Princess Cruises announces that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will name Royal Princess, the newest addition to the line’s fleet. The ceremony at which The Duchess will name the ship will take place in Southampton on Thursday, June 13, and will be the highlight of week-long inaugural celebrations to welcome the vessel into service.

The spectacular ceremony will uphold British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, together with contemporary highlights. Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO said “It is a great honor for Princess Cruises that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted our invitation to become the Godmother to Royal Princess. We are delighted that the Duchess will launch our new ship and can think of no better way to celebrate our company’s British heritage and our commitment to the country.”

Royal Princess will arrive at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton on Friday, June 7, where she will commence a series of events for customers and travel agents, including a special naming gala on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The ship’s inaugural celebrations will conclude with her maiden voyage on June 16.

The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is a new-generation ship. Among the special features found on board will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water; the new Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

The inaugural period of Royal Princess also includes two short preview cruises prior to and following the naming. After her maiden voyage the ship will sail Grand Mediterranean cruises throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the autumn. More information and video previews of the ship are available at www.princess.com/royalprincess.

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Princess Cruises is offering a way for passengers to ease the cost of getting to their dream Europe or Alaska cruise with a special “Sky High Savings” sale that offers airfare savings of up to $1,000 for two. Running from April 4-19, the promotion also offers up to $2,000 off the cruise fare per stateroom, as well as up to $100 in free onboard spending money per stateroom. The “Sky High Savings” sale offers deals on cruises throughout Europe, including sailings to the Greek Isles, British Isles and Scandinavia & Russia. Travelers will also save on cruises and cruisetours to the natural wonders of Alaska, where they can explore the best of the state by land and sea.

In addition to special fares, passengers booking balcony staterooms or above will receive an onboard credit of $100 (for sailings 10 days or longer) or $50 (cruises up to nine days), and those booking interior or oceanview staterooms can get credits of $50 (cruises 10 days or longer) to $25 (cruises up to nine days). More information about the cruise sale and pricing can be found at www.princess.com/sale.

Samples of the available Sky High Savings cruise deals include:

• Greek Isles cruise – 12 days: $1,779 interior (was $2,379); $2,379 balcony (was $3,379). Air savings: $500

• British Isles cruise – 12 days: $1,839 interior (was $2,439); $2,539 balcony (was $3,439). Air savings: $400

• Scandinavia & Russia cruise – 11 days: $1.869 interior (was $2,369); $2,669 balcony (was $3,369). Air savings: $400

• Gulf of Alaska cruise – 7 days: $899 interior (was $1,259); $1,559 balcony (was $2,159). Air savings: $250

• Alaska cruisetour – Denali Explorer – 10 nights: $1,476 interior (was $1,730); $1,976 balcony (was $2,340). Air savings: $150

Air savings available to passengers booking Princess eZAir flights in conjunction with the cruise. Princess eZAir gives passengers easy and full control of their flights and the ability to seamlessly coordinate them with their cruise itinerary. Featuring real-time pricing and flight availability, immediate flight confirmation, competitive airfares, and next port protection in the event of flight delays, the innovative program provides passengers and their travel agents the ease of a single booking source for both air and cruise reservations. Travelers using Princess eZAir can choose air carriers and flights, as well as select their preferred cabin level and seating, all with no extra customization fee.

All cruise and air prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include government fees and taxes. The “Sky High Savings” sale runs through April 19, 2013, and is available to residents of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the company’s website at www.princess.com.

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Regal Princess reached a significant construction milestone today when the Princess Cruises vessel was “floated out” at its building dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. A traditional ceremony marked the occasion as the ship met the ocean for the first time.

Following the Italian shipyard’s custom, the float out of a ship begins when a “madrina,” or godmother, cuts the cord that begins the flow of water into the ship’s building dock. Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of the popular online community Cruise Critic, served in this role to begin the two-day process of setting the ship afloat. “To mark this important milestone we selected a woman who lives and breathes the cruise industry,” said Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises. “Carolyn has been the editor-in-chief for Cruise Critic for 10 years and not only is she a champion of cruising, she’s helped to build an avid community of cruisers. Her passion for cruising made her the perfect choice to serve as madrina for our new Regal Princess.”

Once afloat, the ship will be moved to the outfitting dock where final construction and interior outfitting will take place. Regal Princess, a sister ship to the soon-to-debut Royal Princess, will debut in June 2014 with a season of Mediterranean cruises. Regal Princess and Royal Princess are new-generation ships for Princess Cruises. Among the special features found on board the 3,600-passenger vessels will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

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Another problem for Carnival Cruise Lines as one of its ships has developed another engine problem mid-cruise. The Port Canaveral based Carnival Dream, one of the line’s newer and largest ships, was on the return leg of a seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailing is now docked in St. Maarten. Passengers have reported to various media outlets that toilets were overflowing and elevators were shut down and the overall atmosphere on board was very bad as little information was being relayed by the crew. A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson stated Thursday that Carnival Dream’s captain notified the agency of possible trouble with the ship’s propulsion system. The ship’s emergency generator, which powers propulsion for ship, has reportedly failed. The Coast Guard said they have been reassured by the ship’s captain that their main generator and sewage systems are unaffected by the failure.

Carnival issued a statement stating, “The Carnival Dream has a technical issue which our engineering team is currently working on. The ship is at dock in St. Maarten. At no time did the ship lose power but there were periodic interruptions to elevators and toilets for a few hours last night. The statement added “The ship has full power but is still at dock while personnel continue to work on the technical issue.” Carnival said they are making arrangements for all passengers to be returned home. “While personnel continue to work on the technical issue we are making arrangements to fly all guests home via private charter flights and scheduled flights from St. Maarten. Guests on the current voyage will receive a refund equivalent to three days of the voyage and 50 percent off a future cruise,” according to a statement. “We are also cancelling the ship’s next voyage which is scheduled to depart on Saturday, March 16. Guests scheduled to sail on this cruise will receive a full refund and 25 percent off a future seven-day cruise.”

The Carnival Dream is the latest in a serious of unfortunate events for Carnival. Last month an engine fire crippled the Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 4,200 people were left without working toilets or power for several days as the ship was towed to Mobile, Alabama. In 2010, a similar incident happened to Carnival Splendor off the Mexican Riviera carrying 3,299 passengers.

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It’s not easy being an older cruise ship these days. In the ever present world of new ship launches with names like Allure, Silhouette, Favolosa, Reflection, an old ship, well, doesn’t come across as that appealing. In 1996, Carnival Destiny began life as the world’s largest passenger ship and thus began the launch of all the mega ships to follow. Now at 16-years of age Destiny is deemed middle-aged, but she’s not quite past her prime as Carnival is about to invest $155 million in a new European shipyard makeover and give her a ‘perky’ new moniker.

Meet the Carnival Sunshine, not to be confused with Royal Caribbean’s new class of ships, “Project Sunshine”. Carnival Sunshine will get the full Carnival Funship 2.0 treatment and a lot more. The redesign calls for a reconfigured layout, the expansion of two decks and the addition of 182 cabins, among other things, during a 49-day dry dock to take place from February through April 2013. “This is our most ambitious ship conversion project to date and it will radically transform the Carnival Destiny into essentially an entirely new ship offering a variety of exciting dining and beverage choices, spectacular outdoor spaces and entertainment options and on-board innovations not available anywhere else,” Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said in statement.

So what’s new:
• Fahrenheit 555, a classic American steakhouse offering mouth-watering steaks and gourmet appetizers, entrees and desserts, all enhanced by understated ambiance and impeccable service (venue will carry a surcharge consistent with other steakhouses in the Carnival fleet)
• A stunning new full-service Asian restaurant inspired by the line’s popular Mongolian wok casual eateries that will feature an extensive menu of delicious favorites from the Far East, along with a striking Asian-themed décor (no charge for lunch with a nominal fee for dinner)
• A new casual dining option, “The Comfort Kitchen,” located within the Lido Marketplace and offering a tempting array of American-style “comfort food” entrees and side dishes
• The new Sunshine Bar, an elegant lounge with sun-splashed interiors located at the lobby level of the ship’s towering atrium where guests can enjoy a cocktail, dance and listen to live music
• An exciting new lounge, Havana Bar, a tropical-inspired nightspot located aft within Lido Marketplace featuring a panoramic ocean view from its floor to ceiling windows and offering a unique and memorable venue for cocktails, live Latin music and dancing
• Carnival’s first three-deck-high Serenity adults-only retreat, an oasis of tranquility offering plush chaise lounges and chairs, a whirlpool, a cascading waterfall, teak-planked decks, a pool, a complimentary dining area with freshly made salads that can be customized by guests, and, of course, magnificent sea views

Of course Sunshine will offer all the other popular Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades including: Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Pub, WaterWorks, SportsSquare, Cloud 9 Spa, Punchliner Comedy Club, to name a few. Additionally, the staterooms are to be revamped with a new tropical décor in keeping with Caribbean itineraries, and 96 of the new staterooms will be spa cabins.

Following the redesign the Sunshine will sail the Mediterranean Sea from Barcelona and Venice through October 2013 before landing in New Orleans for the launch of a year-round seven-day Caribbean sailing schedule in November 2013. The Carnival Sunshine will operate three different week-long itineraries from New Orleans: a Bahamas/Florida route to Key West, and Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas and two Caribbean routes, one to Belize City, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan and Cozumel, Mexico and another to Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

By Anita Dunham-Potter (editor@www.expertcruiser.com)

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Oceania Cruises was notified by Fincantieri late last week of construction delays and as a result, will reschedule the maiden voyage of its m/s Riviera. Construction on the 1,250-guest ship fell behind schedule when strikes at Fincantieri’s shipyard near Genoa, Italy, lasted longer than expected. The maiden voyage of Riviera has moved from April 24 to May 16, and all guests affected by the delay will be contacted by their travel agents or by Oceania Cruises directly to discuss alternative cruise dates.

“We sincerely regret any inconvenience that this may cause our guests,” stated Kunal S. Kamlani, the cruise line’s president. “We are working very closely with the shipyard to ensure Riviera is completed to meet Oceania’s high standards of quality and service.” “We know that sophisticated international travelers are anxious to welcome Riviera and we regret that labor strikes have caused this delay,” said Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri’s chief executive officer. “All of us at Fincantieri are committed to producing a superior quality ship and we will deliver a truly magnificent vessel to Oceania Cruises without further delays.”

The new maiden voyage is a 10-day “Pearls of the Aegean” cruise that includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before visiting Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Monemvasia, Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi (gateway to Ephesus), Delos, Mykonos and Athens. Guests booked on affected sailings will have the option of rebooking another cruise and receive a future cruise credit, which ranges from $250 to $1,000 per guest, depending on category of accommodation. In the event guests do not wish to rebook, they will receive a full refund. Travel agent commissions will be protected.

Reported by Anita Dunham-Potter (editor@www.expertcruiser.com)

© www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.