Cruise News Daily tm

The full text of the stories has been delivered to our subscribers on the dates indicated.

* Wireless for Everyone 
May 11 - Silversea has expanded Wi-Fi coverage on each of the three ships in their fleet.
   The Wi-Fi signal now covers all passenger accommodations as well as public rooms.

* Report from Emerald Princess
May 7 thru 17 - Every day through May 17, CND is filing daily reports from aboard Emerald Princess. During this eastern Mediterranean sailing, the ship will be christened when it reaches Athens. In these reports we are giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at the press trip and conversations with executives aboard for the event. 

The complete text of these stories appeared in the CND editions referenced and was sent to subscribers.

Subscription information and sample issues.

* A Movable Feast 
May 10 - NCLA completed the move of their weekly luau for passengers from Maui to Kauai last month and on April 27 hosted a show for the local community.
   The evening-long experience is more than just a meal. The line has built and remodeled facilities at Kilohana Plantation on the Garden Island. The work includes a new pavilion that spans the back lawn accommodating more than a thousand people, so the show can go on no matter what the weather.

* More Carnival 
May 8 - Each of Carnival's Fantasy-class ships is getting a new name as the ships cycle through drydock to get the "Evolution of Fun" enhancements. Each of the eight ships will have "Carnival" added to its name to make the Fantasy Class ships consistent with the newer ships in the fleet.

* Urgent Need for a New Brand - Like Yesterday 
May 7 - Late Friday, Celebrity announced a new brand which would begin sailing on Saturday. The new brand, called Azamara Cruises, will basically take most of the Expedition brand and move it a step more upscale, from the "premium" category, to what the line is calling the "deluxe" category, which is a step below the "luxury" category.

* Norwegian Pearl Presents a Polished Product
May 3 & 4 - A couple of weeks ago, I sailed aboard Norwegian Pearl. The main reason was supposed to be to see the new ship, but the thing that interested me even more was seeing how NCL's Freestyle Cruising product has progressed, especially on the newest hardware that was purpose-built for it.
   This two-part article isn't so much a comprehensive inch-by-inch look at Norwegian Pearl, but more an update on how Freestyle has progressed and the Freestyle experience on Norwegian Pearl.

* Busy Month for Champagne Makers 
May 3 - This article isn't so much news as a reality check. Just a little over a week from now, in the space of just one week, four large cruise ships are going to be christened and officially entering service. There has never been a time before when so many berths entered service in such a short time span. Perhaps indicating the importance of Europe to the industry, three of the namings will take place in Europe. 

* Go Ask the Kids 
May 2 - When you want to know what kids like, the obvious thing to do is ask the kids. Once you get beyond a lethargic, "IDK," [translation for those who are text-message challenged: "I don't know."] the kids can come up with some pretty good ideas, at least that's what Royal Caribbean is finding out.
   The line has implemented a new Teen Advisory Board, consisting of teens of course, to help them develop ideas for the line's teen program.

* Sailing with the Source 
May 2 - John Heald has been one of Carnival's most popular cruise directors for the last 17 years, and has enjoyed a bit of celebrity within the cruising world. You often see his name mentioned on bulletin boards, and sometimes passengers even try to coordinate their vacation schedule to coincide with times he's scheduled to be on a specific ship.
   A couple of months ago, Heald started writing a blog for Carnival about his experiences aboard the new Carnival Freedom which is sailing in the Mediterranean. The same engaging personality that draws passengers to him also draws readers to his blog each day, and he has now also become a celebrity in the cyberworld. And soon those who only know him from the blogisphere will have a chance to meet him in person on his own theme cruise.

* The Rest of the World Discovers Royal Caribbean 
May 1 - Royal Caribbean held their quarterly earnings call today, and while the earnings certainly weren't spectacular, it did serve to highlight a lot about where the cruise industry is going and an often-overlooked point.
   A few years ago, these discussions focused almost entirely on the American-sourced market and how it was performing. Almost as an aside, cruise industry executives would mention that they were getting business from Europe (feeding into the programs primarily designed for the American market) and how they'd like to develop that business. In today's call, however, it was evident that it is much more the global picture which is driving the company, and how that will grow more, although America still is obviously still a major source of business.

* The Head of the Class to Be in Europe 
Apr 30 - Carnival Cruise Lines announced today that their newest class of ship, Carnival Splendor, will debut in Europe in 2008.
   The new ship will initially operate a 12-night Northern Europe program next summer, making it the first year in which Carnival will have two ships simultaneously deployed in Europe.

* New Ships Mean Expansion for MSC 
Apr 30 - From now through the end of next year, MSC Cruises is adding three newbuilds to their fleet, and that's going to allow them not only to expand, but to establish a real presence in a lot of markets, including markets well beyond Europe.

The complete text of these stories appeared in the CND editions referenced and was sent to subscribers.

Subscription information and sample issues.