CruiseSource Cruise News – June 7, 2012

For the first time, Cunard’s three Queen cruise ships were seen arriving and departing together in formation at their England home port to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.  Also, tune in this Sunday night to the Tony Awards show to watch the first live performance at sea from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas Hairspray cast.  And the Carnival Breeze finally takes to the seas!

Cunard's Three Queen Ships Together (Photo Courtesy of Cunard Line)

Cunard’s Three Queen Cruise Ships Pay Tribute to Queen Elizabeth During Diamond Jubilee Celebration
In what is believed to be the largest Diamond Jubilee celebration outside London, all three ships of the Cunard Line fleet – flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth -  sailed up Southampton Water in formation for the first time today, Tuesday 5 June, in preparation for a day of special tributes, celebrations and displays to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Her Majesty The Queen has long been associated with Cunard, being the only person to have attended the naming of all three Cunard Elizabeths, beginning in 1938 with the original Queen Elizabeth, then in 1967 when she launched Queen Elizabeth 2 and 2010 when she named the new Queen Elizabeth.

This is the first time that the three Queens – the largest Cunarders ever built – have been seen arriving and departing together in formation at their home port of Southampton, England.

Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas’ Hairspray Cast to Perform at Sea During 66^th Annual Tony Awards
What’s the next best thing to the bright lights of Broadway?  It just might be the great blue sea.  As the only cruise line to feature fully-licensed Broadway productions, Royal Caribbean International will partner with the Tony Awards to include a live broadcast from the middle of the Caribbean Sea, where the line’s Oasis of the Seas’ cast of Hairspray will perform a show-stopping number in the ship’s Opal Theater as part of the Tony Awards program.  The cruise line, which has been named an official partner of the 66^th Annual Tony Awards, will be part of the live broadcast airing on CBS from the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Sunday, June 10, 2012. 

Carnival Cruise Line Took Delivery of New Carnival Breeze
At a traditional maritime handover ceremony held last week at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, Carnival Cruise Lines took delivery of the new 130,000-ton Carnival Breeze, the 24^thvessel in the line’s fleet.

New Carnival Breeze (Photo from Carnival Cruise Line)

Carnival Breeze is currently en route on a special 12-day Mediterranean inaugural cruise that ends in Barcelona June 15. Carnival Breeze is the line’s first ship to feature the Thrill Theater, an immersive multi-dimensional special effects experience that makes viewers feel as if they’re part of the movie.   Other highlights sure to provide fun for the whole family include WaterWorks offering splash-tastic water slides and a 300-gallon drenching bucket, and SportSquare, an expansive recreation area with a suspended ropes course, a miniature golf course, an outdoor fitness area and more.

New dining options on Carnival Breeze include Bonsai Sushi, the line’s first full-service sushi restaurant, a free open-air barbecue venue called Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ, and The Comfort Kitchen, a casual poolside spot for American-style comfort food.  Other choices range from Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri, to the Mexican-themed BlueIguana Cantina and Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian restaurant that brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table.

Following a summer schedule of 12-day Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona that runs through October 25, Carnival Breeze will reposition to Miami for year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning November 24, becoming Carnival Cruise Lines’ largest South Florida-based ship.