Porthole Cruise News Briefs – Dec. 18, 2015

Pandaw River Expeditions is expanding their reach from the rivers of Southeast Asia to the ocean with the acquisition of a new motor yacht, MY Andaman Explorer. The rugged ship, originally built as an ice-class Norwegian coast guard ship, is now outfitted with 11 suites, a Jacuzzi on one of the aft teak decks, interior marble floors, indoor and outdoor dining rooms, and a forward observation deck. The first cruise will explore out-of-the-way ports from Rangoon to Ranong, Thailand.

Luxury tall-ship line Windstar Cruises has just completed its inaugural voyage from San Juan, launching new Caribbean itineraries that include stops in Puerto Rico — the line’s first American calls in recent history — and Little Bay, Montserrat. Windstar is the first cruise line to make regular calls to Montserrat since the 1995 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that buried the capital city of the island often called the “Pompeii of the Caribbean.”

Princess Cruises has partnered with sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus and HGTV designer Candice Olson to create the ultimate night of sleep at sea. The Princess Luxury Bed uses the latest scientific discoveries and technological advances to ensure the perfect rest. The mattress includes a 2-inch-thick pillow top of a three-ply circular knit fabric over an inch of quilt foam and 1.75 inches of high-density upholstery foam, surrounding electronically tempered springs, each individually wrapped for a minimum of partner disturbance. The special beds will debut on Ruby Princess, Emerald Princess, and Coral Princess in February 2016 and will continue to roll out across the fleet through 2018.

The 2016 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition has selected three Bartender of the Year finalists. Miroslav Kljajic of Carnival Cruise Line created the Blueberry Elixir Fizz from prosecco, Bacardi Superior, St-Germain, vanilla syrup, and lime; Bailon Pasamba of Holland America Line created the Tropical Fruits & Herb Tini from Bacardi Superior, St-Germain, oregano, mango, calamansi, and guava; and Andres Poljakov of Tallink Group mixed the Golden Emerald from Bacardi Gold, matcha tea powder, hot water, green apple, cucumber, and lemon. Each will now receive professional training and support, as well as a $3,000 budget for a three-month promotional campaign to recruit a following for their recipe before the Cruise Finals competition in Miami in February. The annual cruise competition run by Bacardi has attracted thousands of entrants in its 12-year history, celebrating innovation and originality among bar professionals in the cruise and ferry sectors.

^{Photos: Pandaw River Expeditions, Windstar Cruises}

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