CRUISES:
Royal Caribbean Wraps Up Grandeur Renovations

6/4/2012 - Royal Caribbean wrapped up refurbishments on the "Grandeur of the Seas" (pictured). The $48 million makeover included five new restaurants, a new Royal Babies & Tots Nursery, a new Diamond lounge, and other changes. Costa Cruises is changing deployments for the 2012-2013 winter season. The "Costa Classica" will move to the United Arab Emirates in mid-November to operate weeklong sailings from Dubai. Meanwhile, the "Costa Magica" will replace the "Classica" then in the Med to offer 11- and 12-day sailings in the region. Norwegian Cruise Line rolled out its "Cruise Event" promotion yesterday, with extra onboard amenities (ranging from bottles of wine and spa credits to free dinners for two in specialty restaurants) for qualifying cruises of a least five days booked by June 9. Regent Seven Seas Cruises says the "Seven Seas Navigator" left drydock late last week with upgraded decor in its Grand and Master Suites, an expanded steakhouse, a new Italian dining venue, and other changes. The strike by port pilots in Norway ended late Friday night. Some cruise lines that had reworked their Norway itineraries as a result of the strike will revert to their original schedules, while others will stick with their rescheduled plans (so, check ahead if you're sailing to Norway in the near future). Azamara Club Cruises will give MY clients booking (through me) selected Asia and South American voyages for 2013 an onboard credit up to $500 per cabin and upgrades for bookings made today through Friday. (Credit: Royal Caribbean)