Competition is tough in the cruise industry. To attract passengers, liners have to offer much more than interesting destinations. So on-board entertainment is taking on a whole new meaning. The latest addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet, Explorer Of The Seas, which makes its maiden voyage on October 28, is believed to be the first cruise ship to have an ice skating rink.
The ship, which can carry more than 3,000 passengers and has a crew of more than 1,000, also boasts another 'first', an open-air rock-climbing wall. A nine-hole golf course is also featured. Lotus Tours are handling bookings for the seven-day maiden voyage from Florida. Tel 2316 1308, fax 2312 2864, for details.
Lotus are also taking bookings for a fly and cruise package with 10 nights on board the Millennium liner, the latest in the Celebrity Cruises fleet. The Millennium, which carries nearly 2,000 passengers, sails from Genoa on October 13. Cruising has become more popular in Hong Kong, ironically because of the smash hit film, Titanic.
British Airways unveiled a fully flat bed in Club World, its business class, in Hong Kong last week. The seat transforms into a bed at the touch of a button. World Traveller Plus, a dedicated cabin between business and economy that offers a more generous seat width, was also announced. World Traveller Plus will be introduced progressively on the Hong Kong-London daily service.
Look out for a new Footprint guidebook on Libya that will be on the bookshelves soon. The North African country, which one would more readily associate with terrorism than tourism, is now slowly opening up to outsiders. Footprint will publish 15 new titles over the next 12 months, bringing the total to 53.