Costa Maya Mexico Reopens with New Zip-Line Adventure for Cruise Passenger Enjoyment – Cruise Port News

Cruise Zanza Blue

Puerto Costa Maya has reopened to cruise ship visits after being closed since August 2007 due to damage caused by Hurricane Dean. The port reopened with the launch of BioMaya Bacalar, a Mayan-flavored zip-lining adventure that takes guests through the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Offered as a three-part excursion, BioMaya Bacalar greets guests with a symbolic soul-cleansing ritual performed by local Mayans, sending guests off on their zip-lining journey. After soaring through the jungle alongside red-winged Macaws, the last platform leaves guests at the edge of the Bacalar Lagoon, known by locals as the birthplace of the rainbow.

Guests cool off as they float across the water to the other side of the lagoon, where native fruit juices and other Mexican delicacies await guests before they trek through the jungle.

 
BioMaya Bacalar’s four platforms are built on iron towers ranging from 656 feet to 2,559 feet. The zip-line tour is the only one in the world that allows for tandem side-by-side gliding. “Cruise ship passengers will return to new offerings that capture the uniqueness of Costa Maya and the surrounding region,” said Teofilo Hamui, president and CEO of the Port of Costa Maya.

Located just hours from Cancun on Mexico’s southern Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Maya was the Western Caribbean’s first port designed exclusively for the cruise industry. Resembling an ancient Mayan city, Costa Maya can accommodate three ships at once, including F3 and Genesis class ships.

Costa Maya has three grand pavilions, artisan and luxury shopping areas, a beach club, saltwater pools, fine restaurants and bars. Costa Maya was named Seatrade Insider’s 2007 Port of the Year.

This post brought to you by Cruise Zanza Blue which was started by crew members for cruise travelers – For more information go to www.zanza.com

Cruise Deals
Zanza Blue presents you with the best cruise deals without compromising the level of service you should expect www.zanza.com

Cruise Lines
Zanza Blue presents an overview of nearly 20 cruise lines, to discover what each cruise line has to offer, checkout the Cruise Line Section. www.zanza.com

Concierges
Zanza Blue presents several concierge profiles; you can choose your own concierge by cruise line, itinerary or even personality, checkout the Concierge Section. www.zanza.com

Videos – Podcasts
Zanza Blue presents helpful video/podcasts, checkout the Podcast Section.  www.zanza.com

 

Disney Cruise Lines – Disney Wonder to Host Disney Channel World Premiere

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder will host a red-carpet, world-premiere event Aug. 28-31 for the new Disney Channel original series “The Suite Life on Deck,” a spin-off of “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.”

During this premiere at sea, guests will experience a Hollywood-style, red-carpet arrival of Disney Channel stars, a sneak-peek of the first episode of “The Suite Life on Deck” and an opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with stars of the show.

Cast members scheduled to appear include Cole Sprouse (Cody Martin), Dylan Sprouse (Zack Martin), Brenda Song (London Tipton), Phill Lewis (Mr. Moseby) and Debby Ryan (Bailey Pickett). All events will take place on decks 9 and 10 on Aug. 29 at the family-friendly Goofy Pool. A day after the premiere, another Disney Channel star will take the stage.

Mitchel Musso, star of “Hannah Montana” and “Phineas and Ferb” will perform a mini-concert at the Goofy Pool. At the concert’s end, Musso will spend a few minutes answering questions from the audience.

This marks the first time Disney Cruise Line and Disney Channel have partnered to develop a multi-day event. The voyage is nearly sold-out. “The Suite Life on Deck” premieres on Disney Channel at 8 p.m. ET/PT Sept. 26.

In this new live-action comedy series, teenage twins Zack and Cody Martin, and spoiled hotel heiress London Tipton, go aboard a luxury passenger cruise liner, the SS Tipton, owned by London’s father, as it cruises the world with tourists and students who attend classes at its Seven Seas High.

Mr. Moseby is reassigned from the Tipton Hotel to be the cruise ship’s hotel manager, but is quickly deflated when he finds out that Zack, Cody and London are onboard too. Joining in the hijinks is London’s new roommate Bailey, a sweet, Southern girl who has just left her small-town roots to experience a new world.

 

.

This post brought to you by Cruise Zanza Blue which was started by crew members for cruise travelers – For more information go to www.zanza.com

Cruise Deals
Zanza Blue presents you with the best cruise deals without compromising the level of service you should expect www.zanza.com

Cruise Lines
Zanza Blue presents an overview of nearly 20 cruise lines, to discover what each cruise line has to offer, checkout the Cruise Line Section. www.zanza.com

Concierges
Zanza Blue presents several concierge profiles; you can choose your own concierge by cruise line, itinerary or even personality, checkout the Concierge Section. www.zanza.com

Videos – Podcasts
Zanza Blue presents helpful video/podcasts, checkout the Podcast Section.  www.zanza.com

 

Princess Cruise Lines Rewards Past Passengers with More Benefits

Princess Cruise Lines

Princess Cruises’ Captain’s Circle is adding more benefits for Platinum- and Elite-level past passengers. Passengers reach the Platinum and Elite levels when they have taken at least six and 16 cruises, respectively.

Among the new benefits is wireless Internet access. Members can now choose to use their free Internet package minutes on their personal laptops in wireless hot spots or in the Internet Cafés. This benefit rewards guests with a credit of $75 to $400 per person towards Internet use, depending on cruise length.

Wireless connections are currently available on all ships in various locations, and this new member benefit will be available fleetwide by this winter. In addition, these members will have their calls directly routed to the Circle Desk through an exclusive phone number.

Calls to the new number will be referred to a membership representative so passengers can check on their cruise history, member status and benefits. And beginning with summer 2009 voyages, the line is introducing a new Princess Vacation Protection program that replaces Princess Travel Care and features additional benefits.

For North American Platinum and Elite Circle members, Princess will provide a complimentary upgrade to the higher level Princess Platinum Vacation Protection, offering members more coverage than ever before, including a 100 percent cancel-for-any-reason benefit.

The Princess Captain’s Circle offers an extensive array of loyalty benefits. Among the many other perks are Launch Savings discounts for early booking, a free mini-bar set-up, free laundry services, priority tender embarkation, complimentary wine tasting, a boutiques discount, preferred embarkation and disembarkation, a Referral Rewards program and last-minute sailing opportunities.

This post brought to you by Cruise Zanza Blue which was started by crew members for cruise travelers – For more information go to www.zanza.com

Cruise Deals
Zanza Blue presents you with the best cruise deals without compromising the level of service you should expect www.zanza.com

Cruise Lines
Zanza Blue presents an overview of nearly 20 cruise lines, to discover what each cruise line has to offer, checkout the Cruise Line Section. www.zanza.com

Concierges
Zanza Blue presents several concierge profiles; you can choose your own concierge by cruise line, itinerary or even personality, checkout the Concierge Section. www.zanza.com

Videos – Podcasts
Zanza Blue presents helpful video/podcasts, checkout the Podcast Section.  www.zanza.com