Titanic Anniversary Cruise; Azamara Journey Profile and Photo Review

This month marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. To commemorate this event, a British travel agency, Miles Morgan Travel chartered two cruise ships to bring guests to the wreck site in the North Atlantic on the anniversary night. One ship, the Fred Olsen Line’s Balmoral sailed from Southampton, England. The other the Azamara Journey, sailed from New York.




There was a great potential for these cruises to turn out badly. They could have been a tasteless attempt to commercialize a tragedy. Nonetheless, I felt this was too significant an event to miss and so I booked passage on Azamara Journey.



As it turned out, the cruise was a very worthwhile experience. The days were mostly spent listening to an impressive battery of maritime historians and Titanic experts discuss various aspects of the Titanic story. When there wasn’t a lecture or event, you had the amenities of Azamara Journey.



However, what made the cruise special was being at the wreck site on the anniversary night. We had had poor weather for most of the cruise but that evening it cleared and the conditions became like they were 100 years before. It was a cold, dark moonless night. The sea was relatively calm. Overhead were a multitude of stars. Whether you looked out into the blackness or at the lights of the Balmoral nearby, you could not help but feel moved.



I have posted a full account of the cruise at http://www.beyondships2.com/titanic-anniversary-cruise-preface.html



In addition, I have added a profile of Azamara Journey to Beyondships. Journey is one of the eight R-class ships built for Renaissance Cruises. Thankfully, Azamara Club Cruises has retained much of the ship’s original décor and so she still has the feel of an upper class English country house.



The profile of Journey is posted at http://beyondships.com/Azamara-Journey-Profile.html. It has copies of daily programs, menus and information about the ship. The multi-page photo review of the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/Azamara-Journey-Tour-1.html.



In addition, I’ve posted an interview with Edie Bronstein, Azamara’s Senior Vice President, in which she talks about the cruise experience Azamara aims to provide on its ships. http://www.beyondships2.com/azamara-svp-interview.html.

Norwegian Gem Update: Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director; Restaurant Reviews

Norwegian Gem continues to be one of the most popular ships sailing out of New York.  Indeed, I am told that she is one of the most popular ships in the Norwegian Cruise Lines fleet.

Norwegian, however, has never been one to rest on its laurels.  Thus, when I went on Gem in March, I was not surprised to find that the ship had continued to evolve.  Yes, there still were such familiar things as the beautiful Grand Pacific Dining Room and the sleek but cozy Cagney’s Steakhouse.  But there were also a bevy of new things going on.

I had heard of some of these things beforehand such as the new Moderno Churrascaria, which has replaced the ship’s Tex/Mex restaurant.  I had also heard that the Nickelodeon characters were now aboard.  But there were also many other things as well.

Accordingly, I sat down with Hotel Director Steve Knott to discuss what is new on Norwegian Gem.  The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-hotel-director-interview.html.

When I boarded the Gem, I intended to write a review only of the new restaurant, the Moderno.  However, I had such good meals at the Orchid Garden Asian fusion restaurant and Le Bistro, that I decided to share those experiences with you as well.  Thus, there is a review of the Moderno at  http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-moderno-review.html.   The review of Le Bistro is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-le-bistro-review.html  and the review of the Orchid Garden is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-orchid-garden-review.html

Also, since the Costa Concordia tragedy, a number of people have asked me about cruise ship safety in general.  Therefore, I thought it might be reassuring to have an accomplished mariner talk about the approach to safety on his ship.  Accordingly, I spoke with Gem’s Captain Hakan Svedung about safety on Norwegian Gem.  That interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-captain-interview.html        

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            In addition, new daily programs (Freestyle Daily); menus and other information has been added to the Norwegian Gem profile page http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html and new photos to the Gem photo tour and review http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html.   

Carnival Fantasy Profile and Photo Review

One is tempted to talk about Carnival Fantasy from a historical perspective.  When she entered service, she was the largest ship yet built by Carnival Cruise Lines and represented Carnival’s answer to Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign class.  These ships were as large as such great ocean liners as the Queen Elizabeth 2 and thus mark the coming of age of cruise ships.

In addition, Carnival Fantasy was the first of eight nearly identical ships.  These ships allowed Carnival to expand to become the world’s most popular cruise line.  They also introduced many, many people to cruising.

Still, it is wrong to just talk about what Carnival Fantasy has done in the past because she continues to provide a quality cruise experience.  She may not be as large as Carnival’s latest ships but the cruise experience that she provides is based upon the same model used throughout the Carnival fleet.  It should also be noted that Carnival has invested large sums over the years to add new features and to keep the ship viable.  

Today, Carnival Fantasy is based in Charleston, South Carolina.  As such, she gives people who live in the southeastern United States the option of driving to rather than flying to the ship.

Our profile of Carnival Fantasy, including copies of menus, daily programs and other information, is at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalFantasy-Profile.html   The multi-page photo review of the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalFantasy-Tour-1.html

Artania Profile and Photo Review; Searching for Alligators, Dolphins and Manatees in Florida

Artania seems to be a ship with nine lives or at least three.  She began as the Royal Princess of Princess Cruises serving primarily the American market.  She subsequently became the Artemis of P&O Cruises serving the British market.  Now she is the Artania of Phoenix Reisen serving the German market.

The main reason that she has been able to endure is that she is a good design.  She remains one of the few ships to have all exterior cabins.  In addition, she was one of the first ships built so that her open decks were free from machinery thus allowing more space for passengers to play.  Also, her size and seaworthiness have allowed her to find a niche  - - longer cruises that include ports where the newer bigger ships cannot go.

When Phoenix Reisen took over the ship last year, it made an investment in the ship’s future.  Numerous balconies were added making cabins that had been oceanview cabins into veranda cabins.  In addition, the line did a considerable amount of work creating new public rooms including a new restaurant.

Our profile of Artania is at  http://beyondships.com/Phoenix-Artania-Profile.html.  The multi-page photo tour begins at http://beyondships.com/Phoenix-Artania-Tour-1.html   We have also retained our profile of the ship as Artemis so that you can compare the difference.  http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html

Also this week, we have a shore excursion review.  This one is about looking for wildlife in the Florida wetlands via pontoon boat and airboat.  Such excursions are often offered during port calls in Florida and as post-cruise excursions for cruises ending in the Florida cruise ship capitals.  The tours discussed in this article were out of Port Canaveral.

The two excursions are quite different.  The pontoon boat ride is pleasant and serene.  You sit back and leisurely scan the waters for dolphins and manatees.  The airboat ride is an adrenaline pumping experience.  You skim across the water at high speeds, pausing now and then to come within feet of wild alligators.

The article recounting my experiences is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---looking-for-floridas-big-three.html

John Lennon in Bermuda; Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director of Crown Princess

I have posted two somewhat different items this week:  One is about a ship and the other is about a cruise destination.

            Continuing with our coverage of Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess, I have posted an interview with Captain Nick Nash and Hotel Director Richard Harry.

 One of the questions that I like to ask the seniors officers of each ship is why should a person who is thinking about going on a cruise select your ship for his or her vacation?  To my surprise, this question sometimes stumps the people that I am interviewing but not so with Captain Nash and Hotel Director Harry.

 They did not focus on Crown Princess’ physical plant.  Crown Princess is a very nice ship with excellent public areas, restaurants and accommodations.  However, as Captain Nash pointed out, having great features is not enough.  You also need consistency and quality in the delivery.  This requires a good crew.

How a crew is motivated to become in the words of Princess’ promotional slogan the “consummate hosts” is a family matter according to Captain Nash and Director Harry.  It is a matter of making the crew feel that they are part of the Princess family.  Our conversation is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/crown-princess-captain-hotel-director-interview.html

Bermuda is a unique cruise destination.  It is not in the Caribbean but rather in the Atlantic far from any other island.  As a result, it is a blend of British, American and African cultures that exists nowhere else.

The beauty and atmosphere of the island has inspired many writers and artists over the years.  But unknown to many, it played a significant role in the life of John Lennon.   After suffering from writer’s block for some five years, the former Beatle traveled to Bermuda in 1980.  What he experienced while he was there unleashed his creativity and he wrote numerous songs during his visit.  These appeared on his Double Fantasy album and on an album released after his death called Milk and Honey.  In my opinion, these include some of the best work of his post-Beatle solo career.

Like me, many cruise passengers are fans of John Lennon and the Beatles.  Moreover, quite a few cruise ships call regularly in Bermuda during the summer including Celebrity Summit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Enchantment of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.  So I wondered whether it is possible to see some of the places that Lennon saw and to try and see what inspired him about this place.

So enlisting the aid of popular Bermuda entertainer Tony Brannon (stage name “Tony B”) who actually saw Lennon during his visit, we drove around the island to some of the places Lennon is known to have seen.   It has been more than 30 years so things have changed but there is enough left to get a feel for what it was like.

One place that still exists that Lennon particularly liked is the Bermuda Botanical Gardens.  It was there that he saw a flower called the “Double Fantasy”.  Thinking that this symbolized his relationship with his wife Yoko Ono, Lennon adopted the name for the first album of songs that came from his Bermuda visit.

Soon Lennon fans who visit the Botanical Gardens will be able to see a memorial commemorating Lennon’s visit to the island.  On June 21, a statue and a dedicated garden will be unveiled.  On that day, there will be a concert on the grounds which will include some of the performers who have recorded songs for a tribute CD.  There will also be an exhibit of Lennon’s lithographs at the Masterworks Museum, which is on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.

My experiences following Lennon’s footsteps in Bermuda are posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---following-john-lennons-footsteps-in-bermuda.html