Atlas Travel Web.com Blog

Whether you prefer a large floating city with “neighborhoods,” a mid-size ship or a small luxurious ship, 2009 brings you plenty of new cruise ships to choose from.

Royal Caribbean  
Oasis of the Seas 
5,400 passengers       November, 2009

                     Costa Cruise Line  
Costa Pacifica                     Costa Luminosa
3,004  passengers                2,260 passengers   
June, 2009                         April, 2009

                      MSC Cruises            
Splendida                           Magnifica
3,300 passengers                 2,550 passengers     
July, 2009                          December, 2009
                                    
Seabourn              
Odyssey                         
450 passengers      June, 2009

Carnival                
Dream                      
3,652 passengers    September, 2009

Celebrity                    
Equinox                      
2,850 passengers    August, 2009

Silversea                
Spirit                                
540 passengers      November, 2009

River Cruises:

Amadeus Waterways:      Amadolce & Amalyra (142 passengers each) March, 2009                                        
Uniworld: River Beatrice (160 passengers)
 River Tosca (84 passengers) April, 2009

Do you plan to sail on any of these new ships in 2009?

Royal Caribbean Cruise line’s latest Freedom-class ship, debuted in the U.S. yesterday at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Touted as one of the world’s largest cruise ships, it will be Royal Caribbean’s first Freedom-class ship to sail from Port Everglades.

When it comes to onboard activities, Independence of the Seas offers an unbelievable array of choices. For those who love to go wild on vacation, you can hang-10 on the popular FlowRider, take your frustrations out in the boxing ring, putter around on the nine-hole miniature golf course, or cool off at the ice-skating rink. For travelers who want to just sail away from it all, the ship offers plenty of soothing distractions such as whirlpools, a day spa, solarium with an indoor/outdoor pool, and a library. Plus, children will love the fun designed just for them with the H20 Zone interactive water park and the Adventure Ocean Youth Program.

Hungry? The three-deck-high main dining room serves your favorite dishes from around the world. Cruisers can also enjoy casual eateries like the buffet at Windjammer Café, Johnny Rockets 50s-style diner, Sorrento’s pizza parlor & Ben & Jerry’s. Independence of the Seas also has two specialty restaurants: Portofino Italian Restaurant & Chops Grille. After dinner, you can burn off those calories with scores of entertainment options. Drop off the kids for evening activities at the Adventure Ocean club, & press your luck at the Casino, perform like an “American Idol” during karaoke classic at the On Air Club, or dance the night away in the castle-themed nightclub, The Crypt. Want fun for the whole family? Shoot for the high score in the arcade, watch a movie together in the theater, or take the whole bunch to see the ice skating show or headline performance at the Broadway-style venue Arcadia Theatre.

Independence will sail from Ft. Lauderdale & alternate between eight-night Eastern Caribbean & six-night Western Caribbean itineraries. The Eastern Caribbean itinerary will call at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination in Haiti. The Western Caribbean itinerary will call at Belize City, Belize; & Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Launches New Ad Campaign…cruise line will phase their “Get Out There” slogan in exchange for “The Nation of Why Not?” The company launched print advertising on November 10th, and will be followed by TV ads as well as a web site: www.nationofwhynot.com The tv commercials are meant to highlight all the different places in the world you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise & also pointing out that the ships are a destination as well with surfing, rock climbing, ice skating & more. So RCCL is asking the question “Why Not” climb a glacier in Alaska or “Why Not” rock climb while in the middle of the Pacific ocean? “Why Not” stroll along the Boardwalk or Central Park aboard the new Oasis of the Seas coming out late 2009?

Royal Caribbean offers vacations in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada, Alaska, Asia, South America, Europe, Australia & New Zealand. Atlas offers exclusive amenities on most RCCL cruises.

What do you think of the new campagain?

Royal Caribbean International has announced it will deploy the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas to Dubai in 2010. Guests can choose among 13 sailings, from January through April 2010, aboard Brilliance of the Seas to some of the most exciting and vibrant destinations in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain & Oman. Among the ships’ highlights are glass elevators facing the sea, six dining alternatives & a state of the art onboard spa. Other amenities on the Brilliance of the Seas include a rock-climbing wall, jogging track, basketball & volleyball court, golf simulator & nine-hole miniature golf course, & a large gym with treadmills facing the sea. We have sailed on this ship twice with my family in Europe, & everyone from age 2 to 75 enjoyed it.

Guests aboard Brilliance of the Seas’ cruises from Dubai will have ample time to explore the famed city with overnight stays at the beginning and conclusion of the voyage. The port-intensive itinerary will also include a call at Oman’s capital of Muscat, and maiden ports of call at Mina Sulman, Bahrain; and Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

There are also two repositioning cruises, both 14-night itineraries, between Barcelona and Dubai via the Suez Canal. The January 4, 2010 sailing from Barcelona will call at Aqaba, Jordan and four Egyptian ports: Alexandria, Safaga, Sharm El Sheikh, and an overnight stay at Port Said. The April 19 return voyage will call at Safaga, Sharm El Sheikh, Alexandria & Muscat.

These sailings opened for reservations on Nov. 3rd. Book early as with minimal sailings, this is expected to sell out well in advance!

The Youth Zone takes family vacationing to a new level! Due to launch November, 2009, the Oasis of the Seas just released information on the Youth Zone. The area will be over 28,700 sq. ft. & will include a Kid’s Avenue, a central boulevard connecting themed areas, a nursery & state of the art teen area.  The Royal Babies & Tot’s nursery will be the first ship to take children 6+ months & up. RCI will have a fully staffed nursery where children can be left in the care of trained professionals. They will also host play groups by Fischer Price & Crayola.

Themed areas will include new workshops for families to learn jewelry making and scrapbooking. Another notable addition is the Adventure Ocean Theater. It will have a stage, audience seating and state-of-the-art production equipment. The theatre will offer a venue for theatre productions, talent shows and hip-hop dance classes.

The teen only spaces will include a “mocktail” bar & the Scratch DJ Academy, as well as teen-only programs found on other ships including Fuel Disco & The Living Room.

WHEN CAN I BOOK MY OASIS CRUISE ??? Hot off the Press - RESERVE YOUR OASIS OF THE SEAS^SM CRUISE BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 3. The highly anticipated Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship when she launches in November 2009. There is such an incredible buzz in the travel industry about this ship. When she launches in late 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered tons (GRT), carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas will be the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone and Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness.