Royalty to attend launch of MSC Poesia

In the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, MSC Cruises’ most exciting and anticipated ship to date, MSC Poesia, will make her debut in Dover on 5th April 2008.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent will be joining Hollywood icon, Sophia Loren, godmother to the new ship, at the magnificent star studded launch event marking the first ever launch of an MSC Cruises ship outside of Italy.

As part of the ‘Musica’ class, the MSC Poesia, which translates as poetry, will see her first night in Dover celebrated by live performances from headline acts including the celebrated Andrea Bocelli.

At 89,600 tonnes and 1275 cabins with double occupancy for 2,550 passengers, MSC Poesia has a wonderful blend of cutting edge technology, elegant surroundings, exciting entertainment venues and tantalising dining opportunities. MSC Poesia will be a sister ship to the popular MSC Orchestra and MSC Musica (launched in 2007 and 2006 respectively). She will become the ninth ship in the MSC Cruises fleet, which has experienced the industry’s largest fleet expansion in the last three years.

After the launch event, she will set sail on her 13 night pre-inaugural voyage from Dover to Venice, visiting Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, and finally Italy, arriving in Venice where she will be positioned for the summer of 2008.

Find out more about MSC Cruises with Hays Travel Cruise the Cruise Experts.

Silversea Cruises to bring luxury to expedition market

Silversea Cruises is introducing luxury to the expedition market with a new ship that will sail its inaugural cruise from London in June.

The cruiseline has bought the World Discoverer from Society Expeditions to sail polar itineraries

The ship, which has yet to be named, will be in London for inaugural events on June 12, It will then sail to the Orkney, Shetland and Faro Islands and Jan Mayen, before touring the Arctic Circle and Greenland for the summer. It will reposition to South America and then Antarctica for autumn and winter.

Find out more about Silversea cruises with Hays Travel Cruise - The Cruise experts.

P&O Cruises announces the Godmother for Ventura

DAME HELEN MIRREN TO NAME BRITAIN'S LARGEST SUPERLINER

- with a little champagne bottle-breaking help from the Royal Marines

British icon and Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren is to name the largest superliner designed exclusively for Britain, Ventura the latest addition to P&O Cruises fleet. The spectacular evening naming ceremony, with Dame Helen as the ship's Godmother, will take place in Southampton on April 16, prior to Ventura's maiden cruise to the Mediterranean.



But in a break with tradition, instead of Dame Helen simply pressing a button to send a cradled Tattinger champagne bottle towards the ship, she will command a crack team of Royal Marine Commandos to assist her in naming Ventura in a dramatic fashion.

In keeping with Ventura's contemporary and innovative values, her naming ceremony will be a departure from tradition. As well as Dame Helen's customary champagne naming, the celebration will encompass an exciting show with dramatic surprises.



On board, 1,500 guests will be invited including Ventura's consultant chef, Marco Pierre White, and children's favourite, Noddy. The occasion will benefit three children's charities supported by Dame Helen and P&O Cruises - Barnardos, Kid's Comapny and Naomi House.

Find out more about the Ventura with Hays Travel Cruise

"No Limit Texas Hold'em" poker tournament on the Island Star

Island Cruises are holding a ‘No Limit Texas Hold’em’ poker tournament* aboard the Island Star on 28th March ’08 with a guaranteed prize fund of £20,000**.

Guests get the opportunity to not only win some cash, but also experience some great ports in the Mediterranean. When departing 28th March ’08 the Island Star will be leaving Palma and visiting Livorno for Florence & Pisa, Genoa for Milan, Marseille, Barcelona and Valencia before returning to Palma.

The player package starts from just £999 and includes all of the following:

7-night Mediterranean cruise
En-suite accommodation in the best available outside cabin
Entry in to the Texas Hold’em tournament
Champagne in your cabin on arrival
Cocktail parties and bridge visit
24-hour dining including one free visit to specialty restaurant
Return flights to/from Palma/Gatwick, other regional airports available at a supplement†
Transfers to/from ship/airport
All tips onboard

Guests can also take along a non-playing guest and they can share a cabin and join in the fun from just £529. This includes all the above except entry into the tournament.

Must be booked by Thursday 31st January 2008.

Find out more about Island Cruises with Hays Travel Cruise - the cruise experts

Independence of the seas nears completion

With only 15 weeks until delivery, Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, Independence of the Seas, took to the seas for the first time on Friday 11th January having reached an 85% complete build status.

The ship, currently under construction in Turku, Finland at the Aker Yard ship yard, will be the third ship in the cruise line’s world record-breaking Freedom-class of ships.

Large sections of Independence of the Seas are nearing completion as an army of over 1,700 workers is currently working in temperatures several degrees below zero with snow forecast. Areas of the ship currently being worked on include the main dining room, the theatre and the upper deck pool area. The ship will be delivered to Royal Caribbean International in late April 2008, two weeks ahead of schedule.

She will arrive in Southampton in April 2008 for inaugural celebrations in the UK before becoming the first ever newbuild ship in the Royal Caribbean International fleet to be based in Europe.

Royal Caribbean International has also announced that Independence of the Seas will becoming into service two weeks earlier due to works being completed ahead of schedule, meaning an additional two sailings are now available on board the new ship from the beginning of May 2008. The new sailings including a four night Cork cruise that departs on 2nd May, sailing from Southampton to Cork and back to Southampton from £449 per person (based on two sharing an inside cabin), and an 11 night Canary Islands cruise that departs on 6th May, calling at Madeira (Portugal), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Lanzarote (Canary Islands), Lisbon (Portugal) and Vigo (Spain) from £897 per person (based on two sharing an inside cabin).

Activities onboard Independence of the Seas will include the popular innovations already found on her sister-ships, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, including the FlowRider surf simulator; the wet and wild H20 Zone children’s water park; cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 feet above the ocean; an ice-skating rink; a boxing ring; and the 1,215-square-foot Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps up to 14 people.

Find out more about the Independence of the Seas with Hays Travel Cruise - the cruise experts