Windstar Announces Lowest Fares of the Year in Europe

Windstar Cruises announced a one-week sale on 2012 voyages in Europe, offering what it says are the lowest fares of the year for Northern Europe, Italy, the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles. The sale concludes on April 16. Fares start at $1,599 per person.

Azamara Journey Makes Maiden Visit to New York En Route to Titanic

Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey called at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City for the first time on April 9. The 694-passenger ship overnighted in the city before embarking on a chartered Titanic memorial voyage for an eight-day sailing.

Azamara Journey, which has been chartered by Miles Morgan Travel in the U.K. for the voyage, will meet up at the Titanic sinking site with the Balmoral, which sailed from Ireland on April 8. Journey will visit Halifax and the cemetery where many Titanic victims were laid to rest.

The 694-passenger ship will arrive at the Titanic site at 2:20 a.m. on April 15 for a memorial service. The memorial voyage will feature two 90-minute lectures each day by Titanic experts, a special meal duplicating the final dinner on the Titanic and two formal, dress-up evenings.

Silversea, World Vacations Launch Email Marketing Program

World Vacations Group, a travel technology company, has launched an email marketing program that synchs a travel agent’s co-branded website with Silversea Cruises.

The free program allows an agent to select a Silversea promotional email template, and the system auto-programs in the branding for the agency including a logo, phone number, contact information and social media links. The agents can then forward it to their own email in-box, and send it to their clients, or pick up the HTML code and send it using their preferred email service provider.

Passage to Africa is offering an expedition to Antarctica, Jan. 8 to 18, 2013, hosted by Michael Lorentz. One of the guides will be Jonathan Shackleton, cousin of the famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Jonathan Shackleton has accompanied 30 groups on trips to Antarctica over the past 15 years as a historian,

guide,photographer and Zodiac driver. Also guiding will be Jonathan Scott, photographer and host of popular TV series, “Big Cat Diary,” “Elephant Diaries,” “Big Bear Diary” and “Dawn to Dusk.” Scott has made 18 trips to Antarctica with his photographer wife, Angie. The Scotts have dedicated their lives to preserving the last great wilderness areas on Earth, particularly big cat territories.

The expedition will employ the small, sturdy M/V Ushuaia with its ice-strengthened hull and anti-roll system. This vessel provides access to areas not possible for the commonly used larger cruise ships. It also carries a fleet of seven Zodiacs that can take passengers to shore from a ship at some distance from the land

The expedition is limited to a maximum of 40 guests. Cost for cabins with private facilities start at $12,475 per person, double, while a suite with private facilities, TV, DVD, fridge and two double beds is $19,245 per person. Prices include hotel, meals, transportation, open bar and shore excursions by Zodiac. For more information on the tour, email theteam@passagetoafrica.com.

Passage to Africa conducts tailor-made safaris in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and East Africa.

Florida tourism entrepreneur Charles J. Kropke is planning to bring back freewheeling sail cruises through a new version of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. Kropke has purchased the defunct company’s three-masted Mandalay and hopes to operate his first weekly Caribbean cruise in May. The new Windjammer Sailing Adventures is based on the heritage of the old company started by Capt. Mike Burke in 1947, Kropke said. “Hopefully we’ll fill a lost niche in cruising,” he said.

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises went out of business in 2007 after several failed attempts to revive the company by Burke family members. The Mandalay, a 236-foot barquentine, was purchased at auction by Fiddi Angermeyer, who operates Angermeyer Cruises in the Galapagos Islands. Kropke said Angermeyer restored the ship in Guayaquil, Ecuador, but he has since moved it to the Pacific Coast of Panama as work continues. It will be moved later this month through the Panama Canal to a new home-port in the Caribbean, which he declined to identify, saying final approval is pending.

The new company is a sister to Dragonfly Expeditions, which operates ecological and cultural tours throughout the Caribbean and South Florida. Kropke serves as CEO of Windjammer Sailing Adventures and Uwe G. Doeringer is chairman of the board. Cindy Greenway has been named president of Windjammer Sailing Adventures and Sylvester Dzomeku is Vice President of operations.

Kropke said the Mandalay previously carried 72 passengers, but the numbers of berths will be reduced to 64. Work will include installing a new air-conditioning system. But the style of the ship won’t change much. “We’re keeping most of the tradition, but we’ll keep a much tighter rein on the upkeep of the ships mechanically,” Kropke said. Mandalay was built in 1923 for financier E. F. Hutton and his wife, Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Despite all its troubles at the end, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises through the years gained a legion of wildly devoted fans, who still keep in touch through message boards and reunions on other ships. Kropke hopes to reach those cruisers and new ones, at this point using social media including a Facebook page.

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“Windjammer did not die because it was more than a company. It was a culture,” Kropke's letter on Facebook reads. “And it was, like the dream itself, a fragile culture; one that had a rare balance of fun, adventure, informality and awe. One that would-be imitators never understood or worse, never valued.” Kropke said he bought pictures, furniture and memorabilia at the 2008 bankruptcy auction and plans to establish a Windjammer Barefoot Cruises museum at company headquarters in Coral Gables, Fla.

In the Facebook letter, Kropke said the new company plans to keep several Windjammer traditions alive, including Rum Swizzles, crab races, story time, sleeping on deck and the playing of Amazing Grace. He also said several former Windjammer employees and crew members will return, including Duane South as captain of the Mandalay and Brian Bishop as chief engineer.

Another company, Island Windjammer, was started by and for fans of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises in 2009, operating the 12-passenger schooner Diamant out of Grenada.

The first cruise company to use Abu Dhabi as a home port is pulling out less than a year after it started sailing from the capital as the industry struggles in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster.

Italy's MSC Cruises has scrapped plans to return to the emirate this year for the next season in a setback for the emirate's ambitions to become a cruise industry hub.

A variety of factors were behind its decision to withdraw, including commercial reasons, the limited facilities and range of cruise destinations in the region, and a preference to take the ship that was destined for Abu Dhabi to South Africa instead, the company said.

"There is no doubt that MSC Cruises' guests enjoyed the destination," MSC Cruises said. "However, for the long-term success of cruising in the [GCC] region, new ports of call need to be developed, terminal facilities must be upgraded and there must be increased focus on sourcing from local and regional markets."

Abu Dhabi has identified the cruise sector as an important pillar in its tourism ambitions as it aims to attract 2.3 million hotel guests by the end of this year.

In the longer term, it is hoping to attract 300 sailings a year and 600,000 passengers by 2030, including ships that sail out of Abu Dhabi and those that stop off in the capital as a port of call.

The first cruise ship to use Abu Dhabi as its base, the MSC Lirica, was estimated to have brought in about 40,000 visitors, with a direct economic impact of Dh80 million (US$21.7m) to the emirate, including money spent on flights, accommodation, retail, transport, food and beverage, according to projections from the emirate's tourism authority issued at the time of its launch.

The cruises sailed to Muscat, Fujairah, Khasab in Oman, and Dubai.

MSC Cruises had intended to bring a bigger ship to Abu Dhabi next season, carrying 54,000 passengers.

But that ship, MSC Opera, is now going to Durban in South Africa, where the company says it has made substantial investments.

There have been a spate of safety incidents in the sector recently, including the capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy, resulting in the loss of 30 lives.

"[We view] MSC Cruises' decision as a short-term tactical imperative, largely brought about by the commercial and operational challenges currently confronting the global cruise industry," the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority said.

"Abu Dhabi's cruise tourism hub ambitions continue unabated. Growth prospects, for both fly-cruise and intra-regional cruises, remain fundamentally positive. We are confident that there will be at least one major cruise liner home-porting in Abu Dhabi in the 2013/14 season."

The tourism authority is striving to boost the industry

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"To realize our cruise hub ambitions, the authority has established a number of strategic priorities," it said. "These include: the establishment of a dedicated cruise terminal at Mina Zayed within three years; the development of one of Abu Dhabi's many islands into a permanent cruise port-of-call; the enhancement of passenger and ship handling capabilities among Abu Dhabi stakeholders."

It also wants greater cooperation within the region to help to boost interest in taking cruises among the local and regional populations, including India, with the aim of growing "these bookings from their current level of 1 per cent of total passenger figures to at least 10 per cent within three years".

The authority also remains in contact with MSC Cruises "with a view to facilitating its return to Abu Dhabi in the near future", it said.

MSC Cruises also remains optimistic on the potential for the industry in the region.

"The United Arab Emirates has great potential in terms of travel and tourism, particularly as a destination for cruise calls," the operator said.

"The growth of the cruise industry seen in recent years combined with the region's commitment to encouraging future growth are significant evidence of such potential."

Cunard’s highly popular Apple iStudy courses are now available on all three Cunard ocean liners, following the recent opening of the Apple Learning Center onboard Queen Victoria. The centers offer the latest iMac machines for confidence-boosting seminars and workshops that aim to familiarize guests with the latest technology, from Facebook to iPads, in a fun and interactive way. The iStudy programmed has been a feature of flagship Queen Mary 2 since October 2011, while Queen Elizabeth has had an Apple center on board since her introduction in 2010.

The workshops have proved a particularly strong draw on Queen Mary 2’s Transatlantic Crossings between New York and Southampton, with many guests bringing along their own iPads to use during the sessions.

“We are delighted to offer this additional attraction on board our ships. We find that guests today are increasingly computer savvy and iStudy is an innovative new program designed to introduce and showcase the latest Apple technology,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “The concept is great for those who are already confident with Apple products as well as for those who want to try out an iPad or learn how to get the best out of devices they already own.”

Course creator and iStudy Presenter trainer Richie Litchfield said, “All the seminars and workshops are fronted by specially trained presenters to make learning fun, in a positive and relaxing environment. There is something for everyone – from the beginner to the more advanced – and our aim is for guests to walk out of the iStudy feeling enriched and more confident.”

Aboard Queen Elizabeth, Cunard also features an iRange store as an Authorized Apple Reseller at sea. Guests can experiment with the latest Apple devices at their leisure, and Apple trained staff are available to give specialist advice on all the products offered for sale on board, including iPods (Shuffle, Nano and Touch), iPad 2, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, as well as accessories such as cases, bags, sleeves and speakers. It is hoped that these iRange Stores will also be opened on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in the future.

The iStudy programme on all three ships aims to take advantage of today's technology and present computer-based learning in an accessible and non-intimidating way. All Guest Computer Services Managers have been trained on the latest Apple technology to offer Apple courses to interested guests.

In addition, the sessions offer a great way for Windows users to test-drive Apple programs and to compare Windows and Apple software side-by-side.

“Apple computers were selected because of their versatility in toggling over to a PC/Windows environment, allowing instructors to teach classes on both computer platforms,” said Shanks.

A cruise carrying relatives of some of the more than 1,500 people who died aboard the Titanic nearly 100 years ago set sail from England on Sunday to retrace the ship's voyage, including a visit to the location where it sank.

The Titanic Memorial Cruise, carrying the same number of passengers — not including crew — as the Titanic did, cast off from Southampton, where the doomed vessel left on its maiden voyage. The 12-night cruise will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the White Star liner.

Waving passengers crowded the decks as the ship prepared to set sail, many dressed in period costumes as first-class passengers, crew members, steerage passenger and stewards.

Graham Free was dressed as an Edwardian gentleman and described his excitement for the cruise as he waited to board.

"I have been a fan of the Titanic since I was nine years old and this cruise is the closest you are going to get to it," said the 37 year old. "The trip has cost a considerable amount, but I wanted to do it."

Fellow cruiser Carmel Bradburn, 55, who lives in Australia, described herself as "fanatical" about the Titanic and struck back at accusations that retracing the doomed voyage is in poor taste.

"I don't think the cruise is morbid. It's like saying Gallipoli is morbid or commemorating the (Crimean) war," she said. "Remembering those who died is not morbid."

With 1,309 passengers aboard, the MS Balmoral will follow the same route as the Titanic — though the Balmoral had to leave two days earlier than the Titanic did because it is a small and slower vessel.

The Balmoral is operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, whose parent company, Harland and Wolff, built the Titanic in Belfast. It has been chartered for the event by Miles Morgan Travel, which specializes in tailor-made holidays.

The organizers are trying to recreate the onboard experience — minus the disaster — including the food and a live band playing music from that era, in a tribute to Titanic's musicians who reportedly played their instruments until the ship sank.

People from 28 countries have booked passage, organizers said, including relatives of some of the more than 1,500 people who died when the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, in international waters in the North Atlantic. Other passengers include relatives of the around 700 survivors, along with authors and historians.

The tickets varied in cost from 2,799 pounds ($4,445) to 5,995 pounds ($9,520).

Over the course of the voyage, passengers will attend lectures by Titanic experts such as Philip Littlejohn, grandson of a Titanic survivor. Littlejohn said he is sure his grandfather would be proud to know his story would be shared with passengers on the Titanic Memorial Cruise.

"It will be an emotional moment when we are over the wreck site, where I dived in 2001 and where my grandfather left Titanic rowing Lifeboat 13," he said.

While on board, passengers also will dine on meals based around dishes served in April 1912, with a formal dinner on April 13 made up entirely of dishes served aboard the Titanic.

Cruise organizers have set up a special memorial service on April 14 to start at 11:40 p.m. to mark the moment Titanic hit the iceberg, and later at the exact moment when the ship sank.

The cruise is among an abundance of commemorations and memorials to the reputedly unsinkable ship that have sprung up to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's doomed voyage.

The new Titanic Belfast visitor experience has opened to the public. The 14,000 sq m building, modeled on four ships’ hulls rising to the same height of Titanic and clad in almost 3,000 striking aluminium shards, was opened by Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.

They were joined by 105-year-old Belfast man, Cyril Quigley, believed to be the last witness of RMS Titanic’s launch.

It’s expected that over 400,000 visitors, including 150,000 from outside Northern Ireland, will visit Titanic Belfast in its first year, with 100,000 tickets having already been pre-sold. The building includes nine interactive galleries looking at every aspect of the Titanic story and the Titanic Suite, a Titanic-themed banqueting venue with a 10,000 piece near replica of Titanic’s Grand Staircase.

Azamara Quest's next cruise will be cancelled due to damage suffered from last Friday's fire, which injured five crewmembers and left the ship adrift off the southern Philippines coast.

In a statement, Azamara Club Cruises said Quest's April 12 voyage from Singapore was being dropped due to the time needed to make repairs, which will take place in Singapore. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Impacted passengers are being given a refund along with a future cruise certificate for 30 percent of the fare paid.

The fire started at approximately 8:19 p.m. ship's time (8:19 a.m. EDT) on March 30 while Quest was en route from Manila, Philippines, to Sandakan, Malaysia, as part of a 17-night sailing that began in Hong Kong on March 26. The flames were contained to the engine room and quickly extinguished, said the line, but not before knocking out electrical systems and propulsion. Five crewmembers suffered smoke inhalation, with one seriously injured; there were no reported injuries among the 590 passengers, including 201 Americans and 98 British citizens.

Engineers on Quest managed to get the ship back underway approximately 24 hours after the fire, and Quest arrived in Sandakan, Malaysia, under its own power at about 9:30 p.m. local time on April 1.

Passengers on the fire-shortened cruise have been given a refund and issued a certificate for a future cruise worth 100 percent of the fare paid. Passengers were also given several options for extending their trips and returning home.

All options included flights to Singapore and bookings at a luxury hotel paid for by Azamara or, if passengers chose to arrange their own accommodations, reimbursements for hotel stays of up to $300 per day. Additionally, each passenger is entitled to compensation of $150 per day for meals and incidental costs. The line is covering the costs of flight itinerary changes up to $500, and is also providing passengers with a refund for all airfare paid with relation to the original cruise.

As of Tuesday, April 3, all of Quest's passengers had left Malaysia for Singapore on flights chartered by Azamara

Oceania Cruises,’ new Riviera, due out in May, will feature “museum-worthy” works from Latin American artists. The collection of more than 1,000 works is a nod to the Cuban heritage of Frank Del Rio, the line’s founder and chairman, and CEO of parent company Prestige Cruise Holdings.

Among the highlights are works by artists from Cuba’s Vanguard Movement, from 1927 to 1950, including Wifredo Lam, Cundo Bermudez, René Portocarrero and Servando Cabrera. Several commissioned works by José Grillo, Carlos Luna and Humberto Benitez also will be displayed.

Windstar Cruises introduced its new 2013 collection of sailing voyages in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Northern Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Transatlantic Crossings.

Leading Windstar’s new offerings for 2013 are seven entirely new voyages, each designed to provide guests a unique sailing experience in extraordinary destinations. The 2013 schedule is highlighted by two 11-day voyages, Footsteps of Faith, exploring origins of world religions between Athens and Alexandria, and Scandinavian Tapestry, which includes scenic sailing in the Norwegian Fjords and Stockholm Archipelago. New voyages also include intimate explorations through the British Isles, the French coasts, and the Canary Islands.

Along with an enticing collection of voyages, Windstar also unveils the complete renovation of the line’s three sailing yachts – Wind Star and Wind Spirit, each hosting 148 guests, and Wind Surf, welcoming 312 guests. All three yachts will feature completely redesigned staterooms, owner’s suites, corridors, and public spaces for 2013 sailings.

The four-masted Wind Star and Wind Spirit will also introduce new design in The Restaurant, Veranda, Lounge, Pool Bar, Library, and WindSpa. Wind Surf, a five-masted sailing yacht, will feature newly designed style in The Restaurant, Degrees, Veranda, Compass Rose, WindSpa, Yacht Club, and Pool Bar.

The $18 million renovation will bring a new level of casual elegance to Windstar’s landmark cruise experience, large enough to provide guests with world class service and entertainment, yet small enough to access small coves and hidden harbors larger vessels cannot reach.

There is now a web site where you can book the cruise that is guaranteed to be the last cruise you will ever take. How do we know? Because you will be dead. My Final Cruise specializes in spreading the cremated ashes of those who have "moved on" into the sea from cruise ships.

The site has a selection of biodegradable urns, as required by the environmental policies of the International Maritime Organization. Prices range from $149 to $324 apiece, depending on your preferred style

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After the ashes have been dropped overboard – which must be done outside of the 12-nautical mile limit – these special urns guarantee that the ashes will be dispersed in an environmentally friendly fashion, and that none of the ashes will wash up on the shore.

The spot where your ashes will be dropped will be recorded in the site's own database of funereal sites at sea, which are marked on the web site using Google Earth. The markers include the choice of having a public obituary or simply marking the spot but keeping the details private. So far, the site has only two marked locations, one between South Carolina and Bermuda and another just north of Saint Martin. In fact, neither marker represents a real burial at sea site yet; they are merely samples. But the company hopes to be seeing lots of dead people in their world map soon.

From the pitch-black depths 2½ miles beneath the North Atlantic, salvagers of the Titanic made a notable discovery when they located the personal effects of William Murdoch, the bridge officer who tried in vain to keep the doomed ship from colliding with an iceberg.

The artifacts — including a shoe brush, straight razor and pipe — are the first to be specifically linked to Murdoch, who gained added notoriety after James Cameron's polemical portrayal of him in the 1997 blockbuster movie "Titanic."

In the film, Murdoch accepts bribes, kills two people trying to get on lifeboats and shoots himself in desperation as the ship sinks. Historical accounts, however, say Murdoch gave the order to try to avoid a collision and acted selflessly to get passengers on lifeboats.

"This will bring Murdoch back front and center to the tragedy," said Bill Sauder, who manages Titanic research for RMS Titanic Inc. The company oversees the artifacts and gave The Associated Press an exclusive look at a new exhibit that opens Friday at Premier Exhibitions in Atlanta. RMST is a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions.

The movie created a furor when it came out. Murdoch's extended family and people from his hometown of Dalbeattie, Scotland, were angered. They asked that movie credits be amended when the video version of the Oscar-winning film was released.

The studio, 20th Century Fox, refused. Executives said the movie was never intended to be a reflection of real events, and that Murdoch was portrayed as a hero because he saved many lives before taking his own. Eventually, the studio issued a personal apology and made a contribution to an annual Murdoch memorial prize that Dalbeattie High School had given out since 1912, the year the Titanic sank.

Attempts to find Murdoch's extended family of Murdoch by contacting community members who had had contact with a now-deceased nephew of Murdoch were unsuccessful.

"There was no controversy about Murdoch shooting himself until the movie came out," said Lee W. Merideth, a Titanic expert and author of "1912 Facts About Titanic." ''Cameron took a lot of liberties, and that's why historians don't like the movie."

Controversy aside, Merideth said the artifacts are a significant find and will help viewers make a personal connection to an important historical figure.

"If that is his pipe, that means he smoked it at one time," said Merideth. "All this stuff belonged to somebody."

Recovering artifacts from the depths of the North Atlantic is painstaking work. Teams are only allowed to gather material from what is known as the "debris field," an area outside the actual ship; by court order, artifacts can't be taken from inside the vessel, which broke into two pieces when it sank.

The Murdoch items are part of some 5,500 artifacts that are being auctioned as one lot and include: clothing, fine china, gold coins, silverware and "The Big Piece" — a 17-ton section of the Titanic's hull. Many of the artifacts are part of a handful of exhibits around the United States and one in Singapore.

The winning bid will be announced April 11. The collection was appraised in 2007 at $189 million, and the public company decided to auction the collection in response to shareholders' wishes.

Connecting items to owners is often impossible. Researchers have only been able to link a handful of passengers or crew members directly to artifacts, usually with items like suitcases, trunks or wallets. The Murdoch artifacts were found in 2000, but just recently linked to the former officer.

The central clue came with the initials "W.M." embossed on a toiletry kit, said Alexandra Klingelhofer, Premier's vice president of collections.

Some of the items inside the toiletry kit, like a button, the razor and long-johns, would seem to belong to Murdoch. Officers were given uniforms, but had to buy their own buttons, making easily-accessible spares necessary, said Klingelhofer. And while early in his life Murdoch wore a beard, he began shaving it after marrying, she said.

Officers and crew members often had several pairs of long-johns, necessary for frigid overnight watch shifts.

The items "bring you face to face with things that belonged to a man so integral to the story," said Klingelhofer.

The items are displayed together on a table under glass. While the long-johns and toilet kit are faded and have holes, the button sparkles, and the pipe and brush appear in good enough condition to be used today, extraordinary considering they spent 88 years in the ocean.

Behind the case is a portrait of Murdoch, along with blurbs about his upbringing and attempts to skirt the iceberg.

"He did what an officer should do," said Klingelhofer. "He followed orders and got people into the lifeboats, and I think that tells you something about the man himself."

n the early morning hours of April 2, the MSC Lirica secured its moorings at its new homeport in Hamburg. The symbolic presentation of the Hamburg admiralty plaque to the captain of the MSC Lirica, Captain Corrado Iaconis was undertaken by Harbour Master Jörg Pollmann from the Hamburg Port Authority. Also attending the reception were Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Crociere S.A., Michael Zengerle, CEO of MSC Kreuzfahrten Deutschland GmbH and Senator Frank Horch, President of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation.

A trip on the MSC Lirica is particularly suitable for those new to cruising as there are numerous mini-cruises from Hamburg to Helgoland as well as three- to five-day short trips throughout Northern Europe on offer. In the coming season, all-in-all the MSC Lirica is offering an exciting range of 21 different ports of call and route distances from the Hanseatic metropolis," explained Michael Zengerle during the on-board event. A fact that underlines the diversity of the sailings available from Hamburg.

The port of Hamburg is becoming increasingly important for MSC Cruises. In 2013, the MSC Magnifica, which was also christened in Hamburg and has a passenger capacity of around 2,518, will ultimately adopt Hamburg as its home port.

Senator Horch and Pierfrancesco Vago consider the cooperation between Hamburg and MSC to be highly beneficial for all those involved and are convinced that the coming years will see further development of the partnership.

The MSC Magnifica was named in one of the finest cities in Germany. Hamburg is an important gateway to both Northern Europe and other cruise destinations. If for no other reason than that, I am convinced that relations between MSC and the City of Hamburg will progress to the mutual benefit of all," stated Vago.

All 590 of Azamara Quest's passengers reportedly have now left Malaysia for Singapore on flights chartered by the line, and a team of experts is onboard the luxury vessel to determine the extent of damage and investigate the cause of a fire that broke out in the engine room, injuring five crew and leaving the ship adrift last Friday.

Malaysian state news agency, Bernama, reported that Azamara chartered five planes to transport its passengers. Four planes came from Royal Brunei and were being routed through the sultanate on the way to Singapore, while Dragon Air provided the other, direct flight.

Quest arrived about 9:30 p.m. local time Sunday in Sandakan, Malaysia under its own power after the onboard fire knocked out electrical systems and propulsion and ultimately forced the cancellation of the 17-night voyage.

According to Azamara, the fire started at approximately 8:19 p.m. ship's time (8:19 a.m. EDT Friday) while Quest was en route from Manila, Philippines, to Sandakan. The line says the fire was contained to the engine room and quickly extinguished. Five crewmembers suffered smoke inhalation, with one seriously injured, though there were no reported passenger injuries.

Engineers onboard Quest managed to get the ship back underway approximately 24 hours after the fire. Engineers managed to restore power to one of the engines overnight Friday, which brought most facilities back online, though, for a time, the ship was running only on generator power.

State of the Ship and Crew

Malaysian daily, The Star, has reported that more than a dozen engineers are now examining Quest. The Web site has quoted Azamara CEO Larry Pimentel as saying it will take 24 to 48 hours to determine whether the ship can be repaired at the Karamunting port where it is currently docked or if it will need to be moved to a facility in Singapore.

"It is possible that the ship may have to go to a [different] location, and one of the largest [repair facilities] in this part of the world is Singapore," Pimentel was quoted as saying. "These situations are dynamic. We need a lot of experts to try this and that. For the moment, the crew stays on board."

Pimentel also reportedly acknowledged that he had spoken to crewmembers injured while fighting the blaze, and revealed that the crewmember who had been most seriously injured was being stabilized at the Duchess of Kent Hospital before being flown by air ambulance to a larger facility that will be able to provide more extensive pulmonary care and diagnostics.

Praise for the Crew of Azamara Quest

"I would ... like to commend the crew onboard Azamara Quest, not just for their valiant and courageous efforts during the fire, but for the way they have worked tirelessly to make our guests as happy and comfortable as possible until the ship arrived in port," said Azamara president and CEO Larry Pimentel in a statement.

When the ship did finally dock, U.S. and British embassies had consular teams in place to assist the 1,001 people onboard, according to reports. A Coast Guard spokesman, Lt. Cdr. Algier Ricafrente, told the BBC that Azamara Quest was carrying 411 crew and 590 passengers, including 201 Americans and 98 British citizens.

"Everybody was joyous that they were alive," passenger Diane Becker Krasnick, who was celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary onboard, told the Associated Press. "It was unfortunate, but the crew was totally, utterly amazing, taking care of us, making sure we were safe, pulling double duty. I would still highly recommend ... Azamara."

Several x members were also onboard Quest, including westaussie, who reported on the boards that the ship "did arrive at 9:30 p.m. but it was midnight till the first buses left to the various hotels. We got to our room at 2 this morning. ... Yes, there was a rousing cheer for the injured crew member."

Another report, posted by a client of Luxury_Cruiser, paints a frenetic scene: "After a few hours [after the fire], we were finally stood down and spent the night sleeping on deck (as there was no lighting, toilets, water or air conditioning). Anyway, eventually things started returning to some semblance of normal ... The Captain and crew have been fantastic....they can't do too much for us."

Passenger Compensation and Travel Arrangements

Upon arrival in Malaysia, the line offered guests the option of staying onboard the ship -- which reportedly has no air-conditioning -- or "being transported to a local hotel until they continue on their vacation," according to a statement.

Azamara is offering guests on the stricken ship a full refund for the cruise and a certificate for a future cruise worth 100 percent of the cruise fare paid for their March 26, 2012, Azamara Quest sailing.

With the remainder of the cruise being canceled, in addition to the refund and cruise certificate, Azamara has told x that guests have been provided with several options for extending their trips and returning home.

All options include flights to Singapore and bookings at a luxury hotel paid for by the line or, if guests have chosen to arrange their own accommodations, reimbursements for hotel stays of up to $300 per day. Additionally, each guest is entitled to compensation of $150 per day for meals and incidental costs. The line is covering the costs of flight itinerary changes up to $500, and is also providing guests with a refund for all airfare paid with relation to the original cruise. For those guests who stay in accommodation arranged by the line, an Azamara representative will be on hand to provide assistance.

The line has set up two dedicated numbers for questions regarding Azamara Quest: from the United States and Canada, the toll free number is 888-829-4050. From outside the United States the direct or collect line is 408-916-9001.

Quest began its 17-night sailing from Hong Kong, China, on Monday, March 26. The original itinerary was set to include port calls in Manila, Philippines; Sandakan (Sabah), Malaysia; Palapo (Sulawesi), Benoa (Bali), Semarang and Komodo, Indonesia and to conclude in Singapore on Thursday, April 12.

Kid Rock cruises. So do the Backstreet Boys. Now, one of the genuinely iconic musical TV shows will be represented in a weeklong cruise to depart in 2013 from Fort Lauderdale.

The inaugural Soul Train Cruise launches on Feb. 17, 2013, sailing to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay before returning on Feb. 24. On board, along with the music fans, will be an array of the biggest acts in R&B history:

Patti LaBelle, The O'Jays, Kool and the Gang, Jeffrey Osborne, War, the Spinners, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, Russell Thompkins Jr. & The New Stylistics, Cuba Gooding Sr. & the Main Ingredient, Gerald Alston (The Manhattans), George Duke and others will perform aboard Holland America's MS Westerdam, a luxury cruise ship with more than two-thirds of the cabins featuring verandas.

A selling point of these cruises is that there's always the possibility of rubbing elbows at least briefly with the talent. After all, everyone is somewhere on board, right?

If you don't manage to hook up for a duet with Patti LaBelle, there are still plenty of options.

The concerts are part of a busy event schedule that includes Soul By The Sea beach parties, a Solid Gold themed ball with the classic Soul Train Line and DJs spinning classic tunes at a bash accessorized by the fashions made famous on the TV series. There also will be opportunities for giveaways of Soul Train DVDs, T-shirts and CDs, as well as world-class meals, another drawing card at sea.

My logic is that the best way to pick a music-related cruise is to imagine how much you would enjoy hanging with the fans attracted by the theme. By that yardstick, this sounds like a fun bunch.

The Soul Train brand, of course, has been part of pop culture since the TV show's debut in 1970 and endures with the Soul Train Awards. Reservations for the cruise may be placed at SoulTrainCruise.com or by calling toll-free to 1-855-768-5872. Early reservation rates start at $1,800 per person and include all meals and entertainment.

Entertainment Cruise Productions, one of the companies behind the cruise, is the force behind 35 other full-ship charter cruises including The Smooth Jazz Cruise: The Greatest Party At Sea (thesmoothjazzcruise.com) and The Jazz Cruise (thejazzcruise.com).

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be taking its premium

ship MS Colunbus out of the fleet one year earlier than planned, in May 2012, by mutual agreement with Conti, the Munich based group of companies and owner of the ship. All cruises offered up to May 2012 will be taking place on the

Columbus as scheduled.

The ship is to be replaced in Spring 2012 by her successor the Columbus 2, under a two-year charter with Oceania Cruises. The Columbus crew will transition over to the renamed vessel.

The successor ship, Oceania Cruises’ Insignia, 2 will be welcomed to the fleet in spring 2012 and offers a passenger capacity of 698 people. “The Columbus 2 is a modern ship. She provides more diversity and comfort at a very good price/performance ratio,

represents for us an economically attractive expansion of our capacity in the

premium segment,“ said Sebastian Ahrens, Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd

Cruises.

The Columbus will be offering her world tour 2011/2012 as planned. At the end of

that voyage on May 7, 2012 in Nice, France, the ship will depart the Hapag-Lloyd

Cruises fleet. Only two published cruises following the world tour will be

cancelled. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be offering special deals for re-booking

onto the Columbus 2 for any customers who have already booked these two cruises.