Nov
13
Oasis Of The Seas arrives in Florida
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November 13th 2009 – Royal Caribbean’s “Oasis of the Seas” worlds largest cruise ship arrives in Port Everglades, Florida. Additional Photos – Ships Website
Sep
28
Friends Of The Earth, (who are they?), has released an environmental report card for cruise lines. The ranking was based on air and water pollution. You can see the chart here.
CLIA, the Cruise Line International Association, suggests that industry ships have made major improvements with discharged water being cleaner than what many municipal water treatment release into local environments. It also appears that most ships failed due to one item, the lack of shore power plug-ins. This feature allows ships to shut down or reduce their onboard generators usage when the ship is in port, reducing air pollution. The problem is that few ports offer this type of connection. I suspect if dock side power was available most cruise lines would begin using it.
Sep
22
Four Day Mexican Cruise on Carnival Paradise
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Southern California is a great place to live, but sometimes you just have to get out of town. With my busy lifestyle a week or more would cause me to miss too much of my oversaturated and hurried existence. How about a compromise… A 5 day cruise on the Carnival Paradise cruise ship departing out of Long Beach stopping at Catalina Island and Ensenada Mexico. At first I thought that climbing onto a Carnival Fun ship with 2000 other passengers wouldn’t provide much relief from crowded Los Angeles, but I was wrong.
After the porters helped us with the luggage, we entered the large cruise terminal in Long Beach which was once the home of the Spruce Goose. Now, it’s a well run terminal for checking in of Carnival Cruise Line passengers. The process was smooth; took about 40 minutes from curb to ship.
As returning Carnival cruisers, our room key/charge card was gold in color. First time cruisers key cards are blue. I wasn’t aware of any special perks or attention from having the “gold card”. I did notice a special check in area for Platinum Guests, Carnival Concierge Club and Carnival Vacation Club members.
Cabin U78 was a pleasant surprise—roomy with plenty of storage for an inside $169 cabin. The bathroom had a basket full of amenities which were promotional items from Proctor and Gamble and BIC. For example, we had five flavors of tooth paste, 2 packets of razors and shampoo/conditioner. What was missing was body lotion. And that’s what I needed the most, bring your own lotion. I didn’t even miss not having a window. We were never in the cabin very much.
Ports of call on this 4 day Carnival cruise included Catalina Island on Tuesday and Ensenada, Mexico on Wednesday, Thursday would be a day at sea. Before the ship departed we attended the Ports of Call presentation in the main show room and found it to be valuable. The cruise director explained the excursions and a shopping specialist gave a short presentation. We had already reviewed all the excursions before the trip on the web site so the presentation just reinforced what we already knew. The cruise director does not allow time for questions and directs everyone to the excursion desk. And, if you miss the presentation, it’s replayed on the cabin TV. My questions were answered at the excursion desk—I was looking for an air-conditioned motor coach tour in Ensenada.
Tuesday we arrived at Catalina Island and Avalon Harbor. We decided to stay onboard the Paradise and enjoy the sun and fun on this Carnival “fun ship” Cruise Ship. As a Southern California girl Catalina Island was no big deal, I was married at the Inn At Mt Ada overlooking the harbor and know the island well. We found a nice spot at the front of the Paradise near the putt-putt golf course, got comfortable in a lounge chair and let the day slip away as we watched tender boats ferry passengers back and forth.
On Wednesday the Paradise docked in Ensenada Mexico. Off we went first thing in the morning, we easily found our bus and our tour director, a lovely woman with perfect English and Spanish. She grew up in Ensenada and was eager to share her knowledge with us. We toured a historic building call the Civic Center and had time to shop in the courtyard too. I found a purse I liked and after getting a price from the vendor, I asked our tour director what would be a fair price. She said $20. I went back to the vendor to offer $20, half of what she was asking for and she would only come down to $30—so I bought it for $30. Later that day, I perused the shopping area at the ships port and found the exact same purse for $20. I then realized that I should have trusted our lovely Carnival Cruise tour director and realized that the prices at the port were good deals. Rather than haggling with the tourists, the vendors at the port offered % off discounts, a more Americanized way of shopping.
Usually, ships offer only two dinning room time options, early and late seating. We learned of Carnivals “Your Time Dining” on the web site before and selected it. We decided to eat later, but to avoid the crowds of the second seating, we went to dinner about half an hour before their assigned time. Never having to wait more than a few minutes for a table for two was a pleasant surprise. On one occasion, we were given a beeper. The library, next door to the Elation dining room, with its Cunard memorabilia, kept us occupied for the 15 minute wait.
Of all the dining room meal selections, my favorites are the soups. I enjoyed many unique ones like strawberry soup and chilled avocado. A tip for the first time cruiser is that you can order anything on the menu, two steaks, two deserts, they will bring it. One meal we asked for an extra entrée—of lobster! It was wonderful!
The dining room served breakfast every morning and we only made it to one service. The only lunch options were buffets or the 24 hour pizza bar. It was disappointing to learn that we could not dine in the dining room for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday, which left us with the two buffets on the ship to choose from. I found the buffets to be messy; dirty tables and sticky serving utensils. There was a deli area where the chef made sandwiches to order which was a great alternative. And, we enjoyed the pizza; when it was hot out of the oven. I was looking forward to the “free” sushi from 5 pm to 8 pm every night but was disappointed. At about 7:30 pm the self-serve wasabi and ginger looked messy so I was turned off and didn’t bother trying the sushi.
Air conditioning was prevalent in all public spaces on the Paradise. I could have used a heavier sweater during the evening show room events. During the first 3 days of the cruise, we were surprised to see that the public spaces were so void of people. I kept wondering, where is everybody? The disco was sparse at 10 pm and the casino was moderately full. As the cruise continued, I learned that the karaoke in the Queen Mary lounge was a popular after dinner/show destination. The entertainment in the show room definitely met expectations. The Carnival Paradise Singers and Dancers performed two major productions, Extreme Country and Shout. And we were entertained by two comedians that keep me laughing out loud. The comedians offered “R” rated shows in the lounges later on each night.
Burning some calories in the gym is good decision on a cruise and the work out area met expectations. The cardio equipment overlooks the ocean and there was an area to stretch and lift light weights. We signed up for a Pilates class for an extra $10. The class was not full, in fact, we had just two people. It’s was like having a private class with a trainer. You have to walk through the men’s and women’s spa to get to the gym. The spa offered some excellent deals as the cruise went on. For example, on day 3 at the port of Ensenada from 8 am to 12 noon, one can get a full body massage, boosting facial, soothing scalp, foot and ankle massage and eye collagen treatment, 75 minutes for $109. That seemed like a good deal—however, I’m not sure how many cruisers were booking spa appointments because the staff was very aggressive pushing services at the pool by handing out flyers. It became a bit of a pain.
I loved the slide on the ship. It is the “fun ship” after all. For the first three days, there was no line—just climb the stairs and take the plunge. This was the social area of the ship with music playing and cocktails being served. For a quiet, peaceful alternative, we found some private lounge chairs with a forward view. There were about 12 lounges in a shared area with the putt putt golf and joggers track. The other option in the adult pool which I found crowded, although they had cushions on the lounges.
I spent most of the Thursday “at sea” day at the main pool. Here and playing in the ping pong tournament, eating ice cream, playing video poker, and then dancing the night away after a little karaoke.
After 4 nights on the Carnival Paradise Fun Ship, I was refreshed and absolutely had a great time. There were many first time cruisers on the ship. I met a nice gal on the Ensenada excursion –traveling alone, who was a first time cruiser. She was getting her feet wet for her next cruise, Alaska. By testing out this inexpensive 4 night cruise, she could make a decision on whether or not to book a more expensive longer cruise. We kept running in to her on the ship and she reported that she had a good time and was impressed by most of the offerings on the ship. She was ready to book Alaska, but would travel with a friend to reduce the costs. A single pays the same a double.
Sep
7
Are Small Ports Ready For Cruise Ships?
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Large ports like Miami and Barcelona easily made the transition from industrial port to cruise ship port. They’ve been handling massive cargo and container ships for years and the cruise traffic is unlikely to impact the existing economic resources or environmental concerns. These industrial ports are not the most esthetically pleasing to cruisers but they are effective and decisions to expand into these types of ports make sense. The same cannot be said for small ports and sea side towns that have been in the cruise industry or are considering it. Before tapping or expanding into the business, communities must face the dilemmas of questionable economic benefits and environmental concerns.
For example, small towns like Mayport, Florida, where many of the residents work in the shrimping and fishing industries, are against the development of a cruise ship terminal on the grounds that the ships would pollute the waters that feed the sea life and ruin the character of the “oldest fishing village in America”. Jean Ribault, a French explorer, renamed the St. John’s River as the May River in 1562; the towns namesake. Opponents of the cruise industry are very protective of the historical features of the town and envision hundreds of stereotypical cruisers mulling around and changing the personality of the quaint town.
On the other hand, proponents of enhancing the cruise port at nearby Jacksonville, Fla or developing one in Mayport lobby that tourism could augment the dying fishing industry and work as a catalyst to revitalize the economy. A University of North Florida projected the economic impact of a Mayport Cruise Terminal and concluded that the construction and operation would bring in $160 million and create 5,000 jobs over six years. Even with lucrative projections and plans, opponents are motivated to stop growth projects by seeking injunctions and gaining support of environmental groups.
The proven return on investment for cruise line ports lies in the larger ports that have the embarkation business. Cruisers are more likely to buy hotel rooms and tour packages to compliment their cruise itinerary. Companies like Greatports.com are a one stop source for all the information one needs about embarkation or disembarkation. The company arranges ports geographically including North America and the most popular European ports. In each area, one finds listings for restaurants, hotels, shopping, tours and excursions, transportation and essential services.
Jul
30
Best Cruise Line 2009 – Crystal Cruises – Again
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Year after year, Crystal Cruises holds its number one position for the “World’s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line” by Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. 2009 makes it 14 years in a row! In a time of competition for the travel dollar and vacations over promising and under-delivering, it’s refreshing to know that one cruise line consistently delivers to its passengers.
The company profile outlines the features that make passengers satisfied, however, outstanding features alone are not what set this cruise line a part from its competitors. Yes, Crystal has one of the highest staff to passenger rations in the industry. The European trained staff delivers Six-Star service. Extraordinary space has been dedicated to staterooms and the public spaces with extra-wide promenade decks, lavish fitness areas, full-size cinemas, nightclubs, learning centers and gourmet restaurants. These features can be found on many ships, the question is, why does Crystal Cruises continue rank at the top of the industry?
The company’s vision is simple: to provide its guests with the finest travel experience available in the luxury service business, not just the luxury cruise industry. In the short time the ships have been cruising, leadership at Crystal have been relentless in developing a strong culture and commitment to staff training, resulting in the highest guest return rate in the industry.
The energy spent on staff to passenger relationships could be the secret to success. Authentic warmth, personal greetings and anticipating each customers needs are implemented. One can relate the emphasis on people at Crystal to Disneyland’s emphasis on cast members never breaking character. Or the Mary Kay philosophy where the staff envisions a sign around the neck of all customers saying, “Make me feel important”.
Teaching and developing a diverse group cruise ship employees to have authentic people skills is not easy. Crystal’s parent company, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), has developed a training center in the Philippines. The strict policy is maintains all crew must undergo rigorous training for 6 months or longer before being fully deployed. The training system implements the Six-Star Crystal basics, a multi-point credo that addresses attitude, communication, competence, style, safety/environment and execution. Examples are when staff members remember how a guest takes their coffee, how they like the pillow arranged and where they like to sit in the restaurant. Often, travelers remember small acts of kindness and those unforgettable memories make for happy and repeat customers.
The NYK service culture is based on the Japanese principles of kaizen and kaikaku-a belief in continuous improvement and quest for innovation and a radical change. Toyota operates using these leadership philosophies.
High standards for training and a genuine commitment to staff’s well-being help develop the sense of inclusion and authenticity on board. Passengers rate the staff high- as high as 95.8%. And Crystal’s employee turnover ratio is under 15%, one of the lowest in the luxury resort industry.
Crystal’s luxuries, award-winning fleet comprises the 922-guest, 50,000 ton Crystal Symphony and the 1,070-guest, 68,870 tom Crystal Serenity, while sales worldwide itineraries of seven to 100 days. In September, Crystal Symphony will undergo a major multimillion dollar redesign. By the fall of 2009, Crystal Cruises will have invested more that $65 million in its tow ships within a three-year period.
Luxury accommodations create the ultimate travel experience. Most rooms have roomy verandahs; all guest rooms have high end linens, bath robes, slippers, internet, television, twice a day housekeeping and 24 hour room service. Gourmet cuisine pared with a new reserve of 20 rare vintage wines and specialty dinner restaurants featuring famous chefs are noteworthy. Live entertainment, first run movies, shopping, state of the art Feng Shui spa and salon, on board education, unique shore excursions and children’s activities add to the Crystal experience.
Repeat cruisers are invited to be a member the Crystal Society loyalty program which entitles members to future savings, stateroom upgrades, onboard spending credits, complimentary cruises, special events and receptions.
For a record 14 years in a row, Crystal Cruises has been voted “World’s Beast Large Ship Cruse Line” by the readers of Travel and Leisure magazine. The ultra-luxury line is the only cruise line, resort of hotel to have won the prestigious award each year since the award’s inception.
“This award continues to be a tremendous validation of the authentic warmth and professionalism of Crystal’s extraordinary staff and our unparallel attention to detail”, says President Gregg Michel.
Apr
20
Here’s a vacation bargain for you, a cruise deal to the communist nation of Cuba, situated only 230 miles from Miami with a natural deep water port. The largest Caribbean island makes for a logical expansion for the cruise lines. One problem, even though Fidel Castro resigned doesn’t mean it would end the strained relationships between the U.S. and that nation. But those tensions might change after the recent statements made by President Obama that could begin chipping away at the political barriers to entry.
Recently, President Obama stated in a White House communication “… I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction.” And his sentiments were confirmed at the Summit of the Americas 2009 opening ceremony where he said, the United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba.” President Obama attended the host country, Trinidad and Tobagoto, for Fifth Summit meeting earlier this week. This location is the first Caribbean state to ever host this important summit of hemispheric leaders.
In related reports, Obama dropped restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, waiting for his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, to reciprocate. This type of agreement would make travelers very happy; especially those Cuban-Americans who have families there. Sons and daughters who have parents from Cuba feel the restrictions to freely visit a place where they have strong family ties.
For the cruise industry, a new port in Cuba could be a lucrative project and fulfill the wants and needs of future baby boomer travelers. Cuba as a port of call may draw history buffs and adventurers as first time cruisers like never before. Time will tell if the political barriers to entry and tension between the two states will subside enough to allow for such a huge financial project between the cruise line and the state of Cuba.
No one knows if Obama’s promises will be kept or how long the process to undo years of mistrust will take to open travel access to Cuba via cruise lines. Realistically, future cruise vacations may include Cuba as a desired stop over and it may be the best way to visit the island.
Apr
14
Cruise Ship Crime, Who Is Accountable?
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Cruise ship crime….are the Cruise Lines accountable to ensure safety on the high seas? Exactly who has jurisdiction over the criminal acts on board and cruise ship environmental law breakers? Is it the federal government, the ports of call local police, the flagship country or maybe the coast guard? Where does the accountability lie for the crime committed by the international crews? Is it the passengers? Who is going to be the first one on the spot to evaluate the crime seen, interview the witnesses or document the cruise ship pollution?
You and your family book your spring vacation; you’ve selected a cruise because in these hard economic times, it can be an affordable option for a family of four. You’re getting into the mood, starting to relax and detoxify from blackberry and digital video recorder. Your teenagers are actually holding conversations with you and there you see it, the ship! You begin the embarkation process and soon, you and the family are on a floating city, with all the enmities of a fine hotel, water park and shopping center. You have arrived. The last thing on your mind is, “how safe is this cruise”?
I’m sure Ashley, 24, who died a day after she boarded a cruise ship headed to Ensenada in 2006, was not thinking about cruise ship safety. She probably let her guard down in a pseudo state of protection. And, perhaps that what happened to the daughter of the Mr. Carver who was last seen on a cruise that had boarded in Vancouver, maybe she got too comfortable in the artificial environment.
There are many stories of crimes on cruise ships from theft, rape, assaults, suspected homicides and people just disappearing. I know of an elderly woman who was lured into giving her life savings to the host of the main dining room to invest in his hotel in Bali on south pacific cruise. The stories can go on and on, so many that there is an organization, the International Cruise Victims Association, whose mission is to represent victims of crimes on cruise ships, their families and friends and individuals concerned about the problems of victimization and disappearances on cruise ships.
This organization advocates for legislation reform to protect passengers and crew from crimes. The most recent in California is a new bill introduced by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alton) which stipulates that a ranger must be on board for the duration of any cruise that calls at a California port. The bill goes to a hearing of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on April 14, 2009. The California legislator has authored several bills targeting cruise lines because he claims there is not cruise authority whose first priority is to protect the public and the environment.
The facts are that the FBI only has jurisdiction over cruise ships that are
12 miles or less from the U.S. shore and the Cruise Line Industry Association said all crimes involving U.S. citizens are reported to the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard. If the new legislation passes, you as a cruise ship passenger will be paying for the on board ranger in term of higher fares.
Some tips for safety aboard cruise ships:
- Don’t let your guard down on the ship–you are at risk for theft and crime Be responsible with the libations-you’re not driving, so don’t get too carried away.
- Be careful when you answer your cabin door-there is no peep hole.
Keep an eye on your young people-there are plenty of opportunities for seemingly innocent situations to become dangerous Report all unusual behavior to a cruise line official-this is the best course of action to take.
Jan
5
The German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd recently flew passengers to Salalah, Oman, to re-join their ship after being removed before the cruise liner entered pirate infested waters between Yemen and Somalia. While others decided to travel by bus. The company called the move a precautionary measure.
The lives of the 300 passengers on the cruise ship MS Columbus were considered at risk by German authorities. The ship continued along it’s route with a crew of 50 who stayed onboard. This came after the Oceania Nautica outran pirates as they attacked the ship near the coast of Yemen. A German navy ship patrolling the area stopped another attack on the MS Astor by firing warning shots at the pirates.
The U.S. State Department and British Foreign Office advise those traveling near the Somali coast to use extreme caution because of the recent pirate attacks. Read the Warning.
Dec
8
Carnival Cruise Lines claims in a lawsuit that Rolls-Royce sold them a defective propulsion azipod system they installed on the Queen Mary 2. Carnival states that they are having continuing problems with the Mermaid pods. In addition to other issues they claim that a primary thrust bearing failed after less than a year causing repeated interruptions of their cruise schedule.
It appears that the primary problem is that Carnival was told these bearings had a 15-20 year lifespan, but QM2’s pod’s need changing every 3 years. These repairs result insignificant down time. Carnival is seeking over $100 million in damages from Rolls-Royce. Details Here.
The Queen Mary 2 is powered by four Mermaid azipods that mount underneath the hull of the ship. These pods are self contained units that take electrical power from the ship and drive massive propellers. Pods such as these allow for smaller engine rooms within the ship, less vibration, and because the pod can rotate, offers better maneuverability. The pods also remove the need for a rudder.
Royal Caribbean Cruises took similar legal action for issues with Mermaid pods on Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium-class vessels. Carnival says they were “misled” into thinking that they were buying a new and improved version of the defective pods installed on the Celebrity ships. For more info on azipods click here. Photo By Murray.
Nov
27
Cruise bookings on the Orient Lines ship Marco Polo II, formerly the Maxim Gorkiy, have been canceled and refunded. Last weeks announcement cancelled what was to be the inaugural season of the new Orient Lines cruise ship operation. The cruise line has laidoff ten full-time workers along with most of it’s sales force.
Maxim Gorkiy berthed at Aloha Tower in Honolulu Harbor. Photo By Murray
From their website: “Orient Lines has announced that due to the current world economic climate, it shall delay the launch of its cruises currently scheduled to commence in April 2009.”
UPDATE – Reports are that the ship may be scrapped or saved, details can be found here. See more ship photos here.
