POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Dazzling aerialists flying over your head. Acrobats and contortionists performing in front of you. Muscle men, jokesters, musicians all around.All in spectacular costumes. And all while you nosh on filet mignon or chicken florentine served up by waiters who become part of the show. Norwegian Cruise Line this month offered USA TODAY a sneak peek at Cirque Dreams and Dinner, the elaborate new circus show it plans for its next ship, the soon-to-debut Norwegian Epic, and -- as promised -- it's nothing like anything currently found at sea.Created by theatri...

The “Main Street Electrical Parade” will light up the Magic Kingdom® Park and headline “Summer Nightastic!”, a season of after-dark excitement coming to all four Theme Parks at the Walt Disney World® Resort. With floats and characters appearing for the first time at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will return to the Magic Kingdom Park in early June 2010 with its joyous sights and sounds. Marking its first engagement in Florida since 2001, the cherished parade will be led by Tinker Bell waving from t...

WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. June 6-13, 2010 This gourmet all-inclusive week is a premiere event hosted by Club Med Corporate Chef Erik Peters and features guest celebrity Chefs and Sommeliers. Your experience will consist of wine workshops, rum tastings, 4-course signature dinners, twice daily cooking demonstrations and much more. SPIN-FEST 2010 Club Med Cancun Yucatan, Mexico October 10-17, 2010 A week dedicated to music. Hosting five world renowned gifted DJ's. Get ready for your perfect party vacation. Witness the most unbelievable themed dance parti...

Norwegian Cruise Line's largest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship will offer innovative spa treatments, suites and expansive fitness center

Miami - Mar 17, 2010 --- Norwegian Cruise Line announced today at Cruise Shipping Miami that it will make major enhancements to its private island, Great Stirrup Cay, located 120 miles east of Ft. Lauderdale in the Berry Island chain of the Bahamas. The 250-acre island will undergo a two-phase renovation, totaling in excess of $20 million, spanning 22 months and scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. "We have one of the best private islands, particularly for swimming and snorkeling. With these improvements, we can provide an even more enjoyable island experience for the more ...

Norwegian Experiences Exceptional Booking Volumes During Wave Season Norwegian Cruise Line experienced an unprecedented year-to-date increase in booking volume during its "Year of the Freestyle Vacation" wave season promotion in January and February. In addition, group business was up close to twofold. The company also saw a strong interest in its new ship debuting in June, Norwegian Epic, and for its Hawaii-based ship, Pride of America. Because of this demand, prices are set to increase fleet wide up to seven percent as of Thursday, April 2, 2010. "Our first quarter wave season promotion d...

The U.S. State Department published a proposed rule for new passport fees in the Federal Register in February. The proposed schedule of fees for passport application services is as follows: • Total Cost: $135 for a first-time U.S. Passport Book for adults (age 16 and over). • Total Cost: $110 for U.S. Passport Book renewal (age 16 and over only). • Total Cost: $105 for a U.S. Passport Book for minors (under age 16). • Total Cost: $55 for a first-time U.S. Passport Card for adults (age 16 and over). • Total Cost: $30 for a U.S. Passport Card for adults (age 16 and ...

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that its largest, most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date, Norwegian Epic, will feature an extensive number of complimentary Freestyle dining options - 11 out of 21 total - that are included in the cruise fare. The additional 10 dining options will have a nominal cover charge. Guests on board Norwegian Epic can select from a variety of cuisines, dining styles and atmospheres on board with a total of 21 dining options. Those that will be free of charge are: -Taste, the atrium restaurant serving traditional and contemporary cuisine; -Manhattan R...

The recent Marina float-out and Riviera steel cutting visually demonstrated the strength of today's cruise industry. We were invited to see Oceania Cruises' first ever purpose-built ship, the Marina - weighing 65,000 tons able to carry 1,252 passengers, which will begin operation in January 2011. How appropriate to visit the hometown port of Christopher Columbus where he dreamed of sailing the same seas that the Marina and Riviera will soon voyage upon. On our arrival to the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, we saw the Marina in a dry dock, a sloped concrete birthplace, propped-up and...

Season Includes Most Princess Ships to Sail in Europe, 42 Unique Itineraries and 135 Ports More Than Half of Ports Include Opporunity to Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (March 10, 2010) – Princess Cruises has unveiled its most extensive Europe season ever for 2011, with more ships, departure choices and itinerary options than in previous years. In total, seven vessels will offer 42 itinerary choices, including seven new routes, with calls at more than 135 ports. More than half of these ports feature access to notable attractions designated UNESCO World Heritag...

Here are U.S. carriers, listed in order of their on-time arrival rating for January. The figures are from the U.S. Transportation Department. 1. Hawaiian Airlines, 86.7 percent 2. Alaska Airlines, 85.8 3. United Airlines, 83.7 4. Frontier Airlines, 83.2 5. Continental Airlines, 82.3 6. Delta Air Lines, 81.4 7. Southwest Airlines, 80.1 8. Mesa, 80.0 9. American Airlines, 79.8 10. AirTran Airways, 79.5 11. US Airways, 79.4 Industry average, 78.7 12. Atlantic Southeast, 78.3 13. ExpressJet, 76.0 14. SkyWest, 74.6 15. JetBlue Airways, 74.5 16. Comair, 73.0 18. Pinnacle, 73.0

Added by Cruise Planners MSC Magnifica - the fourth Panamax cruise ship in the MSC Cruises Musica class-joins MSC Cruises as the 11th ship in the fleet after being christened in Hamburg, Germany on March 6. Renowned Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti, adult contemporary/soft rock/pop artist, performed on stage during the christening while Italian screen legend and icon Sophia Loren, participated in the ribbon cutting as the godmother of her eighth MSC ship. MSC Magnifica combines the intimacy of her three Musica Class sister vessels with the state-of-the-art facilities and comfort of...

Nickelodeon And Norwegian Cruise Line Partner To Deliver The Ultimate Family Experience With Nickelodeon will be the featured family brand on Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic; Norwegian to Offer Annual Nickelodeon Specialty Cruise Norwegian Cruise Line today announced a new partnership with Nickelodeon in which select Norwegian ships will feature Nickelodeon-themed family entertainment and programming all year long. Beginning in April on Norwegian Jewel and this summer on Norwegian Epic, Nickelodeon and Norwegian experiences for the entire family will include: character meet and g...

Acclaimed writers announced to take part in second year of literary enrichment programme aboard Queen Mary 2 in 2010 26 February 2010 - Cunard Line announces the return of their popular Literature and Liners series as part of Cunard Insights, the line’s award-winning onboard enrichment programme. Introduced in 2009, Literature and Liners provides guests sailing on select Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Crossings the opportunity to interact with some of the literary world’s most intriguing figures. Best-selling authors scheduled to sail as part of this year’s programme are (from...