Equinox at Southampton's City Cruise Terminal, July 09.
I was fortunate enough to visit the brand new Equinox at Southampton, on the 25th – 26th July, before her inaugural cruise. A full review and more images can be found in my review, menu right.
I think Cunard and P&O are going to have some stiff competition from Celebrity, sailing from Southampton in 2010.
Malcolm
(Special thanks to www.cruise.co.uk for arranging the visit)
There’s a short video about Thomson’s newest ship and Flagship, ”Thomson Dream’ here:
http://media.thomson.co.uk/asset/v00/775/979.asx
Although it is made up of still images. Fares for 2010 are also on their web site:
http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise.html
(See my review of ‘Thomson Celebration’, menu right)
See she's not top heavy.
11th July: Images by Christian Plagué from Shipspotting.
One big girl
Above: July 2009, Image from Shipspotting by Christian Plagué
Costa Europa
Carnival Corporation announced this week that the 1,488-passenger Costa Europa, currently operated by its Costa Cruises brand, Europe’s number one cruise line, will join British travel company Thomson Cruises under a 10-year bareboat charter beginning in April 2010. Under the agreement, Thomson has an option to purchase the ship any time after five years.
Costa Europa, which joined the Costa fleet in 2002, was one of the first ships to operate on regular cruises in the Arabian Gulf, with departures from Dubai, and the Indian Ocean out of Mauritius.
Costa Europa originally entered service in 1986 as Home Line’s Homeric and then sailed for many years as Westerdam for Holland America. When she joins the Thomson fleet she will be reunited with two other former Holland America ships: Thomson Spirit sailed as Nieuw Amsterdam and Thomson Celebration sailed as Noordam. Costa Europa will be renamed Thomson Dream when she joins the fleet and she will sail from Palma, Majorca.
Although the Costa Europa will be leaving, Costa is continuing to expand its fleet of 14 ships currently in service. The Italian company’s fleet expansion program is in fact presently the biggest of its kind in the world with five new ships entering service between 2009 and 2012 representing a total investment of 2.4 billion euros. The Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica were named together on June 5, 2009 in Genoa, Italy. In late January 2010, the Costa Deliziosa, sister ship to the Costa Luminosa, will be introduced. Two sister ships to the Costa Pacifica are scheduled to debut in 2011 and 2012.
Over the next three years, Carnival Corporation & plc will launch 13 vessels for seven different brands.
“While we continue to grow our business with new and exciting vessels, we are also divesting of older tonnage which allows us to offer one of the most modern, technologically advanced fleets in the cruise industry,” said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc chairman and CEO.
(Travelpage.com)
Experience: If you are wondering exactly what the Thomson cruise experience is like, I have two reviews of ‘Thomson Celebration’, menu right.
