CruiseSource Cruise News – October 18, 2012

Check out this great photo of the Carnival Spirit arriving at its new homeport in Sydney, Australia!  Then Celebrity looks to impress their San Francisco clients with a pop-up style restaurant event where they can taste their signature dishes.  NCL orders a new ship “Breakaway Plus”, and the Carnival Conquest enters a Fun Ship 2.0 dry dock enhancement.

Read the latest cruise news each week on CruiseSource.  Click to subscribe to CruiseSource!

Carnival Spirit Arrives in Australia
Carnival Spirit arrived at its new homeport in Sydney, Australia, this week where it will launch Carnival’s first cruise program Down Under, operating year-round eight- to 12-day voyages to the Pacific Islands beginning later this month.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ senior shipboard photographer Radu Ursu was there to captured some beautiful pictures of the Carnival Spirit’s arrival into Sydney Harbour as well as the ship against the backdrop of the city’s iconic opera house.

Celebrity Cruises Offers Pop-Up Style Restaurant Experience in San Francisco
Elegant simplicity. Modern pairings. Abundance of earth and sea. These themes inspire the food on Celebrity Cruises’ award-winning ships, and they will be the basis for the menu at the first-ever cruise line pop-up restaurant. This November in San Francisco, California, premium vacation brand Celebrity Cruises brings its award-winning, premium from-scratch cuisine from sea to land once again, since being the first cruise line to prepare dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City earlier this year.

Local consumers will be invited to enjoy a taste of modern luxury as Celebrity’s Director of Culinary Operations, Chef John Suley, and his team, present a very special menu rich with unexpected flavors, delicate textures, and of-the-moment culinary techniques. Artful, decadent dessert and locally inspired beverages will complete the experience.

“Most people would not expect a cruise line to create a pop-up style restaurant experience on land, or for that experience to offer such an avant-garde menu,” Suley says. “We will be using a diverse range of techniques to offer guests a menu full of contrasts that harmonize with each other – different textures, tastes and flavors – with a special focus on local ingredients that celebrate the San Francisco area.”

Celebrity has partnered with Tasting Table to invite its San Francisco-area subscribers. Attendees will be entered into a giveaway to win a 7-night Alaska cruise for two on the stunning, luxurious Celebrity Solstice in 2013. Celebrity also will invite local media and select travel agent partners to experience the event.

Norwegian Cruise Line Orders New Cruise Ship “Breakaway Plus”
Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that it has reached an agreement with MEYER WERFT GMBH of Germany to build a new cruise vessel, for delivery in October 2015, with the option for a second ship for delivery in spring 2017. The new ship, at 163,000 gross tons and approximately 4,200 passenger berths, will be larger than the Company’s Breakaway class ships currently under construction at MEYER WERFT and incorporate many of those vessels’ unique design elements and innovations. With the project name “Breakaway Plus,” this new vessel will be the largest in Norwegian’s fleet.

Carnival Conquest Enters Two Week Drydock
Carnival Conquest departed New Orleans this week for a two-week dry dock in Freeport, The Bahamas, as part of the line’s $500 million “Fun Ship 2.0” fleetwide enhancement program.

The ship is next in line to receive dramatic upgrades in dining, bar and entertainment.

During the two-week period, a series of fun videos documenting the transformation will be posted on Carnival.com and will highlight all the new spaces, including:

• RedFrog Rum Bar, an open-air Caribbean-themed watering hole offering refreshing rum-based frozen drinks and beers, including Carnival’s private label draft brew, ThirstyFrog Red, all enjoyed in a laid-back island-infused atmosphere.
•  BlueIguana Tequila Bar, a friendly rival just across the deck from the RedFrog Rum Bar, this Mexican-themed poolside bar specializes in frozen cocktails and Mexican beers.
•  Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed cocktail “pharmacy” featuring interesting drink flavors, and ingredients, with expert mixologists who “prescribe” concoctions from different fun categories. Guests can also try their hand at creating their own custom cocktails.
•  EA SPORTS Bar, the ultimate hangout for sports fanatics where patrons can view live sporting events on large-screen televisions, play popular EA SPORTS video games and keep up with the latest scores on a 24/7 sports ticker.
•  Guy’s Burger Joint, created in partnership with Food Network personality and chef Guy Fieri, this complimentary poolside venue serves the best burgers at sea and hand-cut fries with innovative toppings and condiments.
•  BlueIguana Cantina, a free-of-charge Mexican cantina offering a variety of fresh tacos and burritos that can be personalized by diners at an extensive salsa and toppings bar.
•  The Punchliner Comedy Club & The Punchliner Comedy Brunch presented by George Lopez brings even more laughs with a lineup of comedic talent, curated by the popular comedian and TV personality, along with a humorous twist on brunch.
•  Cherry on Top celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun-and-fanciful gifts, just-because novelties, colorful custom apparel and more.