Cruise News – August 23, 2012

Is Carnival joining several other cruise lines in offering all-you-can-drink beverage packages onboard?  Plus, it’s time for a trip to NCL’s Great Stirrup Cay to check out their new stingray and snorkel adventures, and to grab your spot in the audience on Princess’s next Entertainer of the Year cruise.

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Carnival Tests All-You-Can-Drink Package
The word on the street is that Carnival is testing an all-you-can-drink package right now on the Carnival Victory.  The package is called “My Awesome Bar Program” and is $42.95 per person daily, plus a 15 percent gratuity.  Cruisers can enjoy a variety of wine, beer, spirits, sodas, bottled water and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails throughout their cruise.  The beverages must be less than $10 each to qualify for the package, and all passengers over 21 in the same cabin must each sign-up for the package.

Norwegian Cruise Line Enhances Great Stirrup Cay with Three New Interactive Experiences
Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced that a new Stingray Encounter and Fate of the Fancy Snorkel Adventure are now available on Great Stirrup Cay, the line’s 250-acre private island in the Bahamas. In addition, coming soon is a brand new Lighthouse Beach Bar presented by Patron. The launch of these three brand new experiences marks more exciting additions to the island as part of the ongoing $30 million enhancement project.

Located inside Bertram’s Cove, on the right hand side of the main beach, the Stingray Encounter invites guests to interact with 18 specially-trained stingrays in an enclosed area. This exciting and unique excursion introduces guests to these smooth and graceful creatures. Each of the stingrays has a name and its own unique personality, and guests will enjoy feeding, watching and holding them, for the perfect photo opportunity. Also included in the Stingray Encounter experience is use of a mask, snorkel and snorkel vest so that guests can peer below the surface to examine the rays up close. The hour-long excursion includes 45-minutes of interaction with the rays and is $29 per adult and $19 per child.

Located near the Stingray Encounter in Bertram’s Cove, the Fate of the Fancy Snorkel Adventure is the first private island snorkel trail to depict an actual legend as it portrays the tale of a shipwreck. As the legend goes, “The Fancy,” sailing from Nassau, Bahamas in 1696, encountered a mythical creature named Lusca that was half-shark, half-octopus. It is believed that Lusca was responsible for the ship disappearing near the Berry Islands, the location of Great Stirrup Cay. Guests can explore discover and look for clues underwater that lead to the treasure that the Fancy was carrying, highlighted by 17 different underwater scenes that depict the shipwreck and Lusca’s legend, including cannons, a sunken piano, treasure chests, swords and more. To experience the snorkel trail, guests can rent snorkel equipment at a rate of $29 per adult or $15 per child for the entire day.

The new Lighthouse Beach Bar will feature Patron products, as well as a full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The bar will be completely redesigned and will be outfitted with beach-inspired décor, Patron branded materials, including bar stools, umbrellas and menu boards, as well as two large flat-screen TVs that will showcase a variety of entertainment from music videos to sporting events. The new bar is set to open in September 2012.

Princess Cruises Announces Second Entertainer of the Year Cruise
After a successful first-ever Entertainer of the Year cruise this past April in which comedian Carlos Oscar was named the top entertainer across the Princess Cruises fleet, the line has now scheduled its second cruise to determine next year’s winner.

Passengers aboard the February 9-16, 2013 Valentine’s Day cruise on Crown Princess sailing the Western Caribbean will cast their ballots to show their love for their favorite candidate from four finalists.

To narrow down the field in advance of the cruise, the Princess Cruises entertainment team will select the four top finalists. Finalists will be announced on Princess’ Facebook page along with video clips so fans can see the entertainers who are up for the award.

Aboard the Entertainer of the Year cruise, passengers will be able to see live performances from each finalist and then cast their ballot for their favorite. The winner will be announced on the final night of the cruise at a special party.

The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and will hold the title of “2012 Princess Cruises Entertainer of the Year.”

Princess to Sail Year Round from San Francisco
Look who’s calling San Francisco home next year! The recently renovated Grand Princess^® is moving to the City by the Bay in March 2013 offering convenient sailings to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico and California Coastals.