Costa Atlantica

This week Beyondships presents its first profile and photo tour of a Costa Cruises ship.  She is Costa Atlantica, which was built to the same design as the Carnival Spirit and which is the forerunner of quite a few cruise ships sailing for a number of different lines.  It is a good design from a seagoing perspective – - she goes fairly fast and her seakeeping qualities mean that she is not confined to just going around calm seas.  This design is also popular with passengers, carrying an array of features and amenities in a good layout.   At nearly 86,000 gross tons, she is big but not gargantuan.

What distinguishes Costa Atlantica from her sisters and cousins that sail for other lines is her Italian-style of cruising.  While some other lines try to de-emphasize their national origin in hopes of attracting an international clientele, Costa emphasizes its Italian origins and succeeds in attracting an international clientele. In fact, it is the most popular cruise line in Europe and even when the ship is sailing in North America, there are substantial numbers of European guests.

As a result, Costa Atlantica has a cosmopolitan and international feel.  This should not be confused with being stuffy  - – the bold colors and designs of the interior are too light hearted for that.  Rather, it means that one is likely to encounter people with different backgrounds and tastes, which is a broadening experience.

The profile of Costa Atlantica appears at:  http://beyondships.com/CostaAtlarntica-Profile.html  and the photo tour and commentary begins at: http://beyondships.com/CostaAtlantica-Tour-1.html

Turning to some items in the news – -

On 1 November Oasis of the Seas passed under the Great Belt Fixed Link bridge in Denmark while making her way from the shipyard where she was built in Finland out to the Atlantic.  Even with her telescopic funnels lowered, there was only 2 feet of clearance between the bridge and the ship.  Traffic on the bridge was halted for 15 minutes while the ship passed.  I think that incidents such as this underscore just how big this ship is in a way that the gross tonnage figures do not. 

Unfortunately, the ship then encountered high winds and rough seas, which caused RCI to announce that her arrival in Fort Lauderdale will be delayed two days to November 13.  This should not be seen as a black mark on the new ship’s record.  The North Atlantic can be difficult that in November.  Building in the ability to withstand such seas and make fast crossings is the reason why Queen Mary 2 cost a third more to build than a comparable sized cruise ship.   Since such crossings are not what Oasis is intended to do, there was no reason to build such a capability into her.   Her test will be how well she entertains guests while sailing the calm waters of the Caribbean.  

Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Lines’ largest ship yet, Carnival Dream (130,000 tons) will be named in a ceremony in New York on November 12.  Carnival has announced that the godmother will be actress Marcia Gay Harden.  The naming ceremony will also include the unveiling of the world’s largest children’s book signifying a multi-year partnership between Carnival and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.    

Princess announced that it is going fully digital with its pre-cruise documents.  In the past, passengers have received a rather dauntingly large envelope in the mail containing such things as information about shore excursions and a booklet designed to answer questions about the upcoming voyage.  For voyages departing after January 21, 2010, passengers will be receiving a series of e-mails giving them information about their upcoming cruise.   Amongst other things, these e-mails will be more personalized to the ship, the itinerary and the passenger’s status in Princess’ repeat passenger program.  At least in theory, this should save a few trees.      

 

Dance Captain Carol Summers

This week we continue with our new series of behind-the-scenes looks at Queen Mary 2.

 The first is a conversation with Chief Engineer Brian Watling about how QM2 works from a technical perspective.  Brian has served on Cunard ships for 27 years including being Chief Engineer on Queen Elizabeth 2.  He also “stood-by” at the shipyard as QM2 was being built o he is uniquely qualified to talk about how the ship works.

 In our conversation we talked about everything from the propulsion plant to the azipods and about other areas of the Technical Department’s far-flung responsibilities.  The article appears at: http://beyondships.com/QM2-art-Watling.html

 To balance this technical discussion, this week I am also presenting an interview with Carol Summers who is the Dance Captain on QM2.  This is not the dance team that gives dance lessons in the Queens Room but rather the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers who perform the production shows in the ship’s theater.

 Carol is a professional dancer who performed during QM2’s maiden voyage and subsequently on Queen Victoria and QE2.  We talked about how the production shows on passenger ships are put together and what it is like for a team of professional singers and dancers to live aboard a passenger ship.  The interview appears at: http://beyondships.com/QM2-art-Summers.html

 Turning to the news – -

Royal Caribbean took delivery of Oasis of the Seas on October 30 in a ceremony in a conference room in the shipyard where she was built in Finland.  This does not mean that she will go into service yet.  Royal Caribbean is taking the approach of using the ship’s transatlantic crossing between Finland and Fort Lauderdale to hone her crew and get them used to operating this colossal vessel.   For example, each day during the crossing, a new dining or entertainment venue will be “officially” opened and brought on line.  This is an approach that works quite well and is frequently credited as a reason that Ruby Princess opened to such good reviews last year.  Oasis will reach Fort Lauderdale on November 11 after which there will be a naming ceremony with seven godmothers cutting the ribbon that will cause a bottle of wine to smash against the ship’s side.

 Meanwhile, on 31 October, in Venice Italy, Holland America’s latest ship, the Nieu Amsterdam was floated out of the dry dock in which she was created.  The float-out is an important step in a ship’s life equivalent to the traditional practice of sliding the ship down the ways into the water.  After the float-out, the ship goes to a fitting out dock where the remainder of the work needed to bring her into service will be done.  Nieu Amsterdam is the second Signature-class (Super-Vista) ship to be built and is scheduled to join the HAL fleet on 4 July 2010.

 Disney has announced that one f the features on its forthcoming Disney Dream will be a 725-foot long roller coaster.  While the new 128,000-ton ship is supposed to be done in keeping with Disney’s existing ships, this feature does not seem at this distance to harmonize with the tasteful (albeit somewhat whimsical) style of those ships.   However, Disney is not about to sacrifice its reputation for quality and so it will be interesting to see how they bring this off.

Chief Engineer Brian Watling

Caribbean Princess

Although I had greatly enjoyed my last cruise on Caribbean Princess, I was somewhat skeptical about going back.  In 2008, she was a nice ship with good food and lots of things to do.  However, in January 2009, she went through a major refit project.  Why mess with a good thing?

  The aim of this project was to give Caribbean Princess some of the same features as her younger sisters Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess.  I was familiar with these ships and the features that were to be transplanted to Caribbean Princess such as the Crown Grill specialty restaurant and the adults-only Sanctuary are indeed very nice but would their importation spoil the character of Caribbean Princess.  I am a believer that every ship has its own character and thus attempts to make one ship the same as another are misguided and bound to fail.

 Fortunately, Princess was able to defy the rule.  The new features do indeed enhance the cruise experience on Caribbean Princess.  Plus, due to physical constraints and some wise thinking, the new additions are slightly different than on the other ships.  Thus, Caribbean Princess has the advantages of the new features while still retaining her own character.

 The changes to Caribbean Princess touched many areas and as a result, I have extensively revised my photo tour and commentary for the ship. It now starts at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Tour-1a.html.  In addition, I was able to sit down with Captain Marco Fortezze and Passenger Services Director Peter Hollinson to find out their inside views of the project. http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-art-Revitalizing.html  I have also added new menus, Princess Patters, deck plans and other information to the Caribbean Princess profile page. http://beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Profile.html

 Turning to items in the news,     Cunard announced this week that filmmakers Griffin Dunne and Gary Winick will be lecturing on Queen Mary 2’s 11 November transatlantic crossing.  Dunne will discuss “Practical Magic,” starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock; Winick will screen his feature film, “13 Going on 30,” starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo.  Such discussions are often quite interesting, not only for film buffs, but also for people who are interested in hearing beyond-the-scenes insights.  I was on a transatlantic crossing this summer in which film director Baz Luhrmann screened his “Moulin Rouge” and enjoyed the lecture perhaps more than the film.

 Cunard has always been quite good about attracting Hollywood stars and other celebrities to its transatlantic crossings.  Quite a few have been there to give a talk about some project they were involved with but others have been there just as passengers.  I recall exercising in the gym and noticing that the fellow at the next machine was Rod Stewart.  He walked about the public areas and most people respected his privacy.

 On another voyage on QE2, there was a man who everyone agreed looked like David Bowie.  Oddly enough, no one said: “That is David Bowie.”   Rather, he would be seen here and there about the ship and it was a running joke amongst the passengers that “there is the Bowie-guy again.”   Later, a senior officer confided to me that the supposed look-alike was indeed the man himself.  I have often wondered what would have happened if the “Bowie-guy” had entered the karaoke contest in the Golden Lion Pub.  Probably, everybody would have agreed that he did not sound a bit like him.

 Princess has released the results of a study that concluded most Americans do not lead balanced lives, i.e., they do not balance the demands and stresses of everyday life with free time. Residents of Chicago were determined to have the least balance in their lives while residents of Miami had the most balance.  Interestingly, there is a direct correlation between these findings and the number of ocean-going cruise ships homeported in each city – - a lesson there for city-planners.   

 Visiting New York this week was Fred. Olsen Cruises’ Balmoral, the former Norwegian Crown and Crown Odyessey. She had been visiting Canada and was about to head back across the Atlantic to England. While she has been stretched and refurbished since leaving NCL, she retains much of her original attractiveness.  I will be adding a section to Beyondships about the Balmoral in the not too distant future.

Hotel Director Robert Taggart

             Captain James MacDonald was Jewel of the Seas first captain and has spent most of the last five years with the ship.  Hotel Director Robert Taggart has only been with the ship for more than a year.  Still, talking to both men one quickly sees that they regard Jewel as a special ship.

 

            As a master mariner, Captain MacDonald’s focus was naturally on what makes Jewel special from a nautical perspective.  Amongst other things, he pointed out her unique environmentally-friendly power plant and talked about her state-of-the-art propulsion that gives the ship the ability to obtain speeds rare for a cruise ship.

 

            Mr. Taggart started his career on the Canadian Pacific liner Princess Patricia, which ship buffs will recall was the first ship sailed by Princess Cruises.  His prior experience also includes time with Carnival and on the big Royal Caribbean ships including Adventure of the Seas.  Thus, he has seen a great deal of the cruise industry.  Yet, he sees Jewel’s spacious and elegant style as something unusual.

 

            My interview with Captain McDonald appears at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-MacDonald.html while my talk with Mr. Taggart is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-Taggart.html

 

 Some items in the news that caught my eye which I thought I would pass on:

 

            Star Princess and Sun Princess delivered relief supplies to tsunami victims in Apia, Samoa and Pago Pago, American Samoa.  Princess Cruises Community Foundation is also donating $10,000 to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Samoa and American Samoa.  Captain Edward Perrin, who I interviewed when he was on Grand Princess http://beyondships.com/GrandPrincess-Perrin.html , was in command of the Star Princess’ efforts.  

            NCL has announced that Captain Trygve Vorren, currently of Norwegian Jade, and Captain Hakan Svedung, currently of Norwegian Dawn, will be the captains of the forthcoming 4,200 passenger Norwegian Epic.  In addition, the Hotel Directors will be Klaus Lugmaier and Sean Wurmhoeringer.  The ship is currently under construction in France and will be undergoing sea trials in January.  Her inaugural cruises are scheduled for June and July.

            NCL also took the opportunity to highlight some features of the new ship.  Among these will be performances by the Blue Man group and a restaurant where cirque acrobats will perform during dinner.  There will also be an ice bar where guests will don faux fur coats and drink at a bar made of ice.  Outside, the Aqua Park will feature a giant water slide in which guests will slide down a tube into a basin, whirl around and then drop through another tube.  It is a long way from the days when shuffleboard was the main outdoor entertainment on ships.   

            Speaking of innovation, Celebrity Cruises hosted an event this week to highlight its new Celebrity Life program.  Traditionally, onboard activities have been an array of offerings each of which bore only a slight relation to the other.  Under Celebrity Life, the onboard activities are grouped into unified concepts.  In addition, there are members of the activities staff with specific responsibilities for the discovery (i.e. enrichment) activities, savor (culinary-related) activities and renew (spa and health-related) activities.  Activities relating to each program are indicated by icons on the daily program and guests can choose to participate in as many or as few as they want.  I’ll be having more on this in November, when Beyondships presents an interview with Celebrity Senior VP for Hotel Operations Lisa Lutoff-Perlo along with an update of the Celebrity Constellation section of the site.

            Costa Cruises was in New York showcasing its new Canada-New England cruises with Costa Atlantica.  We’ll be adding a section to Beyondships dedicated to Costa Atlantica soon.

            Also in New York recently was Cunard’s Queen Victoria.  The ship was doing a New York-New England-Canada cruise from the U.K. and did an overnight in New York.  This gave me the opportunity to do an interview with my old friend Captain Ian McNaught while the ship was here.   Cunard used Queen Victoria’s calls in the U.S. and Canada to emphasize how important it regards this market.  QV will return in 2011 with a series of U.S. cruises, mostly on the west coast. 

 

Captain James MacDonald

 

Jewel of the Seas

I believe I have discovered yet another Royal Caribbean.  There is, of course, the vacation experience offered on the giant mega-cruise ships that the line has become particularly noted for.  On those ships, there is a vast variety of amenities and features as well as almost non-stop entertainment.  Then, as I wrote about last month, there are the relatively smaller ships such as Grandeur of the Seas.  They do not have all the features of the bigger ships but, at least on Grandeur, the crew really knock themselves out to ensure that the passengers have a good vacation.  Both the large ships and the smaller ships have a Royal Caribbean flavor but they are much different vacation experiences.

 

            What is surprising is that there is yet another type of vacation experience under the RCI Crown and Anchor emblem.  Jewel of the Seas is one of four Radiance class ships built for Royal Caribbean in Pappenberg, Germany.  Most of RCIs ships were built in Finland and they are very good quality ships but the craftsmanship on he Radiance class ships is impressive.  This is true not only in the ship’s interior but also extends to her hydrodynamic hull and advanced propulsions system.  She can move along at more than 25 knots, which is quite fast for a cruise ship.

 

At 90,000 gross tons they are larger than the Vision class but also significantly smaller than the line’s giant ships such as Voyager of the Seas.  It would be wrong, however, to think of Jewel as a mini-Voyager class ship or as a large Vision class ship.

 

            What makes the Jewel experience unique is the refinement of the product.  Yes, she has the trademark Viking Crown Lounge and rock climbing wall.  However, she also has a beautiful covered pool area, touches of marble and wooden inlays.  Moreover, even though she is larger than the largest Vision-class ship, Enchantment of the Seas, she carries fewer passengers.  This means more space per passenger.

 

            Jewel is a quieter, more cosmopolitan Royal Caribbean.  In some ways, she is reminiscent of the style of Royal Caribbean’s sister company Celebrity Cruises.  Indeed, Celebrity’s Solstice class is derived from the Radiance class.  Still, her style is distinctly her own.

 

            The Beyondships Jewel of the Seas profile page with copies of menus and daily programs from the ship is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-Profile.html   The comprehensive photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-Tour-1.html

 

 

            Next week, Captain James MacDonald and Hotel Director Robert Taggart will add some inside views on Jewel of the Seas.

QM2 Staff Captain Robert Camby

When I was on Queen Mary 2 last month I started a new series of interviews with the officers and staff.  These interviews are designed to give a behind-the-scenes look at specific aspects of life and operations on the great liner.  My intention is to post them over the next couple of months.

 

            In the first of these interviews I talk with Staff Captain Robert Camby about handling emergencies on QM2.  Robert has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of Cunard and P&O Cruises and reached the level of second in command while still in his early thirties.  This speaks volumes about his abilities as a sailor.

 

            Just as impressive is his non-maritime background.  A talented musician, who received scholarships to study the piano and violin, Robert is a familiar figure in the world of West End and Broadway theater.  Moreover, he has been made a Freeman of London and is a Chevalier of the Grand Order of Champagne.

 

            This interview focuses on what happens when a passenger must be evacuated by helicopter from an ocean liner.  As you can imagine, it does not just involve placing a call to the Coast Guard and saying “Come pick-up one of my passengers.”  Instead, it involves planning, co-ordination and communication.  Furthermore, it is an expensive operation that is not without risk.

 

            My interview with Captain Camby appears at http://beyondships.com/QM2-Camby-1.html

Oceana

P&O Cruises’ Oceana is the twin sister of Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess.  Back in 2002 when Princess was a subsidiary of P&O, Ocean Princess and Sea Princess were transferred from the primarily American market aimed subsidiary to the British market aimed parent company.  Both were then modified to suit British tastes. Subsequently, Sea Princess was returned to Princess but Ocean Princess continues to sail on as Oceana for P&O.

 

            What makes this intra-corporate exchange interesting is how it affected the atmospheres on the two ships.  Both have nearly identical facilities and amenities but the two ships have much different styles.  Even after returning to Princess, Sea Princess continued to sail out of the UK carrying primarily British passengers.  However, the atmosphere onboard was one of an American ship serving Britain.  Indeed, in her advertising, the British were told that she provided “American-style luxury.”

 

            Meanwhile Oceana has a distinctly British feel.  Yes, one can see traces of her American past but she is now firmly a British ship.  This manifests itself in the attitude of the crew, the style of service and in other more indefinable ways.  As has been said, it is Britain for the British.

 

            In relation to other cruise ships, Oceana is mid-sized at approximately 77,000 gross tons.  She is in her element doing warm-weather cruising and so she spends the winters in the Caribbean, only coming home for the summer months.  She attracts a substantial number of families with children and has a sizeable children’s area.

 

            My profile of Oceana is at  http://beyondships.com/PO-Oceana-Profile.html  and the photo tour and commentary begins at  http://beyondships.com/PO-Oceana-Tour-1.html

Captain Rune Johnsen

One of the nicest things about Grandeur of the Seas is the friendliness of her crew and that extends all the way up through to the senior management of the ship.

 

            Captain Rune Johnsen lives outside of Trondheim in Norway when he is not at sea.  It is far enough away from the city so that he does not have to worry about crime and being on guard all of the time.  This fits with his open, people-friendly personality.

 

            I spoke with Captain Johnsen about the nautical aspects of Grandeur of the Seas – - her seakeeping qualities, propulsion etc.  However, we also discussed the type of atmosphere that he seeks to create not only on the bridge but in managing the entire ship.  His thoughts appear at: http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-GOS-Johnsen.html

 

            Sanjay Kumar is the Hotel Director on Grandeur.  When he was growing up, he had a great passion for cooking and that led him to the hospitality industry.  After obtaining his degree, he worked in five star restaurants in India and then came to Royal Caribbean as a chef.  Then he switched over to hotel management.

 

            Sanjay took on the tough question of how does Grandeur remain popular in a line that is known for its mega-sized ships with all of their facilities and amenities.  His answer appears at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-GOS-Kumar.html

  

Hotel Director Sanjay Kumar

Grandeur of the Seas

I confess that I was somewhat skeptical when I booked my cruise on Grandeur of the Seas.  Because she is much smaller than Royal Caribbean’s more recent ships, she would not have all the features and amenities that make a cruise on a Voyager or Freedom class ship so entertaining.  Then, there was the fact that she was 13 years old.  Ships such as the QE2 sailed on much longer than that but I wondered how well Grandeur had been kept up.

 

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.  It is true that Grandeur does not have a Royal Promenade or an ice rink but what she lacks in hardware she more than makes up in software.  The officers and crew seemed to put an extra amount of energy into everything that they did.  As a result, the service was very friendly and the entertainment/activities very good.

 

The ship has also been well-maintained.  She was re-furbished in 2007 and was clean with no visible signs of wear.  The public spaces were well-laid out and decorated in a tasteful contemporary manner.

 

As a result, I was very pleased with my cruise on Grandeur.  To get a feel for her yourself, the new Grandeur of the Seas section of Beyondships starts at http://beyondships.com/RCI-GOS-Profile.html  The photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-GOS–tour-1.html

  

I confess that I was somewhat skeptical when I booked my cruise on Grandeur of the Seas.  Because she is much smaller than Royal Caribbean’s more recent ships, she would not have all the features and amenities that make a cruise on a Voyager or Freedom class ship so entertaining.  Then, there was the fact that she was 13 years old.  Ships such as the QE2 sailed on much longer than that but I wondered how well Grandeur had been kept up.

 

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.  It is true that Grandeur does not have a Royal Promenade or an ice rink but what she lacks in hardware she more than makes up in software.  The officers and crew seemed to put an extra amount of energy into everything that they did.  As a result, the service was very friendly and the entertainment/activities very good.

 

The ship has also been well-maintained.  She was re-furbished in 2007 and was clean with no visible signs of wear.  The public spaces were well-laid out and decorated in a tasteful contemporary manner.

 

As a result, I was very pleased with my cruise on Grandeur.  To get a feel for her yourself, the new Grandeur of the Seas section of Beyondships starts at http://beyondships.com/RCI-GOS-Profile.html  The photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-GOS–tour-1.html

 

Joe Farcus (courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines)

Later this month, Carnival Dream will enter service.  At 130,000 gross tons, she will be the largest ship yet built for Carnival Cruise Lines.  She utilizes an underlying design that Carnival first introduced with Carnival Destiny and has been developing with each mega-cruise ship (100,000 plus tons) that it has introduced over the course of the last decade.  This has been a very successful and popular design and thus passengers can be assured of finding on Carnival Dream the features that they have enjoyed on earlier Carnival ships.

 

Yet, Carnival Dream is not just a bigger version of past Carnival ships.  Amongst the features being introduced on this ship is a wrap-around outdoor promenade with hot tubs cantilevered over the side.  Linking this area to the indoor public spaces will be a new plaza that will be part entertainment venue, part dining area, and part lounge.

 

Of course, no two Carnival ships are the same.  Carnival’s architect Joe Farcus ensures that each ship has its own interior design, each reflecting a different central idea.  These creative designs help to give each Carnival ship its own identity and enhance the guests’ vacation experience by both challenging them intellectually and dazzling them visually.

 

Consequently, who better to talk about what Carnival is trying to achieve with Carnival Dream than Mr. Farcus?   My interview with Mr. Farcus appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-art-Farcus.html