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Cantilevered 28 feet beyond the edge of the new Royal Princess and 128 feet over the water, the SeaWalk invites us for a stroll.

Witnessing a ship come to life is an amazing thing. Steel, wires, wood and marble are hauled in, cut, straightened, contorted and pieced together to create a vessel that will sail the world’s mighty oceans. To see the transformation of Royal Princess from shipyard (see 51 The post A Royal Affair In Southampton: The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Christens Royal Princess appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Cantilevered 28 feet beyond the edge of the new Royal Princess and 128 feet over the water, the SeaWalk invites you for a stroll. Trouble viewing the video? . Have you read A Royal Affair In Southampton: The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Christens Royal Princess?The post Video: Up In The Air: 16 Decks Above The Sea On, The SeaWalk on Royal Princess appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

In March, along with executives form Princess Cruises and my journalistic colleagues, I walked the decks of the then unfinished Royal Princess at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. Stepping on board the ship Tuesday afternoon in Southampton, I was awestruck by the transformation from a skeleton of steel to a refined and elegant vessel, The post Royal Princess, In Photos appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Today in Southampton, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge named the new Royal Princess by sending a bottle of bubbly soaring to crash against the ship’s hull. See it all in the photo slideshow below. Trouble viewing the slideshow using our slider? View on Flickr instead. Also see Royal Princess, The post In Photos: Kate Middleton Names Royal Princess In Southampton appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

It’s rare that I post a photo on Facebook that gets more than 100 “Likes.” But this one did. That face, that smiling face in a sea of caps, is my daughter, graduating Asheville High School with the Class of 2013. What parent would not be proud? And what father does not call his daughter The post Continuing A Week Of Princesses, I Leave For London To Meet A Royal Princess appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

The numbers are staggering: 30,000 islands, islets and rocks. These chunks of earth comprise the Stockholm archipelago and imbue it with immense beauty. But the numbers say nothing of the feeling one experiences when cruising through the archipelago into or out of Stockholm. I’ve done it both ways, and for me, an avid cruiser who The post Cruising Stockholm’s Beautiful Archipelago appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Some of the world’s best fitness facilities are now being found in an unlikely place: at sea. As cruise lines invest heavily in facilities to get the heart pounding, cruise passengers who are disciplined need no longer worry about breaking their back-home regimens or putting on pounds while on cruise vacations. They can shed instead. The post New Cruise Ships Focus On Fitness appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Arguably poised to be the most successful, popular ship Norwegian Cruise Line has built in its long history, Norwegian Breakaway improves on Norwegian Epic — by strides. Breakaway is poised to take Norwegian Cruise Line in an entirely new direction.The post Norwegian Breakaway Revealed appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Today I pedaled to the end of Sweden — and back. Technically, I may not have reached the end of this elongated country, because with countries and continents, it is difficult to say where one begins and ends. The place where I stood today, however, felt like the end. In front of me was nothing The post Thoughts On The End Of Sweden, Silver Whisper, Eurodam and Breaking Away appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Next February, Norwegian Cruise Line will take delivery of Norwegian Breakaway’s sister-ship, Norwegian Getaway. To be home-ported year round in Miami, Norwegian Getaway is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany. The new ship will differ from her sister ships: Rather than just having some slightly modified physical characteristics, like The post Norwegian Getaway Entertainment: Legally Blonde & More appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

South Africa is a destination that inspires wonder and amazement. Warm temperatures, blue skies and diverse ports of call line the eastern coast of the country, which borders the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at its southernmost point. Indeed, you could easily spend most of your time at the beach, or wandering through the towns along The post Avid Cruiser Voyages: South Africa’s Eastern Coast appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Movie trivia buffs, how many movie locations in Thailand can you visit on a shore excursion from your cruise ship? Well there are probably dozens, but to start the ball rolling let’s begin with what is probably the most famous marine landscape in Thailand, Phang Nga Bay, just off the island of Phuket. Up until The post Shore Excursion: Phang Nga Bay, Thailand appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Providing easy access for cruise passengers, Culture Harbor Kronborg is a new international cultural area that links the new small, ship harbor with Helsingør's city center and Hamlet's castle (yes, the one that inspired Shakespeare).The post In Denmark, Helsingør (Elsinore) Inaugurates A Harbor Perfect For Small Luxury Vessels appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

This week, I am in Boston, attending the Cruise Canada New England 2013 Symposium. The event attracts professionals — port/destination representatives, cruise line executives, service providers and others — involved with cruises that sail from New York to Montreal. Their collective goal: to create even more enriching experiences than the already rich experiences that are The post Photo Postcards: Provincetown, Massachusetts appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

THE BEVERLY HILTON, BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA — Perhaps the biggest surprise announced last night during the Viking Ocean Cruises’ reveal: lead-in per diems at just under $300 per person with included WiFi, an included tour in each port of call, overnight stays in embarkation and disembarkation ports, and complimentary beer and wine with lunch and The post Open For Bookings: Nearly All-Inclusive, Viking Ocean Cruises’ New Viking Star appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

After I posted Seven Reasons Why Europa 2 Can Command The Luxury Cruise Segment’s Highest Prices — For Now, a few people wrote to me to ask if I liked the new ship. In my first post, I tried to be as objective as possible, withholding my opinions. But because you asked, yes, I do The post Photo Tour & Five Things I Like About Europa 2 appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

by guest contributor, Roderick Eime Now that the era of cruise ships, indeed heavy shipping in general, will soon be a thing of the past in Darling Harbour, that’s no reason to discount any of the great hotels that offer top notch accommodation in this alternative to the sometimes pricey, often fully-booked CBD The post Pre/Post Cruise Hotel: The Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

With average per diems of 600 euros per person, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ new Europa 2 is attempting to command some of the industry’s highest cruise fares. Its cruises will cost an American couple — the U.S. is one of Europa 2′s target audiences — around US$12,000 for the privilege of spending six nights/seven days in a The post Seven Reasons Why Europa 2 Can Command The Luxury Cruise Segment’s Highest Prices — For Now appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

The gourmet dining concept on EUROPA 2 features eight dining venues, including a sushi bar and three speciality restaurants. With a total capacity of 266, the largest restaurant on EUROPA 2 is the “Weltmeere,” offering both international and refined vegetarian menus. The “Yacht Club,” the second largest restaurant on EUROPA 2, provides specialities fresh from The post Photo Tour: EUROPA 2 Restaurants appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

It was a picture-postcard morning when United Airlines’ flight 928 began its descent to London’s Heathrow Airport this morning. I’m here, courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, to step aboard the new EUROPA 2, which will dock Monday in Southampton, about two hours from my hotel here at London’s Victoria Station (see Boarding Next Week: Hapag-Lloyd’s New The post Good Morning London! Boarding EUROPA 2, Your Questions Answered appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises positions EUROPA 2 as a casual luxury ship. What's "casual" luxury? We'll find out when we step aboard the new EUROPA 2.The post Boarding Next Week: Hapag-Lloyd’s New EUROPA 2 appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

At the Cruise Europe AGM in Le Havre, cruise line execs spoke about 2014/15 deployment patterns and itinerary trends for cruising Europe.The post Cruise Europe: Fuel Costs, Family & The Beauty Of Being Foreign appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Monday afternoon, I’ll step ashore in Le Havre, France, along with many of my industry colleagues. We won’t be landing by boat on the beaches of Normandy, however. Rather, most of us will be arriving via wheeled transportation — motor coaches, automobiles, and who knows, if our friends from Amsterdam are up for a good The post This Week, Reporting From France: Cruise Europe Meets In Le Havre appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

In 1989, Swedish-born Mikael Krafft founded Star Clippers, fulfilling a lifelong dream of reviving the golden age of tall ships. Today, his company operates three tall ships, the 170-passenger Star Flyer, a four-mast sailing ship; sister ship, Star Clipper; and the 227-passenger Royal Clipper, the world’s largest square rigger in service. “We offer an The post A Sailing Man, Mikael Krafft, Founder Of Star Clippers: Ready To Set Sail? appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Silver Explorer could be my favorite among the vessels in the Silversea fleet. There, I’ve said it. I love this tiny expedition vessel and the experiences it offers, both on board and ashore. “It’s expedition on the outside, and Silversea on the inside,” Hotel Director Marcus Path said to me one evening in the Panorama Lounge. The post An Avid Cruiser Favorite: Luxury Expedition Cruising On Silver Explorer appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Headed to Stockholm on a cruise? Be sure to visit ABBA The Museum, which will open May 7, 2013, and will become the home of ABBA’s collected works. ABBA remains Sweden’s most successful band of all time, with sales of 378 million albums around the world. ABBA The Museum will span the band’s career all The post ABBA, The Museum Opens In Stockholm appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Having just returned from a hard-hat tour of Royal Princess at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, I’ve concluded that there are at least six types of people who would enjoy a Royal Princess cruise. Which defines you? Movie Lover. The new Royal Princess will feature Princess Cruises’ largest-ever “Movies Under The Stars.” Movies at The post Six Types Of People Who Would Enjoy A Royal Princess Cruise: Are You One? appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

Oasis of the Seas, and its sister Allure of the Seas, are so large that the only way designers could think of to help consumers conceptualize them was to divide the vessels up into neighborhoods. Imagine, ships so big that they can have a Central Park, with more than 10,000 living plants, plus The post Floating Cities At Sea appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.

In a past installment of Avid Cruiser Voyages, we told you about the magical experience that is the Transatlantic Crossing. But the Atlantic isn’t the only way to cross. In fact, one of the most adventurous ocean crossings you can make begins on the opposite side of The post Avid Cruiser Voyages: The Transpacific Crossing appeared first on Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser.