Considering Explorer of the Seas

I was recently on Explorer of the Seas’ first Bermuda cruise of the 2008 season. Explorer is one of Royal Caribbean International’s mega-cruise ships and operates year-round out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey on the other side of New York Harbor from Manhattan. She sails to the Caribbean, Bermuda and Canada. I have jotted down a few impressions for those who may be considering a voyage on Explorer.

RCI's goal is to create a vacation experience that is a fun, exciting adventure and Explorer lends itself to that goal. The large size of the ship is well utilized to provide an extensive array of amenities and facilities.

The experience on board is geared toward physical activity. Thus, the facilities, activities and shows lean toward the lighter side than towards cultural enrichment. Particularly, impressive was the ice show, which was done with virtuoso skating, beautiful lighting and costumes.

The service was friendly and responsive. All of the staff say hello and you find yourself doing the same to all you meet. In addition, I was impressed by the crew's eagerness to please. For example, for breakfast and lunch, the main dining room is open seating. Thus, the waiters serving breakfast and lunch are unlikely to ever cross the path of a particular passenger again much less receive a tip at the end of the voyage from him or her. Yet, they brought the food quickly and sought to accommodate special requests.

The atmosphere on Explorer is casual. However, on the formal night, the ship rose to the occasion and brought it off in good style.

I have put together a commentary and my photos of Explorer and produced a photo tour which is posted at

http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-tour.html

QE2 in the Sunset

Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 as she is better known, is the most famous ship of our times. Built nearly 40 years ago, she was the last great ship of the ocean liner period. However, her basic design was so advanced and flexible that the ship has been able to evolve constantly since that time. As a result, she remains an icon of style and luxury today.

QE2 entered service in 1969, the same year as Woodstock and the first man walked on the moon. As her owner, Cunard Line admitted, ships were considered “boring.” To dispense with that image, QE2 was given a space age design both in her exterior lines and in her interior design. It was consciously intended to be much different than the old Cunard giants QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH, which had just gone out of service. The goal was to “create a setting for the world's best party," according to her designer.

Over the years - - much like many who grew up in the 1960s - - QE2 became more like her predecessors. Leather wall coverings, plastic scooped chairs, and bright colors were replaced by wood paneling, traditional furniture, and a more subdued color scheme. She reflected the tastes and styles of the times. Indeed, that is part of the reason QE2 has remained viable for so long was this ability to adapt to the times.

This ability to adapt was also present in the ship’s technology. She was built with a very strong and sleek hull because her primary mission would be to take passengers across the North Atlantic where any type of weather may be encountered. In 1987, her steam engines were replaced with a diesel-electric system. Not only was this better from a reliability and efficiency stand point but it gave the ship additional speed. In fact, she is the fastest passenger ship now in service, even faster than the new QUEEN MARY 2 and the new mega-cruise ships.In November, QE2 will retire from active service and become a floating hotel in Dubai.

Accordingly, I recently went aboard QE2 and photographed her to document her final state of evolution. I have combined these photos with photos taken in the past and I have written a commentary to go with them. In addition, I have posted copies of menus and daily programs reaching back 20 years so as to give you a feel for this great ship.

http://www.beyondships.com/QE2Tour.html

Princess Cays

Last month, I visited Princess Cays during a cruise on QUEEN MARY 2. Princess Cays is a private resort in the Bahamas developed by Princess Cruises. Today, it is a stop on the itineraries of ships from Princess and other related companies such as Cunard.

A number of the cruise lines have developed their own private resorts. It is easy to see why. On a typical Caribbean cruise, most of the passengers exit the ship when it arrives in a port and head out to a beach or to a resort. By developing their own resorts, the cruise lines play to the demand for this type of vacation experience and obtain some of the revenue that would otherwise be spent at some place not affiliated with the line. In addition, it adds another port to the ships’ itineraries. Since many passengers, particularly first time cruisers, want as many ports as possible crammed into the cruise, it also helps to attract customers.

These private resorts have several pluses for the passengers. First, there is no concern about obtaining transportation to the beach or resort or of not being able to find transport in time to make it back to the ship before it sails. Second, the cruise line provides security for the area. Third, the passenger knows who he or she is dealing with and the cruise lines have an incentive to provide a good quality product. Since cruise passengers are frequently repeat customers, the line does not want to spoil its reputation and the chance that the passenger will book cruises in the future by having a sub-standard resort.

Eleuthera, the island where Princess Cays is located, is a long, thin island. Princess Cays is situated on the shore in a remote, undeveloped section. The beach area is surrounded by foliage and there are palm trees shading the resort itself. It has a nice sandy beach that is lapped by clear water. At either end of the beach area is a rocky shore and there are rocks protruding from the sand in various areas.

There is just about everything that one could want for a day by the beach. In addition to deck chairs, cabanas, and bungalows, there are basketball and volleyball courts and facilities for renting sailboats, scuba and snorkeling equipment, kayaks, paddle boats, aqua bikes, and floats. Several small shops sell island souvenirs.

For refreshment, there are also three bars with live music. Also, there are pavilions where the chefs from the ships prepare beach barbeque buffets.
My photos and commentary about Princess Cays are posted at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-PrincessCays.html

Celebrity Constellation

On my most recent Caribbean trip, there were three days where I was in various ports with Celebrity Constellation. This gave me the opportunity to do some additional photos of this beautiful ship coming into and out of port and to add some photos to my existing photo tour of the ship. The new photos are posted at http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-Caribbean.html.

Constellation is the fourth and most recent ship in Celebrity Cruises Millennium class. Built in France, she entered service in 2002. Technologically, the ship is rather advanced with pod propulsion and gas turbine engines. (With the cost of fuel spiraling upwards, the Millennium class ships are being retrofitted with an additional diesel engine for use primarily while the ships are in port).

At 90,228 gross tons, Constellation is a large ship. However, with more and more mega-cruise ships of over 100,000 tons entering service, the Millenniums are at the large end of the mid-sized range of cruise ships. They are similar in size to Holland America's Vista-class ships and to Cunard's new Queen Victoria.

For some unexplainable reason, certain ships, even though they are identical to the other ships in their class, generate an affection and a following that their sisters do not seem to share. Constellation is such a ship. While the other Millennium class ships are popular and have their fans, Constellation seems to be a special ship.

Inside Constellation is quite striking. Her interior is elegant and sophisticated in a contemporary sort of way. The lobby atrium hearkens back to the art deco style of legendary ships such as the Normandie.

The lifestyle on board is also sophisticated. Celebrity attracts many travelers who have cruised before and who are looking for more sophistication than is found on the typical mass market cruise ship. At the same time, while there are formal nights, the atmosphere is more casual than on the other premium lines.

Small things that make a cruise special

I was watching a program about a cruise ship on the television recently. It had some very good shots of the ship and covered all of the facilities, the entertainment, the accommodations and the dining. Yet, I felt that it really did not get to what makes cruising special.

These days, all of the major cruise lines provide very good venues for a vacation. The ships are beautifully decorated, have nice accommodations and with some exceptions, have similar amenities. They differentiate themselves primarily by style. Some lines are more casual than formal while others emphasize the intellectual side of life over physical activity. Thus, the most important factor in selecting a cruise is to pick a cruise line that is in harmony with ones lifestyle.

Of course, there are horror stories about what can happen on a cruise but such instances are the rare exception rather than the rule. Most cruises are free of untoward incidents. However, what makes a given cruise a great experience rather than an okay time is the sum of the little things that happen during the cruise - - the people one meets, the things one sees, who you are with etc.

While much of this is outside of the cruise line's control, there are little things that a line can do to help make the days special. For example, a recent cruise to the Bahamas on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 included Easter Sunday. Quietly and with no fanfare, chocolate bunnies accompanied by chocolate eggs and jelly beans appeared in various locations around the ship on the Sunday morning. In the main dining room, a bunny ice sculpture was placed near the entrance during dinner. Of course, this was a treat for the numerous children onboard. However, it also was a nice touch that helped to make the voyage stand out for everyone.

Photos of the bunnies and other decorations are posted at: http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-Easter.html