Although I had greatly enjoyed my last cruise on Caribbean Princess, I was somewhat skeptical about going back. In 2008, she was a nice ship with good food and lots of things to do. However, in January 2009, she went through a major refit project. Why mess with a good thing?
The aim of this project was to give Caribbean Princess some of the same features as her younger sisters Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess. I was familiar with these ships and the features that were to be transplanted to Caribbean Princess such as the Crown Grill specialty restaurant and the adults-only Sanctuary are indeed very nice but would their importation spoil the character of Caribbean Princess. I am a believer that every ship has its own character and thus attempts to make one ship the same as another are misguided and bound to fail.
Fortunately, Princess was able to defy the rule. The new features do indeed enhance the cruise experience on Caribbean Princess. Plus, due to physical constraints and some wise thinking, the new additions are slightly different than on the other ships. Thus, Caribbean Princess has the advantages of the new features while still retaining her own character.
The changes to Caribbean Princess touched many areas and as a result, I have extensively revised my photo tour and commentary for the ship. It now starts at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Tour-1a.html. In addition, I was able to sit down with Captain Marco Fortezze and Passenger Services Director Peter Hollinson to find out their inside views of the project. http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-art-Revitalizing.html I have also added new menus, Princess Patters, deck plans and other information to the Caribbean Princess profile page. http://beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Profile.html
Turning to items in the news, Cunard announced this week that filmmakers Griffin Dunne and Gary Winick will be lecturing on Queen Mary 2’s 11 November transatlantic crossing. Dunne will discuss “Practical Magic,” starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock; Winick will screen his feature film, “13 Going on 30,” starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. Such discussions are often quite interesting, not only for film buffs, but also for people who are interested in hearing beyond-the-scenes insights. I was on a transatlantic crossing this summer in which film director Baz Luhrmann screened his “Moulin Rouge” and enjoyed the lecture perhaps more than the film.
Cunard has always been quite good about attracting Hollywood stars and other celebrities to its transatlantic crossings. Quite a few have been there to give a talk about some project they were involved with but others have been there just as passengers. I recall exercising in the gym and noticing that the fellow at the next machine was Rod Stewart. He walked about the public areas and most people respected his privacy.
On another voyage on QE2, there was a man who everyone agreed looked like David Bowie. Oddly enough, no one said: “That is David Bowie.” Rather, he would be seen here and there about the ship and it was a running joke amongst the passengers that “there is the Bowie-guy again.” Later, a senior officer confided to me that the supposed look-alike was indeed the man himself. I have often wondered what would have happened if the “Bowie-guy” had entered the karaoke contest in the Golden Lion Pub. Probably, everybody would have agreed that he did not sound a bit like him.
Princess has released the results of a study that concluded most Americans do not lead balanced lives, i.e., they do not balance the demands and stresses of everyday life with free time. Residents of Chicago were determined to have the least balance in their lives while residents of Miami had the most balance. Interestingly, there is a direct correlation between these findings and the number of ocean-going cruise ships homeported in each city - - a lesson there for city-planners.
The aim of this project was to give Caribbean Princess some of the same features as her younger sisters Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess. I was familiar with these ships and the features that were to be transplanted to Caribbean Princess such as the Crown Grill specialty restaurant and the adults-only Sanctuary are indeed very nice but would their importation spoil the character of Caribbean Princess. I am a believer that every ship has its own character and thus attempts to make one ship the same as another are misguided and bound to fail.
Fortunately, Princess was able to defy the rule. The new features do indeed enhance the cruise experience on Caribbean Princess. Plus, due to physical constraints and some wise thinking, the new additions are slightly different than on the other ships. Thus, Caribbean Princess has the advantages of the new features while still retaining her own character.
The changes to Caribbean Princess touched many areas and as a result, I have extensively revised my photo tour and commentary for the ship. It now starts at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Tour-1a.html. In addition, I was able to sit down with Captain Marco Fortezze and Passenger Services Director Peter Hollinson to find out their inside views of the project. http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-CB-art-Revitalizing.html I have also added new menus, Princess Patters, deck plans and other information to the Caribbean Princess profile page. http://beyondships.com/Princess-CB-Profile.html
Turning to items in the news, Cunard announced this week that filmmakers Griffin Dunne and Gary Winick will be lecturing on Queen Mary 2’s 11 November transatlantic crossing. Dunne will discuss “Practical Magic,” starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock; Winick will screen his feature film, “13 Going on 30,” starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. Such discussions are often quite interesting, not only for film buffs, but also for people who are interested in hearing beyond-the-scenes insights. I was on a transatlantic crossing this summer in which film director Baz Luhrmann screened his “Moulin Rouge” and enjoyed the lecture perhaps more than the film.
Cunard has always been quite good about attracting Hollywood stars and other celebrities to its transatlantic crossings. Quite a few have been there to give a talk about some project they were involved with but others have been there just as passengers. I recall exercising in the gym and noticing that the fellow at the next machine was Rod Stewart. He walked about the public areas and most people respected his privacy.
On another voyage on QE2, there was a man who everyone agreed looked like David Bowie. Oddly enough, no one said: “That is David Bowie.” Rather, he would be seen here and there about the ship and it was a running joke amongst the passengers that “there is the Bowie-guy again.” Later, a senior officer confided to me that the supposed look-alike was indeed the man himself. I have often wondered what would have happened if the “Bowie-guy” had entered the karaoke contest in the Golden Lion Pub. Probably, everybody would have agreed that he did not sound a bit like him.
Princess has released the results of a study that concluded most Americans do not lead balanced lives, i.e., they do not balance the demands and stresses of everyday life with free time. Residents of Chicago were determined to have the least balance in their lives while residents of Miami had the most balance. Interestingly, there is a direct correlation between these findings and the number of ocean-going cruise ships homeported in each city - - a lesson there for city-planners.
In New York this week was Fred. Olsen Cruises’ Balmoral, the former Norwegian Crown and Crown Odyessey. She had been visiting Canada and was about to head back across the Atlantic to England. While she has been stretched and refurbished since leaving NCL, she retains much of her original attractiveness. I will be adding a section to Beyondships about the Balmoral in the not too distant future.
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