Step Onboard...Virtually

The brand-new MSC Magnifica.

Photo courtesy of MSC Crociere S.A

At the start of the month, MSC Cruises quietly updated their website.  In the process, the Naples-based line added so many unique features that prospective cruisers can see better than ever exactly what makes the line and their innovative ships so popular, without ever leaving the comforts of home.

Of particular note are the mind-blowing Virtual Tours of MSC Fantasia and MSC Poesia.  Covering just about every public room, stateroom, spa and pool, these stunning tours run in full-screen and function more like an interactive game when compared to the small, pixellated, or simply non-existant VR tours preferred by most lines.  MSC has raised the bar several notches with this unique innovation - stepping onboard MSC Fantasia, even virtually, elicited 'oohs' and 'aaahs' here at From the Deck Chair.

Currently, only these two ships - covering two classes of vessel - are represented with a Virtual Tour.  We're checking with the line to see if they plan to offer a similar tour for their Lirica-class ships as well.

Also noteworthy is the addition of an MSC Podcast.  Along with Holland America Line, who's groundbreaking podcasts we wrote about earlier this week, MSC is one of the few lines to utilize this fantastic technology to attract and impress guests before they even set onboard and provide additional information that can be so valuable for past and future guests alike.

Where the old website suffered from some serious design and layout issues, the new website perfoms beautifully, allowing prospective cruisers to browse the line's impressive itinerary lineup, research shore excursions, and even check in for their cruise on-line. 

This attention to detail demonstrates just how much the line is continually pushing to raise the bar and attract more North American passengers - a process that begins with that first trip to their website. 

To experience the line for yourself, be sure to head on over to the MSC Cruises Website - and enjoy.

Oceania Sails North to Alaska

Oceania vessels at sea.

Photo courtesy of Oceania Cruises 

It seems lately that as one line announces plans to leave the West Coast, another announces their intentions to visit the region for the first time.  In this case, the latter can be said of Oceania Cruises, which plans to take their intimate, upscale Regatta to The Last Frontier.

Oceania - widely known and well respected for its unique and award-winning itineraries, intimate ships featuring luxurious comforts, and some of the finest cuisine and service at sea -  is pulling out all the stops to ensure their first visit to Alaska remains a memorable one.  To this end, the line has announced Regatta will sail four unique itineraries from May to September 2011:

• Majestic Alaska - 14 Days Roundtrip San Francisco
Sailing from San Francisco, guests on this stunning voyage sail to Victoria, Vancouver, Sitka, Hoonah, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Astoria, Oregon.  Departures are May 12 and August 26, 2011.


• Alaskan Grandeur - 12 Days San Francisco to Vancouver
Ports of call for this voyage include Astoria, Oregon as well as Victoria, BC; Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka, and Ketchikan.  Departures are May 26 and August 14, 2011

• Frontiers and Glaciers - 10 Days Roundtrip Vancouver
Providing another welcome boost to the cruise ship roster out of Vancouver in 2011, Regatta will sail to Sitka, Hoonah, Kodiak, Wrangell, and Ketchikan - making this easily the most unique itinerary operating out of Vancouver, period.  Tired of doing the same Juneau-Skagway-Ketchikan port combination?  This itinerary is for you.  Departures are June 7 and August 4, 2011.

• Glacial Wilderness - 12 Days Vancouver to Anchorage
 Expanding on the classic North/Southbound voyages, this 12-day voyage takes discerning guests to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Skagway, Sitka, Seward, and Homer, Alaska - once again making this the most unique North/South itinerary available.  Departures are June 17 and 29, July 11 and 23, 2011.  

Depending on the itinerary, sailings will also include visits to Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm Fjord, the Gulf of Alaska, and College Fjord.



Bookings for the 2011 Alaska Season will open on Wednesday, April 28, 2010.  If you are even remotely interested in sailing with Oceania on one of these voyages, a word of advice: don't hesitate - put a deposit down.  These sailings will go fast.

 Perhaps the greatest reason to recommend these itineraries is their complete and total uniqueness.  It's also nice to see calls to Wrangell, Alaska again: in 2010, the town watched their number of cruise ship visitors drop to zero.  Oceania's announcement is excellent news for the future of Alaskan cruising.

Featuring 2-for-1 fares and free airfare, fares for this upper-premium line start at just $3,499 per guest.  For more information on Oceania Cruises, be sure to visit their website.

West Coast Exodus: Mariner to Depart in 2011

Mariner of the Seas in Cabo San Lucas on January 12, 2010.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

Royal Caribbean announced yesterday that the days spent off the sunny Pacific coast of Mexico are numbered for Mariner of the Seas.  Come January 2011, Mariner will sail around South America to be homeported in Civitavecchia, Italy - the main port of embarkation for Rome.  In the winter, she will return to North America - to Galveston, Texas, bumping current resident Voyager of the Seas to New Orleans.

West Coast cruisers are shocked and saddened to see the ship go.  In addition to being the largest ship to operate in the area, she is also the only Royal Caribbean vessel to operate year-round.  With her departure, Royal Caribbean has pulled out entirely of the Mexican Riviera run.

NCL recently announced it was redeploying the Norwegian Star after 2011 - leaving that line with no ship on the West Coast either.  The remaining lines are few: Carnival, Holland America and Princess.

Mexican Riviera cruises suffer from one major problem: in order to offer a 7-day voyage, lines are limited to calling at three ports: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.  Most of these voyages leave on the same day - Saturdays and Sundays - leaving lines trying to undercut each other in an attempt to lure passengers onboard.

The biggest issue, though, was the decision to send Mariner of the Seas to LA.  It was a mistake.

The much smaller Vision of the Seas used to operate this run for Royal Caribbean - a ship only capable of holding 2,435 guests.  Mariner is capable of a whopping 3,114 guests - more if third and fourth berths are full.  It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but multiply that by fifty-two sailings per year - that's a lot of extra passengers to entice onboard.

It's arguable that a smaller ship, like Radiance of the Seas, may have done better on this run - or at least allowed Royal Caribbean to fill the ship without having to resort to the deep discounting that marked so many Mariner sailings.

From a business perspective, the decision is sound.  The ship wasn't making money, and can make more money elsewhere.  To not move it would be financially irresponsible.

From a cruise traveler's perspective, Royal Caribbean's total abandonment of the Mexican Riviera market deprives many of their loyal cruisers looking for a West Coast departure of that option. 

Therein lies the risk: Royal Caribbean is gambling that its passengers will hop on airplanes and fly to Texas or Italy to cruise onboard Mariner of the Seas, or fly elsewhere to cruise on one of their other ships.

How many frustrated cruisers will give their business to Carnival or Holland America instead?

Chaos, Confusion...and Exaggeration?

On Wednesday, when the officers on watch onboard Carnival Ecstasy noticed what looked like a submerged bouy directly in their track, they took immediate action to avoid collision as the ship returned to Galveston after another successful Caribbean cruise.

The degree of the turn needed to correct the vessels course, however, was such that the ship listed 12 degrees, according to a statement by Carnival Cruise Line. Sixty people suffered minor injuries during the turn and subsequent list.  Minor damage was incurred by the ship as a result of merchandise or unbolted objects, like chairs, that slid across decks and interior spaces.

However, a quick glance at today's news articles shows just how exaggerated the stories have become. The headlines include attention-grabbers like "terror" and "nightmare" and "battered."  Passengers interviewed by various news outlets give their take on the situation - lasting everywhere from "a few seconds" to "ten minutes" and tipping "a little" to "I thought we were going to die."

It is fascinating, though, how passengers will immediately gravitate to a worst-case-scenario approach during an unforseen blip in their cruise.  On a cruise on the Golden Princess a few years back, the ship lost power and propulsion due to a tripped breaker, and we floated in the Pacific for an hour or two.  Dinner was still served, and the casino was still operating, yet one of our dinner companions said "Oh my lord, this is just like the Titanic."

Really?

I never knew the Titanic lost power on its way to Cabo San Lucas - I always thought it hit an iceberg in the Atlantic.

No one does this on airplanes - if you encounter rough turbulence or have to perform a go-around, the passengers don't murmur to themselves how this is "exactly like the Hindenburg."

The fact is, as marvelous and well built as today's cruise ships are, they are still machines, and are still required to avoid objects in their path. The decision for the Captain of the Carnival Ecstasy to perform a quick course correction was no doubt done with the interests of the safety of the vessel and her passengers and crew, and it is fortunate that the injuries suffered onboard were minor in nature.

This is most critical for travelers planning or embarking on their first cruise: this doesn't usually happen, but it can.  You can also be struck by lightning after winning the lottery, but neither of those are terribly likely either.  Which is why it's so disheartening to see members of the larger media outlets jump on this "could have been a catastrophe" bandwagon.

For the first time cruiser, go forth without fear: you have nothing to worry about.

Unique Itinerary: Caribbean Escape from Tampa

 One of the five-night Western Caribbean itineraries.

Illustration courtesy of Royal Caribbean

During all the hubub over the largest airspace closure over Europe since the Second World War, Royal Caribbean quietly made a unique addition to its Caribbean lineup for the Fall 2011-2012 season: the addition of Jewel of the Seas on the 4-and-5-Day Western Caribbean run out of Tampa, Florida.

While the ports themselves don't stray too far from the norm for your typical Western Caribbean run, the inclusion of both Cozumel and Costa Maya gives sun-worshipers and history buffs alike a second chance to experience all the ancient sites like Tulum or sandy beaches they can handle.   Couple that with one or two days at sea, and you have a relaxing, warm, quick getaway.

What really ratchets up the cool factor on this itinerary is that a newer ship like Jewel of the Seas has been placed on the run.  Shorter cruises are usually the domain of older cruise ships no longer suited for the seven-day or longer runs, either due to changing passenger tastes, limited amenities, or smaller cabins.  Which isn't to say that they're bad; just that they don't have all the bells and whistles.

Jewel of the Seas, however, has all the requisite cool factor you could want: glass elevators, self-leveling pool tables, and a sleek ocean-liner design coupled with a huge array of beautiful public rooms and comfortable staterooms make this ship - and her four-and-five day itineraries - ideal for the cruiser unwilling to compromise on comfort, but looking for a shorter holiday that will please the boss.

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn't mention Tampa.  Not as glitzy as LA, nor as crowded as Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa remains an easily accessible city loaded with sights and attractions, not to mention friendly citizens.  Because it isn't the major destination hub that Miami (or even Orlando) can be, flights to Tampa can often be had for a substantially better price than its better-known neighbors to the East.

For more details on these voyages, including pricing and departure dates, visit Royal Caribbean's website.  Sailings start in November of 2011.

Crossing the Altantic - the Old Way

With thousands of flights across Europe canceled due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, travelers looked for alternate methods of transportation: rail, car, and yes, ship.

In fact, it didn't take people too long to realize that Cunard's Queen Mary 2 had just begun her regular transatlantic crossing schedule, sailing six, seven, and eight-day crossings between Southampton and New York, or Hamburg-Southampton-New York. 

In short order, the April 22nd crossing from Southampton, the April 29th crossing from New York, and the May 21 crossing from New York sold out and are now waitlisted - to the tune of well over 1,000 guests.

Cunard initially took a lot of flak for not offering passengers booked on the April 22nd crossing who could not make it to Southampton the option to rebook their journey at a later date.  While this isn't so dissimilar from statements from both NCL and Royal Caribbean, Cunard guests were vocal that they felt the line was profiting off of their misfortune, essentially filling the ship twice.

To the line's credit, they are now allowing guests booked on the April 22nd crossing who could not make the voyage due to airline schedules a Future Cruise Credit in the amount of their original sailing price, with the option to rebook their Cunard journey at a later date.  If you were one of these affected travelers, Cunard will be in contact with you to make the necessary arrangements.

In the meantime, if you're considering a transatlantic crossing - either as a vacation or as a form of transportation to Europe or North America - visit Cunard's website.

The European Headache

Although air traffic in Europe is gradually starting to take off, it is still heavily tied to the changeable ash cloud resulting from the volcanic eruption in Iceland, and the situation remains volatile at best. British Airways had hoped to start operating long-haul flights out of Heathrow this evening; sadly, they have had to cancel all long-haul and short haul flights once again.
Complaints written by angry travelers who have missed their cruises due to canceled flights are already starting to pour onto online cruise communities like CruiseCritic. Unfortunately, people are still very unaware of what responsibilities the cruise line has toward you – which is why we’ve prepared this rundown.


My flight was cancelled and I missed my cruise. Can I get a refund?

Unless the cruise line actually cancels your sailing, you are not entitled to any sort of refund or credit for your cruise. You have to work with your insurance provider to try to get the balance of the cruise back, as well as any in-transit costs if you were delayed en-route.


I didn’t purchase Trip Interruption or Cancelation Insurance. Can I get a refund?

No. If you didn’t purchase trip cancellation insurance – either through the cruise line or a third-party insurer, you are sadly NOT entitled to a refund. The only thing that would be refunded would be your airfare, because the airlines canceled all or part of your flights.


My final payment for my upcoming Europe cruise is due this week. Should I cancel?

This is a tough one. If you have insurance that would cover the full cost of the cruise, you can roll the dice and take the chance, with the knowledge that you may end up without a vacation should the volcano (or volcanoes) choose to erupt again. If you have NOT PURCHASED TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE, you are potentially playing with fire. In the event of flight cancellations, you will not receive any monies back for your cruise. At this point, even with insurance, it’s a gamble – particularly for trips departing in the next couple of weeks or months.


I already booked and paid for my Europe cruise, but didn’t purchase cancellation insurance. Can I purchase it now?

You can, but you won’t be covered if the volcano erupts again, as it’s now considered to be a “Known Event” – something that you were aware of before travelling, and thus, are liable for. Many insurance policies purchased after April 13, 2010 will NOT cover this volcanic eruption, or any subsequent eruptions.


Will the cruise lines hold ships back in North America, or reposition them to North America if this continues?

While information from the majority of cruise lines regarding the volcanic activity has been lethargic at best, it is highly unlikely that any ships would not complete their European seasons as scheduled. On many sailings, North American’s account for half of the passenger base or less. In other words – they can most likely fill the ship to the brim with European travelers if they have to.


We will continue to monitor this event as it continues to unfold, and report back here on From the Deck Chair whenever possible.