Carnival Victory Photo Tour

Carnival Victory was the first ship profiled on Beyondships. Even though I did an update of that profile since then, I was surprised when I revisited Victory, how much had changed.

Chief among these were the changes that followed from the addition of a Serenity outdoor section to the ship. Serenity is a concept that was featured on Carnival Dream when she went into service and which is now being implemented throughout the fleet. It is an adults-only section of the open decks that features premium seating - - hammocks, enhanced loungers, etc. - - whirlpools and its own bar. It provides some rest time for parents and a sanctuary for those traveling without kids. It is a nice bit of pampering.

For the most part, the Serenity section occupies an area that was an underutilized section of the open decks in the forward part of the ship. However, the addition of the Serenity section did displace some other facilities. The mini-golf course has been moved to the area immediately under the funnel. This was a definite improvement. When the mini-golf was forward, it was sort of cramped and all the holes followed one after another in a straight line due the rectangular nature of the space the course occupied. The funnel area is much more open and the course is more spread out.

An earlier refit saw the addition of the giant LED screen to the open decks. It is located at the aft end of the main pool area. In order to make the area more theater like, the old bandstand that stood at the front end of the pool area has been removed.

In addition to the changes to the ship, there have been changes to Beyondships over time. The profiles include more than they used to include. As a result, there are more photos covering more of the bars, public rooms, spa and dining venues. In addition I have invested in better cameras, which hopefully means better quality photos.

The Beyondships profile of Carnival Victory is at http://www.beyondships.com/CARNIVALVICTORY.html and the expanded photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalVictorytour1a.html

I have als added a few new photos to the profiles of some of the other Carnival ships that I have recently encountered - - Carnival Conquest, Carnival Legend, and Carnival Valor.

In the upcoming weeks, I will be presenting new material from some of the other ships that I have been on recently including Norwegian Epic, Azura and the fabulous Allure of the Seas. There will also be reports on some of the destinations that I have visited.

Holland America's Maasdam in Canada and New England

In the fall, the cruise ships gather in New York and in Boston for cruises to Canada and New England. The autumn leaves are starting to change and people want to see the colors. Also, it is hurricane season in the Caribbean and the weather in Europe is starting to decline so the ships gravitate toward the northeastern United States.

One ship that one frequently sees on such cruises is Holland America’s Maasdam. One of the S-class HAL ships, Maasdam is large enough to provide the amenities of a modern cruise ship but also small enough to get to ports such as Montreal. Thus, Maasdam is well-suited to the Canada/New England run.

I have had the opportunity to photograph Maasdam several times when she was in Canada and in New England. She has pleasing lines and is photogenic.

Accordingly, I have added a photo essay to the Beyondships’ profile of Maasdam showing her in Halifax, one of the more popular ports of call on this route, and in Boston, which is the embarkation port for many of her cruises. This essay is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-photo-1.html

Carnival Miracle Photo Essay

Carnival Miracle is one of those ships that just always seem to be in front of my camera.

For the last few years, Miracle has been one of two Carnival ships based in New York during the summer season. She primarily heads south towards the Caribbean and the Bahamas on relatively longer itineraries.

In the winter, she operates out of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. There, her schedule takes her on both Eastern and Western itineraries. Thus, the ship gets around and it is no wonder that I am seemingly always running into her.

Miracle is the last of four Spirit class ships built for Carnival in Finland. The design is a forerunner to the Vista class cruise ships in the fleets of Holland America, Costa, P&O Cruises and Cunard. However, her interior by ship architect Joe Farcus gives her a unique identity. Moreover, her captain pointed out to me that because the ship does longer cruises she tends to attract a more sophisticated clientele than some of her fleetmates.

I have put together a new photo essay on Carnival Miracle showing her in some of the ports that she visits and underway at sea. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalMiracle-photos-2.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Holland America's Veendam

Holland America’s Veendam is one of the first ships that was profiled on Beyondships. She is a relatively small ship in comparison to today’s mega-cruise ships but she has elegance and sophistication.

In 2009, Veendam underwent a major refit. The focus of the work was on the stern area where the aft pool was turned into a resort-style shallow pool and the surrounding area transformed into a retreat. In addition, a series of balcony cabins were added along the stern.

What I had not expected when I went onboard recently were the changes to the ship’s interior. The area that was the casino bar has been re-done into “The Mix”, which encompasses three different bars - - spirits and ale, champagne and martinis. In some ways, the concept is similar to the “Bar Central” area on the larger NCL ships. However, here the three bars are physically separate.

The Ruebens Show Lounge is now the Showroom at Sea. In addition to changing the name, HAL has changed the concept. Instead, of being a theater, there are nightclub like tables in front of the stage.

All of the changes to Veendam necessitated essentially redoing the Beyondships’s profile and photo tour. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Veedam-Profile.html and the new photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-Tour1.html

In addition, Veendam now spends her summers cruising from New York to Bermuda. This has produced several opportunities to photograph her in one port or the other. Accordingly, I have added a new page of exterior photos of Veendam to the profile at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-photo-1.html

Profiel and Photo Tour of AIDAluna

AIDAluna may be on the crest of a new wave in cruising. It takes the concept of unstructured cruising far beyond what any other line is doing. For example, not only are there no assigned dinner times and no assigned tables, there is no formal dining room. Instead, there are three buffet restaurants where passengers come when they want, serve themselves and sit where they like. AIDA has similarly dispensed with the traditional rules with regard to entertainment.

The ship’s physical layout reflects AIDA’s approach to cruising. The décor is very contemporary and colorful. In addition, the use of very large spaces re-enforces the atmosphere of freedom.

I began cruising with Cunard, which is one of the more structured and traditional cruise lines and I still greatly enjoy that experience. However, as Club manager (i.e. Harald Bernberger told me AIDA is no seeking to do away with the traditional cruise experience but rather to offer a different alternative that lends variety to cruising. As he noted, sometimes you want to go out for pizza and sometimes you want to do fine dining. To just do one all the time would be boring.

The AIDA ships are targeted to the German-speaking market. However, there is nothing about them that really requires speaking German. It is an international lifestyle, one that would appeal to people from any country who are seeking a casual, unstructured vacation experience.

Beyondships’ profile of AIDAluna is at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAluna-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAluna-Tour-1.html

Mr. Bernberger talks about AIDAluna at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAluna-art-HD.html
.While we are on the topic of German ships, I have posted a photo essay on TUI’s Mein Schiff, the former Celebrity Galaxy at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Galaxy-Mein-Schiff.html

Cruising to Northern France

Cruising to Northern France is an unforgettable experience. There are so many A-list places to see and so much variety.

There are two cruise ports in Northern France - - Le Havre and Cherborug. Both are on the English channel and serve as jumping off places for shore excursions into Normandy and the interior of France.

If one is interested in art, there is Monet’s home at Giverny. The grounds of the house were the subject of many of the Impressionist master’s finest works. Restored to how they looked in his day, a visit to the gardens is like stepping into the paintings.

An emotional experience of a different kind is a visit to the D-Day landing beaches along the Normandy coast. Peaceful now, this area still retains reminders of the struggle that took place there in 1944 for quite literally the future of the world. If one knows the history of the battle, one can walk the area and see where the various incidents occurred. However, even if one is not a history buff, places like the American Cemetery with its rows upon rows of grave markers bring home the human element of the story.

Yet another experience is journeying into Paris for the day. Paris is a significant distance from the ports. However, there is enough time during the typical port call to make a visit. Paris is one of the world’s great cities and there will not be time to get to know her in depth. However, for those who are new to the city, there is enough time to get a quick overview of the landmarks and a feel for the atmosphere. For those who have been there before, there is time to make a focused visit limited to one or two aspects of the city.
Beyondships’ photo essay on cruising to Northern France begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-France-North-1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of MSC Poesia

MSC Cruises has emerged in the last few years as a fourth major player in the cruise industry. It now has 11 ships, most of which were built specifically for the line during the last decade. It has become a leading cruise line in Europe and is now in the process of making inroads into the rest of the world.

In North America, MSC Poesia is leading the way. This is a large ship, 92,000 gross tons, that entered service in 2008. She is a very pretty ship. Her interior is done in a contemporary European style and is enhanced by the line’s high standard of cleanliness.

This is very much a European cruise experience designed around European expectations. The dinners are done in the traditional passenger ship style and there are no towel animals on the bed each night. As MSC Cruises USA President & CEO Richard Sasso told me, if you are going outside of the country, why not have an international experience while you travel.

Beyondships’ profile of MSC Poesia is at http://www.beyondships.com/MSC-Poesia-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/MSC-Poesia-Tour-1.html My interview with Mr. Sasso is at http://www.beyondships.com/MSC-art-Sasso.html

Profile and Photo Tour of P&O Cruises' Arcadia

P&O Cruises’ Arcadia is a unique ship.

Wait! Isn’t she a Vista class cruise ship and aren’t there Vista class ships in the fleets of Holland America, Costa, and (in a modified version) Cunard? Also, aren’t there six other ships in the P&O fleet?

Yes to both questions. However, Arcadia is unique because she is the only P&O Vista. Stepping aboard, one can see immediately that this ship is different from her Holland America, Costa and Cunard sisters. She has that clean, crisp contemporary British look that immediately tells one that they are on a P&O ship.

There are indeed other P&O ships. However, the P&O fleet is not a cookie-cutter fleet. While there is an overall atmosphere that unites the brand, there has been a conscious effort to have differences between the ships. Some are family-oriented, some are adults-only. Some have a two-tier dress code while others have a three-tier. As a result, each ship has its own character.

Arcadia has a very modern feel. Her interior design is quite contemporary but still restrained Her all white exterior shows off the lines of the Vista class design to their best advantage.

She is one of P&O’s adults-only ships. This lends itself to a more sophisticated atmosphere. In addition, the space that is normally devoted to children and teens is utilized to provide additional activities for adults.

Beyondships profile of Arcadia is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO--Arcadia-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Arcadia-Tour-1.htm

Photos of Holland America's Eurodam

This week the focus shifts to Holland America’s Eurodam. This ship is s Super-Vista class ship, which means that she is an enlarged version of the Vista class design used in ships such as HAL’s Noordam and P&O Cruises’ Arcadia.

In the two years since Eurodam entered service, I have come across her numerous times in my travels. I think this is because Eurodam does not do the same itinerary each week. For part of the year, she is in Europe, for part in Canada/New England and for part in the Caribbean. The ship gets around.

For me, that is just fine. While she does not have the lines of a traditional passenger ship, she is a photogenic modern cruise ship. Also, she is a maneuverable ship and that allows her to do interesting things in close proximity to other ships, which makes for interesting photos. Accordingly, I have put together a new photo essay of pictures of Eurodam in various ports. It is at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Photos.html

In addition, since my profile of Eurodam was done shortly after the ship entered service, I have updated both the profile and the photo tour of Eurodam on Beyondships. This includes lots of new photos. The profile is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam.html and the photo tour is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Tour1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Dawn Princess

I have now been on three of the four Sun Princess class ships. Three of these ships, Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess sail for Princess Cruises. The fourth ship is P&O’s Oceana. She began life as Ocean Princess for Princess Cruises but was transferred to P&O Cruises when P&O still owned Princess.

These 77,000 gross ton ships carry just under 2,000 passengers and would be described as medium-sized cruise ships relative to the ships that are coming out of the shipyards these days. They are large enough to have the features one expects on a modern cruise ship but not so large as to be overwhelming.

The ships have a sleek, arrow-like shape. It is not a traditional passenger ship shape but it is attractive nonetheless.

One thing that struck me about the three I have been on - - Dawn, Sea and Oceana - - is how bright and fresh they look. Although they were built around the turn of the Millennium, they have been well-maintained. Indeed, Dawn Princess just went through a major refurbishment during a drydock last year.

Sun Princess and Dawn Princess are now based in Australia. Reflecting the fact that cruising is becoming increasingly popular down under, Sea Princess will be joining them there next year.

This week Beyondships adds a section on Dawn Princess to its roster of cruise ships. Dawn specializes in longer cruises such as voyages around Australia or to New Zealand and destinations in the South Pacific. Indeed, she even does a yearly world cruise. The lifestyle on Dawn Princess is still very much the Princess Cruises experience. However, it has an Australian overlay to make it more comfortable for its primary passenger constituency.

Beyondships profile of Dawn Princess is at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-DP-Profile.html . The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-DP-Tour-1.html

Queen Mary 2's Todd English Restaurant

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is a unique ship. She is the only ship sailing for a major cruise line that was designed as an ocean liner as opposed to a cruise ship and is the only ship that sails across the Atlantic on a regular basis Moreover, she carries on in the elegant tradition of the great liners in the lifestyle onboard.

This elegant lifestyle extends to the dining. As a nod to the modern age, the ship does have a buffet and some casual eateries but the main dining experience is fine dining. All of the main dining rooms present high quality food, professional service and a sophisticated atmosphere.

On many cruise ships, the role of the specialty restaurant is to offer guests a fine dining alternative. However, since this role is already filled on QM2 by the main dining rooms, the specialty restaurant must have a different role. Therefore, I decided to take an in-depth look at the specialty restaurant on QM2 - - the Todd English restaurant.

Todd English is an American celebrity chef who also owns several restaurants. His unique style of cooking has won him numerous awards. However, how is he able to transplant that style onto a ship that is at sea most of the time. Is it just his name on the door?

To help answer these questions, I spoke with QM2’s Executive Chef Mark Oldroyd who not only supervises the ship’s Todd English restaurant but also all of the other dining venues on QM2. Our conversation is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-review-Todd-English.html


In addition Chef Oldroyd selected several items off the menu at the Todd English for a pictorial in which he discusses those items. http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-review-Todd-English-3.html

Finally, I have prepared a review in which I discuss my experience at both a lunch and a dinner in the Todd English. http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-review-Todd-English-2.html

Cruising the Norwegian Fjords; Photos of Explorer of the Seas

Perhaps the most awe inspiring scenery that I have seen from a cruise ship is in the Norwegian fjords. The ship sails into a narrow passage with sheer rock walls towering literally thousands of feet over the decks. Waterfalls cascade down these wall into the sea.

Just when you think you have taken the whole scene in, you notice a house perched on a ledge. It is so tiny. The scale of these mountains must be so much greater than you thought. How could people even get there much less live there?

At the end of the fjord is a valley with a small village in it. The valley is green and lush. Its reflection is cast into the still waters. Although there are people around, it is quiet. The commotion of modern life is far away.

The scenery in the valley is almost too perfect. It looks like a display that someone has set up for a model train display. There are a few buildings, farms, roads, and greenery going up the sides of the valley.

You look further up towards the mountain peeks that tower over the valley. Up there, snow still covers the grey rocks. Winds propel fast moving clouds so that one moment they obscure the peaks and the next they have gone.

A fjord cruise also usually involves calls in more developed towns such as Bergen, Stavanger or Trondheim. Here, the scenery acts as a backdrop to the cultural experience of seeing the Norwegian approach to life.

I have put together a photo tour section about cruising to the Norwegian fjords. The home page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Norway-fjords.html It also has separate pages for the ports of Alesund, Bergen, Flam, Geiranger, Olden, Stavanger and Trondheim. The aim is to give you a feel for the type of ports one encounters on a Norwegian fjords cruise.

Changing topics, when I am cruising, I often encounter another ship that is doing something interesting or which is in a good light and in the right position for a series of photos. One such incident occurred early one morning when I was standing on the deck of a ship and Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas came out of the morning sun and proceeded to dock at the Black Falcon cruise terminal in Boston. I have added a photo essay showing this incident to Beyondship’s Explorer of the Seas section. http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-photos-Boston.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Ocean Princess

The usual reason why a cruise line has small ships is well as large ships in their fleet is that over the years the line has been building larger and larger ships and as a result, the older ones are now relatively smaller than the newer ones. However, this is not always the case. Princess Cruises has three small ships in its fleet that are not the result of the evolution of the line’s fleet but rather because they could offer a somewhat different cruise experience.

Ocean Princess, Pacific Princess and Royal Princess (which will be joining sister company P&O Cruises’ fleet next year as Adonia) are part of a series of eight nearly-identical ships that were originally built for Renaissance Cruises. When that line went bankrupt, other lines swooped in to add these delightful little ships to their fleets. Oceania Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises now have the others.

Oceania and Azmara use these ships to provide luxury cruises. At Princess, the three small ships adhere to the same standards as the larger ships in the Princess fleet. However, while it is a Princess cruise, it is somewhat different.

On the one hand, these ships do not have all the options that one finds on a larger ship. However, the small ships have an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere like a country club or a British country house. They are also more intimate; one can get to know a substantial percentage of the crew and the passengers.

Also, Princess does not use these ships to do the same type of cruising as its larger ships. They do longer cruises and rove the globe, often traveling to places where larger ships cannot go.

Beyondships’ profile of Ocean Princess is at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Tour-1.html and there is an interview with General Hotel Manager Daniele Cafiso in which he talks about the Ocean Princess cruise experience. http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-art-HD.html

Cruising to Saint John Canada; Carnival Triumph Photo Essay

The first time I went to Saint John, New Brunswick in Canada was in the early or mid-1990s on QE2. While QE2 always received a good reception when she called at a new port, the populace of Saint John was extremely eager to welcome the ship to their city. Indeed, the mayor stood by the gangway and shook hands with each passenger who got off the ship. There was a bag piper and other people in costume handing out tourist literature. That evening when the ship sailed, the entire town appeared to have come down to the harbor to watch. Police sirens screamed and the fire department shot streams of water into the sky. It was quite a send-off for a relatively small city.

The next time I was there was also on QE2 and was probably the ship’s second call in the port. The weather was not as nice as it had been the first time and deteriorated during the course of the day. In those days, passenger ships had to berth at the container port on the opposite side of the harbor from the city. There was no cruise terminal or shelter on the quay. Nonetheless, a welcome committee braved the elements out on the pier.

By evening a thick fog had rolled in and one could not see more than a few feet from the side of the ship. I remember thinking that there would be no send off this time. However, as the ship pulled away from the berth and sounded her horn. A loud cheer arose from the other side of the harbor. Flashing red lights reflected against the fog and sirens blared. They were out there again and not just one or two hardy souls but seemingly the whole town.

Saint John has come a long way since then. More than 200,000 cruise ship passengers visit there each year. Last year, the city opened an $11 million cruise terminal that is in the heart of town. And although the whole town no longer comes down to watch the ships sail, the locals still have a very nice welcoming attitude toward cruisers.

Saint John is not London or Paris. It is a small Canadian city. It is conveniently located for ships doing New England/Canada cruises out of New York or Boston not far from the U.S. border. However, there are reasons to stop here beyond satisfying the requirements of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. (The Act requires foreign flag vessels to stop in at least one foreign port).

Outside of town, the area is largely unspoiled and there are interesting natural wonders. However, the real charm is inside town. It is a mixture of the old and the new. But the overall feel is one of a small friendly community, something which is all too rapidly disappearing.

My photo tour of Saint John appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StJohn.html

When I was putting together the material on Saint John, I came across a series of photos of Carnival Triumph in Saint John Harbour. In the autumn, Saint John has days where the light is incredibly clear and crisp and these photos were taken on the evening of such a day as the setting sun placed Triumph in deep contrast. Even though Triumph is no longer doing the Saint John itinerary, I thought these photos showed her off rather nicely and so I thought I would share them in a brief photo essay. It is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalTriumph-photo-essay1.html
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Three Perspectives on Carnival Glory

One of the things I like to do is to have the people who actually operate the ships talk about their ships. I think that this gives you a more personalized view of the cruise experience as well as information about what goes on aboard the various ships. By analogy, one can enjoy a book or a painting without talking to the author or the artist but an interview can sometimes provide insights that enhance the experience.

This time, we have three perspectives on Carnival Glory.

Hotel Director Anuj Khosla is in charge of most of the services that directly impact the guests - - the accommodations, the dining, the bars, the shore excursions etc. I asked him to speak about why people who are considering a cruise vacation should select Carnival Glory. This conversation is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-art-HD.html

Cruise Director Jorge Solano is responsible for the entertainment onboard the Glory. A popular cruise director as well as a professional comedian, Solano brings great enthusiasm to his assignment. I asked him to talk about the entertainment onboard. http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-art-CD.html

Finally, Captain Agostino Fazio is the master of Carnival Glory. A veteran captain, I asked him about his career at Carnival and how the line has changed over the years. In addition, I asked him to talk about the big picture, to share his vision for Carnival Glory. This article is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-art-captain.html

My hope is that these conversations with members of the senior tea on Carnival Glory will give you something about the ship beyond what can be found in the brochures or in the reviews.

Profile and Photo Tour of Carnival Glory

My subject this time is Carnival Glory. Glory is a large cruise ship - - one of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Conquest class. She is not the biggest ship Carnival has but not the smallest by any means. Rather, she is one of five 110,000 gross ton ships which are the real backbone of the Carnival fleet.

In putting together a new profile and photo tour of the Glory, I was struck by just how a large ship gives guests so many choices. Take the open decks for instance. Following her most recent re-fit, Glory now has an adults only retreat area with premium deck chairs, hammocks, a hot tub and a bar. If luxuriating relaxation does not interest you, you can ride down a three deck high waterslide, plunge into a nearby pool or unwind in another hot tub which is adjacent to this pool. If that is not appealing, how about relaxing in a deck chair and watching a movie, concert or sports event on a 12 by 22 foot LED outdoor screen. There is also another pool and two more hot tubs near by as well as a bar and a Mongolian Wok buffet station. People looking to be more active can use the jogging trail, the basket ball court, the volleyball court, the mini-golf course, the golf practice net or play shuffleboard. Then there is another pool with two more hot tubs that is under a retractable glass roof. It also has deck chairs, a bar, a grill and the ship’s pizzeria. If none of this is appealing, there are also the indoor facilities including a large spa, restaurants, bars, theaters etc.

One could go through a similar list for all the dining options. However, the point is that a ship of this size gives one considerable latitude in designing ones vacation.

Of course, there are more people on a large ship than a small ship assuming that both ships are in the same market category. (A large premium ship can have less passengers than a smaller mass market ship). But then on a smaller ship, there is less space and less facilities and so there is more concentration of the people.

Carnival Glory is a mass market ship. In fact, the original vision behind Carnival was to open up cruising to everyman. To this end, the line aims to provide good quality facilities and service at a reasonable price. Over time, it has evolved from being a party oriented line to being a family focused line, although there is still considerable emphasis on having fun.

Carnival Glory is currently winding up her first summer season homeported in New York, where she was sailing to Canada and New England. In the next few weeks she will move down the East Coast doing cruises from Norfolk, Virginia and then Charleston, South Carolina before taking up residence in Miami for the winter. Next Spring, she will follow the same route in the reverse direction.

Beyondships new and updated profile of Carnival Glory is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-profile.html and the photo tour with dozens of new photos is at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-Tour-1.html

Talking with Celebrity Summit's Captain; Review of Summit's Specialty Restaurant

Rounding out our update on Celebrity Summit are two new articles that approach the Summit experience from two different angles.

First, we have my interview with Captain Nikolaos Frantzis, the master of Celebrity Summit discussing the ship from a nautical perspective.. Captain Frantzis was for many years associated with Celebrity Mercury and came to Celebrity Summit earlier this year. From a nautical perspective, Mercury follows the traditional cruise ship model whereas Summit is very much based on the new model. Thus, Captain Frantzis is in a very good position to explain such things as the difference between a ship with a traditional propeller system and one with an azipod system. My conversation with Captain Frantzis is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-art-captain.html

Second, we have my review of the specialty restaurant on the Summit. The Normandie restaurant on Summit is out of the ordinary because it purposely tries to invoke the atmosphere of the 1930s ocean liner SS Normandie. It even has artifacts and art work from the liner. The Normandie was perhaps the most elegant and sophisticated ship ever built so a restaurant seeking to recall that ship has to perform up to a very high level. Thus, in assessing the Normandie Restaurant, it was not just a question of whether it was good or not but a question of whether it lived up to its namesake. My review of the Normandie is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-review-Normandie.html

This week Cunard announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be naming Cunard’s new ship, the Queen Elizabeth, on October 11 of this year. This is, of course, quite an honor and underscores Cunard’s unique position in the industry.

Of course, just because Cunard is planning to call its new ship Queen Elizabeth does not mean that that will be the ship’s name - - at least if one goes by historical precedent. In the late 1960s, Cunard built a new ship to replace the original Queen Elizabeth, which had been built in the 1930s and which had served with distinction in war and peace. The plan was to call the new ship Queen Elizabeth in tribute to the original ship. The original Queen Elizabeth had been named after the Queen Mother, the current monarch’s mother, and so Her Majesty was asked and agreed to name the new ship. However, at the naming ceremony she surprised everyone by saying: “I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second.” If the ship’s godmother had been some movie star or minor member of the nobility, this last minute addition might have been overlooked but the monarch’s words cannot be overlooked. Consequently, the new ship became the Queen Elizabeth 2.

While Her Majesty’s addition to the planned name sparked years of debate over whether the ship was named after the original Queen Elizabeth ship or whether it was named after the monarch, I think most people would agree that it was a good move. QE2 instantly had her own identity that was distinct from that of the original ship. One can only wonder whether she would have become such a legend in her own right without that departure from the plan.

Celebrity Summit - - new photos and interview

This summer Celebrity Cruises has Celebrity Summit doing cruises from New York to Bermuda. To a certain extent, one could say that Celebrity really got its start doing this run with its first two ships the Horizon and the Zenith back in the 1990s. However, it has been a number of years since Celebrity has done these cruises on a regular basis.

Bermuda is a natural destination for Celebrity. Like Bermuda, Celebrity is sophisticated but relaxed and traditional but not old-fashioned. Given this affinity, I booked onto the Summit for one of her week long cruises.

Summit is a Millennium class ship, which means that she is big but not quite a mega-cruise ship. She has nice modern lines but done in a way that suggest motion so that she always looks like she is speeding along. (That was a trick that the designers of the great ocean liners also used; the SS United States is a good example - - she conveys a feeling of motion even while sitting still). Inside, she has an elegant, contemporary atmosphere.

My cruise on Summit enabled me to obtain more material for the Celebrity Summit section of Beyondships. As a result, I have posted new menus, daily programs and other information about the ship at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-Profile.html In addition, I have added about 50 new photos to the photo tour of the ship. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-Tour-1.html

Most cruise lines rank their ships based upon the results they obtain from the questionnaires that they ask passengers to fill out at the end of each cruise. Summit usually ranks first or second each time the results are tabulated. In addition, she does well in ticket sales both on her Bermuda cruises and on the Caribbean cruises she does out of San Juan in the winter.

Nonetheless, Celebrity is investing some $16 million in enhancements to Summit. The idea is to add some of the features that guests have found popular on Celebrity’s new Solstice class of ships. This "Solsticizing" of the Summit will be done during a refit next Spring.

I had the opportunity to talk with Julian Brackenbury, Summit’s Hotel Director, about this project. Julian is already working planning for the refit and preparing the ship to go into dry dock. I asked him to outline what will be done to Summit, how the officers and crew are preparing for the refit, and the role of the crew in doing the work. Our conversation is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Summit-art-Solsticizing.html

There will be more about Summit next time, as I also did an interview with Captain Frantzis. I will also be posting a review of the Normandie, the specialty restaurant on Summit.

I would also like to mention two unrelated items.

First, Captain Nick Bates of Queen Mary 2 retired this week. I have had the privilege of knowing Nick for nearly 20 years and he has had a very interesting career including commanding the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2. (See my interview with Captain Bates http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Bates.html ) He has a delightful sense of humor that anhances any occasion. This was reflected in his noon day announcements on QM2 and in his book “A Pinch of Salt.” All the best to him in his new life.

Second, ship enthusiasts in the New York area may be interested that on September 12, there will be six passenger ships in the harbor - - QM2, Celebrity Summit, Carnival Miracle, Norwegian Dawn, Veendam (HAL) and P&O Cruises’ Aurora. All of these are of significant size and from major cruise lines. While six ships is a weekly occurrence in ports like Fort Lauderdale and Miami, it has been a long time since so many ships called in New York on a single day. In fact, one might have to go back to the ocean liner era to find so many first-tier ships in the harbor.

Photo Tour of Bermuda; Cunard President Part II; and cruising with Charles Darwin

This time, we have three new items.

First, there is Part II of my interview with Peter Shanks, President and Managing Director of Cunard Line. We began this part of the conversation by talking about the new Cunard ship Queen Elizabeth, which is now in the last phases of construction in Italy. Mr. Shanks talked about the design of the ship, its interior décor and features as well as answered the question whether the ship is actually an ocean liner. The topic then moved to what type of ships Cunard might build after the Queen Elizabeth. Finally, Mr. Shanks talked about Cunard Line’s position in the Carnival Corporation family of companies.

Part II of the interview with Mr. Shanks is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-Shanks-2.html

Second, I had lunch recently with Jorge Rodriguez, the North American representative of Cruceros Australis, which is an expedition cruise line operating at the extreme southern tip of South America. With him was author John Worman, who has written a number of books about Charles Darwin. The topic of the luncheon was two cruises that Cruceros Australis will be offering this fall, which will explore some of the places in Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego that were visited by Darwin. According to Mr. Worman, Darwin largely formulated his ideas about the origin of species will visiting this still largely pristine area. My article about these cruises is at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cruise-articles-CA-Darwin.html

Third, once again going beyond the ships and onto the shore, I have posted a photo essay on Bermuda from a cruise passenger’s perspective. This little chain of islands in the Atlantic is a frequent cruise destination from a number of North American ports. It was once a tourist destination just for the rich and famous and while there still are quite a few mansions and yachts to be seen around the islands, now the pink sand beaches are enjoyed by the general public. Still the islands have not been ruined by commercialization and maintain a charming lifestyle. The multi-page photo essay begins at: http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bermuda-1.html

Talking with the President of Cunard and Reviewing the Steakhouse on Carnival Glory

Cunard Line is perhaps the most famous name in the history of the passenger ship business. Not only has it been carrying passengers across the Atlantic on a regular basis since 1840, but its fleet has included an array of ships that were not only famous in their day but which are still recognized as being great ships - - Mauretania, Lusitania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).

Today, Cunard is no longer the biggest name in the passenger business. It fell on hard times during the second half of the 20th Century and really only survived because the QE2 was such a fabulous ship both technologically and in the atmosphere that was created onboard.

In 1997, the cavalry arrived in the form of Carnival Corporation, which has invested heavily in the venerable line; building the largest ocean liner ever built, the Queen Mary 2, and two large cruise ships that are designed to evoke the feel of the great ocean liners. It also re-focused the line. The succession of owners that Cunard had prior to Carnival were never able to decide what to do with Cunard and so the company tried to do mass market cruising, luxury yachts, Norwegian-style cruise ships and various other strategies. Carnival shifted the focus back to the ocean liner experience.

A year ago July, Peter Shanks became the President and Managing Director of Cunard Line. I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Shanks about Cunard at its headquarters when I was in Southampton. Because that conversation produced so much material that I would like to share, I am presenting it in two parts. The first part focuses on Mr. Shanks’ vision for Cunard and what he views as differentiating the onboard experience on the Cunard ships from Cunard’s competitor. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-Shanks-1.html

In part II, we discussed the new Cunard ship, Queen Elizabeth, which will go into service in October, as well as some thoughts about ships that may follow the Elizabeth. In addition, we talked about Cunard’s position in the Carnival family of companies. Part II will be posted next time.

This week I’ve also posted a restaurant review. For the most part, I have tried to avoid explicitly stating opinions about the various ships on Beyondships. There are a lot of other sites that do feature reviews and which do that very well. Beyondships rather is designed to present information that you can use in making up your mind about the ships.

One area that has not received much attention on the web is the specialty restaurants that are now proliferating across the cruise ship fleets. These are dining venues that are an alternative to the ships’ main dining rooms. They often specialize in one style of food and are intended to be a premium experience over and above the main dining room. There is usually a cover charge for these dining venues.

When I cruise, I usually enjoy a visit to the specialty restaurants. Sometimes I am accompanied by one of the ship officers who I have interviewed who often have a uniquer perspective about the restaurant. Thus, I thought it might be helpful to post some on my experiences.

This time the review is of the Emerald Steakhouse on Carnival Glory. Carnival has a reputation for serving good food. However, it is not usually thought of as a premium cruise line. Thus, the question that comes to mind is can a Carnival ship have a good premium restaurant? Helping me explore this question was Jorge Solano, Cruise Director on the Glory. The review is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-Review-Emerald.html

Talking about Single Cabins and Talking with the Senior Officers of Ventura

When I sat down with Captain Alistair Clark, Executive Purser David Sheperd and Cruise Director Leon de Ste. Croix, and asked them to talk about Ventura, the word that kept coming up was “choice.” Ventura is designed to offer guests choices so that the guests can shape the cruise experience so that it suits their needs and tastes. This “choice factor” cuts across entertainment, dining, accommodations and activities. The ship is not based upon the principle “one size fits all.”

One also sees this choice factor across the P&O fleet. While some of the major cruise lines seek to have each of their ships resemble each other as closely as possible so as to maintain brand continuity, P&O has a markedly different set of ships. It is not just that the fleet has large, small and medium sized ships, but there are adults-only and family-friendly ships, traditional/more formal ships and contemporary/more casual ships. Again, this allows the passenger to select the cruise experience that is most suited to him or her.

Unifying all of this is an overall P&O flavor and way of doing things. When you step aboard a P&O ship, you know it is a P&O ship.
Our discussion about Ventura is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-interview.html

Because Ventura does present an array of dining choices, I thought it would be helpful to write an article that gives an overview of the various dining venues on the ship. To help me on this, I asked Food and Beverage Manager Alasdair Ross to give a brief introduction to each of the venues. That article appears at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-dining.html

Changing topics, this year’s crop of new ships includes two ships that have single-occupancy cabins. For the last decade or so, the prevailing attitude in the industry was that single-occupancy cabins were uneconomical and had no place on a modern cruise ship. Every cabin had to accommodate at least two people. As a result, solo travelers had to pay a single supplement that was sometimes twice the per person rate for a double-occupancy cabin.

Now, however, going against this common-wisdom both P&O’s Azura and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic have included some single-occupancy cabins in addition to the typical mix of suites and double-occupancy cabins. Neither line is charging a single supplement for these cabins.

Why did these lines do this and is this the start of something new? I asked several cruise line executives to comment including Carol Marlow, Managing Director of P&O, Dan Hanrahan, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises and Peter Shanks, Managing Director of Cunard. The article is posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/Cruise-articles-singles.html

New Photos and Information about P&O Cruises' Ventura

When I was in England, I had the opportunity to revisit P&O’s Ventura. This ship went into service in 2008 and was at the time the largest cruise ship dedicated specifically for the British market. The onboard atmosphere is designed to appeal to contemporary British tastes in the décor, entertainment dining and activities. Accordingly, Ventura attracts primarily British passengers and those who enjoy the British lifestyle.

The ship itself is a sister ship to Princess Cruises’ Grand class ships and is the fulfillment of a long-held desire for the line. P&O used to be the owner of Princess Cruises and seeing how successful the Grand Princess was for its subsidiary, P&O long planned to add one to its fleet. It even went so far as to place an order for one with Fincantieri but it always made more sense strategically to allocate these ships to Princess. Indeed, the one that was first ordered for P&O became Caribbean Princess.

Now with two years of service under her belt, Ventura has shown that the Grand-class works in the British market. As a large ship, she is able to give holidaymakers an array of choices in activities, dining and entertainment. While she has many of the features of her Princess sisters, she is not a mere clone. The décor, while contemporary, is slightly more subdued. The specialty restaurants are geared more toward the British palate.

I took Ventura from Southampton up into the Norwegian fjords. The scenery there is most spectacular with tall mountains rising thousands of feet up from the water’s edge. It is also a varied cruise involving calls in remote villages and calls in cities. I have posted a photo essay showing Ventura in some of these spots. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Norway.html

I have also updated and expanded the Beyondships’ profile and photo tour of Ventura. In addition to numerous new photos, there are new daily programs, menus, and more information about the ship. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Tour-1.html There is also a new page of photo tour that focuses on the ship’s main galley. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-galley.html

Talking with Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Chairman Richard Fain

Richard Fain has certainly made this an exciting time in the cruise industry. As chairman and CEO of the world’s largest cruise company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., he could have grown the company gradually and in small increments. Instead, its Royal Caribbean International brand recently introduced the largest cruise ship ever built, Oasis of the Seas, and is building a second one just as large. Meanwhile, he has propelled Celebrity Cruises to the front ranks of the premium cruise line brands by building five new ships (collectively referred to as the “Solstice class”) that not only are larger than any cruise ship serving the premium cruise market but which are full of innovative new features. These ships are setting set new standards and thus are placing competitive pressure on all cruise providers to enhance their guests’ cruise experience.


What makes Fain’s actions dramatic is that there was no guarantee that these multi-billion dollar investments would succeed. As Fain has admitted it was a gamble and one what went against the common wisdom of the industry.

On the occasion of the naming of Celebrity Cruises latest Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Eclipse, I had a chance to talk with Mr. Fain about the Celebrity part of this gamble. We also discussed the reasons for stationing Eclipse in England and dedicating her to the British/Irish market. My interview with Mr. Fain appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-art-Fain.html

Speaking of the Royal Caribbean family, I have also posted a new photo essay on Freedom of the Seas in St. Thomas. Freedom is a large cruise ship - - indeed, until Oasis of the Seas came along, Freedom was the world’s largest cruise ship. However, she does not look cumbersome or ungainly. In fact her nicely curved bow, the long lines of her superstructure and her curved sloping stern make her rather photogenic. The nice thing about St. Thomas is that there are a number of good places to take photos of the ships. Also, the light changes over the course of the day, which adds variety to the photos. My photo essay on Freedom is at: http://www.beyondships.com/FOS-Photos-1.html

Photo Tour of Saga Pearl II and Photos of Saga Ruby

In order to survive in today’s cruise market, small ships have to specialize. Because of their size, they do not have all of the features and options available on the large ships and so they have to focus their efforts in order to attract customers. Some are ultra-luxury, some go to exotic locations that the big ships do not, while others offer longer voyages.

Saga Pearl II specializes in holidays (vacations) for the over 50 set. Not only is there a formal age requirement but the entire concept reflects thinking about what more mature travelers want and need when traveling. This extends from sending a chauffeured car to collect guests and their baggage and bring them to the ship if they live within a certain distance of the embarkation port to having a high percentage of single cabins for guests who may no longer have a partner. The small size of the ship also gives rise to a more intimate atmosphere which facilitates the guests getting to know one another.

Since the ship focuses on seniors, it does not need children’s facilities, rock climbing walls or giant water slides. Consequently, there is more space for facilities like an extensive library.

Saga Pearl II is the latest addition to the Saga Cruises’ fleet. Built in 1981, the ship was completely renovated following its acquisition by Saga. The result is fresh looking interior done in a contemporary understated style.

Beyondships’ profile of Saga Pearl II is at http://www.beyondships.com/Saga-SagaPearl-Profile.html and the multii-page photo tour begins at

In addition, the master of Saga Pearl II, Captain David Warden-Owen, talks about his ship at http://www.beyondships.com/Saga-SagaPearl-Captain.html I first met Captain Warden-Owen when he was Staff Captain on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2. He went over to Saga after that line acquired the Sagafjord from Cunard, which Saga re-named the Saga Rose. Cunard was sorry to lose him as he was a very accomplished officer. His popularity and successful command of Saga Rose for some 12 years until the ship was retired last year underscore his ability.

While we are on the topic of Saga, I have put together a photo essay on Saga’s other ship, the Saga Ruby. Originally, the Vistafjord and later the Coronia for Cunard, this ship was the last classic ocean liner built in Britain. She has pleasing lines and is a pleasure to photograph. This essay shows her in New York and in Newport, Rhode Island last year. It can be found at http://www.beyondships.com/Saga-SagaRuby-Photos.html

Inside Celebrity Eclipse - - talking with the Captain, Hotel Director and Jacques Van Staden

This week we take an inside look at Celebrity Eclipse. Eclipse is Celebrity Cruises latest ship, entering service late last April. She is the third os Celebrity’s critically acclaimed Solstice class ships. These are large ships (122,000 gross tons) but carry only 2,800 passengers. (A mass market ship of the same size would probably carry a thousand more guests). This means that there is more room per passenger and more room for luxurious features and detailing.

It is a firmly held belief of Beyondships that regardless of the physical beauty of a ship and regardless of its features, the quality of a cruise experience depends to a great extent on the people who actually operate the vessel. Accordingly, the site presents interviews with ship’s officers, management and cruise line executives so that you can read what these people have to say about what they are doing with their ships.

To that end, this week the site features three new interviews with key players on Celebrity Eclipse.

First, there is a conversation with the master of Celebrity Eclipse Captain Panagiotis Skylogiannis. Captain Skylogiannis was responsible for bringing not only Eclipse into service but also the first ship in the class Celebrity Solstice into service. He takes great pride in both ships but Eclipse is his personal favorite. My conversation with him is at: http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-art-captain.html

Second, Hotel Director Simon Weir is in charge of practically all of the services that touch but the guests’ cruise experience from the accommodations to the entertainment to the dining. He has brought out all three of the Solstice class ships and is able to discuss how the product has evolved. In his view, Eclipse does not really compete with other cruise ships but is comparable to luxury hotels on shore and he seeks to ensure that Eclipse does not come out second best. My conversation with Mr. Weir is at: http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-art-HD.html

Third, Jacques Van Staden is the celebrity chef who in 2007 left that world in order to become Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations for Celebrity Cruises. In that position he not only oversees the restaurants on the existing Celebrity ships but develops new ideas for dining venues. Celebrity Eclipse debuted the latest of his ideas, a revolutionary restaurant called Qsine. This dining venue differs from all other cruise ship specialty restaurants in its menu, presentation and décor, combining the familiar with the unexpected. Chef Van Staden talks about Qsine at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-art-VanStaden.html

Oriana Profile and Photo Tour and Norwegian Epic in New York

Oriana is a ship that I have been hoping to take a look at for quite some time. Her entry into service in 1995 was recognized as such a significant event that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II agreed to name the ship. After all, this was the largest passenger ship that had been built for the British market since Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2. Furthermore, she was nearly as large as QE2 and was full of all sorts of new luxury innovations. Over the years, Oriana has retained an aura about her and most Brits will know precisely what you mean when you say her name.

Although built in Germany, Oriana is thoroughly British. Her interiors are contemporary but done in restrained good taste. There is no glitz or attempts to invoke awe. Rather, there is the understatement of conservative British style.

Oriana’s British-ness also appears in the food served onboard, the activities and the entertainment. She seeks to make the people she was designed to serve feel comfortable on their holidays.

The vast majority of passengers on Oriana are British. However, P&O Cruises, her owner, also welcomes international guests who are interested in a truly British experience.

In many ways, this is a classic cruise experience as in the days before Las Vegas went to sea. At the same time, she has a celebrity chef specialty restaurant, a West End style theater, a large cinema, a spa, three pools, five whirlpools, 11 bars and even a pizzeria.

Beyondship’s profile of Oriana is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Tour-1.html

A much different cruise experience came to New York this last week in the form of Norwegian Epic. This is Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest ship and at 153,000 gross tons the fifth largest cruise ship now in service.

As NCL proudly has proclaimed, its “Freestyle Cruising” was designed to break the traditional mold. On Epic, innovation is a watchword, combing entertainment and dining venues, curving interior walls and cabin configurations unlike any other cruise ship.

I was able to photograph Epic as she came up the Hudson River and docked on the West Side of Manhattan. My photo essay of this event is at: http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-photoessay.html

Photos of Cruise Port Southampton and Independence of the Seas

This week we are going beyond the ships themselves and looking at the cruise port of Southampton, England. Now, few people set out with the goal of spending their vacation/holiday in Southampton. However, it is Britain’s primary cruise port and so cruisers often spend time there before or after a cruise.

While Southampton is not a tourist destination, it is tourist friendly. There are a variety of hotels and places to eat. In addition since Southampton is the large shopping center for southern England, it has lots of stores ranging from traditional high street stores to vast modern shopping malls.

Due to the fact that Southampton was - - and still is - - an import seaport, it was heavily bombed during World War II. Consequently, much of the city dates from the post-war period. However, I was surprised to find how many historic properties still exist. Indeed, Southampton reportedly has the most amount of medieval city walls in England.

Southampton is also not far from a number of places of interest including Stonehenge, the Isle of Wight, the naval museums at Portsmouth, Salisbury cathedral, and Winchester. A little further away but still within day trip range is the metropolis of London and all it has to offer.

My photo tour of Southampton begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-Southampton-1.html

One of the ships that sails out of Southampton is Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Now the world’s second largest cruise ship, Independence has modern lines but with a hint of the style of traditional ships, especially in the bow area. This lends itself to photographs and I have now added a page of photos of her taken in Florida and in Southampton to the Independence of the Seas section of Beyondships. It appears at http://beyondships.com/RCI-IOS-Photos1.html

Talking wiith John Duffy, Hotel Manager on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

John Duffy has been an eye witness to the transformation of the passenger ship business. He began his career on the original Queen Elizabeth, one of the great ocean liners of all time and a ship that was a household name in her day. He sailed on the first voyage of the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and served as her hotel manager from 1981 until her last voyage in 2009. Now, he is the hotel manager on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner (as opposed to cruise ship) ever built.

Along the way, Duffy has met royalty, heads of state and numerous celebrities. He has received awards for his work and heads up a department that includes some 900 people. Yet, he remains approachable and friendly, not only talking to but listening to passengers.

Having had such a unique career, I asked him to describe what it was like on the various ships that he has sailed on and how they differ from the passenger ships of today.

In addition, having spent so much of his career doing transatlantic crossings, I asked him why people should choose to spend their vacation/holiday on Queen Mary 2, the only ship that still does transatlantic crossings on a regular basis. I also asked him to address some of the concerns that people sometimes express about a crossing.
My conversation with Mr. Duffy can be found at: http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Duffy.html

Talking with the Managing Director of P&O Cruises

When I was in England, I had the opportunity to speak with Carol Marlow, the Managing Director of P&O Cruises. Carol came to this post after heading Cunard Line for several years and she kindly agreed to answer some questions about the difference between the two iconic British passenger lines and about some of the challenges facing P&O.

P&O is in the enviable position of being the public’s favorite cruise line in a rapidly growing market. However, the other major cruise lines have realized the potential of the British market and several have entered it in a big way. How does the home team respond?

In order to meet the growing demand for cruise holidays, P&O has grown the capacity of its fleet by adding new ships. However, as a result, the fleet is now composed of ships that differ widely in size, age and style. How does one ensure the qualities that made P&O popular are maintained through this larger and more disparate fleet?

Ms. Marlow’s answers to these questions as well as her thoughts on the new Azura and the upcoming replacement of the Artemis by the Adonia are posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-art-Marlow.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Celebrity Eclipse

As I mentioned last time, the primary motivation for my European sojourn was to attend the naming ceremony for the new Celebrity Eclipse. After the ceremony, I stayed on for the inaugural cruise and two other voyages. This allowed me the opportunity to take numerous photos and to get the material for what is one of the most extensive profiles of a cruise ship on Beyondships.com.

Eclipse is the third ship in Celebrity’s Solstice class. The first two ships in the class have been quite successful, winning an array of awards. These are large ships, 122,000 gross tons, so they have the space to house a large number of dining and entertainment venues. Their hallmarks are creativity and attention to detail. More3over, they are distributed throughout the ship in a way that promotes good passenger flow and spaciousness.

Eclipse follows in her predecessors’ footsteps. However, Celebrity has not merely cloned this ship. The choice of colors and artwork is one difference. Perhaps more significantly, Eclipse has a new restaurant, Qsine, which is different its menu and style from any other restaurant on land or sea. In addition, the standard Internet café has been replaced by an iLounge that is equipped with Apple computers. Guests can also learn about and purchase Apple products onboard.

Another thing that sets Eclipse apart is the fact that she is being marketed primarily to the British and Irish markets. Indeed, the ship is based in Southampton, England summer cruising season . While the overall cruising style is the Celebrity style used throughout the Celebrity fleet, there have been a number of tweaks to make it more attractive to British and Irish tastes.

While I very much enjoyed Solstice and Equinox, I was impressed by Eclipse. The ship just has a nice feel to her and the team that brought the ship into service have successfully avoided the usual new ship pitfalls.

The Beyondships profile of Celebrity Eclipse appears at. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Profile.html The photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Tour-1.html

Celebrity Eclipse Naming Ceremony and Talking with the President of Celebrity Cruises

The primary motivation for my recent sojourn to Europe and the UK was to attend the naming ceremony for Celebrity Eclipse. Eclipse is the third ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice class and based upon my experiences on her two predecessors, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, I was very pleased to have been invited to witness Eclipse’s entry into service. Although quite a few adjectives have been used to describe the Solstice class ships, to my mind they can be summed up by saying that everything is really well-done. The ships are visually interesting, the food is excellent and the entertainment and enrichment program are stimulating.

The naming ceremony took place in Southampton, England. Eclipse is going to be based in Southampton and is being directed at the British and Irish markets. This is something of a bold move. When sister company Royal Caribbean International first decided to test the British market, it did so by deploying one of its smaller Vision class ships to Southampton. When this was well-received, it substitutes a larger Voyager class ship. When that ship was a success, it brought in a bigger Freedom class ship and now Independence of the Seas is calling Southampton home all year.

While various Celebrity ships have called in or sailed out of British ports on an occasional basis for some time, Celebrity is using one of its top-of-the-line ships for its first real foray into the British market. UK passengers who have tried Celebrity have rated the experience well. Also, sister company RCI is now well-known in the UK. The latter fact is a bit of a two-edged sword as the Celebrity style of cruising is much different than the RCI style. Nonetheless, I think that Eclipse should do well in the UK if the word can get out about its sophisticated yet relaxed style. Both Cunard and Princess have followings in the UK and Celebrity combines elements of both of those companies’ styles as well as adds elements of its own.

The naming ceremony took place in the midst of the disruption caused by the Icelandic volcano. Flights had been cancelled all over Europe, leaving travelers stranded for days. Eclipse was scheduled to do a short promotional cruise for press and travel agents prior to the naming ceremony. However, Celebrity decided to cancel the promotional cruise and to have the ship ferry travelers who were stranded in the UK to Spain and then bring some 2,000 British stranded travelers home. She did so and arrived back in Southampton, late in the afternoon before the naming ceremony.

Eclipse’s successful rescue mission cast a joyful atmosphere over the naming ceremony. Yes, it had been taxing on the crew but the ship had done something good that was out of the ordinary and which was widely appreciated. Thus, the ceremony was not just a corporate event but an actual celebration. I’ve put together a photo essay on the naming ceremony along with excerpts from the remarks of the various speakers. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-art-naming.html

One of the nice things about ship naming ceremonies is that one has access to the cruise line’s senior executives. Along this line, I have put together an article in which Dan Hanrahan President and CEO of Celebrity talks not just about Eclipse but about the Celebrity fleet in general as well as the UK and other markets the line serves or plans to serve. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-art-Hanrahan.html

Photo Essays of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria

I have just returned from a series of cruises over in Europe. Since the purpose of my trip was to see ships, I decided to go to Europe by ship. Accordingly, I booked two transatlantic voyages on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.

This turned out to be a quite fortuitous choice. On the day I left for Europe, the volcanic eruptions in Iceland closed down the airways and they remained closed for the better part of a week and it was difficult to get a flight for sometime thereafter. If I had chosen to fly, I would have missed at least the first and maybe more of my European cruises.

In addition to avoiding the difficulties associated with flying these days, QM2 is a delightful experience. There is always something going on. On this particular voyage there was a group of jazz musicians from Julliard both performing and answering questions. There were also talks on politics, history and astronomy given by various professors that were intellectually stimulating. Then there are the dinners and receptions given in the grand style.

When we arrived at the eastern end of the crossing in Southampton, England, we found that Cunard’s Queen Victoria was also in port. Although somewhat smaller than QM2 (90,0000 gross tons vs. 150,000), QV is an impressive ship. She also carries forward the prestige and history of the Cunard Line.

There are many ship enthusiasts living in and around Southampton who come out on a regular basis to see the seemingly ever-growing number of cruise ships that call in Southampton . However, the presence of two Cunard Queens in the port is enough to draw people from all over England. Indeed, Blue Funnel Line, which runs tours of the harbor was able to fill three tour boats with Cunard fans.

It was a beautifully clear but cold day and the air was crystal clear. Consequently, the conditions for photographing the ships were excellent. I have posted a photo essay showing the ships at their berths and then as they got underway. It is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-TwoQueens.html

The return voyage westbound across the Atlantic a month later also had a special ending. Due to an accident involving another ship, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal where QM2 usually docks could not accommodate the great ocean liner. As a result, midway across the Atlantic it was announced that QM2 would be docking at Pier 90 in Manhattan rather than in Brooklyn.

This caused a frenzy of activity as Cunard employees both onshore and on the ship worked to avoid any inconvenience to passengers that could have resulted due to the change in destination. However, it also caused enthusiastic expectations amongst the passengers.

Most of the great ocean liners of the past docked in Manhattan. Indeed, for some four decades, when she came to New York, Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) docked at the very pier that QM2 would be docking at.

Aside from history, docking in Manhattan requires a ship to sail up the Hudson River as the world famous New York skyline unfolds in spectacular fashion. As it turned out, it was a clear Spring day and the soft light of dawn colored the City as QM2 made her way to her berth.

I have put together a photo essay which shows some of the sights that the passengers experienced on this unforgettable journey. http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-Manhattan.html