Magens Bay in St. Thomas U.S.V.I

St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is one of the most popular ports in theCaribbean.  Indeed, it is so much in demand that it is not uncommon to have five large ships in port at the same time.

 One of the reasons that St. Thomasis so popular is the shopping.  Not only are there hundreds of shops geared toward the cruising public in downtownCharlotte Amalie but now there are malls that border the island’s two cruise ports.

However, there is more toSt. Thomas than the shopping.  The island has some beautiful beaches and not just Magens Bay, which has been called one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world.

The island also has an array of other attractions for sightseeing and activities.  A person would be hard pressed to say that there is nothing to do.

 I have been visiting St. Thomas, USVI, since the early 1990s and the island has developed considerably since then.  It has become much more tourist friendly.

 Beyondships’ multi-page cruise destination photo guide to St. Thomasbegins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StThomas.html

Captain Nicholas Pagonis of Celebrity Silhouette

Continuing our coverage of Celebrity Silhouette, this we have interviews with two of the individuals who play a major role in creating the cruise experience on Silhouette – - her captain and the hotel director.

The captain of a cruise ship does not just drive the ship.  In fact, only a relatively small portion of his time is spent with his hands on the controls – - usually just going in and out of port.  Rather, the captain has ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on aboard the ship.  He is the CEO, the big picture guy.

Captain Nicholas Pagonis is the captain of Celebrity Silhouette.  A very open and friendly person, he is often seen out and about amongst the guests.  This is in order to further his vision of what the atmosphere on Silhouette should be like.  At the same time, the safety of the ship and the guests is his number one priority, which he takes quite seriously.

In our conversation, we spoke about Silhouette both from a nautical perspective as well as about the overall cruise experience it offers.  The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-captain-interview.html

Sue Richardson is Silhouette’s hotel director and as such is directly responsible for most of the things that the guests experience onboard – - the accommodations, the dining, the entertainment and the activities.  I asked her to describe the cruise experience that Silhouette offers and who the Silhouette is seeking to attract as guests.  That interview is at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-hotel-director-interview.html

Celebrity Silhouette at the Labadee private resort.

This week we begin coverage of a spectacular new ship – - Celebrity Silhouette.  She is not spectacular because of her size although she is a large ship (122,000 gross tons).  Nor is she spectacular in the sense of having shock and awe decoration.  Rather, she is spectacular in the way everything comes together to form a really high quality whole.

  Silhouette is a premium cruise ship.  Her interior design is eye-pleasing and decorated in a contemporary style.  There has been attention to detail in the design and in the people flow through the public rooms.  Guests have an impressive range of dining options as well as a range of choices in entertainment and activities.  It all just comes together very well.

One of the things that I like very much about Silhouette is that she is not merely a clone of her three sister ships – - Celebrity’s Solstice, Equinox and Eclipse.  Having built one successful ship, a cruise line might well be tempted to merely build all the rest of the class in the same way.  However, such an approach tends to make the subsequent ships uninteresting.  In addition, it overlooks the fact that the cruise industry is quite competitive and the other cruise lines will have analyzed the first ship in the class and adopted the best ideas into their own fleets.  Thus, to stay competitive, innovation is the key.

While Silhouette was built on the model of her predecessors, she also has several new innovations.  For example, there are two new dining venues – - The Lawn Club Grill and The Porch.  Several of the bars have been re-focused to create a different experience.  She has a new Art Studio where guests can unleash their creativity.  These innovations on top of the differences in décor give Silhouette her own character.

The Beyondships profile page for Celebrity Silhouette is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Silhouette-Profile.html  It includes examples of the ship’s daily programs (Celebrity Today) as well as copies of menus from most of the ship’s dining venues.

The multi-page photo tour of the ship’s public areas begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Silhouette-Tour-1.html

In addition, we have a dining guide in which Food and Beverage Manager Carlos Echaiz describes each of the ship’s dining venues.  http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-dining-guide.html

Rounding it out, there are my reviews of Blu – - a dining venue that is both a first class restaurant and a healthy dining venue. http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-blu-review.html  and of Silhouette’s innovative new dining venue The Lawn Club Grill. http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-lawn-club-grill-review.html

Explorer of the Seas in Antigua

Happy New Year all!

My last cruise of 2011 was on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas.  I had enjoyed cruising on her earlier in the year toBermudaso when an attractive opportunity arose for a longer cruise on the ship to theCaribbean, I signed up.

Explorer is the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class.  At one time not so long ago, she and her sisters were the largest cruise ships in the world.  Lately, I have heard people refer to her as a medium sized ship.  That really is not fair or accurate.  At, 138,000 gross tons she is still a big ship in absolute terms.  Furthermore, there are still only a handful of ships that are larger – - RoyalCaribbean’s two Oasis class ships and four Freedom class ships; Queen Mary 2, and Norwegian Epic.

Explorer has been sailing out ofBayonne,New JerseyinNew Yorkharbor on a year-round basis for more than half a decade.  People in theNew Yorkarea have become familiar with her and with her crew.  (Friendliness is a watchword onboard).  This fact coupled with the fact that many people in the northeast who like the Royal Caribbean product would rather drive to the pier than fly to Florida, means that she gets a lot of repeat passengers.

Planning is underway for a major refit of the ship.  Royal is going through its fleet and enhancing each ship with new features derived from the success of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  Fleetmate Radiance of the Seas had her makeover last Spring and added numerous dining venues to her features.  Explorer’s turn will come.   In addition to dining venues, there is speculation that features such as a Flo-rider surfing simulator and a large outdoor video screen will be added.  However, nothing appears to be written in stone.

These changes may not benefit Explorer’s New York/New Jersey area fans.  The ship is only scheduled to be inNew Yorkuntil April 2013 and the refit may well occur after that.  There have long been rumors thatLibertyof the Seas would be deployed to replace Explorer.  While there is some appeal to having a ship namedLibertysailing fromCapeLiberty, these rumors appear to have lost currency.  Instead, the speculation is that one of the forthcoming Project Sunshine ships may replace Explorer.

Royal has been quite tight-lipped about Project Sunshine.  All that has leaked out is that the ships will be about the same size as the Freedom class ships and will be built by the Meyer Werft shipyard inGermany.  (The builders of Celebrity’s Solstice class, Norwegian’s Jewel class and Royal’s Radiance class).  Beyond that, all that is being said is that they will be “all-weather cruise ships.”

That phrase could mean a couple of things.  It could simply mean that the pool deck will be covered in a similar fashion to HollandAmerica’s Vistaclass ships.  On the other hand, it could mean that the ships will have the power, hull design and strength to withstand major storms.  If that is the case, the Project Sunshine ships will in essence be 21^st century ocean liners – - something all ship enthusiasts would applaud.

My recent voyage on Explorer produced quite a lot of material that I will be sharing in coming weeks including an interview with Captain Olav.  This week I have posted a new photo essay showing Explorer in various ports that she visited long with some of the ships that she met there.  http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-photos-Caribbean.html

I have also added new daily programs (Cruise Compasses) to the Explorer of the Seas’ profile page. http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer.html

Finally, I have added a specialty restaurant review of Johnny Rockets.  On this last cruise, I found that people assumed that Explorer’s Johnny Rockets was simply a hamburger venue along the lines of the Mast Grill on Celebrity’s Solstice class ships or the Bimini Grill on Norwegian Dawn.  While Johnny Rockets produces very good burgers, is more than that.  It is an experience.  The review is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-johnny-rockets-review.html

Carnival Dream at night in St. Maarten

This week the focus is on two ships that present quite different cruising experiences.  Indeed, they could be said to be polar opposites.  Both ships are very good at providing the type of cruise experience that they set out to provide.  However, that experience is quite different and whether you will be happy cruising on either of these ships very much depends upon your tastes and lifestyle.  Thus, they serve to illustrate that all cruise ships are not fungible and thus it is important to investigate the type of cruise experience that a ship provides before booking a cruise.

Oceania Cruises Regatta is one of eight essentially identical cruise ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises.  When that company went out of business the eight ships were dispersed among several cruise lines.  Previously, Beyondships has profiled R Four, which is now Ocean Princess of Princess Cruises http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Profile.html and R Eight, which is now Adonia of P&O Cruises. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Adonia-Profile.html Regatta was formerly R Two.

The R class ships are relatively small ships providing an elegant cruise experience in an intimate setting.  They have wood-paneled public rooms that are furnished with overstuffed chairs and subtle unobtrusive art collections.  The atmosphere is reminiscent of an upscale country club.  Wisely,Oceaniahas maintained this atmosphere on Regatta.

Regatta is offered as a luxury cruise experience.  It includes a gourmet dining program developed by Chef Jacques Pepin.  Things like airfare are included in the fare and there is no cover charge for the two specialty restaurants.  The intimate shipboard spa is operated by Canyon Ranch. 

With only 684 passengers, the ship is uncrowded.  Moreover, the guest to staff ratio is 1.71 to one, which allows for very personalized service.

As a small ship, Regatta is able to get into ports that the larger cruise ships cannot.  Thus, her itineraries include ports that are off the beaten track. 

As a result, Regatta tends to attract experienced travelers as well as those who are seeking a luxury experience.  Guests are often mature and well-to-do.

Beyondships’ profile of Regatta is at  http://www.beyondships.com/Oceania-Regatta-Profile.html    The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Oceania-Regatta-Tour-1.html

Carnival Dream is the largest cruise ship in the Carnival fleet.  In fact, in terms of gross tonnage, she is four times the size of Regatta.  She carries more than five times as many passengers.

Although Carnival still calls its ships “Fun ships,” they are not the young singles party boats that they were when the line began.  Rather, the focus is on young families.   Carnival provides a good quality cruise experience at reasonable rates designed to embrace people for whom cruising was not an affordable vacation option in the past.

Dream is big, bold and brassy.  While her interior is more subdued than earlier Carnival ships, it is still intended to evoke a good times atmosphere.  Furthermore, as a very large ship, there is space for lots of amenities and features.  The spa is quite large as is the outdoor pool deck.  There are also numerous bars, lounges and public areas.

Carnival Dream currently operates out of Port Canaveral inFlorida.  Her itineraries include majorCaribbeanports where she can dock.  These are popular ports that are well-developed for tourism.

I’ve added a new photo essay to Beyondships’ profile of Carnival Dream showing her in one of those popular ports – - St. Maarten.  http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-photo-essay.html  We have also added some more Fun Times daily programs to the profile page. http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html

Thus, Carnival Dream and Regatta provide much different vacation experiences.  Which is better depends upon what you like.

Regatta during a call in New York.

Crystal Symphony

Crystal Symphony, along with her fleetmate Crystal Serenity, provide the benchmark for luxury cruising.  Not only do other luxury lines compare their products toCrystalbut officers on premium ships aspire to have their levels of service and quality approach those ofCrystal.  Thus, as part of our focus on luxury cruising, we had to return to Crystal Symphony.

This ship was one of the first ships profiled on Beyondships in 2007.  Since then Crystal Symphony has undergone an extensive refurbishment.

The refurbishment did not change the essential character of this ship, which is one of understated luxury.  Her interiors are not elaborate.  The public areas have a streamlined contemporary style.  They are extremely well-maintained and glisten in their cleanliness.

This is not to say that there have been no major changes.  The pool area, the special restaurants, and the buffet restaurant have all been significantly altered.  However, their elegance remains – - they are still eye-pleasing without calling attention to themselves.

Our new photo tour of Crystal Symphony begins at  http://www.beyondships.com/CrystalSymphony-Tour-1.html

.   The profile page remains at http://beyondships.com/CrystalSymphony-Profile.html but has new menus and new other information about the ship.

Another addition to our coverage of Crystal Symphony is an insider dining guide.  I sat down with Food and Beverage Manager Walter Pietschnig to talk about dining on Crystal Symphony.  Not only did we discuss each of the dining venues on the ship but also the secret behind Crystal’s legendary service.  http://www.beyondships.com/CrystalSymphony-dining.html

Commodore Rynd of Cunard

We have two new items this week.

First, we speak with Commodore Christopher Rynd of Cunard Line.  The commodore of a passenger ship line is the senior seagoing officer in the line’s fleet.  Traditionally, he has been the master of the line’s flagship and unlike a commodore in the military, his role has been pretty much limited to that ship.

    Commodore Rynd, who was appointed commodore in April 2011, aims to break with tradition.  While his two immediate predecessors as commodore were necessarily focused on bringing the line’s flagship, Queen Mary 2, into service and establishing her as a viable competitor in the modern cruise industry, Commodore Rynd sees his role as extending fleet-wide – -  the goal being to further facilitate a unified Cunard product across the line’s three ships.

I sat down with Commodore Rynd during a transatlantic voyage on Queen Mary 2 and asked him about his vision for his new role.  As in past interviews, his answers were well-thought out and well-articulated.  Our conversation is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-Rynd-3.html

The second item this week is a new photo essay on Oasis of the Seas.  On November 23, 2011, Oasis paid a call at the Caribbeanislandof St. Maarten.  Although there were five other first-class cruise ships in port with her, Oasis was the center of attention.  As the photographs of her during the course of the day and into the evening show, she attracts attention not just because of the enormity of her size but also because of the sense of excitement that she generates.  The photo essay is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-OOS-StMaarten.html

Oasis of the Seas in St. Maarten

Seven Seas Navigator

Continuing our look at some of the ships in the luxury/ultra-luxury segment of the cruising, this week we focus on Seven Seas Navigator of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

I was quite surprised to find out that Seven Seas Navigator is only 28,000 gross tons.  The first time I saw her was several years ago when she was docked withHollandAmerica’s Noordam atGrand Turk.  Although she was clearly smaller than Noordam, she did not look one-third the size.  Rather, she looked and still looks to be a substantial ship.

Perhaps this is because her hull was designed originally to be that of an exploration ship.  It was only after her hull was completed that she was transformed into a luxury cruise ship.  Thus, at her roots is a ship designed to travel any seas – - not a bad thing for a ship that roams far and wide cruising.   

Navigator has a very traditional style.  There is nothing that is designed to produce a “wow” or make you stagger back with awe.  Rather, it is a conservative approach to luxury with extensive wood paneling, leather chairs, and understated colors.  It is an approach that says quality and richness without shouting.

Regent is expanding on the concept of what is included in an “all-inclusive” fare.  Of course, not everything is included in an all-inclusive fare.   For example, they do not give you free of charge the chips to gamble with in the casino.  However, on Navigator, an unlimited number of shore excursions are included as is round-trip airfare, a one-night stay in a hotel and many other things.

Beyondship’s profile of Seven Seas Navigator is at http://www.beyondships.com/Regent-Navigator-Profile.html  The multi-page photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Regent-Navigator-Tour-1.html

Seabourn Sojourn

This week we look at the first of several ships that we will be profiling in upcoming weeks that compete in the luxury/ultra-luxury segment of the cruise industry.

The luxury/ultra-luxury segment is the top tier of cruise ships as far as luxury goes.  Guests are pampered by top service and with top quality accommodations and dining.  The fares are much higher than the fares for all but the best suites on the premium and mass market ships.  However, more is included in the fare.

Luxury/ultra-luxury ships are almost all small ships – - less than 50,000 gross tons.  This makes the cruise experience more intimate and gives an impression of exclusivity.  Since the guests typically are experienced travelers, they are attracted by itineraries that include ports that are not usually on cruise itineraries.   Smaller ships can get into more of these ports than their larger brethren.         

Entering service in June 2010, Seabourn Sojourn is one of the more recent additions to this segment.  She is the second ship in Seabourn’s Odyssey class and brings much of what is state-of-the-art thinking in the cruise industry to a small ship.  I was particularly impressed by how well the outdoor space on the ship is utilized.

Sojourn still sparkles like a new ship.  She is clean and well-maintained.  She is clean in another way as well – - her interior spaces often rely on clean lines unbroken by decorative frills.  It is very much a contemporary elegance rather than traditional luxury.   

Beyondship’s profile of Seabourn Sojourn is at http://www.beyondships.com/Seabourn-Sojourn-Profile.html  The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Seabourn-Sojourn-Tour-1.html.

One of Curacao's scenic beaches

This week, we again go beyond ships and present a profile of another place where ships go – - the island of Curacao.  Located off the coast of Venezuela near Aruba and Bonaire, Curacao is a popular stop on Southern Caribbean cruises and often on Panama Canal cruises.

Any cruise to Curacao starts with the capital city Willemstad.  The cruise ships dock near the center of the city and all of the sights are within walking distance of where the ships dock. Willemstad is a unique Caribbean city.  At first glance, the architecture looks Dutch but there is clearly a Spanish influence.  The pastel colors of the buildings are Caribbean.  In short, the architecture is a blend of styles that reflects the island’s mix of cultures.  With its history and shopping opportunities, Willemstad is an interesting place to explore.

Outside of Willemstad is a different world.  The countryside is wild and often undeveloped.  Large sections are preserved as national parks so there are opportunities to hike and take all terrain vehicles through this arid landscape.

The coastline is also two worlds.  The beaches tend to be small, often tranquil coves that are quite scenic.  Since the water is very clear, there are numerous dive sites as well.  But then there are also places where the sea hurls itself again the land with great force.  At Boka Tabla, for example, the sea has carved a deep grotto out of the rock cliffs.

Beyondships’ cruise destination photo guide to Curacao begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Curacao.html    There is also a slideshow of scenes from Curacao at http://www.beyondships2.com/curacao-slideshow.html