Allure of the Seas, which will debut in December, will introduce new culinary concepts compared to its sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. A Brazilian steakhouse will open for dinner in the Solarium and will feature Brazilian-style meats and seafood dishes, from Picanha cut sirloin steak to Atlantic salmon marinated with sea salt and garlic, served table-side and sliced straight off the skewer. In Central Park, recently anointed Chef de Cuisine Molly Brandt will offer a one-of-a-kind menu at 150 Central Park, a signature fine dining experience.
Rita’s Cantina, a new restaurant in the Boardwalk neighborhood, will serve Mexican fare such as shrimp ceviche tostadas, warm tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole, and entrées such as fajitas, fish tacos and Chipotle-style flautas. Rita’s Cantina also will boast a wide selection of margaritas served on the rocks or frozen in a variety of fruit-flavor combinations. In addition, the restaurant will introduce new nightlife to Boardwalk with live guitar music, drinks and dancing. Rita Cantina’s design will include large open breezeways and an outdoor seating area complete with high top tables and stools, and will be located in place of Seafood Shack onboard sister-ship Oasis of the Seas.
Also new to the Boardwalk is The Dog House, a hot-dog specialty counter located where The Donut Shop is on Oasis of the Seas. It will offer hot dogs, wieners, brats and sausages. The Donut Shop will remain on Boardwalk in a new location next to the Ice Cream Parlor. Other dining options in the Boardwalk are the Boardwalk Bar, offering fruit, salads and sandwiches; Boardwalk Donut Shop; Ice Cream Parlor; and Johnny Rockets.
Central Park also will offer Giovanni’s Table, an Italian trattoria; Park Café, a gourmet market featuring salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries and fudge; Vintages, a wine bar with pre-dinner tapas and cheeses; and Chops Grille, the line’s signature steakhouse.
In the pool zone are Solarium Bistro, a health-conscious dining option for breakfast and lunch; the Wipe Out Café, a casual self-service buffet with pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches and salads; and Izumi Asian Cuisine featuring a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking.
On the Royal Promenade are Sorrento’s Pizzeria, Café Promenade and the Cupcake Cupboard. In the spa is the Vitality Café, which offers healthy snacks, sandwiches, wraps, fruit and smoothies. The classic dining options include the three-tier Adagio Dining Room, which will offer both flexible and traditional assigned seatings; the casual Windjammer Marketplace; and room service, which includes Johnny Rockets hamburgers and Ghirardelli chocolate cookies.

Allure of the Seas shares the title of the world’s largest cruise ship with Oasis of the Seas. The ships span 16 decks, encompass 225,282 gross registered tons and carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy. For more information, call your iCruise Royal Caribbean expert at 1-800-I Cruise (800 427-8473) or visit www.iCruise.com

This is, unquestionably, one of the more anticipated deployments in the cruise industry. Not necessarily among all cruise aficionados, but certainly among Disneyphiles in general and loyal Disney Cruise Line guests in particular. With the exception of a handful of West Coast and Europe/Mediterranean departures, Disney Cruise Lines has consistently sailed in the Caribbean and Bahamas since its inaugural cruise in 1998. There is a tremendous amount of pent up demand for new itineraries, and according to Disney Cruise Line President, Karl Holz, Alaska was Disney’s most requested future cruise destination. The decision to go to Alaska was based on guest feedback.

Behind the Caribbean and Europe, Alaska is the third largest cruise market. People go to Alaska to see thundering glaciers, whales, wilderness, mountains, and wildlife. They want experience a culture influenced by Native American and Russian history and the turn-of-the-century gold rush. They want to embark on high adventure excursions like dog sledding, zip-lining, white water rafting, and kayaking. They want to see bears in the wild, fly over glaciers in a helicopter, ride on a train, hike, go salmon fishing or live the “World’s Deadliest Catch.” Alaska is one of those “life-long” dream destinations and is listed in the book, “1,000 Place to See before You Die.” It’s “America’s Last Frontier” and “the Land of Wonder.” It’s no wonder why Disney would want to cruise there. Pixar Studios couldn’t create more colorful backdrop of dramatic scenery.

Disney ships have 10 decks and pay homage to the grand era of the ocean liner, with Art Deco and Art Nouveau themes featuring touches of Disney magic. They have 877 staterooms and accommodate 1,750 passengers. Staterooms are configured especially for families – many of which are able to accommodate 4 or 5 guests in one stateroom. They all have plenty of extra storage and most have scenic ocean views, balconies and split bathrooms to make getting ready for the day or dinner much easier.

Several youth activities and clubs promise age-appropriate fun for kids from 3 months to 17 years old. There is a multitude of dining options, and Disney’s unique Rotational Dining system offers a fun way to enjoy most of them. Entertainment includes original Disney Broadway-style musicals and the latest Disney Digital 3-D movies. Adults get a taste of nightlife with nightclubs and lounges that offer dancing and entertainment.

And, if that was not enough to whet your appetite. Disney currently has two ships under construction at the Meyer Werft Shipyards in Germany. The two, 122,000-ton ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, will each have 1,250 staterooms carry 4,000 passengers. They will be two-decks taller than the Disney Magic and are scheduled to arrive in 2011 and 2012.

For more information call your personal cruise consultant at 1 -800- I CRUISE (800 427-8473)  or click here: DisneyAlaskaCruises

Norwegian Cruise Line and Nickelodeon are offering two Nickelodeon All Access Cruises sail in 2011. These Nickelodeon-themed cruises are set for the Norwegian Jewel, sailing from New York on Feb. 20, and on the Norwegian Epic, sailing from Barcelona on July 24. Families who book an All Access Cruise between Aug. 23 and Sept. 13 will receive up to $250 in onboard credits, based on stateroom category, and half off the deposit (excluding the Garden Villa and other suite categories).
Nickelodeon family programming featured on the two cruises includes a sliming experience for the whole family, meet-and-greets with not-yet-announced Nickelodeon stars, viewings and premieres of Nickelodeon TV shows, game shows like “Slime Time LIVE!” and poolside events, and breakfast with Nickelodeon characters.
The Norwegian Jewel’s Nickelodeon cruise sails roundtrip from New York to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island. The Norwegian Epic cruise departs Barcelona and visits Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain. Rates start at $899 per person, double occupancy, on Norwegian Jewel and $1,299 on Norwegian Epic.
The onboard credit is $250 per stateroom when sailing in a Garden Villa on Norwegian Jewel, $150 for suites, $100 for mini-suites and deluxe balcony staterooms, $75 for balcony staterooms, $50 for ocean-view and $25 for inside staterooms. To book one of the Nickelodeon cruises, call 800 iCruise (800-427-8463)

Playing off the series of hip, high-tech “firsts” it has introduced in recent months, premium cruise line Celebrity Cruises is debuting the industry’s first self-guided art tours on an iPad®. Earlier this year, Celebrity introduced the first “Celebrity iLounge” – a modern lounge equipped with MacBook® workstations, a retail space featuring Apple products and accessories, and an enrichment center where certified staff present a variety of courses and offer guests tips on Mac and iPod® usage. Celebrity Cruises is itself an iPad pioneer, having become the first cruise line to present a menu and wine list on an iPad when it introduced its engaging “Qsine” specialty restaurant earlier this year.

“The response to the Celebrity iLounge and to the iPad menus in Qsine was so positive, we knew our guests would relish yet another opportunity to capitalize on the latest technology in an entertaining, enriching way,” said Celebrity’s Senior VP of Hotel Operations Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “Celebrity’s ‘Designed for you’ platform is built on our commitment to listen to our guests and offer experiences inspired by them and their sophisticated travel desires.”

A new addition to Celebrity’s extensive “Celebrity Life” series of onboard entertainment and enrichment activities, the iPads on each Solstice Class ship house floor plans of every deck on the ship, with select works of art flagged on every deck. A guest simply touches the screen to select the work of art he or she would like to learn more about, and the screen transitions to full details about the piece, including the title of the work, artist’s name, medium used, description and image. In addition to the art tour application, the iPads also present guests with the opportunity to explore digital versions of each Solstice-Class vessel’s in-stateroom art catalogs.

With more than 14,000 works of original, contemporary art on its three Solstice Class ships alone, Celebrity Cruises is the holder of one of the world’s largest corporate collections of contemporary art. Throughout the ships, a vast range of mediums is represented, including glass, acrylics, oils, photography, digital prints, video, etchings, sculptures and collages. Approximately 15 percent of the art on each Solstice Class ship is site-specific or commissioned artwork, such as the signature living trees in enormous vases suspended within the Solstice Class ships’ sweeping, airy Grand Foyers.

Celebrity’s new iPad art tours will be available on Celebrity Solstice beginning August 15, and on Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Equinox beginning August 21. The tours currently are in English, and also will be offered in Spanish by the end of this year. Celebrity will add German and French versions in 2011.

You can enter to win a free iPad when you download the Cruise Finder iphone app at www.iCruise.com/CruiseFinder and automatically qualify for the 4 or 5 night Celebrity Cruise Drawing.

Carnival Cruise Lines said it will roll out Punchliner Comedy Clubs to all 22 ships by the end of the year. The move follows the debut of the fleet’s first dedicated comedy club on Carnival Dream last fall.

All of Carnival’s aft show lounges will be converted to comedy clubs with a special stage and branded glassware, menus, employee uniforms and other items featuring the Punchliner Comedy Club logo.

The club will offer five 35-minute shows on multiple nights per cruise, with at least two comedians performing each night. The two early-evening shows provide family comedy while the later shows are for adults.

Both established comedians and rising stars are scheduled, with approximately 10 shows per voyage on short cruises and approximately 20 shows per cruise on longer sailings.

While comedy performances have always been part of Carnival’s entertainment lineup, the concept was taken to another level aboard Carnival Dream Comedy clubs are currently also available on Carnival Glory, Carnival Pride and Carnival Sensation, with the concept being incorporated into the remainder of the fleet over the next several months.

Your iCruise.com Personal Cruise Counselor can find just the right Carnival Cruise that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  Call (800) iCRUISE   – (800) 427-8473.

Sure cruise ships are big.  But how about a way to put an entire fleet of ships right into your pocket?  No problem with the new Cruise Finder iPhone app just launched on July 14^th.  Wow, this is one feature-packed app.  And, you don’t even need to be a techo-geek to operate it.  Just download the app onto your iPhone and you’re ready to go.

Cruise Finder puts more than 200 ships and 12,000 itineraries right at your fingertips.  You can search in a variety of different ways at the touch of a button.  But wait, there’s more!  Hot Deals, deck plans, stateroom layouts, port driving directions and weather forecasts make researching and planning your cruise vacation a snap.  You can even request a no-obligation quote for your favorite ship.

Don’t wait another minute.  Go to www.icruise.com/cruisefinder for this FREE download.  And while you are on the home page be sure to scroll down to and sign up for our newsletter.  By doing so, you will be automatically entered to win one of 4 Apple iPads that will be awarded during the month of August.  No purchase necessary.

The iCruise Cruise Finder is one more way that we keep you in touch with the wonderful world of cruise vacations.  Click, Call or Connect.  We are ready to help you explore the Seven Seas!

Having been blessed with the privilege of taking more than 300 cruises for both business and pleasure over the past 30 years, I must candidly state that it is a little hard to get me excited about another new ship.  But, the Norwegian Epic became a game changer for me last week.  I had the opportunity to spend two nights on the ship on short preview cruise.  Two things were immediately apparent:  First this is not just a bigger NCL Freestyle ship and second, there was no way I was going to experience everything in 2 days.

The Epic will be one of those ships that is sure to attract a legion of loyal followers.  And yes, some people may not find the ship to their liking.  I am not sure why this is such an issue on the various “cruise enthusiasts” boards.  Come on folks, there are enough ships and diversity in the marketplace to suit almost everyone.  So, in my humble opinion, just who should cruise on the Epic?  Anyone who desires an  entertainment centered experience combined with exceptional freedom of choice and non-traditional onboard programming options.  Families will also find the Epic a good choice due to the range of family-friendly staterooms and extensive children’s program options.  Solo travelers also have new option on Epic with more than 100 Studio staterooms that accommodate one person without a single occupancy surcharge (Finally! How cool!)

Entertainment on the Epic is the game changer for NCL.  They have done away with the traditional “Las Vegas Style” floorshows and in fact they did away with the huge main show lounge.  Instead, there are a multitude of venues featuring an incredible variety of shows.  Instead of creating new shows, NCL invested heavily in bringing aboard popular and well known acts from shore including Blue Man Group, Legends in Concert, Howl at the Moon and Cirque Dreams.  Close your eyes while relaxing at the Fat Cats  Jazz club and you might think you are on Bourbon Street.  During dinner at the Manhattan Club (one of the included restaurants onboard) there is live entertainment including vignettes from the longer Legends in Concert show.

Staterooms on the Epic are chic and curved (see image below) and have a brand new bathroom concept that takes a little getting used to.  Every ocean view staterooms has a balcony.  Thinking of super sizing your cruise?  Then consider one of the 60 suites in the private Courtyard Complex which is really a ship with a ship.  This private area (key card access) boasts a separate pool and sun area, dining room, spa and fitness center, and bar and lounge.

Dining on the ship is also of Epic proportions.  There is a choice of 20 restaurant venues.  Some are included in your fare and some require a cover charge of up to $25 per person.  My favorite was Moderno, a Brazilian style Churrascaria serving a delicious variety of meats delivered tableside.  The very popular Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro have been brought over from the other NCL ships and the always sold out Teppanaki has been tripled in size to accommodate demand.   There are 19 actual dining locations plus room service and 24/7 Pizza delivery  ($5 charge).  I found O’Sheehans,  a pub style bar and grill,  became the central focal point of the ship and good place to meet.  The pub serves complimentary comfort food 24/7.

Some posters on the various cruise forum boards tend to whine a little about “charging for food on a cruise”.   Here is my take on NCL Freestyle.  There are still several “free” restaurants (like other cruise companies) and there are also optional, extra cost alternative dining choices (like other cruise companies).  NCL just has a lot more choices when it comes to alternatives.  So, they have not taken anything away but instead have added more dining options.

In my next posting, I will discuss the children’s programs and more details about some other trendy features on the Epic.  If you are ready to experience this ship for yourself, there is good news.  iCruise has many Epic departures on sale now including upgrades to deluxe balconies.  We are also featuring the Epic in one of our Cruise Combo packages that includes the choice of a free hotel and parking in Miami or free bus transportation from major Florida cities.  Call 800-iCruise (800) 427-8473 now before word gets out about this revolutionary ship and it becomes fully booked.

From Seatrader Insider June 24, 2010:

So many things are happening on Norwegian Epic that passengers might have to book a second week to relax after all the action.

Some experiences are unique at sea. Patrons in the Epic Theater’s front-row seats slip on plastic rain ponchos for protection from the Blue Man Group’s antics, while people clamor to get into the SVEDKA Ice Bar where the temperature is a frigid 17 degrees F.

In a big top tent, diners slice into filet mignon as a pirate sword-fights on a tightrope during Cirque Dreams & Dinner. Elvis, Madonna and Tina Turner impersonators serenade passengers as part of the Legends in Concert show. Passadors slice meats from tall skewers in the Brazilian-style Moderno Churrascaria. Whole pizzas are delivered shipwide for $5.

In Norwegian Cruise Line’s first Aqua Park, passengers swirl around on floating inner tubes in an orange and yellow bowl resembling a giant juicer on a ride that’s called the Epic Plunge. They can also test the first rappeling rock wall on a ship. There are six bowling lanes on board, half in the Bliss Ultra Lounge and half in O’Sheehan’s, the 24-hour pub.

‘As you walk around the ship, people are saying this is completely new. It’s different,’ said NCL’s Andy Stuart, evp global sales and passenger services. Epic is going to bring new customers to cruising and new travel agents to selling NCL, he predicted.

Sales efforts target families with expanded Kids Crew facilities, a teen lounge, Nickelodeon at Sea programming and three-, four- and six-berth accommodations and inter-connecting rooms across categories from Courtyard Villa to economy.

The lavish Courtyard complex stretching across two top decks is expected to draw a new market of upscale travelers with a private restaurant and a bar/nightclub added to the mix. ‘It’s on the edge of being hedonistic,’ Tillberg Design’s Fredrik Johansson told Seatrade Insider.

And solo travelers are courted with the 128 Studios that sport ‘a very, very cool design, unexpected on a ship,’ as Stuart put it.

They’re compact—the bed takes up most of the space—but visually interesting with one padded upholstery wall, mood lighting that can be adjusted from rosy to a cheery yellow and a large round window facing the corridor that belies the fact these are all inside rooms. The bathroom and storage facilities are cleverly designed.

Studio passengers have keycard access to a two-story lounge with wood floors and trendy seating. Imagine a chic youth hostel for singles 30 and up, but with an espresso machine, bar service and big-screen televisions.

All of Epic’s outside staterooms come with a balcony. These ‘New Wave’ rooms with their curving walls have a radically different look than the standard boxy, cruise-ship cabin. They’re sleek and stylish, like a sophisticated boutique hotel. Elemis toiletries, tea/coffee makers and interactive, flat-screen televisions are among the appointments.

The New Wave rooms’ controversial separate toilet and shower stalls, enclosed in fogged glass, ‘take some getting used to,’ NCL ceo Kevin Sheehan acknowledged. There’s a curtain for privacy—though it doesn’t enclose the small sink, positioned in the room.

The accommodations are a calming refuge on a very busy ship. One other sanctuary is the ample Mandara Spa. Here are 24 treatment rooms, some with balconies for relaxation before and after treatments or, on Caribbean itineraries, for outdoor massages. A hydrotherapy courtyard, thermal suite and new offerings like a personalized body scrub selection created by a spa mixologist are other features.

And Epic sports NCL’s first dedicated spa staterooms that include free access to the thermal suite. There are 39 of these, with an attractive Asian design motif, and particularly gorgeous are the eight suites that come with an in-room whirlpool.

Seatrade Insider heard high praise for Moderno Churrascaria, the noodle bar Shanghai’s and the authentic Memphis blues band that plays Fat Cats, the dedicated jazz and blues club.

‘One of the main things I like about the ship is that despite its size, there are a lot of intimate areas,’ said Ramón Santos of corporate meetings and incentives specialists Landry & Kling Inc. in Miami.

Among his top picks are the sophisticated dinner-dance venue, the Manhattan Room; the Cirque dinner show, which he called ‘a highlight’; the expanded Teppanyaki restaurant, where he praised the food quality; the Courtyard complex (‘exciting’); the Aqua Park with ‘so many things going on,’ including bungee jumping and an attraction called Gravity Blast; and the SVEDKA Ice Bar.

That popular spot has limited hours because the room needs to freeze for 16 hours each day. Up to 25 patrons at a time can don fur-lined parkas to slip inside and sip vodka drinks.

‘I wish I had four times the space. We’re doing waiting lists with four and six pages a night,’ said Corey Shannon, corporate beverage operations manager for NCL.

Very few people stay the full 45 minutes, he added. It’s c-o-l-d.

Note from the Cruise Professor:  The books are open and cabins are selling fast.  Book yours now at www.iCruise.com or call 800-iCruise (800) 427-8473.  Be sure to ask your Personal Cruise Expert about our exclusive Epic Cruise Combo package that includes a free hotel.

The new Norwegian Epic arrived today in Southhampton to begin a 2 night press cruise. The arrival was not without a few challenges as it was delayed several hours due to a faulty bearing in one of the propeller shafts. While it does not affect the safety of the ship, it did result in slower than normal cruising speeds resulting in about a 6 hour arrival delay. According to NCL officials the bearing will be replaced while in Southhampton and the ship is expected to depart on schedule for its transatlantic sailing to New York on June 24th. The ship will arrive in New York for naming by singer (and huge NCL fan) Reba McEntire on July 2 followed by a 2 night industry cruise. You can catch the ship on NBC national TV broadcast on July 4th as it plays official host to the Macy’s National Fireworks display. The Epic will then deadhead to Miami and following a few days of pre-inaugural sailings will begin regular one week Caribbean cruises on July 10th.
Stay tuned because the Cruise Professor and my www.iCruise.com colleagues will be on board the ship in New York and we will be posting some live updates once we have a chance to explore this exciting new ship in person. But if you just can’t wait to book, the personal cruise consultants at www.iCruise.com are ready to put you aboard the Epic. There is a special Cruise Combo package just for the Epic that includes a free pre-cruise hotel and other bonus options. Just call them at 1-800-i Cruise (800) 427-8473 or visit online at www.iCruise.com

It’s summertime and most families are gearing up to take a vacation.  There is simply no better choice for family vacations than a cruise.  A cruise is the one place where there is literally something for everyone.  Most contemporary cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean offer extensive programs that group children together by age and customize activities to suit their needs. There are also abundant numbers of trained and certified children counselors on hand to run the program.  Most ships offer attended babysitting and evening programs.  Family and connecting staterooms make it easy to accommodate multi-generational groups.

There are many single parent homes with small children.  Here’s a great idea.  Team up with a friend or relative who might also be solo parenting and take a cruise with all the kids.  Moms or Dads can enjoy the adult features of the ship while the kids participate in the children’s program on board.

Probably the most difficult age group to accommodate are teens aged 15 to 17 because is it not “cool” to be in a kids program.  While there are still programs for these tweens, it is my experience that they usually meet in the program and then hang out together around the ship.   And it all works out!

We think family cruising is such a great opportunity we have even “hired” our own Director of Kids Cruising.  Click on the video below to meet iCruise Sally as she gives her perspective on the Oasis of the Seas.  Sally will be visiting other ships in the future and providing her feedback to you.

Your iCruise.com personal cruise expert can explain all the options available for family cruising and help match your and your kids with the right cruise (at the right price).   Call us today at 1-800-i Cruise (1-800-427-8473) and get ready to sail off on the family vacation of a lifetime!