July 8, 2004

TIMES TRAVELS

Sophia Loren christens MSC Opera

With the traditional smashing of a champagne bottle on its bow, MSC Opera has officially joined the fleet of MSC Cruises. International superstar Sophia Loren christened the line’s new flagship in Genoa, Italy.

As the ship’s godmother, Ms. Loren was escorted to the podium by the ship’s captain, Capt. Giuseppe Cocurullo.

There, she was joined by Capt. Gianluigi Aponte, chairman and owner of Mediterranean Shipping Company, parent company for MSC Cruises, as she cut the ribbon to officially name the line’s new addition. MSC Opera is the second MSC Cruises’ ship for which Ms. Loren is serving as godmother; she also is godmother of MSC Lirica, which debuted last year. “Both Ms. Loren and MSC Opera represent the beauty, elegance and style that is distinctively Italian and distinctively MSC Cruises,” said Richard E. Sasso, president and CEO of MSC Cruises USA.

The ship is now on its inaugural season of Mediterranean sailings. On Nov. 15, she begins her inaugural transatlantic crossing, a 17-night voyage to Fort Lauderdale, its North American homeport, from which it will be sailing Caribbean itineraries beginning in December. For booking reservations or more information, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com.

Cunard publishes 2005 cruise atlas

Cunard Line has introduced a new catalogue promoting its 2005 itineraries aboard the celebrated new Queen Mary 2 and legendary Queen Elizabeth 2, the most famous ocean liners in the world. The extensive lineup features 64 departures, ranging in length from three to 102 days, including 26 transatlantic crossings from April to November.

Since 1840, when it launched the very first regularly scheduled passenger service between England and North America, Atlantic crossings have been the cornerstone of Cunard’s success. For 2005, the line has doubled the number of transatlantic voyages in response to unprecedented demand generated by the launch of Queen Mary 2. For booking reservations or more information, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com.



SeaDream Yacht Club adds Caribbean itineraries
Mayan Riviera, Yucatan Peninsula & Belize

SeaDream Yacht Club will introduce a series of seven-day Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and Belize sailings, with three unique itineraries. They are: The Yachtsman’s Mayan Riviera, The Yucatan Explorer and The Mexico-Belize Eco-Adventure. The new sailings are a modification of SeaDream’s 2004-2005 Caribbean itineraries. Instead of having both ultra-luxury mega yachts SeaDream I and II sailing in the Caribbean, SeaDream II will reposition to the new region between December 2004 and April 2005. SeaDream I will continue to operate the Caribbean itineraries during that period. For booking reservations or more information, call the Travel Desk in Almaden at (408) 723-0283, or visit their Web site at www.traveldeskonline.com.

—By Sean Eastwood