Celebrity Solstice and Equinox Corning Hot Glass Show

 When you travel on a Celebrity Solstice Class ship, you have the rare opportunity to experience the art of glass blowing up close. As you sit on the top deck adjacent to the Lawn Club, you and a small number of guests will look on as gaffers from the Corning Museum of Glass carefully manipulate molten glass inside the 2,300 degree furnace, watching as a special, heat-resistant camera placed inside the oven broadcasts the images to large overhead screens. Then, in a moment of pure drama, you’ll gaze in awe as the glass emerges and the gaffers coax it to life, in much the same way that the Hot Glass Show breathes life into this ancient craft.

The Corning Museum of Glass is committed to helping support developing artists and students who aspire to work in one of the world’s most compelling mediums, through education and scholarship programs. The Hot Glass Show, which has been in existence over 10 years, is one of their many outreach programs. At the end of each sailing, Celebrity Cruises and The Corning Museum of Glass will auction off a few of the best pieces created by these artists during the live show, with proceeds being donated to Celebrity Cruises Glassmaking Scholarship Fund, which gives emerging artists the opportunity to study with the world’s best gaffers at The Studio, the museum’s glassmaking school.

American Airlines Pioneers of Flight Sweepstakes

American Airlines just announced One Million AAdvantage Bonus Miles will be awarded…10 lucky winners will receive 100,000 miles.

American’s “Pioneers of Flight” sweepstakes highlights the flexibility and options that One-Way Flex Awards provide customers and how easy it is to plan and book travel via American’s Web site, AA.com. To learn about and register for the promotion, customers simply visit www.aa.com/promo by noon EDT on Sept. 30. There, customers can watch a brief video that shows three fictitious “pioneers of flight” using One-Way Flex Awards to achieve their dream itinerary. Following the video, customers may enter the sweepstakes for their chance to win a share of one million AAdvantage miles.

There is no purchase necessary to enter the sweepstakes, however, there is a limit of two entries per person, including:

• One sweepstakes entry for watching the video and registering at www.aa.com/promo, and
• One sweepstakes entry for sharing the promotion details with others.

For complete sweepstakes rules, Terms and Conditions, and other details, visit www.aa.com/promo.

NCL Epic 2010

MIAMI– July 13, 2009 – In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 11, Norwegian Epic made her first journey on water, cruising out of her construction quay at STX Europe in Saint-Nazaire, France where the 153,000-ton ship has been under construction since October 2007. Beginning at approximately 7 am, the massive 4,200 passenger ship was accompanied by a fleet of six tugboats and taken a short distance down the Loire Estuary. Within about one and a half hours, the ship was moored at the outfitting dock. Norwegian Epic’s float out represented a major milestone in the vessel’s construction as it indicates that the ship has now moved into the final phase of construction and work will begin immediately on the vessel’s interiors.

“Watching Norwegian Epic make her first journey on the water was a very moving experience,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “Norwegian Epic epitomizes our continued commitment to innovation and represents the next generation of Freestyle Cruising, so we are thrilled to be celebrating her float out and looking forward to her delivery in less than a year.”

On hand for the occasion were Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of the board of directors for Norwegian Cruise Line and chairman, president and chief executive of the Genting Group; Norwegian Cruise Line executives: Kevin Sheehan, chief executive officer; Roberto Martinoli, president and chief operating officer; and Andy Stuart, executive vice president, global sales and passenger services, as well as Sang-Ho Shin, president and chief executive officer, STX Europe; and Jacques Hardelay, general manager, STX Europe, France.

Norwegian Epic is scheduled to be delivered in late May 2010, and will take part in inaugural events before beginning her Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from her year-round homeport in Miami. The first Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami is scheduled for July 17, 2010 and the ship’s alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries are scheduled through April 2011.

Norwegian Epic’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes calls in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship’s Western Caribbean itinerary includes calls in Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Norwegian Epic’s Innovations & Features
Norwegian Epic is changing the face of cruise line entertainment. In another industry first, Blue Man Group will perform in the ship’s 685-seat Epic Theater. Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The blissful party atmosphere created at their live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man Group experience and will be seen for the first time ever at sea only on Norwegian Epic.

Norwegian Epic will have multiple, specially-designed entertainment venues throughout the ship so that guests can choose from a wide variety of entertainment each evening of their cruise. No longer will entertainment be focused on two nightly shows in one large main theater. Norwegian Epic will offer a number of entertainment options in specially-designed venues, some offered for the first time ever at sea, with choices to appeal to a broad audience.

On this ship, guests will find the only “big top” at sea. In this intimate 265-seat theater-in-the-round, famed producer/director Neil Goldberg will present Cirque Dreams® and Dinner. This one of a kind interactive theatrical dining experience will be performed in the air, while juggling dinner courses, with music, mayhem and acrobatic imagination. During this two-hour show, guests will marvel in amazement and become part of a celebration of spectacle and fantasy. The entire experience will be unlike anything else at sea.

Norwegian Epic will offer the next generation of Freestyle Dining with 14 restaurant choices – the most at sea – and 18 bars and lounges. The ship also boasts unique nightlife options with the first Ice Bar at sea and Spice H20 with non-stop entertainment day and night; an expansive Aqua Park with the only tube slide and largest bowl slide at sea — The Epic Plunge; seven decks of Freestyle Family Fun with highlights including a 33-foot high, 64-foot wide extreme rock climbing wall and the first ever rappelling wall at sea; the most bowling lanes at sea with six in two venues; a mixed-use sports deck with the ability for guests to engage in eight different athletic activities; as well as three separate kids’ and teen activity areas and the first squash court at sea.

Norwegian Epic incorporates several new types of accommodations – the curved New Wave staterooms; the largest ship-within-a-ship suite complex at sea, comprising 60 suites and villas on two private decks at the top of the ship; a new category of inside staterooms for the value-conscious traveler – The Studios and Living Room; and spa and family-friendly accommodations.

For more posts about the NCL Epic, click here.

For more picturs of the NCL Epic, visit our Flickr account

Oberammergau Passion Play Tickets 2010

With every performance of the Passion Play selling out, the package inclusions can be confusing, particularly the type of accommodations & tickets
that are included.

The Passion Play Theatre has 4,720 total seats. All offer a good view of the stage from all seating categories, and the acoustics in the theatre are excellent, however many clients want to be closer to the stage.

The Tickets:

Tickets for the Passion Play 2010 are only available as part of an official package. The tickets are allocated together with the accommodation by the the tour companies, and Atlas has no control over the exact location of the seats, although we are pleased to announce that our approved tickets are all linked to excellent accommodation in Oberammergau & surrounding villages. 

The better quality hotels come with the better seats for the performance. The plan of the theatre below shows the seating layout & the corresponding ticket categories, so if you want the best tickets, make sure that you are booking a tour that offers Category 1A seating.

Please note, tickets are not given in advance. Your tickets will be issued to you upon arrival in Europe by your tour guide.

Ticket Categories:

 

Categories for accommodations are chosen after a thorough inspection of all rooms. They are based solely on the degree of space & furnishings provided & not by the stars assigned to it by the German Hotel Classifications. In some locations rooms may be assigned in different categories.

HC 2 – Superior First Class 4+-star Hotel with Category 1A Tickets
Superior Hotels with cozy furnishings and spacious rooms. Each room has its own private bathroom and a corner seating area. They are also outfitted with a minibar or wide variety of drinks, color T.V., radio, direct-dial telephone, Internet access, hair dryer, toiletries, and bathrobes on request.

HC 3 – First Class 4-star Hotel with Category 1 Tickets
Middle Class Hotels with a private bathroom in each room. They are also outfitted with a minibar or wide variety of drinks, color T.V., radio, direct-dial telephone, hair dryer, and toiletries.

HC 4 – Tourist Class 3-star Hotel with Category 2 Tickets
Middle Class Hotels with a private bathroom in each room. They are also outfitted with a T.V.

Please note: The accommodation categories for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 have been graded by the Passion Play Committee and are based on the size and furnishings of the rooms; they do not, however, comply with the star ratings allocated to the establishments by the official German hotel classification. Some accommodation establishments may also offer rooms of different categories.

For more on the Passion Play visit www.passionplaytours.com

Princess Cruises Oberammergau Passion Play

Posted:         July 17th, 2009
Author:         Princess Cruise Line
Category:     Cruise News | Oberammergau

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (July 17, 2009) — Princess has added a rare opportunity to its 2010 cruisetour lineup in Europe — a unique cruisetour designed to include the famed Oberammergau Passion Play, which is performed only once each decade in this small Bavarian village in Germany.

The new 18-day “Oberammergau & Highlights of Germany” tour features two nights in the southern German town of Oberammergau, and includes tickets to the event. Passengers will also visit a variety of other top German destinations during the eight-day land tour, including Frankfurt, the Black Forest, Munich Nuremberg and Berlin. In addition, the tour will connect seamlessly with a 10-day Scandinavia/Russia cruise aboard Star Princess. Two departures are offered on August 2 and August 12, 2010.

“This is such a unique opportunity, one that literally only comes around once every 10 years,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “This new cruisetour makes it easy to enjoy this famous event, plus take in many of the other attractions for which Germany is famous, coupled with one of our wonderful cruises through the Baltic region. This is yet another example of our commitment to provide our passengers with fascinating experiences around the world.”

The Oberammergau Passion Play has been held every ten years since 1634 in thanksgiving for deliverance from the Black Death in 1633. The play is now performed in years ending with a zero (except 1984 which was the 350th anniversary), and involves more than 2000 actors, singers, instrumentalists and technicians, all of whom are residents of the village. All cast members have lived in the village at least 20 years and must be amateurs of high moral and ethical principles. Villagers also make all the costumes for the production and, as no wigs are used, participants must grow their hair and beards for several months prior to the performances.

The “Oberammergau & Highlights of Germany” cruisetour is one of Princess’ four Europe cruisetour options available next season. Travelers can also opt for the 18-day “Europe’s Imperial Treasures,” which features the cathedrals and castles of four capitals that have figured prominently in history — Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin — and includes a Star Princess Scandinavia and Russia sailing. The 17-day “Classic Italy” tour offers the charms of Florence and Rome, and can connect to a number of Princess’ Mediterranean sailings. The 16-day “Ring of Kerry” tour offers some of the Emerald Isle’s most inspiring landscapes with visits to Shannon, Killarney and Cork, plus a Crown Princess British Isles cruise.

Fares for the 18-day Oberammergau cruisetour begin at $5,319 per person, based on double occupancy. Capacity is limited on these special tours, and could fill quickly. Call for details.

Celebrity Cruise Wine Tasting with Riedel Crystal

You sit at the table, several glasses of wine arrayed before you. As you lift the first to your lips, you pause, deeply inhaling the perfume that emanates from deep inside. A sip yields more than wine…it communicated a complex story of grapes, soil, climate and passion. Fifty years ago, Claus Riedel was the first to understand that the wineglass was not just the teller of that story, but an integral part. Now, thanks to the Riedel Comparative Wineglass Workshop, a collaboration between Riedel and Celebrity Cruises, guests of Celebrity can gain insight into the role a wineglass plays in revealing all aspects of wine.

The program, the first of its kind to be offered by a cruise line, is based on the premise that each vintage is a living, breathing entity, embodying a complex set of characteristics. Riedel Crystal, long acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost producers of fine crystal, stumbled upon the degree to which the size and shape of their wine glasses emphasized the harmony among these attributes quite by accident. But once they realized how their different styles of crystal could impact different vintages and varietals, they began to do some serious research, eventually fine-tuning specific collections to enhance that magic interplay among the senses. And now, certified and specially trained by Riedel professional, Celebrity’s Cellarmasters and Sommeliers conduct a fascinating workshop that demonstrates the profound effect wineglasses have on the perception of wine.

Introduced last year, the Riedel Comparative Wineglass Workshop has proven to be one of the most popular enrichment programs onboard. Riedel Wineglass Workshop is $87 pp and includes a set of 4 Riedel Vinum Series glasses, a $116 value.

Celebrity has various other wine program during each cruise. Guests new to wine can partake in a Wine Appreciation program, Celebrity’s version of Wine 101, which introduces 5 different styles.

Celebrity also offers a Walk Around the World program, in which Sommeliers unearth the secret of 12 vintages from different regions around the world. For those who like to combine the pleasures of fine dining and fine wine, the Connoisseurs dinner, which is hosted by on of Celebrity’s Cellarmasters, features a 5-course meals, each course paired with a specially selected vintage from their extensive wine cellars.

Travel Channel Cruise Giveaway

Enter to win a Mediterranean cruise from the Travel Channel.

The prize is a  Mediterranean cruise for two (2) departing from Barcelona, Spain. Prize package includes roundtrip coach-class air transportation from an airport near winner’s home (determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) to Barcelona, Spain; one (1) night accommodations at a hotel in Barcelona, Spain determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion (single room, double occupancy); and accommodations for two (2) aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship for up to seven (7) nights (balcony cabin, double occupancy). Winner must complete travel by June 30, 2010.

Nashville Tennessee Vacation

Nashville is known as the heart of the music country. The atmosphere in Nashville is friendly and family oriented, with something for everyone.

Great musicians from past and present have graced the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and are now showcased at the newly renovated Country Music Hall of Fame. Downtown Nashville offers a variety of shops, restaurants and lounges featuring Country music themes.

Nashville is known as the heart of the music country. The atmosphere in Nashville is friendly and family oriented, with something for everyone.

Great musicians from past and present have graced the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and are now showcased at the newly renovated Country Music Hall of Fame. Downtown Nashville offers a variety of shops, restaurants and lounges featuring Country music themes.

There are some great tour vacations available for Nashville including the Country Christmas (4 days), A Country Christmas (6 days) Elvis & the Southern Sounds (7 days) and The Music Cities (8 days) to name a few.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Tour

Up, Up, and Away!

Imagine a blue sky filled with a kaleidoscope of dazzling colors and shapes. That’s what you’ll experience at the world’s largest balloon event, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Your spirits will soar as you watch more than 700 balloons from all over the world ascend into the skies during your four nights in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rise bright and early to witness the Opening Ceremonies, which are followed by a grand “Mass Ascension,” as hundreds of balloons – some vibrant, some whimsical – fill the skies over the grounds.

During your visit, you’ll also enjoy the Balloon Glow, a signature Fiesta event that’s guaranteed to set the night sky ablaze. Just before dusk, nearly 500 balloons are tethered over the fiesta grounds. In unison, the pilots set their burners aglow, creating a luminous, magical display, followed by a spectacular fireworks show. It’s a pyrotechnical display you’ll not soon forget.

These are the 2 most popular trips we offer to the Balloon Festival.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta     5 days from $1,049 pp
Alburquerque Balloon Fiesta    5 days from $1,209 pp

Carnival Cruise Line Enhanced Insurance Coverage

Posted:        July 15th, 2009
Author:      Carnival Cruise Line
Category:  Press Release

Carnival Cruise Line has enhanced its Cruise Vacation Protection Plan (VPP) to include severe weather watch/warning protection, as well as job loss protection. The enhanced features apply to plan purchases made July 15, 2009 and after.

The severe weather watch/warning protection provides reimbursement in the event the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and/or National Weather Service issues or maintains a severe weather watch or warning within 48 hours of a cruise departure. Should the watch or warning affect either the cruise departure city or the guest’s route to that city, the plan will allow for cancellation and reimbursement up to the full amount of the cruise cost.

Another new weather protection feature provides that if a guest is traveling to the cruise departure port via a common carrier (airplane, bus, train, etc.) and inclement weather ultimately causes the guest to miss 50 percent or more of the cruise vacation, the guest may receive reimbursement up to the total cost of the cruise.

The new job loss protection will provide reimbursement up to the total cruise cost if individuals who have booked a cruise and purchased the plan are subsequently terminated by their employer and have worked for that employer for at least one continuous year.

The above enhancements will further strengthen the current plan which offers a variety of other benefits, including trip cancellation/interruption, trip delay, emergency medical evacuation, medical, baggage loss and baggage delay. The program also provides a 24-hour emergency assistance hotline.

“These enhancements to the Cruise Vacation Protection Plan are designed to provide consumers with an assurance that their vacation investment will be protected in the unlikely event severe weather or job loss occurs – important factors given both the unpredictability of Mother Nature and the current economy,” said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival’s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience.

Carnival’s Cruise Vacation Protection Plan is administered by BerkelyCare, a recognized leader in travel insurance. The plan must be purchased at least 14 days prior to the cruise departure date. Prices begin at $49 per person and vary by cruise length. Travel agents receive 10 percent commission on the sale of VPP coverage.