Category: Cruise Planning

CARNIVAL PANORAMA COMING TO LONG BEACH

 

Yes, that’s right!!! The Carnival Panorama will call Long Beach her home port when entering service in 2019.

Carnival Cruise Lines made an exciting announcement today at the grand re-opening of the 146,000 square foot state of the art cruise terminal. The new 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama will be the first brand new Carnival ship deployed to southern California in 20 years.

As the Splendor that has recently arrived in Long Beach makes her way to Australia in 2019, the Panorama will take over.   Carnival Cruise Lines is excited that this will bring great business opportunities now and in the near future.

Bookings are expected to start for the carnival Panorama at the end of March 2018.

Happy Cruising!!!

Sharon at Sea

NCL NAME’S NEW MEGA SHIP

 

Norwegian cruise lines has announced they will be  naming  their new ship the “Norwegian Encore” as she is scheduled to make her debut in October 2019.  NCL has been working on the construction of their new mega ship in Papenburg, Germany.  It will be included in, as well as the last ship in the Breakaway Plus class.  Miami is scheduled to be the Encore’s home port.

 

SAN JUAN ~ POST HURRICANES

 

 

The Caribbean was hit hard this last season as hurricane Irma & Maria blew through the islands…

Although many Caribbean islands were untouched by the deadly hurricanes this past season, a few islands were left in shambles of destruction.  One that took a massive hit was San Juan Puerto Rico.  With the injured victims and death count still remaining uncertain, now the island continues working at recovering its loses.

Now over 100 days since mother nature hit Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican government statistics show that 55% of Puerto Rico have had their power restored, although that still leaves a devastating number of over 660,000 that do not have power.  Most hotels, businesses, and restaurants are with power, many residential areas still remain in the dark.  It is estimated that power will be fully restored to all areas of Puerto Rico by May.

 

 

 

 

The Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan is open, and providing service for 27 different carriers.  It’s accommodating over 70 scheduled international and domestic flights.  Some of the smaller airports remain with limited service. Continue reading “SAN JUAN ~ POST HURRICANES”

THE HAMPTON INN BUSH INTL. AIRPORT ~ HOUSTON

Our post cruise stay…

We recently stayed at the Hampton Inn in Houston by Bush International Airport on JFK Blvd for one night on a post cruise stay. We did our research prior to booking and the property received mixed review, so we decided to give it a try and give you an honest review of our room and the general areas of the hotel.

Let’s start with our room. We booked a room with 2 queen beds and the price was very reasonable. Our room was neat and appeared clean upon arrival. It did have a slight musty smell when first entering from the humidity, although once we turned the air conditioning on, the smell went away. The carpet was freshly vacuumed. We did notice later in the evening that the lamp shades were fairly dusty, but other than that everything was clean. The bathroom was clean and had the usual Neutrogena brand shampoo, condition, and lotion amenities. The shower head was nice and worked great. The beds were comfortable for a short stay. Not overly plush, although we slept comfortably. There was no microwave or fridge in our room, although we already knew this before arriving. I believe some of the larger rooms may have them. It did have an alarm clock and coffee maker. Also the TV included some movie channels such as HBO, and the greatest thing was that it included the direct TV NFL Sunday ticket, since it was Sunday we took full advantage of it. This was the first hotel we have ever stayed that included this with no additional charge. Continue reading “THE HAMPTON INN BUSH INTL. AIRPORT ~ HOUSTON”

Royal Caribbean Increase!!!

Royal Caribbean has increased their cover charge at Johnny Rockets on select Oasis of the Seas sailings from $6.95 to $9.95.  Quite a jump!!!

Although according to a Royal Caribbean spokesperson, it is just being tested to a small group of sailings and at this time there are no plans to add it to any other ships.

Sharon at Sea

4 NEW CRAFT BEERS DEBUT ON THE CARNIVAL HORIZON

 

 Carnival Cruise Line has announced the names of the four craft beers that will be brewed onboard the new Carnival Horizon which is set to make her debut on April 2, 2018.
Colin Presby, Carnival Cruise Lines expert brewmaster created these mouth quenching new beers and will be offered at Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse/Brewhouse, a new dining concept that combines an onboard brewery with a full service restaurant featuring some BBQ favorites and sides developed by Food Network star Guy Fieri.
The announcement was made by Presby and Carnival Vice President of Beverage Operations Edward Allen at a traditional keg tapping ceremony held aboard Carnival Vista, the first North American based cruise ship to feature an onboard brewery.
The names of the four new beers on the Carnival Horizon will include:
• ParchedPig Smoked Porter ~ brewed with in house smoked malt, this robust, full bodied beer offers big and bold flavors and notes of molasses and hickory smoke, providing the perfect complement to Smokehouse/Brewhouse’s BBQ favorites
• ParchedPig Farmhouse Ale ~ this lightly hopped beer is distinguished by its blond color, fruity and complex character with mild spice notes that balance the brew’s dry finish
• ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale ~ highlighted by its rich amber color and notes of toasted caramel and biscuit, this beer is well balanced, smooth and highly drinkable
• ParchedPig West Coast IPA ~ the embodiment of a traditional West Coast India Pale Ale, this hoppy, intense beer is loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine

“Smokehouse/Brewhouse is a unique culinary concept and we’ve created four fantastic brewed onboard craft beers that not only showcase different tastes and brewing styles but also serve as the ideal accompaniment to the venue’s delicious array of barbecue offerings,” said Presby.

The brewery takes center stage at Smokehouse/Brewhouse, which, in addition to delicious craft beers and custom cocktails, will offer a rustic, down home décor as well as a variety of Fieri designed favorites, all smoked “low and slow” using the chef’s signature rubs and spices. The tantalizing offerings include smoked onboard brisket, Memphis style back ribs, dry rubbed chicken, pulled pork, and cedar smoked salmon, along with the chef’s own take on traditional sides and his signature sauces. Dinner menu items are offered on an a la carte basis with a free of charge self service BBQ lunch buffet available on embarkation day and sea days.

Sharon at Sea