The stars came out in full force Thursday for the new Disney Fantasy in New York City. The christening entertainment started off in the ship’s 1,340-seat Walt Disney Theatre and featured A-list stars: Actor Neil Patrick Harris hosted the song-and-dance extravaganza highlighting performances from the ship’s regular production numbers, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld made a very funny special-guest appearance. Other celebrities on hand were Alan Cummings, Tim Gunn, and Ty Pennington. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg even joined in on the festivities. Also in the audience were company officials, including Disney President and CEO Robert Iger and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Thomas Staggs.

And for the main event, singer Mariah Carey was announced as godmother of the Fantasy whereby she made the traditional maritime blessing of the ship as it was christened by Minnie Mouse. The Disney Fantasy begins a schedule of 7-day Caribbean cruises on March 31 from its homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida.

Disney Fantasy sailed into New York harbor today two days ahead of her christening ceremony on March 1. At 1,115 feet long with room for 4,000 passengers the $900 million Fantasy offers some of the most amazing innovations at sea like her sister ship Disney Dream. However, there are some new additions and tweaks that make Fantasy different than Dream. Stay tuned to ExpertCruiser to find out what’s new as we cover the Disney Fantasy christening on March 1.

Disney Fantasy sails into NYC

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

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

Wonder where the Disney Wonder will be next year? Last month, Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert who is nationally recognized as The Cruise Guy, boldly predicted an itinerary shift when the cruise line abruptly canceled four December 2012 sailings from Los Angeles to Mexico on the Disney Wonder. According to Chiron, bookings for Mexican Riviera sailings have been weak since the economic downturn began. Additionally, the recent rash of gang violence in Mexico hasn’t helped travelers confidence in visiting the area.

So, will the Mickey Mouse take on Carnival’s Micky Arison in Miami? Sure looks that way as Disney Cruise Line announced they would be holding a press conference in Miami on Wednesday, January 18. Stay tuned!

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

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

Catherine’s Palace is located twelve miles south of Saint Petersburg in Pushkin. Named for Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I, the estate is now a museum housing art, furniture and weapons from the 16th-19th centuries.

The building’s white, blue and gold Baroque facade stretches nearly a thousand feet, topped by the chapel’s five golden domes. Although the Palace was destroyed after WWII, its restoration continues even today. The Palace’s world-famous Amber room, stolen in its entirety and lost at the end of WWII, has recently been restored in all it’s glory.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic will be calling upon St. Petersburg, Russia in the spring/summer of 2010. This week Disney Cruise Line invited a select group of journalists to preview their shore excursions in Tunis, Tunisia; Florence, Italy; and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Here is a tour of Catherine’s Palace where Disney will have a Signature Tour offering a “Princess Ball” in the palace’s ballroom. Imagine all the little girls dressed up in their Belle, Cinderella and Snow White costumes dancing in a real palace with Disney princess characters. How cute is that?!

Disney Cruise Line will be returning to Europe in the spring/summer of 2010. This week Disney invited a select group of journalists to preview their shore excursions in Tunis, Tunisia; Florence, Italy; and St. Petersburg, Russia. The winery/cooking school of Torre A Cenaia will be offered to guests when the Magic docks in La Spezia, Italy.

This shore excursion is more for adults and shows the other side of the cruise line, which caters to a large number of adults without children.

The best part about cooking school in Tuscany – eating what you’ve created.

In a few hours I’ll be taking off to Europe to test out shore excursions with Disney Cruise Line management. The Disney Magic returns to Europe next summer and is sailing the Mediterranean and and for the first time the Baltic region. Over the next eight days I’ll be visiting Tunis, Tunisia, Florence, Italy, and St. Petersburg, Russia. Disney has some amazing tours planned for guests next summer and I’ll be blogging about the experiences on the fly (literally).

What does Disney have in store? A lot! A princess ball in a real Russian palace, a treasure hunt in a Tunisian Souk, and for adults cooking school in Tuscany — these are just a few of the offerings. Stay tuned!

After the Disney trip I am staying in Italy for Costa Cruises dual inaugural of the Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica – it’s going to be a jammed packed two weeks. Post your thoughts or questions in the blog, I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Best,
Anita