Carnival Fantasy Profile and Photo Review

One is tempted to talk about Carnival Fantasy from a historical perspective.  When she entered service, she was the largest ship yet built by Carnival Cruise Lines and represented Carnival’s answer to Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign class.  These ships were as large as such great ocean liners as the Queen Elizabeth 2 and thus mark the coming of age of cruise ships.

In addition, Carnival Fantasy was the first of eight nearly identical ships.  These ships allowed Carnival to expand to become the world’s most popular cruise line.  They also introduced many, many people to cruising.

Still, it is wrong to just talk about what Carnival Fantasy has done in the past because she continues to provide a quality cruise experience.  She may not be as large as Carnival’s latest ships but the cruise experience that she provides is based upon the same model used throughout the Carnival fleet.  It should also be noted that Carnival has invested large sums over the years to add new features and to keep the ship viable.  

Today, Carnival Fantasy is based in Charleston, South Carolina.  As such, she gives people who live in the southeastern United States the option of driving to rather than flying to the ship.

Our profile of Carnival Fantasy, including copies of menus, daily programs and other information, is at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalFantasy-Profile.html   The multi-page photo review of the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalFantasy-Tour-1.html

Artania Profile and Photo Review; Searching for Alligators, Dolphins and Manatees in Florida

Artania seems to be a ship with nine lives or at least three.  She began as the Royal Princess of Princess Cruises serving primarily the American market.  She subsequently became the Artemis of P&O Cruises serving the British market.  Now she is the Artania of Phoenix Reisen serving the German market.

The main reason that she has been able to endure is that she is a good design.  She remains one of the few ships to have all exterior cabins.  In addition, she was one of the first ships built so that her open decks were free from machinery thus allowing more space for passengers to play.  Also, her size and seaworthiness have allowed her to find a niche  - - longer cruises that include ports where the newer bigger ships cannot go.

When Phoenix Reisen took over the ship last year, it made an investment in the ship’s future.  Numerous balconies were added making cabins that had been oceanview cabins into veranda cabins.  In addition, the line did a considerable amount of work creating new public rooms including a new restaurant.

Our profile of Artania is at  http://beyondships.com/Phoenix-Artania-Profile.html.  The multi-page photo tour begins at http://beyondships.com/Phoenix-Artania-Tour-1.html   We have also retained our profile of the ship as Artemis so that you can compare the difference.  http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html

Also this week, we have a shore excursion review.  This one is about looking for wildlife in the Florida wetlands via pontoon boat and airboat.  Such excursions are often offered during port calls in Florida and as post-cruise excursions for cruises ending in the Florida cruise ship capitals.  The tours discussed in this article were out of Port Canaveral.

The two excursions are quite different.  The pontoon boat ride is pleasant and serene.  You sit back and leisurely scan the waters for dolphins and manatees.  The airboat ride is an adrenaline pumping experience.  You skim across the water at high speeds, pausing now and then to come within feet of wild alligators.

The article recounting my experiences is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---looking-for-floridas-big-three.html

John Lennon in Bermuda; Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director of Crown Princess

I have posted two somewhat different items this week:  One is about a ship and the other is about a cruise destination.

            Continuing with our coverage of Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess, I have posted an interview with Captain Nick Nash and Hotel Director Richard Harry.

 One of the questions that I like to ask the seniors officers of each ship is why should a person who is thinking about going on a cruise select your ship for his or her vacation?  To my surprise, this question sometimes stumps the people that I am interviewing but not so with Captain Nash and Hotel Director Harry.

 They did not focus on Crown Princess’ physical plant.  Crown Princess is a very nice ship with excellent public areas, restaurants and accommodations.  However, as Captain Nash pointed out, having great features is not enough.  You also need consistency and quality in the delivery.  This requires a good crew.

How a crew is motivated to become in the words of Princess’ promotional slogan the “consummate hosts” is a family matter according to Captain Nash and Director Harry.  It is a matter of making the crew feel that they are part of the Princess family.  Our conversation is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/crown-princess-captain-hotel-director-interview.html

Bermuda is a unique cruise destination.  It is not in the Caribbean but rather in the Atlantic far from any other island.  As a result, it is a blend of British, American and African cultures that exists nowhere else.

The beauty and atmosphere of the island has inspired many writers and artists over the years.  But unknown to many, it played a significant role in the life of John Lennon.   After suffering from writer’s block for some five years, the former Beatle traveled to Bermuda in 1980.  What he experienced while he was there unleashed his creativity and he wrote numerous songs during his visit.  These appeared on his Double Fantasy album and on an album released after his death called Milk and Honey.  In my opinion, these include some of the best work of his post-Beatle solo career.

Like me, many cruise passengers are fans of John Lennon and the Beatles.  Moreover, quite a few cruise ships call regularly in Bermuda during the summer including Celebrity Summit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Enchantment of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.  So I wondered whether it is possible to see some of the places that Lennon saw and to try and see what inspired him about this place.

So enlisting the aid of popular Bermuda entertainer Tony Brannon (stage name “Tony B”) who actually saw Lennon during his visit, we drove around the island to some of the places Lennon is known to have seen.   It has been more than 30 years so things have changed but there is enough left to get a feel for what it was like.

One place that still exists that Lennon particularly liked is the Bermuda Botanical Gardens.  It was there that he saw a flower called the “Double Fantasy”.  Thinking that this symbolized his relationship with his wife Yoko Ono, Lennon adopted the name for the first album of songs that came from his Bermuda visit.

Soon Lennon fans who visit the Botanical Gardens will be able to see a memorial commemorating Lennon’s visit to the island.  On June 21, a statue and a dedicated garden will be unveiled.  On that day, there will be a concert on the grounds which will include some of the performers who have recorded songs for a tribute CD.  There will also be an exhibit of Lennon’s lithographs at the Masterworks Museum, which is on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.

My experiences following Lennon’s footsteps in Bermuda are posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---following-john-lennons-footsteps-in-bermuda.html                             

Crown Princess Profile and Photo Tour; Breakfast at Sabatini's

             I have long felt an affinity for Crown Princess.  I first experienced her shortly after she entered service in 2006 and was impressed by the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the ship.   The Piazza, the center point of the ship both structurally and spiritually, was a visual feast with its use of marble and European-inspired detailing.  While this ship was clearly for the more demanding traveler, it was relaxed at the same time.  And the food, particularly the Italian dishes, was impressive.

            Since then I have been back for visits and have encountered her in various ports - - New York, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, St. Martin, Fort Lauderdale, Southampton to name a few.  She has always been surprisingly photogenic.  Perhaps the best shots were of her in Barbados as the orange light of the setting sun engulfed her.

            Accordingly, I was excited to be able to spend a week on her recently, cruising the Western Caribbean.  I had spent the previous week cruising on the recently refurbished Grand Princess.  Although Grand’s refurbishment had given her many of the features first seen on Crown Princess, the two ships still present different cruising experiences.  Although she is a large ship, I found Grand to have a more intimate charm.  Crown remains, as she has always been, elegant with an almost sumptuous luxury.

            Beyondships’ profile of Crown Princess was one of the first profiles posted on the site.  Over the years, new information has been added to it.  However, I felt that it no longer did the ship justice.  Therefore, I have completely redone the profile with new daily programs, menus and other information.  In addition, I have created a new and much larger photo tour and commentary of the ship.  The new address for the profile is http://beyondships.com/Princess-KP-Profile.html and the new address for the photo tour is http://beyondships.com/Princess-KP-Tour-1.html.

            I have also added a specialty restaurant review entitled “Breakfast at Sabatini’s”.  Sabatini’s is Princess Cruises’ signature Italian specialty restaurant.  In order to enhance the cruise experience of guests traveling in the ships’ suites, Princess has opened Sabatini’s to those guests for breakfast.  My review recounts my morning experiences at Sabatini’s on Crown Princess and on Island Princess. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/crown-princess-island-princess-sabatini-review.html  

Explorer of the Seas Dining Guide; St. Kitts Cruise Destination Photo Guide

  

          Inasmuch as Explorer of the Seas is a very large cruise ship, you would expect it to have a number of places to dine.  However, as Hotel Director Xavier Matthias explained it to me, the different venues on Explorer are not there just to distribute the passengers around the ship.  Rather, each venue is designed to give the passengers a different experience that when taken together add up to a memorable cruise.

            To find out more about the dining on Explorer, I sat down with Mr. Matthias, a 17 year veteran of Royal Caribbean who started as a steward, and Executive Chef Patrick McCabe who has been sailing with the line for 10 years, and asked them to talk about each of the dining venues on Explorer.  From that I have put together a dining guide to Explorer of the Seas.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-dining-guide.html

            One of the destinations that we went to on my last cruise on Explorer was St. Kitts.  St. Kitts is one of the most scenic islands in the Eastern Caribbean.  It is growing in popularity as a cruise destination but it still has a quiet atmosphere and the people that I’ve met on my various voyages were quite friendly.  

            One of St. Kitts attractions that I found particularly interesting was the Brimstone Hill Fortress.  The forts on most of the Caribbean islands that I have seen have not been terribly impressive.  However, Brimstone Hill is quite a different story.  It occupies a volcanic dome that towers some 800 feet over the sea and the surrounding countryside.  The sides of the dome are almost vertical.  At the top are the defense works consisting of a citadel with great stone walls and a number of defensive bastions that overlook sheer cliffs.

            As I was walking around the fortress, I couldn’t help but think what an incredible task it was to build such a structure at a time when horses were the primary means of power.  It was quite a feat of engineering.  Unfortunately, it also must have been a source of suffering for the slaves who actually performed the toil.

            Today, however, Brimstone Hill has lost any sinister atmosphere it may have once had.  The views from the ramparts are simply spectacular.  St. Kitts’ coastal plain stretches out below and you can see miles out across the blue sea.  In the other direction are the mountains and a verdant mountain valley.  Punctuating the scene are stone ruins that would have enthralled the 19^th Century romantic poets.

            Brimstone Hill is one topic covered in our cruise destination photo guide.  It is posted at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StKitts-1.html  

St. Croix Cruise Destination Photo Guide; Talking with Celebrity Silhouette's Cruise Director

          

  To round out our coverage of the United States Virgin Islands, this week we are presenting a cruise destination photo guide to St. Criox.  The largest of the USVI islands, St. Croix may be the least visited by cruise passengers.  This is probably due to several things including the fact that the island is too far from St. Thomas practically to do a day trip during a call there but yet too close for ships to visit both as ports of call.  Also, St. Croix has suffered from an image of being crime ridden.

            Nonetheless, St. Criox appears to be gaining popularity as a port of call.  A large investment was made in recent years to improve the cruise port facilities.  In addition, locals appear to be successful in getting the word out that its crime rate is not really different than elsewhere in the Caribbean.

            Like the rest of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix has some pretty beaches and scenic mountains.  However, the island has also managed to preserve much from its past.  Both Christiansted and Frederiksted, the island’s principal towns, have quite a few buildings dating back to the Danish colonial period.  Indeed, some of these have been declared landmarks of the U.S. government.  Thus, St. Croix has something of interest for the historically and architecturally-minded.

            Our cruise destination photo guide to St. Croix begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StCroix-1.html

            My last visit to St. Croix was on the Celebrity Silhouette.  She is a beautiful, elegant new ship.   However, one of the things that brings a ship to life and which can make or break a cruise experience is the entertainment.  Therefore, I spoke with Silhouette’s cruise director Paul Baya about what type of entertainment people should expect on Silhouette.  That interview is posted at  http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-cruise-director-interview.html

            In addition, I have put together a slideshow of scenes from a cruise on Silhouette.  My hope is that this will supplement our extended photo tour of the ship and help you to get a feel for this fine ship.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-slideshow.html  

Designing Queen Mary 2; Queen Elizabeth Photos; Photo Guide to St. John USVI

We have several things for you this week.



To begin, we have an extensive interview with Stephen Payne. Mr. Payne is the naval architect who designed Queen Mary 2 for Cunard Line. QM2 is a unique ship. She was built to do regularly-scheduled transatlantic crossings. This meant that she had to have the strength and power to cope with the uncertain weather of the North Atlantic, arrive as scheduled and be comfortable for her passengers. No one had designed such a ship, i.e., an ocean liner, in more than 30 years when Payne was given the task of designing QM2.



In addition, QM2 had to be able to do cruises as well as transatlantic crossings and do them as well as any contemporary cruise ship. Thus, Payne also had to incorporate into his design all of the new thinking and technology of a modern cruise ship.


Finally, the ship had to be superlative. She was following in the wake of a line of great ships that included Mauretania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2.



I have sailed on Queen Mary 2 many times and can say that Mr. Payne’s design clearly accomplished these objectives. The ship is impressive to behold and her ability to handle seemingly any weather condition is amazing. Also, she can more than hold her own cruising as I’ve seen her do in the Caribbean, the Norwegian fjords and around Britain.


Beyond the success of his design, Mr. Payne has an interesting life story. It is one that supports the theory that you can live your dream if you remain faithful to it.


I’ve divided our interview with Stephen Payne into three parts. Part one is a profile of his career and is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-one.html In Part Two he discusses designing QM2 - - the concept and why things are the way they are on the ship. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-two.html Finally, in Part Three, he discusses the future of QM2 and of passenger ships in general. http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-three.html


The next item we have this week is a new photo essay on Cunard’s latest ship, the new Queen Elizabeth. I encountered her at the beginning of her 2012 world cruise as she made a swing down through the Caribbean. The weather cooperated and yielded a good light for photo taking. http://www.beyondships.com/QE-photo-Caribbean.html



Leaving Cunard aside, we have a cruise destination photo guide of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. The smallest of the three main U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is also the least commercially developed. Most of the island is a national park. Consequently, its beautiful white sand beaches and its lush green mountainsides are largely unspoiled. Our photo guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StJohnUSVI.html


Finding a cruise that goes directly to St. John may be difficult. The island has no cruise terminal or pier. However, it is plainly visible from St. Thomas and it is a short ferry ride between the two islands. In fact, most of the ships that call in St. Thomas offer shore excursions to St. John.


So, while we are on the topic of St. Thomas, we have expanded our cruise destination photo guide of that port to include some more of the attractions in Charlotte Amalie such as Blackbeard’s Castle, the 99 Steps and the Synagogue. The St. Thomas guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StThomas.html