Observations on Norwegian Cruise Line

Continuing our look at the various cruise lines, this week I thought I would talk about Norwegian Cruise Line.

Not all that long ago, Norwegian was in a bad way. The top management had some clever ideas but somehow the line was unable to turn these concepts into reality. As a result, Norwegian developed a reputation for poor service. My observation at that time was that the line had some interesting ships but the people operating the ships were unhappy and so service and execution suffered.

Then Kevin Sheehan became CEO and everything started to turn around. Energetic and charismatic, Sheehan was able to revive employee morale and unleash the pent up talents of management and employees. Whereas no one seemed to care before, now everyone is enthusiastic.

Norwegian is at the forefront of the new model of cruising. Long known for its Freestyle diing concept, the new Norwegian ships - - Epic, Breakaway and Getaway - - not only give passengers good quality options with regard to dining but also with regard to entertainment. Thus, guests have a great amount of freedom to decide how they will spend their time onboard.

There is also a wide variety of accommodations on the Norwegian ships - - again, especially on the newer ships. Cabins range from budget-concious interior cabins to the luxury of the suites located in the exclusive Haven area. The newer ships also led the way in providing cabins for solo travelers at a reasonable rate.

Passengers on Norwegian tend to be middle class. Most are interested in relaxing in the sun, using the sports facilities and in the evening being entertained in the bars, casinos and other entertainment venues. Lectures and cultural activities are not a high priority.

Norwegian is a family-fiendly line with a strong youth program and a large amount of space dedicated to children. Of course, the number of children onboard decreases when school is open.

The line bases its ships on a long term basis in certain home ports. For example, Breakaway and Gem are based all year in New York while Norwegain Dawn spends each summer in Boston. As a result, the ships tend to develop a local following who return to their local ship again and again.

Most of the ships in the Norwegian fleet were built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. This shipayrd is known for its attention to detail and the high quality of the ships that it builds. The Norwegian ships are no exception.

Norwegian is the thrid largest cruise company. Recently, Norwegian purchased Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises. This move makes a lot of business sense as it will allow Norwegain to become a multi-diemnsional cruise conglomerate like its competitors Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. My only concern, however, is whether the new lines will distract Mr. Sheehan from continuing the great work he has done in turning Norwegian around.

This week Beyondships has new photo and video features of Norwegian Gem http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-coming-and-going.html and Norwegain Dawn. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-photo-feature.html

One night cruise on Norwegian Gem; Cruise destination Nassau

Very short cruises are becoming extremely popular. People want to get away from it all for just r a day or an evening, take a mini-vacation or a memorable night out. On these cruises, the ship is the destination as there are no ports of call.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has been very active in this market. Several of its ships are doing one or two night cruises this winter. The popular Norwegian Gem has a one-night cruise in her schedule each month this winter.

We went aboard Norwegian Gem to experience one of these one-night cruises to nowhere. During the voyage, we spoke with Hotel Director Jenny Lind about one-night cruising on the Gem. That article is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-one-night.html

In addition, we have expanded and updated our section on cruise destination Nassau in the Bahamas. We have added an additional page to our photo feature on the attractions of Nassau. http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-nassau-attractions.html

Also, we have a new slideshow with photos of cruise ships that have called in Nassau. It is a busy cruise port and seemingly sooner or later every ship comes to Nassau. Well, that is probably an exaggeration but we have photographed quite a few ships in Nassau over the years. The slideshow is at http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-nassau-ships.html

Photos of cruise ships Jewel of the Seas and Norwegian Gem

Norwegian Gem

This week we have new photo essays of two ships - - Norwegian Gem and Jewel of the Seas.

As discussed in a previous post, I was on Caribbean Princess during Hurricane Sandy. The ship took shelter in Boston harbor during the storm. Jewel of the Seas was also there through the storm. After she left, Norwegian Gem arrived because the port that she was scheduled to go to, New York, remained closed for a few days after the storm. Once it was announced that New York would re-open, both Caribbean Princess and Norwegian Gem sailed there.

Gem and Jewel have several things in common. Of course, they both have jewelry-inspired names. But more importantly, they were both built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany which is known for its high quality products and attention to detail.

In addition, when I interview ship captains, I often ask how fast can this ship really go? According to this unscientific survey, the two fastest cruise ships currently in service are Jewel of the Seas and Norwegian Gem. (Queen Mary 2 is the fastest passenger ship in service but she is an ocean liner as opposed to a cruise ship). I am thinking of holding a race to determine this question once and for all.

In any event, it was an interesting coincidence to see one right after the other.

The photo essays have shots of the ships both during the day and at night. There are also short video clips. The Norwegian Gem photo essay is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-photo-essay.html and the Jewel of the Seas essay is at http://www.beyondships2.com/jewel-of-the-seas-photo-essay.html

Photos of Norwegian Gem and Enchantment of the Seas

Sometimes when I am on a cruise, there will be another ship that is doing the same, or almost the same itinerary.  This gives me the opportunity to photograph that ship in a variety of locations, doing different things.  This week, I have posted two photo essays resulting from such coincident itineraries.

The first shows Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas during a Bahamas cruise.  Enchantment had sailed from Baltimore, where she is homeported to Port Canaveral, Florida.  Then she sailed to Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, Coco Cay, and the next day to Nassau.

I was on Norwegian Gem sailing on a similar itinerary out of New York. Of course, Norwegian Cruise Line ships do not call at Royal Caribbean’s private island.  However, Norwegian’s private island is next to Royal’s and so with a telephoto lens, it is possible to get photos of ships calling at Coco Cay from Great Stirrup Cay.

The Enchantment of the Seas photo essay is posted at http://beyondships.com/RCI-ENOS-Bahamas.html

A few weeks later, I was on a Bermuda cruise as was Norwegian Gem.  As a result, I was able to record Gem’s cruise.  The Gem photo essay is at http://beyondships.com/NCLGem-Photos-Bermuda.html     

Norwegian Gem Update: Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director; Restaurant Reviews

Norwegian Gem continues to be one of the most popular ships sailing out of New York.  Indeed, I am told that she is one of the most popular ships in the Norwegian Cruise Lines fleet.

Norwegian, however, has never been one to rest on its laurels.  Thus, when I went on Gem in March, I was not surprised to find that the ship had continued to evolve.  Yes, there still were such familiar things as the beautiful Grand Pacific Dining Room and the sleek but cozy Cagney’s Steakhouse.  But there were also a bevy of new things going on.

I had heard of some of these things beforehand such as the new Moderno Churrascaria, which has replaced the ship’s Tex/Mex restaurant.  I had also heard that the Nickelodeon characters were now aboard.  But there were also many other things as well.

Accordingly, I sat down with Hotel Director Steve Knott to discuss what is new on Norwegian Gem.  The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-hotel-director-interview.html.

When I boarded the Gem, I intended to write a review only of the new restaurant, the Moderno.  However, I had such good meals at the Orchid Garden Asian fusion restaurant and Le Bistro, that I decided to share those experiences with you as well.  Thus, there is a review of the Moderno at  http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-moderno-review.html.   The review of Le Bistro is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-le-bistro-review.html  and the review of the Orchid Garden is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-orchid-garden-review.html

Also, since the Costa Concordia tragedy, a number of people have asked me about cruise ship safety in general.  Therefore, I thought it might be reassuring to have an accomplished mariner talk about the approach to safety on his ship.  Accordingly, I spoke with Gem’s Captain Hakan Svedung about safety on Norwegian Gem.  That interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-captain-interview.html        

.          

            In addition, new daily programs (Freestyle Daily); menus and other information has been added to the Norwegian Gem profile page http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html and new photos to the Gem photo tour and review http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html.   

Cruise ship dining - reviews and articles

The days are past when the only thing to do on a cruise was eat. However, when you tell people you have been on a cruise, one of the most frequent questions is “How was the food?” Thus, dining is still an important part of the cruise experience. In addition, cruise ships have so many dining options these days that it is helpful to have some guidance on what all the dining venues on the ships are about. Accordingly, this week focuses on dining on three of the ships that we have been covering recently.

First, there are three restaurant reviews. We have the fine dining experience of the Murano Restaurant on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-review-Murano.html Then we have the sophisticated but informal Cagney’s Steakhouse on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Cagneys-Review.html Finally, there is the family style Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Table on Allure of the Seas. http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-review-Giovannis.html

All three restaurants are quite different experiences. My hope is that these reviews will not only inform you about the specific experiences I encountered but that they will also provide an indication of the range of dining experiences that one can have on a ship.

Speaking of the range of options that one has on a ship, we have two new dining guides. Food and Beverage Director Ivo Belev provides commentary on the many different dining venues that guests have to chose from on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-dining.html Along the same lines, Executive Chef Claudio De Carlo discusses dining on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Chef.html (Our guide to dining on Allure of the Seas with Food and Beverage Director Joao Mendoca was published earlier and is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-art-FB.html ).

Norwegian Gem - - Profile, Photos and Interviews

Norwegian Gem has certainly matured in the less than four years since she entered service in late 2007. Gone is the “It Girl” hype that surrounded her launch. In its place is a very solid cruise experience at a reasonable price.

The first thing that I noticed about the Gem when I sailed on her recently was how happy the crew seemed to be. Everyone was friendly and seemed to enjoy going about their work. Both Gem’s captain Roger Gustavsen and her Hotel Director Steve Jacobsen confided to me that ensuring that the crew is happy is a top priority. A happy crew makes for happy guests. They clearly seemed to be right.

Another thing that was underscored during my cruise on Gem was just how good the ship is technologically. Gem cruises out of New York in the winter. For many years, the common wisdom was that the sea conditions off the East Coast of the United States were just too difficult for a cruise ship in the winter. NCL proved the common wisdom wrong when it based Norwegian Dawn in New York year round in the early years of this century. The Gem, which was built by the same shipyard as the Dawn and which is a more advanced design had no difficulty.

Gem gave another example of her abilities while we were in the Bahamas. The itinerary called for the ship to go overnight from NCL’s private island Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau on New Providence island - - not a great distance. The plan had been for the ship to drift slowly overnight from one island to the next. However, a medical emergency arose and Captain Gustavsen put the Gem up to full speed. In the public rooms, one could not feel a thing. However, standing on the outdoor promenade, one could see the water whipping by. The ship can do more than 26 knots. Gem arrived in Nassau at 11 that night rather than her scheduled time of eight the next morning.

Several guests mentioned to me during the cruise, how impressed they were with the food on the Gem. This was not just in the specialty restaurants but also in the complimentary venues as well. More about the food on the Gem in a subsequent posting.
.
NCL has two ships based in New York. However, I could detect no rivalry between them. While Gem’s officers were able to articulate why their product was better than other cruise lines ships, they said the experience was just the same on the Jewel.

Beyondships’ profile of the Gem has been updated and expanded with new daily programs, new menus and other new information about the Gem. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html The photo tour of the ship has also been expanded with many new photos of the ship’s interior. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html There is also a new photo essay with new exterior photos of Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Photos-Bahamas.html Finally, there are interviews with Captain Gustavsen http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-captain.html and Hotel Director Jacobsen. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-interview-HD.html

Photo Tour and Guide to Carnival Dream

After much consideration, I think the best way to describe Carnival Dream is that she has gravitas. The ship is confident, substantial and important.

For nearly a decade Carnival Cruise Lines has been developing the design that first debuted with Carnival Destiny. With each ship, new features were added and the size of the ships grew somewhat.

With Carnival Dream, the line took a substantial step up in size. Its previous ship, Carnival Splendor, is 113,000 gross tons while Carnival Dream is 130,000 gross tons.

This difference in size gives the ship better proportions and makes her more substantial from her predecessors. It is like everything that had gone before was leading up to this.

This is so not just with the ship’s physical size but also with what Carnival is doing onboard. For example, the line has been moving steadily away from its origins as a party venue for young people towards being a family vacation experience. With 19,000 square feet devoted to children - - not placed off in some out-of-the-way corner of the ship but right in the center - - Carnival line is making clear that it is a family vacation experience.

One can also see that the line is increasing the overall quality of its product. Carnival has always been good value for money but it has been pushing upwards, offering items that with the Dream are the equivalent of those found on premium market cruises. A clear example is the multi-deck spa.

Carnival has also taken a step upward with the new shows it is featuring in the ship’s theater. These are not just musical revues but rather more akin to Broadway productions. While they still rely primarily on popular tunes, they are packaged in a more thought-provoking production.

The Dream is not just a good development of some old ideas. The Carnival experience is enhanced by the addition of several new features. One of these is the transformation of the outdoor promenade into the Lanai. In the past, the outdoor promenade was the gloomy area under the lifeboats where only a few souls went primarily to have a smoke. The Lanai is a much wider area that is protected from the wind and which is sunlit due to the fact that the lifeboats have been placed underneath it. There are also whirlpools, nice padded furniture and an area of tables where one can bring drinks and/or food.

The Lanai opens into the Ocean Plaza, which includes a bar, the specialty coffee bar, seating and a stage for live performances. This area gives the public rooms a centerpiece that was lacking on prior Carnival ships. It is a user-friendly place for the ship’s programmed activities as well as a crossroads.

Beyondships profile of Carnival Dream is at and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Tour-1.html

Turning to the news, Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, Costa and several other lines, announced that it earned $193 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. This was better than what Wall Street analysts had been expecting and indicates that even in poor economic times, people are reluctant to sacrifice their vacation and that the public recognizes that cruising is a very economical way to vacation.

Winter has commenced early in the northeast and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 managed to arrive in New York on schedule during the first blizard of the season. The ship encountered 30 foot waves coming up the coast from the Caribbean and managed to maintain a speed of approximately 25 knots. The ship is doing a series of Caribbean cruises from New York before beginning her world cruise.

Meanwhile, NCL’s Norwegian Gem returned to New York on December 12 for a season of winter cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The Gem is the only ship sailing from Manhattan this winter. On the other side of the harbor, however, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will be sailing again this winter from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Norwegian Gem Photo Tour and Commentary

I recently went aboard Norwegian Gem again and as a result, I have taken the Norwegian Gem section of Beyondships in for a refit. I’ve added new photos, including quite a few of the ship underway, and new programs and other material that I obtained onboard. Consequently, the Norwegian Gem profile and photo tour has been updated and expanded.

Norwegian Gem is the newest ship in the NCL fleet. She is 93,000 tons and can carry 2,380 passengers double occupancy. Gem was built in Germany and entered service in 2007. During the winter months, she has been sailing out of New York to the Caribbean. However, she spends her summers in Europe - - this year the Mediterranean.

As the newest ship in the fleet, she has all of the most recent Freestyle Cruising amenities. This includes a multitude of dining venues ranging from a sophisticated French Restaurant to a 24-hour venue that provides hamburgers and light fare. Of course, she has two large main dining rooms but under the Freestyle system, guests only have to make use of them if they want to.

In addition to an array of dining venues, Gem has quite a variety of accommodations. These range from the ultra-luxurious Garden Villas to rather utilitarian interior cabins. The top suites also have access not just to a concierge lounge but to an entire exclusive area on the ship.

When I last was aboard Gem, she had just entered service. I was pleased to see that the intervening time has treated her well. She still looks like a new ship. The only difference that I noticed was that the original Claude Monet masterpiece that was behind the Reception Desk has now been replaced by an original Marc Chagal.

The Norwegian Gem Profile Page, which includes the photos of the ship underway, is at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html. The expanded photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html