Oasis Lives

Oasis of the Seas departing Turku on October 30, 2009.

Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean International

The biggest newsmaker this week was, without a doubt, the handover of Oasis of the Seas to Royal Caribbean.  Whether she's your cup of tea or not, there's no denying this is a major milestone for nautical engineering, shipbuilding, and even hotel management - with over six thousand guests, Oasis of the Seas is also one of the world's largest hotel management operations.

Oasis of the Seas departed Turku, Finland yesterday with Captain William S. Wright in command.  As of this writing, she is just off the coast of Denmark, and is destined to call in Southampton, England on Monday, November 2nd.  After that, it's across the Atlantic where she will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 11.

Oasis of the Seas will be officially named during a ceremony on November 30th, with her first revenue-maiden voyage occurring on December 5th.  For more information on Oasis of the Seas, including a fantastic video of her first departure as seen from the Bridge, visit the Oasis of the Seas website.

For pricing and itinerary information, visit Royal Caribbean's website. 

What Recession?

Last week, Crystal Cruises announced something guaranteed to make the executives of any company smile: a 70% increase in bookings from September.

Crystal also stated that bookings for 2010 were up well over 100% when compared to 2009 bookings made during the same time last year. 

If you watch your local news, however, you hear reports of how dire the economy is, and how much people are reigning in their spending.  But are they?

Crystal's success can be attributed to a few unique factors - reduced pricing, including two-for-one fares on select 2010 voyages, a price guarantee for all cruises, free airfare for most cruises and for those booking Penthouse staterooms, free Business Class airfare. 

For travelers looking to experience Europe, the savings can be well worth it.  While other mainstream lines may have a lower base fare, Crystal's two-for-one fares and included airfare means a voyage on Crystal can actually be more affordable than a similar mainstream itinerary.

The underlying theme is that travelers still have money to burn for a vacation - they're just looking to get more bang for their buck.

For more information, including itineraries and pricing, visit Crystal Cruises website.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

MSC Poesia.

Photo courtesy MSC Cruises

With fall comes the return to the archetype of cruising: the Caribbean cruise.  With its crystal-blue seas, warm temperatures, and myriad of destinations, the Caribbean is a no-brainer for North Americans and even Europeans looking to escape the winter snow and rain.  Unlike Alaska, cruise lines don't have to convince people to cruise the Caribbean - they already want to.

One cruise line, though, is again going that extra mile this year and trying just a little harder than everyone else.  In fact, this particular line has been trying hard to make significant inroads into the Caribbean market for a few years now - offering up their newest vessels, theme cruises, attractive pricing and unique itineraries in order to sway North American cruisers away from their usual favorites.  We're talking, of course, about MSC Cruises. 

Currently the third largest cruise operator in the world, Naples-based MSC Cruises has embarked on a rapid program of expansion since the introduction of MSC Lirica in 2003.  Since then, MSC has built six stunning new vessels, ranging in size from the 89,600 GRT Musica class ships to the lines award-winning 135,000 GRT Fantasia class vessels.

To put all this in perspective, not even Norwegian Cruise Line, who publicly embarked on a campaign to have the youngest fleet in the industry back in 2001, can match the incredible progress of MSC.

In 2008, MSC sent MSC Orchestra to the Caribbean, marking the first time a Musica-class vessel had deployed to North America.  The ship arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan 2, 2009 to much fanfare and press, and set off on its first  cruise - a 2-day jaunt to the Bahamas and back.

Simply put, the first voyage was an unmitigated disaster.  The ship arrived late, passengers arrived at the terminal as early as 10am only to discover the earliest check-in would begin was 4pm, and to top it all off, the computer systems at the terminal crashed.

Once onboard, passengers found a litany of additional items to complain about: a largely indifferent crew bickering amongst themselves and the passengers, cabins that weren't ready, lack of free water in the dining rooms, and a mandatory lifeboat drill that was pushed back to 8:30am the next morning, requiring passengers to be up before 7:30am.  A few even bemoaned the lack of towel animals and pillow chocolates.  All parties involved wrote it off as a 'nightmare.'

Hindsight, of course, shows us it was just as bad for MSC as it was for their passengers.  What should have been a celebratory occasion turned into total chaos in the span of a few short hours.  While the next Caribbean voyages proceeded without incident, the damage was already done.  Passengers on future voyages bailed out, and despite the positive comments that slowly started trickling in on CruiseCritic, and the personal attention that the line's North American President, Rick Sasso, gave the matter, the Caribbean season didn't exactly end as MSC had hoped.

MSC, however, has picked itself up and dusted itself off, and is ready for another go.  Passenger's main complaints - lack of free water and beverages - will be remedied, with free water available during dinner on all North American voyages.  Dining times will be adjusted to better suit North American cruisers who are more accustomed to eating earlier than their European counterparts.  Food will be adjusted to be just a little 'more American.'  A bevy of soda, wine and beer packages will be offered.  And MSC will start the 2009 Caribbean season off with a new ship: MSC Poesia.

Things MSC did right in 2008: there were no complaints about the ship, which by all accounts is amazing.  Entertainment was likewise a high-point, and by the end of the Caribbean season, reports of stellar service became commonplace.  It's important to remember: the season for the crew started off just as badly as it did for the passengers,with one chief difference: the passengers got to get off.  The crew did not.

So why should a North American cruiser consider MSC?  First and foremost, because the line has addressed the main source of complaints that arose from last year.  Secondly because they offer a superb product that, while different from many North American offerings, still offers a tremendous cruise value.  Last but not least, because they are trying damn hard to make this work - offering rock-bottom prices on some sailings and theme cruises on others to entice passengers.

It is important to remember, this is a European cruise line.  The food you're going to eat here is not what you'd find at The Olive Garden.  Europeans by and large like a huge diversity in their food which can overwhelm passengers not accustomed to this.  Sure, they may not give you towel animals, but is that a deal-breaker?  They're not Carnival, and that should be part of the appeal: they represent another choice, another option for cruisers looking to expand their horizon.

And they're trying to make sure that the 2009 Caribbean season is their best yet.  Not content to rest on their laurels, they are also sending MSC Poesia back across the Atlantic to operate their first ever Canada & New England cruises in September 2010.

Stay tuned!

For more information, visit the MSC Cruises website. 

Unique Itinerary Of The Week - 10/24

Seabourn Spirit.

Photo courtesy of The Yachts of Seabourn

The Yachts of Seabourn provide us with this week's Unique Itinerary.  Not only is it a unique Caribbean voyage, but it sets sail from a unique homeport and comes with a unique price.

Departing December 2, 2009, this seven-day voyage aboard Seabourn Spirit sails roundtrip from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.  The Seabourn Spirit then spends one day at sea, followed by calls at:

Deshaies, Guadeloupe

St. John's, Antigua

Gustavia, St. Barthelemy

Marigot, St. Martin

Prickly Pear Island

Yes, Prickly Pear Island, BVI.  Part of the British Virgin Islands, and just off the Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear Island is home to - surprise - plenty of prickly pears, a type of cactus.  If weather permits, the ship will stop at Spanish Town to disembark guests going on tour before repositioning off Prickly Pear where the crew puts on a complementary Prickly Pear beach party.  If you think that sounds like a mouthful to say, try typing it. 

It's also important not to confuse this Prickly Pear Island (BVI) with Prickly Pear Island, Antigua - home to twelve inhabitants and an enormous underground cache of used nuclear reactor rods from Royal Navy submarines that have left the island in a highly radioactive state for the next 1,200 years or thereabouts.  Not the sort of place you want to go on a cruise, at least not without a lead bib and a good Geiger counter.

Like Prickly Pear Island BVI, the other ports of call are all off the beaten path from the typical Caribbean cruise: you're not going to find Cozumel or Grand Cayman on this itinerary, and that's how Seabourn's guests like it. 

The best part about this itinerary is arguably its price: starting at $1,999, this voyage is an excellent chance for those looking to experience The Yachts of Seabourn to do so without breaking the bank.  Seabourn has long distinguished itself as one of the finest ultra-luxury lines afloat, and the chance to hop onboard for as little as two grand is almost unheard of.

For more information on this exciting itinerary, visit The Yachts of Seabourn.

 

Reuniting Down Under

Pacific Dawn.

Photo courtesy of P&O Cruises

When a cruise line decides the time has come to jettison their older vessels, they usually end up scattered all over the globe, pressed into service for lines looking to expand in emerging markets.  P&O Cruises Australia is the lucky recipient of one such ship next month, though the event will actually reunite two former sister ships instead of separate them.

They are the former Crown Princess and Regal Princess - reunited again as Pacific Jewel and Pacific Dawn.

Originally ordered by Sitmar Cruises, the still under-construction vessels were transferred to Princess Cruises when P&O acquired Sitmar in 1988, which named them Crown Princess and Regal Princess.

With exteriors designed by Renzo Piano, they became distinct at an early age, and easily recognizable owing to their dolphin-like dome situated on top of the navigation bridge.  Internally, they were not much different from their distant sister ship - Sitmar Fairmajesty, later Star Princess - but outside, they were unrecognizable.

During their time with Princess, the two sister ships would quickly earn the reputation of being the most photographed cruise ships in the world during the early part of the 1990's, thanks in large part to their unique exterior designs.  Many postcards, advertisements, and generic travel photography still features them to this day.

However, with the introduction of the Grand Princess in 1998 and the subsequent order two additional Grand-class vessels, the Crown Princess and Regal Princess began to look dated.  In 2002, Princess transferred Crown Princess to A'Rosa Cruises and began sailing as A'Rosa Blu.  In 2004, she was transferred again, this time to AIDA Cruises, which named her AIDAblu.  In 2007, she was passed along to Ocean Village, which called her Ocean Village Two.

Regal Princess, meanwhile, fared better.  She remained with Princess Cruises until 2007 before being transfered to P&O Australia where she debuted with much fanfare as Pacific Dawn.  Branded as Australia's first superliner, she quickly became a hit down under.

Last October, Carnival Corporation & plc made the announcement that it intended to close their Ocean Village brand and transfer the remaining ships over to P&O Cruises Australia.  These included Ocean Village, formerly Star Princess and Sitmar Fairmajesty, as well as Ocean Village Two - the former Crown Princess.

After seven years apart, the distinctive sister ships will once again be reunited to sail under one cruise line.  Ocean Village Two will be renovated and renamed Pacific Jewel, and will be home ported in Sydney.

For more information about the ships, their itineraries, and fares, visit P&O Cruises Australia.   

Unique Itinerary Of The Week - 10/18

18-Night Southeast Asia Cruise on Azamara Quest

Illustration courtesy Azamara Cruises

Asia has become a cruise destination that continues to emerge slowly.  Cruise lines like Costa and Royal Caribbean have cautiously deployed a few ships there, in order to test the local market.  At first, there were teething problems catering to the mainly Asian client base, and the lines were caught off guard by one factor in particular: the number of North Americans willing to take a ten-to-fourteen hour flight in order to experience Asia on a cruise.  Starting this December, Azamara Cruises plans to tap into some of that willingness.

From December 9, 2009 to March 6, 2010 (and again from December 2010 to March 2011), Azamara Quest will offer a variety of 12, 14, and 18-night voyages calling at a number of popular Asian destinations, as well as some obscure ones - the December 21, 2010 voyage, for example, calls at Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

This week's Unique Itinerary of the Week is the December 22, 2009 18-Night Southeast Asia Cruise aboard Azamara Quest.

Starting with an overnight in Singapore on December 22nd and December 23, the  Quest then sets sail for a three-night call in Bangkok, Thailand.  After that, it's on to an overnight in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, another overnight in Hue (Danang), Vietnam, a call in Canton (Guangzhou), China, and finally ending in an overnight in Hong Kong.

What makes this cruise so special is the amount of overnight calls in port.  These give passengers the chance to experience multiple sights and excursions that a single-day port call simply could not offer.  In addition, the voyages five sea days are interspersed to allow rest between ports.

Perhaps the best feature about this exotic holiday cruise is its price point: cabins start at just $2,539 CAD - exceptional for an 18-day cruise.

For more information, visit the Azamara Cruises Website.

Another Look Behind the Scenes

Coral Princess in drydock at Freeport, Bahamas.

Photo courtesy Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is once again pulling back the proverbial curtain to allow us to see what goes on during a drydock.  The lucky recipient this time?  Coral Princess.

Built in 2002, the 92,000-ton Coral Princess is the next in line to receive a massive refurbishment intended to bring the most popular features introduced on the Caribbean and Crown Princess to the rest of the fleet.  The best part is, you can watch the whole thing happen via their Coral Princess Drydock Photo Journal.

Enhancements include the addition of The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat featuring padded loungers and dedicated Serenity Stewards serving refreshing beverages and light snacks.  Coral Princess will also receive Movies Under the Stars, Princess's signature outdoor moviegoing experience first introduced on Caribbean Princess.  Not only has Princess been quick to retrofit their fleet to provide this popular feature, but other lines, including Carnival, Disney, and MSC have followed suit, installing giant LED screens on the pool decks of some of their ships.

Other changes will be less noticeable:  Coral Princess is due to get new upholstery and carpeting, plus a brand-new silicone anti-fouling paint below the water line that helps reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency. 

Once drydock is complete, Coral Princess will resume her winter Panama Canal sailing schedule before heading north to Alaska next spring.

To follow along with the drydock of Coral Princess in Freeport, Bahamas, view the photo blog, or check out Princess's Facebook Page, Twitter feed, and Flickr photostream.

For more information on Coral Princess's itineraries and pricing, visit the Princess Cruises website.