MSC Cruises named 20 winners of a two-night cruise for two on the MSC Poesia as part of its “Cruise a Day Giveaway.” Nearly 7,000 people entered the sweepstakes garnering 11,000 visits to the MSC Cruises fan page on Facebook.
Crystal Cruises has posted on its website more than 300 Adventure shore excursions for its Jan. 18 to April 21, 2012, World Cruise, more than a year in advance of sailing. This is not only the earliest that top-rated Crystal has ever made its World Cruise excursion options available to guests, but also the earliest any cruise line has ever made them available -- by months. Fully-paid guests can pre-book their selections through Crystal’s Priority Check-in and Planning Center online immediately.
Celebrity Cruises is launching a new integrated, multi-channel campaign with the tagline “X the Rules.” As the line said in its announcement, “life and work have too many rules. A vacation -- one of the most important decisions time-starved consumers make each year -- should not.“Our new campaign is grounded in deep consumer insights and the knowledge that vacation time is precious -- and limited. We get that,” said Celebrity President and CEO Dan Hanrahan.
Atlantic Star Cruise Industry News has learned Pullmantur’s Atlantic Star has been sold to an undisclosed buyer and will be renamed the Mona Lisa II. The French-built Atlantic Star was launched in 1984. The 46,000-ton vessel is one of the last steam ships remaining, with a passenger capacity of 1,550.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said it will expand its fleet by chartering a new luxury ship to be named Europa 2. The newbuild, which has been acquired by a third party, is being built by the French STX shipyard in St. Nazaire and will enter service in 2013. The charter agreement for the Europa 2 is for 12 years.
Royal Caribbean International is launching a series of experiential beverage programs through a partnership with renowned French winemaker Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). The program debuted in December aboard the new Allure of the Seas and will be deployed fleet-wide by the end of the first quarter 2011. The hour-long Lafite Wine Experience features a tasting of four wines from the winemaker’s Reserve Speciale series and is available for $29 per person.