Romantic Cruising With Celebrity

Celebrity cruises are perfect for a romantic getaway, from the 360 degree view of a mesmerising ocean to unforgettable moments in a beautiful different country.

Indulge in a huge, hot, bubble bath with a glass of champagne as you sail across the ocean. Allow you and your partner to enjoy a spectacular ocean view from your bath, situated on your own private balcony.

With a 2:1 guest to staff ratio each staff member is attuned to your every need. Whether you are by the pool side or in your suite, a certain pampering service includes daily news delivery, personalised seating preferences in restaurants, 24/7 room service plus a complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cappuccino or espresso, to make your journey effortless.

In the penthouse accommodation on-board specific ships, rooms also consist of a baby grand piano to serenade your loved one. A light system and a music room means you can create the perfect ambiance and with two interactive audio and visual entertainment systems you can spend hours watching films or relaxing in a beautiful marble bathroom.

A classic romance package allows you to commemorate a special occasion for you and your partner. Find rose petals delicately sprinkled on your turned down bed, whilst you both indulge in your chocolate dipped strawberries, drink champagne to toast to that special moment. A premium romance package also includes Celebrity robes and slippers plus a mimosa breakfast for two in bed. For the evening, experience speciality dining in one of the stunning restaurants on board that offer a romantic ambience before returning to your stateroom.

So whether you have a very special question to ask, or need time together to celebrate a special occasion and appreciate one another Celebrity Cruises offer a cruise of love.

Princess Photo Winner

Princess Cruises have awarded a photo depicting the ancient sites of Ephesus as the lucky winner of their photo competition campaign ‘1,000 Memories at Sea’.

The extremely successful campaign saw over 57,000 entries, all hoping to win a once-in-a-lifetime prize of a cruise for two aboard their brand new ship, the Royal Princess, which makes her debut next year.

The photo illustrates the towering pillars and ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, which is famously known all over the world as an archaeological landmark.

The winning photo was sent in by Princess enthusiast, Christine Svircev who took the photo whilst enjoying a cruise around Turkey.

Christine Svircev said: “I cannot believe out of all of these entries I have actually won. I never win anything! Ephesus is such a beautiful place with so many ancient sites to see, I took many photo’s here, and once I got back home I thought I would send one in because I had nothing to lose.”

The winning photo plus 999 other entries will now be displayed on the hallways aboard the new ship the Royal Princess, which makes her maiden voyage in June 2013.

Raj Caluori, Princess’ executive vice president of fleet operations said: “The judges were amazed by the staggering number of great images that were entered in this contest.”

 “We didn’t have an easy time, but in the end we think the 1,000 photos that were selected are certainly worthy of being immortalized on the ship. We hope all the winners have a chance to sail aboard Royal Princess and enjoy discovering where their photos are displayed.”

Royal Princess is currently under construction and will offer 3,600 passengers a host of innovative new features including a larger atrium, a glass-bottomed walkway and a private poolside area.

Christine added: “It is a great honour to win this prize. My husband now calls me Ansel Adams.”

Celebrity Chefs Culinary Cruises

With so many enticing attractions on board a cruise ship today, it can be difficult deciding which cruise line to pick. In the past couple of years however, more cruise lines such as P&O, Crystal and MSC Cruises seem to be raising the bar a little bit higher than most, with the latest trend emerging of introducing a menu created by a celebrity chef…

Paul Rankin

Paul Rankin is the newest celebrity chef to team up with MSC Cruises to showcase his incredible menus. The celebrity chef joined MSC Splendida in February to create guests a host of sumptuous dishes that they were certain never to forget. The chef gave an insight into how he creates his menus with a set of cooking demonstrations and included in the line-up Rankin prepared delicacies such as Escalope of Salmon, Duck steak au poivre and apple tarte tatin. 

Marco Pierre White

The youngest chef in Britain ever to win three Michelin stars, Marco Pierre White is quite the celebrity aboard P&O. His carefully crafted menus can be found in a variety of venues aboard P&O’s impressive fleet. The White Room on the Ventura is where you can find a taste for his Mediterranean dishes, if French cuisine tickles your fancy then Aurora’s Café Bordeaux offers just that, contemporary British menus are found in the Ocean Grill and Italian inspired dishes have been created for Café Jardin on board Adonia. 

Nobu Matsuhia

This talented Japanese chef uses his expertise to create the menus for Silk Road and the Sushi Bar aboard the Crystal Fleet. Not only are his Japanese-Peruvian inspired flavours found on board, but the chef has announced that he will be stepping on the Crystal Serenity this May to personally prepare the dishes in his restaurants and he will also be showing guests exactly how he creates his menus with fascinating cooking demonstrations. 

Atul Kochhar

Another Michelin starred chef sailing with P&O, Atul Kochhar’s incredible menu can be found aboard the Azura. Famous for creating Indian cuisine with a modern British twist, this chef is proud to call the select dining restaurant Sindhu, his home. A small slice of the dishes that you can expect to find include tikka masala, slow-cooked lamb or Tandoori chicken, to offer guests an array of choice when it comes to his menu. 

Jacques Pepin

This talented chef’s signature dishes can be found in array of speciality dining venues aboard Oceania Cruises. Working closely with the team of Oceania’s chefs, Pepin creates revolutionary menus to tempt and satisfy. The Master Chef even has a restaurant on board the Marina named after himself in which you can find mouth-watering French inspired dishes including his speciality; pumpkin soup a l’Anglaise served in a pumpkin shell and free-range chicken cooked on a rotisserie.

MSC Add a New Cruise Ship

 MSC have signed a contract with STX France to welcome a 140,000 tonne cruise ship to their fleet in March 2013.

They have named the ship MSC Preziosa and it will be the 13th addition to their fleet and the fourth ship to join the fantasia-class of ships.

Mr Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO MSC Cruises said: “The new ship represents an investment of 550 million euros and will be delivered at the end of March 2013. Negotiations with STX France have lasted over nine months; a significant but understandable period of time considering the importance of the investment and the unexpected nature of the takeover.”

The ship will offer everything that you can expect on board the MSC Divina, which includes; four main restaurants and two fine dining restaurants, 21 bars, a casino, four swimming pools and an infinity pool, 12 whirlpools, a bowling alley, a sports area and fitness centre, a children’s area and the signature Aurea Spa.

“When MSC Preziosa is delivered we will have four ships of every class, giving us a total capacity of over 40,000 berths and the strength to sail in all seas. MSC Preziosa herself will sail the Mediterranean, exploring the beauty of Greek Islands, which represents the highlight of European cruising.”

MSC and STX France shipyard have been in negotiations for months over this vessel which unknown previous owners did not want to continue to run.

“STX France is delighted with this successful outcome after months of negotiations. The length of time necessary to settle them is the perfect illustration of the challenges faced by the cruise industry in terms of financing, which impact our industry directly. It’s the new Achilles’ heel, after competitiveness, on which our efforts are now focused,” said Laurent Castaing, STX France General Manager. “In this context, the integration of X32 into the prestigious MSC Cruise’s fleet is a relief and a real pleasure for STX.”

MSC are ensuring that the Preziosa offers a host of ‘green’ features to reduce carbon emissions including a waste water treatment and energy saving systems. The ship looks set to be launched in March 2013.