Cruise destination Venice, Italy

Venice is one of the world's great cruise ports. To begin, sailing into Venice ranks with sailing into New York City as a spectacular experience. You sail past world famous landmarks which one would think it impossible for a big ship to come so close to. In addition, you see small backwater canals with ancient buildings that seem to embody romance.

The city has purpose-built cruise terminals. In fact, many cruises begin and end in Venice. That means that when your ship docks, you are not stuck in a container ship area that is designed for moving freight rather than people.

While the cruise terminals are a nice convenience, what makes Venice a great cruise port is that Venice is a legendary city. Perched on a series of islands, the automobile plays little part in the life of the city center. Nor are there tall glass box skyscrapers or flashy electric signs. It is a city unlike any other.

On top of that, Venice is a cultural feast. You can walk down a backstreet and find a forgotten Renaissance church or building that would be the pride of many other cities. Museums and public buildings hold works of art by some of the many masters that have lived and worked in Venice. There is history everywhere. But more importantly, there is the overall ambiance of romance that has inspired artists, authors and composers.

If one needs a break from this rich diet, there are the fine sand beaches of the Lido – a name now inextricably associated with resort living.

Venice has many moods. On a sunny summer's day, the great landmarks can be teaming with tourists. At the same time, the backstreets and side canals can be almost deserted. Venice in the rain is more mellow. Similarly, as the sun sets and the majority of the visitors leave, a timeless enchantment takes over.

We have posted an extensive section on Venice. There is a Venice home page with an overview and a brief history. http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice.html There are articles about visiting St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice---st-marks.html as well as on experiencing a gondola, that most Venetian of vessels. http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice---gondola.html We have a page about the cruise terminal http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice---cruise-terminal.html and a page with some links for further information about Venice. http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice---links.html Accompanying all of these are photos and there is a slideshow devoted to showing some of the sights one may encounter walking around Venice. http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---venice---slideshow.html

Talking with the Captain of Enchantment; Chops Grille Review

This week, some of the members of the senior management team talk about what makes Enhantment of the Seas work.

First, we have Captain Gus Andersson, the master of the vessel. Captain Gus clearly enjoys his role. He can be seen out and about in the passenger areas of the ship, walking about and keeping his eye on how things are going and also participating in light-hearted activities such as a cake making competition. His announcements from the bridge inform the guests of the usual nautical information such as the ship's position and the weather but also about places of interest the ship is passing and some relevant history. The announcements always end with “words of wisdom” - - little sayings that elecit a smile but also have a lesson embedded in them.

Enchantment is Captain Gus' first permanent command. However, his resume includes expereience as an officer on several Royal Caribbean ships. Especially noteworthy is that he was First Officer on the team that brought Allure of the Seas into service. I sailed on Allure's maiden voyage and was struck by how incredibly motivated the crew of that ship was.

Micael Landry is the Hotel Director on Enchantment. One of the few American hotel directors in the cruise industry, his experience in hospitality includes both land-based hotels and ships. On Enchantment, he is in charge of the ship's largest department including such things as the dining, the entertainment and the accommodation. Like Captain Gus, he is not one to hide in his office. Rather, he too gets out and about amongst the guests and passengers. His forays are low key and designed to ensure that the operation is running smoothly.

Snezana Katic is the Guest Relations Manager. Included in her area of responsibily is management of the Guest Relations Desk. Equivalent to the reception desk at a hotel, the Guest Relations Desk is where passengers go when they have a question or a problem. On too many ships, the attitude of the people manning the desk is quite defensive. They seem to regard questions and reports of problems as a personal criticism. This, of course, is not very helpful.

On Enchantment, the Guest Relations Desk is just the opposite. The people behind the desk are friendly and endeavor to be problem solvers.

Enchantment is now 15 years old, which makes her approaching middle age. Yet, she still provides a good vacation experience and has a legion of followers who sail on her regularly. I asked these members of the senior team why that is. Their answer is posted at: http://www.beyondships2.com/enchantment-of-the-seas-interview.html

In addition, this week we have my review of the Chops Grille on Enchantment. Chops is Royal Caribbean's urban-style steakhouse. The menu of this specialty restaurant is the same on each of the Royal Caribbean ships that has a Chops. However, just as the same brand of restaurant can differ in different cities, so do the Chops. The review is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/enchantment-of-the-seas-chops-grille-review.html

Enchantment of the Seas Photos and Review

Two weeks ago, I returned from a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas. Enchantment is not the newest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet - - she entered service in 1997 and was extensively refurbished in 2005. She is also not the largest ship in the fleet although she is significantly bigger than RCI's other Vision class ships - - the result of the insertion of a 73 foot section into her midsection during the 2005 refit. Still, she is nonetheless capable of providing a very nice cruise experience.

In some ways, the cruise experience reminded me of how cruising used to be before the turn of the Millennium. Although some very good things have happened to cruising since then, some things have also gotten lost along the way. Take Enchantment's theater for example. In the 90s, the primary entertainment venues on ships were changing from show lounges to theaters. On Enchantment, the theater still has traces of its show lounge antecedents with large padded chairs and comfortable arm rests. They are like living room lounge chairs. In addition, the room has a bright, roomy atmosphere.

The activities onboard are traditional cruise ship activities. There are the captain's reception and past passenger receptions, trivia contests, cooking demonstrations, enrichment lectures, bingo, etc. You also have Royal Caribbean staples like the Quest game and the Love and Marriage game. Although the newer ships have the same or similar activities, the scale of Enchantment makes these events somehow more intimate.

The entertainment could also be described as traditional. Like the cruise directors of old, Cruise Director John Blair seemed to be everywhere and not only took on the role of emcee but also performed a concert of Neil Diamond songs and gave an enrichment lecture. We had two production shows by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers during this eight night cruise. Three of the singers also did a cabaret concert and displayed impressive strong voices. During the course of the voyage, we had two stand-up comedians and a comedy juggler. I enjoyed Carl Banks' performance the most. It was an adult show but did it relied on clever material rather than four letter words for the humor

I like to watch big screen movies. Enchantment does not have a big movie screen. But using a large gauzy backdrop that was designed for the stage shows, the staff has improvised a big screen in the theater that works quite well. On it, they showed a series of recent releases each afternoon and on various evening after the stage show. I thought this was very clever and showed initiative.

Food is always a big part of cruising. Enchantment's main dining room, the My Fair Lady Restaurant, is quite charming with a décor themed after the musical of that name. Service at dinner was very good as was the food. Breakfast and lunch (sea days only) was good but the service and food was not as consistently good as dinner.

The buffet restaurant, the Windjammer, is located at the forward end of the superstructure. This initially confused some of the guests who, familiar with the larger Royal Caribbean ships, headed towards the back of the ship. The room offers great views but was always too crowded for me. I found a better alternative to be the light meal venue in the Solarium, which offers pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Another nice room underneath the retractable glass roof that covers this pool area.

A dining venue that I found myself going to several times was Cafe Latte-Tudes. This is a specialty coffee bar that also sells Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I am not a coffee drinker and while I did indulge one afternoon in some ice cream, what drew me here again and again was the pastries. The muffins and cookies were excellent and better than anywhere else on the ship.

At this time, Enchantment has one specialty restaurant - - the Chops Grille. This is a steakhouse with a sophisticated urban atmosphere. The food is good quality and it provides a change of atmosphere from the main dining room on a longer cruise.

I booked this cruise late on a guarantee basis. As a result, I was assigned an inside cabin on one of the lower decks. It was clean and surprisingly large with with a surprising amount of storage space. The safe and television were older models but worked well. There was an initial problem with the telephone set but that was remedied before the ship sailed.

Enchantment sailed from Baltimore, Maryland. The rationale for basing a ship in Baltimore is to attract people who live in the surrounding area. However, I was impressed in talking to my fellow passengers at how many were not from the Maryland or mid-Atlantic region. There were quite a few from the mid-west and many from Canada. A large percentage of the passengers were repeat passengers. Thus, it was something more than the convenience of proximity that drew people to this cruise.

The itinerary was an interesting one. First, the ship sailed to Bermuda, where she spent two days. Then after a sea day she was in Boston and then in Newport, Rhode Island. This allowed passengers to have the island experience of Bermuda, the history and sophistication of Boston and the unique resort atmosphere of Newport. Thus, it was not a single vacation experience but a combination of experiences.

The weather throughout the cruise was good. We experienced a rain storm one night but the seas were calm. As a result, there was no real test of Enchantment's seakeeping abilities. She ran smoothly throughout.

I have re-done Beyondships' profile of Enchantment, adding copies of daily programs, information leaflets distributed onboard, and menus. http://beyondships.com/ENOS-Profile.html In addition, the photo tour of the ship has been updated and expanded. http://beyondships.com/ENOS-tour.html Finally, there is a new photo essay showing Enchantment in each of the ports of call she visited during this cruise. http://beyondships.com/RCI-ENOS-Bermuda.html

Serenade of the Seas Photos; Bermuda Travel Guide Update and Bermuda Beach Tennis

Three topics this week, two of which are related.

First, we present a new photo essay on Serenade of the Seas. Serenade is one of Royal Caribbean's Radiance class ships. These ships are known for their maneuverability and their speed. In fact, Royal Caribbean's Captain Herman Zini called them “the Maseratis” of the RCI fleet.

When I first went aboard Serenade a few years ago, I saw that there is much to like about this ship besides its mechanical qualities. The layout and the décor were well-thought out and eye-pleasing. In addition, although she is somewhat bigger than RCI's Vision class ships, she carries a similar number of passengers so there is more space per passenger.

Overall, Serenade reminded me of the Celebrity ships. This should not be surprising considering that she was made by the Meyer Werft shipyard, which built Celebrity's Century class and which is building the Solstice class.

Serenade spends time on both sides of the Atlantic and in this new photo essay, we see her in Venice, Italy and in St. Thomas, USVI. She has nice lines and so is a pleasure to photograph. The photo essay is posted at http://beyondships.com/RCI-SOS-photos.html

Next, we return to one of my favorite cruise destinations - - Bermuda. This island, actually a series of small islands, is unique in several respects. With regard to location, it is not in the Caribbean or in the Bahamas but rather off by herself in the Atlantic, a day's slow sailing from the U.S. east coast ports. As a result, the weather is more moderate than other islands.

While the island is very tourist friendly, it also derives income from the financial services companies located in Hamilton, the island's only urban area. Consequently, you do not see the severe poverty that one sometimes encounters in tropical paradises.

These factors combined with beautiful scenery and a culture that is a unique mix of its British and African heritages have attracted visitors since the earliest days of cruising.

Our photo tour of Bermuda has been updated and expanded with new photos and information. It is at http://beyondships.com/Ports-Bermuda-1.html

An activity that is growing in popularity in Bermuda is beach tennis. In fact, Bermuda just had its fifth annual beach tennis tournament, in which professional players from a number of countries competed for cash purses. I had had the opportunity to attend the tournament and talk to one of its organizers about beach tennis in Bermuda. That article is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination---beach-tennis-in-bermuda.html

Adventure of the Seas Photos; The New Forest and Exbury Gardens

The first item this week is a new photo essay on Adventure of the Seas. Adventure is one of Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ships. The Voyagers are large ships (approximately 135,000 gross tons) and there is plenty to see and do on board. For example, they were the first ships to have the Royal Promenade – the street or indoor mall running down the center of the ship's interior. They also have ice skating rinks, on which they put on ice shows that are essentially musical spectaculars. The main dining rooms are also spectacular rising through multiple decks to a grand chandelier.

Adventure is the third ship in this class. For some reason, she always seems to be in St. Maarten when I am there. As a result, I have accumulated quite a few photos of her in that port. This photo essay presents some of them and serves to augment our existing Adventure of the Seas section. The new essay is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-AOS-Photos.html

For most of her life, Adventure has been sailing the Caribbean. However, next summer she is scheduled to be based out of Southampton, England. In honor of that, this week we are also presenting a cruise destination photo essay on the New Forest, which is just west of Southampton in England.

Although the New Forest is called “New” it is actually a rather ancient place. There have been settlements there since before recorded history. Even after King William I declared it a royal hunting preserve in 1079, people continued to live there. As a result, the New Forest is steeped in history and tradition. Thatched roof houses, small villages, stone churches and ponies who roam at will, all are part of its charm.

It is a national park but it is not a wilderness. Rather, the authorities act to preserve this unique blend of countryside, forest, heath, pubs and villages.

Our section on visiting the New Forest begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-england-new-forest.html

One of the most popular attractions of the New Forest is Exbury Gardens. It was the dream of one of the members of the English branch of the Rothschild banking family and there is still a connection between the Gardens and the family. It is a woodland garden with flowering plants, rare species, and lots and lots of rhododendron. There is also a rather fun narrow gauge steam railway.

On a recent cruise, I took a shore excursion to Exbury. I have written down my experiences and posted them along with some photos at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-england-exbury-gardens.html

Queen Mary 2 Video and Queen Victoria Dining

This week we present our first video on Beyondships.  It is a short item showing P&O Cruises’ Oceana leaving Southampton.  However, what makes it exciting is that it includes an exchange of salutes between Oceana and Queen Mary 2.

I was standing on the forward observation deck of Queen Mary 2, trying out the video feature on a small Nikon that I had just purchased.  We were getting ready to sail on what had turned out to be a sunny and pleasant afternoon in Southampton when Oceana approached on her way out to sea.  I trained the camera on her and as Oceana approached the pier where QM2 was berthed, QM2 sounded her horns in salute.  These horns have a distinctive sound as one is from the original Queen Mary while the other is a copy of the Queen Mary’s original horn (actually, it is the better sounding one).  In any event, the sounds of the horns as well as Oceana’s answering salutes are captured on the video.

The video is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/video-qm2-salutes-oceana.html

In addition to the video, this week we have added two culinary articles on QM2’s fleetmate, Cunard’s Queen Victoria.  In the first article, Food and Beverage Manager Bernhard Fischer gives us his insights into the various dining venues on Queen Victoria from the luxury Grill restaurants to the new alternative dining options in the Lido.  It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-queen-victoria-dining-guide.html

The second article is a review of the specialty restaurant on Queen Victoria, the Todd English Restaurant.   Although similar in its menu offerings to the Todd English on Queen Mary 2, the Victoria’s version has an ambiance of its own. http://www.beyondships2.com/cunard-queen-victoria-todd-english-review.html

Going Ashore in St. Petersburg Russia

             On a Baltic cruise, one of the most keenly anticipated ports of call is St. Petersburg, Russia.  Indeed, because the port is so popular with passengers, most ships stay overnight thus giving passengers two days and a night to see the city.

            The reason that St. Petersburg is so popular is that it is so rich in history, art and culture.  Founded by Peter the Great, this city was the physical embodiment of Peter’s ambition to take Russia from being an insular, medieval society into a modern Western European power.  As a result, the city center is full of grand public buildings, palaces and canals that make it beautiful to behold, especially in summer.

            These same buildings were also the setting for the more turbulent side of Russia’s history.  It was here that the key events in the Russian Revolution took place.  Also, the city suffered the most lethal siege in world history during World War II.

            St. Petersburg has become more welcoming to cruise ship passengers in the last few years with the opening of a multi-million dollar cruise ship terminal complex.  However, unlike other Baltic ports outside of Russia, passengers need a visa if they want to explore independently.  This leads most passengers to take shore excursions because, subject to certain condition, foreign cruise passengers do not need a visa if they are on a tour with a recognized travel company.  Such tours can be organized through the ship or directly with the travel company.

            Most shore excursions fall into either of two broad categories: tours of the city center and tours going to the palaces located in the suburbs surrounding St. Petersburg.  If the ship is staying overnight, there are often evening tours to cultural events such as the ballet or folk dancing.

            The most popular destination in the center city is the State Hermitage Museum.  It is housed in a complex of buildings but its heart is the Winter Palace.  The palace is an impressive building in itself - - it was the winter residence of the czars and they spent lavishly on their home.  In addition, according to Soviet historians, it was also the scene for some of the most dramatic events in the Russian Revolution. 

While its architecture and history are reasons enough in themselves to visit the Hermitage, the most compelling reason is the art collection.  Begun by Catherine the Great, there are few collections in the world - - perhaps the Louvre, the Metropolitan, and the Vatican – that are on a par with the Hermitage in terms of breadth and quality.

Of the tours to the suburban palaces, my pick was the Peterhof Palace.  This palace was begun by Peter the Great as a summer residence and his hand can still be seen in the numerous fountains and small palaces on the grounds.  However, the opulent Grand Palace was created for his daughter the Empress Elizabeth.  As Peter intended, Peterhof impresses the visitor with one magnificent sight after another.

Beyondships’ guide to St. Petersburg is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-port-st-petersburg-russia.html  Our feature article on the Peterhof begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-port-st-petersburg-russia-peterhof.html