Adventures by Disney and Ama Waterways will be partnering to offer family-friendly river cruises along the Danube in 2016 aboard the new AmaViola. She is being constructed with larger than average staterooms, many with interconnecting doors. Five “partnership” voyages will be offered in 2016 with week long departures on July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28. A special Christmas River Cruise departing on December 22nd is designed more as a Holiday getaway for families to Europe than as an actual Christmas Markets sailing. Learn more about Disney river cruises.
Royal Caribbean International christened its new Anthem of the Seas cruise ship with a huge bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne careening down a zipline on the ship. As the bottle crashed, streamers popped out on thousands of invited guests. The hour-long event took place while the 4180 passenger ship was docked in Southampton, England, which is its homeport until November, when it moves to Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey. On April 30th Anthem will do a 3 night sailing departing South Hampton for Paris and Bruges. She will repeat this sailing on May 3rd and again on August 29th and October 24th.
Crystal Cruises is taking voluntourism at sea to a new level with its You Care, We Care program.This program offers passengers the option of free, service-oriented shore excursions designed by local tour operators to help communities. You can decorate a children’s center in Lima, Peru, tend to an urban farm in Cartagena, Columbia, or help in beach clean-up in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This year they are introducing seven more spring-summer excursions focusing on conservation and helping disadvantaged children. In Langa Township, South Africa – assisting orphans with homework; Astoria, Oregon – working with friends of Ft. Stevens to improve a former Civil War fort-turned-state park; Makapu, Hawaii – removing invasive weeds that threaten the less than 2% of original coastal plant ecosystems left on Oahu; Sitka, Alaska – supporting the operation/maintenance of the salmon hatchery and/or marine life exhibits at the Sitka Sound Science Center; Dublin, Ireland – helping troubled youth from St. Joseph’s Youth Club with facility upkeep, activity planning and/or playing a game of snooker.
Norwegian Cruise Lines “Norwegian Sun” is offering new South American Cruisetours beginning in November of 2015. Ranging in length from three to five days, these experiences are hosted by English-speaking local tour guides. The three-day Tour and Tango in Buenos Aires offers an overnight in Buenos Aires with a city tour, dining in Argentinian restaurants, attending a dinner and tango show and a tango lesson from professional dancers. The five-day Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls Eco-Explorer offers a three-night excursion through Buenos Aires and a short flight to Iguazu for a two day eco-tour of the area, including a visit to the Aborigene Guarani community.
Travelers will also experience 19th century history at the Estancia El Rosario de Areco, including a visit on horseback, learning the importance of the Pampas region to Argentina’s culture, a gauchos and horses show and an Argentine barbeque. The Easter Island and Santiago Explorer cruisetour in Chile is a five day experience with a three day tour of Easter Island visiting the giant moai statues and the ceremonial village of Orongo. An overnight in Santiago is included.
