New Maritime Museum

The Montgomery Advertiser reports that cruise passengers sailing out of Mobile (Alabama) will have a new reason to arrive early for their cruise. The city will have a new maritime museum, shaped like a ship, near the cruise terminal. The cornerstone was laid for the $36 million structure on Thursday. The paper says the museum's focus will be on interactive exhibits that teach about ships and the culture along the Gulf of Mexico. The museum is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2011.

Tahitian Princess Safely on Her Way

Even though cruise lines know pirates aren't really interested in cruise ships, when they have a ship that must sail through or near the Gulf of Aden, they are prudent and take extra precautions - and hold their breath until it is safely through the dangerous area.

With that in mind, Princess Cruises reports they have just exhaled. Tahitian Princess passed through the area today without incident and is now sailing in the Red Sea toward the Suez Canal.

CND recently interviewed the chief security officer for a major cruise line that has occasion to send ships through the Gulf of Aden. He spoke with us about why pirates aren't interested in cruise ships and therefore why cruise ships continue to transit the area. (They don't cruise there as some of the media makes it sound. It's the only reasonable route to get between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf or Asia.) That interview is still available on our blog.

Abello Moves on

Rose Abello announced today that she is leaving her position as vice president of public relations for Holland America Line, effective May 8.

Most readers probably don't know her but the media does. Whenever you read a story that says, "According to a Holland America spokesperson ...," that's usually according to Rose.

We wish her the best in her new world.

RCI Names O'Rourke SVP Marketing

Royal Caribbean International announced today that Betsy O'Rourke has been appointed senior vice president of marketing for the brand. She will be responsible for all aspects of the line's marketing program, including brand strategy and positioning, consumer and trade advertising, web and loyalty marketing, research, brand development and communications. She will report directly to Adam Goldstein, RCI's president and CEO.

O'Rourke comes to RCI from her position as SVP of marketing and communications for Wyndham Worldwide.

Celebrity Solstice Recognized

Celebrity Solstice has been recognized as "the new benchmark in the industry" for design by the prestigious Interior Interior Design Association. The IIDA included interior designers of Celebrity Solstice on the panel of their recent "Pioneering Design Lecture Series." This praise is significant because maritime design is so specialized it is not normally considered for awards or recognition by architects and designers of structure on land.

Details were in the April 10 edition of Cruise News Daily.