In April, Princess Cruises announced The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton will officially name Royal Princess at the event which will take place on June 13th 2013 in Southampton. Now with the added surprise of pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield performing, it is sure to be a spectacular occasion.

Natasha Bedingfield is a famous British pop singer and songwriter who has been ranked in the top 100 Greatest Women in Music. With three successful albums under her belt, she is best known for her powerful soulful voice and much loved pop anthems. Her list of music awards is endless including, TMF Best International New Artist, BT Digital Music Awards Best Pop Artist and over seven BRIT and Grammy Award nominations.

Her most recent success is being a guest judge on the New Zealand version of The X Factor alongside her brother Daniel Bedingfield, also a successful pop artist.

Paul Ludlow, UK Director of Princess Cruises said “We are delighted that Natasha will be joining us at the naming celebrations. Her music will add a contemporary twist to the traditional elements of the ceremony along with a few other surprises.”

The naming ceremony will be the highlight of a week of celebrations to welcome the ship into service. Royal Princess will arrive into Southampton on 7th June and stay there until 16th June hosting an array of special events and celebrations. In addition to Natasha Bedingfield’s performance the naming ceremony will feature many British ship-naming traditions, including a blessing of the vessel, a performance by The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and The Duchess of Cambridge breaking the champagne bottle.

When the celebrations come to a close Royal Princess will depart on her maiden voyage to Barcelona and then continue to sail the Mediterranean, before heading to the Caribbean in Autumn.

In April, Princess Cruises announced The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton will officially name Royal Princess at the event which will take place on June 13th 2013 in Southampton. Now with the added surprise of pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield performing, it is sure to be a spectacular occasion.

Natasha Bedingfield is a famous British pop singer and songwriter who has been ranked in the top 100 Greatest Women in Music. With three successful albums under her belt, she is best known for her powerful soulful voice and much loved pop anthems. Her list of music awards is endless including, TMF Best International New Artist, BT Digital Music Awards Best Pop Artist and over seven BRIT and Grammy Award nominations.

Her most recent success is being a guest judge on the New Zealand version of The X Factor alongside her brother Daniel Bedingfield, also a successful pop artist.

Paul Ludlow, UK Director of Princess Cruises said “We are delighted that Natasha will be joining us at the naming celebrations. Her music will add a contemporary twist to the traditional elements of the ceremony along with a few other surprises.”

The naming ceremony will be the highlight of a week of celebrations to welcome the ship into service. Royal Princess will arrive into Southampton on 7th June and stay there until 16th June hosting an array of special events and celebrations. In addition to Natasha Bedingfield’s performance the naming ceremony will feature many British ship-naming traditions, including a blessing of the vessel, a performance by The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and The Duchess of Cambridge breaking the champagne bottle.

When the celebrations come to a close Royal Princess will depart on her maiden voyage to Barcelona and then continue to sail the Mediterranean, before heading to the Caribbean in Autumn.

During the exciting inaugural festivals for the new Norwegian Breakaway last week, executives made announcements about the forthcoming ship Norwegian Getaway, coming in January 2014.

Legally Blonde was one of London’s most popular West End shows and has won many prestigious awards including the Laurence Olivier Award for ‘Best New Musical’. After opening in Broadway in 2007 and spending time in London, the show is currently touring in Australia. The much loved story is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a fun-loving blonde who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend. Whilst here she learns how her knowledge of the law can help others and contributes to the verdict of a murder trial.

Norwegian executives also announced Norwegian Getaway will feature Broadway’s Burn the Floor, a ballroom dancing show that currently features on Norwegian Breakaway. In partnership with Levity Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live comedy, the ship is also set to host some of the best comedy acts.

Kevin Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line said, “With Legally Blonde performing in the Getaway Theater, along with Burn the Floor, world-class comedy by The Levity Entertainment Group, magic in the previously announced Illusionarium, The Grammy Experience, and all of the other entertainment offerings, we continue our commitment on Norwegian Getaway to offer guests the best entertainment experience possible.”

Legally Blonde is just the latest Broadway show to debut on a cruise ship. The Norwegian Breakaway which has just launched features Rock of Ages, while Royal Caribbean has Hairspray and Chicago.

Last year P&O announced they were going to invest in a multi-million pound refurbishment project on three of their ships Ventura, Oceana and Arcadia. Due to findings from customer research, the upgrades are being carried out to include features which have proved popular on sister ship, Azura.

One of the main attractions is the addition of The Glasshouse concept and menu. This restaurant was first introduced on Azura and was created in partnership with TV’s Olly Smith. It has proved to be so popular that P&O wanted to add it to Ventura. The installation of an advanced wine system that allows guests to buy premium wines by the glass selected by Olly Smith, which has already been a huge hit for many cruisers.

Other dining upgrades include the new Thai/Indonesian menu at East, designed by celebrity chef Atul Kochhar.

An exciting change for single cruisers is the addition of 18 new single cabins. These are located on Deck six, in the same place as they are on Azura. They are perfect for a cost effective option for people cruising alone.

The Retreat is an open-air sun terrace exclusive for adults only, located all the way forward on Deck 16. A tranquil area with stunning sea views, this is a perfect addition to Ventura.

All the cabins have undergone an attractive upgrade including the replacement of carpets, cushions, curtains and mattresses.

Other changes guests can look forward to seeing include a new dance floor in the atrium, ship wide Wi-Fi, a new perfumery and a new library with digital functions.

P&O Cruises Managing Director said, “We are committed to ongoing and continuous improvement and refurbishment of our ships so that there is a consistent standard of decor across the fleet. The Glasshouse and Retreat areas on board Azura have proved very popular and so we are taking this opportunity to add these innovations to sister ship Ventura. The addition of a dance floor in the atrium on board Ventura will make it the heart of the ship for afternoon and after dinner dancing, which is so popular on Azura.”

Ventura is perfect for family cruises, singles cruises, mini cruises and no-fly cruises. This summer it will sail from Southampton on a range of exciting European itineraries.

Following the exciting news that Holland America Line are going to launch a new class of ships in 2016, we can reveal that they have now named the designers that will take charge of the interior designs.

The new ship, whose name is yet to be revealed, is set to debut in February, 2016. Coming in at a staggering 99,000 tons it will be the first of a new class of ships for Holland America Line. It has been exposed that the first in the Pinnacle Class will showcase decors by designer Adam D. Tihany and designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten.

Adam D. Tihany is looked upon as one of the world’s leading hospitality designers. He has been involved in many renowned designer collaborations and the creation of numerous signature restaurants. Among his restaurant credits include the designing of eateries for well known chefs Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller and the legendary Sirio Maccioni of Le Cirque. Tihany has also been involved with the interior designs of some of the world’s most iconic properties, such as Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

Yran and Storbraaten Architects are one the world’s leading cruise ship design and architectural firms. Known for working in a diversity of styles, they have developed a very impressive international client list. They already successfully worked with Holland America Line on ms Eurodam and ms Nieuw Amsterdam, as well as working with Seabourn for the Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest.

The new ship is set to feature exciting new public areas and dining venues, along with a spectacular host of interior observations. It is also rumoured that several new concepts are under development that are not yet on any other Holland America Line ship. Richard Meadows, executive Vice President of marketing, sales and guest programs for HAL stated “We are fortunate to bring together such distinguished professionals for our next-generation ship. The ambience of a ship is an essential part of the cruise experience and we are confident that Adam, Bjorn and their teams of experienced designers and architects will strike the right balance between contemporary and traditional that is the hallmark of the interiors of Holland America Line ships.”