Smokey Robinson tops the bill for Carnival LIVE's 2015 concert season

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced the new line up for its Carnival LIVE concert series for 2015. Top of the bill is Tamla Motown sensation Smokey Robinson, with other acts including Journey, Rascal Flatts  and Styx (above). Tickets for the shows start at about £21.

Carnival LIVE was created to give guests the opportunity to experience exclusive live entertainment from major music artists.  Guests attend shows in the ship’s main theatres which range in seating capacity from 900 to 1,300.

Guests will have more Carnival vessels, homeports and itineraries to choose from with a total of ten “Fun Ships” departing from six U.S. homeports hosting concerts in spring 2015. Carnival LIVE voyages will originate in Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina and, for the first time, Galveston, Texas - the line’s second largest homeport.

Subscribe to World of Cruising magazine       Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Adventure Cruising blog

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Crystal's Film & Theatre Voyage

From Monroe to Gleason and Mostel to Burton, Crystal Cruises is planning a red carpet line up for its November 2 Film & Theatre voyage, presented in partnership with the award-winning Centre Theatre Group of Los Angeles. This cruise, rich with Old Hollywood immersion, features more than a dozen performers and industry speakers with material created just for Crystal, including a special spotlight on one of the industry’s most glamorous, and legendary, figures: Marilyn Monroe.

While Crystal Symphony sails along America’s colonial coast from New York to Miami, the celluloid highlights include:

Legends Brought to Life on Stage

· Internationally acclaimed Marilyn Monroe tribute artist Susan Griffiths will bring her uncanny talent to sea for the first time ever with a new live cabaret show created exclusively for Crystal, Marilyn – Memories, Music and Magic.

· Crystal favourite Jim Brochu returns with Character Man, his newest tribute to some of Broadway’s greatest character actors such as Jackie Gleason and Zero Mostel.

· LA’s Troubadour Theatre Company, or “Troubies”, will perform multiple commedia dell’arte productions onboard, including a satirical Shakespeare-meets-cinema-disco musical theatre performance of Midsummer Saturday Night’s Fever Dream.

Dinner with Marilyn

A multi-course dinner in the ship’s intimate Vintage Room featuring extraordinary wine pairings will be hosted by “Marilyn Monroe” (Griffiths) and Marilyn fan club president, Greg Schreiner, sharing tales of Tinseltown and the star’s life.

Red Carpet Beauty Tips

Leading red carpet make-up artist William Squire will present celebrity beauty secrets for guests’ everyday lives and onboard photo opportunities, including ways Marilyn hid flaws and enhanced her beauty to create her signature style - and how her look still influences style today.

Famous Fashions

Original costumes from some of Hollywood’s greatest films will be showcased in a special musical theatre production created just for Crystal, featuring Broadway veteran Karen Morrow and other special guests.

The Silver Screen

The ship’s recently-redesigned Hollywood Theatre will feature movie marathons of classic and recent films, including some of Marilyn’s greatest hits, with Turner Classic Movies film historian Jeremy Arnold providing fascinating behind-the-scenes commentary.

The 14-night East Coast and Caribbean cruise starts in New York on November 2 and visits Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville (maiden call), Turks & Caicos, Curaçao and Aruba before finishing in Miami. All-inclusive fly/cruise fares start from £3,803 per person if booked by February 28.

Crystal’s award-winning entertainment offerings include a range of venues and performances, from cabaret nightclub to piano bar saloon; acclaimed productions to headline entertainers, and sophisticated enrichment activities to in-room Blu-ray-viewing, for all world travellers.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line. The UK's cruise specialist

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Now Boarding - Cruise Radio!

We at World of Cruising are delighted to welcome aboard Doug Parker - otherwise known as Cruise Radio on Twitter and for his great cruise podcasts - to the magazine, starting with our Summer edition next month.

Doug (left), from Jacksonville, Florida, created Cruise Radio in 2009 and has quickly become one of the most-followed podcasts online, as well as being the foremost cruise radio broadcaster, with over 125,000 weekly listeners. With more than 10 years' experience in FM radio and a keen passion for cruising, he and co-producer Matt Basford now showcase the full array of cruise news, features and experiences on the weekly show, with regular special guests including Stewart Chiron, America's popular 'Cruise Guy', and consumer advocate journalist Christopher Elliott.

Starting with our Summer edition, Cruise Radio will have its own slot in our News pages, offering Doug's personal take on the latest news and views, with comment and opinion on the big stories of the day. And he said: "I'm thrilled to work with World of Cruising and be able to provide cruising fans in the United Kingdom with the latest cruise industry news. Through this great opportunity, I hope to able to introduce a new audience to Cruise Radio and our enthusiasm for the cruising industry."

World of Cruising editor Simon Veness added: "We are delighted to have Doug 'on board' and providing another exclusive view for our readers. It continues to add to our cruise portfolio and highlights how we stay at the forefront of all that's relevant in this exciting and ever-changing travel field."

You can look up more about Cruise Radio online at www.cruiseradio.net, subscribe for regular Cruise News updates, enjoy Video snippets and, of course, tune in to the weekly Podcast for the very latest from this cruise-savvy team. You can also download the very latest mobile app from iTunes to ensure you have all their latest news and episodes on the go!

With our already world-class line-up of writers and columnists, including award-winning British author and cruise doyen Gary Buchanan, arch blogger John Honeywell (aka Captain Greybeard), The Admiral, cruise historian Peter Newall and Aft View insider Peter Rushton, it ensures World of Cruising remains at the head of its class, being both contemporary and superbly insightful.

To subscribe to the magazine from anywhere in the world follow this link.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.