Carnival Spirit Moving to Australia

One of the most popular west coast ships in California, Carnival Spirit, will be moving to Australia permanently in early 2012.

Carnival Spirit was the first of the "Vista-class" ships to be introduced into the U.S.-based cruise fleet. Vista is a specific ship design first created by parent company Carnival Corp. and subsequently put unto ships belonging to a number of different cruise lines under the Carnival Corp. umbrella.
The first Vista-class ship created was CostaAtlantica, introduced in Venice, Italy, as early as 1999. Then came Carnival Spirit, the first of four Spirit-class ships that Carnival would build, the following ones being; Carnival Miracle, Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend.
The beauty of the Spirit design is that it contains all the amenities of a much larger ships - beautiful modern lines, great crowd flow through two decks of inter-connected public rooms, a soaring atrium, a large and impressive theater as well as tiny catwalks around the theater bottom deck right up to the very front of the stage.
Over the years, the Vista design was also the model for the newest Costa Deliziosa and additional Costa ships. It was also the basis for the two beautiful Cunard Queens; Cunard Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.
Holland America's Eurodam and the new HAL Nieuw Amsterdam are also both impressive reinterpretations of the classic Vista-class design. The key to the Vista design is putting all of the public rooms on the lowest public decks possible. This means the upper decks, beginning with deck five, can be filled with balcony cabins all the way to the top of the ship - every stateroom deck is filled with balcony cabins from stem to stern.
Carnival Spirit has been playing a duel role in the last five years; sailing steadily out of San Diego to Mexico every winter, but not offering the typical and boring seven-day itinerary to Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, it has also been going into the Sea of Cortes to visit La Paz, the port from which I am currently writing this piece.
This stop is known for an abundance of live sea lions and often an abundance of dolphin and whale sightings. This afternoon I will be going to Los Islotes; a group of small islands known for exotic desert wildlife and dolphins called Paradise cove - a well-protected swimming spot for families and kayakers.
Carnival Spirit also used to make regular cruises all the way down to Acapulco from San Diego, a trip that requires eight-days. Unfortunately, the recent violence in Acapulco has reduced the popularity of that port, which is too bad as Acapulco has one of the best beaches in Mexico, especially alongside the infamous Paradise Hotel where Howard Hughes lived until the day he died.
Carnival Spirit was also the sole cruise ship that Carnival would send to Alaska every summer, where it filled a niche for value-priced family cruising in the great white north. Not only did it offer the best rates in Alaska for balcony cabins all season long, but it was also the best ship to take children upon since it had the great Carnival Club kid's program onboard.
The fantastic rates Carnival Spirit always offered made it a ship apart from the pack, in both the Mexico and the Alaska markets, and I truly hope Carnival finds a replacement for her soon.
Unfortunately, the current strength of the Aussie dollar is making Australia a more popular destination for cruise ships than ever before. And for as long as that lasts, it is doubtful that Carnival Spirit will be hearing the mariachi horns of La Paz, Mexico, that I can hear blaring right outside my stateroom right now.
Until 2012 you can still take Carnival Spirit cruises to Mexico with 7-day cruises from $579, 8-day cruises from $449 and nine-day cruises from $539. The ships have 1062 staterooms, 12 decks, are 88,500-tons and 960 feet long and have a 2124 passenger capacity with 930 crew.

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SeaDream 2 in The Caribbean

SeaDream Yacht Club offers a very personalized experience on its 100 passenger luxury yachts no matter where you cruise.
The Caribbean. It's where my passion for cruising began, with weeklong jaunts from Florida to San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Barbados aboard ships whose guest capacities numbered in the thousands and whose lengths were measured in terms of football fields. On arrival at any of those ports, I'd find a nautical parking lot of vessels similar to my own, each spewing out its human cargo onto sun-baked streets where an endless parade of bleary-eyed bargain-hunters explored the jewelry shops, street stalls and souvenir stands that awaited their arrival.
Last week, SeaDream 2, a diminutive 4,300 grt, (yes, 4,300 grt), 112-passenger "megayacht" shattered that image of the typical Caribbean voyage with an 8-day sailing that showed me not just a new less-travelled Caribbean but a different approach to cruising. SeaDream Yacht Club is an all-inclusive experience with beverages (alcoholic including wines, non-alcoholic, soft drinks, coffee drinks, and bottled water), exquisite dining, gratuities, fitness facilities and classes, golf simulator, use of activities equipment like wave runners, kayaks, sailboats, mountain bikes, snorkel gear and "shoreside casuals" (usually a guided hike or bike ride) included in the fare. The only "extras" aboard SeaDream are treatments at the full-service spa, gift shop purchases or the purchase of premium wines.

SeaDream 2 and sister yacht SeaDream 1 debuted in the mid-1980s as the Cunard Sea Goddesses and later sailed as the Seabourn Goddesses. In 2002, after a complete redesign and refit, SeaDream Yacht Club was born. With the travel industry still reeling from the impact of 9/11 and cruise trends favoring bigger and glitzier ships (most newbuilds that year touted capacities of 3,000 and greater), SeaDream Yacht Club was a risky venture but one that, as the line nears its 10th anniversary with a devoted global following, has paid off.
From the frigid temperatures of New York, we were delivered by American Airlines to sultry St. Thomas, nearly an hour ahead of our scheduled 1:00 p.m. arrival, deplaning down steps directly on to the sweltering tarmac like some visiting dignitaries. Taxis were plentiful and, with a 2:00 p.m. embarkation time, I headed off to shop in convenient Charlotte Amalie while my husband Michael and our luggage went directly to Crown Bay Marina and SeaDream 2.
I expected that it would be my husband who'd be the first to greet me as I arrived at SeaDream 2 later that afternoon. Instead, it was Captain Torbjorn Lund who, together with the ship's Activities Director, Jeff Fithian, personally welcomes each arriving passenger at the top of the gangway. It was my first glimpse at the personal touch that has earned SeaDream an abundance of awards and top honors from major publications and travel organizations like Berlitz, who ranks SeaDream "Simply the best" and Frommer's, who states "SeaDream is the answer to your prayers."
A tad dramatic? Not to me. On certain megaships, I've waited two hours at embarkation, been hit in the neck by an elbow at a buffet, had a bar bill with a comma in the total and restaurant surcharges that equaled my monthly mortgage payment. I've been unable to find an unoccupied deck chair even in port, was pressured by a cruise ship manicurist who seemed to suggest that I'd have a very short life expectancy if I didn't purchase the $90 cuticle oil NOW and spent an average of $20 per day on bottled water. In port, I'd swum with dolphins, traipsed through the El Junque Rainforest, and fell on my ass ascending Dunn's River Falls. It was time to make a big-or, in this case, small-change.

The SeaDream 2 concept is more akin to a personal yacht than a cruise ship. You won't find a four-page daily program, lavish production shows, a sprawling casino or a three-level dining room. In fact, with the exception of a cozy piano bar, one black jack table, a feature film either in the Salon or under the stars, and an occasional night of karaoke or dancing, formal entertainment simply doesn't exist aboard SeaDream 2. Like a personal yacht, SeaDream 2 offers guests the raw materials they need to create their own memorable experiences and activities rather than presuming that at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, everyone will want to watch a cooking demonstration.

Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI was our first port, an uncrowded sister island to St. Thomas, with three-fifths of the island preserved as a national park. Our day began, as it would for the remainder of our sailing (including disembarkation day), with a leisurely breakfast at Topside Restaurant, SeaDream 2's outdoor dining room. Open seating, of course, Topside is no fast-food pit stop but a lovely sit-down restaurant used for daily breakfasts and lunches, and, on pleasant days in port or by request, a casual though elegant alternative to dinner at the indoor Dining Salon. Sheltered in part by an awning and ceiling fans, its teak tables set with tablecloths, china, glass and silver, waiters circulate, pouring coffee, bringing juices and taking orders from SD2's extensive breakfast menu which complements the more continental selections of the nearby buffet.
Fortified with an outstanding full American breakfast, I joined a group of my fellow passengers for our first "Shoreside Casual," a hike through the St. John National Park. Our activities director guided the invigorating tour, pointing out bird and plant species. We emerged an hour later at the pristine beach of Caneel Bay where some of our group took a dip in the crystal blue water (it was suggested we bring our swimsuits) while others explored the property. (Interesting that on a sailing that visited the celebrity haven of St. Barts, I had my only celebrity sighting-Chef Mario Batali-at the sleepy St. John!)

Nearly every afternoon of our Caribbean sailing, I'd return to SeaDream 2 to find Water Sports in full swing. Dependent, of course, upon weather and sea conditions (as well as local laws of some islands which prevent the use of motorized equipment like wave runners), SeaDream 2 drops its marina platform and invites guests to play in the ocean-soaring across the surface on a wave runner, rowing a glass-bottomed kayak, sailing, or simply diving off the platform for a swim. With SeaDream passengers typically being pretty young, pretty fit and pretty active, the water sports marina is a popular feature of the yacht.
We had good news and bad the following day: The bad being that rough seas would prevent our visit to Saba, a speck of an island in the Netherlands Antilles; the good being that we would proceed to the magical, French-accented St. Barts and arrive much earlier than scheduled, giving us two full days in Gustavia. While some chose to explore the island from one of the eight mountain bikes that SeaDream 2 offers guests for use ashore, I explored the shops that are located at the center of Gustavia, just steps away from where SeaDream guests disembark the tender. A visitor's first indication that St. Barts is an exorbitantly expensive island comes with their view of its harbor and the magnificent yachts and sailboats that are docked there. But, with a bit of effort, a bargain may be found (try Laurent Effel for high-end leather goods at reasonable prices), and the little sailor hangouts that dot the pier (Le Select claims to have been the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise) offer tasty lunches with reasonable prices and a ton of atmosphere if you can tear yourself away from SeaDream's fare.

Cuisine aboard SeaDream is award-winning, with dishes and wines that thrilled this seafood lover and her meat-and-potatoes husband equally in terms of portion, taste and presentation. While I leaned toward the lighter lunch buffet offerings like crab legs, fat New Zealand mussels and salads, my husband dove into the meaty lasagne and other hot dishes served from the full Topsiders lunch menu. At dinner each night, we chose from three starters, three soups (the pumpkin soup alone is worth the trip!), two salads, and four main courses and, often, a full "wellness" or specialized theme menu like Indian or Caribbean. Available at all times is a line up of more simple dishes like broiled salmon, chicken breast, steaks, Caesar salad and pasta. Vegetarian and gluten free dishes are designated.
With few exceptions, accommodations aboard SeaDream 2 are of the 195 square foot ocean view Yacht Club class with 16 of them staterooms convertible to Commodore Suite class, which is simply a double Yacht Club stateroom. One Admiral Suite (375 square foot) and one Owner's suite (447 square foot) are more elaborate options. All accommodations include a marble bathroom with multi-jet shower massage (the Owner's Suite has a separate soaking tub), Bulgari bath amenities, plush terry robes and slippers, flat screen TV/DVD/CD player and ipod docking station. Beds may be configured as singles or queen and are dressed with fine Belgian linens, down duvet and pillows. A small refrigerator holds a selection of complementary beer, soft drinks and bottled water and room service is offered 24 hours.
But aboard SeaDream 2, there is another option when bedtime rolls around: Sleeping Under the Stars. SeaDream has lifted to almost a ritual the concept of passing out in a deck chair! With personalized pajamas provided, SeaDream guests may reserve one of the yacht's Balinese dreambeds, a thick, firm mattress that's deckchair by day and may be transformed to a bed at night (for the greatest privacy reserve the beds in the far forward section of the yacht). Your cabin attendant will dress the dreambed with linens, pillows and a duvet, and place coverings over the area's lighting for a sound sleep all night long - if you like a firm-and I mean firm-mattress. Try that on a megaship!
There's a feeling of privilege that comes with sailing aboard SeaDream 2 and that feeling stems from the casual elegance (no tux or gowns ever-and with the ribbing my husband took from a few guests the one night he wore a tie to dinner, he learned that even business attire can be left at home), attention to detail and superb personalized service that combines the ideal level of friendliness with a high degree of professionalism. The intimate passenger count allows quick friendships to form and the only entertainment most seek is the conversation and camaraderie that may be found each night at the outdoor Top of the Yacht bar, the social heart of SeaDream 2 with its U-shaped wooden bar surrounded by nautically-inspired wooden tables and natural wicker chairs.
Jost van Dyke, the smallest of the main islands of the British Virgin Islands, and a beach and bar lover's paradise, was our next stop. A wet landing delivered us to the soft white sand beach outside of the colorful One Love Bar, a sand-floored food and drink shack decorated in a riotous display of graffiti, license plates, t-shirts, flags, and Christmas ornaments, and just a short walk down the beach to the Soggy Dollar, the birthplace of the popular rum/coconut milk drink, The Painkiller. That evening, we'd sail around this tiny three-mile island specifically to visit Foxy's, a hot (literally and figuratively) beach bar filled with character, steel drum music and dance-crazed patrons who think nothing of abducting newcomers and dragging them on to the dance floor!
When SeaDream throws a beach party like ours at Virgin Gorda, guests find hundreds of deck chairs and towels, a lavish menu of not just burgers and hot dogs but barbecued ribs, chicken, steak, shrimp kabobs, Asian dishes, salads and delectable desserts served on bone china with ample seating under umbrella-topped tables and both a stationary bar and circulating waiters ready to fill drink orders. But that's just the beginning. Suddenly, a zodiac speeds from the ship, and the Champagne & Caviar Splash, SeaDream's signature event, is underway. Behind a tin of fresh Sevruga caviar and its accompaniments balanced atop a surfboard, SeaDream 2's Executive Chef Erwin L. Unterberger, waist deep in the surf, serves the delicacy while champagne toting waiters pour and refill the flutes of guests who have waded in for the decadent offerings.
SeaDream seems to take each element of a cruise and perfect it. While guests on other ships may return to their tender station to find maybe a glass of ice water, SeaDream passengers find an attended table set out with ice water, soft drinks, fresh fruit, cookies and other snacks. (And don't think the guests on that other ship don't try to swipe a few of our cookies.) On board, sunglasses are cleaned regularly by cheerful deck stewards, who are also armed with sprayers to offer a cooling mist to overheated sunbathers and guests returning from shore are presented with a chilled, lemon-scented washcloth that both soothes and cools the effects of a day in the Caribbean sun.
It's unfair to compare the SeaDream experience to that of a cruise ship. As SeaDream's advertising emphasizes, SeaDream is yachting, not cruising. And it's only a yacht that could ever dream of sailing to the 2 � mile long Norman Island, BVI, an uninhabited island reputed to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and where, it is rumored, undiscovered pirate gold still exists. Today, Norman Island is home to Pirates Bight, a beach bar and restaurant staffed by residents of nearby islands who sail in for work each day. During our visit, I found no pirates gold but did find some terrific conch fritters and rum punch at Pirates Bight.
Aboard SeaDream 2, the difference between yachting and cruising quickly becomes as clear as the waters of a Caribbean beach. Last week, I saw what a truly stress-free holiday is all about. And I shared the experience with only 111 other guests which, I might add, is less than one-third the capacity of an Oasis of the Seas - lifeboat.
SeaDream 1 and 2 will sail Northern Europe and the Mediterranean this summer and will return to the Caribbean in November 2011 for sailings that range from 5 to 9 days. Two 20-day Amazon sailings are scheduled for SeaDream 2 in February and March 2012.

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Cruise Trips: Adventure over Relaxation

Despite the relaxing image, a cruise trip can be as adventurous as any vacation, depending on the ship and itinerary. Real travelers want to visit world-famous sites and experience the local culture, but for many travelers the idea of a cruise trip evokes only visions of sun-soaked tanning time. Au contraire: A cruise ship vacation can be just as culturally fulfilling and adventurous as any other travel option. Arguably, in many ways cruise trips are the best way to see the world.
One misconception about cruise ships is that because they are sea-bound, they don't go to the places sophisticated travelers want to see. Don't you believe it. I have been on cruise trips that visit many places the most ardent adventurers covet. I have seen calving glaciers in Alaska, the mummy of Tutankhamen in Cairo, sharks in the Bora Bora lagoon, the Palace of Versailles, the Great Wall of China, the Moscow Circus and Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Many world travelers feel the only way to really experience a foreign destination is to rely on the local options for meals, accommodations and transportation. But I contend you can experience all those things without sacrificing your personal comfort and convenience. Let's compare the logistics of a typical foreign land vacation to a cruise trip. You'll see that cruise ship vacations have advantages many travelers never realize.

The Local Experience


A typical European land vacation is a package deal where you fly into one city -- Paris, Rome, London or Prague, for example -- stay for a week, and return home. If that is all you want, fine; but most people who are flying all the way to Europe want to stay on the continent longer and see as much as they can. Two to eight weeks is far more common.
Typical travel options for European visitors include a car rental; railroad passes good for several weeks' passage; or guided tours by bus. Your choice depends on your budget, what you want to see, and considerations for comfort and convenience.
Most travelers prefer to keep moving in order to see as much as possible, depending on the location; but special cities such as Rome or Venice require several days to take in all the attractions. Other sites worth visiting can be absorbed in a few hours. (I am thinking of Argenteuil on the River Seine, which inspired many of Monet's most famous paintings.)

A Teenager Backpacks Europe


As a teenager, I toured Europe with a group of 18-year-olds escorted by three high school teachers. We traveled by railroad, bus, hydrofoil and subway from Rome to London, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. Every day or two, we packed our bags and loaded them on a bus to the railroad station. Hours of travel later we claimed our luggage again and were shuttled to another hotel. We unpacked, dressed and paid for dinner in a nearby restaurant, and went to bed.
On sightseeing days, we were led around the city on foot until we were exhausted. After paying for another meal, we packed all but our jammies to prepare for an early departure to a new destination. Spending hour after hour on trains, many of us tried to nap or find sustenance from the snack car or whatever food we could hoard away. Food was usually expensive and not nutritious.

You get the idea. Not only did we mostly live out of our suitcases; we spent half our vacation time looking out the windows of trains and buses. Our meals were unpredictable and unsatisfying, especially as we all tried to save money for souvenirs and other treats.
Seeing Europe like this is still common for many travelers. Restaurants are expensive, with everything a la carte and impatient waiters. Some hotels have obscure rules like locking the doors at 9:00 p.m. and turning the hot water off at night. The trains' routes are not planned for the panoramic vistas. You spend more time poring over train schedules, packing and lugging your bags around than you do sightseeing.
Some young people still backpack through Europe. They land in a city and take a taxi downtown to find a hostel with straw mattresses. But older individuals want creature comforts and intellectual stimulation at the same time. Local travel options are far too cumbersome for serious travelers.

Car Rentals


Renting a car gives you more freedom, but also the challenge of driving in a foreign land, where you run the risk of getting horribly lost trying to read maps and freeway signs with foreign names and hieroglyphic symbols that mean nothing to you. As you navigate the spider-web streets of ancient cities, you battle local drivers who ignore streetlights and consider the white lane lines as mere suggestions. The cost of petrol is three times higher than the worst days of the energy crisis in America.

A Better Option -- Guided Tours


Because of the above drawbacks, many experienced travelers opt for motorcoach tours where everything is prearranged. Hotels and restaurants are pre-selected and included in the tour cost. Bus tours are actually a decent choice: Experienced guides tell you what you are seeing, and you never have to worry about navigating or negotiating cab, restaurant, hotel or train fares.
The only drawback to bus tours is the accommodations. You still find yourself in a different hotel every day or two. You must unpack and repack. Your beds and bathrooms will vary from acceptable to horrible.

Cruise Trips -- The Best Vacation Option


Now let's look at cruise trips. You touch down in your foreign airport and find a cruise line representative waiting to take your bags. You are guided to a coach and driven to the ship, where you are greeted with champagne and shown to your stateroom. Your bags arrive at your door soon after. You unpack once and go to dinner.
The next day you wake up, eat breakfast on the vessel, and take a tour provided by the cruise line. If it is a larger ocean-going cruise ship, you pay for the tour; but if it is a river cruise -- which I highly recommend -- the shore tours are included in the cruise price. Your river cruiser will often stop close enough to the important sites to walk there, or the line will provide a coach.
You can eat lunch in a local restaurant if you want, or you can return to the ship for a fare-included gourmet meal prepared by an expert European chef who knows and uses local ingredients. Overnight, the riverboat or cruise ship sails to the next location. You eat dinner, enjoy the nighttime entertainment and go to bed. When you wake up, you are in a new destination, ready to repeat the previous day's timetable but with all new sights.


A cruise trip on a European river boat means you spend every day sightseeing, each day in a new location. All shore tours and meals are provided by the cruise line and included in the cruise fare. You only unpack one time, so you never have to worry about finding a train station, hotel or restaurant. (You never have to pay for any of those, either.) Every minute you are sailing, you can sit on deck and watch the countryside go by.
Cruise ships are similar, except that a cruise ship will dock in a different city every day or two and offer a selection of 20 or 30 different tours to choose from. In Naples you might want to see the ancient city of Pompeii, or spend a day on the Isle of Capri. You will pay for the tours, however.
Whether by cruise ship or riverboat, a cruise trip to Europe, Asia, Alaska, South America or anywhere you travel is more than just leisurely days lying in the sun. A cruise trip is a real travel adventure offering incredible convenience and variety in sites and destinations.
You unpack just once. Your meals, transportation to different destinations, accommodations and nightly entertainment are all included in the cruise cost. Since you prepay for almost the entire trip in U.S. dollars, you won�t suffer from currency devaluation vs. the Euro. A cruise is a perfect way to see the world with all the benefits and none of the drawbacks of the usual methods of travel.


Cruise Trip Destinations


My river cruise trip through the Russian countryside from Moscow to St. Petersburg is a perfect example. Day after day, we rolled past small towns, people riding on tractors, farmers selling homegrown cabbages and turnips by the roadside, and local residents walking to their orthodox churches in outmoded Sunday dress clothes.
With the onboard lecturers constantly telling us what we were seeing, and frequent stops to explore important sites from the Communist era and the monarchy, it was the cruise trip of a lifetime. It had nothing to do with typical visions of "cruise vacations" as most people perceive them. There were no umbrella drinks, reggae bands, bingo games or shuffleboard.
I understand the charm of living in a French town for two weeks, shopping at the marche and learning to nap every day from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. But I prefer to keep moving and see new things.
I especially love cruise trips to exciting destinations, because the ship does most of the actual travel while I sleep. On a cruise in Europe, you wake up in a new destination every morning. In some cases, you will wish you had more time to explore certain destinations. But there are plenty of places in Europe and elsewhere where one day is more than enough to see everything you need to see. I will give some examples.
A typical Eastern Mediterranean cruise usually starts in Venice, Italy, and continues through the Greek Isles and ports along the coast. Among the places you visit that are worth seeing but really do not require more than a day:
Ephesus: This ancient city founded by Alexander the Great is where the apostle Paul spoke in the theater during his earliest days. His famous "Letter to the Ephesians" is based upon a promise he made to them that he would return. One can still sit in the very theater where Paul addressed the crowd, and that is but one attraction of the ancient city. Another is the house alleged to be the former home of Mary, mother of Christ, who was brought to the city by John the apostle -- whose burial place is in nearby St. John's Basilica. All these sites can be seen easily with a one-day stop in Kusadasi, Turkey.

Delos: This island, only accessible by boat, was once the capital of the Hellenic Empire before Athens. It was also a major trading port and the home of people from various cultures circa 500 BC. You will find examples of Greek, Phoenician, Egyptian and Minoan architecture as you wander the island, which is smaller than one square mile but full of the ruins of a once great cultural center. Definitely worth visiting, but not requiring more than a day.
Naples: Everyone has heard of the famous Italian city, but can you name one site worth visiting? There is really only one site close to the city worth the trip: the ruins of Pompeii. In the First Century AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered a vital Roman city in ash -- essentially freezing the city in time for future excavation. The murals, homes, baths and even human remains preserved there are awesome.
Monaco: Everything I have mentioned so far is a ruin, but there are other places worth a visit that can be fully experienced in one day, like the beautiful city of Monaco, Monte Carlo. The city is beautiful and intriguing with its Royal Palace and the church where Princess Grace was wed and is buried. But once you have seen those buildings, walked the shopping district and viewed the multi-million dollar yachts in the harbor, you are essentially done. You could rent a car and drive the famous cliffs, or you could don a suit and pay the extravagant cover charge to enter the casino, but if you do you will say, "Hmmm, not exactly as exciting as I envisioned."

The Nature of Cruise Trips


I don't mean to say cruise trips are comprised only of places you wouldn't care to stay more than a day. In fact, many cruise ships will stay in special ports like Venice or St Petersburg, Russia, for two or three days. Many cruises start and end in cities where you might like to spend extra time, so you can get a hotel and dig into one location pre or post-cruise if you want. But there are many cruise ports vitally worth seeing where you don't necessarily need more than a day. Here are a few more:
Portofino, Italy
Cinque Terre, Italy
Gdansk, Poland
Talinn, Estonia
Crete
Malta
St. Tropez, France
Marseille, France
Madeira, Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Seville, Spain
Personally, I would even argue that Athens is not even worth more than one day, and I have spent several days there myself. All the sights you want to see, from the Acropolis to the Plaka and the Athens Museum, are within a short distance of one another.
With organization, you can see a lot more in one place than you might ever imagine. You will be exhausted at the end of the day, but isn't that the point anyway?

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Crystal Symphony - Virtual Cruise Summary

During the course of the cruise a great many people I spoke to, when told it was my first Crystal cruise, and that I was writing live from the ship, asked what I thought of the ship, and what I thought about Crystal.
As I explained then, I attempt to only take in each day's experience on the ship during the cruise, and make no call on the cruise until the cruise is over, or almost over. On every cruise there are incidental occurrences (they can be good or bad) which do not prove consistent throughout the cruise. While I did write about them daily, and they contribute to the final opinion, I think it's a mistake to dwell on them during the cruise, rather than let the entire experience play out.
I thought I should summarize the cruise now, perhaps offering more subjective views than a "review" would call for.
On luxury cruises, aside from the expected quality of the cuisine and hospitality department services, it's often the little thing that can separate a cruise line from it's competitors.
For example; during the last 24 hrs. on our Crystal Symphony cruise Crystal notified all passengers, with a note in the Reflections daily, that they'd be offering everyone onboard 20 minutes of free Internet time in order to allow them to check in for their flights and print out their boarding passes. A very night touch in my view.
Another nice touch is all the laundry and pressing is returned to your cabin in really nice bright white garment bags and shoe-sized bags, emblazoned with the Crystal Logo, and made of entirely recyclable materials.
In the public washrooms onboard there's no sight of paper towels or hot air hand dryers. They only use cloth hand towels.
I've never encountered better "lido deck boys" (the pool attendants, and lido caf� attendants) than on the Symphony. They were always smiling, greeting you by name (I was Sir Kuki), and asking if there was anything they could do for you. Amazingly they have the knack for doing so while appearing to be truly sincere. They aren't a part of any tipping pool, but with their great attitudes I'd be very surprised if by the end of the cruise they do pretty well. Their service was so outstanding, I'd have felt guilty leaving the ship without giving everyone I met a token of my appreciation.
Crystal excels with their activities and special interest lecturers program. Each sea day there were at least two special interest presentations, as well as the various Crystal University at Sea programs, along with the regular cruise activities such as bridge, team trivia, etc. And, as this was a golf themed cruise, each sea day there were complimentary golf clinics for all passengers.
Realistically there is no way one could participate in everything onboard, even those much more energetic than I am (not very).

Though the cabins and suites on the Symphony are smaller than equivalent categories on other luxury lines, they are well designed and well appointed. If size matters, this might be of concern to some luxury cruisers. The other concern, which I discussed in one of the daily reports is the poor quality of the balcony furniture. In my opinion, it's an area which should be addressed immediately. At the per diem rates Crystal charges I would like to see better quality balcony furniture - but it isn't a big concern, obviously.
As you enter the PH Suite I was in, there is a narrow hallway you enter, with the bathroom to the right, and the walk in closet to the left. I'd like to see a curtain that you could open and close, which would separate the living area of the suite from the washroom and closet.
Cuisine and entertainment are very personal judgments. I freely admit to having no ear for music. Thus, in that area I tend to judge musical presentations, and production shows by the energy of the act, and the audience reaction. The attendance at the shows for late seating guests was quite sparse throughout the cruise, which had to make it quite difficult for the entertainers. I understand they are supposed to be professionals, and go out and perform, but I believe most of the top entertainers feed off the energy of their audiences.
Food is one of the things that most affects a cruiser's choice of ship and cruise line. Certainly that's not true for repeat cruisers on a cruise line. However, if you sail on a ship where you find the food unsatisfactory, it isn't likely you'll book it, or the same cruise line again.

I found the food in the Crystal Dining Room to be excellent, with a varied and interesting menu, which isn't that easy to do on a 14 night sailing. Many items I tried were exceptional. I'm normally a "steak and potato" kind of guy. Yet, I think I only ate steak two nights of the fourteen.
The soups were so outstanding I made sure to have a soup course every night. They were consistently as good or better than any I've tasted on a ship. There were a number of times during the cruise that the appetizers I chose were so tasty I could have cancelled my other courses, and continued to have them roll out repeated orders of the appetizer.
Desserts were another matter. There were several I very much enjoyed, but generally I found they looked much better than they tasted.
The presentation of every item served in the Crystal Dining Room was beautiful, and done with real artistic flair. Nothing served just looked like a plate of food rushed to get out.
The same could be said about the little appetizer plates served before dinner in the ship's lounges. The ones I sampled were all delicious.
I was less impressed by the offerings in the Lido Café. The layout, with various action stations, was very well done, and the café design relaxed and inviting. The lunch menus were more interesting, with several theme lunches proving popular. The breakfast menu was simply repetitive, and frankly seemingly no better quality than many premium brand cruise lines. The made to order eggs and omelets were of course fresh and made to order. The buffet items like the pancakes and French Toast fell flat. They were bland, and sometimes obviously left too long on their warming trays.

I took the majority of my lunches from the Trident Grill. For a grill area, it has an extensive menu. Surprising because the service area is quite small for the size of the menu. The grilled sandwiches, like Rueben sandwiches and grilled ham and cheese, are pre-prepared and kept refrigerated, then warmed in the microwave oven, then unwrapped and placed on the grill to toast the bread. Not all that impressive a system, but they did end up tasting pretty good. The fries, and the sweet potato fries offered at the Trident Grill are outstanding, and they were seemingly always taking a fresh batch out of the fryers, so they were always hot.
With the exception of embarkation day, when the staff were overwhelmed by arriving guests (solely because the Lido Caf� is not open that day, and the dining room quits serving lunch at 1:30 P.M.), the service at the Trident Grill was speedy and efficient.
Not only is the Lido Café closed on embarkation day, it closes daily at 1:30 P.M. I truly don't understand the reasoning for this policy. It's not necessary to have an elaborate buffet all afternoon, but a limited selection, of items not offered at the Trident Grill would seem more reasonable, perhaps until 3 P.M. If it was after 1:30, and you just felt like a tossed salad, you were out of luck.
With regard to service I experienced onboard...
As I said the "lido guys" were the best! The reception desk (guest relations) staff were friendly, and always helpful, and quick to try and please. David, my butler was eager to please and always offering to do more. Priscilla, my cabin stewardess was also as good as it gets. In fact, the staff throughout the ship, with the exception of those I dealt with in the Crystal Dining Room, were extremely impressive in all they did. As I said in an earlier daily report, I think the staff and crew are the key to Crystal being Crystal.

I spoke earlier in the Virtual Cruise about our dining room waiter being "home already" since this was his last week with Crystal. I do believe because of this his inattentiveness was likely the exception rather than the rule.
Though offering "Perfect Choice" (anytime) dining, on Crystal the traditional assigned dining times are still the most popular. One of the main reasons people cite for preferring the assigned dining times is because they believe the wait staff get to know them, and get to know their preferences.
After 14 nights, our waiter was still offering me pepper with every course he served, though I never said yes the entire cruise, and though I had mentioned the second day, that I don't care for black pepper. It didn't detract from my enjoyment of my meals at all, in fact it became a bit of a joke with my tablemates. But it was indicative of where his mind was.
The Head Waiter for our section visited the table every night during dinner. He was sociable and fun, and every single night he told us if there was anything we need or would like having to do with the food in the dining room, to simply let him know. On about the seventh night of the cruise, when he said this, I told him I was crazy for the pasta I had eaten on the second night of the cruise, and would love to have it again. He acknowledged my request, but never mentioned it again, and the pasta never appeared, nor was it offered to me.


Once again, I wasn't suffering with my dining choices each night. I had plenty to eat. But I don't think they should go through the nightly "schpiel", if they aren't going to deliver! That's the part I resent, regardless if I am enjoying all other aspects of my meal. It belies the tag of "luxury experience".
I also note that only once during the 14 nights did the Maitre D' of the dining room make even a tertiary pass by our table during dinner. No need for a nightly visit, but I think a couple of times during a 14 night cruise would show some interest in the goings on in his dining room.
One other activity in the dining room that surprised me greatly was allowed to take place; photographers going table to table to take pictures during dinner. It's a pet peeve of mine, but I view it as crassly commercial. I don't object to photo opportunities being available in other public areas on the ship, but in my view it's an intrusion in the dining room, and there's no place for it on a luxury cruise line. Crystal should take note of it's competitors policies in this regard.
To close this out... I really loved the Symphony. With the exception of the lovely lobby area with beautiful crystal, lights, and waterfall, which jumps with WOW factor, the ship is stunningly understated simplicity, quality, and elegance.

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Cunard: Unique New Activities

There are two styles of luxury cruising - the first focuses on onboard enrichment with lectures, shows, classes, music and entertainment. The latter puts more focus on destinations.

The first category is mostly defined by the two luxury lines with larger ships; Crystal and Cunard Line. The destination-oriented cruise lines with much smaller ships include Seabourn, Silversea and Regent.

Queen Mary 2 - Classic Crossings
Now, Cunard Line has upped the entertainment ante even more with new offerings for Queen Mary 2, considered the only authentic, purpose-built ocean liner still in regular service. Queen Mary 2 entered service in 2004.

Ever since Cunard introduced its two smaller sister ships, the Queen Victoria (2007) and the Queen Elizabeth (2010), the oldest and biggest Cunarder, Queen Mary 2, now spends the majority of each year making transatlantic crossings. These trips between New York and Southampton (U.K.) generally last six or seven days depending on whether you are eastbound or westbound. The only exception cruises are the yearly world cruise which starts in January and lasts 90 to 100 days, and a few special additions to crossings the ship makes from its regular homeports, such as a roundtrip sojourn to the Canary Islands from Southampton and a few special trips up the Canadian coastline from New York.

Because there are no ports of call on ocean crossings the ship itself becomes the main attraction. Therefore Cunard has put extraordinary effort into creating the best entertainment offerings possible for Queen Mary 2.

New Entertainment Offerings on Queen Mary 2
Queen Mary 2 has always had the Illuminations Theater, also known as the planetarium. This very unique movie theater has four projectors to fill a dome shaped screen that descends from the ceiling and envelopes the viewers sitting in seats that tilt back almost to a fully reclined position. Cunard just announced that it is adding an additional 3-D movie projection system to Illuminations to show specially designed movies in the 3-D format. The system is provided by RealD, a leading global licensor of 3D technologies.

Beginning in May, Queen Mary 2 will be showing the opera Carmen as produced by London's Royal Opera House. CARMEN IN 3D is a dazzling film, filled with some of the best-loved music ever written and performed by a world-class cast. With English subtitles throughout, it is the perfect event for life-long opera fans and first-timers alike.

In addition, upcoming summer 3D blockbusters will be shown, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The next new enrichment offering has me especially excited, as a musician and songwriter myself. Also new this year, professional songwriter and music producer Chris Difford, formerly of the 1970's British new wave band Squeeze, will conduct songwriting workshops with four other professional songwriters as part of the Professional Insights series. With Difford's songwriting program, guests will collaborate in small groups with guitarists, pianists, singers and bass players from Queen Mary 2's orchestra. The best songwriters will then have the opportunity to record their songs in a studio on board and can take the final recording home. Difford and the songwriters also will be performing well-known Squeeze favorites during the voyage. Difford's Professional Insights songwriting program will be offered on the following voyages:

    * 10 - 17 May (Southampton - NY)
    * 24 June - 1 July (Southampton - NY)
    * 15 - 22 August (Southampton - NY)
    * 20 - 27 September (Southampton - NY)
    * 27 September - 7 October (New England and Canadian Sojourn)

The Dramatic Arts on Queen Mary 2
Finally - Cunard has had a long affiliation with RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. This group of actors provides interactive events with the quests in what are called "street theater" performances onboard. The group also provides acting workshops and lessons, and also performs special shows in Queen Mary 2's Royal Court Theatre.

But now RADA is adding a few new components to its onboard offerings. The troupe will appear in two of Queen Mary 2's lounges, blending musical components with performances featuring poetry, piano and jazz including:

Jazz Poetry with the Mark Hodgson Trio: The RADA actors will perform rhythmic, jazz and rap poetry accompanied by the musical trio in The Chart Room.

Passion and Piano: The actors will read passionate poetry and prose accompanied by the piano, and will also read chosen pieces and take requests from the audience. This will take place in the Winter Garden.

Read more: http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/feature/cunard-activities-041711.cfm#ixzz1NHlvjZpB

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Disney: New U.S. Ports for 2012

Disney is putting another one of its cruise ships "on the road." Disney Magic will have cruises scheduled to sail out of New York and even Galveston, Texas, in 2012. Disney Wonder will be sailing out of Seattle for the first time.
Right now, Disney Magic is with her new big sister ship, Disney Dream, sailing out of Port Canaveral. But this winter she heads to Europe for cruises out of Barcelona from May to September. She will then return to Port Canaveral until next May when she heads to New York City for the first time.
Next summer (2012), Magic will sail 20 cruises out of New York City with two completely different itinerary options. There will be eight eight-night cruises sailing down to Nassau, Bahamas, Castaway cay (the private island) and Port Canaveral where every guest will get a one-day "Park Hopper" pass to Disney World in Orlando, with roundtrip transportation from the ship, all included in the cruise fare. The Park Hopper pass allows guests to visit the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center or both - as much ground as you can possibly cover in a single day.
The other New York Option is a five day cruise north to Canada, visiting Saint John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. There are also three short two-day "cruises to nowhere" scheduled for June 15, July 13 and August 10.
After the New York summer season Magic will make her way south to Galveston, Texas, for the line's first visit to the popular new cruise port. The first of 12 seven-day cruises is scheduled for September 22, 2012. The Western Caribbean itinerary calls in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Costa Maya.
This year (2011) it is sister ship Disney Wonder that is on the road. The current 2011 schedule has her sailing out of Los Angeles down to Mexico this winter and out of Vancouver to Alaska this coming summer. Disney Wonder is currently scheduled to return to Los Angeles for Mexico cruises from September 2011 through April 2012.
But for the 2012 summer Alaska season, Disney Wonder's home port will be changed from Vancouver to Seattle. The Seattle 2012 seven-day itineraries include Tracy Arm Fjord for glacier watching, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.
On her way back to Los Angeles, Disney Wonder will sail four Pacific Coast cruises from Los Angeles with stops in San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada. Then she will make another "first" for Disney, a rare one-time roundtrip voyage to Hawaii, sailing from Los Angeles on April 29. The cruise will include the Hawaiian Islands and Ensenada, Mexico, as the solitary stop in a foreign port.
Interestingly, rumors were circulating about Disney ships going to Galveston and to Hawaii for the first time last summer, but Disney would not confirm anything at the time. It looks like the magic mirror was working pretty well as most of the rumors we heard back then have now materialized.
All of this wandering around the U.S. is now possible because the new Disney Dream is now in service in Port Canaveral. Even better - she is about to be joined by the even newer Disney Fantasy - scheduled to debut in the U.S. on March 31, 2012. While the Dream will offer mostly three and four-day cruises, (and some five-day itineraries) usually taken in conjunction with a stop at Disney World in Orlando, the new Disney Fantasy will offer seven-day Caribbean cruises.
Disney has branched out to offer West Coast, Alaska and even European cruises before, but 2012 will be the most extensive schedule of U.S.-based home-ports ever by Disney. It is notable that the entire summer of 2012 the entire Disney fleet will be sailing from U.S. ports; New York, Port Canaveral and Seattle.
Indeed - 2012 should be a very interesting year with many cruise lines announcing new schedules mostly because of rising fuel costs and new legislative restrictions mandating that cruise ships must burn a cleaner but more expensive fuel when close to U.S. and Canadian coastlines.
It is also notable that despite the higher costs (relative to prior years) of cruising out of U.S. ports, Disney is not returning to Europe in 2012. In 2011 many cruise lines had come to see Europe as the best place to be for its growing market and stronger currency, but 2011 is shaping up as a bit of a challenge for U.S. cruise lines in Europe - mostly due to rising airfare costs.

Read more: http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/feature/Disney-new-ports-042111.cfm#ixzz1NHk8k4oj

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