Alaska Just Can't Get a Break

This beautiful scene, captured aboard the Zuiderdam

as she cruised Tracy Arm Fjord, is poised

to cost a lot more in 2012.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

Alaska, it seems, just can't get a break.

First, there was the controversial head tax approved in 2006.  After much legal and political maneuvering by cruise lines and government officials alike, the amount lines are charged per-passenger was dropped substantially last month from the previous $50.

Now, a change in emission regulations set to take effect in 2012 are poised to add $100-million in costs to Alaska cruises - an amount that will be passed along to you.

The Vancouver Sun reported that the cost for cruise lines to meet the incoming regulations breaks down to roughly $100 per person - far more than the $50 head tax imposed by the state of Alaska in 2006 that saw vessel numbers fall off dramatically.

At the heart of the problem: Canada and the United States, in conjunction with the International Maritime Organization, have created an "Emissions Control Area" (ECA)  that covers a 200-mile offshore limit, and is poised to come into effect in 2012.  Ships sailing within the ECA are required to use low-sulphur fuels, and the restrictions are heavy: in 2010, the sulphur limit in 2012 will be one per cent, and in 2015 that number drops to 0.1 per cent.

Currently, a sulphur content of 4.5 per cent is allowable, though most ships average between 1.8 and 1.5 per cent.

Alaska cruises, as well as voyages up the Eastern Seaboard to Canadian and New England ports stand to suffer the most, simply because they never leave the exclusion zone of two-hundred miles.  Caribbean-bound cruises can carry two types of fuel, enabling them to switch over to more cost-effective fuel once they've sailed out of the affected zone.

In Victoria, BC - home to numerous cruise ship calls during the months between May and October - the James Bay Neighbourhood Association has complained publicly in the past about the emissions from ships docked at the city's Ogden Point terminal.  With these new regulations, their concerns might become a thing of the past.

Or, a multi-billion dollar industry might simply choose to sail away in favor of more cost-effective destinations.

Ocean Liners in the Mist

Sailing the Atlantic Ocean aboard Celebrity Summit.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

It's official: I love the fog.

Today, there's still something deep and mysterious about sailing through foggy conditions.  The sea is generally quite calm, and there's an unsettling stillness in the air: no birds are around, marine life is rarely seen, and your view can be limited to less than a few feet.  

No wonder the Vikings were terrified of the stuff.  It doesn't take a lot to imagine the overpowering fear that must have washed over those hardened warriors as they lost all sense of direction, time, and heading.  Legends and tales of mythical beasts emerging from the fog aren't all that foreign to any lover of horror movies.  

Today, of course, sailing through the fog isn't the harrowing experience it once was: modern navigation systems like GPS and radar have seen to that.  Still, the deep-bass sound of the fog horn sounding its low note every two minutes serves as a reminder that it wasn't always this way.

A crewmember aboard Celebrity Summit,

obscured by fog.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

In contrast with the Vikings, I love the stuff.  I sleep like a baby when we cruise through the fog, and the denser it is, the happier I am.  

While the two sea days on our recent Canada / New England cruise aboard Celebrity Summit were socked in, the remaining port days were mainly sunny.  Be sure to watch here throughout the week as we tour the 2001-built ship and take a look at some of the best ports along the Eastern Seaboard.

Hapag-Lloyd Returns to the Great Lakes

 MS COLUMBUS lit up at night.

Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

When you think of the city of Toronto, you probably think of the CN Tower or the sprawling Pearson International Airport.  Starting in 2011, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises would like you to think of Toronto as something else:

A port of embarkation.

Beginning in September of 2011, the intimate, 1997-built MS COLUMBUS will offer a series of thirteen-day cruises sailing between Toronto and Chicago and calling at a variety of ports along North America's famous Great Lakes. 

The 420-passenger COLUMBUS was purpose-built with Great Lakes cruising in mind, and was designed specifically to fit through the eight locks of the Welland Canal: a 28 mile long stretch of water covering a total ascension of 328 feet.  Of course, being a Hapag-Lloyd ship, the vessel is as luxurious as it is functional: the 2010 Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships rates COLUMBUS as a 3-star plus ship.

Despite the fact the line caters to a largely German audience, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure its English-speaking passengers feel comfortable and at home aboard the line's International Sailings.  All travel documentation and information are provided in English, as well as all onboard information such as menus, daily programs, announcements, and safety briefings.  English Shore Excursions are offered in each port of call, and the entire crew is well versed in English.

As a cap-off to the Great Lakes season, COLUMBUS will also offer one special eighteen-day voyage from Toronto to Miami on October 1st, 2011.  This unique repositioning cruise will offer calls at the ports of Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Boston, Newport, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and Port Canaveral before terminating in Miami on October 19, 2011.

Prices for these extremely unique voyages start at $3,470 per person and offer an incredible experience few competing lines can match.  For more information on itineraries, pricing, and booking information, be sure to visit their site at http://www.hl-cruises.com.

The Coolest Hotel in a Very Hot City

There's a reason I don't normally write about hotels on this blog.  Despite their relevance to cruisers - most of whom will stay in at least one either before or after their voyage - I just don't find them to be all that fascinating. 

There are hotels I prefer, of course - everyone has their list of favorites that they try to stay in whenever they're out of town.  But for the most part, a Marriott in Brooklyn looks a lot like the Marriott in Toronto.  A Hyatt in Anaheim has a similar feel to a Hyatt in San Francisco.  And there's nothing wrong with that - after all, travelers like to feel 'at home' in a hotel, even if it is a very impersonal, bland home.

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to stay at a hotel that actually impressed me as much as - or perhaps more than - many cruise ships, and for passengers embarking from New York area ports, it promises to start your trip off on the right note.

I'm talking of course about Kimpton's newest hotel, the Eventi.  Located on Avenue of the Americas at 30th in Manhattan, this 292-room property just opened in May, but travelers are already singing its praises on sites like TripAdvisor.  In a city where choosing a good hotel can be akin to Russian Roulette, that's saying something.

We booked our stay in April - before the hotel even opened - and managed to snag a special preview rate of $199 per night.  Anyone who's ever had the (mis)fortune of staying in a NYC hotel knows how pricey an overnight stay can be, and the rate was simply too good to pass up. 

So, at the start of a two-day pre-cruise stay in New York, we walked through the doors of the Eventi and into one of the best hotel experiences I've had.

The Eventi's inviting lobby.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

From the start, staff were courteous, helpful and pleasant.  Our rooms weren't ready yet, but our luggage was whisked into storage (free, no less!) and the desk clerk took down our cell number with a promise to call as soon as our rooms became available.  The bellman also recommended a fantastic cafe two blocks up on Fifth Avenue where we could get, he promised, the best lunch in town.

He wasn't wrong.

Cafe Au Bon Gout, at Fifth Avenue and 30th Street, was remarkable in the variety of fresh foods it offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all at a very digestible price.  It was an excellent choice considering we had no desire to compete with the crowds for overpriced food in the Times Square area.

The large marble bathroom was reminiscent of many

European hotels.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

Back at the Eventi, our rooms, located on the sixth floor, were ready.  Little touches were everywhere: a small switch in the entry way changes the light on the room numbers outside the door from orange to red; a sign to staff not to disturb the occupants inside.  Our enormous bathroom, done in marble and featuring two sets of lighting, lacked a tub but had an over-sized shower and felt very European in its styling and amenities. 

One of the most comfortable beds you'll sleep on.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

Enough cannot be said about the comfort of the bed - after a long cross country flight, the result is somewhat like sleeping on a king-sized cloud, and remains the finest I've ever slept in, far surpassing that of the Fairmont hotel chain, which up to this point had my vote for most comfortable beds.

Decor is sleek and elegant, with charcoal-colored drapes and carpeting.  Polished metal reading lights adorn the bed and chair, and proved to be exceptionally useful.  A combination alarm clock and iPod docking station are also standard in every room. 

 The view from the unique fifth-floor terrace.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

The hotel also offers some very unique events.  A free wine service is provided from 5 to 6pm every evening on the 5th Floor patio.  Red and white wines, along with sangria, are served every evening, and provides guests with an excellent way to mingle with others or simply relax and enjoy the fabulous views of Manhattan, including the looming presence of the Empire State Building. 

The Empire State Building as seen from the Eventi's terrace.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

This was so enjoyable that each evening we made plans to come back to the hotel in time for wine at 5pm.  In offering this unique and enjoyable function, the Eventi has succeeded in doing something many hotels are never successfully able to: make guests feel as though the hotel is as much a destination as the city itself. 

In the morning, fresh coffee is also offered in the lobby. 

 Beautiful plants adorn the Eventi's lobby.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

If you're a Kimpton InTouch member, you get a personalized welcome card, free wireless internet access, and a $15 "Raid the Minibar" key.  Very nice touches, indeed, and increasingly rare in this age of 'unbundling'.  If you're not an InTouch member, be sure  to sign up before your stay.

I've stayed in a lot of hotels in many different countries, but for the first time ever, I was actually disappointed to be checking out.  I could have used a week at the Eventi - that's how relaxing it was.  The hotel has a sleek, modern feel and seems to continually seek to stimulate the senses in guest corridors, elevators, and rooms.

Come fall, the hotel will have a permanent dining venue on-site.  For now, the have a small makeshift restaurant set up on the level above the lobby, which we made use of one evening.  While it's certainly not the most inexpensive option, service was good and the food was excellent - just what we needed after a long day of flying. 

In the end, other hotel chains should be looking to Kimpton and their Hotel Eventi as a shining example of what a rewarding hotel stay should be.  The introductory preview price may have attracted me, but the exemplary service, outstanding five-star comfort and amenities will keep me coming back.

For more information on the Eventi, including room descriptions, amenities, and pricing, visit the Eventi Hotel website.

Back...And Jet-Lagged

Just a quick preview of what's coming up this week!

After a harrowing experience coming back from our recent Canada/New England cruise aboard Celebrity Summit that included delayed and canceled flights, mechanical problems, thunderstorms, missing shuttle buses, and a twelve hour tour-de-force at Newark Liberty International, I'm back.

Coming up in the next seven days or so:  a full photo-tour of Celebrity Summit, a review of our Canada/New England cruise, some tips on what to do when faced with the kind of enormous airline delays we spent yesterday and today enduring, as well as a report on a New York hotel that, unlike most hotels, is a must-stay for those seeking comfort, luxury and value in the Manhattan area.

Stay Tuned - From the Deck Chair is back in action!

Out To Sea

I'll be the first to admit it: the posts this week have been a little, well, lackluster.

But it's OK, because I'm taking the opportunity in the next week and a half to do something I write about often: take a cruise.  So, between work, packing, and general family life, things have been a little busy.

I thought about doing a few posts from the ship, but I've decided against it.  If it was just me, I'd do a live trip report with a blow-by-blow account of each day.  But this is a family outing, and seeing as I work and sit in front of a computer for well over nine hours per day, I'm taking this opportunity to un-shackle myself, as it were, from technology and convince my loved ones I still exist.

Fear not though: in ten days' time, I will return with a complete photo-tour of our ship and our cruise itself, and be sure to stay tuned later this month and early next month for for an announcement regarding some interesting articles we have planned for the fall.

It promises to be an exciting year for cruising, both here at From the Deck Chair, and in the industry itself.


From the Deck Chair will return Monday, July 26th.

Photo of the Week - July 13

Fireboat escort in Alesund, Norway.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

Our Photo of the Week for this week shows the picturesque town of Alesund, Norway as seen from the decks of the Crown Princess.  

Aside from being one of the prettiest cities in Norway, departure here is particularly memorable: a fireboat escort leads your ship out of the harbor while Vera Lynn's "We Will Meet Again" rings out over the town - piped in from somewhere ashore, or aboard the fireboat itself.  

The result is strikingly cinematic, and tremendously moving.  Cheering passengers lined their balconies and the upper decks of the Crown Princess, snapping pictures, taking video, and waving to the good people of Alesund who came out to see the massive ship off.  

If you plan on taking a cruise to Norway, be sure it includes a stop in this wonderful city - you won't be disappointed.

Lowering Emissions...and Visits

CBC is reporting that new emissions regulations, set to take effect for all cruise ships sailing to or from Canadian waters, have already caused their first 'casualty' as UK-based Fred.Olsen Cruises announced they would no longer visit Canada's Eastern coast when the regulations take effect in 2012.

At the heart of the issue is the sulphur content in the fuel used by cruise ships.  Currently, operators are allowed to use fuel with a sulphur content between 1.5 and 2.5 percent.  In 2012, that number reduces by a full percent, followed by a further 0.1 percent reduction by 2015.

So why is this a big deal?  In the case of Fred.Olsen, the line claims the reductions will cost it an extra $17,000 per day - making calls at Canadian ports economically unattractive compared to the United States, which currently has no such regulation in the works. 

Cruise lines are also being told they can fit their ships with plug-power facilities instead, which will allow them to plug into shoreside power systems like that in Vancouver.

While it's admirable the Canadian Government wants the industry to use cleaner-burning fuels, it is surprising that such a bold move would be made during the middle of a recession and while the travel market is particularly volatile.  It's also surprising given that the Port of Vancouver has been loosing cruise ship traffic hand-over-fist to Seattle for the past few years now.  On the other hand, popular Maritime ports like St. John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia are poised to celebrate their busiest cruise ship seasons this year - something that could rapidly change if the Canadian Government doesn't change or relax these regulations before their 2012 debut.

What's interesting about these new regulations is they seem to focus almost exclusively on cruise ships.  Interesting, considering that today in Vancouver there is one ship tied up at Canada Place, and roughly twenty cargo, bulk, LNG, and other types of ships in the harbour - presumably none of which offer shoreside power hookups like the ship at Canada Place. 

Using cleaner fuels is a good thing.  It's just unfortunate no one may be here to see it.

Staying Connected...and Informed

I remember my first cruise in 1998, aboard the Norwegian Wind.  I spent months pouring over the 1998 Norwegian Cruise Line "Alaska" brochure; in fact, I still have the tattered remains of it in my box of cruise memorabilia. 

I also scoured the internet, looking for every last scrap of information I could get on the Wind.  You see, three months before we were due to set sail, the ship was drydocked in Germany, where she was cut in half and lengthened by inserting a pre-fabricated midsection.  I was fascinated by this.  I'd only seen a few small images of the ship's interior, and I wanted to find the latest and greatest information on our ship before we set sail.

So I turned to the internet.

In 1998, many cruise lines didn't even have a website - let alone the Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and blog pages that now grace almost every major line.  There were a few sites dedicated to cruising out there, but to get any sort of information required hours of trawling through old-school internet bulletin boards, MetaCrawler searches, and the like - all for some ambiguous answers and postage-stamp sized images.

Twelve years later, cruisers are fortunate to have some amazing sites dedicated to their passion; you can find images, videos, live trip reports, and have almost any question answered, right down to the kinds of linens used on the beds.

I personally like a wide variety of cruise sites - there's some incredible blogs, photo-sites, and fan sites out there.  There are some, though, that really rise above the rest.  Not only are they informative - they're entertaining as well.  Prepare to invest some serious time to perusing these sites; you'll find it's tough to turn away.

Maritime Matters
There are few sites that pack the same sort of historic and modern punch that Maritime Matters does.  Written by Martin Cox and maritime historian, collector and journalist Peter Knego, the site offers the latest in cruise news while at the same time documenting the ships of yesteryear - some of which are still in existence, but rapidly dwindling as new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations come into effect.  Peter Knego has made it a personal mission to document as many of these classic liners as possible before they are beached on the sad shores of Alang, India for dismantling.  You'd be hard-pressed to find any site that offers the same amount of historical content as Maritime Matters.  Rounding out the mix?  A series of informative cruise reports (SeaTreks) and ship tours (Decked!) that are among the best on the internet.  Be sure to give it a visit.


ShipParade
The brain-child of Dutchman Bart de Boer, ShipParade is a veritable tour-de-force for cruise ship enthusiasts looking for an inside look at some of the most popular - and obscure - ships afloat.  Launched in 2000, ShipParade has grown exponentially over the years, thanks to Bart's fantastic photography and well-written articles.  Rounding out the mix are ShipAlphabet, a section dedicated to user-submitted photographs comprising an A-to-Z guide of ships, complete with exterior and interior shots.  PortAlphabet functions along the same lines, with helpful photographs, tips and hints, and average weather patterns for a variety of worldwide ports.  Also featured is the popular Photo of the Week.  Even better?  You can now take ShipParade home with you by ordering your very own coffee table photo book.  Now that's clever!  ShipParade is still the site I visit most - six years and counting.

ShipCafe
Similar in theme to ShipParade, but written by Seattle-based Steve Garrod, ShipCafe is a well-put together site that features highly-detailed photo-tours of several Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean ships.  Many of the ships featured on ShipCafe are West Coast regulars, and an excellent resource for those looking to plan a cruise to Alaska or the Mexican Riviera.  Also of interest are Steve's well-written and documented Photo Travelogues, many of which feature Euope or Asian destinations.  An excellent resource that should be in everyone's bookmark page.

Dutch By Association
Love Holland America Line?  Then you need to check out Dutch By Association, the pseudonym blog written by a Holland America employee.  Besides being an excellent repository for all things HAL, Dutch By Association regularly features photo-tours of various HAL ships, including photos culled from sources all across the internet.  Don't miss the latest photographs of HAL's newest vessel, the magnificent Nieuw Amsterdam.  If you've never been on a Holland America cruise, this site will have you hooked in thirty seconds.  A great site written by a great guy - be sure to give it a visit.

CruiseCritic
There's no getting around it: Cruise Critic is almost the de-facto standard in cruise community message boards.  Sure, there's other features, like ship reviews, daily news and features, but the fact remains that most people visit Cruise Critic for one thing: the amazingly-populous cruise message boards.  Divided into sections according to cruise line, the boards are widely read by passengers, crew, and industry executives eager to keep their finger on the pulse.  Roll Call forums for individual sailings allow members, or "CC'ers" as they're affectionately known, to meet up on-board ship.  While the boards occasionally suffer from the same negative symptoms as many on-line forums (petty in-fighting, name calling and misinformation), the overall vibe is overwhelmingly positive.  Want to know whether the bathroom in your cabin will be on the left or right hand side?  This is the site for you - and millions of others like you.

In fact, I'm due for a visit right now...

You're Welcome To Stay...

 Enjoy more of this and less crowded airports

aboard all Royal Caribbean European sailings.
Photo © Aaron Saunders

Picture this: you're in Europe, about to disembark from the ship that's been your home for the past two weeks.  You have to be up and out of your cabin by 8am, and probably on-land at 9am...and your flight home doesn't leave until 4pm. 

What do you do with all that time?  One cruise line is hoping you'll choose to stay aboard...for a small fee.

Royal Caribbean is testing out an innovative disembarkation day option aimed primarily at guests aboard the line's European sailings.  For $35 per person (and $17.50 for children ages 3-17), you can sign up for a program that will let you stay aboard your floating palace on disembarkation day until 90 minutes before the next sailing departs. 

While you still loose access to your cabin in the morning, the ships public rooms are yours to enjoy, including the solarium, pools, spa, and Windjammer buffet.  On certain vessels, guests can even use their credit cards in order to purchase soda or alcoholic drinks (remember, your onboard account is still closed the night before.)

If this sounds like paradise to you, you can register for this option before you even set sail: the Late Departure Option is available to book on-line in the Shore Excursions section (the link for Voyager of the Seasis given as an example).

For now, this option is only available to guests on a Royal Caribbean cruise that ends in a European port.    If this interests you, better to book this option early than leave disappointed: like any excursion, spaces for the Late Departure Option are capacity-controlled.

Will Royal Caribbean roll this option out for its other worldwide departures?  Perhaps if the program proves successful, however it really is designed to accommodate transatlantic flights, many of which don't depart until the mid-to-late afternoon. Still, it represents another innovation from a line that has long challenged the status quo.

For more information, visit Royal Caribbean's website.

Keeping An Eye on Airfare

Although this is a cruise blog, the nature of cruising is such that flying to and from your port of embarkation is, for most of us, a necessity.  It's a factor that can impact your cruise vacation in a way few others can: the relatively high cost of airfare plays a significant part in determining both when and where we cruise, and the veritable maze of additional 'unbundling' charges like fees for luggage can further dent our travel plans.

The one beacon of light has been that, thanks to the recession, seat sales are fairly commonplace thanks to light load factors.  Supply and demand at its finest hour: more empty seats equals more savings for you.

But there are signs this may be a thing of the past: Reuters reported that Canada's two largest airlines, Air Canada and WestJet flew with greater numbers of passengers in June - 84% full for the former, 78.2 for the latter. On the same day, US Airways reported record load factors, and European lo-cost carrier EasyJet announced its passenger traffic jumped 10% during this same month.

What does that mean?  Simply put, planes are heading out with fewer empty seats - and fewer rock-bottom fares on certain routes.  On many popular routes, the best pricing is the earliest pricing, with fares increasing steadily as departure date nears.

On a flight to London from Vancouver last year, we booked five months in advance - and watched as prices climbed steadily as we got closer to our departure day.  When the time came, our Airbus 330 was packed - there literally wasn't a single seat left on the aircraft.  On a more recent JetBlue flight from Seattle to Long Beach, while we got a great deal by booking three months in advance, that flight too was full - only one seat on the Embraer-190 was unoccupied. The cost of a ticket booked two weeks in advance?  Four times what we'd paid.

So what to consider when booking your next cruise - or jumping on that incredible 'last-minute' cruise deal?  You may want to check your airfare prices first before deciding and paying a deposit on a future cruise - or risk being at the mercy of airfare that costs more than the rest of your vacation.
 

Unique Itinerary: South America

 Mariner of the Seas anchored at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

When Royal Caribbean made the decision to redeploy Mariner of the Seas to Europe and the Caribbean for the 2011 cruise season, it faced a dilemma:  how to get it there.  At over 1,000 feet in length and 157 feet wide, the ship is far too big to transit the Panama Canal.  In order to reach the Atlantic Ocean, the ship must circumnavigate South America.

That loss is your gain.

Departing January 16, 2011 from Los Angeles, Mariner of the Seas sails an excellent 16-Day itinerary to Valparaiso, Chile that includes stops in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Lima, Peru; and the port city of Arica, Chile.

As exciting as the itinerary is, it's made all the more appealing by an incredible price point: inside staterooms start at just $1,009.00 per person.

Royal Caribbean doesn't often have itineraries like this, and certainly not on a ship as large as Mariner of the Seas.  To be one of the few who have had the privilege of sailing aboard her 'around the horn', be sure to visit Royal Caribbean's website for full details.

Photo of the Week - July 5

Crown Princess & Celebrity Equinox at

Geiranger, Norway on August 4, 2009.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

This week's Photo of the Week showcases Crown Princess commencing tendering operations in the picturesque port of Geiranger, Norway.  Celebrity Equinox is shown in the background, calling at the port on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England.

Nestled at the end of Geirangerfjord, this popular town nestled in the mountains has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, and its easy to see why: the combination of scenery, history, and the journey up the fjord itself have resulted in one of Norway's most popular cruise ship ports of call.

From the Deck Chair will return on July 6th.

Where Did All the Windows Go?

 The fantastic "wall of glass" in the Atrium of

Grandeur of the Seas.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

I've always thought one of the best things about being at sea is simply being able to sit down either inside or out and watch the ocean go by.  Even if you're just walking from one end of the ship to another, there's something incredible about seeing the ocean rush past as your ship carries you to some new and exotic destination.

Have a look at some of the newest ships to be built, though, and notice just how many public rooms exist in an interior-only space, with few or no windows at all. 

The thinking is rather logical: in order to appeal to a different kind of passenger - the kind who prefers Las Vegas or a land vacation to a cruise - a few lines are going to great lengths to make passengers forget they are on a ship.  They limit outdoor deck space, do away with promenade decks, and concentrate on designing interior areas that have few or no windows.

 Even smaller rooms, like the International Cafe shown

here aboard Crown Princess, offer large picture windows.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

I didn't realize the extent to which this was occurring until I read Bart de Boer's excellent Norwegian Epic photo-tour on his ShipParade website.  As usual, his descriptions of the ship and the photographs he's taken are the best of the best, but what caught my eye was what wasn't in the photos.  Have a peek: there's all the usual rooms.  Dining rooms, casino, atrium, elevator banks, show lounges...but take a close look at them and notice just how few of them have windows of any kind.  The atrium looks more like a large shopping mall or international terminal at an airport than a ship.  In fact, it reminds me a bit of the waiting area in Terminal 3 at London's Heathrow airport: a lot of stark white finish broken up by skylights and the occasional window.

They didn't have to, but they did: Cunard included windows

at the forward end of the Promenade deck aboard QM2.

Photo © Aaron Saunders 

Royal Caribbean's Vision-class ships were originally dubbed "Ships of Light" when they first set sail back in the mid 1990's.  Their enormous, two-story glass windows that covered atrium and dining areas let in an incredible amount of natural light, and afforded passengers excellent views regardless of weather conditions.   These ships are remarkable at dawn and dusk: their interiors glow bright red with the setting sun in the evening, making for a memorable night aboard.  To an extent, Royal Caribbean carried this theme over to its popular Radiance, Voyager, and Freedom-class ships: all boast the same wall of glass alongside their sweeping dining rooms.

Holland America Line's Vista-class ships are notable for their dual port-and-starboard banks of glass elevators.  Located amidships, the elevators traverse every deck of the ship, running through a glass tunnel that offers magnificent views of the ocean.  Once the elevators descend below promenade-deck level, clever murals create the illusion of being under water.

 Is this a dying feature?  Hallways flooded with natural light,

like this one aboard Regent's Seven Seas Mariner.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

Though Carnival Cruise Lines may be best known for their whimsical - and sometimes outlandish - interior decor, the line has never skimped when it comes to viewing space: even their trendsetting Fantasy-class ships, which were at their height during the mid-to-late 1990's, offer ocean views from just about every room.

So is cutting back on the view a growing trend?  Hopefully not.  In as much as lines are trying to court new passengers who may traditionally not have considered a cruise vacation, there's still a large contingent of us who love the sweeping views of the sea from our ship. 

After all, isn't that the point of being on the ocean?

The Cleanest of the Clean

Carnival Glory shown at sea.

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines

It's disappointing that with all the media coverage afforded to ships stricken with stomach bugs like Norovirus, few and far between bother to report on the other side of the spectrum: the ships that are so squeaky-clean they earn the prestigious 100% score on their random spot inspections.

 Carnival Cruise Lines is proud of the officers and crew of Carnival Glory for that very reason: the ship aced her recent inspection by Health Canada in the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, achieving the much-sought after 100% score.  The unannounced inspections are required for any international vessel calling at a Canadian port, and cover almost every area of shipboard operations including proper food handling, preparation and storage, as well as overall cleanliness.  Potable (drinking) water is also tested, along with water in pools and hot tubs.  

Most major cruise ships perform well during these surprise inspections, which also take place in many US and international ports.  A score of 85 or higher is widely considered to be a passing grade; many ships routinely achieve scores in the high nineties.  The areas below decks are so clean you could eat off of them: food storage and preparation areas, as well as laundry, printing and technical spaces are kept in the same spotless state as passenger areas. 

Carnival Glory is currently sailing a mix of five and seven-night Canada & New England voyages roundtrip from New York City.  Taking over for the Carnival Victory, which has sailed this run for the past few years, it seems her crew are keen to make a good impression on both passengers and officials alike.

 For more information on the spotlessly-clean Carnival Glory and her Canada & New England departures, be sure to check out Carnival's website.

Expect the Unexpected

It's been an eventful forty-eight hours for many Caribbean-bound cruisers, courtesy of Hurricane Alex - the first named hurricane of the 2010 season.

First, there were the cancelled port calls: Oasis of the Seas scrapped plans to call at the Mexican port of Costa Maya on June 30th due to high seas and wind.  Yesterday, Carnival Dream was also prevented from calling at Costa Maya for the same reasons.  The popular port serves as a gateway to the historic ruins of Chichen Itza, and is completely exposed to the open sea, leaving it at the mercy of any approaching weather systems.

Carnival Ecstasy's passengers also found themselves with a change of plans: instead of returning to Galveston, Texas yesterday, high seas prevented local pilots from boarding, which resulted in the ship being unable to dock - meaning passengers expecting to fly home were left with an unexpected bonus day aboard ship, while guests ready to board for a four-day Caribbean jaunt were left stuck in Galveston.  It is expected that Carnival Ecstasy will try again today to dock in Galveston and disembark her passengers.

With the start of the 2010 hurricane season upon us, there are a few important lessons that Hurricane Alex so timely reminded us of:

1.  Don't Book a Cruise for a Particular Port.  Sure, everyone wants to visit all the ports on their itinerary - but unexpected weather systems can often wreak havoc with the best-laid plans, particularly in unprotected ports like Costa Maya or ones that require the use of tenders to ferry passengers ashore.  In 2000, we missed a scheduled port call in Santorini, Greece due to one of the worst storms in twenty years.  In 2008, we were aboard Queen Mary 2 when she was delayed leaving New York by Hurricane Kyle.  The result?  Instead of spending a day at sea, we spent a day anchored off Staten Island - within sight of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal where we had boarded the day before. 

2.  Purchase Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance.  In the case of Carnival Ecstasy, any passenger with scheduled flights would have missed them.  Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance would provide the means to pay for any flight change fees or differences in price that would result from having to re-schedule flights, and would also cover expenses for those passengers who arrived in Galveston expecting to board a cruise ship but instead scurried around trying to secure hotel rooms for the evening.

The moral of the story?  Expect the unexpected, roll with the punches, and you're sure to have an enjoyable cruise - regardless of the weather.

We're Docking...Lower the Lifeboats

Norwegian Epic at Sea.

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line 

I really didn't want to write any more about Norwegian Cruise Line's brand-new Norwegian Epic.  The ship has received a host of media attention and certainly doesn't need yet another blog reporting on it.

But this little tidbit is just another in a long string of events that make you scratch your head and think, "nobody thought of this beforehand?"

Gene Sloan writes on his USA Today cruise blog that Norwegian Epic's lifeboats are posing a bit of a problem for the ship when she docks in New York this morning.  So much so, that they will have to lower five of them into the harbor, dock the ship, then re-hoist them up once they have un-docked tomorrow evening.

The reason?  Unlike traditional lifeboats on most cruise ships, which sit nestled within the superstructure over the promenade deck, Norwegian Epic's hang out: extending over the superstructure of the hull and effectively increasing the overall width of ship.

In order for the ship to fit into its Manhattan berth, five of the lifeboats have to be removed first. 

It isn't a huge thing for the passengers, but for the Officers it must be something of a bother: just another task to have to perform on an already-busy turnaround day for a four-thousand-plus passenger ship.

They will have a fair amount of practice with this by the end of the week: the same task must be repeated when the ship arrives back in New York on July 4th.

For more information on Norwegian Epic, visit the Norwegian Epic micro-site.