Carnival to drop fuel surcharges

From 31st October, the Carnival Corp cruise operator will eradicate fuel surcharges on new bookings for 2010 at Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and the Yachts of Seabourn and raise fares instead.

Metropolitan Opera to transmit La Boheme to Princess ships at sea

In an industry exclusive event, Princess ships will become the first cruise vessels ever to broadcast a live performance from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The special The Met: Live on the High Seas presentation of Puccini's La Boheme will be held on Saturday, April 5 as part of the Met's series of eight opera performances that are transmitted live via satellite to movie theaters around the world.

This unique experience will be offered across Princess' 16-ship fleet. On vessels equipped with Movies Under the Stars, passengers can enjoy a unique "Opera Under the Stars" event, as they take in the production on the giant poolside LED screens. Other vessels will show the broadcast in the Princess Theater. Opera lovers and newcomers alike can enjoy this famous love story while sailing in locations such as Mexico, the Caribbean, or Hawaii, as well as exotic locations such as Cape Horn and Egypt.

"It's quite unusual to be able to sit by a pool in the Caribbean and watch a world-class opera live from New York," said Jan Swartz, Princess' senior vice president. "We're very excited to be breaking new ground with this first-ever live Metropolitan Opera broadcast at sea. It's a rare opportunity to present our passengers with such an enriching cultural experience included in their cruise."