Photo Tour of Holland America's Prinsendam

In the mid to late 1990s, the one irrefutable question what else is there to Cunard besides Queen Elizabeth 2 was Royal Viking Sun. Yes, Cunard had several other ships, some of which were well-loved by their regular passengers and crew, but Royal Viking Sun was the only one recognized throughout the induistry and the cruising public as a first-class cruise ship.

Acquired from Royal Viking Line in 1994, Royal Viking Sun had little in common with QE2. She was half the size, she was a cruise ship and her officers and cruising style were preimarily Norwegian rather than British. Still she was successful offering luxurious long voyages to destinations around the world.

Proof that Royal Viking Sun was a cut above her contemporaries is the fact that she is still sailing for a major cruise line today as Holland Americ's Prinsendam. Built in 1988, many ships of that era are now serving the secondary market or are now Asian gambling ships. However, Prinsendam coontinues to do long voyages to exotic locales providing intimate, elegant cruises in keeping with Holland America's premium standards.

My profile of Prinsendam appears at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Prinsendam.html and the extensive photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Prinsendam-Tour1.html .

Talking with the Cruise Director of Carnival Triumph

One of the best things about cruising is the interesting people that you meet. Jorge Salano is the cruise director on Carnival Triumph. He is popular with the guests and is an excellent onstage performer. However, what makes Salano particularly interesting is that he is a man who is following his dream.

After years of hard work, Salano had achieved what most people would consider a successful management-level position in the fast food industry. It was good money but it did not make him happy. Then, he experienced a life-threatening illness.

While he was ill, he realized that what he wanted to be was a stand-up comedian. So, when he recovered, he left the fast food industry and started over at the bottom as a comedian. This took him across the country playing comedy clubs and eventually onto cruise ships as a visiting entertainer.

He found that he particularly enjoyed playing the Carnival cruise ships and so when an opening appeared for a cruise director, he applied and was given the job. Now, he combines his love of comedy with a life at sea.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Salano about his career, how he is able to use his comedic skills in his work as a cruise director and about the role of a cruise director on Carnival Triumph. My conversation with Mr. Salano appears at: http://beyondships.com/CarnivalTriumph-art-Salano.html.

Emerald Princess Photo Tour and Commentary

Emerald Princess is one of three virtually identical ships. I am not speaking here about the fact that she is a member of the Grand-class, all of which stem from the design of the Grand Princess - - there are about a dozen such ships now in service. Rather, I am speaking of the fact that she has the same layout, amenities and décor as Crown Princess and Ruby Princess.

The three ships entered service over a period of three and a half years beginning in May 2006. They reflect all that Princess Cruises had learned about the highly successful Grand-class over the course of decade. Thus, it is not surprising that they are so similar - - why change a winning formula?

So, if the three ships are identical, it follows that they must be fungible, right? Not exactly. While on a superficial level the ships may seem the same, the atmosphere on each is subtlety different. Different sets of people have manned the different ships, leaving their marks which persist even after they have gone on to other things. Also, like people, the ships’ characters have been molded by their different life experiences.

Crown Princess was the first of three and sent a shock wave through the industry with her beautiful Italian-influenced décor. She was also an innovator with the adult-spa retreat called “The Sanctuary” and the sophisticated New York-style steakhouse “The Crown Grill.” Also, the fact that she spent her first two summer seasons based in New York helped to hone her more cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Ruby Princess is the latest of the three. When she emerged on the market in November 2008, it was with a great deal of energy and a “can-do” attitude. Her reviews and high scores on the guest comment cards demonstrated that this was not just bluster. Her innovations such as the “Ultimate Ship Tour” proved successful and have been passed on to her sisters. A schedule of seven-day cruises added to her more fast-paced atmosphere.

Emerald Princess is the middle child. She did not emerge with as much fanfare as her sisters. However, she has all the same features that they do. Moreover, she goes about performing her job extremely well - - just quietly. Perhaps because she does relatively longer cruises, the atmosphere is more relaxed. Perhaps it has something to do with beginning her career in the sunny Mediterranean. It certainly has something to do with the friendliness of her crew.

My profile of Emerald Princess is posted at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-EP-Profile.html The photo tour and commentary begins at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-EP-Tour-1.html

Talking with the Cruise Director of Celebrity Solstice

The cruise director is probably the best known member of the crew. He is on stage, on the television and on the public address system. He is part comedian, part showman and part newsman. However, this public role is only part of what a cruise director does.

When I was aboard Celebrity Solstice, I had the opportunity to talk with veteran Celebrity cruise director Dru Pavlov who was able to give me some insights into the cruise director’s role.

In addition, we spoke about how the design of Celebrity Solstice allows the cruise director to present new types of entertainment.

Finally, Dru commented on balancing the need to introduce new forms of entertainment but yet preserving the things that made Celebrity a success in the first place.

My interview with Dru is posted at: http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Solstice-art-pavlov.html