Discovery Joins Successful All-Inclusive Industry With a New Product, Schedule, and Price

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Discovery Cruise Line, which sails daily except Wednesdays, to Grand Bahama Island is changing the way it does business. Effective January 28, 2010, Discovery will depart from Port Everglades, Florida at 10 AM with pre-boarding starting at 7:00 AM. The cruise will now feature all-inclusive alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during the cruise, and two all-you-can-eat buffet meals will be served. The first buffet will feature a selection of popular brunch items and the dinner buffet will include cruise line favorites, including fish, chicken, a carving station and pasta bar.

Discovery’s food and beverage managers have created some specialty drinks that guests will love, from Discovery’s version of Shirley Temple drinks for kids to some pretty wild Bahama Mama cocktails. “The idea is to make the cruise fun from the moment our guests arrive without them associating everything with a cost. In looking at industry trends for some time we see there is a huge opportunity for Discovery to accomplish this with the popular all-inclusive cruise product that industry leaders in Jamaica, Mexico and other destinations have perfected. People are choosing the all-inclusive product because they love it. And, we are doing more than just making the Discovery experience all-inclusive, we are adding high-energy music, games and activities to our cruise instead of the old fashion shows and entertainment much of the cruise industry has always featured. Another major change is our departure time. Instead of boarding at 6 AM in the morning guests can arrive as late as 9 AM to board. “Our previous early morning departure wasn’t as convenient and 10 AM is the perfect time to set sail,” states Hanns J. Hanns, General Manager of Discovery.

For those who prefer the gourmet dining that Discovery is well known for, Grand Bahama Grill dining will still be available at a minimal cost and premium drinks and wine, as well as snacks and fast food, will be available to purchase for a nominal amount. Discovery Plus VIP service will also be available for guests that Cruise N Stay on island. Discovery Cruise N Stay guests have many choices. They can be all-inclusive all the way and stay at either the Wyndham’s Viva Fortuna All-Inclusive Resort, which is a traditional all-inclusive resort, or at the Our Lucaya Reef Village with all-inclusive option, or guests can choose to buy the Club Grand Bahama product the destination created this year which offers dining privileges and other benefits throughout the Port Lucaya area. Guests can also choose a traditional resort. Resorts include Our Lucaya Reef Village, Taino Beach Resorts, Flamingo Bay at Taino Beach, Pelican Bay at Lucaya, and the Radisson Our Lucaya Resort.

“We will still have popular items that have a cost associated with them such as our casino, slot machines, duty-free stores and photo concession. But if you want to just have a lot of good food, good fun and good drinks, it’s now all included. Like all-inclusive resorts we want everyone to enjoy themselves and come back on Discovery again and again and we believe with our new product, pricing and all-inclusive concept we will deliver that,” said Hahn.

Visitors to Grand Bahama will experience an entirely different culture, extraordinary beaches with clear crystal water, interesting excursions and brand new adventures. Activities include snorkeling, caves, kayaking, fishing, world class diving, golf, eco-adventures, Swim with the Dolphins, local arts and crafts, Junkanoo music, duty-free shopping, and many other tourist attractions.

The new rate for a Fun Day Cruise will be from $49.99 per person and will include the two all-you-can-eat buffet means and all-you-can-drink alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including soft drinks, fruit juices and coffee. Two Day/One Night packages will start from $69.99 per person based on double occupancy with the same inclusions on the ship. That’s only $20 more to stay overnight and enjoy two full days of fun and Grand Bahama Island. Surcharges of $35 per person apply to all. Kids two and under sail for free.

For more information or reservations, call 1 -888-377-2784 or book online at DiscoveryCruiseLine.com.

SOURCE Discovery Cruise Line