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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 Click here to view the article

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. Click here to view the article

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. Click here to view the article

CRAZIE, ARRIVED LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON & AND STARTED TO HOG THE COMPUTER

Holland America Lines, Ryndam will host “A Prairie Home Companion” cruise, departing Aug. 18 from Amsterdam and ending in Barcelona on Aug. 29. Garrison Keillor will be onboard with “Prairie Home” regulars Tim Russell, Sue Scott, sound-effects man Fred Newman, and the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band with Richard Dworsky. Others scheduled to attend include Robin and Linda Williams, Butch Thompson, Vern Sutton, Rob Fisher, Connie Evingson, Dan Newton, Chuck Mead and His Grassy Knoll Boys, the DiGiallonardo Sisters, Flamenco guitarists Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual and El Periquín. Currently in its 38th season, “A Prairie Home Companion” has made the fictional small town of Lake Wobegon, Minn., part of American popular culture. The show is broadcast on some 600 public radio stations nationwide, with a weekly audience that tops 4 million listeners. The “Prairie Home Companion” cruise is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media Group. Click here to view the article

The SS United States Redevelopment Project (SSUSRP) has announced the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) as the first step in a process to identify a developer to “repurpose” the historic vessel. The objective is to refurbish and transform the ship into a for-profit, self-sustaining, multi-purpose stationary waterfront attraction. “This is an invitation for private developers to get engaged in perhaps the most unique and exciting development project in the nation,” stated Dan McSweeney, managing director of the SSUSRP. “As our nation’s flagship and a symbol of American innovation and engineering, this iconic vessel presents enormous opportunities to attract a whole new generation of users and visitors.” The SS United States’ home port of New York as well as Miami have been identified as promising locations for the long-term docking of the ship, though other cities will be considered. The project concept is currently for a mixed-use development that may include a variety of feasible uses for the ship’s more than 650,000 square feet of enclosed space including but not limited to hotel, restaurants, event space, retail, and educational facilities. Plans also include a museum and the restoration of the ship’s most iconic historic features. Those interested in participating in the process will have 30 days to respond to the RFQ. After RFQ responses are reviewed, a limited number of Prequalified Proposers will then be invited to respond to a more detailed Request for Proposals (“RFP”). Finalists will then be selected to negotiate terms of an agreement for redevelopment of the ship at the selected location. A developer will be selected by the end of 2012, with the intent of siting the vessel in the selected city by summer 2013. The SSUSRP has been initiated by the SS United States Conservancy, a national nonprofit organization that purchased the historic vessel last year. Click here to view the article

Cunard Line has announced its 2013 Voyage Program, offering an extensive range of sailings across its three ships featuring 106 voyages visiting 99 ports in 35 countries. Highlights include several maiden calls and overnight stays, and multiple departures for its most popular itineraries, including the St. Petersburg & Baltic Explorer, Fjords & Waterfalls and Greek Isles & Mediterranean Treasures voyages. The Queen Mary 2 will continue to offer her Transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton, as well as to Hamburg, while The Queen Victoriawill spend her full 2013 season sailing Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Atlantic Isles, Iberia and Morocco, with a new 24-day voyage to the Black Sea and Turkey; and the Queen Elizabeth will spend much of her season travelling from Southampton to Northern Europe and sailing the Mediterranean from Venice, Athens, Rome and Southampton. The QM2 will sail a total of 17 Transatlantic Crossingsbetween New York and Southampton from May 2013 to January 2014. In addition to the seven-day crossings, Cunard introduces two eight-day crossings. Extended nine- and ten-day Crossings between New York and Hamburg will also be available. The ship will also continue ventures to Northern Europe, plus roundtrip New York departures to New England and Canada – featuring an overnight stay in Quebec – and a visit to the Caribbean in time for the holidays. The Queen Victoria will sail a range of voyages from Southampton to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Isles, Iberia and Morocco, including the popular seven-day Fjords & Waterfalls itinerary (Norway) and the St. Petersburg & Baltic Explorer voyage, with an overnight stay in St. Petersburg. Additionally, she will sail a series of Mediterranean voyages ranging from 12 to 17 days and, new for 2013, a 24-day voyage to the Black Sea and Turkey. Maiden ports include Agadir, Morocco; Isafjordur, Iceland; Palau–Costa Smeralda, Italy; Torshavn, Faroe Islands; and Warnemunde, Germany. Overnight stays include St. Petersburg, Istanbul and Madeira (two nights). The Queen Elizabeth’s 2013 schedule will take her to Iceland, the Norwegian Fjords, the British Isles and the Baltic Sea. Later in the season, she will reposition to the Mediterranean and embark on eight voyages from Venice, Rome (Civitavecchia) and Athens (Piraeus). These itineraries again include the Greek Isles and Holy Land voyages, and maiden ports include Akureyri, Iceland; Goteborg, Sweden; Isafjordur, Iceland; Izmir, Turkey; Marseilles, France; Reykjavik, Iceland; Salerno, Italy; Split, Croatia; Valencia, Spain; and Warnemunde, Germany. Overnight calls include St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Copenhagen and Venice. Click here to view the article

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 . 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. Click here to view the article

GREAT REVIEW, SEEMS LIKE NCL IS STARTING TO TURN IT SELF AROUND, WE ARE HAPPY YOU HAD A GOOD TIME AND MUCH BETTER EXPERIENCE THEN WE HAD ON NCL.

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." Click here to view the article

The 2012 Cruise Shipping Miami convention set records with a 6 percent rise in exhibitors and 4 percent more attendees from 120 countries. The 28th annual show attracted almost 11,000 attendees from March 12 to 15 in Miami Beach. Among the significant news made during CSM 2012 were Carnival Cruise Lines announcing that the 1996-built Carnival Destiny will receive a $155 million refurbishment at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyards, emerging from dry dock in April 2013 with a new name -- Carnival Sunshine. Also, MSC Cruises announced it intends to launch another ship in 2013, bringing its fleet to 13 ships. MSC Preziosa will be the fourth ship in the Fantasia-class, along with MSC Divinia, which launches in May. Norwegian Cruise lines unveiled new details about Norwegian Breakaway, which will enter service in April 2013. The ship offers 17 dining venues and 12 different bars and lounges, including an outdoor area known as “The Waterfront.” The 29th annual Cruise Shipping Miami Convention is scheduled for March 11 to 14, 2013, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Click here to view the article

CRUISE CRAZIES SAFTTEATLYTIB; HAPPY TO HAVE U ABOARD PLEASE POST OFTEN JOHN & JACKIE

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. Click here to view the article

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. Click here to view the article