Legend of the Seas profile and review

We have added a new section to Beyondships on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas.

Legend of the Seas is one of six ships that comprise Royal Caribbean's Vision class. In fact, Legend was the first one that they built.

I had been looking to sail on Legend for some time. Each of the Vision class ships is somewhat different - - four were built in France and two in Finland - - and so you find different layouts and different nautical characteristics. I've enjoyed cruising on the other Vision class ships that I have sailed on (Vision of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas) so I was looking forward to exploring Legend.

Catching up with Legend wasn't that easy. Royal Caribbean uses her to develop new markets and for the last five years she was sailing out of Singapore, which is quite far from my home base. Last summer they brought her closer - - the Mediterranean - - but this winter she did a season of Caribbean cruises, which is almost down the street from me.

The cruise experience on Legend followed the classic model. Although new dining and entertainment options have been added to enhance the experience, it is very much the way cruising used to be - - relaxing and comfortable. We wandered lazily through the islands of the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, well-fed and entertained. The crew seemed happy and eager to please.

Of course, Legend is nearly 20 years old. Last year, Royal Caribbean did a multi-million dollar revitalization of the ship. They added new specialty restaurants and entertainment offerings such as a giant LED screen over the main pool. They also redid the passenger cabins. This did not and was not intended to magically transform Legend into a new ship. She retains the character of the ships of the time in which she was first built.

While I like the new ships that are coming out of the shipyards these days, there is clearly a place for more classic ships. Ships like Legend are more intimate and less flashy than the new ships. The recent changes to the ship do make the cruise experience more interesting but Royal Caribbean is to be commended for not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. They supplement rather than detract from the ship's overall ambiance.

Legend was built at a time when the cruise lines were still interested in building fast ships and so she can tool around at 25 knots. Citing the high cost of fuel, she only uses her speed in cases of emergency. However, it is comforting to know it is there.

Along the same lines, the ship has good stability. A dick tail was added to the stern of the ship in 2013 to make the ship even more stable in rough seas and during high speed turns.

The home page for our profile of Legend of the Seas is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-LGOS-Profile.html The photo tour of the interior and public areas of the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-LGOS-Tour-1.html We also have a page of daily programs (Cruise Compass) http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-daily-programs.html and a page of menus from the main dining room and the specialty restaurants http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-menus.html.

We spoke with Captain Kjell Nordmo http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-captain.html and Hotel Director Silvio Ghigo http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-hotel-director.html to get their insights as to what Legend of the Seas is all about. Then we have reviews of the new Izumi specialty restaurant http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-izumi.html and of the Chef's Table dining experience http://www.beyondships2.com/legend-of-the-seas-chefs-table.html on Legend of the Seas.

Norwegian Sky revisited

Norwegian Sky sails on three or four day cruises out of Miami to the Bahamas. It is a very competitive market with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines ships sailing essentially the same itinerary.

Like all of the ships doing this itinerary, the Sky has a reputation for being a party ship. And as it turned out, it was during my most recent cruise on her. However, it was not a rowdy, obnoxious party. People were having fun but not misbehaving, at least in not in a way that intruded upon others.

Sky, is now 15 years old. She Is clean and well-maintained. You do not have all of the facilities of the more recent Norwegian ships. But then you would not have time on a three or four day cruise to do everything that those ships offer. Indeed, the Sky offers more dining options than you could experience in just a short cruise.

The Sky has some very elegant traditional venues. Both Le Bistro and Cagney's specialty restaurants have splendid 19^th century decors. The menus for these venues are the same as on the bigger Norwegian ships but the rooms are entirely different. Thus, for those who travel regularly on Norwegian, the Sky offers a pleasing combination of the familiar and the new.

I was impressed by the attitude of the crew. During the pre-inaugural on Norwegian Getaway, the line's CEO, Kevin Sheehan, had challenged members of the press to talk to the crew and how they they felt about Norwegian. On Getaway, the crew was very enthusiastic but then you would expect that from the crew of the line's latest ship just as it was entering into service. But what about on Norwegian Sky, one of the oldest ships in the Norwegian fleet? I found that the spirit was much the same as on Getaway - - enthusiastic about the company and a genuine desire to make sure that the guests were having a good time.

All in all, Norwegian Sky delivered what it promised - - a fun and relaxing short break.

We have updated and expanded Beyondships' profile of Norwegian Sky. http://beyondships.com/NCLSky.html.

New photos and pages have been added to our photo tour of the interior of the ship.http://beyondships.com/NCLSky-Tour-1.html

We have also added an interview with Hotel Director Calvin Lodge in which he gives his insights as to what Norwegian Sky is all about. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-sky-hotel-director.html

There is also a new photo feature http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-sky-photos.html and video showing the ship at two ports of call - - Nassau and Norwegian's private island Great Stirrup Cay. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-sky-video.html

We have also added a menus page http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-sky-menus.html and a daily programs page http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-sky-programs.html . (You can learn quite a bit about what goes on on a ship from reading its daily programs).   

Cruise destination Barbados

Barbados was one of the first Caribbean islands I visited. It was during my first cruise on Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2). I had crossed the Atlantic several times on her before that but as the people at Cunard were adamant in pointing out, a crossing is not a cruise. Since I liked the experience onboard QE2 during these crossings, I decided to see what the ship was like during a cruise. Therefore, I booked one of the two or three Caribbean cruises that the ship did each year.

QE2 departed from New York City and using her incredible speed we were quickly out of the lingering cold weather of early Spring. Once down in the warmer waters, the ship slowed down and the days took on a lazy pace as well. We visited Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), occupying what was then one of the few cruise ship berths in what was then still primarily a cargo ship harbor. Then we headed south to St. Thomas and St. Maarten, which were both still tender ports.

The southernmost point on the journey was Barbados. It was often called “Little England” then and so it was appropriate to visit the island on a British ship. I found it to be a pretty island with a charming, restful atmosphere.

I have been back to Barbados many times since then. It has changed over the years. To an outsider, the standard of living appears to have improved. There has been much construction and development but the island still has charm. It also still has a British flavor but perhaps less so now.

Barbados is not uni-dimensional. On the west coast, you have the beautiful Caribbean beaches, the expensive resorts and the fabulous yacht marinas. Going further east, the island becomes less developed but still scenic in its natural beauty. On the east coast, powerful waves roll in from the Atlantic, carving the coral rocks into unusual shapes.

Looking somewhat more closely, the island has historical and cultural attractions as well including plantation great houses, churches and military facilities. For most of its history, the island's economy thrived because the climate was so well suited to agriculture. The economy has moved on but the people have taken advantage of the climate to create flourishing botanical gardens.

Our section on Barbados begins with an overview http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-cruise-destination.html and a brief history http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-brief-history.html. There is a page providing information about the cruise port http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-cruise-port.html and a slideshow showing some of the cruise ships that have called at Barbados http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-cruise-ships.html. We then take a look at some of the attractions of the island including the beaches http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-attractions-beaches.html the Bathsheba beach and rock formations http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-attractions-bathsheba.html the great houses http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-attractions-great-houses.html the Gun Hill Signal Station http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-attractions-gun-hill.html and the botanical gardens http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-attractions-gardens.html There is also a links page with links to other websites with information relevant to cruising to Barbados.http://www.beyondships3.com/barbados-cruise-links.html

Finally, we have a video of the cruise ship Norwegian Jewel sailing from Barbados. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-video.html

Allure of the Seas - Interviews, reviews, photos and video

When I first went on Allure of the Seas, I was very impressed. I had been on her sister ship Oasis of the Seas before. However, there was such a great spirit and energy to the ship. That added to all of the ship's entertainment and dining options made for a great cruise experience.

Of course, that was the ship's maiden voyage. The ship was just out of the shipyard and there was all of the excitement that goes along with a ship's entry into service. I wondered if she would be able to maintain that energy. When people like maritime historian Bill Miller came back from sailing on Allure and said they were impressed, I was hopeful.

When I recently returned to Allure, I was not disappointed. Several of the key players who brought the ship into service had moved on but many remained. The spirit remained.

There had been a few changes but they were more in the way of refinements than major changes.

Allure is very much a new model cruise ship. Traditionally, an evening on a cruise ship revolved around two seatings in the main dining room and two shows in the main theater. On Allure, you have a variety of alternative dining venues including complimentary venues. You also have several high quality entertainment options each evening.

People have a number of misconceptions about Allure. Some are intimidated by the thought of going on a ship that carries some 6,000 guests. However, the people flow on the ship keeps it from feeling crowded. With all of the various alternatives, people spread out.

I've also heard people say that they don't like the idea that you have to make a reservation for the major entertainment offerings. The fact is that the ship encourages guests to make reservations but you do not have to make reservations. I went to a number of shows without reservations.

I've added quite a lot of material to the Allure of the Seas section of Beyondships. To begin we have an interview with Captain Johnny Faevelen. http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-captain-interview.html Captain Johnny is something of a legend among Royal Caribbean fans. He rides a motorcycle in ports of call and carries a parrot around the ship. However, he is also known for his seamanship and management abilities. We spoke about Allure and about the importance of being a visible presence among the passengers.

When I first sailed on Allure, Joao Mendonca was the Food and Beverage Manager. He has now been promoted to Hotel Director. Part of the ship's original team, Joao understands what Allure is all about. We spoke about maintaining and elevating the “Wow” that Allure delivers. http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-hd-interview.html

We also now have a menus page with menus from the main dining room and the specialty restaurants. http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-menus.html There is also a page with copies of the Cruise Compass from Allure.http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-daily-programs.html

We've also added a guide to the alternative breakfast venues on Allure. You don't have to go to the main dining room or the buffet restaurant to have a good breakfast. http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-breakfast.html

In addition, we have a new photo feature http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-photos.html and video http://www.beyondships2.com/allure-of-the-seas-video.html of Allure in various ports and at sea.

Looking At MSC Cruises

This week we look at some of the ships of MSC Cruises. MSC has rapidly grown over the last decade into the number four cruise line in the world. It is a subsidiary of the giant cargo shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company.

The company is better known in Europe than in North America. However, the line is making an effort to become a player in North America with one of its newest and largest ships based in Miami this winter.

MSC has spent a lot of money building ships. The result has been a series of attractive modern cruise ships.

We added several new mini-profiles. These have photos, deck plans and basic statistics about the ships.

The mini profiles cover:

MSC Lirica http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-lirica.html

MSC Musica http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-musica.html

MSC Opera http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-opera.html

MSC Orchestra http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-orchestra.html

We also have separate photo features on MSC Lirica in the Baltic http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-lirica-baltic.html and MSC Opera in the Norwegian fjords

http://www.beyondships2.com/msc-opera-norway.html

Carnival Freedom, profile, photos, review, interviews

Carnival Freedom was the last of Carnival's Conquest ships to be built. The basic design began with Carnival Destiny and evolved through Carnival Victory and Carnival Triumph. With Carnival Conquest, the design reached a plateau and the line built four more essentially identical ships - - Carnival Glory, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom. Subsequently, the design morphed again into the somewhat larger Carnival Splendor and then into the substantially larger Carnival Dream class.

Because there are five ships in the class, the Conquest class ships can be considered the mainstay of the Carnival fleet. There are more Fantasy class ships but they were developed in an earlier era and are used for shorter cruises or for cruises from ports that are away from the more competitive cruise ports.

When I say the five ships are essentially identical, I am speaking in terms of their technical qualities and their layout. The décor in each ship is quite different. Each was designed by Joe Farcus and he followed a different theme in each. On Carnival Freedom, the theme was time and as usual Mr. Farcus' work is imaginative and often flamboyant.

Carnival Freedom attracts an above-average percentage of repeat Carnival cruisers. She is currently the only Carnival ship cruising regularly out of Fort Lauderdale. However, there are several other Carnival ships based in Miami just down the highway a few miles. Thus, her homeport does not explain why Carnival cruisers keep coming back to this ship.

Part of the answer may be the ship's itinerary. She does not do the same circuit each week. Instead, a given month may take the ship all over the Caribbean. This is appealing because guests can put two or more cruises together and visit several different ports.

However, I was also impressed by the efficiency of the ship's officers and crew. They have been together for some time and know how the operation works. Of course, this makes for a better cvruise experience for the guests.

We have added quite a lot of new material to our coverage of Carnival Freedom. To begin the profile and the multi-page photo tour of the ship have been updated.

We have also added a menus page with copies of the menus from the different dining venues on Carnival Freedom http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-menus.html and a page with a collection of daily programs from cruises on Carnival Freedom, which lets you see the type of thing that they do aboard her. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-daily-programs.html

There is also a new interview with Captain Rosario Arena http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-captain.html and an interview with Stewart Howard, the Hotel Director, in which he talks about the importance of having an experienced team running the cruise ship. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-hotel-director.html

We have a photo feature http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-photos.html and a video http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-video.html of Carnival Freedom in various ports.

Finally, we have something we have not done before - - a video tour of the interior and open decks of Carnival Freedom. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-freedom-scenes.html

Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Jewel - - Photos, video, reviews

This week the focus is on Norwegian Cruise Line.

First, I have a number of items from a recent weekend cruise that I did on Norwegian Breakaway. This was the ship's first short cruise since her inaugural cruises. It was also out of New York in the dead of winter. How would a ship with so many outdoor facilities cope with the winter weather. Our review is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-breakaway-weekend.html

One of the great things about sailing out of New York in winter is that darkness has usually fallen by the time the ship sails. On a clear, crisp night the lights of the city sparkle and the cruise down the river is an almost mystical voyage. Some video highlights are at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-breakaway-night-sailing.html

Then we have added two reviews to our profile of Breakaway. The first looks at the Manhattan Room, which is not your run of the mill main dining room. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-breakaway-barber-shop.html I also recount my experience getting a haircut on Breakaway. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-breakaway-manhattan-room.html

In addition to the material on Breakaway, we have a photo feature http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-photo-essay-cozumel.html and a video of Norwegian Jewel arriving in Cozumel, Mexico. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-cozumel-video.html In it, we see the ship underway and arriving at the pier.

 We are also hoping to have some new items relating to Norwegian Getaway's arrival in New York. Keep an eye on our what's new page. http://www.beyondships2.com/index.html