It’s a Friday afternoon at Port Everglades and dockworkers are busy off-loading containers from a huge CCNI cargo ship that has just arrived from South America. Trucks are lined up to deliver and pick up freight. Cruise passengers are toasting on the pool deck of the Regent Seven Seas Navigator before departing for a week-long tour of the Caribbean and Mexico.
The hustle and bustle is palpable, as the growing Broward port leaps ahead to rank as the largest container cargo port in Florida in 2007, and — it expects — become the No. 1 cruise port in the world in 2011.
‘We have basically opened our eyes and said `Why not be the biggest and the best?’ ” said Port Director Phillip C. Allen.
Port Everglades is coming off one of the most successful years in its history and has big plans, despite facing challenges on economic and environmental fronts.
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Princess Cruises is following in Norwegian Cruise Line’s footsteps by replacing the traditional mode of debarkation with a more flexible one.
One of the most reviled aspects to cruising, big ship lines traditionally require passengers preparing to depart cruises to rush out of cabins on the voyage’s last morning to wait in public lounges waiting for a color-coded tag to be called. Then the morning is punctuated by increasingly annoying series of bleatings over the loud speaker (”pink group 10 may now disembark”). But ever since NCL expanded its “Freestyle” concept to allow passengers to disembark at their own pace, cruise lines have been looking for ways to make the process less of a time-waster.
In Princess’ case, the new effort aims to create a quieter, more streamlined send-off. Already in place onboard all its ships (except Sapphire Princess, which will adopt the system this spring), passengers receive a flier instructing them when to assemble (depending on air arrangements) and in which public area. Once they’ve arrived at the right place at the prescribed time, they will be escorted to the gangway by a member of the ship’s staff.
The line hopes that the new process will help eliminate passengers congregating in the ship’s atrium near the gangway, plus creates a more relaxed flow for morning meals.
A new Queen is touring the world today.
It is the Queen Victoria, latest in the Cunard Line’s distinguished series of ships named after British monarchs. And like its four predecessors — the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2 — the new Queen brings a regal tone to the world of cruising.
Rich woods, muted colors, marble floors in some areas and tasteful furnishings lend an aura of understated elegance to the ship. Service is quiet and efficient, in keeping with British tradition, and the ship has the same two-tier ”Grill” stateroom/dining system as the other two current Queens.
But the QV is no clone.
Though it can take about 250 more passengers than the QE2, the 2,014-passenger QV is substantially smaller than the massive 150,000-ton, 2,620-passenger QM2, which entered service in 2004 as what was then the largest passenger ship afloat. That can work both to advantage and disadvantage.
Nearly a dozen new cruise ships, some designed to carry from 3,000 to 4,000 passengers apiece, will be debuting this year. They will add more than 20,000 new berths a week, more than a million such berths a year. And they will be less like ships than like frantic amusement parks with bells clanging, lights flashing and crowds rushing from one spectacle to another.
On a recent broadcast of my Sunday Travel Show, a guest expert described all the new gimmicks we can expect. “They will be like nothing you have ever seen before,” she announced, and with enthusiasm in her voice, she ticked off the advances:
The Queen Victoria and the Celebrity Solstice, in particular, will have “circus-training programs,” “bungee jumping” and “clown acts.” These will be added, presumably, to the rock-climbing walls, boxing rings, bowling alleys and vertiginous Jacuzzis jutting out from the top deck and hanging perilously over the sea (the latter have become standard on some ships, but not necessarily on the Queen Victoria or Solstice). But let me repeat those outstanding new features: “circus-training programs,” “bungee jumping” and “clown acts.”
On a new ship of Costa Cruises, expect every conceivable game, sport and competition. What’s more, Costa will introduce new, extra-charge “spa cabins” so close to fitness rooms that those staying in them can walk to the showers in their bathrobes. People booking the new spa digs will have exclusive access to that spa and to their own spa restaurant.
On some of the new ships, the democratic, one-class policies of cruising will be totally jettisoned. There will be a “ship within the ship” — an area enjoyed solely by passengers paying higher fares, a number of restaurants to which they alone will be admitted, lounges set aside for the elite. On a new ship of Norwegian Cruise Lines, elite passengers will have special suites, special sun-deck areas to use and special swimming pools for them alone.
Photo from Stock.xchng
MINIMUM AGE TO SAIL: 4 months
WHY THEY’RE GREAT: Parents of children younger than 5 receive a pager for use during the cruise in case they need to be contacted. Toddlers don’t have to be potty-trained (parents supply diapers and wipes) to participate in Camp Carnival’s free program for 2- to 5-year-olds.
Here, kids can play picture-bingo to win prizes, finger-paint, put on puppet shows and listen to stories. Mascot Fun Ship Freddy (modeled after Carnival’s trademark ship’s funnel), poses for photos and joins dance parties (plush Freddys are for sale in the gift shops).
Children younger than 2 can take a turn with the toys during designated Family Play Times, when accompanied by a parent.
Baby-sitting services for children younger than two are available at Camp Carnival during limited hours (check when you board, rates are $6 for the first child/$4 each additional). Activity books and crayons are available in dining rooms.
MINIMUM AGE TO SAIL: Varies by itinerary: 6 months for some sailings, 1 year for transatlantic and many of the exotic itineraries.
WHY THEY’RE GREAT: On Queen Mary 2 and new ship Queen Victoria, nannies take care of children age 1 and up. Onboard nurseries are stocked with everything from Lamaze toys to Fisher Price Little People and Little Tikes Light and Sound Toys. Diaper changing and naps in the nursery’s full size cribs included (the program is gratis for all ages).
Preschoolers can go on treasure hunts, jump around in a soft play area, and attend a pirate party.
Queen Mary 2 has a 3-4 foot deep Minnows pool for families, plus a 6-12-inch-deep splash pool for smaller sailors. (QV has no children’s pool, but the Play Zone for ages 1-6 features a nursery for infants/toddlers, video games, arts and crafts, a large plasma screen for videos and movies and a secure outdoor area with climbing.)
Be sure to escort your little one to the Children’s Tea, served in King’s Court every evening with balloons, artwork place mats, crayons and kid-friendly treats.
Queen Mary 2 has the largest library at sea with more than 8,000 books including a well-stocked children’s section.
She won an Oscar for her stunning portrayal of the Queen in the film of the same name.
And now Dame Helen Mirren has been deemed regal enough to perform a duty often reserved for Royalty: she is to launch her first ship.
But in a break with tradition, the 62-year-old movie, stage and TV star will not be swinging a bottle of champagne against the hull of the new P&O cruise ship Ventura, which is the largest liner designed exclusively for the British market.
Instead she will name the ship, but then hand the bubbly to a squadron of Royal Marine Commandos, who will abseil down the hull, smashing the champagne as they go.
It is a move designed to ensure there is no repeat of the “Curse of Camilla” - when Prince Charles’s wife failed to break the bottle at the launch of another cruise ship in December.
Last summer, Europe was one of the most popular cruise destinations. Not surprisingly, cruise fares reflected that demand with per-night prices consistently higher than those in the Caribbean. To capitalize on traveler interest in Europe, many cruise lines chose to launch new ships out of European ports and send extra ships overseas.
For 2008, Europe is still quite popular, in part because cruise fares are payable in dollars allowing cruisers to avoid high-priced euro rates. But are the cruise lines satiating Americans’ desire to travel abroad or does the 23 percent capacity increase mean there are too many ships sailing Europe?
One sign is the abundance of Europe deals during Wave Season. Luxury-line Crystal has already discounted peak summer sailings by 10 percent. According to an article in Travel Weekly (registration required), Crystal executives claim the market is soft and all the lines are feeling the pressure.
For would-be cruisers, the advice is clear. Increased competition in the Europe cruise market means lower prices and extra perks as cruise lines scramble to fill cabins.
The two fire boats in Tokyo Harbour greeted our ship with powerful fountains of water shooting high in the air. It was our first stop and an appropriate, symbolic start to a special “Pacific Ring of Fire” cruise.
Each year, the Holland America cruise ship Statendam repositions itself from Osaka, Japan to Vancouver to begin its Alaska service. For those lucky 1,200 trans-Pacific passengers, it was a rare treat to take a northerly route along the Ring of Fire passing more than 60 active volcanoes and hundreds of lofty cone-shaped peaks that were once active but are now considered dormant or extinct. The whole region is along the edge of several continental plates where huge pressure is built up in subduction zones causing regular earthquakes and lava-spewing volcanoes.
Japan, comprised of four large mountainous islands, is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and is home to about 10 per cent of the world’s active volcanoes. The highest and most spectacular is Mount Fuji (3,776 metres).
This symbol of Japan dominates the skyline near Tokyo and forms a perfect volcanic cone with a crown of white snow that attracts thousands of hikers and millions of photographers each year. Mount Fuji last erupted 300 years ago but geologists think it’s capable of re-erupting at any time. We took a tour halfway up the gentle slope where hotels, gift shops, horse rides and fast-food vendors (fish and meat satay sticks were especially popular) competed for tourist yen while expensively-outfitted climbers trudged through the nearby snow.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office, responding to more than 150 consumer complaints, is looking into whether the fuel supplement fees that major cruise lines began charging last fall are appropriate and properly disclosed to passengers.
”Our office has received more than 150 complaints about this issue and we are engaged in ongoing discussions about this with the cruise lines,” said Sandi Copes, press secretary for Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Copes said the Attorney General’s Office “is conducting a preliminary review. We’re looking into whether or not it’s appropriate and whether or not they are accurately disclosed at the point of sale.”
Tim Gallagher, a spokesman for Miami-based Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise operator, acknowledged that Carnival and other cruise lines are under review. ”We believe our fuel supplement complies with applicable laws and we are cooperating with the review,” he said.
Last Nov. 7, as fuel prices soared to record highs, Carnival Corp., which operates 11 brands, announced it was tacking on a $5-per-person, per-day ”fuel supplement” at Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. Those lines will carry some 8 million passengers this year.
The cruise giant, which capped the charge at $70 per person per voyage, had previously added a fuel charge on European brands.
Other big cruise operators, including Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises and Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line, soon followed suit with their own versions of fuel-supplement fees.
Logo from Carnival.
What’s the worst part about vacationing on a cruise ship? You’re not alone if you say the process of getting off the vessel on the last day of the voyage.
On many ships, the morning of “disembarkation,” as they call it in Cruise Speak, is a hurry-up-and-wait nightmare where you have to rise far earlier than anyone would think reasonable, rush to get ready to leave the ship and then twiddle your thumbs for hours while you wait for an announcement on the public address system that says your color code to leave has been called.
Now Princess Cruises says that it’ll banish the arcane system of blaring public announcements in favor of something more relaxed. In lieu of the wait-around-until-they-call-my-color rigmarole, the line says it will give each passenger an assigned time and place to assemble on the final morning of a cruise, eliminating the guesswork as to the actual time they’ll be disembarking.
The new program, to be rolled out fleet wide, eliminates loudspeaker announcements entirely. Instead, passengers will get a letter in their cabin the day before the end of the cruise that outlines their designated time to meet in an assigned public room. There they will be met by a member of the ship’s staff who will personally escort them to the gangway.
