Archive for the 'Cruise' Category

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Queen’s 55 Year Coronation Marked with QE2 Goodbye

Published on Monday, June 2, 2008 in Cruise and News. 0 Comments Tags: Cruises, Cunard, Dubai, QE2, Queen, Royal.

Today at midday, the Queen will wave off Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship to mark 55 years since her coronation in 1953. The farewell will take place in Southampton where the QE2 is currently docked.

Cunard's QE2 at sea

Approximately 300 people have been invited to the sending off. This marks a stark contract to the millions who watched the original coronation on television. A Royal Salute (41 gun) is set to be fired at 12 midday today which will be followed by another Royal Salute at 1pm, only this time 62 guns will be used.

The origin of the number of guns used comes from ancient ceremonies where 21 volleys would be fired to salute the arrival of a neighbouring nation. 20 shots are added to this number for royal occasions and a further 21 if it’s the capital city of London. Ridiculous, I know.

The QE2 will retire this November to become a floating hotel in Dubai after an incredible 40 years of service. The cruise ship was bought by Dubai World for an estimated £50 million.

Oasis of the Seas Named!

Published on Friday, May 23, 2008 in Cruise and News. 7 Comments Tags: Allure of the Seas, Cruises, Oasis of the Seas, Project Genesis, Royal Caribbean.

Rumours of Royal Caribbean’s Project Genesis ships being named Genesis of the Seas can finally be quashed. The brand new Oasis class from Royal Caribbean has two new ships on the way. Oasis of the Seas is the name of the first, due in 2009, and the second will be called Allure of the Seas, due in 2010.

Oasis of the Seas render from Royal Caribbean

Following a ship naming competition from Royal Caribbean, the name Oasis of the Seas was chosen from some 91,000 entries, which have flooded in since January 18th. This is apparently the first time that the public have been selected to choose a cruise ship name.

The lucky winner of the name-selecting contest was George Weiser of Michigan. He submitted both Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas in his entry and they were each deemed excellent enough to be ship titles. However, Jennifer Conley of Robertsville Missouri also suggested Allure of the Seas, making her a joint winner in the competition.

The Oasis class is set to be the home for the world’s largest cruise ships. Oasis of the Seas itself will launch in 2009 and will become the largest cruise ship in the world, offering 16 decks, 220,000 gross registered tons, room for 5,400 guests, and an incredible 2,700 staterooms.

At some point in 2010, Allure of the Seas will join Oasis of the Seas in this incredible new Oasis class.

More info and images at http://www.iglucruise.com/oasis-of-the-seas

Update: Oasis of the Seas will go on sale from September 2008.