A recent pirate attack on the Italian cruise ship MSC Melody with more than 1,500 on board saw Israeli security guards in action. About 500 miles off the coast of Somalia, the African pirates got a surprise when the Israeli guards -- on the command of their captain -- grabbed their pistols and started firing back.
While the Israeli company Mano International Security remains tight-lipped about its team on board the Melody, Israeli security teams are becoming the world's most notorious pirate busters. Captain Hook, Bluebeard and Jack Sparrow -- look out.
Isaac Azar, the general director of Spike International based in Granot, Israel, is running a company that teaches and trains ships' crews how to think like pirates. It's not uncommon for Israeli security guards to be operating under a double identity on board, he says. When dangers calls, the Israeli guards spring into action, protecting the boat and its passengers.
The story with Israelis protecting ships at sea goes back already 30 years, says Azar, whose company was founded in 1978 by past Israeli Navy commander Micha Ram. "We kept security forces on ships that were passing through the Gulf of Eden, with rifles and everything," he tells ISRAEL21c. "Already back then, as a young guy it was great to be able to go away for three or four months."
MIAMI (May 15, 2009) – Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in Mexico. Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. A ship-by-ship listing including dates for when each vessel will resume its original itinerary is available at http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx.
MIAMI, May 1, 2009 – Vacationers can take advantage of recent itinerary changes to enjoy a unique vacation that combines the captivating Pacific Coast with Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas, the largest and most innovative cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean. Six new sailings, departing May 3, 10, 24, and 31, and June 7 and 14, 2009, will take guests on seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Los Angeles and feature ports of call in San Francisco, Seattle, and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Cruise fares start as low as $399 per person, double occupancy, and booking is available immediately.
Royal Caribbean also offers a wide array of shore excursion add-ons available for purchase to complement days in port. In San Francisco, for example, guests can choose Sausalito & Muir Woods, which will take them across the Golden Gate Bridge to visit Muir Woods and witness giant redwood trees rising more than 250 feet; or explore the surround waters in Victoria for whales, seals, porpoises and other wildlife on Whale Watching; or opt for an insiders’ tour of the famed Pike Place Market in Seattle on Taste Pike Place.
MIAMI, April 23, 2009 – The Tony award-winning Broadway-licensed musical, ‘Hairspray,’ is set to debut on Royal Caribbean International’s highly anticipated Oasis of the Seas when the ship sets sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in December 2009. One of two productions to take place in the ship’s grand Opal Theater, Hairspray will open with a wide array of cruise industry firsts that the cruise line will debut with the launch of Oasis of the Seas and is another addition to its diverse entertainment offerings. “We are thrilled to bring to our guests a ground-breaking entertainment feature such as Hairspray on Oasis of the Seas,” said Peter Compton, vice president, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “The addition of this popular musical to Royal Caribbean’s entertainment lineup will undoubtedly take cruise entertainment to the next level and cater to the evolving tastes of vacationers. Guests will be able to enjoy an award-winning Broadway-caliber production on Oasis of the Seas along with a myriad of revolutionary onboard amenities for a most memorable cruise vacation.”
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (April 21, 2009) – As Golden Princess begins the most extensive makeover ever undertaken by the company, Princess Cruises is inviting cruise fans to follow the progress through Twitter updates that will showcase a daily photo journal of the ship’s transformation. A first for Princess, the online posts will chronicle the dramatic changes throughout the ship during its nearly three-week drydock at Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia.
The journal has launched at princess.com/goldendrydock and will run through May 5, when the ship sets sail again with its new features, including a new piazza-style atrium, an adults-only Sanctuary, a Movies Under the Stars poolside movie screen, a new Crown Grill steak and seafood restaurant, and a variety of other enhancements.
Twitter users will receive a daily “tweet” about the latest construction progress after they follow an easy sign up process and elect to follow Princess at http://twitter.com/PrincessCruises.
MIAMI, April 16, 2009 – Royal Caribbean International today unveiled its 2010-11 year-round Caribbean season, comprising of 243 sailings aboard five of the world’s most innovative cruise ships. Twenty-four distinct itineraries, ranging from five to nine nights, will include visits to 25 captivating ports of call and offer virtually unlimited choices–onboard and on-shore–for family and adventurous vacationers. Serenade of the Seas will expand from seasonal to year-round service at San Juan, Puerto Rico, while Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will continue regular sailings from Port Canaveral and Miami, respectively. Together, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will offer vacationers a choice of a Saturday or Sunday departure for an unparalleled cruise experience from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. General bookings for Royal Caribbean’s 2010-11 year-round Caribbean cruises are now open. Additional seasonal Caribbean deployments will be announced in the near future.
MIAMI, March 30, 2009 – Royal Caribbean International today announced the inaugural season of Allure of the Seas, 42 sailings to the Eastern and Western Caribbean on seven-night voyages every Sunday beginning December 12, 2010. Allure of the Seas, and sister-ship Oasis of the Seas, constitute the Oasis class of ships and will be the world’s two largest and most revolutionary cruise ships when they debut in November 2010 and 2009, respectively. With the arrival of Allure of the Seas, vacationers will have a choice of a Saturday (Oasis of the Seas) and Sunday departure for an Oasis-class cruise vacation. Bookings for Allure of the Seas’ inaugural season will open on April 2, 2009 for Diamond and Diamond Plus level members of the Crown & Anchor Society and April 8 for all Crown & Anchor Society members. General bookings will open on and April 13
Disney Cruise Line® has announced plans to reposition the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship from its base in Port Canaveral, Fla., to the West Coast in 2011.
A two-year agreement, with a three-year extension option, will be considered by the Port of Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on April 2, 2009.
This is the last summer that Carnival Cruise Lines will base all its Alaskan cruises out of Vancouver, opting to move part of its operations to Seattle in 2010.
It's estimated that every sailing contributes about $2 million to the Vancouver tourism industry, and a total of nine sailings are being moved to Seattle out of the company's 17 sailings.
Carnival cited "economic circumstances" for the move, and economics that allow it to charge less for each trip. They also pointed out that the bulk of passengers making the trip are American.
A spokesperson did not mention the fact that a new passport requirement will be phased in on June 1 where Americans would are required to carry passports or new forms of enhanced identification to travel to Canada. Just 28 per cent of Americans currently carry passports.
MIAMI, March 19, 2009 – Flight-seeing, whale watching, hiking, biking and zip-lining are just part of the exhilarating mix of options for guests who sail on Royal Caribbean International’s 2010 Alaska cruises. The cruise line today unveiled 37 sailings for the season, seven- to 14-night itineraries aboard Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. Guests can choose sailings from San Diego; Seattle; Seward, Alaska; and Vancouver, British Columbia, which will call at total of thirteen ports – eight of which are Alaskan. Guests also can complement their Alaska cruise with a cruisetour extension and travel beyond the ports into the rugged interior of Alaska. Celebrating its 21st consecutive season in the Great Land, Royal Caribbean is opening bookings for its 2010 Alaska cruises and cruisetours immediately.
Guests sailing on Radiance of the Seas’ itineraries can further immerse themselves in Alaska’s culture and wildlife with a choice of 21 cruisetour options – 19 of which feature journeys aboard the Wilderness Express, Royal Caribbean’s exclusive and luxurious glass-domed railcars that offer panoramic views of the magnificent scenery. Cruisetour highlights include stays in Denali with a tour into the National Park, where guests can seek out Alaska’s “Big Five,” grizzly bear, caribou, Dall sheep, wolf and moose; tram rides from the ski slopes of Alyeska, soaring 2,300 feet up to the apex of Mount Alyeska, for breathtaking views of mountain ranges and hanging glaciers; and stays in the historic village of Talkeetna, nestled at the base of Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak, where guests can participate in such optional activities as jet boating and flight-seeing. Throughout, guests on a Royal Caribbean cruisetour will be escorted by a tour director.
MIAMI, March 17, 2009 – Two of the world’s most innovative vacation providers, Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando Resort, are joining forces to introduce the Way More Than a Cruise ultimate vacation package. With a wide variety of options, families will be able to experience the best of land and sea while enjoying unparalleled savings. Bookings for Way More Than a Cruise are open for travel starting March 31, 2009.
The land and sea vacation packages combine a three- or four-night stay at Universal Orlando Resort with a three- or four-night Bahamas cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas, or a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas. Way More Than a Cruise includes hotel and shipboard accommodations, multi-day passes to both Universal theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, complimentary admission to select live entertainment venues at Universal’s CityWalk and ground transfers between airport, hotel, theme parks and the ship at Port Canaveral.
Disney can add two more names to its long roster of characters. Its two ships joining the fleet in 2011 and 2012 will be named Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, respectively. As much as we like the names, why couldn't they have gone for Disney Fantasia? We say drop the y and add the ia, but that's just us!
The announcement was made by the big cheese himself, Robert Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
MIAMI (May 15, 2009) – Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in Mexico. Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. A ship-by-ship listing including dates for when each vessel will resume its original itinerary is available at http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx.
MIAMI, May 1, 2009 – Vacationers can take advantage of recent itinerary changes to enjoy a unique vacation that combines the captivating Pacific Coast with Royal Caribbean International’s Mariner of the Seas, the largest and most innovative cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean. Six new sailings, departing May 3, 10, 24, and 31, and June 7 and 14, 2009, will take guests on seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Los Angeles and feature ports of call in San Francisco, Seattle, and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Cruise fares start as low as $399 per person, double occupancy, and booking is available immediately.
MIAMI, April 23, 2009 – The Tony award-winning Broadway-licensed musical, ‘Hairspray,’ is set to debut on Royal Caribbean International’s highly anticipated Oasis of the Seas when the ship sets sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in December 2009. One of two productions to take place in the ship’s grand Opal Theater, Hairspray will open with a wide array of cruise industry firsts that the cruise line will debut with the launch of Oasis of the Seas and is another addition to its diverse entertainment offerings.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (April 21, 2009) – As Golden Princess begins the most extensive makeover ever undertaken by the company, Princess Cruises is inviting cruise fans to follow the progress through Twitter updates that will showcase a daily photo journal of the ship’s transformation. A first for Princess, the online posts will chronicle the dramatic changes throughout the ship during its nearly three-week drydock at Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia.
Disney Cruise Line® has announced plans to reposition the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship from its base in Port Canaveral, Fla., to the West Coast in 2011.
MIAMI, March 19, 2009 – Flight-seeing, whale watching, hiking, biking and zip-lining are just part of the exhilarating mix of options for guests who sail on Royal Caribbean International’s 2010 Alaska cruises. The cruise line today unveiled 37 sailings for the season, seven- to 14-night itineraries aboard Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. Guests can choose sailings from San Diego; Seattle; Seward, Alaska; and Vancouver, British Columbia, which will call at total of thirteen ports – eight of which are Alaskan. Guests also can complement their Alaska cruise with a cruisetour extension and travel beyond the ports into the rugged interior of Alaska. Celebrating its 21st consecutive season in the Great Land, Royal Caribbean is opening bookings for its 2010 Alaska cruises and cruisetours immediately.
MIAMI, March 17, 2009 – Two of the world’s most innovative vacation providers, Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando Resort, are joining forces to introduce the Way More Than a Cruise ultimate vacation package. With a wide variety of options, families will be able to experience the best of land and sea while enjoying unparalleled savings. Bookings for Way More Than a Cruise are open for travel starting March 31, 2009.
Disney can add two more names to its long roster of characters. Its two ships joining the fleet in 2011 and 2012 will be named Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, respectively. As much as we like the names, why couldn't they have gone for Disney Fantasia? We say drop the y and add the ia, but that's just us!