Cruise Lines Score with Plans to Show World Cup

By John Roberts

Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line delighted soccer (futbol, football, footie) fans everywhere who might have been anguishing over whether to cruise during the upcoming World Cup. Costa's fleet of 14 ships and Norwegian's 14 ships will be showing live broadcasts of matches from the June 12 to July 13 championships, which rank as the world's largest sporting event, taking place once every four years. Costa also will have a range of festive soccer-themed activities onboard as the games are broadcast live from Brazil. This news counts as a big score for cruisers and soccer fans alike.

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Carnival Cruise Lines says it will sail 10- and 11-day cruises between Galveston and San Juan, with visits to six different Caribbean destinations on one itinerary. You have plenty of time to plan for these long cruises on Carnival Triumph.

Two 11-day cruises sail from Galveston to San Juan, Puerto Rico -- Oct. 24, 2015, and Jan. 16, 2016 -- and two 10-day cruises from San Juan to Galveston -- Nov. 4, 2015, and Jan. 27, 2016. These longer-length tropical itineraries are a first for Carnival's Texas-based program, which also includes year-round four-and five-day Mexico cruises and seven-day Caribbean itineraries.  

Also offered for the first time on a Carnival itinerary is Bonaire (a personal favorite of In The Loop Travel), which is featured on 11-day cruises. An island nestled in the Dutch Antilles, Bonaire is known for its brightly colored scenery and some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Other islands on these new itineraries rarely visited by Carnival ships include Antigua, Grenada and Martinique.

The 11-day voyages on Carnival Triumph originate in Galveston and include stops at Grand Cayman, Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Martinique and St. Maarten, with the voyage ending in San Juan. The 10-day San Juan-to-Galveston itinerary visits St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Antigua, Grand Turk, and the private Bahamian island Half Moon Cay. With non-repeating ports on the two different itineraries, passengers with a lot of free time can book back-to-back cruises to create a three-week voyage roundtrip from Galveston that hits all the ports.

Crystal Cruises is offering a Game of Thrones-themed excursion for passengers enthralled with the HBO series. The tour takes a look at the show's key filming location, Northern Ireland. Passengers will explore several iconic production locations near Belfast, where they will step into mythical medieval life, shooting arrows, taking photographs with show costumes, and learning how centuries-old castles and towers are transformed into sets for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The half-day excursion is offered with an August 24, seven-day sailing through the British Isles aboard Crystal Symphony and a September 5, 14-day Ireland/Iceland and New England transatlantic cruise aboard Crystal Serenity.

AmaWaterways has introduced two new river ships to its fleet. Last week in Vilshofen, Germany, the line held a christening ceremony for AmaReina. Sister ship, AmaSonata, will be christened July 22 in Vilshofen. The 164-passenger ships, with most staterooms offering French or twin balconies, will sail intineraries in Europe on such rivers as the Rhine and Danube.

The cruise industry will gather June 11-13 in Port of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, for the 16th annual Canada New England Cruise Symposium. The event highlights the Canada and New England region as a cruise destination. Sessions will discuss shore excursions and seasonal itineraries for the ports.