Cruise destination Gibraltar; Cruise ship shore excursions

P&O Cruises’ Oceana in Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a legendary place. The Ancients believed that it was created by Hercules. In more reason times, its reputation was such that people said things like “Singapore is the Gibraltar of the East” and “Brimstone Hill (St. Kitts) is the Gibraltar of the Caribbean” when they wanted to describe a place as an impregnable stronghold. Even today, seeing that amazing rock projecting up from the sea is a mystical experience.

Located at the southern tip of Europe where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, Gibraltar was for centuries a strategic military location. Its military significance has diminished in the 21^st Century but its location makes it a popular port of call for cruise ships, particularly for ships sailing from the U.K. to the Mediterranean.

There are several things that make Gibraltar an interesting port of call. First, it is a tiny place. You can easy walk across the entire town. And all of the tourist sites are a short taxi ride away.

Second, there is the culture. Spain ceded Gibraltar to Great Britain in 1713 – – the British had captured it in 1704 so the treaty only confirmed what had already taken place. As a result, it resembles a small British city. At the same time, there is a Spanish influence. So you might see a typical English Bobby dressed as in London chatting with a passerby in fluent Spanish.

Third, there is the history. As already mentioned, Gibraltar was a key stronghold for centuries and so played a significant role in many of the major European conflicts.

And then there is that rock. It is a natural wonder, impressive to look at and offering impressive views, not only of Gibraltar but of Spain and Africa. In addition, parts of it are now a nature reserve, home to Europe’s only bands of free-roaming monkeys. Furthermore, several of the historic military installations on the Rock are now open to the public.

Beyondships’ Gibraltar profile page is at http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-gibraltar.html

We also have posted two going ashore experiences. The first talks about visiting Gibraltar’s famous Barbary Apes. http://www.beyondships3.com/gibraltar-apes.html

The second is about visiting Gibraltar’s World War 2 tunnels. Concern that the Nazis would attempt to seize Gibraltar led the British to construct 30 miles of tunnels within the Rock. A portion of this incredible engineering feat is now open to view. http://www.beyondships3.com/gibraltar-world-war-2-tunnels.html

In addition to the items about Gibraltar, we have added a new FAQ. This one discusses the pros and cons of booking a shore excursion through the cruise line. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-shore-excursions.html

Disney Dream Photos; Cruise Ship Fuel Consumption

Disney Dream

This week our primary focus is the Disney Dream of Disney Cruise Lines. The Dream was the third ship built for Disney. But while she maintained the traditional ocean liner look of Disney’s two earlier ships, she is a much larger ship. In addition, she was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, which is known for its quality.

 

The Disney Dream sails from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas on three, four and five day Bahamas cruises. As a result, I have run across her several times during Bahamas cruises on other ships.

 

These meets have afforded me the opportunity to take quite a few exterior pictures of Disney on Disney Dream. Inasmuch as she has the lines of a traditional ocean liner, she is quite photogenic.

 

Thus, we have a photo essay showing Disney Dream in Port Canaveral. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-port-canaveral-photo-essay.html

 

We also have a photo essay showing the ship maneuvering in Nassau harbor. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-nassau-photo-essay.html

 

To go along with this photo essay, we have a video of the ship underway in Nassau. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-nassau-video.html

 

In addition to the material on Disney Dream, we have a new FAQ. This one answers the question how many miles to the gallon does a cruise ship get? The answer discusses cruise ship fuel consumption and some of the techniques that cruise lines are using to reduce fuel consumption. http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-cruise-ship-fuel-mileage.html

Queen Mary 2 – Stargazing, the Environment and Europe without Flying

Queen Mary 2 docked in Southampton, England

 

This week we add to our collection of articles and interviews about Queen Mary 2 of Cunard Line. (see index of QM2 articles at http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-articles-interviews-reviews.html) QM2 is one the most extensively-covered ships on Beyondships. I have sailed on her more times than any other ship currently in service. In part, this is due to the fact that she sails between Europe and America and thus facilitates getting to and from the ships based on either side of the Atlantic. But it is also because I like the atmosphere onboard, particularly the enrichment program.

 

One aspect of the enrichment program that I like is that it goes beyond what you normally find on ships. QM2 has the normal sea-going activities such as trivia contests, Bingo, and arts and crafts. Like several other cruise lines, she also has a good lecture series. However, QM2 also has activities such as: acting classes with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts; jazz workshops with professors and/or students from Julliard; and a song writing program in which guests are guided by professional musicians. Some of these activities are regular features on QM2’s daily program, others are presented on some but not all voyages, while still others may only occur once. However, the point is that QM2 consistently provides high quality programs that are beyond what you would normally expect at sea.

 

QM2’s astronomy program is an example of this kind of programming. The ship was built with the only planetarium at sea. In this facility guests journey through space via programs developed in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium. This alone would be enough to place the ship’s astronomy program beyond the norm. However, Cunard also has a relationship with the Royal Astronomical Society in which noted astronomers not only give talks but interact with guests in other ways. Our article about the astronomy program, including an interview with Dr. Chris Crowe of the University of Cambridge, is at http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-astronomy.html

 

A question that is frequently posed by guests is what happens to the leftover food, garbage and waste that is generated during a cruise? In the old days, the solution was just to toss it over the side. However, in these more environmentally conscious days, we know that such an approach has adverse consequences for the planet.

 

I asked Ariadna Mayoral, Environmental Compliance Officer on Queen Mary 2, about what happens to the garbage and waste on her ship. During the course of our conversation, I learned that there are environmental considerations in nearly every aspect of the ship’s operation. The interview is posted at: http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-environmental.html

 

During the course of my travels, I have met many frequent cruisers in North America who say that they would like to visit Europe but that they do not want to fly. Flying is no longer the glamorous means of transportation that it once was and it is very understandable that people do not want to spoil their vacation by flying.

 

However, this does not mean that you have to miss out on the experience of going to Europe. While it is more time-consuming than flying, many people sail both to and from Europe. Queen Mary 2 sails both ways. In addition, it is possible to sail at least one way on a cruise ship. In a new FAQ item, we discuss how this is done and some of the considerations involved. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-europe-without-flying.html

 

Vision of the Seas

I was a little apprehensive before sailing on Vision of the Seas. In researching her beforehand, I read that the ship had never had a major refurbishment since entering service in 1998. This sounded unusual to say the least and I wondered if I would find some worn out and outdated ship upon boarding.

 

My concern turned out to be entirely unwarranted. The ship was in marvelous shape. In fact, I found her in better condition than her sisters in the Vision class that I have sailed. I saw no signs of wear. She does not have all the features of Allure of the Seas but then you can’t really expect a smaller ship to offer such a panoply of features.

 

What Vision does offer instead is a cruise experience on a personal scale. Her size is conducive to interaction both with your fellow guests and with the officers and crew.

 

Vision has a good senior team as well. Captain Srecko Ban is a dynamic young officer who likes to interact with the passengers and to lead by example.

 

I met Joao Mendonca when he was Food and Beverage Manager on Allure of the Seas. There he played a key role in developing that ship’s innovative dining operation. Now that he has been promoted to Hotel Director, his talents are being used to create memorable cruise experiences for Vision’s passengers.

 

Vision is scheduled for her first major refurbishment in September 2013. This is part of a fleetwide program to roll out some of the features of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas to the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The plans are ambitious and when completed will give guests on Vision more dining and entertainment options.

 

The transformers will have to be careful, however, to ensure that Vision does not lose the character and ambiance that she has today. Those are more valuable than physical features.

 

The home page for our profile of Vision of the Seas is at: http://beyondships.com/RCI-VOS-Profile.html

 

The photo tour and commentary about the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-VOS-tour-1.html

 

We also have a menus page with the new Royal Caribbean menus being used on Vision. http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-menus.html

 

Our conversation with Captain Ban is at http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-captain-interview.html

 

Mr. Mendonca talks about Vision today and outlines the changes that will be made during the refurbishment. http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-interview-hotel-director.html

 

Emerald Princess Updated – – Photo essays, menus, dining guide and interview with the captain

This week the focus shifts to Princess Cruises with an expanded and updated profile of Emerald Princess.

 

I had enjoyed myself on Emerald Princess the last time I was onboard and I was pleased to find that she still presents a quite enjoyable cruise experience. Apparently, quite a few other people agree as the ship attracts a high proportion of passengers who are in the upper tiers of Princess’ loyalty program. These are experienced cruisers who do not spend their time on ships that do not deliver a superior cruise experience.

 

When I spoke with Captain Tony Draper and Hotel General Manager Peter Hollinson, I asked them what it is about Emerald Princess that attracts experienced cruisers. They pointed to the fact that she does longer cruises and that her itinerary includes a nice set of ports. In addition, they pointed to the strength of the Princess product in general.

 

I think they are valid points but that there is more to it than that. There is what they used to call a can-do atmosphere on Emerald Princess. It manifests itself in crew members who go beyond what is required of them. This reflects well on the ship’s management too, of course.

 

In any event, my conversation with Captain Draper and Mr. Hollinson is reported at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-interview.html

 

We also have a new photo essay showing Emerald Princess in some of the ports that she visits in the Caribbean. (She spends her winters in the Caribbean and her summers in the Baltic). It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-in-the-caribbean.html

 

A lot goes on on Emerald Princess. To give you an idea of some of the entertainment and activities that occur during a cruise, we present a Scenes from a Cruise Slideshow focusing on the Emerald Princess’ entertainment offerings. http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-in-the-caribbean.html

 

Emerald Princess

Princess styles itself the consummate host and Maitre d’ Hotel Generoso Mazzone personifies that slogan. He has been with Princess since 1983 and really believes in the Princess product. Accordingly, he runs the ship’s dining rooms with friendliness and style. His goal is a level of customer satisfaction that will turn each guest into an advocate for Princess.

 

To help me in creating a dining guide for Emerald Princess, I asked Mr. Mazzone to discuss both the overall Princess approach to dining and each of the dining venues on Emerald Princess. He generously gave of his time and insights. The dining guide begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-dining-guide.html

 

As a companion to the dining guide, we have also added a new Emerald Princess menus page. It has all of the main dining room dinner menus from a 10 day cruise. Plus, it has the menus from Sabatini’s, the Crown Grill and from the Chef’s Table. It appears at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-menus.html

 

Norwegian Jewel Revisited

Norwegian Jewel

Norwegian Cruise Line is in the spotlight this week. Its new ship, Norwegian Breakaway, is coming to New York to take up residence. This is an exciting prospect as Breakaway appears to combine the innovativeness of Norwegian Epic with the quality of a Meyer Werft ship.

 

Norwegian has had two ships based in New York for some time now. With Breakaway’s arrival, one of those ships, Norwegian Jewel, will be re-deployed to other itineraries.

 

However, as Jewel takes up her new life cruising to Alaska this summer and to the Caribbean from New Orleans and Houston this coming winter, we wanted to update and expand our coverage of the ship. http://beyondships.com/NCLJewel.html

 

To that end, we spoke with Hotel Director Hugo Vanosmael about the various dining options on Jewel. Freestyle dining is all about giving the guests options. So to help you make these choices, we have put together a dining guide to Norwegian Jewel. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-dining-guide.html

 

Along the same lines, we have updated our Norwegian Jewel menus page. This includes the new menu for Cagney’s steakhouse. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-menus.html

 

Jewel is a photogenic modern ship. With better than average speed, she also manages to get around. As a result, we have accumulated a number of good pictures of her in various ports in the Caribbean and The Bahamas this winter. These have been put together into a new photo essay. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-photo-essay.html

Cruising New York, Boston, Canada and New England

Spring has finally come to the northeastern United States. Leaves are on the trees and the flowering plants are in bloom.

With the Spring, the northeastern cruising season begins. Ships come up from their winter bases in Florida and the ships that stay the winter in the northeast start to change their itineraries to include places like Bermuda, Canada and New England.

Accordingly, this week our focus is on two of the great northeastern cruise centers – – New York and Boston. Both ports not only are cruise embarkation ports but they are great cruise destinations to visit.

A spectacular part of a cruise out of New York is the trip out of the harbor. This is especially so for ships leaving out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (a.k.a. The Passenger Ship Terminal). The view of the Manhattan from the Hudson River and from the bay is awe inspiring. It unfolds majestically as the ship slowly moves down the river and out of the harbor. So many of the City’s famous landmarks pass by as the ship.

Accordingly, we have put together a photo essay showing some of the sights that you see sailing out of New York harbor and telling a little bit about each one. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/new-york-sailing-from-manhattan.html

Boston is a great cruise port as well. There is so much history and culture there to see. Therefore, we have expanded the Boston cruise destination section of Beyondships. It begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-Boston.html

An unusual shore excursion that I went on the last time I was in Boston was a visit to Fenway Park. Bostonians are avid baseball fans and Fenway Park is the home of the Boston Red Sox. It is a great place to watch a game. However, this visit was on a day when the Red Sox were out of town. Nonetheless, seeing this beloved Boston institution and listening to tales of games gone by was a fascinating experience. http://www.beyondships2.com/visiting-bostons-fenway-park.html

To tie our coverage of these two great cities, we also have a short video of Caribbean Princess sailing from Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. http://www.beyondships2.com/caribbean-princess-boston-to-manhattan.html

 

Caribbean Princess in Boston

Finally, we have added an index of our profiles of the various cruise destinations that are visited on a New England/Canada cruise. http://www.beyondships2.com/canada-new-england-cruise-destinations.html

Introducing Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas

Quantum of the Seas (image – – Royal Caribbean)

 

It is hard to believe that people are not already lounging by the side of the pools or enjoying the entertainment on Quantum of the Seas. After the media preview held last week in New York City, I felt that the ship is out there sailing the seas somewhere. In reality, however, that is still some 18 months in the future.

 

What made me feel that Quantum must already exist? To begin, we were shown a video with realistic looking images of the ship cutting through smooth seas. Then we were shown Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain flying in the ship’s skydiving simulator and Royal Caribbean International President Adam Goldstein playing table tennis with Kristen Chenowith, the ship’s godmother, in the Seaplex – – a venue that transforms from sports complex to entertainment center. We then saw Ms. Chenowith in various other parts of the ship.

 

Mr. Fain did say that today’s computer technology had been of great assistance in allowing Royal to see how all the various components of the design would fit together. As a result, he assured us that the whole Quantum of the Seas would be greater than the sum of its parts and that “the thing that is most exciting to me is the way it all fits together as a seamless whole.”

 

Still, as impressive as the virtual reality was, the confidence with which Mr. Fain and Mr. Goldstein spoke about the ship. Listening to them speak, it was hard not to phrase questions in the present tense “does the ship” rather than the future tense “will the ship.”

 

So what was my impression after seeing the video, listening to the presentation and seeing the mock-up of a cabin with a virtual balcony and the land-based version of the skydiving simulator in the parking lot? I was impressed. Royal has come up with a lot of innovative ideas. It is exciting. In addition, the fact that the ship is to be built by Meyer Werft is another good sign as, in my opinion, that shipyard builds very high quality ships.

 

I was somewhat disappointed that she will not be the Royal Caribbean ocean liner that ship buffs had hoped for. She on to Quantum has been designed to be an all-season cruise ship since the plan is to sail her from the New York area even in the winter. However, Royal Caribbean Executive V.P. Harri Kulovaara, said flatly that she is not designed to be a North Atlantic liner such as Queen Mary 2.

 

This is disappointing because crossing between Europe and America in a fast liner is a much different experience than crossing the Atlantic during a re-positioning cruise. The speed is exhilarating and since it takes much less time than a re-positioning cruise, it is a viable alternative to flying. I would think that many people would like such an experience done in the Royal Caribbean style.

 

The media preview naturally focused on the headline garbing aspects of Quantum such as the North Star viewing platform – – a crane-like arm that will take passengers on a ride some 300 feet above the sea. However, my experience has been that there is more to Royal than the “wows.” Allure of the Seas is a great ship not because she is the largest in the world but because she is so multi-dimensional in entertainment, dining, accommodations and activities.

 

Although not designed as a follow-on to Allure, there are indications that Quantum will also be multi-dimensional. For example, Royal has thought about single passengers and is including a number of single occupancy studio staterooms on Quantum. Showing that it is not merely copying ideas from Norwegian Epic and P&O Cruises’ Azura, some of these studios will be balcony cabins.

 

We have put together an introduction to Quantum which includes commentary from Mr. Fain and several other Royal Caribbean executives as well as photos. It begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-revealed.html

 

Keeping with the Royal Caribbean theme, we have new photo essays of two of our favorite Royal Caribbean ships. The first shows the aforementioned Allure of the Seas arriving in Jamaica. http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-in-jamaica.html This highlights Allure’s nautical qualities as the maneuver depicted is not an easy one.

 

Brilliance of the Seas is another ship with good maneuverability. However, in this photo essay the focus is on her pretty lines docked in Antigua and St. Croix. http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-in-the-caribbean.html

Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director of Eurodam; Eurodam Photos, Menus, Dining Guide

Eurodam

I have always liked Holland America Line’s Eurodam and so I was quite pleased to find the ship performing so well when I cruised on her recently.

Eurodam is a mid-sized ship. She is bigger than any of the other Holland America Line ships with the exception of her sister Nieu Amsterdam. However, at less than 90,000 gross tons, she is far smaller than most ships being built today.

But that is how Holland America and its fans like it. They prefer the relative intimacy of smaller ships. The ships are refined with museum quality art and thoughtful décor. The atmosphere is sophisticated, reflecting the fact that the line attracts more educated passengers.

This is not to say that Eurodam is tiny. She is large enough to have several specialty restaurants, a theater, a nightclub, a secondary entertainment lounge as well as two pools and a sizeable spa. What she does not have is things like a water park. Her guests prefer things like the digital workshop or the culinary arts center.

What really struck me about Eurodam, however, was the friendliness of the staff. This was not the type of friendliness that is part of an effort to get an extra tip. Rather, the people seemed to genuinely want the passengers to have a good time.

In order to find out more about what Eurodam is all about, I spoke with Captain Jeron van Donselaar and Hotel Director Stan Kuppens. Both of these individuals were key players in bringing Eurodam into service in 2008. They have continued on with the ship subsequently although Mr. Kuppens left for awhile to bring Nieu Amsterdam into service. Thus, not only are they in a position to speak knowledgeably about the ship but they also yed key roles in forming the ship’s personality.

My interview with Captain van Donselaar is at http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-captain-interview.html and my interview with Stan Kuppens is at http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-hotel-director-interview.html

Eurodam offers guests a variety of dining choices. Accordingly, I also asked Mr. Kuppens to discuss the various dining options on Eurodam. They are presented along with my own observations in our dining guide to Eurodam. http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-dining-guide.html

Along the same lines, we have added a Eurodam menus page. http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-menus.html

Also, as a result of this cruise, I have enough material for a new photo essay of Eurodam in various ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-photo-essay-2.html

Finally, our photo tour of Eurodam has been expanded and updated with new photos of the ship’s interior. http://beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Tour1.html

Celebrity Reflection – – interview, review, menus and video

This week we complete our profile of Celebrity Reflection with several new items.

 

First, we have an interview with Hotel Director Julian Brackenbury and Cruise Director Paul Buya. I first met Julian on the stately Celebrity Summit when that ship was cruising the Caribbean. I met him again when Celebrity was preparing to re-vilatize Summit adding a panoply of features as part of the line’s Solsticization project. Paul, I know from Celebrity Silhouette, a ship I found to have a strong pulse. As the person in charge of entertainment there, Paul played no small part in making it a lively cruise experience.

 

I asked them to tell us what is new about Celebrrity Reflection? The ship is the fifth and final ship in the Solstice class Each ship in the class has retained the essebtial Solstice design but each of the prior ships has been somewhat different. As they replied, Celebrity has not run out of new ideas but has channel in its thinking in a new direction. The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-interview.html

 

We also have a review of the Murano specialty restaurant. There are Muranos on each of the Solstice class ships and on Celebrity Century. They offer perhaps the most elegant, old school fine dining experience at sea. The review is at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-murano.html

 

We have also added a menus page to the Celebrity Reflection profile with examples of menus from the main dining room and some of the specialty restaurants. http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-menus.html

 

Finally, we have a short video showing the ship in several Caribbean ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-video.html

 

So who is Celebrity Reflection for? In my opinion, she is for experienced cruisers who like what used to be called the better things in life. She ius a pretty ship with attention to detail in the design. She has an excellent array of dining options. She has a good enrichment program although not as strong as Cunard or Holland America. She is not a party boat but rather is sophisticated without being stuffy.