Another week gone by, so yet again it is time for our look at all of the latest news from the world of cruising. As always, the Princess and I are here to keep you informed of all the cruise news for the past week. Drop us an anchor below to let us know if there are any major cruise happenings that we overlooked in this edition of cruise news August 21, 2016.

Cruise News August 21, 2016

Celebrity Cruises “Mini Getaways”

Known for their “modern luxury”, Celebrity Cruises announced this week that they will be offering their premium cruise experience on Caribbean cruises lasting fewer than 7 days. Slated for 2018, these “mini getaways” will be on the Celebrity Summit and consist of four and five night cruises leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Travelers can try out the Celebrity Cruises brand on these short cruise itineraries that include stops in the Bahamas, Key West, and Cozumel. Following the season, the Summit will return to her homeport of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Having sailed Celebrity Cruises back in 2014, these short getaways are very enticing. We only have one cruise booked for 2018 so far, so there is plenty of room for adding one of these sailings to our itinerary. How about you?

Cruise News August 21, 2016 – Celebrity Summit (source)

Empress of the Seas Sailing through the End of 2016

You know the Princess and I have had our eyes on Royal Caribbean’s “newest” ship, the Empress of the Seas. Our hopes were that the ship would be venturing to Cuba sometime soon; however, that won’t be happening this year. As reported by our friends at the Royal Caribbean Blog, the cruise line released the final 2016 dates for Empress of the Seas. Sadly, Cuba was not on any of the itineraries. Looks like we will have to wait until 2017 (or beyond) for our first trek to the largest island in the Caribbean. In the meantime, the remaining sailings for Empress of the Seas include some new 7 and 8 night cruises, along with the shorter 4 and 5 day cruises that the ship has been hosting since earlier this summer.

Cruise News August 21 – Empress of the Seas, Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Genting Dream Float Out

The first mega-ship of the newly formed Dream Cruises hit the water this week. Sailing this November, Genting Dream had its float out this past week. This 160+K mega ship was designed exclusively for the Asian market and includes dozens of bars and restaurants along with other amenities such as a water park with six slides and an outdoor adults pool area that will double as a theater and nightclub. With sailings ranging from 2 to 7 nights visiting ports like Hong Kong, this new ship is trying to compete with other larger vessels in the area, including the reigning champ- Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, as well as the announced Majestic Princess and Norwegian Joy. How the region will react to this new cruise line is unclear, but reservations are still available for the inaugural cruise season.

Cruise News August 21, 2016 – Genting Dream (source)

Carnival Cruise Line Extends Port Everglades Partnership

Carnival Corporation is going to ensure that no other cruise lines steal their berths!  Last week, this parent company announced they will be extending their relationship with Port Everglades through 2030. The additional five year extension adds additional time to the unprecedented agreement reached by the cruise company and port officials back in 2010. By extending the partnership, the cruise company will have preferential treatment for using Terminal 4, along with access to three other terminals at the port. The port is expected to be completing upgrades and improvements to that terminal by early 2017. This will allow some of the newest and largest ships from across Carnival corp’s fleet to visit the port, including ships from Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line.

Comments

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