Some 200 People Missing in Ferry Accident

A passenger ferry capsized and sank Tuesday night (9/8) in the Atlantic Ocean off the Sierra Leone coast in western Africa. 37 people have been rescued, but more than 30 are dead, and perhaps as many as 200 passengers are still missing.

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By Planet Data

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Coast Guard Training Exercise Near Pentagon Causes Scare

With today marking the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and President Obama and Defense Secretary Gates attending a ceremony at the Pentagon, south of D.C. on the Virginia side of the Potomac river, it probably wasn't a good idea for the Coast Guard to schedule a training exercise nearby. But the Coast Guard did, and it caused a security scare this morning.

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By Planet Data

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U.S. Maritime Administration Warns Ship Operators of Piracy

With the Indian Ocean monsoon season coming to an end, another international warning about maritime piracy off the Horn of Africa has been issued. This one comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) and provides guidance for transiting the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.

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By Planet Data

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Study Shows Aussie Ports At risk

A report by Australia's Office of Transport Security (OTS) shows that individuals who pose a terrorist or organized crime threat are working in Australia's ports. The OTS says this is due to a hole in the the background screening that does not detect " a range of offenses and behaviors that are known to have linkages with terrorist activity and the unlawful interferences with maritime transport and offshore facilities." The article from theage.com.au goes on to discuss other findings from the government report and suggested plans-of-action to tighten security at the ports. 

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By Planet Data

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Cargo Ship Sinks in Philippines

The Korean-owned, Panamanian-flagged cargo ship MV Hera sank Monday near Hilaban Island in Samar, Philippines. The Filipino Coast Guard rescued the 19 crewmembers.
This is the second major vessel to sink in the Philippines in the last 2 days. The passenger ferry, Superferry 9, sank Sunday with more than 900 people aboard. Nine people have been confirmed dead and at least 30 others remain missing.

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By Planet Data

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Is Celtic Link’s new Portsmouth-Cherbourg ferry service just Scotch Mist?

Low cost Irish ferry operator Celtic Link Ferries says that it is about to start a new cross-channel service linking the south coast UK port of Portsmouth with Cherbourg in northern France. Good news for travellers and both ports, but only if its actually happens! This is not the first time that the Irish operator has announced the start-up of this new service. Back in October 2006 it bought a former Baltic train ferry and carried out a quick ‘conversion’ in Greece to ready the 1987-built vessel former her new service. However, following the arrival of the ferry in Portsmouth and inspection by the UK’s MCA the vessel was not allowed to sail with passengers until ‘a large number of deficiencies’ had been put right. They weren’t and the new service failed to start. In fact one surveyor said that the vessel ‘was a death trap – one of the worst ships I’ve ever seen.’ It will be interesting to see what is the history of Celtic Link’s newly acquired vessel for the service – something that they quietly forgot to elaborate on in their announcement about the start-up of the new service!  Sphere: Related Content

Bremerhaven drydocking for Seven Seas Navigator

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has brought forward the scheduled drydocking of Seven Seas Navigator from mid-January 2010 to mid-November 2009, resulting in the cancellation of five cruises. The vessel will now drydock at Bremerhaven’s Lloydwerft instead of the Detyens Shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina. Two new cruises have been added to the ship’s schedule for February 2010. Sphere: Related Content

Orion Expedition Cruises releases 2010 brochure

Australian expedition cruise line Orion has just released its 2010 brochure. In addition to destination features including the Kimberly and Arnhem Land, Papua New Guinea, the Spice Islands, New Zealand and Antarctica, the 2010 brochure contains useful information for potential expedition travellers, demonstrating the differences between typical mainstream cruising and the stimulating physical and intellectual experiences to be had on an Orion expedition voyage. 

The brochure contains comprehensive information on Orion’s range of 5 star accommodation and facilities, and examples of onboard luxuries such as boutique, massage, spa, elevator and lounges – and Serge Dansereau’s award-winning cuisine. 
In 2010 Orion has Australia covered – for the first time the company’s luxury expedition vessel Orion will be visiting every Australian State, plus Macquaire Island and Antarctica. Two coastal highlights voyages that include Victoria and South Australia in November will round out visits to every State and the Northern Territory.

Expeditions also include Melanesia, remote islands of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, New Zealand fjord lands and sub-Antarctic islands.

2010 voyages feature:

• Six new rarely visited island destinations in Papua New Guinea

• Three new ports in the exotic Spice and Tanimbar Islands
• Orion’s inaugural visit to Irian Jaya, famous worldwide for its vibrant Asmat Art woodcarvings
• New Australian coastal voyages from Cairns to Hobart including World Heritage listed marine parks, nature reserves, national parks and wilderness areas
• Inaugural voyage to Melbourne, the Limestone Coast, Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsular and Fleurieu Peninsular
• Christmas in New Zealand’s spectacular fjord land

The Antarctic continent remains a strong Orion drawcard for adventurers lured by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the historic Antarctic explorer bases of Mawson, Scott and Shackleton.

Those seeking warmer climes can cruise the Great Barrier Reef – perfect for shorter breaks in one of the most beautiful parts of the world – and easily accessible through major gateways. 

Club back to the Attic Bar. A total of 38 passenger and 25 crew cabins will be upgraded. Sphere: Related Content

Mivan in £2m refit contract for Pacific Jewel

Northern Ireland-based cruise ship outfitting specialist Mivan has recently been awarded a £2m contract by P&O Australia to carry out work onboard the 70,301grt, 1990-built Ocean Village Two, which is to become P&O Australia’s Pacific Jewel following a refit in Singapore. Following this refit, being overseen by London-based SMC Design, the ship will start operations from Australia in December. 

Mivan will be the main contractor working on the refit of Pacific Jewel’s main public areas. Two of the biggest areas in the refit are the new the Waterfront Restaurant and the new Oasis Bar. Other areas include the Sunweaver Café, Casbah, Connections and Casino Bars, Turtle Cove and Shark Shack Children’s Area, Teen Centre, La Luna Speciality Restaurant, East Wing Internet Room & Library and the conversion of the existing Kids Pre-fabricated manufacturing has been taking place at Mivan’s Antrim factory during August and September in preparation for shipping to South East Asia in early October. Work onboard the new Pacific Jewel starts onboard in Singapore on 14 November and is scheduled for completion on 9 December.  
   
According to Stephen Mills, Mivan’s Business Development Director, ‘this will be one of Mivan’s largest cruise ship refits in recent years, topping a fantastic 2009 for us. We will look to build on this during 2010 and continue to deliver a first class outfitting service for P&O and other clients.’ Sphere: Related Content

Transocean files for bankruptcy protection

German cruise line Transocean Tours has filed for bankruptcy protection, but says that it will still continue to operate its two cruise ships, Astor and Marco Polo, and its five river cruise vessels.

Transocean blames its problems on the cancellation of the world cruise of Astoria in November 2008, due to engine problems, along with further losses incurred on Marco Polo’s operation in the UK market, through its UK partner.

Transocean Tours is currently being restructured and Munich-based Premicon has indicated that it is interested in acquiring Marco Polo and the five river cruise vessels.  Sphere: Related Content

Celebrity introduces the industry’s pre-cruise flexible dining reservation system

Celebrity Cruises has introduced ‘Celebrity Select Dining’, what is claimed to be the industry’s first pre-cruise flexible dining reservation system that allows passengers to choose when they dine in the main dining room onboard, on a day-to-day basis.

Commenting on the new dining initiative, Jacques Van Staden, Vice President of Culinary Operations at Celebrity said: ‘Celebrity Select Dining gives our guests the flexibility to spend their days anyway they like. Whether they wish to enjoy more time in a specific port of call one day and dine later that evening, or whether they wish to keep a traditional set dining time, guests receive the same amazing service and enjoy the same menu. It’s all about choice.’

Passengers simply go on line at www.celebritycruises.com to choose their desired dining time – anytime between 18.00 and 21.30 – for each day of their cruise, up to four days prior to boarding. Reservations can also be made onboard.

The first passengers to experience Celebrity’s new dining experience will be those travelling onboard Celebrity Equinox’s 26 September sailing. Sphere: Related Content

Trimline in soft furnishing contract aboard P&O Cruises’ Azura

Southampton, UK-based marine outfitting specialist Trimline has secured the major contract to supply soft furnishings to P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Azura, currently fitting out at the Monfalcone yard of Italy’s Fincantieri.  Sphere: Related Content

Wightlink’s new passenger catamarans set to enter service

UK cross-Solent ferry operator Wightlink is expecting to place into service its two new 250 passenger capacity catamaran’s Wight Ryder I and Wight Ryder II during the week beginning 21 September.

Both 20 knots vessels were built in the Philippines and have been specially designed for the Portsmouth Harbour-Ryde Pier Head service, replacing the existing two FastCats currently on the run. Sphere: Related Content

TEAM in new ferry terminal expansion in Mexico and Morocco

The world’s leading designer and manufacturer of sophisticated passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) for cruise and ferry terminals, Barcelona-based TEAM, has secured new contracts for ferry terminals in Mexico and Morocco.

Under a contract from Mexico’s Port Authority of Quintana Roo SA de C.V. TEAM is to supply in early 2010 two of its Pegasus-range of PBBs to the modernised ferry terminal at San Miguel on the Mexican island of Cozumel. The contract also includes the option for another set of PBBs to be installed in late 2010.  

The ferry service linking the island of Cozumel with the Mexican mainland at Playa del Carmen, on the Yucatan Peninsular, a 45 min trip, carried 1.4m passengers in 2007, with the service growing. In 2008 the Port Authority of Quintana Roo started an upgrading process of the ferry terminal, which is located at the centre of downtown San Miguel de Cozumel, next to the Punta Langosta Cruise Ship Pier. When work is completed in early 2010, the Cozumel ferry terminal will be the first of its kind in Mexico and the Caribbean to be equipped with modern passenger access systems.

Tangier Med Port is Morocco’s new passenger and cargo port located on the Straits of Gibraltar, 40km east of Tangier and just 15km from Spain at the shortest distance between the continents of Africa and Europe. TEAM has been contracted by the Moroccan government agency Tangier Mediterranean Special Agency (TMSA) to design and manufacture four PBBs of the SEDNA design to facilitate safe and secure boarding and disembarkation for the 2m ferry passengers expected to transit the passenger terminal each year. The four PBBs will be delivered in the first quarter of 2010. Sphere: Related Content

Celtic Link to start new Portsmouth (UK)-Cherbourg (France) ferry service

Irish budget ferry operator Celtic Link Ferries (Ireland) Ltd has announced that it is to start a new daily, year-round passenger/freight service linking the south coast UK port of Portsmouth with Cherbourg in northern France from October this year.

The Irish operator says that it has acquired a new, as yet unnamed, vessel for the service, capable of carrying 1,000 passengers, 500 cars or 130 trucks. The new ferry will be British flagged and British crewed and will operate between Portsmouth and Cherbourg during the week and will replace Celtic Link’s current vessel Diplomat on the week-end sailing between Cherbourg and Rosslare, southern Ireland, sailing from France on Fridays and returning from Ireland on Saturdays. With a service speed of 24 knots, the crossing time between France and Ireland will be just 16 hours.

The passenger/freight ferry Diplomat will maintain the Tuesdays and Thursdays sailings from Rosslare to Cherbourg and the Wednesdays and Sundays sailings from Cherbourg to Rosslare. Diplomat will be used on the Portsmouth-Cherbourg during the week-end while the new ferry operates the France-Ireland service, giving passengers and freight customers the guarantee of a daily departure from either Cherbourg or Portsmouth.

Celtic Link tried to start a Portsmouth-Cherbourg service in October 2006 using the former DFDS train ferry Klaipeda, which was converted in Greece for the new service as the Celtic Mist. However, the vessel fell foul of the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard agency (MCA) when she arrived in Portsmouth and was not allowed to sail with passengers.

The new service is claimed to be the cheapest of all operators on the Western Channel and Irish continental routes and will see Celtic Link going head to head with Brittany Ferries and LD Lines. Brittany Ferries already has well established services from Portsmouth to Caen and St. Malo in France, as well as a seasonal fast ferry service to Cherbourg, while low cost operator LD Lines currently operates a two ship service between Portsmouth and Le Havre, and is about to switch its Le Havre-Rosslare service to Cherbourg. Sphere: Related Content

Austal wins technical management and maintenance contract for Egyptian fast ferries

Australian fast ferry builder Austal has been awarded the technical management and maintenance contract for the two Egyptian fast ferries Cairo and Riyadh it delivered last year. Both ferries were originally built for the Government of Saudi Arabia, but were later gifted to the Egyptian government to improve the standard of ferry services across the Red Sea.

Both ferries, capable of carrying 1,200 passengers, 120 cars and 15 trucks at a speed of 37 knots, operate between the Egyptian port of Safaga and Dibba in Saudi Arabia, a 100 nautical mile route. The service has already proved popular with pilgrims travelling to Mecca, Egyptian workers travelling to and from Saudi Arabia, as well as business and leisure travellers. So far more than 69,700 people have utilised the service, along with 3,514 cars and 730 trucks.

Integral to the successful launch of the new service, Austal’s comprehensive technical management and maintenance package is being undertaken over a three year period and includes options for an additional two years.

The package will see the Australian fast ferry builder perform planned and preventative maintenance support, unscheduled maintenance, management and performance of annual surveys and maintenance periods, as well as shore-based engineering support. As a result, Austal has established a dedicated, fully staffed service office in Safaga, where it will utilise the region’s existing drydocking facilities as and when required.  Sphere: Related Content

The oceans this summer are the warmest on record

The National Climatic Data Centre, the government agency that keeps weather records in the US, stated that the average global ocean temperature in July was 17-Celsius degrees, which is the hottest since record keeping began way back in 1880. The previous record was set in 1998.

Meteorologists blame a combination of a natural El Nino weather pattern on top of the worsening situation of man-made global warming. The warmer water could add to the melting of sea ice and possibly even strengthen some hurricanes.

The Gulf of Mexico, where warm water provides the natural fuel for hurricanes, has temperatures dancing around 90. Most of the water in the Northern Hemisphere has been considerably warmer than normal. The Mediterranean is about 3 degrees warmer than for example. Higher temperatures rule in the Pacific and Indian Oceans too.

The impact of the this new warmer ocean reality is most noticeable near the Arctic, where water temperatures are as much as a shocking 10 degrees above average. The shattering of heat records in water is more ominous as a sign of global warming than breaking temperature marks on land. This is due to the fact that water takes longer to heat up and does not cool down so easily. University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver said, "This is another yet really important indicator of the change that's occurring,”

By Hypo Global a Progress sister publication

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Horizon Lines Participates in Trials of Anti-Piracy Technology

Horizon Lines, Inc., an American domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, recently participated in test trials of two separate anti-piracy system.
The International Maritime Security Network, LLC (IMSN) conducted the first trial in Orange, Texas. This safety drill and anti-piracy testing took place aboard the Horizon Crusader and employed the Triton Shield Anti-Piracy System (APS).

The second trial took place aboard the Horizon Challenger in Bayonne, New Jersey where SAFE Solutions' Nemesis 5000 anti-piracy technology was tested. The Nemesis 5000 is described as a non-lethal, high pressure water system which integrates with a vessel's existing fire suppression system to prevent unauthorized boarding of the ship.

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By Planet Data

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Category 4 Hurricane Heads for Baja California

According to the National Hurricane Center, off the west coast of Mexico Hurricane Jimena became a category 4 storm this morning with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph. Jimena is moving northwest and is expected to turn north-northwest, and could hit the southern tip of Baja California sometime Tuesday morning.

The National Hurricane Center recommends "interests in western mainland Mexico and the southern Baja California peninsula should monitor the progress of Jimena."

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By Planet Data

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Seattle Ferry Slams into Dock

A car ferry on the Seattle-Bainbridge Island route apparently made a hard landing as it docked in Seattle on Sunday (8/30). One person suffered minor injuries, and the accident was bad enough that the vessel has been removed from servicefor an undetermined amount of time.
From KOMONews.com:

"Witnesses told KOMO News that the Seattle-bound ferry Wenatchee came out of the fog with its horn blasting as it approached the pier at a higher speed than normal and made a hard landing."

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By Planet Data

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CARIBBEAN SPIRIT, A new Way to Travel in the Caribbean!

PRESS RELEASE

CARIBBEAN SPIRIT has officially inaugurated its fast ferry service at Cabrits Cruise Ship Berth in Portsmouth - Dominica to Pointe-à-Pitre – Guadeloupe, via Grand Bourg – Marie Galante.

The new fast ferry service is operated by the newly renovated fast catamaran vessel ‘SPIRIT I’ of the Compagnie Maritime de la Caraïbe (CMC), owned by the LORET Group, which constitutes the largest conglomerate of private companies headquartered in Guadeloupe.

“Caribbean Spirit provides a winning combination, through the financial support and strategic vision of Groupe LORET, and (through the joint venture originally formed with BRUDEY & Frères) with more than 40 years of experience in maritime services in the Caribbean region” says Philippe Chevalier, President of CMC. “After our first year of operations, connecting the islands of Guadeloupe, we are extremely pleased that we have finally been able to extend our network to Dominica”.

Equipment:

SPIRIT I (ex-Acacia, which was taken over by CMC from BRUDEY & Frères last year) has been completely renovated -both inside and outside- to enhance passengers’ comfort and to meet the stringent security requirements for maritime services as imposed by the European Union.

SPIRIT I, constructed in 1993 in Sweden, has been fitted with two engines of 1960 KW, speed about 30 Knots, with a length of 136 feet and a width of 36 feet, offering a capacity of 350 passengers and 6 crew, i.e. 356 persons in total.

 
Services:

SPIRIT I is equipped with an open bar, available throughout the journey with a dedicated hostess, excursions for sale to visit Marie-Galante and Guadeloupe, as well as plasma TV screens with movies, temporary art exhibitions and much more to come.

SPIRIT I will be connecting the north of Dominica with the capital of Marie-Galante and the main port of Guadeloupe four times a week (of which one non-stop service a week to Guadeloupe) on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, until the end of August 2009, after which a bi-weekly service has been planned during low season.

CARIBBEAN SPIRIT will be benefit from a state-of-the-art internet based Central Reservations Service, offering on-line reservations, check-in and e-ticketing, handled by N.E.W. Agencies in Portsmouth, to which other points of sales are to be added soon throughout the Commonwealth of Dominica. Rates are competitively priced from US$ 79 return per adult, roundtrip fare, incl. VAT.

CARIBBEAN SPIRIT will not only start a new era of tourism development for Dominica, but also a great opportunity for Portsmouth and the North of the Nature Island to capitalize on the numerous tourist arrivals, up to 800 visitors a week because of its dedicated service to Dominica.

Especially at this time of economic hardship, which has already affected the airline industry, CARIBBEAN SPIRIT will offer a welcome alternative for Dominicans to travel North to its sister islands, and well beyond Guadeloupe by connecting to Pôles Caraïbes International Airport with numerous international flight connections.

CARIBBEAN SPIRIT is looking forward to working with the Dominican tourism authorities to make this new venture a success and is already planning to acquire new equipment to provide even faster and better services -albeit more economical and more environmental friendly- ferry services in to the Nature Island of Dominica.

For more information, contact:

David Alfon

CARIBBEAN SPIRIT / CMC
Immeuble Patisland
Rue Thomas Edison
Z.I. Jarry
97122 Baie-Mahault
Tel +590 590 574 574
Email : da_alf@yahoo.fr
Website : www.caribbean-spirit.fr Sphere: Related Content

Tobacco Plants Yield First Vaccine For Dreaded 'Cruise Ship Virus'

Scientists have used a new vaccine production technology to develop a vaccine for norovirus, a dreaded cause of diarrhea and vomiting that may be the second most common viral infection in the United States after the flu. Sometimes called the "cruise ship virus," this microbe can spread like wildfire through passenger liners, schools, offices and military bases.
Read more By Science Daily Sphere: Related Content

The fast ferry service due at this port is once again delayed!

In this week’s issue we report on two new fast ferry services, one in Northern Europe and one in the Arabian Gulf. It remains to be seen which one will be the first into actual operation! Since ‘Off Radar’ first started publishing we have been reporting on the proposed new cross-channel fast ferry service by UK newcomer Euroferries. Four years ago the service was to start between Dover and Calais, but there was an on-going problem sourcing a suitable vessel for the run. After many, many false dawns Euroferries disappeared off the radar, only to return at the start of this year claiming to be about to start, imminently, a new service between Ramsgate and Boulogne. It then went all quite again. Euroferries then started making noises in the spring that it had acquired a suitable vessel for the run, had a new management set up and co-operation from Canary Island’s fast ferry operator Fred Olsen. Thing’s looked promising for a service start up at the end of August. It’s now nearly the end of August, still no sign of the ferry in UK waters, no details about timetables and ticketing prices from Euroferries. Another false dawn? Surely if you are serious about stating a new fast ferry service you make sure that you have a vessel, or vessels, have berthing rights in the two ports, make a marketing strategy, a timetable, ticketing prices etc, before you tell the world about your new service. The Euroferries fiasco continues. If they do manage to start the service, will they get any business from the tourist trade in the UK and France that they are targeting, after so many failed promises. The latest news from Euroferries is that they will be introducing a second vessel on the run as soon as possible. Let’s just see the arrival of the first ship please!  Sphere: Related Content

Saga gets Astoria at long last!

UK cruise operator Saga has finally got the vessel it has wanted as a replacement for its ageing Saga Rose, with the acquisition of the former Club Cruise owned Astoria at auction in Gibraltar.

Saga was in the process of buying Astoria earlier this year just before Club Cruise went into receivership and the vessel arrested in Barcelona. The UK operator already had a slot booked at Malta Shipyards for a refit, but this was lost as the delay in the vessel’s purchase went on. Astoria will now undergo a £14m refit at a yet to be named European shipyard this winter before entering service as the 446 passenger capacity Saga Pearl II in March 2010. During the refit the 1981-built vessel will be fitted with new balcony cabins, upgrading of the show lounge, spa and two swimming pools, the addition of a library, new galleys and a new Veranda Restaurant.  

The vessel’s inaugural cruise, an 18 night voyage to Norway and the Northern Lights, will sail from Southampton, UK on 15 March. Calls will be made at Bergen, Analyses, Alta, Tromso, Marvin, Sondheim, Alesund, Olden, Flåm and Stavanger. This was an early season cruise pioneered by Saga this year.

Saga Pearl II’s first season will see the vessel offer a series of cruises to North Africa, the Canaries, France and the Mediterranean, Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic, the Baltic and Scandinavia and the British Isles and Ireland, 

One special cruise during 2010 will be the seven night ‘Remembering Dunkirk’ voyage, which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of northern France during WWII. This cruise departs Dover, UK on 29 May and calls at Dunkirk, Rotterdam, Ghent, Boulogne, Cherbourg and St. Peter Port (Guernsey).

Meanwhile, the final cruise of the much loved Saga Rose will see the vessel undertake a 37 night round-trip ‘The Farewell Voyage’ from Southampton sailing on 30 October 2009 with calls at Vigo, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Venice, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon, Heraklion, Rhodes, Limassol, Haifa, Alexandria, Piraeus, Valetta, Toulon, Alicante, Casablanca and La Coruna. Aboard the final sailing, which is ‘all inclusive’, will be a host of famous Brits, including Katherine Jenkins, Des O’Connor, Ronnie Corbett, Sally Gunnell, Terry Waite, Nicholas Parsons, Baroness Boothroyd, Lord Carey, Sir Bernhard Ingham, Tom O’Connor, Edwina Currie and Peter Sissons.  Sphere: Related Content

RCCL opens office in Sao Paulo

RCCL is ramping up its commitment to growing the South American cruise market by opening a new office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the first Royal Caribbean International company-owned office in the region.

Commenting on its decision to target Brazil, RCI President and CEO Adam Goldstein said: ‘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. In late 2009 RCI 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.’

New for the 2009/2010 season, RCI will offer 21 departures of three and four night cruises from the port of Santos with the 2,000 passenger capacity Vision of the Seas and the 1,804 passenger capacity Splendour of the Seas. Also available are five, six, seven and eight night cruises onboard Vision of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas from December 2009.   Sphere: Related Content