Excitement aboard Explorer of the Seas - Episode 6

Excitement aboard Explorer of the Seas - Episode 6 is now available for download.
Questions can be e-mailed to Questions@crowncast.org
Hosts: Jamie and Veronica Snyder
Location: The Crown and Kettle Pub aboard Explorer of the Seas
Guest: None

Todays weather:

84°F
Feels Like
101°F

Live from The Crown and Kettle Pub aboard Explorer of the Seas

Running Time: 33:15

You can listen to the CrownCast Podcast by clicking on the Play button, you can listen in a popup window by clicking on the Play in Popup link and you can download the Podcast by right clicking on the Download link and choosing Save target . All of these links can be found below.

Two cruise ships collide in Greece

Remember the Celebrity Zenith? The much-beloved, 1,378-passenger vessel, well known among American cruisers before it was transferred to Spanish line Pullmantur in 2006, was involved in a collision this morning in the Greek port of Piraeus.

The Associated Press reports that the 16-year-old ship ran into another Europe-based cruise ship, the Greek-flagged Aegean Pearl, while in the harbor.

Nobody was injured in the accident, but Greek authorities are not allowing the ships to sail until they can assess the damage to the vessels.

The 16,700-ton Aegean Pearl, operated by Louis Cruise Lines, had been due to leave Piraeus this morning for a cruise to Turkey and the Greek islands. The 47,000-ton Zenith had just arrived in Piraeus on a cruise that started from Venice, Italy.

Stay tuned for updates.

STARS SHINE WITH CELEBRITY CRUISES: “SOAP CRUISE” TO SET SAIL ON CELEBRITY CENTURY

MIAMI – July 28, 2008 – Cruise enthusiasts who enjoy the intrigue, drama and romance of daytime TV’s most popular soap operas – and the actors who star in them – are likely to find the vacation of their dreams in “Soap Cruise,” which will be held on Celebrity Century in 2009.
Soap Cruise – the second voyage of its kind – will pair Celebrity’s Star TreatmentSM with exclusive activities allowing guests who have purchased the Soap Cruise package the opportunity to directly interact with 16 of the hottest actors on all eight of daytime TV’s top shows. The activities will include autograph and photo sessions, soap opera trivia games, an elite cocktail party with the stars, and other special events, including the opportunity to write a script and act it out with one of the stars.
Hosting Soap Cruise will be Cameron Mathison, who plays “Ryan” on All My Children, and has appeared on Dancing with the Stars.  Mathison will be joined on Celebrity Century by fellow All My Children actors Alicia Minshew (“Kendall”) and Jacob Young (“J.R.”); Austin Peck (“Brad”) from As the World Turns; Brandon Beemer (“Owen”) of The Bold and the Beautiful and formerly “Shawn” on Days of Our Lives; Winsor Harmon (“Thorne”) and Lesli Kay (“Felicia”) of The Bold and the Beautiful; Nadia Bjorlin (“Chloe”) and Jay Johnson (“Philip”) of Days of Our Lives; Bradford Anderson (“Spinelli”) and Greg Vaughn (“Lucky”) from General Hospital; Murray Bartlett (“Cyrus”) and Ricky Paull Goldin (“Jake”) of All My Children, formerly (“Gus”) on Guiding Light; Kamar de los Reyes (“Antonio”) on One Life to Live; and Don Diamont (“Brad”) and Christian LeBlanc (“Michael”) of The Young and the Restless.
The soap stars will mix it up exclusively with guests who have booked the Soap Cruise package on Celebrity Century’s January 22 itinerary departing roundtrip from Miami, with visits to Key West, Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico. A limited number of staterooms have been reserved for guests interested in experiencing Soap Cruise. For reservations and to view images and video from last year’s Soap Cruise, visit www.soapcruise.com or call (248) 855-7918. Bookings on Celebrity Century’s January 22 itinerary through other avenues will not include access to Soap Cruise activities.
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World,” as voted by the readers of Conde’ Nast Traveler  (February 2008 readers’ poll), Celebrity’s current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, and a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.

CrownCast Episode 109.3

Episode 109.3 is now available for download.
Questions can be e-mailed to Questions@crowncast.org
Hosts: Jamie and Veronica Snyder
Location: Live from the Sea view Cafe aboard Jewel of the Seas
Guest: Jeff form Massachusetts

Topics:

What’s on eBay -

• Royal Caribbean Coke Cups and More - Jul-27-08 07:39:59 PDT

Potpourri -

• 1948 - Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad - After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin opened in London.
• 1959 - First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union.
• 1981 - Marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

Top news stories and rumors of the week

• It looks increasingly likely that the 2,056-passenger vessel, scheduled to return to the Big Easy early Saturday from a five-night Western Caribbean voyage, may be forced to divert to another locale due to the two-day-old spill from an oil barge.
• The state of California Thursday adopted what the Los Angeles Times calls the world’s toughest pollution rules for oceangoing vessels in a move that could have a far-ranging impact on the cruise industry.
• Luxury leader Crystal Cruises is making a major upgrade to its wellness offerings this month with the debut of acupuncture treatments on one of its two vessels — an amenity that is a growing trend on ships

On this episode we will have a interview with Jeff form Massachusetts about his 12 night Scandinavian and Russia Cruise aboard Jewel of the Seas

ATLANTIC STORM TRACKER
Named Storms: 4 Hurricanes: 2 Major Hurricanes: 1

PACIFIC STORM TRACKER
Named Storms: 6 Hurricanes: 2 Major Hurricanes: 0

Hot Post - Discussion of a hot post on CruiseCritic.com

• Room service don’t you wish you could get it right now

The Hermitage, St.Petersburg, Russia



Running Time: 55:00


You can listen to the CrownCast Podcast by clicking on the Play button, you can listen in a popup window by clicking on the Play in Popup link and you can download the Podcast by right clicking on the Download link and choosing Save target . All of these links can be found below.

Excitement aboard Explorer of the Seas - Episode 5

Excitement aboard Explorer of the Seas - Episode 5 is now available for download.
Questions can be e-mailed to Questions@crowncast.org
Hosts: Jamie and Veronica Snyder
Location: The Crown and Kettle Pub aboard Explorer of the Seas
Guest: None

Todays weather:

70°F
Feels Like
70°F

Live from The Crown and Kettle Pub aboard Explorer of the Seas

Running Time: 30:10

You can listen to the CrownCast Podcast by clicking on the Play button, you can listen in a popup window by clicking on the Play in Popup link and you can download the Podcast by right clicking on the Download link and choosing Save target . All of these links can be found below.

Dolly, holding on to Tropical Storm Strength

Lead Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
5:17 a.m. ET 7/24/2008

Hurricane Dolly made landfall about 20 to 25 miles north of the town of South Padre Island or 35 miles northeast of Brownsville as a borderline category one to category two hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 95 to 100 mph between 1:30 to 2 p.m. CDT.

Dolly now continues to slowly weaken, while moving slowly west-northwest across far south Texas. As of 4 a.m. CDT, the center of circulation was located 95 miles northwest of Brownsville, Texas, and winds very near the center were near 60 mph. Overall winds surrounding the circulation were generally 35 to 45 mph, with some gusts over 50 mph.

A huge concern remains to be flooding rain. Residents should remain on alert for flooding through today, especially along the Rio Grande Valley. Be prepared to move to higher ground if flooding should approach.

Even before the eye’s official landfall, Dolly’s eye wall punished interior and coastal South Texas beginning at the mid morning hours and the lashing continues into this evening.

It should be emphasized that this will be a long duration event for parts of South Texas due to Dolly’s sluggish nature and impacts from Dolly, especially flooding rainfall, will last well into tonight. What is left of Dolly will then move toward the 4 Corner states and could provide heavy rain on Friday.

Locations along the immediate coast such as Port Mansfield, Laguna Vista, Arroyo City, South Padre Island, and Port Isabel have all taken a pounding today.

Other cities such as Brownsville, Harlingen, and Raymondville have also felt the wrath of Dolly.

All power was reported out on S. Padre Island while power lines and power poles are down in Brownsville, Harlingen, and Port Isabel.

Port Mansfield and Rincon recorded 76 mph wind gusts with structural damage as the eye wall slammed ashore. Roof shingles/tiles were reported torn off in several communities.

Other reports included a 70 mph wind gust at Port Isabel and extensive dock and roof damage. Brownsville recorded a wind gust of 68 mph during the height of the Dolly’s landfall.

An unofficial observer east of Matamoros, Mexico recorded winds of 65 mph with gusts to 119 mph.

Wave heights, between 10 and 20 feet, crashed along the shoreline during much of the day. There is a possibility that severe beach erosion occurred. With Dolly now inland, wave heights will continue to decrease.

Even with the extensive damage being reported, the most life-threatening impact from Dolly is becoming the prolific flooding rainfall.

Rain amounts are forecast to exceed 6 inches in some locations, including the South Texas counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy where flooding is a certainty. Some isolated spots may receive close to 15+ inches of rain.

A majority of Cameron County, including the city of Harlingen, has already received an estimated 8 to 12″ of rain. Major flooding is occurring in Harlingen on Wednesday evening. Texas state officials are reporting two feet of water in downtown Harlingen with water entering people’s homes in a portion of the city.

In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Genevieve has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Genevieve is located 575 miles west southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. It may reach minimal hurricane strength on Thursday or Friday as it heads harmlessly west into the open eastern Pacific waters. For the latest on the tropics, stay tuned to The Weather Channel or view updates here on weather.com.

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