This Week in Cruise: Norwegian Cruise Line Lays Keel for Norwegian Getaway

On Oct. 30, Norwegian Cruise Line board members, executives and officials from Meyer Werft took part in the Keel Laying Ceremony of Norwegian Getaway. During the ceremony, block number 34, the first of 73 blocks that will comprise the 146,600 gross ton vessel, was lifted into the covered building dock, marking the start of the block assembly.

Norwegian Getaway is the second ship being built by Meyer Werft utilizing a construction process which will deliver a ship of more than 146,000 gross tons in just over 12 months.

Silversea unveiled its lineup of voyages for the 2014 season, with over 200 luxury sailings visiting more than 500 destinations worldwide. Highlights of the collection include a fare guarantee program that allows guests who book early to reserve their desired suite and still benefit from any future reduction in Silver Privilege fares for their voyage, and a 10 percent savings on extended voyages when combining two or more consecutive voyages.

Other noteworthy items in the collection include Silver Whisper's 113-day World Cruise, three voyages that feature extended stays in Myanmar and Silver Explorer's first-ever expedition cruises through the Northwest Passage, the Russian Far East, Japan, South Pacific and French Polynesia.

In other news, Cruise Holidays' 2012 Annual Convention focused on its CruiseWeb technology and Platinum Program. New enhancements to CruiseWeb include enabling agents to search all of their inventory, book via Sabre Cruises and handle all accounting aspects of their guests’ bookings in one place. The Cruise Holidays leadership team also announced that the Platinum Program, which helps Cruise Holidays luxury-focused agents identify and cater to luxury clients, will soon open up to additional luxury-focused agents.