
The Silverbird Group sponsored cruise ship travel for July and August taking off from Barcelona Spain is about to go on sail. Group President Guy Murray-Bruce was in Barcelona to ensure all plans were on course. Nduka Nwosu who has been following the progress report since inception reports.
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The President of the Silverbird Group Guy Murray-Bruce flew into Barcelona recently to see things for himself, on plans on ground to welcome cruise participants on the platform of the Silverbird Group.
Murray-Bruce joined other international executives and partners who were invited for a grand tour of the vessel-Wonder of the Seas, and reports coming from Barcelona disclosed they were hosted to fine dining and dock at two islands during the weekend of May.
The tour allowed representatives of those who are confirmed for the holiday of July 24 and August 15th cruise, a sneak preview of what to expect this summer. “If you have not made up your mind about the cruise perhaps this should convince you,” adds Senator Murray-Bruice, Chairman Silverbird Group.
According to the organisers, on this exclusive sailing, you will be among the first in Europe to experience the combination of all-new adventures and returning favourites designed to inspire wonder and awe in holidaymakers of all ages.
You will have access to a variety of experiences across Wonder’s eight unique neighbourhoods – a Royal Caribbean first.
Adds the team: “We are quietly tantalised by a thrill of entertainment: dining, nightlife and more. There is the Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar where Southern comfort food meets Royal Caribbean’s hospitality and creativity, the new dining venue is the latest addition to the array of 40-plus restaurants, bars, and lounges on board.”
There is also the Wonder Playscape – the underwater-themed play area, which is a whole new outdoor adventure for families with kids. slides, climbing walls, games, interactive activities that come alive by touch, imaginative puzzles and light shows that engage young travelers in more ways than one. Plus, nearby is Royal Caribbean’s signature mini golf course, Wonder Dunes, with a new look and features.
There is Suite Neighborhood, the new eighth neighbourhood which welcomes Royal Suite Class guests to a private Suite Sun Deck, “which features a plunge pool and bar, in addition to favourites such as an exclusive restaurant christened Coastal Kitchen, the Suite Lounge and the grandest Ultimate Family Suite for a family of 10.
Showstopping entertainment includes “original productions and multimedia content which are front and centre on the four “stages” aboard Wonder – air, ice, water, and theatre. “From Olympic-level high divers and slackliners to champion ice skaters and live musicians, hundred performers, technicians, and cutting-edge technology come together to light up unparalleled venues like the open-air Aqua Theater and the Studio B ice-skating rink, as well as hotspots perfect for live music performances, such as Music Hall and the Cask & Clipper pub.”
Grand and heavenly designs expected of a cruise ship described as no other like it.
Murray-Bruce’s description of what to expect continues: “It is like you have concerts on steroids. You have entertainment for children; it is out of this world. You have a combination of everything you can imagine, water parks, theme parks, the best food, the best drinks; there are doctors and a clinic, everything you can imagine. You are near to the port; you are going around the ocean stopping at different ports and countries every day. The take-off date is July 24 in Barcelona; it is for the world. However, the next one would be solely African.
The July cruise is fully booked and take off date is 24th August looks good to accommodate more participants who are excited about the whole idea of a sea cruise down the Mediterranean and a few ports lying in idyllic cities and towns off the coast of Barcelona. The Wonder of the Seas cruise ship is an experience of a lifetime.
As Senator Murray-Bruce would say, this is one opportunity you must not miss. “If you have never been on a cruise, you are the one I am talking to, it is an experience. Africans how do we relax? We work until we die whether as Africans or Nigerians. We do not have any kind of pleasure; we do not spend time with the kids; we do not spend time with our loved ones. I am saying seven days in an entire year, in 365 days, take some time off and spend quality time with your family and a cruise ship has every facility on planet earth.“
However, the next one would be solely African in the sense that all the entertainment in the ship would be exclusively African music. This one would be a mix. The next one will be an all-African cruise, but we are not sailing from Nigeria until we have a critical mass in terms of patronage or participation. This ship cost a few billion dollars to build. We are not going to bring a multi-billion-dollar ship here and you cannot guarantee three to five thousand passengers.
You are not going to bring the most expensive ship in the world, and you cannot guarantee a deal whose economics makes sense. So, we are conducting a test from the Barcelona cruise to get as many Africans as possible. We will help you to process your Schengen visa. We will help you with the airline tickets to get to Barcelona. We are going to release the programme very quickly. You will come in there catch your flight and from the airport to the seaport. From there you get into the Wonder of the Seas to Barcelona and back to Barcelona. It will be seamless with no stress on your part. You are advised to apply early so that your travel plans, and documents can be sorted out early enough. Adds Murray-Bruce: “You cannot apply one week before the cruise because it would be stressful. If you need to be assisted with a visa you have to apply right now.”
The stops and towns to look around and admire their historic beauty include:
Naples
Cruise participants would be opportune to visit Naples, lying on the Bay of Naples, close to Mount Vesuvius to see the wonderful art and architecture it hosts, its cathedral the Duomo di San Gennaro adorned with frescoes, the Royal Palace and Castel Nuovo built in the 13th century.
Marseille
At the port city of Marseille which lies in Southern France is Marseille, a port city, and home to Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, a Romanesque-Byzantine church. It is also home to the Swiss turned French citizen, a father of modern architecture, designer, urban planner, great painter, and writer Charles Eduarde Jeanneret later known as Le Corbusier. His tourist attraction Cité Radieuse complex and Zaha Hadid’s CMA CGM Tower are must visits for many sightseeing tourists.
Palma
Palma, a resort city lying in the capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca with its famous Santa María Cathedral, whose architectural landmark is that of the medieval Gothic, captures the interest of cruise travellers. There is also the fortress like architectural design called the Almudaina built in the style of a Morrish Arab fortress and now a royal castle which complements the beauty of ancient architecture such as the Beliver Castle.
Civitavecchia
Add this to Civitavecchia the coastal town in the northwest of Rome, the artistic works of the great Michelangelo and the National Archaeological Museum and the tourist on a Wonder of the Seas ship cruise has so much to expect in this fun filled expedition.
As Senator Murray-Bruce would put it, cruises are all over the world, but the Wonder of the Seas offers you the ultimate in a sea cruise. “The one I sailed on was from Los Angeles to Mexico. I sailed with my mum and some of my siblings from Los Angeles to Mexico and back. So yes, there are cruises everywhere but, this one is special. It is the most expensive and the most luxurious cruise ever. I am not placing a target on numbers for now. I am looking at the experience. We want people to come back and tell us their story. That to me is more important.
“Come and tell us your story, then next year we will put together a different kind of cruise. We will brand it differently every time we do it but do not forget the objective, to get Africans back to the big ship. U told you story about my dad sailing from on
The cabin types include the Interior, Oceanview, Boardwalk view and Oceanview balconies with single and double occupancies. For example: the costs for single and double occupancies for Boardwalk view balcony are $2,481 and $4056 respectively while for Oceanview Balcony the costs are $2,825 and $4,504 for single and double occupancies, respectively.
The Royal Caribbean International Wonder of the Seas cruise takes you across the Western Mediterranean for seven nights beginning August the 14th 2022, and bookings, which are based on full payments are non-refundable, excluding flight, return transfer, pre and post cruise accommodation.
For the travel requirements you are expected to have a negative test result, valid multiple entry Schengen visas, Certificate of completed dose of the covid vaccine (All guests, 12 years and above must be fully vaccinated), valid international passport, 6 months valid from travel date. The cruise care insurance is $64 for each member of the cruise Once you are boarded the exclusive treatment includes up to seven meals a day-breakfast, afternoon snack, lunch, afternoon tea coffee and snacks, dinner, midnight snacks, and room service, alcohol, and internet.
There is a 24-hour room service (all in-room dining excludes drinks) with all entertainments and activities onboard with tea and coffee throughout, and a free use of all gym equipment and Jacuzzi facilities.
So welcome on board to the greatest and most wonderful sea cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas, and have a lifetime of fun with your family and friends.