Norwegian Cruise Line announced an exclusive partnership with Svedka Vodka and Inniskillin ice wine onboard the new Norwegian Epic. The onboard ice bar will be called the Svedka Ice Bar and will feature specialty Svedka and Inniskillin ice wine drinks. Inspired by ice bars and ice hotels in Scandinavia, the cruise industry’s first true ice bar is set in changing hues of blue, green and purple LED lighting that simulates the Northern Lights.


The Svedka Ice Bar features a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made from ice. Guests are given hooded coats and gloves to keep them warm, since the room’s temperature does not rise above 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The Svedka Ice Bar accommodates 25 people and can be reserved from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. The cost is $20 per person and includes two signature cocktails. There are six specialty drinks made from Svedka vodka and Inniskillin ice wine as well as two non-alcoholic drinks. All drinks are served in glasses made of ice. For further information, call 888-NCL-CRUISE or visit www.ncl.com.

Comedian and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Jeff Garlin will host Norwegian Cruises Line’s Norwegian Epic inaugural christening ceremony in New York on July 2. The ceremony will also be webcast live. The inaugural festivities will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT while the ship is docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City. Joining Garlin will be country music icon Reba McEntire, who will serve as the ship’s godmother. For more information, call 888-625-2784 or visit epic.ncl.com or www.ncl.com.

Crystal Cruises is now offering sustainable seafood in its ship’s dining rooms. In its new commitment, the line offers a variety of sea fare raised in a sustainable manner, protecting the species for future generations. With guidance from governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations and fisheries, the line favors suppliers that share the same ideals and boast documented reputations for methods that minimize the impact on local wildlife and ecosystems. Effective immediately, the initiative is the latest in Crystal's history of responsible seafood purchasing and sourcing. The line was the first cruise line to discontinue the use of endangered caviar from the Caspian Sea and introduced farmed caviar from the U.S., France and Uruguay. Additionally, Crystal discontinued offering endangered species of fish more than a decade ago. For more information, call 800-446-6620, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

Celebrity Cruises has announced three new, 12-night, port-intensive itineraries sailing roundtrip from Istanbul in fall 2011. The cruises are now available for booking. The announcement marks the first time the cruise line has offered roundtrip cruises from Istanbul. Offered on the 2,034-guest Celebrity Constellation, the “Greek Isles and Turkey” cruises, which depart Sept. 19 and Oct. 1 and 13, 2011, will begin with an overnight stay in Istanbul before spending a day at sea. Other ports will include Ephesus (Kusadasi), Bodrum and Marmaris, Turkey; and Rhodes, Santorini, Athens (Piraeus), Mykonos and Chania (Souda), and Crete, Greece. The ship will spend another day at sea before returning to Istanbul. Bodrum, Marmaris and Chania are new ports for Celebrity.


The Istanbul itineraries will be bookended by Mediterranean sailings taking place on Sept. 7 and Oct. 25, 2011. On Sept. 7, the Celebrity Constellation will sail a 12-night itinerary from Amsterdam to Istanbul, featuring visits to Brugges, Belgium; Cherbourg, France; Vigo, Spain; Gibraltar, United Kingdom; Sicily, Italy; and Athens. The 11-night Oct. 25 cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona features an overnight stay in Istanbul, then visits to Athens; Naples, Rome, and Florence, Italy; Provence, France; and Palma de Mallorca. On Nov. 5, the ship will reposition from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during a 14-night transatlantic voyage, featuring visits to Cartagena, Spain; Gibraltar; Madeira, Portugal; and Tenerife and La Palma, Canary Islands. For more information, call 800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.

Looking forward to get on the Epic very soon!