Cruising to Grand Cayman/ Constellation Specialty Restaurant Review

This week, we look at one of the ports of call that cruise ships visit, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The focus of Beyondships is ships but the ports are part of the cruise experience. Indeed, I am told that some people even come on the ships to travel to the ports. Accordingly, I have attempted to put together some information about the ports and some links along with photos of some of the things that one can do while visiting the port. Consistent with the focus of this website, these profiles are written from a cruise traveler’s perspective.

Grand Cayman is a thriving cruise port. Ships like to stop there because it is in a good geographic location in that it is centrally located in the Western Caribbean. Guests like it primarily for its beaches, opportunities for snorkeling and diving as well as for the shopping. Also, because Grand Cayman is a world financial center, the island is more prosperous and has lower crime rate than many Caribbean ports.

One fact that underscores the attractiveness of Grand Cayman is that there is no place for a modern cruise ship to dock. Consequently, even relatively small cruise ships have to anchor in the harbor and tender guests ashore in their lifeboats or on a commercial tender. Nonetheless, it is not surprising to see four or five ships calling at the port on the same day, which is delightful if one likes looking at ships.

The scenic beauty of the island lies primarily in and by the water. It is a coral-based island with little fresh water and so the interior of the island is flat and dry. Places by the shore such as its internationally famous Seven Mile Beach are delightful. In addition, the coral reefs around the island make for a fascinating undersea world.

Beyondships’ profile and photo tour of Grand Cayman is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-GrandCayman.html

Also, I have added a review of the Ocean Liners Specialty Restaurant to the Celebrity Constellation section of Beyondships. The restaurant is a gracious fine dining venue and I have concentrated on the value-added by its professional serving staff. The review appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-review-OceanLiners.html

Profile and Photo Tour of P&O Cruises' Azura

This week the focus is on Azura, P&O Cruises’ latest ship. Azura is 115,000 gross tons and entered service last Spring.

What I like best about Azura is the innovation. The ship is based on a tried and true design - - the design that debuted with Grand Princess and which has been used with refinements in nine subsequent ships. In 2008, P&O purchased its first Grand-class ship, the Ventura, and while that ship has proven successful, P&O has not merely cloned that ship but has continued to develop the design.

The most striking example of innovation is the introduction of staterooms for the single or solo traveler. While the ships of the ocean liner era almost always had single cabins, in recent years, the cruise ship industry has shunned them; arguing that they do not produce as much revenue per square foot of space as double occupancy cabins. As I have written previously, the math does not support that argument but nonetheless it was the common wisdom in the industry.

The net result was that solo travelers were left to pay a single supplement so that they could occupy a double cabin single occupancy. Sometimes the supplement ranged up to 100 percent of the per person double occupancy rate. This created a disincentive for solo travelers to cruise.

Yet, cruising is a great method of travel for solo travelers. People are open and friendly on a cruise and so a solo traveler does not have the isolation that he or she would face staying at a hotel. At the same time, a solo traveler has the freedom to choose whether he or she will go off on his or her own or take an organized excursion in the ports of call.

Recognizing that solo travelers are a natural for cruising, P&O included a series of inside and outside singe cabins on the Azura. These have sold quite well and generally speaking are booked quite far in advance. (Interestingly, NCL also recognized the importance of solo cruisers at about the same time and included a large number of single cabins on Norwegian Epic, which entered service shortly after Azura. I am told that Royal Caribbean is also thinking of adding single cabins to its ships as they go through their scheduled refits).

In addition to the single cabins and other physical innovations, Azura has a somewhat different style than Ventura. Both are large family-friendly ships. However, P&O has styled Azura to meet the tastes of people who have enjoyed cruising on P&O’s more traditional cruise ships. The idea is to give the traditional cruiser the features of a mega-cruise ship.

All of the P&O ships have a unifying atmosphere. However, the line shuns the notion that one size fits all and there is considerable variety across the fleet. I am pleased to see that P&O has continued this philosophy with Azura.

The Beyondships profile of Azura is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-Tour-1.html

Cunard's Royal Rendezvous Photos and Norwegian Epic Interview

The most spectacular event this week in the cruise industry was the Cunard Royal Rendezvous in New York. All three of Cunard’s Queens - - Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth - - were in port for the day and Cunard orchestrated numerous events including ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, bathing the Empire State Building in lights that matched the traditional Cunard funnel colours and culminating in a giant fireworks display as the three ships left the harbour.

The arrival of three ships from one cruise line in New York Harbour is not all that unusual and certainly not enough to turn the heads of most New Yorkers. Furthermore, while the three Cunarders are big ships, they are not the biggest ships afloat. Why then was the Royal Rendezvous something to note?

The reason is two-fold. First, Cunard has a relationship with New York that goes back over a century. Shortly after the line was founded in 1840, New York became the western terminus for Cunard’s transatlantic crossings. Over the years, the City grew and Cunard grew. Indeed, walking around the City one can still see the Cunard name on buildings and on piers, which testifies to the fact that the line has played a not insignificant role in the story of the City.

Second, New Yorkers admire those who are the best at what they do and for many years, Cunard was the undeniable champion of the passenger ship industry. Even today, the names Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2 summon up images of grandeur and grace. This mystique has been inherited by today’s Cunarders.

This year’s Royal Rendezvous almost did not happen. A severe blizzard struck the City the day before the event. If it had been a day later, the event could not have happened. Moreover, had the lingering winds stayed above 25 knots, the authorities would not have let the events go forward. As it turned out, the day was beautifully clear although bitterly cold.

I managed to skate across the snow and ice that remained on New York’s sidewalks and streets to photograph all three of the ships at their various berths in Brooklyn and Manhattan. In addition, I attended the press conference held by Cunard at Pier 88 where the line was showcasing the new Queen Elizabeth, which entered service last October. Also seen around the pier were such Cunard celebrities as Commodore Bernard Warner, Commodore Ronald Warwick (ret.), Captain Ray Heath (ret.), Captain Inger Olsen, Captain Julian Burgess and Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison.

As darkness fell, I took my Nikon to the 14th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel overlooking Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan island. There on the open balcony amongst the television crews and the people directing the fireworks display, I was treated to the sight of the giant ships proceeding in stately procession through the harbor as fireworks illuminated the Statue of Liberty. It was an unforgettable sight that made standing in the icy wind worthwhile.

My photo essay of the 2011 Royal Rendezvous begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-Royal-Rendezvous.html and the remarks of Cunard President and Managing Director Peter Shanks at the press conference are reported at http://www.beyondships.com/Cunard-Royal-Rendezvous-Shanks.htm.

Changing topics. I have also added a brief interview with Hotel Director Denis Prguda and Entertainment Director Julie Valeriote of Norwegian Epic. I first met Denis and Julie on Norwegian Pearl and know them to be true professionals. Consequently, I was very much impressed by the sincere enthusiasm with which they speak about Epic. The interview is at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-HD.html

Profile and Photo tour of Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Epic is one of three revolutionary ships to have debuted in the last year. Although not as large as the other two, Oasis of the Seas and her sister Allure of the Seas, Epic is a large ship. Indeed, she is one of the largest.

However, it is not the size of these ships that matters but rather how the cruise lines have used the space. Norwegian Cruise Line, like Royal Caribbean, has not just expanded on what has gone before but creatively increased the number and the quality of the options that guests have onboard. Consequently, these ships will change people’s level of expectation with regard to cruising.

NCL is no stranger to innovation. At a time when most cruise companies were employing small ships, NCL brought the giant ocean liner SS France back into service as the SS Norway, opening the door for big ship cruising.

NCL was also the first cruise line to have full production shows as entertainment. This was the fore-runner of the multi-million dollar shows that are now standard in the industry.

NCL is perhaps best known for abandoning the traditional cruise ship dining system in favor of one that allows the guests to decide when and where to dine. Almost all of the major cruise lines now have a flexible dining op0tion.

With Epic, there is innovation in the staterooms including studio cabins, non-traditional bathrooms, curving walls, and mood lighting. There is the two deck ship within a ship luxury area that encompasses not only 60 suites but exclusive outdoor areas, restaurants and lounges. Advanced technology has been employed extensively. Interactive technology has changes the way guests find their way around the ship and plan what entertainment to see. Facial recognition software has even been used to change the way images are offered in the photo gallery.

Beyondships profile page for Norwegian Epic is at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic.html and the multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-Tour-1.html

Photo tour of Royal Caribbean's Labadee

Happy New Year!

With all of the snow in North America and Europe, I thought I would begin the year by focusing on a destination with a much more pleasant climate, Royal Caribbean’s private resort Labadee.

While Labadee is in the northern hemisphere, it is in the Caribbean and thus the winter weather there is warm but not unpleasantly hot. Refreshing cool water laps against the protected beaches on the south side of the Labadee peninsula while one can watch impressive waves roll in from the white sand beach on the northern side.

There is considerable natural beauty at Labadee. Rolling hills covered in tropical vegetation overlook the peninsula and provide a nice back drop to the resort. There are also rock outcroppings on the peninsula that create a contrast to the vegetation and to the white sand. At the tip of the peninsula the coast is rocky and the waves coming in from the sea crash against the rocks in an awesome spectacle.

Labadee is a frequent port of call for Royal Caribbean ships doing Caribbean cruises. The ships arrive early in the day and leave as darkness starts to descend.

Royal Caribbean has done much to make Labadee into a tropical paradise for its guests. It has built dining and drinking facilities as well as populated the area with sun loungers, hammocks, wave runners, kayaks, and other watercraft. It has built attractions such as a 2,800 foot zip line, a roller coaster, an aqua park, and a kids park. There is also a luxury section for the guests staying in the suites on the ships.

Labadee is in Haiti and Royal Caribbean has done much to help that troubled country. In addition to employing local people and making a significant contribution to the local economy, its ships carried over a million dollars worth of relief supplies to Haiti after the recent earthquake. In addition, Royal highlights Haitian culture at the resort, offering a venue for local performers and a place for local artisans to sell their works.

Unlike most cruise line private destinations, guests do not have to tender in the ship’s boats to reach the resort. Rather, Royal Caribbean has constructed a pier at the resort so that guests can just walk ashore. This creates a unique situation whereby guests can easily go to and from the ship during the course of the day. As a result, a guest can go ashore for awhile, come back to the ship for an activity and then return to the resort.

My photo essay on Labadee appears at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-Labadee.html