Weekly travel agenda: Cruise ships launch

Two new passenger liners are set to celebrate their inaugurations this July 4, in lavish ceremonies in New York and Venice. In a coup for Norwegian Cruise Line, its new ship Epic will host the Macy's 4th of July fireworks display, while the Nieuw Amsterdam will be named by Princess Maxima of the Netherlands in Venice.

Norwegian Epic July 4th Fireworks Display
July 4
New York, USA

The new Norwegian Epic is to host the annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks display, live from the ship's deck in New York's Hudson river at 9:00 PM EST. It will depart on its maiden voyage shortly after, carrying 4,200 passengers.
http://epic.ncl.com/

Nieuw Amsterdam Launch
July 4
Venice, Italy

The 86,000-ton Nieuw Amsterdam will feature 11 guest decks, a cyber coffee house, a teens-only loft and space for 2,106 passengers when it is delivered in Venice, Italy.
http://www.hollandamerica.com

InterContinental Times Square Opens
July 12
New York City, USA

The new flagship of the luxury InterContinental range will now officially open July 12, rising 34 storeys above the city. Facilities include the Ça Va restaurant by celebrity Chef Todd English, 607 guestrooms and a 371-square meter "Gotham Ballroom."
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com

Royal International Air Tattoo
July 17-18
RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show and is held in Gloucestershire in the UK. Over 170,000 visitors are expected to attend to see displays from over 300 military aircraft from armed forces around the world.
http://www.airtattoo.com

Farnborough International Air Show
July 19-25
Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, United Kingdom

The Farnborough Air Show is a biennial exhibition of all things aviation, where major deals are often announced by the industry. For members of the public, the exhibition is also set to include some spectacular air shows on July 24-25.
http://www.farnborough.com

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
July 26 - August 1
Oshkosh, WI, USA

The AirVenture Oshkosh is America's largest air enthusiast event. Attendance is estimated at over 700,000, with 10,000 - 15,000 aircraft on display for keen enthusiasts and curious visitors alike. This makes the control tower the busiest in the world during the event - controllers are drafted in from across the US to safely marshall some 8,000 landings.
http://www.airventure.org

Alaska Twilight Cruise and Convention
August 8 - 15
Seattle, WA, USA

The Alaska Twilight Cruise and Convention will take hundreds of Twilight fans on the "ultimate celebration of the Twilight saga" on the high seas. Passengers will join stars of the films' Jodelle Ferland, Alex Merez and Michael Welch on a four-day cruise to Alaska, complete with movie viewings, interviews with the stars, costume balls and competitions.
http://www.twilightfanscruise.com/