This week we return to Carnival Dream to speak with two of her officers who were instrumental in shaping Carnival’s Newest and largest ship.  Captain Carlo Queirolo was the first master of Carnival Dream and Hotel Director Donato Becce was the first  man in charge of the ship’s hotel operations (i.e. just about everything a guest comes into contact with).  Both men started working on the hip when she was still in the shipyard and continued through her entry into service and her first cruising season.  Thus, they know the ship well and have shaped the vacation experience that guests encounter on the Dream.

I spoke with Captain Queirolo about the ship from a nautical perspective.  After serving in the Italian Navy and on cargo ships, Queirolo came to Carnival in the early 1990s.   He has since served on almost all of the Carnival ships and has had the responsibility for bringing four ships into service.

Mr. Becce served with both Cunard and Renaissance Cruises before coming to Carnival.    He also managed land-based hotels and has taught in the field.  I asked him to focus on some of the highlights of Carnival Dream that make her different than previous Carnival ships.

My interview with Captain Queirolo is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-art-captain.html

The conversation with Mr. Becce is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-art-HD.html

A couple of items in the news . . . .

Carnival Fascination has emerged from the drydock after a multi-million dollar refurbishment.  She is the sixth of Carnival’s Fantasy-class ships to go through the “Evolution of Fun” process.  From a nautical perspective, these ships have many years of useful life in them and it is nice to see a major line up-grading their hotels so as to remain competitive in the first tier of the market.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has announced that Grandeur of the Seas will be deployed to Palma de Mallorca in Spain in May 2011.  The idea is to serve British and Irish guests who like to take their holidays in Spain.  This is another indication of the British and Irish attachment to Royal Caribbean that has been developing over the last few years.  It all began with the idea of trying to market Legend of the Seas to the British market during a deployment in Southampton several summers ago.  To the surprise of many, this very American-style product was accepted by the British.  So, Royal decided to deploy the larger Navigator of the Seas there.  She too was accepted and so Royal substituted the even larger Independence of the Seas for Navigator when Independence entered service.  This was so successful that Royal is going to base her in England all year next year.  Now, a second ship will be sent to the Med to serve the British/Irish fly-cruise market.

Carnival Hotel Director Donato Becce

Coco Cay, The Bahamas

This week Beyondships focuses on Coco Cay, a private resort in the Bahamas developed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and used as a port of call by that company’s cruise lines, principally Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, during cruises to the Caribbean and/or Bahamas.  The ships stop for the day and transport passengers, food, and beverages to the island via tenders.  Then, in the late afternoon, the tenders take the passengers and what remains of the supplies back to the ship.  No guests sleep at the resort. .

Coco Cay is a man-made a tropical paradise created for the pleasure of the cruise ship’s guests.  The island itself is a relatively small outcropping of coral that has been transformed into an appealing venue with sandy beaches shaded by tall palms.  In the developed area there are a wide range of facilities including bars and places to have something to eat.  One can hire all sorts of watercraft including catamarans, jet skis, and kayaks.  One can swim, snorkel, scuba or fly above the water on a parasail.  Alternatively, one can lie on a deck chair or in one of the hammocks strung between the palms.

Much of the island has been left relatively undeveloped, however.  As one gets further away from the developed area, the beaches become less crowded until there is only the occasional fellow passenger passing by.  Alternatively, there is a nature trail that one can follow to the other end of the island.  This takes one through the dense indigenous vegetation and over numerous (and often slippery) rocks.  The rewards for such an expedition are some very nice views and something that one does not often find these days: silence – - there is no sound of cars, airplanes, or music.  It can be quite startling to hear nothing but the water lapping against the shore..

Places like Coco Cay are fantasies.  They are created by the cruise line.  As a result, they are not cultural experiences.. However, they also do not have the poverty and crime that plague the so-called real world.  They are places to come for a day just for the enjoyment – - an escape if you like.   Like a tropical Brigadoon, they disappear when the cruise ship sails.

Beyondhips’ photo tour of Coco Cay begins at . http://beyondships.com/RCI-CocoCay.html

   . 

Turning to items in the news . . .

During Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd’s fourth quarter conference call with securities analysts, RCCL Chairman Richard Fain indicated that even though Oasis of the Seas has been a big hit with customers and is commanding premium prices, the company will probably not build another such ship after Allure of the Seas, which is currently under construction in Finland. This should not be too surprising as the size of the Oasis class ships limits where the ships can go and they are very expensive to build.  Fain gave no indication of what type of ship would be built for the company’s Royal Caribbean International subsidiary after Allure of the Seas.  Three Solstice-class ships are currently on order for RCCL’s Celebrity Cruises subsidiary.      

During her recent Panama Canal cruise from California to Florida, Coral Princess diverted to participate in a rescue at sea.  A Columbian fishing boat had sunk and the cruise ship, various other vessels and aircraft made a search for survivors.  Three people were rescued.

Norwegian Cruise Lines announced that Norwegian Epic, scheduled to enter service later this year, will be sailing in Europe during part of the 2011 season.

Cunard’s Queen Victoria made her maiden call in San Francisco on January 27 as part of her world cruise.  Queen Victoria is scheduled to do a series of cruises from California in 2011. 

This week Beyondships focuses on Coco Cay, a private resort in the Bahamas developed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and used as a port of call by that company’s cruise lines, principally Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, during cruises to the Caribbean and/or Bahamas.  The ships stop for the day and transport passengers, food, and beverages to the island via tenders.  Then, in the late afternoon, the tenders take the passengers and what remains of the supplies back to the ship.  No guests sleep at the resort. .

 

Coco Cay is a man-made a tropical paradise created for the pleasure of the cruise ship’s guests.  The island itself is a relatively small outcropping of coral that has been transformed into an appealing venue with sandy beaches shaded by tall palms.  In the developed area there are a wide range of facilities including bars and places to have something to eat.  One can hire all sorts of watercraft including catamarans, jet skis, and kayaks.  One can swim, snorkel, scuba or fly above the water on a parasail.  Alternatively, one can lie on a deck chair or in one of the hammocks strung between the palms.

 

Much of the island has been left relatively undeveloped, however.  As one gets further away from the developed area, the beaches become less crowded until there is only the occasional fellow passenger passing by.  Alternatively, there is a nature trail that one can follow to the other end of the island.  This takes one through the dense indigenous vegetation and over numerous (and often slippery) rocks.  The rewards for such an expedition are some very nice views and something that one does not often find these days: silence – - there is no sound of cars, airplanes, or music.  It can be quite startling to hear nothing but the water lapping against the shore..

 

Places like Coco Cay are fantasies.  They are created by the cruise line.  As a result, they are not cultural experiences.. However, they also do not have the poverty and crime that plague the so-called real world.  They are places to come for a day just for the enjoyment – - an escape if you like.   Like a tropical Brigadoon, they disappear when the cruise ship sails.

 

Beyondhips’ photo tour of Coco Cay begins at . http://beyondships.com/RCI-CocoCay.html

   . 

 

Turning to items in the news . . .

 

During Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd’s fourth quarter conference call with securities analysts, RCCL Chairman Richard Fain indicated that even though Oasis of the Seas has been a big hit with customers and is commanding premium prices, the company will probably not build another such ship after Allure of the Seas, which is currently under construction in Finland. This should not be too surprising as the size of the Oasis class ships limits where the ships can go and they are very expensive to build.  Fain gave no indication of what type of ship would be built for the company’s Royal Caribbean International subsidiary after Allure of the Seas.  Three Solstice-class ships are currently on order for RCCL’s Celebrity Cruises subsidiary.      

 

During her recent Panama Canal cruise from California to Florida, Coral Princess diverted to participate in a rescue at sea.  A Columbian fishing boat had sunk and the cruise ship, various other vessels and aircraft made a search for survivors.  Three people were rescued.

Norwegian Cruise Lines announced that Norwegian Epic, scheduled to enter service later this year, will be sailing in Europe during part of the 2011 season.

 

Cunard’s Queen Victoria made her maiden call in San Francisco on January 27 as part of her world cruise.  Queen Victoria is scheduled to do a series of cruises from California in 2011.

Beyondships presents two inside interviews this week.  One continues Beyondships in-depth coverage of Queen Mary 2 while the other adds to last week’s profile of Celebrity Summit.

 My first memory of Nick Bates was of him being lowered down the side of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in the middle of the night.  QE2 had just struck two submerged rocks off the coast of Massachusetts and Nick was being sent down to inspect the hull.  It was a great relief to the passengers that he decided to come back to the ship rather than sail away.  There was significant damage but as Nick correctly determined, it did not threaten the integrity of the hull.

At that time, Nick was Chief Officer of QE2.  Not long after that, he became Staff Captain and in those positions had responsibility for maintaining the ship and seeing her through some of the major changes that ship underwent in the 1990s.

 Nick was not the typical Cunard officer.  He was not at all reserved.  Rather, his Irish wit and love of a good laugh enlivened the tables he hosted at dinner and the various passenger receptions.  At the same time, he was clearly proud of being a part of Cunard and had a justifiable pride in the legendary ship.

As time went on, Nick was given his own commands, first with the other Cunard ships, then Qe2, then a time with Princess Cruises.  Most recently, Nick has been alternating with Commodore Bernard Warner as the master of Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2.

Captain Bates still combines the qualities he displayed when I first met him.  He is still very serious when it comes to his command.  However, he is also able to weave his lighthearted approach to life into relations with passengers.  Indeed, he has compiled the stories that he tells during his noonday announcements into a popular book, the profits of which he donates to charity.

My conversation with Captain Bates about his 35-year career and about his current command appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Bates.html

The second interview that I have posted this week is with Julian Brackenbury, Hotel Director of the Celebrity Summit.  Julian has also had an interesting career in the cruise ship industry but in this interview, I asked him to tell us about Summit.  The goal was to round out the Beyondships’ profile of Summit with an insider’s perspective about the vacation experience that one can expect on Summit.  The interview appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-art-brackenbury.html

Turning to the news . . .

As I mentioned last week, Royal Caribbean has continued to have its ships call at the line’s private resort in Labadee, Haiti.  In addition to helping maintain the local economy, the ships have brought supplies for the earthquake victims in Haiti.  To my surprise, Royal has been criticized for this move on the grounds that people should not be vacationing and enjoying themselves on one part of the island when there is so much misery elsewhere in Haiti.  This strikes me as an unfair criticism.  The issue for Royal is whether to have the ships call in Haiti or go somewhere else.  If the ships went somewhere else, people would still be vacationing and enjoying themselves despite the misery in Haiti.    If the ships continue to call in Haiti, at least there will be some benefit to the people of Haiti in the form of jobs and supplies.  Thus, in my opinion, Royal is doing the right thing.

Princess Cruises received a thank you from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA) for the weather observations made on Princess  ships  These observations help NOAA track weather patterns.   The ships measure air temperature, humidity, wind direction and strength, sea waves and swells.  They then send information at a minimum of every six hours when at sea to a database which is forwarded to NOAA.  The Princess ships sent more observations to NOAA in 2009 than any other cruise line.

Hotel Director Julian Brackenbury of Celebrity Summit

Celebrity Summit

 

This week, we take a look at Celebrity Summit.  Summit is one of four ships built in France for Celebrity in the early years of this millennium.  Indeed, the lead ship in the class was the Millennium and the four are collectively referred to as the Millennium-class.  They were technologically advanced with gas turbine engines and azipod propulsion systems.  However, what is of primary concern to most guests is their distinctive interiors.

When one steps aboard a Millennium class ship, one is transported into a refined world.  The décor is contemporary, understated and subtle.  The art work is interesting but unobtrusive.  The lighting is subtle.  It is definitely an upscale experience.

This is also reflected in how the ship is operated.  The service is friendly and attentive.  With the Celebrity Life onboard programming, there are activities to interest the mind, body and palette.  While there is a dress code, it balances formality with the need to relax while on vacation.

Summit is very similar to her younger sister Constellation.  The most apparent difference is in the specialty restaurant.  On Summit, the restaurant is an ode to the great French ocean liner Normandie.  This tribute carries over to the main dining room which is dominated by a statue that once was on the Normandie.

Beyondships profile of Summit appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-Profile.html   and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-Tour-1.html

 Next week, we shall also be adding an interview in which hotel director Julien Brackenberry talks about the ship.

Turning to other news . . . .

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the parent company of Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, has announced that it will be sending over $1 million in aid to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  The Royal Caribbean ships call in Haiti on a regular basis, at the company’s private beach resort Labade.  The company says that its ships will continue to call there, which will provide additional money to the Haitian economy.  Royal also says that the net revenue from those calls will go to earthquake relief.

Cunard has announced that it is partnering with New York’s Julliard School of Music to have jazz performances by students and faculty of the school on select transatlantic crossings on Queen Mary 2 during 2010.  Speaking of QM2, Beyondships will be featuring an interview with QM2 Captain Nick Bates in the not too distant future.

Speaking of partnerships, NCL has announced that it has partnered with Nickelodeon to have Nickelodeon-themed family entertainment programming on Norwegian Jewel starting this April and on Norwegian Epic starting in June.

Norwegian Epic will also be offering its studio cabins without a single supplement.  These cabins will have approximately 100 square feet of space with a full size bed.  There will also be a separate area for the bathroom.  The studio cabins will open out into a studio lounge, which will be shared by passengers in other studio cabins.    

The beginning of the year marks the cruise industry’s “wave season” and many of the lines are running sales and promotions.  For example, Princess Cruises has a “Balcony Bonanza” in which guests can have a balcony cabin for the price of an oceanview stateroom.   Along the same lines, Cunard has announced discounts on Queen Victoria’s long Mediterranean cruises in the Fall of 2010.

Carnival Conquest

 

Carnival Conquest is one of the mainstays of the Carnival fleet.  She was the first ship to be built of the larger version of the Carnival Destiny design and her features were carried through with very little change through the next four Carnival mega-ships.  Indeed, even Carnival Splendor of 2008 bears a close resemblance to Conquest and the line’s most recent ship, Carnival Dream, bears something of a resemblance.

   One of the really nice things about Conquest is the interior decoration.  Designer Joe Farcus selected the French Impressionists as the inspiration for the interior and he has utilized their works and ideas from their works in an imaginative and pleasing way.  Almost everyone likes the French Impressionists, so this idea was bound to work.

Beyondships’ profile of Carnival Conquest with copies of menus, daily programs and other information about the ship is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalConquest-Profile.html  and the multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalConquest-Tour-1.html

 

Happy New Year!

Beyondships begins the new year by taking a look back and a look forward.

When I spoke with Captain Ian McNaught of Cunard’s Queen Victoria, our conversation covered his career with Cunard going back to the 1980s.  He is well known in ocean liner circles for his work as the last Cunard captain of the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).  However, before QE2, he commanded several other Cunard ships.  These included the mass market Cunard cruise ships of the 1980s and 1990s as well as the ultra luxury Sea Goddess yachts. 

In addition to talking about those ships, we also discussed how the acquisition of Cunard by Carnival Corporation saved Cunard.

Finally, we discussed the difference between Cunard and P&O Cruises, and how that affects the cruise experience on the two lines.  In this connection, it is important to keep in mind that Captain McNaught also commands P&O ships from time to time.

My conversation with Captain McNaught is at http://www.beyondships.com/QV-McNaught-2.html

Larry Pimintel also was once associated with Cunard but these days he is the President of Azamara Club Cruises.  In fact, Pimintel has only been the head of Azamara for less than a year but he is shaking things up and moving the company in a new direction. 

Azamara is one of the Royal Caribbean family of companies.  However, unlike the company’s sister cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises where the ships keep getting bigger, Azamara’s ships are small intimate ships.  The line has been around for less than three years but in that time, it has become known as Royal’s luxury brand.

While the Azamara ships are popular, they are not producing the required return on capital.  Accordingly, Pimintel is taking the bold step of raising prices in these harsh economic times.  He is also changing the focus of the product, making the cruise experience more destination intensive and including more services within the fare price.

My article about the new Azamara appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Cruise-articles-azamara.html

            Turning to the news,

            On January 5, Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth will be floated out.  The floating out is an important event in a ship’s life.  It is the equivalent of the moment when a ship would slide down the ways into the water for the first time.  Nowadays, passenger ships are not built on ways but rather in dry docks. When the ship reaches a point where she can float, the drydock is flooded and its gates opened so that the ship can be completed at a fitting out dock.  It is a much easier and safer way to build ships but not as dramatic.  In any case, Queen Elizabeth will reach this milestone this week.

Queen Mary 2

I recently completed my 18^th voyage on Queen Mary 2.  In part, all of these voyages are the result of the fact that QM2 goes to a variety of places.  Not only does she do transatlantic crossings but she cruises to Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Norway, Germany, and to other places.  In other words, one voyage on QM2 is not going to be exactly like the one before it and the one after.

Another factor that I like about QM2 is her nautical properties.  She was designed to cross the North Atlantic and during the design process simulations were done to test her against the worst Atlantic storms on record.  As a result, even though she towers over the water, she is remarkably stable in bad weather.   Even with waves washing over the dining room windows some 30 feet above the waterline, I have noticed that most of the passengers are out and about in the public rooms.  She also manages to plow through the waves at a good speed even when other ships are heaved to.

The third factor that draws me back to QM2 is the atmosphere.  The programming onboard tends toward the cultural and the intellectual.  Thus, she is stimulating as well as relaxing.  There is also the sophistication of the bars and restaurants as well as the traditional formal receptions.  While I enjoy the less formal ships as well, QM2’s style is more closely attuned to my personality.

One result of all this is that the QM2 section of Beyondships is one of the largest on the site.  I have done interviews with several of her captains, senior officers and managers in an attempt to give people a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of this historic ship.  In addition, there are pages of photos, menus, daily programmes and other information.  At about this time last year, I updated the section to reflect some of the additional information that I had accumulated over that year.  So too, I have done an extensive update of the QM2 pages on the site this year adding dozens of new photos and information collected this year.

The QM2 section of the site is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2.html

 and the photo tour begins at  http://www.beyondships.com/QM2tour1.html

Turning to other items in the news. . . .

Celebrity has announced that the name of the fourth ship in its Solstice class will be Celebrity Silhouette.  These are beautiful ships. I was recently on the second ship of the class, Celebrity Equinox, and was impressed by the grace of her contemporary design.  In addition, Celebrity has created numerous options for guests to choose from in the activities and in the dining.  The third ship in the class, Celebrity Eclipse, is being built at the Meyer Werft yard in Pappenberg, Germany and is scheduled to enter service in April 2010.

Speaking of new-builds, the Silver Spirit of Silversea Cruises entered service on 23 December.  The ship is aimed at the luxury end of the market, carrying just 540 passengers. This is the line’s first new ship in several years and while a small ship, 36,000 gross tons, she is considerably larger than the other ships in the Silver sea fleet.

Carnival Dream

 

After much consideration, I think the best way to describe Carnival Dream is that it has gravitas.  The ship is confident, substantial and important.

 For nearly a decade Carnival Cruise Lines has been developing the design that first debuted with Carnival Destiny.  With each ship, new features were added and the size of the ships grew somewhat.

With Carnival Dream, the line took a substantial step up in size.  Its previous ship, Carnival Splendor, is 113,000 gross tons while Carnival Dream is 130,000 gross tons.

This difference in size gives the ship better proportions and makes her more substantial from her predecessors.  It is like everything that had gone before was leading up to this.

This is so not just with the ship’s physical size but also with what Carnival is doing onboard.  For example, the line has been moving steadily away from its origins as a party venue for young people towards being a family vacation experience.  With 19,000 square feet devoted to children – - not placed off in some out-of-the-way corner of the ship but right in the center – - Carnival line is making clear that it is a family vacation experience.

One can also see that the line is increasing the overall quality of its product.  Carnival has always been good value for money but it has been pushing upwards, offering items that with the Dream are the equivalent of those found on premium market cruises.  A clear example is the multi-deck spa.

Carnival has also taken a step upward with the new shows it is featuring in the ship’s theater.  These are not just musical revues but rather more akin to Broadway productions.  While they still rely primarily on popular tunes, they are packaged in a more thought-provoking production.

The Dream is not just a good development of some old ideas.  The Carnival experience is enhanced by the addition of several new features.  One of these is the transformation of the outdoor promenade into the Lanai.  In the past, the outdoor promenade was the gloomy area under the lifeboats where only a few souls went primarily to have a smoke.  The Lanai is a much wider area that is protected from the wind and which is sunlit due to the fact that the lifeboats have been placed underneath it.  There are also whirlpools, nice padded furniture and an area of tables where one can bring drinks and/or food.

The Lanai opens into the Ocean Plaza, which includes a bar, the specialty coffee bar, seating and a stage for live performances.  This area gives the public rooms a centerpiece that was lacking on prior Carnival ships.  It is a user-friendly place for the ship’s programmed activities as well as a crossroads.

Beyondships profile of Carnival Dream is at and the photo tour and commentary begins at  http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Tour-1.html

Turning to the news, Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, Costa and several other lines, announced that it earned $193 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  This was better than what Wall Street analysts had been expecting and indicates that even in poor economic times, people are reluctant to sacrifice their vacation and that the public recognizes that cruising is a very economical way to vacation.

Winter has commenced early in the northeast and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 managed to arrive in New York on schedule during the first blizzard of the season.  The ship encountered 30 foot waves coming up the coast from the Caribbean and managed to maintain a speed of approximately 25 knots.  The ship is doing a series of Caribbean cruises from New York before beginning her world cruise.

Meanwhile, NCL’s Norwegian Gem returned to New York on December 12 for a season of winter cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.  The Gem is the only ship sailing from Manhattan this winter.  On the other side of the harbor, however, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will be sailing again this winter from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Captain Ian McNaught

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Captain Ian McNaught of Cunard Line.  This was indeed an enjoyable experience as I have known Captain McNaught since he was a young officer on Queen Elizabeth 2 in the 1990s.  Captain McNaught is perhaps best known for being the last Cunard captain of the QE2 and his vibrant personality has made him a great favorite of regular Cunard passengers.

Our conversation touched upon a number of topics but the primary focus was on Captain McNaught’s latest command Cunard’s Queen Victoria.  The ship is the second largest Cunarder ever built and was designed to bring the Cunard transatlantic crossing style to cruising.  Cunard has had cruise ships in the past but their style was always different than its transatlantic liners.  Some were mass market, some were luxury, and some reflected the Norwegian style of their previous owners.

Captain McNaught sees the Queen Victoria as carrying through the Cunard experience of QE2 and more recently Queen Mary 2.  There are differences but then each ship is different.  He attributes much of Cunard’s success in carrying over the Cunard style to his crew and their Cunard training.  He is also very impressed by the technology on Queen Victoria, which he feels enhances the product.

My conversation with Captain McNaught is posted at:  http://beyondships.com/QV-McNaught-1.html

Turning to the week’s other news:

Princess Cruises has announced that in 2011, it will transfer the Royal Princess to sister company P&O Cruises.  Royal Princess is one of Princess’ small ships  (see our profile and photo tour at http://beyondships.com/Princess-RP-Profile.html )  She will be following in the footsteps of the previous Royal Princess, which became P&O’s Artemis (http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html).  Artemis will be leaving the P&O fleet in 2011 and thus the addition of Royal Princess to P&O will allow that line to maintain its presence in small ship cruising.  The ship is to be renamed Adonia.

Meanwhile, life is changing for some of Royal Princess’ sisters.  Royal Princess is one of eight nearly identical ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises.  Following the demise of Renaissance, three of these ships went to Princess, three to Oceania Cruises and two to Azamara Cruises.

This week Azamara announced that it was changing its name to Azamara Club Cruises.  Its new president, Larry Pimintel, explained that the new name was more in keeping with the club-like atmosphere onboard its up-market ships.  The line is also changing its approach to become more destination focused with longer stays in port including more overnights.  I’ll be writing more about Azamara’s plans in the near future.

I recently heard from two of the officers who have been interviewed on Beyondships.  Trevor Lane, who had been Staff Captain on Queen Mary 2, has been promoted to captain and is the master of the Pacific Sun of P&O Cruises Australia.  Meanwhile, Captain Francesco La Fauci, who I interviewed on Carnival Triumph, is now in command of Carnival Conquest.

Balmoral

Balmoral is the newest and largest ship in the Fred.Olsen Cruise Line’s fleet.  However, veteran cruisers will remember her first appearance as the Crown Odyssey of Royal Cruise Line in 1988.  More cruisers will remember her as the popular Norwegian Crown of Norwegian Cruise Line as she spent most of her prior career with that line.

After purchasing her from NCL, Fred.Olsen sent her to Germany to have an additional section inserted.  This increased her passenger capacity as well as the public space.  However, the ship still retains a small ship atmosphere.

At 40,000 gross tons, Balmoral is not a yacht.  However, the atmosphere onboard is much different than the megacruise ships coming out of the shipyards today.  In many ways, it has the flavor of late 20^th Century cruising when the emphasis was more on relaxation in comfortable surroundings than on the number and variety of onboard experiences that a ship can provide.  In my view, both styles of cruising have merit and thus it is good that someone is still offering the old style as an option for travelers.

Balmoral is primarily geared toward the British market.  The line is well known in the UK and for most of the year, Balmoral operates from Dover, England.

Beyondships new profile page for Balmoral appears at http://beyondships.com/FOL-Balmoral-Profile.html  and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://beyondships.com/FOL-Balmoral-Tour-1.html

Turning to the events of the last week, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas was officially named in a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale on 30 November.  The ship has already achieved notoriety as the world’s largest passenger ship. At 225,282 gross tons and capable of serving 5,400 passengers at double occupancy (that means she can carry even more if the upper berths are used), Oasis is not just a little larger than the previous record holder of the but almost half again larger.  (The previous holders were RCI’s three Freedom class ships of 158,000 gross tons.  Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is a bigger physical object than these ships but has less gross tonnage).

RCI had seven godmothers for Oasis – - one each for each of the “neighborhoods” on the ship.  The neighborhoods are sections of the ship geared toward different concepts or interests.  For example, there is an entertainment neighborhood.  This allows “guests with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on their personal style, preference or mood.”

Not to be outdone, Princess Cruises is inviting everyone to be a virtual godmother for the former Tahitian Princess, which has been renamed Ocean Princess. The ceremony will be conducted entirely on line during Ocean Princess’s current cruise.   People can log into Princess’ site at  http://www.princess.com/oceanvirtualchristening until 18 December to participate.         

When I was on Carnival Dream last month, I ran into Gerry Cahill, President of Carnival Cruise Lines, who mentioned that he was onboard talking to some people about plans for Carnival’s next ship.  This struck me as odd as Carnival’s next ship, Carnival Magic (a sister to Carnival Dream), is already under construction and is scheduled to join the fleet in 2011.    The mystery was cleared-up last week when Carnival announced that it will be building a third ship based upon the design of Carnival Dream.  As such, the new ship will be 130,000 gross tons and will accommodate 3,690 passengers double occupancy.  She will be built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy and is scheduled to enter service in 2012. 

One of the nice things about the Carnival ships is that they are not mere clones of each other.  Even when they are part of the same class, there are differences such as distinct interiors and often new features.  This makes going aboard each ship more interesting as it is an exploration. It looks like this trend will continue as Carnival says that the new ship “will offer many of the same innovations featured on the recently launched Carnival Dream, as well as some exciting new elements to be announced at a later date.” 

Balmoral is the newest and largest ship in the Fred.Olsen Cruise Line’s fleet.  However, veteran cruisers will remember her first appearance as the Crown Odyssey of Royal Cruise Line in 1988.  More cruisers will remember her as the popular Norwegian Crown of Norwegian Cruise Line as she spent most of her prior career with that line.

 

After purchasing her from NCL, Fred.Olsen sent her to Germany to have an additional section inserted.  This increased her passenger capacity as well as the public space.  However, the ship still retains a small ship atmosphere.

 

At 40,000 gross tons, Balmoral is not a yacht.  However, the atmosphere onboard is much different than the megacruise ships coming out of the shipyards today.  In many ways, it has the flavor of late 20^th Century cruising when the emphasis was more on relaxation in comfortable surroundings than on the number and variety of onboard experiences that a ship can provide.  In my view, both styles of cruising have merit and thus it is good that someone is still offering the old style as an option for travelers.

 

Balmoral is primarily geared toward the British market.  The line is well known in the UK and for most of the year, Balmoral operates from Dover, England.

 

Beyondships new profile page for Balmoral appears at http://beyondships.com/FOL-Balmoral-Profile.html  and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://beyondships.com/FOL-Balmoral-Tour-1.html

 

Turning to the events of the last week, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas was officially named in a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale on 30 November.  The ship has already achieved notoriety as the world’s largest passenger ship. At 225,282 gross tons and capable of serving 5,400 passengers at double occupancy (that means she can carry even more if the upper berths are used), Oasis is not just a little larger than the previous record holder of the but almost half again larger.  (The previous holders were RCI’s three Freedom class ships of 158,000 gross tons.  Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is a bigger physical object than these ships but has less gross tonnage).

 

RCI had seven godmothers for Oasis – - one each for each of the “neighborhoods” on the ship.  The neighborhoods are sections of the ship geared toward different concepts or interests.  For example, there is an entertainment neighborhood.  This allows “guests with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on their personal style, preference or mood.”

 

Not to be outdone, Princess Cruises is inviting everyone to be a virtual godmother for the former Tahitian Princess, which has been renamed Ocean Princess. The ceremony will be conducted entirely on line during Ocean Princess’s current cruise.   People can log into Princess’ site at  http://www.princess.com/oceanvirtualchristening until 18 December to participate.         

 

When I was on Carnival Dream last month, I ran into Gerry Cahill, President of Carnival Cruise Lines, who mentioned that he was onboard talking to some people about plans for Carnival’s next ship.  This struck me as odd as Carnival’s next ship, Carnival Magic (a sister to Carnival Dream), is already under construction and is scheduled to join the fleet in 2011.    The mystery was cleared-up last week when Carnival announced that it will be building a third ship based upon the design of Carnival Dream.  As such, the new ship will be 130,000 gross tons and will accommodate 3,690 passengers double occupancy.  She will be built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy and is scheduled to enter service in 2012. 

 

One of the nice things about the Carnival ships is that they are not mere clones of each other.  Even when they are part of the same class, there are differences such as distinct interiors and often new features.  This makes going aboard each ship more interesting as it is an exploration. It looks like this trend will continue as Carnival says that the new ship “will offer many of the same innovations featured on the recently launched Carnival Dream, as well as some exciting new elements to be announced at a later date.”