Cruise ports Dover and Harwich; Visiting the City of London and the Tower of London

 On my last group of cruises, I managed to visit all three of the major cruise ports serving London. The largest of these, Southampton, I have written extensively about earlier. http://beyondships.com/Ports-Southampton-1.html It is a busy port and a great place to see cruise ships as well as to begin and/or end a cruise.

The other two ports are more quiet. Dover, located about 75 miles southeast of London, has berths for three cruise ships. However, the port is not always full. In addition, the ships tend to be smaller in size than the ships that frequent Southampton.

Still, Dover is a good port. It has two cruise terminal buildings. My ship left from the newer of these and I was processed through quickly both embarking and disembarking. Our profile of cruise port Dover is at http://www.beyondships3.com/dover-england-cruise-port.html

Harwich was a delightful surprise. I took a special boat train that left from London's Liverpool Street station. The train arrived at a station that is right next to the cruise terminal. I rolled my bags from one to the other and in perhaps five minutes, I was on the ship. What made this even more impressive was that this was a sizable ship. Our profile of cruise port Harwich is at http://www.beyondships3.com/harwich-england-cruise-port.html

Between these cruises, I spent some time in London. Usually I stay at one of the hotels in central London near Buckingham Palace. However, this time, I stayed at a hotel in London's traditional financial district, the City of London.

The City, as it is called, is where the Romans founded London and for centuries London was confined to the area within the Roman City Walls. It eventually outgrew these constraints but the area that lay within those walls evolved its own identity as well as its own laws and institutions.

Unlike the old quarters of many other European cities, the City of London is not a quaint district that time has passed by. Rather, over the centuries, it has adapted and changed to remain a vital part of greater London. Consequently,walking around the City, there are so many landmarks to see ranging from the Baroque splendor of St. Paul's Cathedral to the controversial London Gherkin skyscraper.

The people have also evolved. When I was at university in England, people who worked in the City still wore a bowler hat, a black jacket and gray and white striped trousers. Apparently, that uniform has been retired. I didn't see anyone wearing it. Instead, I saw lots of young people who I suppose work in the banks, trading houses, insurance companies and other businesses in the City, dressed like young office workers in New York or any other major financial center.

I enjoyed my walk around the City and so I have put together an article showing some of the sights that I saw during my stroll. http://www.beyondships3.com/city-of-london.html

Not far from my hotel was one of the most popular visitor attractions in London - - The Tower of London. Even though I had been there before, I had to return. There is so much to see in The Tower. It was a beautiful day that lent itself to photography. I have assembled my photos, the research that I have done about the Tower and my own observations made while visiting there to put together a feature article about visiting the Tower. It begins at http://www.beyondships3.com/tower-of-london.html

Cruise destination Dublin Ireland

 Dublin, Ireland has a lot going for it as a cruise destination. There are landmark buildings, lots of history, and museums housing great works of art. There are pubs, cafes and restaurants to support Dublin's reputation as one of Europe's leading party towns. Most of the major attractions are in the city center, which is very walkable. Moreover, the city center is not very far from where the cruise ships dock.

Admittedly, the facilities for cruise ships are not that great. The ships berth in what is essentially a cargo area. However, the port plans to build a cruise terminal and until it is completed the existing facilities are no worse than those in many other European ports.

I find Dublin to be a romantic city. Perhaps it is because despite centuries of struggle, conflict, and defeat, hope for a better future has continued throughout the course of its history. Indeed, even now with the disastrous end of the Celtic Tiger economic boom, people seem to carry on in a relaxed, good-natured way. Of course, the presence of a large number of young people in Dublin feeds this hope for the future and adds to the city's vibrancy.

Dublin, and Ireland in general, is not that easy for foreigners to understand. It is far more complicated than it is portrayed on television and in the movies. There are conflicts arising out of the centuries of British rule. There are religious conflicts. There are class conflicts. There are issues concerning the role of the church and there are issues related to Ireland's role in the European Union. While it has been said that there are 40 shades of green in the Irish countryside, there are just as many shades of gray around all of these issues.

All of this makes Dublin a fascinating place to visit. You can accept what you see on the surface and have a very nice time in the city looking at its architecture or enjoying a pub. Or you can peal back the layers and try to understand what you see on a deeper level. What makes Ireland especially interesting is that there is always another layer.

Beyondships' coverage of Dublin begins with an overview page that provides some essential information about the city and which presents a concise summary of Dublin's story. It is at: http://www.beyondships3.com/ireland-dublin-overview.html

Next, we have a photo guide showing many of Dublin's attractions. http://www.beyondships3.com/ireland-dublin-attractions.html

We also have a page on the Dublin cruise port. http://www.beyondships3.com/ireland-dublin-cruise-port.html

There are also two photo-illustrated articles that go into more depth about two of Dublin's most popular places to visit. The first is about Dublin Castle, a palace built by the British that has been preserved and which is still used by the Irish government. http://www.beyondships3.com/ireland-dublin-castle.html

The second is about visiting the splendid Powerscout Estate and Gardens not far outside of Dublin City. http://www.beyondships3.com/ireland-powerscourt.html

Queen Mary 2 transatlantic

I have recently returned from a trip to Europe by sea. I traveled over to the United Kingdom on the Queen Mary 2 and I returned on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. In between the two crossings, I did a cruise around the British Isles on Ocean Princess.

If you have the time, transatlantic crossings are a great way to get to and from Europe. Air travel has become notorious for its hassles and delays. In contrast, traveling by sea is a relaxing and memorable experience.

A transatlantic crossing, however, is different than a cruise. There are more sea days and the sea sometimes can be more turbulent than on a cruise. But most people find that there is more to do on a crossing than there is available time. Also, modern ships are good at handling the weather.

Like cruises, the guest experience on a crossing differs from ship to . A crossing on Queen Mary 2 is much different than a crossing on Brilliance of the Seas. Both are good experiences but they are different.

This week, we take a look at what it is like to cross on Queen Mary 2. In an article that will be published later, we will look at a crossing on Brilliance of the Seas.

I spoke with David Shepard, Hotel Manager on Queen Mary 2, about what a crossing on QM2 is all about. David has some 17 years experience in the cruise industry, primarily with P&O Cruises, and thus is in a good position to talk about what makes a crossing on QM2 different than the type of experience one has on a cruise ship.

I wanted this article to be a concise overview of the QM2 crossing experience. Therefore, I have included links to our more in-depth articles about various aspects of QM2 when those topics are discussed in the article.

The article is posted at: http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-shepard.html

In addition, I have posted a review of the Coriander specialty restaurant on QM2. Coriander is one of three alternative dining experiences that Cunard has added to QM2. Unlike QM2's primary specialty restaurant, the Todd English Restaurant, these alternative dining experiences do not have their own permanent locations. Rather, they come to life on certain evenings in a section of the ship's buffet restaurant. It gives guests more choice but is it consistent with QM2's luxury image? http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-coriander.html

Finally, we are adding two new FAQs. The first explains what a bulbous bow is and what it does for a cruise ship. http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-bulbous-bow.html

The second is about cruise ship itineraries. Recently, I heard a guest ask a cruise ship captain why the ship did not stop at some of the nice looking islands that we had passed earlier in the day. I think most people know that a cruise ship captain cannot decide to stop the ship at whatever island takes his fancy. But I thought it might be of interest to provide some information about how it is decided where a ship will go. That FAQ is at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-cruise-itineraries.html

Carnival Glory Profile, Photo Tour, Menus and Interview

This week the focus is on Carnival Glory. The Glory has recently been through what Carnival calls the Fun Ship 2.0 revitalization. Under this program, ships in the Carnival fleet are being augmented with new features and venues found on Carnival's latest ships such as Carnival Breeze.

The Glory has always been an enjoyable ship with a friendly crew. So why change it? Two reasons really. First, Carnival attracts quite a few repeat guests. While they want the same atmosphere that they enjoyed in the past, they also want something new. Second, Carnival competes with other cruise lines. Its two fiercest competitors, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line, have built innovative new ships that take cruising to a new level. Thus, Carnival had to respond if it wants to remain the world's most popular cruise line.

The most impressive changes to Glory have been with regard to entertainment. Entertainment has now become the new battleground for the cruise lines. Here, Carnival has done away with traditional stage scenery in favor of the use of technology. It allows them greater flexibility in changing shows and with what can be done with the main theater. To go along with the physical changes, the line has replaced the traditional system where the cast consists of a group of singer and a group of dancers and replaced it with a system where everyone sings and dances.

I spoke with Glory's hotel director Alain Lopez and her cruise director Jacques De Lange about the changes that have been made to Glory. That article is at http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-glory-interview.html

We have also added a new menus page http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-glory-menus.html and a new page with copies of the Fun Times (daily programs) from Carnival Glory http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-glory-daily-programs.html.

There is also a new photo essay showing Carnival Glory in various ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/carnival-glory-photos.html

And we have a new review of Carnival Glory's specialty restaurant the Emerald Steakhouse http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-Tour-1.html

Finally, we have updated our profile page http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-profile.html as well as our photo tour of Glory to reflect the changes that have been made to the ship. http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalGlory-Tour-1.html

Abandon ship - - A memory of Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)

Last month was the 21^st anniversary of the grounding of Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) off of Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts. This accident required the evacuation of the passengers from the ship and severely damaged the ship.

I happened to be aboard during that cruise. It was a typically pleasant QE2 cruise to Canada and New England up until the accident. Then it became something of an adventure. Inasmuch as no one was hurt by the accident, the suspense lay in how we were going to get ashore and what would happen to what was then thought to be the last of the great ocean liners.

At the urging of some friends, I have marshaled together my photos from that cruise and put down my recollections about what occurred. The resulting article begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/qe2-marthas-vineyard.html