Norwegians get fit with global phenomenon Zumba® Fitness

Holiday makers who wish to stay in shape whilst away are in for a treat this year, as Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the popular international-inspired dance-fitness programme Zumba Fitness to its ships. From this spring Norwegian will offer a variety of energetic Zumba® classes on every cruise, led by licensed Zumba® instructors who are part of the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN™).

Encouraging guests to “ditch the workout and join the party,” the Zumba programme is contagious, combining high-energy dance music including hip-hop, salsa, African beats and Reggaton with fun, global-inspired dance moves to create an irresistible calorie-burning routine.

“We are excited to bring Zumba Fitness onboard our ships and offer guests not just a new way to work out, but an exhilarating and easy-to-follow dance fitness-party,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line CEO. With 14 million followers across the globe in more than 150 countries, Zumba is an international movement, turning the dreaded “work out” into a fun-filled celebration known as “exercise in disguise,” where participants can burn up to 1,000 calories. Norwegian Cruise Line will offer a selection of the most popular Zumba classes at no charge, in a phased roll out across the fleet.

To book a cruise with Norwegian, visit www.cruisenation.com or call 0800 408 0757.

Will I get value for money on a cruise?

Although the cruising is a holiday genre that is growing rapidly, there still remains the myth, shared mostly by those who favour land-based holidays, that cruising is an expensive method of travel. Today, this is simply not the case, and whether you like jetting off for a 2 week ‘bucket and spade’ holiday on the Costa Brava, or booking a holiday home in Cornwall for a week, cruising still offers some of the best value for money on the market.

As a standard, the lowest price cruises generally tend to include your accommodation, flights (for a fly-cruise holiday), all the food you need, evening entertainment and use of most facilities including the swimming pools, gymnasiums, hot tubs etc. Some cruise ships also include cinemas, climbing walls, tennis courts, zip lines, ice rinks and surfing simulators!

As well as the incredible facilities on board the cruise ships, if you love checking out new destinations, then few other types of holiday will offer you the opportunity to visit so many new places. Like the sound of waking up to a new destination every morning? Then cruising is for you. Just imagine, in one holiday seeing sights like St Marks Square in Venice, the Colosseum in Athens, the spectacular bay of Dubrovnik and and famous blue domed chapels of Santorini, all in the same week. And whats more – you’re under no obligation to spend extra cash on excursions when you dock at these ports. Simply hop in a taxi, and you’re free to explore to your heart’s content (just don’t return to the ship after it’s left!)

Partnership with Cardiff Airport

Did you know you can cruise from Cardiff Airport?

Cardiff Airport, is delighted to announce a partnership with Cruisenation.com, the award winning cruise specialist tour operator based in South Wales.

Cruisers in South Wales can take advantage of a range of fantastic affordable cruise holidays in Europe and the Caribbean flying direct from Cardiff Airport.

Cruise Nation’s exclusive ‘Smart Package’ programme of worldwide cruises will be available for the first time from Cardiff Airport, taking advantage of the new routes with Vueling Airlines to Barcelona, Alicante & Palma and Monarch Airlines Orlando service.

The lead-in price for a 9 Night Mediterranean cruise including a FREE 2 Night stay in Barcelona and flights from Cardiff Airport with Vueling Airline £449 per person (based on two sharing an inside cabin on the 9^th October 2012).

The company offers its ‘Smart Packages’ on Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.

Phil Evans, Cruisenation.com Managing Director added: “We are pleased to offer our first ‘Smart Package’ departures from Cardiff Airport; Smart Packages provide customers with the best possible value for money on cruise holidays. You get your cruise and flights as standard, you then get additional added value on the holiday, this could be a FREE resort stay, FREE excursion or FREE onboard spend! All ‘Smart Packages’ are fully protected by ATBA & ATOL and include FREE Cruise Protection Insurance giving you complete peace of mind”

“Our dedicated tour operation team continually research market trends and deliver holidays that exceed expectations. The biggest benefit is that we can give you all this, and save you money compared with booking directly with the cruise line. Giving our Welsh customers the choice to fly from their local regional airport is a key factor in our strategy of becoming the market leader in cruise holidays”

Spencer Birns, Cardiff Airport‘s Head of Air Service Development and Commercial Operations commented: “This new partnership with Cruise Nation will benefit the airport as it will help raise awareness of the cruise programme available from Cardiff, as well as increase travellers’ awareness of new routes such as Barcelona, Alicante and Palma with low cost airline Vueling, and flights to Orlando with Monarch.

Cruise holidays have always been popular in South Wales, and we’re pleased to see a local company specialising in cruising holidays offering cruise holidays from Cardiff Airport. “
For more information on cruise holidays from Cardiff Airport call Cruise Nation FREE on 0800 408 0757 or visit www.cruisenation.com

P&O Cruises celebrations take place today at Southampton

Today in Southampton P&O Cruises will celebrate 175 years in the industry.

Lined up today for a huge celebration in their home port of Southampton will be seven of the most amazing ships in the cruise industry. P&O will celebrate with all of their spectacular fleet lined up in Southampton’s quayside. It will be the very first time all ships including Oceana, Adonia, Azura, Oriana, Aurora, Arcadia and Ventura will arrive and depart from a port together.

During a day of celebrations The Princess Royal will conduct a fleet review.

P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “I am sure that this magnificent fleet review with Her Royal Highness in celebration of 175 years of heritage will go down in British maritime history.”

The flotilla of ships will leave the port in single file just before 18:30, led by Adonia and will carry 15,000 passengers and 6,000 crew members

Broadway’s “Rock of Ages” to headline Norwegian Breakaway’s entertainment

AMAZING ARRAY OF ENTERTAINMENT ON THE NEW NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY

Norwegian Cruise Line continues its legacy of innovating cruise ship entertainment with the announcement that the five-time Tony Award nominated musical ROCK OF AGES will be featured on Norwegian Breakaway, along with two additional Broadway shows: the dance sensation BURN THE FLOOR and CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER JUNGLE FANTASY. The line also introduced all of the varied and exciting entertainment acts and venues that will debut on the ship, including the famed comedy troupe The Second City and Howl at the Moon at Headliners Comedy Club and New York’s own Slam Allen in Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club.

ROCK OF AGES is one of the longest running shows in Broadway history and offers Broadway’s best party. The New York Times has called the show, “Absurdly enjoyable! About as guilty as pleasures get!” The classic rock love story of the decade features such feel-good, sing-out-loud songs such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” “Here I Go Again,” “Don’t Stop Believin,” and more. The Broadway show is now replicated on the big screen as the film of the musical by New Line Cinema was released on June 15, 2012.

Norwegian Breakaway will feature multiple, specially-designed entertainment venues throughout the ship so that guests can choose their entertainment each evening from a wide variety appealing to a broad audience.

BURN THE FLOOR

Dance sensation BURN THE FLOOR will dazzle guests with their groundbreaking show, serving as a melting pot of styles, energy and excitement for today’s generation of dancers. It is Ballroom “supercharged.”

During the course of the show, the dancers perform all the Ballroom and Latin styles, including The Waltz, Cha Cha, Samba, Salsa, Rumba, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Mambo, Tango, Swing, Jive, Lindy Hop, Viennese Waltz, and Paso Doble. The music is eclectic, from Swing and Waltz classics to J-Lo and Credence Clearwater. Two vocalists perform in many languages during the show, including English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The show premiered in London in 1999 and toured the US for the first time in 2000, BURN THE FLOOR premiered on Broadway in 2009.

CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER — JUNGLE FANTASY IN THE SPIEGEL TENT

Following the huge success of the revolutionary CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER on Norwegian Epic, famed producer/director Neil Goldberg will present an adaptation of the Broadway show CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY featuring the best of both critically acclaimed productions. The new show will be entitled CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER – JUNGLE FANTASY and will perform in the ship’s intimate Spiegel Tent.
Proclaimed “the grandest circus spectacle east of Vegas” by New York Magazine, CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY debuted at the Broadway Theatre in 2008 and is, to date, the first and only show of its kind to ever perform on Broadway. The show received an American Theatre Wing, Best Costume Design nomination and has played to over 3.5 million people in more than 200 cities throughout the United States, as well as thousands of U.S. military troops and their families throughout 10 countries.
CIRQUE DREAMS & DINNER – JUNGLE FANTASY will feature an international cast of Cirque Dreamers performing amazing feats while bringing to life a soaring Ballet of Butterflies, Flipping Monkeys, Hopping Frogs, Spine-bending Lizards and Fanciful Birds in an exotic, awe-inspiring adventure.

FAT CATS JAZZ & BLUES CLUB FEATURING SLAM ALLEN

Following his extremely popular performance as the house band in the Jazz & Blues Club on house band in the Jazz & Blues Club on Norwegian Epic, New York’s own Slam Allen will take the stage in Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club on Norwegian Breakaway. Fat Cats will feature nightly live blues and jazz performances by Allen and other world-class talent. The urban setting creates a hipster vibe complete with full bar and comfortable leather sofas and chairs. Fat Cats will also feature outdoor seating on The Waterfront, a Norwegian Breakaway exclusive, where guests can enjoy a drink and the live music while feeling the warm ocean breeze.

For more than 20 years, Slam Allen has been entertaining audiences around the world with his unique blend of soul and blues. For the past eight years, he has played an important role, as the lead singer and guitarist, in the legendary James Cotton Band. Music is in Allen’s blood — he got his start from his father and uncles who were known as the Allen Brothers Band. On Norwegian Breakaway, Allen will play a wide range of songs from B.B. King and Otis Redding to his own original music in the intimate Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club.

THE SECOND CITY AND HOWL AT THE MOON IN HEADLINERS

Headliners Comedy Club debuts on Norwegian Breakaway with the hilarious improvisational comedy of The Second City, as Norwegian continues its exclusive partnership with the famed troupe. For more than 50 years, The Second City has honed the skills of comedic legends such as Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Jason Sudeikis. The ensemble aboard Norwegian Breakaway will perform a special customised comedy revue of satirical skits, hilarious songs and inventive improvisation. The venue’s design centres on a show lounge format with a small raised stage, concrete floors and brick walls with a full bar.

The world’s greatest rock n’ roll duelling piano show, Howl at the Moon, which received rave reviews on Norwegian Epic, will also be featured in Headliners on board Norwegian Breakaway. This total entertainment experience features talented piano players who not only entertain the guests; they make the guests part of the show. The fun is centred around two baby grand pianos and a full out rock show with Howl’s entertainers playing the best music from 70’s rock to hip-hop for four hours per show. Howl at the Moon, with multiple locations across the United States, encourages people to channel their inner rock star, so guests should get ready to clap, sing, dance and howl.

THE NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY

The 4,000 passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in New York City in early May 2013 for year round sailings. The ship, the largest ever to home port in New York City, will begin weekly summer seven-night cruises from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to Bermuda on Sunday, May 12, 2013. From October 2013 through April 2014, the ship will offer voyages from the heart of Manhattan to the Bahamas & Florida and the Southern Caribbean.

To date, the company has revealed the ship’s groundbreaking design, including The Waterfront and 678 Ocean Place, a wide range of indoor and outdoor venues on three dynamic decks that will create a whole new complex at sea that enhances guests’ connection with the ocean. The top decks of Norwegian Breakaway will feature the first Aqua Park at sea with five full-size water slides, including twin Free Fall slides, the first ever at sea, and a three-story sports complex that includes the largest ropes course at sea, a nine-hole miniature golf course, basketball court, rock climbing wall and more.

The ship will also feature a rich mix of stateroom options including The Haven by Norwegian, comprised of 42 Suites at the top of the ship and 18 additional Suites located throughout the ship; the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travellers; the re-introduction of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites; along with Spa Balcony, Mini-Suites and Suites in close proximity to the spa.