Seabourn Encore Meets Water

Seabourn Encore touched water for the first time today in Marghera, Italy, a major event in the building of a ship because, for the first time it is doing what it was built to do - floating. Once the drydock fills with water, the new ship will be towed to an outfitting dock in the Fincantieri yard where the interior will be completed over the next six or seven months.

The water began to flow today when Marnie Tihany, the wife of the ship’s interior designer and today, the ship’s madrina, cut a cord which allowed the ceremonial bottle of champagne to smash against the ship’s bow.

Details appeared in the March 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The bottle smashes against the bow of Seabourn Encore and the water begins to flow into the dry dock.

Photo courtesy of Seabourn Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

A Film and a Nosh at the Top

As Celebrity’s Millennium-class ships are cycling through dry dock, they are returning to service with several new features, but one, the Rooftop Terrace, enables the line to provide a new evening event called “A Taste of Film” that has already proven a hit aboard Celebrity Infinity.

The complete story appeared in the March 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The new Rooftop Terrace aboard Celebrity Infinity

Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.
 

Watch Out for Flying Corks

It sounds like something out of a sitcom, but this really happened yesterday aboard Independence of the Seas, and is a quite serious situation.

According to the Sun Sentinel, a woman brought a bottle of champagne aboard the ship, apparently to toast the beginning of her vacation. The cork apparently got away while the bottle was being opened and struck the woman in the eye.

The complete story appeared in the March 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Disney Signs MOA with Meyer for Two Ships

The Walt Disney Company said today they have signed a memorandum of agreement with Meyer Werft to build two ships for Disney Cruise Line.

Delivery is scheduled for 2021 and 2023.

The complete story appeared in the March 3 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Pacific Pearl to Leave Fleet

P&O Cruises Australia said today that Pacific Pearl has been sold and will leave the fleet next spring.

The 63,786-ton ship has been part of the P&O Australia fleet since 2010, but in the years since it was built in 1988, it has become the favorite of many under several names sailing for five different brands.

Details appeared in the March 3 edition of Cruise News Daily.