Posts Tagged cruise ship
Cruise captain dined with dancer
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on March 3, 2012
ROME: the captain of the Costa Concordia shared oysters and crab with a Moldovan dancer in a restaurant in the south of France a month before the cruise ship rammed into rocks off the Italian coast.
In photos published on Wednesday, Captain Francesco Schettino is seen with Domnica Cemortan, 25, enjoying a seafood meal in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur.
The couple were photographed in the restaurant on December 13, according to Chi, an Italian weekly magazine.
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Costa Concordia cruise captain Francesco Schettino. Photo: Reuters
Miss Cemortan reportedly told investigators last week she was “in love” with Captain Schettino, as Italian newspapers said that divers had found her lingerie, clothing and make-up bag in his cabin.
She denied both claims in an interview with another magazine, Oggi. “They are all lies. I wasn’t born yesterday. the information was put out to put pressure on the captain. They want to isolate him, even from his family,” she said.
“I never said to magistrates ‘I love Schettino’. They say they’ve found my bikini in his cabin. what have they found on this bikini that connects it to me? Was my name written on it, was there my photograph, or my DNA?”
Costa Concordia crew member Domnica Cemortan. Photo: Reuters TV
Miss Cemortan’s aunt, Lucica Cemortan Gurina, also denied that her niece and Captain Schettino were lovers. “A lot of things in this business have been misinterpreted,” she told Italian television.
Miss Cemortan was interviewed for nearly six hours last week by prosecutors in Grosseto, Tuscany, the base of the investigation into the January 13 sinking off the island of Giglio in which 32 people are believed to have died.
Investigators wanted to know whether she was on the bridge at the time the Concordia hit the rocks, and whether her presence may have distracted the captain and his officers.
A court in Florence yesterday decided that Captain Schettino, 52, should remain under house arrest, after his lawyer requested his freedom be restored.
The Daily Telegraph, London
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The video attached to this story was created by retired Sydney computer engineer Peter Oslen. the 3D modelling was created using Google Sketchup and the animation was created using the Google Earth KML mark-up language. the full YouTube video of the animation is available here. if you have Google Earth installed on your computer, this link will open the animation in Google Earth.
Cruise captain dined with dancer
Cocaine link in Captain Coward's night of tragedy
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 20, 2012
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground the tiny Island of Giglio. Picture: AP Source: AP
- Traces of cocaine have been found on a hair sample
- May have been around cocaine even if he didn’t use any
- Schettino may have been distracted from his command
TRACES of cocaine have been found on a hair sample from the captain of the stricken Costa Concordia.
But experts say the discovery does not prove that Francesco Schettino, charged with abandoning his post when the cruise ship ran aground last month, had used the drug.
The cocaine was not found within the actual fabric of Captain Schettino’s hair or in his urine – the usual signs that someone took the drug.
Experts have suggested that Captain Schettino may have been around the cocaine even if he did not use any.
The cruise liner, carrying more than 4000 passengers, crashed into a reef near a tiny Tuscan island on January 13, tipping over on to its side. As many as 32 people on the ship are believed to have died in the accident. the captain has denied abandoning ship and insisted the reef was not marked on navigational charts.
Questions have been raised about his behaviour on the bridge in the critical moments before the ship ran aground.
Domnica Cemortan was seen cavorting with the captain in the minutes before the cruise liner foundered on rocks.
Italian authorities believe 52-year-old Schettino dubbed Captain Coward may have been distracted from his command by trying to impress the dancer.
Ms Cemortan had worked as a translator for the Concordia but was on holiday on the ship at the time of the disaster.
Divers are still searching the wreckage where some of the missing were last seen.
Australian cruise passenger arrested over 7.9kg cocaine in cabin
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 19, 2012
An Australian man has been arrested in the US after 7.9kg of cocaine was allegedly found in his cabin on board a cruise ship.
Ahmed Rachid, 27, was arrested along with two New Zealanders on board the P&O cruise ship Aurora on January 25.
An “altercation” brought the New Zealand couple to the attention of US law enforcement officials investigating the discovery of cocaine on the cruise ship while docked in San Francisco.
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The New Zealanders Tony Earl Wilkinson, 42, and Kirsty Harris, 25, allegedly had 5.8kg of cocaine in their cabin.
Homeland Security Investigations special agent Craig Hyatt said in an affidavit that after the seizure of cocaine from Rachid, agents had learned he had a possible association with Wilkinson and Harris.
“Officers and agents learned from ship personnel that Rachid recently had an altercation with another passenger onboard who was later determined to be Harris,” agent Hyatt said.
Rachid also told agents that while he was sightseeing in Curacao on January 16, he had been approached by a Hispanic male, with whom he had arranged to transport cocaine to Australia.
Rachid had said that he had arranged that, on his arrival in Sydney, he would be paid for transporting the cocaine after contacting an associate of the Hispanic male.
He told agents he had smuggled seven bundles of cocaine to his cabin without any incident. In his cabin he had placed all the seven bundles in his suitcase, which he locked.
Hyatt said that when officers and agents went to the cabin on the Aurora where Wilkinson and Harris were staying, they had been met by Wilkinson who appeared to be holding drug paraphernalia.
“Wilkinson then attempted to shut the cabin door on the officers while simultaneously opening the cabin bathroom door, temporarily blocking the main cabin door,” Hyatt said.
“Agents heard the bathroom faucet turn on and observed Wilkinson rinsing what appeared to be drug paraphernalia in the sink.”
During a search of the cabin a set of keys was found concealed in a light fixture.
The keys opened a black case, inside which agents found several packages of a substance which later tested positive for cocaine, with an aggregate weight of 5.8kg.
The earlier search of Rachid’s cabin was carried out after a conversation he had with a border protection officer during a routine passport control check, Hyatt said.
Brick packages, weighing a total of 7.9kg, were found inside locked luggage in Rachid’s room. The packages tested positive for cocaine.
Wilkinson, Harris and Rachid were charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 5kg of cocaine.
The US Attorney’s Office said Wilkinson and Rachid last appeared in Federal Court in San Francisco on January 31 for detention hearings, while Harris last appeared on February 1, also for a detention hearing. All three were remanded to custody and were due to reappear in early may.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the ministry was aware of the arrests of Wilkinson and Harris and consular assistance had been offered.
The Aurora has since sailed on to the South Pacific and is now headed for Sydney. a P&O spokesman at the company’s Southampton headquarters said: “There is an ongoing investigation and we are not at liberty to discuss this further.”
- © Fairfax NZ News
Australian cruise passenger arrested over 7.9kg cocaine in cabin
SA?s Summer Cruise Season Well Underway with Athena Commencing Her Adelaide Program
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 13, 2012
Athena Adelaide 
Athena Adelaide 
Athena sailing into Adelaide 
Athena exterior
Athena to Boost SA Economy by $3 million
South Australia?s first and only locally based cruise ship, Athena, arrives in Adelaide today ? Wednesday January 25 – to begin her third and longest-yet cruise season here, with her 30-day SA program set to anchor $3 million in the local economy.
The classic-styled, 550-passenger Athena, which will dock at the Outer Harbour cruise terminal around 7.30am on January 25 after a five-day cruise from Perth, will offer five cruises to and from Adelaide this month and next ? the longest-ever season for South Australia?s growing cruise industry and the biggest ever commitment to the local market by Classic International Cruises.
Classic International Cruises was the first line to ever base a ship in SA in 2008 and remains the only cruise ship to use Adelaide as a home port. this will be Athena?s third season of cruises from the South Australian capital after the success of Athena?s first seasons here in the summers of 2008/09 and 2009/10.
Supported by the South Australia Tourism Commission, Athena?s Adelaide program will provide a $3 million boost to the SA economy through passenger and crew spending as well as stores, fuel and port fees, with many passengers travelling from interstate to sail on Athena. the 2011/12 summer season for Athena in SA features three round-trip cruises from three to eight nights from Adelaide including the first-ever return cruise from Adelaide to Sydney. a round-trip voyage to Tasmania and a three-night Australia Day cruise to Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln will also be offered as well as two one-way itineraries of five or six nights between Adelaide and Fremantle.
Athena?s Adelaide season will include seven visits to SA ports ? more than any other cruise ship – with four visits to Adelaide (January 25 and 28 and February 5 and 12), two visits to Port Lincoln (January 26 ? Australia Day ? and February 13) and one to Kangaroo Island (January 27).
the Adelaide season is part of Classic International Cruises? eighth successive and longest-yet season in Australia for the summer of 2011/12, with Athena also based in Perth from December, 2011, to April, 2012.
Athena will return to Adelaide for another five-cruise season in SA next summer, introducing Robe as a new port of call.
?This is our third season in Adelaide and our longest yet and we are proud that we have been the first and only cruise line to serve the local market with round-trip cruises from SA,? said Classic International Cruises Managing Director, Grant Hunter. ?With the support of the South Australian Tourism Commission, we remain firmly committed to the SA market to ensure South Australians have a quality, affordable cruise product on their doorstep. unlike big new ships filled with distractions, Athena offers a return to traditional ocean cruising with personal, old-fashioned service, fine cuisine and a relaxed atmosphere onboard.?
Originally a transatlantic liner, the Portuguese-registered Athena features a wrap-around promenade deck, traditional wooden deck chairs, a pool, fitness centre and sauna, five bars and lounges, nightclub, cinema, showlounge, library, boutiques, cinema and two restaurants. And all cabins have a full-sized bath ? a luxury only found in suites on the latest superliners. Fares start around $175 per person per day, twin-share, including all onboard meals and entertainment. Bookings are available for travel agents.
SA?s Summer Cruise Season Well Underway with Athena Commencing Her Adelaide Program
Travel Monitor: Garden Island breakthrough for Sydney cruise ships?
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 1, 2012
31 JAN: A change in operations at Sydney’s Garden Island dockyard could lead to a major breakthrough for the cruise industry. Defence contractor Thales Australia will move its headquarters from the site to elsewhere in Sydney when its lease expires next year, the Sydney Morning Herald reports, saying NSW deputy Premier Andrew Stoner will announce the development at a maritime expo today.
The Herald says the Thales departure will potentially free up space for cruise ships – a development which would be welcomed by cruise operators.
Carnival Australia has campaigned strongly for greater access to Navy-controlled Garden Island as a facility for the growing number of liners too big to pass under the harbour bridge to berths at points in the western harbour.
Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 has used the Navy facility on at least two occasions.
In a submission to a review currently being conducted by the Defence Department, the NSW government has also pushed for greater cruise ship access to Garden Island.
Meantime, the economic value of cruising has been underlined in a new report, which estimates the turnover of the NSW cruise industry will more than triple from $400 million in 2010-11 to almost $1.3 billion by 2020.
And the added value of the industry will rise from $350 million to more than $1.1 billion over the same period.
Commissioned by Carnival Australia, the Deloitte Access Economics report predicts average annual expenditure growth of almost 15% until 2020 for the industry in NSW.
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Travel Monitor: Garden Island breakthrough for Sydney cruise ships?
SA?s Summer Cruise Season Well Underway with Athena Commencing Her Adelaide Program
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 26, 2012
Athena Adelaide 
Athena Adelaide 
Athena sailing into Adelaide 
Athena exterior
Athena to Boost SA Economy by $3 million
South Australia?s first and only locally based cruise ship, Athena, arrives in Adelaide today ? Wednesday January 25 – to begin her third and longest-yet cruise season here, with her 30-day SA program set to anchor $3 million in the local economy.
The classic-styled, 550-passenger Athena, which will dock at the Outer Harbour cruise terminal around 7.30am on January 25 after a five-day cruise from Perth, will offer five cruises to and from Adelaide this month and next ? the longest-ever season for South Australia?s growing cruise industry and the biggest ever commitment to the local market by Classic International Cruises.
Classic International Cruises was the first line to ever base a ship in SA in 2008 and remains the only cruise ship to use Adelaide as a home port. this will be Athena?s third season of cruises from the South Australian capital after the success of Athena?s first seasons here in the summers of 2008/09 and 2009/10.
Supported by the South Australia Tourism Commission, Athena?s Adelaide program will provide a $3 million boost to the SA economy through passenger and crew spending as well as stores, fuel and port fees, with many passengers travelling from interstate to sail on Athena. the 2011/12 summer season for Athena in SA features three round-trip cruises from three to eight nights from Adelaide including the first-ever return cruise from Adelaide to Sydney. A round-trip voyage to Tasmania and a three-night Australia Day cruise to Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln will also be offered as well as two one-way itineraries of five or six nights between Adelaide and Fremantle.
Athena?s Adelaide season will include seven visits to SA ports ? more than any other cruise ship – with four visits to Adelaide (January 25 and 28 and February 5 and 12), two visits to Port Lincoln (January 26 ? Australia Day ? and February 13) and one to Kangaroo Island (January 27).
the Adelaide season is part of Classic International Cruises? eighth successive and longest-yet season in Australia for the summer of 2011/12, with Athena also based in Perth from December, 2011, to April, 2012.
Athena will return to Adelaide for another five-cruise season in SA next summer, introducing Robe as a new port of call.
?This is our third season in Adelaide and our longest yet and we are proud that we have been the first and only cruise line to serve the local market with round-trip cruises from SA,? said Classic International Cruises Managing Director, Grant Hunter. ?With the support of the South Australian Tourism Commission, we remain firmly committed to the SA market to ensure South Australians have a quality, affordable cruise product on their doorstep. Unlike big new ships filled with distractions, Athena offers a return to traditional ocean cruising with personal, old-fashioned service, fine cuisine and a relaxed atmosphere onboard.?
Originally a transatlantic liner, the Portuguese-registered Athena features a wrap-around promenade deck, traditional wooden deck chairs, a pool, fitness centre and sauna, five bars and lounges, nightclub, cinema, showlounge, library, boutiques, cinema and two restaurants. And all cabins have a full-sized bath ? a luxury only found in suites on the latest superliners. Fares start around $175 per person per day, twin-share, including all onboard meals and entertainment. Bookings are available for travel agents.
SA?s Summer Cruise Season Well Underway with Athena Commencing Her Adelaide Program
5 Reasons to Include a Harbour Cruise in You Sydney Holiday
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 23, 2012
When people think of Sydney, most automatically think of beautiful waterways. Sydney is famous for its harbour and its beaches and it is natural that so many visitors to Sydney (as well as locals) want to spend time on or near the water.
A Sydney Harbour cruise should be a non-negotiable feature on the itinerary of every visitor to Sydney. There is simply no better way to see and learn about some of the city’s most iconic and spectacular features and enjoy the time spent aboard a prestigious cruise ship, such as the MV Sydney 2000.
Here we take a look at five of the best reasons to include a harbour cruise as part of your holiday in Sydney:
1: see the sights
Sydney enjoys global recognition for some of its most unique and spectacular landmarks and iconic features. the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Kirribilli House are among its most popular and famous locations and all of these places can be seen (from an excellent vantage point) as you enjoy a Sydney Harbour cruise.
2: Learn about the sights and capture memories
As you cruise you will have the opportunity to learn interesting information about some of Sydney’s most significant places and be perfectly positioned to take wonderful photographs that provide special memories for years to come. There are few better positions from which to capture perfect photographs than from aboard your cruise ship.
3: Cruise during the day or at night
There is a huge range of options when it comes to the different types of Sydney Harbour cruises and the times of day at which these operate. Daytime cruises are particularly good for families, but if you would really like to experience the beauty of Sydney Harbour as the sun sets, then a Sydney Harbour dinner cruise is highly recommended.
Dinner cruises allow you to enjoy a delicious, high quality meal and appreciate the majesty of the harbour at the most peaceful and serene time of day. Many people find that it is also at this time of the day that they most appreciate each other’s company.
4: excellent value
No matter whether you take a daytime or evening cruise you can expect to find that the experience you have represents incredible value for money and time. Sydney Harbour cruises are enjoyed by visitors and locals and they really do offer the best way to view the major attractions and most significant of Sydney’s landmarks from the comfort of your ship and with the benefit of a route and information that is organised for you.
Travelling can be hard work and it really can be enjoyable to have others provide you with information and the opportunity to relax and enjoy.
5: Great service
Even at the time that you book your cruise around Sydney Harbour, you can expect that the staff will provide you with great service. one of the many benefits of taking a cruise with a specialist company is that they will provide you with information and assistance and do all that they can to make sure your experience is an enjoyable and memorable one.
Particularly when you take a Sydney Harbour dinner cruise, you can and should expect attentive, friendly and high quality service to make your dining and total experience a truly fabulous occasion.
There is no better activity than a harbour cruise when you holiday in Sydney. Spending time on the harbour is relaxing and enjoyable and gives you the opportunity to see some of Sydney’s most spectacular features from the most amazing vantage points. Sydney Harbour cruises are enjoyed by people of all ages and make for amazing memories and special moments.
Carnival Questions Cruise Captain’s Judgment as Death Toll Rises
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 16, 2012
January 16, 2012, 10:16 AM EST
by Marco Bertacche and Chiara Vasarri
(For related articles on the Carnival wreck, see EXT2 <GO>)
Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) — The captain of a Carnival Corp. cruise liner ordered the ship off its programmed route, an “error” that caused it to hit a reef off Italy’s coast in an accident that killed at least six people, the chairman of the cruise ship’s operator said.
The Costa Concordia’s route was set electronically before it left Civitavecchia near Rome, carrying 4,000 passengers and crew, on Jan. 13 and the ship shouldn’t have been close to the Giglio island where it struck rocks, ripping a hole through its hull, Costa Crociere Chairman Pier Luigi Foschi said at a press conference in Genoa. The company is controlled by Carnival.
“We can’t deny that there was a human error,” he said. “The route had been properly programmed in Civitavecchia. The fact that the ship strayed from that course can only be due to a maneuver that was not approved, not authorized nor communicated to Costa Crociere by the captain of the ship.”
Foschi, whose voice cracked with emotion and eyes welled with tears during the press conference, defended the crew for evacuating more than 4,000 people to Giglio off the coast of Tuscany. The company’s priorities are completing the rescue operation and removing more than 500,000 gallons of fuel before trying to salvage the ship, he said.
The rescue operation was temporarily halted today because of the ship’s movement in shallow waters near Giglio, Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said. As many as 17 people are still missing. The ship’s insurers may face total costs of about 405 million euros ($512 million), said one person with knowledge of the policies. Carnival shares fell as much as 23 percent in London trading.
Carnival shares fell as much as 23 percent in London trading today. The U.S. stock market is closed for a holiday.
“In terms of physical damage, this will be one of the biggest claims around,” said Eamonn Flanagan, an insurance analyst at Shore Capital Group ltd. in Liverpool, England.
a sixth body was found on the ship today, said Stefano Giannelli, a fire department spokesman, adding to the five known to have perished. Rescue teams found two South Korean passengers alive in a ship cabin at 3 a.m. local time yesterday and saved a crewmember on the third deck, Giannelli said.
‘Titanic’
Two French, one Italian and one Spanish passenger — and a Peruvian crewmember — are among the fatalities, the Civil Protection unit in Grosseto said.
Several survivors described scenes of panic when the ship began listing, with some likening the events to the film “Titanic.”
Captain Francesco Schettino was arrested for allegedly abandoning the ship “since we know he was in the harbor about midnight,” Francesco Verusio, the chief prosecutor in the city of Grosseto, said in an interview. The ship’s first officer is also being probed, he said. Dozens of people have been questioned so far in the investigation, the prosecutor said.
Costa’s Foschi said witnesses reported that the captain remained onboard for a long time and it was difficult to determine if Schettino abandoned the vessel.
Gianni Onorato, general manager of the Costa Crociere line, said the ship had embarked about 7 p.m. from Civitavecchia near Rome on a trip that was scheduled to include stops at ports in France and Spain. When the vessel hit the rocks, Schettino, after assessing the damage, decided to secure the ship and gave the evacuation order, Onorato told news channel SkyTG24 in an interview. a Costa Crociere spokesman confirmed the comments.
The number of missing may be as low as 15, including six crewmembers, according to the Tuscany Region Governor Enrico Rossi. among them are an 84-year-old Italian and a 5-year-old child, la Repubblica said on its website. The number could be as high as 17, news agency Ansa said, citing Grosseto Province President Leonardo Marras. The U.S. Embassy in Italy said two of the 120 U.S. passengers are still unaccounted for, according to a statement posted on Twitter yesterday.
‘terrible Tragedy’
“This is a terrible tragedy and we are deeply saddened,” Carnival said in a Jan. 14 statement. Carnival, based in Miami, is the world’s largest cruise line owner, with brands such as Cunard, Princess Cruises and Costa. its shares trade in London and new York.
The so-called black box that carries crucial information about the ship’s movements has been retrieved, Verusio said. Investigators have determined the ship was only about 150 meters (492 feet) from the coast when it hit the rocks, Ansa said.
Captain Schettino said he was the last one to leave the ship, according to an interview broadcast by TGCOM24 before his arrest. The rocks weren’t identified on the navigation maps, Schettino said. The ship was at least 300 meters from the island when it hit the rocks, he said.
The captain may have steered the ship close to Giglio as a “salute” to a retired Costa captain and a current crew member who come from the island, Corriere della Sera reported, without saying where it got the information.
Foschi said the only time that he was aware of one of his company’s cruise ships being authorized to sail close to the island was Aug. 9-10, 2011.
Television images showed the Costa lying on its starboard side, a portion of the ship underwater and its orange smokestack close to the waterline. The ship was built in 2006 and has 1,500 cabins, according to Costa Crociere’s website. The vessel also had a docking accident at Palermo’s harbor in 2008 because of strong winds, newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore reported.
–With assistance from Alaric Nightingale, Mike Harrison, and Kevin Crowley in London; Ben Livesey in San Francisco; Dan Hart in Washington, Beth Jinks in new York, Jacob Greber in Sydney and Jerrold Colten in Milan.
Editors: Andrew Davis, Dan Liefgreen, Jerrold Colten
To contact the reporters on this story: Marco Bertacche in Milan at mbertacche@bloomberg.net; Chiara Vasarri in Milan at cvasarri@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jerrold Colten at jcolten@bloomberg.net
Carnival Questions Cruise Captain’s Judgment as Death Toll Rises
A white Christmas on the water
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 26, 2011
SARAH HARVEY 
PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax NZ
CHRISTMAS CRUISE: The interior of the Sea Princess cruise liner.
Snow, Santa Claus, last minute Christmas shopping and a whopping big bundle of turkey – Christmas Day on board a cruise ship needn’t mean passengers miss out.
Onboard the Sea Princess cruise liner, fake snow will float down from the atrium as carollers sing on Christmas Eve, the night time turn down will include a Santa stocking, TV sets will be turned to a crackling fire, and children will be entertained making gingerbread houses and watching special Christmas movies.
The onboard boutiques have also been experiencing a rush in sales as passengers stock up on last minute gifts, crew members say.
The Sea Princess, one of the Princess cruise liners, docked in Auckland earlier this week having departed from Sydney last week. it is a 13-day cruise around New Zealand.
about 2000 people will be aboard the Sea Princess when it docks in Dunedin for Christmas Day.
Sea Princess cruise director Peter Tredgett said for many people coming on a cruise took away the stress of the festive season as they did not have to think about how to entertain or feed their friends and family.
Tredgett said the snow in the atrium was a particularly exciting aspect for many passengers.
“Especially for passengers travelling out of Sydney, the prospect of a white Christmas is an exciting one.”
a Christmas variety show had been planned and the big man in red would make an arrival after they had docked in Dunedin.
The Christmas menu is stuffed full as well.
Food and beverage director Karen McIntosh said passengers would be served eggnog on Christmas morning.
For lunch they would be offered a buffet with the likes of cooked ham and roast duck as well as each chef creating a dish from their home country.
Offerings will include rellenong manok, a baked stuffed chicken from the Philippines, and a chocolate and cherry trifle roulade from Britain.
McIntosh said chefs onboard expect to use 45 turkeys, 30kg of sage and onion stuffing and more than 80kg of pineapple glazed ham.
“For dessert we will serve traditional plum pudding, Christmas Yule log cake, mincemeat fruit pies and gingerbread mousse all homemade onboard the Sea Princess. we have a 24 hour pastry shop and a 24 hour bakery department. The pastry shop will also be making over 300 gingerbread cookies.”
– Auckland Now
Athena Arrives in Perth to Begin Longest-Ever Season in Australia for Classic International Cruises
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 16, 2011
Athena at wharf lit up 
Athena bow 
Athena exterior
Athena to Boost WA economy by a Record $6.7 million
Australia?s only traditional liner and Western Australia?s own cruise ship, Athena, arrives in Fremantle on Sunday, December 18, 2011, to begin the longest-ever summer season in Australia for Classic International Cruises.
The season, which will deliver more than $6.7 million in economic benefits to Western Australia in passenger and crew spending as well as stores, fuel and port fees, will begin when the 550-passenger Athena docks in Fremantle around 6am on December 18 at the end of her month-long voyage from Rome.
Athena?s 2011/12 program, which will draw hundreds of east coast passengers to Athena?s home ports of Perth and Adelaide this summer, will be Classic International Cruises? eighth successive cruise season in Western Australia.
Athena will call into Fremantle 11 times this summer ? more than any other ship. The 16,200-ton, classically-styled ship ? one of the last remaining ships in Australia to still allow passengers to use traditional streamers at sailaways ? will also offer a month-long program in and out of Adelaide in January and February, 2012 ? the first and only ship to be based in Adelaide, with return cruises. in total, Athena will make a record 33 calls to Australian ports this summer including 17 in Western Australia and seven in South Australia.
Calls to Sydney (Feb 1, 2012), Darwin, Japan and South Africa are among a season of firsts for Athena this summer, with 15 cruises lasting from two to 40 nights to and from Fremantle and from Adelaide. Athena?s 2011/12 Australian summer program will be the longest ever for Classic International Cruises by 35 days, extending more than six months from November 15, 2011, when she left Rome, to may 24, 2012, when she returns to Europe.
Athena?s 11/12 season will also feature:
- CIC?s first cruise from Fremantle to Japan as part of the line?s longest-ever round-trip itinerary from Australia/Perth ? a 38-night voyage to Japan, The Philippines, China, Malaysia and Indonesia
- CIC?s first-ever line voyage from Fremantle to Europe via South Africa instead of the Suez Canal, departing Fremantle April 14, 2012
- Athena?s first visits to Darwin, Broome and Geraldton as part of a round-trip cruise from Fremantle to Bali and Christmas Island in February, 2012. this will represent a return to the northern WA coast for the cruise line, which last included Broome in 2006
– a maiden sail-past for CIC of the seabird-rich Abrolhos Islands off WA ? the southern-most coral reefs in the Indian Ocean – as part of a Christmas cruise to Christmas Island and Bali from Fremantle on December 18, 2011
- a return season from Adelaide, with Athena offering five cruises to and from the SA capital, including round-trip itineraries, in January and February, 2012. The 30-day Adelaide program will be the longest-ever season for an Adelaide-based liner. CIC was the first line to ever base a ship in SA in 2008.
?Our flagship, Athena, has proved increasingly popular in Australia, particularly in our home ports of Perth and Adelaide, with the growing demand leading to our biggest-ever season this summer,? said Classic International Cruises Managing Director Grant Hunter.
?Classic International Cruise is committed to serving the WA and SA markets and is here to stay to ensure non east-coasters have a quality, affordable cruise product on their own doorstep,? Mr Hunter said. ?We are also proud to offer a cruising product that is unique and very different from the other cruise ships based in Australia. Unlike big new ships filled with distractions, Athena offers a return to traditional ocean cruising with personal, old-fashioned service, fine cuisine and a relaxed atmosphere onboard.
?Despite the recent financial slowdown, cruising continues to grow in popularity as an exciting, all-inclusive holiday. All onboard purchases are in Australian dollars and tips are included in the fare, adding to the savings.?
Originally a transatlantic liner, the Portuguese-registered Athena features a wrap-around promenade deck, traditional wooden deck chairs, a pool, fitness centre and sauna, five bars and lounges, nightclub, cinema, showlounge, library, boutiques, cinema and two restaurants. and all cabins have a full-sized bath ? a luxury only found in suites on the latest superliners.
Bookings are still available for Athena?s 2011/12 summer season via travel agents. two and three night weekend cruises and a five-night holiday cruise on January 2, 2012, are fully booked but other cruises have availability, including some cabins on Athena?s Christmas cruise to Bali and Christmas Island on December 18, 2011. a five-night cruise is available from $945 per person, twin-share.
Athena will return to Australia for her 2012/13 season in Australia, sailing again from Perth and Adelaide.
Athena Arrives in Perth to Begin Longest-Ever Season in Australia for Classic International Cruises