooms are available on the Epic as well. The majority of the staterooms, both deluxe balcony and balcony, many that connect, will be on two decks close to an expanded Kids Crew facility. The family staterooms will feature Norwegian's signature New Wave design.

Disney Names New Ships Dream and Fantasy

Disney Cruise Line will name its two newbuilds Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. The announcement was made at The Walt Disney Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. “Last week, steel cutting began on our next two Disney cruise ships. Today I’m pleased to announce their names,” said Robert A. Iger, Disney president and CEO. “The Disney Dream will set sail in 2011, while the Disney Fantasy will hit the high seas in 2012.”“The names are very telling of our brand and are part of our history,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “Disney is known for making dreams come true, and for creating worlds of fantasy that go beyond the imagination. The names are a natural choice for our ships.”

Construction began with a steel-cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The first piece of steel cut was part of the art deco-inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the existing ships, the pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s. The new ships will be purpose-built with families in mind. The expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each 128,000-ton ship will have 1,250 staterooms.