Sunny Days Ahead for Cruise Ships
December 07, 2005
There's no doubt about it: Alaska is a great cruise destination if you want to see nature and wildlife in all their grandeur. And the Mediterranean and Europe are drenched with as much history as they are beauty. But when it comes to pure, unadulterated fun in the sun, a cruise to the Caribbean and Bermuda is at the top of the list!
Bermuda, the quintessential cruise destination, is getting a couple of very exceptional visitors in the coming year. Two new cruise ships will be traveling to Bermuda in 2006: the Norwegian Spirit and a true behemoth of the ocean, the Crown Princess, which boasts over 3,000 passengers.
When the Norwegian Spirit starts her cruises to Bermuda, she will be joining Norwegian Dawn in operating from New York City in the coming 2006 season. Norwegian Spirit features eight restaurants that are as renowned for their unique style as they are for their stellar food. One can also unwind in any of 11 bars and lounges, the luxurious Roman Spa and Fitness Centre, or the glimmering Maharajah's Casino. Norwegian Spirit has a passenger capacity of 1,966 and weighs in at 77,000 tons.
The second new caller to Bermuda Princess Cruises Crown Princess, which weighs approximately 116,000 tons and will carry 3,100 smiling, Bermuda-bound passengers. When the Crown Princess debuts in June 2006, she will offer nine-day roundtrip voyages from New York to Bermuda and the Eastern Caribbean.
But aside from these new cruise ships, Bermuda will also welcome more cruises than ever before; 190 cruise visits have be booked for the 2006 season, which is up almost 20% from 2005. Other regular visitors returning to Bermuda in 2006 include the Royal Caribbean cruise ships Grandeur of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas.
Some of the possible ports of call that passengers can experience when they travel to Bermuda include Hamilton, St. George, and Kings Wharf. Each one offers travelers the opportunity to explore some fascinating colonial history, recline on a quiet beach, or live it up amidst downtown excitement. (For more detailed information about any of those ports of call, feel free to read about them at www.cruisenetwork.com.)
While not traveling to Bermuda, another ship to keep your eye on, without a doubt, is Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Freedom of the Seas. When she debuts on the Fourth of July in 2006, she will be the largest cruise liner in the world, weighing an astounding 158,000 tons!
This 3,600 passenger cruiser heralds the new era of cruising, in which the amount of onboard attractions rival the number of things a person can do at a port of call. Features like the innovative water park, stunning public rooms, huge entertainment venues, and the FlowRider—a wave pool that allows passengers to surf onboard—will keep passengers entertained between islands.
Of course, when it comes to the ports of call available in the Caribbean, the list is practically endless. Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, Mexico, Key West, and many more beckon cruise passengers year round.
So for 2006, why not head to some of the most popular cruise destinations around, Bermuda and the Caribbean. They might not have ten million-acre nature parks like Alaska does, or a history that stretches back as far as Europe's, but they really do have something for everyone. Any of the cruise ships mentioned above, and many, many more, are available via Cruise Network. Please call a cruise specialist at 1-888-267-1232.
