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With its new Freestyle Voices, Norwegian Cruise Line says it is uniquely allowing guests to post their own reviews, photos, videos, questions and comments about NCL directly on its main corporate website. The social forum comments will be screened for inappropriate language, however. NCL said the user-generated content would allow guests to interact with each other and share their personal experiences, and there would also be an opportunity to get answers to questions about the line's 11 ships, both from other users and from NCL itself. The online community includes a section where guests can rate shore excursions. The official launch this week already includes 3,500 guest questions submitted via the "ask and answer" platform, as well as 200 past guest stories.

Love that ship, I sailed on the Freedom last June. Thanks for sharing.

crusinsue, have a safe and enjoyable cruise.

The Board of Port Commissioners and representatives from the major cruise lines serving the Port of San Diego were wielding sledgehammers on Tuesday, August 4, when they broke ground for a new cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier. The festivities began at 10 a.m. and included remarks from Board Chair Stephen P. Cushman, Luis Ajamil, the architect who designed the new terminal, and Carlos Torres de Navarra, Director of Strategic Planning and Port Development for Carnival Corporation & plc. Carnival Corporation & plc is the parent company of Holland America Line, which has operated seasonal cruises from San Diego since 1998. It is also the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, which operates the Port's only year-round ship, the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation. Carnival Corporation loaned the Port $12 million to help pay for construction of the 52,000 square-foot, two-story terminal. The terminal can accommodate 2,600 passengers and will include space for U.S. Customs & Border Protection. The facility will be the Port's first "green" building and is being designed to meet silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, meaning it will be designed to use less water, less energy and produce fewer pollutants. Some of the construction elements that will help the project qualify for its LEED certification include use of a photovoltaic system that will provide at least 12 percent of the building's energy. The project also may incorporate highly reflective roof paint and low-flow toilets, urinals and faucets that will help keep water and energy costs down. Low-emitting materials such as low voc paints (paints that contain minimal amounts of volatile organic compounds that could be hazardous to a person's health), as well as low voc carpets and sealants may also be incorporated. The new terminal will also include space for private and public events on days when there aren't any cruise ships in port. A public space will be open in the back of the building, with an open pavilion area that will provide views of the bay. Another event area will be located on the second floor. Jaynes Corporation, a construction company with offices throughout the southwest, is the contractor for the project. Construction is estimated to cost $21.1 million and is scheduled for completion in December 2010.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is ramping up its commitment to growing the South America cruise market with the official opening of a new office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the first Royal Caribbean company-owned office in the region. The event was marked by a formal visit by Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Adam Goldstein, highlighting Brazil as a key region earmarked for both investment and growth. "The cruise market in Brazil is one of the fastest growing in the world, and with increased investment and commitment, we aim to accelerate this trend," said Goldstein. "In late 2009 Royal Caribbean International will have two ships - Vision of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas - dedicated to the Brazilian market which represents a significant uplift in available cruise departures. Reinforcing the positive knock-on economic benefits that cruising brings and improving cruise selling awareness are key objectives of my visit to Brazil. I look forward to Royal Caribbean International's expansion in Brazil and in the entire South America cruise market." The new Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. office, located in Sao Paulo, will support the commercial and operational efforts in Brazil of the company's three cruise brands - Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises - and will continue to further its international expansion plans, supporting the growing demand for cruise itineraries departing Brazil and around the world. The opening of Royal Caribbean's Sao Paulo office comes at a key time for the burgeoning Brazilian cruise business. In the last eight seasons, the number of guests embarking on cruises from Brazil grew 623%, with an average growth of 33% per year.

Is Norwegian Cruise Line on the upswing? NCL is reporting a second quarter profit of $15.4 million, despite cheaper fares. This compares to a second quarter loss of $27 million last year. The line says the rise can be attributed to "onboard spending and other revenue" including lower fuel costs. Occupancy percentages for the second quarter shot up two points to 109.6%. Still, revenues decreased to $478.4 million from $524.9 million a year ago. NCL CEO Kevin Sheehan said he was pleased with the performance "especially given the current economic climate,” and that NCL has “begun to demonstrate consistency in our performance." A "razor focus" on all aspects of the operation, including shipboard and shoreside operations, he added, "has resulted in an enormous turnaround of our performance just a year ago." According to a press release, NCL is "substantially booked" for the remainder of 2009, although at cheaper fares than last year, particularly in the third quarter. Sheehan said he believes NCL is "moving beyond the low point with regard to ticket pricing," and would continue to work to control costs. Meanwhile, Star Cruises, co-owner of NCL with Apollo, said it planned to issue $150 million worth of convertible bonds due in 2016, raising cash for repayment of borrowings and general working capital, Reuters is reporting. Shares of Star Cruises have risen 130% so far this year on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Carnival has decided for a second time not to operate 9-day "After the Glaciers" cruises from New York, which were to visit Quebec City. The line had first announced the summertime cruises for the Carnival Triumph for 2009, then decided to postpone the itinerary until 2010, with the Carnival Glory. A Carnival spokesman said the 2010 cruises, which were also to include the St. Lawrence River ports of Baie-Comeau and Havre-Saint-Pierre, have now been scrapped. He said the line instead wants to concentrate its efforts on its 4-, 5-, and 7-day New England/Canada sailings from New York; cruises that include port calls at Halifax (Nova Scotia) and St. John (New Brunswick). Passengers with bookings on the "After the Glaciers" cruises will be given the option of rebooking, the spokesman added.

Tired of overly aggressive tour vendors? So is the town of Sitka, Alaska. On Wednesday, the popular cruise ship destination implemented tough new rules to keep vendors from hassling cruisers as they pour off ships during the summer. The rules force vendors of everything from fishing trips to floatplane rides to remain within small assigned spaces in the staging areas that visitors pass after they arrive by tender from ships. The spaces, marked with yellow lines, are less than five feet wide. Sitka officials tell the Associated Press they've been fielding growing complaints from cruisers and cruise lines about increasingly ugly tactics used by vendors selling tours. Cruisers also complained about having to walk a gauntlet of competing shore-side businesses within moments of leaving their ships, and officials believed it was creating a bad first impression of the town. "The problem has escalated to the point we had to do something right now," Sitka's Don Kluting tells the Associated Press. "It didn't develop overnight. It's been going on over the years."

Rose and Cynthia, have a wonderful cruise.