We first reported on Carnival Destiny's refit back in July and in this week's announcement the cruise line have confirmed plans for a $155 million refit, along with a new name.
Carnival Destiny was previously the cruise line's flagship when she was launched in 1996. Carnival Cruises also own Princess Cruises, who last year completely refurbished another of their former flagships, Grand Princess.
After 49 days in dry-dock the 101,000 tonne ship will emerge as the Carnival Sunshine. Carrying 2,600 passengers, the Carnival Sunshine will look like a new ship after the extensive overhaul of the entire ship set to take place.
The main dining rooms are set for a huge overhaul and new venues will be appearing onboard, such as the Italian Cucina del Capitano, which debuted on Carnival Magic, and Guy's Burger Joint. The ship's cabins will be completely redecorated, bringing them up to standard with the cruise line's newest ships, as well as adding 182 new cabins, including spa suites and inside staterooms.
The RedFrog Pub, another favourite from the Carnival Magic, will appear on Carnival Sunshine and the BlueIguana Tequila Bar, which debuted on Carnival Liberty will be another new addition. There will also be the EA Sports bar, the cuban themed Havanna Bar and the vintage-themed cocktail Alchemy Bar. These news bars will give the social side of the ship a completely new lease of life.
The ship, which is being overhauled in Carnival Corp's favourite shipyard, the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will sail around the Med in Summer 2013, before heading across the Atlantic to her new home in New Orleans.
With the Carnival Legend coming to Europe and sailing from Dover, Barcelona and Venice in 2013, Carnival are making big waves in Europe as their fleet continues to grow and re-shape.
Written by Stephen Adam
© Iglucruise
The terms of the partnership will see the MSC Lirica based out of Abu Dhabi for the cruise line's maiden season in 2011/12. The 2,200 capacity ship will will offer 19 cruises over five destinations between November 2011 and March 2012.
Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA announced "MSC Cruises’ commitment to Abu Dhabi as a homeport will deliver both tactical and strategic outcomes for the Emirates... Beyond the substantial, broad-based benefits to our domestic tourism sector through incremental gains in hotel guests, longer length of stay and greater spending, this partnership provides Abu Dhabi a firm footing on the international cruise tourism map and reinforces the strategic case for a world-class, purpose-built cruise terminal in the emirate."
Pierfrancesco Vago, Chief Executive Officer, MSC Cruises said "MSC Cruises is proud to become the first cruise company to choose Abu Dhabi as a homeport... With our state-of-the-art vessel MSC Lirica operating 95 calls and 19 rotations in the region, our presence will have a significant impact on the tourism industry of Abu Dhabi... We see Abu Dhabi as an exciting cruise destination which has already proved immensely popular with international tourists... MSC Cruises will be an important catalyst in driving growth in cruise tourism in the region. After having discovered the UAE and their exciting attractions from our luxury ship, visitors will come back again, as they always do, further boosting the development and promotion of local economy."
Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
]]>The additional flights have been added in January and February 2011 and details of itineraries and dates are due to be released shortly.
Hurtigruten's Sales and Marketing Director Kathryn Beadle said "Groups are a key focus area for our Northern Lights program and the demand we are experiencing from agents in this area is unprecedented... We hope these charters will provide agents with the additional availability they need."
Flights into Tromso ensure that passengers receive the maximum time in the Arctic Circle to see the North Lights, due to it's location.
Written by Troy McGuire
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