When night falls, the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen rises to the occasion. Step on board and cruise with us into the night where the sleepless activity of America's busiest port buzzes. The sounds of a lively jazz band fill the air as you enjoy a lavish Creole buffet in elegantly appointed dining rooms. The Creole Queen features outer decks with authentically patterned wrought iron trims inviting guests to stroll back in time as they settle into the mood of a bygone era. The interiors are richly appointed with plush Victorian style draperies, soft period lighting, wooden parquet dance floors, and Louisiana Cypress bars accented with brass railing for a warm and welcoming setting. After dinner, enjoy your favorite cocktails and sweet river breezes on the promenade deck as the city skyline slips by under a canopy of stars. This Dinner Jazz Cruise is pure New Orleans, pure pleasure! Duration: 3 Hours Boarding: 7:00 pm; Riverwalk/Canal Street Dock Departure: 8:00 pm Return: 10:00 pm Inclusions: River Cruise, Creole Buffet, Jazz Entertainment, Cash Bar, Taxes Price (taxes are included): Adult with dinner: $74 Adult no dinner: $44 Child (6-12) with dinner: $34 Child (6-12) no dinner: $20 Child (3-5) with dinner: $12 Tickets, Payment & Cancellation Policy: click here

Up to $250 Onboard Credit Military Rates Must call to book! Carnival Special Military Rates Military, Police and Fire Fighter Rates Norwegian Cruise Line's Special Military Rates Military: FREE Onboard Spending up to $250! Military and Veterans Up to $250 Onboard Credit! Active Veteran and Retired Military Personnel can enjoy Up to $250 in Free Onboard Spending Money on any cruise, any time of the year! Promotion Rules Once you are registered and qualified, this offer will apply to any future cruise you book. You can have this offer applied anytime, before or after you book.Onboard Spending money can be used for Shore Excursions, Specialty dining, Shopping and more. Available to active military, retired military and disabled military veterans with proper identification as outlined below.Please ensure that documentation provided has the Social Security Number crossed out. Active personnel currently serving in the following service divisions: United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserves. A copy of a military verification certificate confirming active duty status is available for free online at National Defense – NDI 20 Canadian Forces Identification Card or NDI 10 (which is a temporary identification card).Retired Personnel defined as:Enlisted personnel or officers with a minimum of 20 years of service, Medically retired, or 100% disabled. Proper identification for United States is a DD214 Form, WD AGO (War Department Adjutant General Form), or NAVPERS (Naval Personnel Discharge Form). For Canadians, the NDI75 Record of Service Identification Card or CF75 certificate of discharge are used.. Veterans with an Honorable Discharge serving a minimum of 2 years or 6 months in an active war zone, or an Educational Discharge if within 90 days of their normal separation date in any of the United States service divisions listed above or Canadian National Defense. Proper identification in the form of a DD214 for U.S. veterans or VAC (Veterans Affairs Canada) Health Identification Card for Canadians. Restrictions This offer is good for only the first or second berth occupied by the military person. Military offer is valid for eligible military personnel in the U.S. and Canada only. This offer is combinable with other Onboard Credit offers. This offer cannot be used for casino credits/charges and/or gratuities. Offer excludes Travel Agent, Interline, Employee Space Available and Friend and Family fares.This offer is non-transferable. Military Onboard Credit Breakdown! Free Onboard spending money is in the form of Onboard Credit. Sailings of 6 days or less ($50 per stateroom), Sailings of between 7 - 13 days ($100 per stateroom); Sailings of 14 days or longer $250 per stateroom). Combinability This offer is combinable with most cruise fares. Some restrictions apply. Additional Information: Procedures – submit via email, fax or mail as follows: Please provide your name, booking number, ship and sailing date with proof of eligibility as outlined above to your travel agent or Cunard no later than two weeks prior to sailing.Cunard, Booking Support 24303 Town Center Drive, Suite 200 Valencia, CA 91355 1-800-728-6273 Email: militarybenefit@cunard.com Cunard Secure Fax: (661) 753-1395. All requests for military benefits must be confirmed prior to passengers boarding the cruise. Onboard staff will not be able to add the Onboard Credit. Promotion valid: CUN-Military Military Rates - Must call to book! Must call to Book.Up to a 10% discount can be applied to the prevailing market and/or promotional rates based on ship & sailing date chosen. 10% off is applicable on select Balcony, Suites and YC1 staterooms, 5% discount is applicable on select interior and ocean view staterooms. This discount does not apply to Military (Civil Service) and/or Interline Rates issued through a dedicated promotional rate notice. Offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion and may be withdrawn without notice. Offer is capacity controlled, subject to availability and restrictions apply. Government taxes and fees for all guests are additional. MSC Cruises reserves the right to pass on any fuel surcharge without notice to all guests. MSC Cruises reserves the right to refuse to honor any prices/sailings that are erroneously printed or quoted. Qualifying guests must present an I.D. badge from their respective company at the time of booking. Promotion valid for military (active or retired), veterans, civil service and interline personnel. Proper identification and/or Discharge Papers required at check-in. If a member of the United States Armed Forces or Canadian Armed Forces can no longer travel due to redeployment or revocation of leave – MSC Cruises will issue a full cruise credit for use on a future sail date. Must be verified by letter from commanding officer. Cancellation must be done no later than 15 days prior to cruise departure date. Future cruise credit is good for two years from cancellation. Not Combinable with: MSC-Military Rates Carnival Salutes US and Canadian Soldiers Special Military Rates Take advantage of Carnival's Military Discount Cruises for active and retired military members. Eligible Military Personnel The military promotion is available to the following members of the United States Military and Canadian Department of National Defense: Active Personnel Spouses of active Military personnel called to active duty or stationed overseas will be eligible to book one cabin as long as the eligible spouse is occupying this cabin. The spouse must provide proof of eligibility by submitting a copy of the official military orders and/or duties documentation and proof of marriage. Reserve Personnel Active Cadets U.S Coast Guard Personnel Active member of the National Guard Uniformed members of the USPHS (U.S Public Health Services) Retired Personnel Retired member of the National Guard Honorably Discharged member of the National Guard Veterans, defined as: Individuals who have actively served in the Military for at least two years or during a wartime period and have been honorably discharged. Rates apply to qualifying military personnel who are permitted to book one stateroom. Retired military personnel may book one stateroom and must travel in this stateroom.

Available in more than 9, 000 retail locations throughout the U.S. Bi Lo Giant Eagle Hy-Vee Kroger Lowes Hardware Safeway Simon Property Group MIAMI (November 6, 2014) - Carnival Cruise Lines’ popular gift card program – a prepaid card that can be used as payment toward a “Fun Ship” vacation or a variety of shipboard purchases – is now available in more than 9, 000 retail outlets throughout the U.S. This marks the first time that a cruise line-specific gift card has been made available at retail establishments ashore. Partnering with Blackhawk Network, a leading prepaid and payments network, Carnival will offer its gift cards at such locations as Giant Eagle, Kroger and Safeway beginning later this month. “We’re excited to partner with Blackhawk Network, as their distribution expertise allows us to expand our popular gift card program to a wide range of retail outlets ashore, ” said Gus Antorcha, senior vice president of guest commerce for Carnival Cruise Lines. “Based on feedback from consumers and our travel agent partners, we’re very pleased to enhance the availability of our gift card program and provide consumers with even greater convenience and flexibility.” Also available online at or sold on board Carnival’s ships, the gift cards are ideal for any occasion – from weddings and graduations to birthdays and anniversaries – and offer consumers flexibility and convenience in their vacation purchases. The cards can be pre-loaded with funds ranging from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $1, 000. The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use – it may be applied online via the dedicated web site using the 16-digit card number, redeemed by calling 1-800-CARNIVAL or used like cash on board as payment toward guests’ “Sail & Sign” shipboard account.

Cruise lines have traditionally offered their best deals between January and March Known as wave season, the period has become less important, cruise expert says Cruise executive disagrees, calling it still the best time to book a cruise Watch out for more fees and "cabin stuffing" if you book a voyage this year Getting a killer price on a cruise in the first quarter of the year used to be as common as seeing chocolates dominate store shelves before Valentine's Day, but these days, the rules may be changing. Many travelers wait for wave season - the period from January to March, when cruise lines have traditionally offered their best deals - to book their vacation at sea. Is that still a good strategy today? The views are mixed. The magnitude of wave season deals has lessened each year for the last three years, to the point where there really is no wave season in 2012, said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of CruiseCritic.com, calling it a major shift in the industry. "Cruise lines used to have a Nordstrom mentality, where they were selective about how they put things on sale. So during wave season ... they put all their marketing dollars in a basket, and this was the best time of year to get incredible value for the money, " Brown said. "I really think that it's not Nordstrom anymore. It's Macy's, because Macy's has a sale all the time." Brown said she hasn't seen any offers that would compel her to book now, so she advises cruise aficionados to simply look for deals year-round, taking care not to wait too long to lock in trips for popular vacation times like spring break or Christmas. But Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales at Royal Caribbean, said she respectfully disagrees with Brown, calling the first quarter of the year still the best time to book a cruise. "This is where we have our deepest discounts right now, " Freed said. "For us as an industry, not just as a company, wave season continues to be a very important part of our calendar year." Year-round bookings Still, wave season has "changed considerably" over the past few years, said Mark Schiffner, vice president and chief operating officer of Cruise Holidays, a network of cruise agencies. He estimated that up to 60% of the company's Caribbean business for the year is still booked in January, February and March - in part because those are big travel months in the region as people seek to escape the winter cold. But the overall focus now is more year-round.

Discover top cruise destinations on one of 1 Vantage ships Onboard Vantage specializes in worldwide river cruises, land tours, and small-ship voyages for travelers 55 and over. The company owns and operates its own fleet of European river ships sailing the Seine, Rhone, Saone, Rhine, Main, Danube, and Moselle rivers, and also operates exclusive charters on the Elbe and Douro. Its small-ship voyages feature chartered vessels (most are exclusive charters) operated by companies such as Haimark and Variety Cruises. These range from boutique-style luxury yachts to expedition vessels. On Vantage's riverboats, the line maintains a 4:1 guest-to-staff ratio. Most cruises offer free shipwide Wi-Fi, sightseeing tours, meals, beer and wine with dinner and onboard entertainment included in the price of the cruise. Meals onboard are one sitting with open seating. All ships have panoramic lounges and sun decks, and are nonsmoking throughout the interior, with a designated smoking area at the rear of each vessel on the open-air deck. Vantage owns five riverboats, each with solo accommodations, French balconies in 78 percent of the cabins and a luxurious 250- to 330-square-foot Owner's Suite with a well-stocked minibar and separate bedroom area. Standard and Deluxe cabins are furnished with twin beds that convert to double size (queen for the Owner's Suite). All cabins provide outside views and are equipped with TV, safe and hair dryer. They also come with entertainment-on-demand systems offering movies as well as access to many U.S. television channels such as MSNBC, CNN, Discovery, The Weather Channel and more. The features include real-time GPS tracking of the ship's journey. The line's Cultural Connections programs promise in-depth experiences in each country visited through lectures, special meals, home visits, receptions, performances and participation in local activities. A special feature on excursions is the free use of headphones for each passenger to ensure they can hear the instructions and lectures clearly. Vantage Deluxe World Travel, a family owned business, was founded in 1983 by Henry Lewis. He still oversees the company. Travel runs in the Lewis family; Henry Lewis' brother Alan is the creator and head of Grand Circle Travel, which also specializes in small ship and river cruise travel. Ultimately, Vantage promises a comfortable, non-rushed pace and a program of "cultural connections" that emphasizes soft enrichment programs. As a result, passengers can take these trips to relax and get away - while also experiencing educational shore explorations. Vantage does not use travel agents to book their trips; you can book directly with its customer service team. The company boasts a newly expanded focus on customer service, providing weekend hours for reservations, a revamped training program for customer service representatives, and an effort to reduce response time. Vantage currently sails a handful of custom-designed river ships in addition to several exclusively chartered vessels built to its specifications, all with outside cabins. A new riverboat will debut in 2016. The newest member of the Vantage fleet, River Voyager will join the line's four other river ships, River Splendor, River Venture, River Discovery II and River Navigator. The 360- to 442-foot-long ships offer airy public spaces, a rear-facing Captain's lounge with retractable roof (in all but River Navigator), flat-screen TVs in cabins and free wireless Internet access throughout the ship. Vantage also charters the 120-passenger Douro Spirit for Portugal's Douro River. In Asia, Vantage charters the 398-passenger Century Legend, which sails China's Yangtze River, the all-suite Mekong Navigator on the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam, and the all-suite Irrawaddy Explorer on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. Ocean-going ships that Vantage charters from other cruise lines include the 86-passenger Skorpios III in the Chilean fjords and Variety Cruises' Harmony G for the Mediterranean. Vantage also charters Hurtigruten's 276-passenger ms Fram for Antarctic cruises, and the 44-passenger riverboat Amazon Discovery, sailing in South America. In 2015, Vantage launched La Perla, a luxury yacht sailing the Mediterranean. The 130-foot ship sails coastal Adriatic itineraries from Dubrovnik to Venice and has room for 26 passengers. Fellow Passengers Vantage is marketed to mature travelers, generally well-traveled passengers ages 50 and up. They encourage single travelers with solo cabins and a new online "travel mates" community. With amenities such as U.S. television channels, a U.S.-style electrical outlet in every cabin and English-speaking guides, Vantage is intentionally designed with the American cruiser in mind.

The Carnival dress code - what to wear on Carnival cruise, "dress code for dinner" review. What are the Carnival Dining Room dress code requirements - what to wear, where to wear it, and probably why. When considering the specifics of the Carnival dress code keep in mind, that one classy evening with all of you dressed up won't hurt anyone. Actually, it's the perfect excuse for you guys to look even more pretty than you usually do! Integrated with Carnival cruise information, tips and tricks. Carnival - dress code questions Carnival dress code on the first day Carnival dinner dress code rules for men, women and children in MDR (main dining room), for breakfast and lunch in the MDR and specialty restaurants (steakhouse/supper club). Generally speaking, "Carnival" means "Less Formal to Casual". Still, the dress code for dinner depends on the dining option you choose while onboard. There are 4 main Carnival dining options on ships - main dining room (two big capacity restaurants), casual dining (a Lido buffet, and the new venues which are by the new Carnival Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades program), specialty dining (limited capacity feature restaurants) and the 24-hour complimentary room-service. As to their dress code requirements - the 1st is casual (with 1 dressy night), the 2nd is very casual, the 3rd is formal and 4th is totally a "free style" deal. What not to wear on a Carnival cruise - dress code requirements do not allow it The new dress code on Carnival ships was implemented fleet-wide in May 2011. The first and most important issue about any dress code is what you CAN NOT wear in the main dining rooms during dinner. The NO-list includes footwear with wheels, flip-flops, roller-blades (jeez!), tracksuit trousers, gym and basketball shorts, bathing (swimming) suits, beach flip-flops, Т-shirts (sleeveless shirts), sportswear, baseball hats. Аnd about the "forbidden" jeans types - all the "anomalies", like cut-offs, rips, acid-washed, and so on. While on board, low heeled or flat shoes (rubber-soled) are recommended for extra traction. Carnival cruise Dress Code for dinner, formal night, breakfast, for kids Carnival "CRUISE CASUAL" Dining dress code (For MEN) polo/sport shirts with sport slacks (dockers, khakis), jeans (cut-offs are not permitted), pressed long dress shorts with collared sport shirts and proper footwear (you're likely to be in the minority), jackets. (For WOMEN) casual dresses and skirts (including summer dresses), pantsuits, Capri pants, pants and blouses, dress shorts, and again jeans (but no cut-offs or rips). Cardigans and blazers are also OK. Carnival "CRUISE ELEGANT" Dining dress code (1 or 2 formal nights per sailing) (For MEN) dress slacks and shirts, a sport coat and a jacket is suggested (but not required), same goes with the business suit (tie or no tie). (For WOMEN) cocktail dresses, pantsuit, elegant skirts with blouses. Although this level of dress is not required, on elegant nights guests may choose to dress more formally (suit and tie, tuxedo, and the evening gown). Carnival "CRUISE FORMAL" Dining dress code - required in the specialty dining venues on-board (the steakhouse or the supper club, reservations are required). What "Carnival Formal" means (For MEN) tuxedo, the tie is mandatory (either with suit or jacket). (For WOMEN) evening gown, cocktail dress, pantsuit. The "Elegant" dress code is permitted in the Steakhouse on the "Casual" evenings. The Carnival dress code on the first night is casual, but in the Steakhouse shorts again are NOT permitted. Carnival knows that your luggage may have not been delivered to your cabin until after dinner, that's why the first night is always less formal then any other night, and pretty much anything goes in the MDR (even cargo shorts, T-shirts, sneakers, etc). The first sea day dinner is usually Elegant. Depending of the itinerary length - one "Elegant" evening on 2-5-day sailings, 2 "Elegant" evenings on 6-day and longer sailings. Carnival dress code for KIDS. There's no age limit considering all the dress code FAQs, so kids are expected to comply with the same rules as for the adults in the main dining room. Your boy in khakis & a polo and your girl in a sun dress will be just fine on "Elegant" nights. Know that Carnival allows nice shorts on the non-formal evenings. The Carnival dress code for breakfast and lunch is more relaxed than for the dinner. Yet again, bathing suit attire, jeans and the rest of the stuff from the Carnival's NO-list are still not allowed in the MDR.

Long Beach Cruise Terminal 231 Windsor Way Long Beach, CA 90802 Travel Time: 23 miles from Los Angeles International Airport; travel time is approximately 50 minutes. 12 miles from Long Beach Airport; travel time is approximately 20 minutes. Traveling from the Los Angeles area (north) Take the 405 Freeway south. Take the 710 Freeway south. Continue on the 710 Freeway south and follow the signs for the Queen Mary. At the entrance to the Queen Mary, stay to the far right of the parking ticket taker for the Queen Mary; this lane is the entrance to the Long Beach Cruise terminal. Follow the signs for Passenger Parking and Luggage Drop-Off area. Traveling from the San Diego area (south) Take I-5 north. Take the 405 Freeway north. Parking: (Rates subject to change) 0 to 30 Minutes - no charge 30 minutes to 1 hour - $4.00 1 to 2 hours - $8.00 Daily rate - $19.00 5-Story, 1450 space parking garage. Full payment due upon exiting the parking garage. Handicap Parking available with proof of valid permit. Accepted forms of payment: U.S Dollars; major credit cards. No advance reservations required. Oversized vehicles will be charged per parking space.

Introducing the Freestyle way to earn credit card rewards. Open yourself up to a whole new world of opportunity with WorldPoints® credit card rewards. Redeem points for items like cash, gift cards, travel, cruise discounts and more! And right now, you'll receive 10, 000 bonus points after you make a transaction in the first 60 days§§. Redeem Your Cruise Rewards For: Exclusive redemption opportunities for last minute cruises, and other special cruise offers Stateroom upgrades, travel discounts and onboard credits Any of the other rewards available exclusively to WorldPoints cardholders Car rentals, hotel stays or gift certificates to over 100 top retailers - you choose the rewards that matter most to you Take Advantage of Credit Card Benefits Like: No annual fee † Double points for every qualifying dollar you spend with NCL One point for every dollar you spend in net retail purchases † For information about rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this credit card, please see the "Terms & Conditions". This credit card program is issued and administered by Bank of America, N.A. §§ Bonus Points Offer . You will qualify for 10, 000 bonus points if you use your new credit card account to make at least one transaction that posts to your account within 60 days of the account open date. Limit one (1) bonus points offer per new account. This one-time promotion is limited to new customers opening an account in response to this offer. Other advertised promotional bonus points offers can vary from this promotion and may not be substituted. Allow 8-12 weeks from qualifying for the bonus points to post to your rewards balance. Freestyle Cruise With WorldPoints® Credit Card Rewards Rewards Points $50 onboard cruise credit 5, 000 Up to 2-category upgrade on cruises 5-days or longer 10, 000 $100 onboard cruise credit $100 off any cruise Up to 4-category upgrade on cruises 5-days or longer 20, 000 $200 off any cruise $250 onboard cruise credit 25, 000 Inside to oceanview or oceanview to Balcony upgrade 30, 000 $500 off any cruise 50, 000 $500 onboard cruise credit Double Cross meta upgrade on 5-day or longer cruise 60, 000 $1000 onboard cruise credit 100, 000 Exclusive Cruise Specials: Coming Soon! 3- or 4–day Bahamas cruise for two:* Inside Stateroom Outside Stateroom 70, 000 Balcony Stateroom 90, 000 Each 3rd – 8th additional guest 25, 500 *Includes all applicable government taxes, port expenses, and fees 7-day Caribbean and Mexican Riviera cruise for two:* 137, 900 157, 900 227, 900 40, 000 *Includes all applicable government taxes, port expenses, and fees Offer Terms & Conditions Offer Points Value Upgrades Up to 2 category upgrade on 5-day or longer cruise Up to 4 category upgrade on 5-day or longer cruise (within same category meta) Cross meta upgrade on 5-day or longer cruise Terms and Conditions: Terms and Conditions: Offer may be used by individuals, participants in qualified group bookings, by single guests and for use with third and fourth guest bookings. Upgrades vary per ship, sail date, category and cabin capacity. Stateroom Upgrades are subject to availability. The number of 3rd and 4th occupancy staterooms are limited and based on availability. Upgrade refers to a better available accommodation within the meta (Interior to Interior, oceanview to oceanview or balcony to balcony). Cross-Meta upgrade refers to having the option to book a specific Oceanview category for the price of a specific Interior category or book a specific Balcony category for the price of a specific Oceanview category. Double Cross-Meta upgrade refers to having the option to book a specific Balcony category for the price of a specific Interior category. Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to assign the stateroom at their discretion. Suites & Mini-Suites are excluded. Norwegian Spirit is not eligible for Balcony upgrade. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Deluxe Balcony on the Norwegian Epic are excluded from the offer. Family Balcony, Spa Balcony, and Aft Facing Balcony on the Norwegian Breakaway are excluded from the offer. Cross meta upgrade does not apply to the Norwegian Epic as the Epic has no oceanviews. Cruise Discounts $100 off any cruise ($50 per person) $200 off any cruise ($100 per person) $400 off any cruise ($200 per person) $500 off any cruise ($250 per person) $1, 000 off any cruise ($500 per person) $2, 000 off any cruise ($1, 000 per person) 200, 000 $150 off any cruise ($75 per person) 15, 000 Terms and Conditions: Offer may be used by individuals, participants in qualified group bookings, by single guests and for use with third and fourth guest bookings. Cruise Fare must be greater or equal to the amount of the Cruise Discount. The standard cancellation policy applies. Cruise 7-day Caribbean and Mexican Riviera cruise for two Inside category Oceanview category Balcony category Each 3rd - 8th passengers 3-4 day Bahamas cruise for two Terms and Conditions: This is a cruise only offer. Offer applies to individual bookings and based on double occupancy. Complimentary stateroom can be redeemed with qualified points value received. Complimentary stateroom can be redeemed only on one of the 7- Day Caribbean, Mexican Riviera or 3-4 - Day Bahamas & Florida cruises based on the value points received. This offer is not combinable with other offers, except for WorldPoints® offers. Norwegian Cruise Line will assign earned stateroom in best available category within the meta - category. Suites and Penthouses are excluded. If category is not available, Norwegian reserves the right to assign earned stateroom at their discretion. The number of 3rd and 4th occupancy staterooms are limited. Please note WorldPoints value can be redeemed in set points value based on length of cruise and category! As such, the difference in between points redeemed and cruise cost required may result in forfeiture of WorldPoints.

Thirty-two people died after the Costa Concordia cruis ship ran aground with more than 4, 000 passengers and crew on 13 January 2012, only hours after leaving the Italian port of Civitavecchia. The graphics and maps below reveal more about what happened. The Costa Concordia left the Italian port of Civitavecchia at 19:18 local time (18:18 GMT). The ship was heading out on a week-long cruise around the Mediterranean with 3, 206 passengers and 1, 023 crew onboard. As it made its way north-west along the Italian coastline, Captain Francesco Schettino ordered the ship to be steered close to the island of Giglio as a "salute". QPS reconstruction of the Concordia's final minutes Other details emerged at pre-trial hearings, including excerpts of the frantic conversations between the Captain and his crew in the aftermath of the accident, captured by the ship's "black box" voice recorder. Nearing Giglio just after 21.30, the captain gave the helmsman coordinates, followed by the warning "otherwise we go on the rocks". Minutes later, at 21:45, the Costa Concordia hit a rocky outcrop while travelling at around 16 knots. How the Costa Concordia capsized The ship was holed on the left-hand side, started taking on water and began to tilt. Engine rooms were flooded and power was lost. The crew struggled to assess the situation and relayed incomplete information to the Italian authorities. At 21:52 the chief engineer and electrical officer tried and failed to start the ship's emergency diesel generator. Shortly afterwards, passengers were told that the ship was suffering a "blackout", but that the situation was under control. The same information was given to the harbour master at Civitavecchia. Costa Concordia crew member tells coastguard "we have a blackout" Positioning data shows that the Costa Concordia turned and began to drift back towards the island's port soon after 22:00 due to, investigators say, a combination of the wind and the rudder positioned to starboard (right). As it drifted, the ship then began to list in the opposite direction, possibly caused by water in the damaged hull rushing to the far side during the turn. At 22:12, the coastguard called the ship to say passengers were reporting problems to the local police, but the captain replied: "We have a blackout and we are checking the conditions on board."

Viking Chairman Tor Hagen has said publicly that the company will eventually sail the Mississippi River, but a spokesman said Tuesday he could not confirm a 2015 launch date. A news round-up issued this week by the Red Wing Visitors and Convention Bureau said Viking will build a 340-passenger ship to cruise the Mississippi beginning in the fall of 2015 and will start taking reservations in the spring of 2014. The Port of Red Wing, one of the stops, is about 50 miles downriver from Minneapolis. The five-deck ship announced by Red Wing would be larger than the 190-passenger longships that Viking is building for European rivers. The cruise line has been growing explosively on European rivers, with plans for 10 new longships this year and 14 next year. The company will also launch an ocean cruise line in 2014. After several years with no regular overnight cruises, the Mississippi River is now sailed by two boats: the new 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi, launched last fall by American Cruise Lines, and the 436-passenger American Queen, built in 1995 and refurbished by the American Queen Steamboat Co. before it returned to the river in the spring of 2012. Both boats sail the Mississippi from New Orleans to Minneapolis/St. Paul and cruise sections of the Ohio, Cumberland or Tennessee rivers as well.