Cruising in 2015

 At this time of year, it is customary to look ahead to the New Year. Therefore, I thought I would take a look ahead to see what may be in store for cruising in 2015. My conclusion is that 2015 promises to be an exciting time for several reasons.

First, 2015 will see an array of important new cruise ships go into service. Each of the top three cruise families will have at least one significant new ship.

In the Carnival family, P&O Cruises will receive its largest ship ever, the 140,000 gross ton Britannia. This ship will be a sister to Princess Cruises' innovative Royal Princess and Regal Princess. As such, Britannia will present British cruisers with dining and entertainment options never before offered on a P&O Cruises ship.

Britannia will be facing some tough competition as Royal Caribbean's new Anthem of the Seas will be based in Southampton for part of the year. This is the 167,000 gross ton sister ship to Quantum of the Seas. Anthem too will be offering Royal's new Dynamic Dining concept and will feature the advanced 270 entertainment center as well as an upmarket sophisticated interior like on Quantum. Oh yes, there will also be the bumper cars, the sky diving simulator, and the North Star observation capsule. However, do not let such items cause you to think that Anthem is not a serious ship.

Not to be left out, Norwegian Cruise Line will be bringing out Norwegian Escape later in the year. At 163,000 gross tons, Escape will be a bigger and improved version of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. The Breakaway class embodies a new model of cruising where the passenger has multiple quality options with regard to both dining and entertainment. It will be interesting to see how Norwegian enhances this concept on the ships of the Breakaway-Plus class.

The German cruise market will be greeting AIDAprima. At 120,000 tons, she will be a quantum leap larger than previous AIDA ships. Meanwhile, rival TUI Cruises will be receiving the second ship to be built especially for TUI, the rather unimaginatively named Mein Schiff 4 (98,000 tons).

In the luxury segment of the industry, Viking Cruises will begin ocean cruising with the 48,000 ton Viking Star. The common wisdom in the industry has been that river cruising and ocean cruising are two different businesses and so none of the major ocean cruise lines has ventured into river cruising. Viking, the most successful of the river cruise lines, will test the common wisdom and demonstrate whether a river cruise line can break into the ocean cruise market.

The drop in the price of oil in the last part of 2014 bodes well for the cruise industry. Fuel is the chief cost of operation for the cruise lines. In addition, with consumers paying less at the pump and to heat their homes, they will have more money to spend on discretionary items like cruise vacations. The only cloud on the horizon would be a collapse of the economy of one of the oil exporting states, which could have an adverse impact on the world economy.

Another unexpected gift this fall was President Obama's overture on normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba. The cruise lines are always looking for new destinations for their expanding fleets and Cuba, 90 miles from Florida, is an ideal location. However, before the cruise ships can start calling there, the lines will have to explore such things as whether the port facilities are adequate to handle modern cruise ships, the ability of the Cuban infrastructure to handle shore excursions and whether it would be safe for passengers to go ashore in Cuba. It may take awhile to get all of the ducks in order and so even if the diplomatic questions are resolved quickly, it may be beyond 2015 before the cruise ships come to Cuba in large numbers.

But with all of this happening, it is an exciting time in the cruise world.

On Beyondships this week, we have a new profile of cruise destination Ocho Rios, Jamaica. http://www.beyondships3.com/ocho-rios-cruise-destination.html This includes a review/photo feature on Ocho Rio's top attraction - - Dunn's River Falls http://www.beyondships3.com/ocho-rios-attractions-dunns-river-falls.html and a review of Prospect Plantation.http://www.beyondships3.com/caribbean-great-houses-4.html We also have a new photo and video feature in which Caribbean Princess disappears and magically reappears. http://www.beyondships2.com/caribbean-princess-rain-sun-shadow.html

Economics and small ship cruising

Last month it was announced that Princess Cruises was selling Ocean Princess to Oceania Cruises. Ocean Princess is a small ship by today's standards, coming in at just over 32,000 gross tons.

Originally, this ship was the R4 of Renaissance Cruises. She was one of eight nearly identical ships. When Renaissance went out of business, the eight ships were scattered and ended up in the fleets of Azamara, Oceania, Princess and P&O Cruises. Interestingly, although the eight ships have different they are still nearly identical.

Azamara and Oceania sell cruises on their ships as luxury crusing. Princess and P&O Cruises characterize their ships as offering the same main stream cruise experience as the rest of the ships in their fleet.

The sale of Ocean Princess is not surprising. It is difficult for a main stream cruise line to offer a small ship experience. The cost per passenger of running a small ship is greater than the cost per passenger of running a large ship because of the economies of scale. It thus follows that if you are charging the same or similar fares as you do for a large ship, you are not going to make as much money. (Bear in mind that the cruise lines are businesses with fiduciary responsibilities to their investors).

A luxury cruise line is able to charge more per ticket. Thus, the additional cost of providing a small ship experience is not as significant an issue.

People often ask me why isn't anyone building small cruise ships anymore? In fact, there are small cruise ships being built. To illustrate, Regent Seven Seas has one on order now and Viking Cruises is building a series of ocean going small cruise ships. Seabourn and other luxury brands have also added new small ships to their fleets in recent years.

The question then becomes why aren't the major cruise lines building any small cruise ships? The answer lies in the same econimcs discussed above. Looked at on a per passenger basis, small ships cost more to build and more to operate because they lack economies of scale. Thus, if you can only charge the same price for a cruise on a small ship as you can for a cruise on a large ship, it does not make sense to invest in building a small ship.

This week on Beyondships, we return to Princess Cays, Princess Cruises' private resort in the Bahamas. Our section on Princess Cays has been re-done http://beyondships.com/Princess-PrincessCays.html and a new video of Princess Cays has been added. http://www.beyondships3.com/princess-cays-6.html

Observations on Norwegian Cruise Line

Continuing our look at the various cruise lines, this week I thought I would talk about Norwegian Cruise Line.

Not all that long ago, Norwegian was in a bad way. The top management had some clever ideas but somehow the line was unable to turn these concepts into reality. As a result, Norwegian developed a reputation for poor service. My observation at that time was that the line had some interesting ships but the people operating the ships were unhappy and so service and execution suffered.

Then Kevin Sheehan became CEO and everything started to turn around. Energetic and charismatic, Sheehan was able to revive employee morale and unleash the pent up talents of management and employees. Whereas no one seemed to care before, now everyone is enthusiastic.

Norwegian is at the forefront of the new model of cruising. Long known for its Freestyle diing concept, the new Norwegian ships - - Epic, Breakaway and Getaway - - not only give passengers good quality options with regard to dining but also with regard to entertainment. Thus, guests have a great amount of freedom to decide how they will spend their time onboard.

There is also a wide variety of accommodations on the Norwegian ships - - again, especially on the newer ships. Cabins range from budget-concious interior cabins to the luxury of the suites located in the exclusive Haven area. The newer ships also led the way in providing cabins for solo travelers at a reasonable rate.

Passengers on Norwegian tend to be middle class. Most are interested in relaxing in the sun, using the sports facilities and in the evening being entertained in the bars, casinos and other entertainment venues. Lectures and cultural activities are not a high priority.

Norwegian is a family-fiendly line with a strong youth program and a large amount of space dedicated to children. Of course, the number of children onboard decreases when school is open.

The line bases its ships on a long term basis in certain home ports. For example, Breakaway and Gem are based all year in New York while Norwegain Dawn spends each summer in Boston. As a result, the ships tend to develop a local following who return to their local ship again and again.

Most of the ships in the Norwegian fleet were built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. This shipayrd is known for its attention to detail and the high quality of the ships that it builds. The Norwegian ships are no exception.

Norwegian is the thrid largest cruise company. Recently, Norwegian purchased Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises. This move makes a lot of business sense as it will allow Norwegain to become a multi-diemnsional cruise conglomerate like its competitors Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. My only concern, however, is whether the new lines will distract Mr. Sheehan from continuing the great work he has done in turning Norwegian around.

This week Beyondships has new photo and video features of Norwegian Gem http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-coming-and-going.html and Norwegain Dawn. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-photo-feature.html

Observations on Princess Cruises

Because I cruise so often, people often ask me which is the best cruise line. I always answer that it depends upon your lifestyle and tastes. Each of the major cruise lines sets out to present a different cruise experience. At the extremes, some seek to present a lively party atmosphere while others seek to present a refined cultural experience. If you want a party experience, you are not going to be happy on a culturally-orientated ship no matter how well the cruise line presents its concerts and lectures.

With that caveat, I thought I would do a series of postings offering some general observations about the various cruise lines. Hopefully, this will give you some indication of whether a particular cruise line is for you.

Recently, I have been cruising on a number of the Princess Cruises ships. Therefore, I thought I would start this series with Princess Cruises.

In the U.K. a few years ago, Princess ran an advertising campaign that characterized the line as “American luxury.” I think that was a good description. To me, the Princess cruise experience is one of relaxed sophistication. It is upmarket but not stuffy.

Based on my observations rather than on any scientific study, people who travel on Princess tend to be educated and what used to be called upper middle class. Their tastes are correspondingly sophisiticated but they also like to relax in the sun by the pools or in the adults-only Sanctuary area. Hairy legs competitions and throw the cruise director in the pool are not for this crowd.

While Americans and Canadians dominate, there is usually a good mix of nationalities with the U.K. well-represented.

The passengers range in age from young families to retired people. Of course, the mix of ages depends upon the time of year (less children when school is in session) and the itinerary (some routes attract a more mature crowd). As is true throughout the industry, the average age goes up along with the length of the voyage.

I often meet experienced cruisers on Princess ships. The line has a very strong loyalty program and a devoted following. But, I find that experienced cruisers who travel on Princess also seem to like Celebrity Cruises.

Inside, the public spaces of the Princess ships are eye-catching but at the same time they avoid being glitzy or garish. The interiors of the two latest Princess ships, Royal Princess and Regal Princess, are spectacular. Over several ships, Princess' interior designer Teresa Anderson developed an elegant signature style for Princess. Beacuse the line's new ships are so much bigger than the other ships in the Princess fleet, the designers were able to combine space with the traditional Princess style making for a grand result.

I have always found the food on the Princess ships to be to my taste. This is particularly true of the line's Italian offerings. Early on, Princess merged with the Italian cruise line Sitmar and that Italian heritage is still reflected in the culinary operations on the Princess ships. The Alfredo's Pizzerias serve the best gourmet pizza at sea - - and it is complimentary.

An important part of Beyondships is our interviews with the people who operate the various cruise ships. I have been impressed with the captains, hotel managers, maitre d's and cruise directors who I have interviewed at Princess. The people that I have met have been intelligent and able to see the big picture. I believe that this benefits the passengers through increased innovation and efficiency.

They also seem able to motivate the crews to provide good service. Princess calls itself the consumate host and my experience has been that the crew understand that they should act like the passengers are guests, not just customers. Of course, in any business you have some people who just don't get it but overall the morale and therefore the service level is quite high on Princess.

Overall, Princess is a very strong cruise line.

This week on Beyondships, we have an update on Royal Princess. We have a new photo http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-photo-feature.html and video feature showing the ship in various ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-video.html There is an interview with Hotel General Manager Martin Bristow. http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-hotel-manager-ii.html We also review the Crab Shack dining event http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-crab-shack.html and the Gelatto ice cream parlor. http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-gelato.html

More and more cruise ships; Seven Seas Navigator and Voyager

 Recently, Carnival Corporation issued a press release pointing out that by 2016, it will have increased the capacity of its fleet by 10 percent. Considering that there are over 100 ships sailing for the various Carnival brands, this will be a considerable achievement. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean is building a sister to Quantum of the Seas and a third Oasis class ship. Not to be left out, Norwegian Cruise Line is building a series of ships that will be a bigger version of its revolutionary Breakaway class.

Back in the last decade, many in the cruise industry thought that the boom in cruise ship construction would eventually end and the various lines would use the ships that they had built to serve the market for 20 to 40 years. However, during the boom, the public became addicted to new ships. I have heard passengers describe five year old ships as old. Passengers want new ships. Also, as new cruising concepts are conceived, there is a need to create new platforms to implement them. Thus, the industry is forced to build more ships.

The question then becomes what are you going to do with all these ships? They are built to last 40 years or longer and so this is not a case of the new ships replacing ships that are no longer fit for service.

Traditionally in the cruise industry, when a cruise ship started to become long in the tooth and no longer capable of attracting passengers in the primary cruise market (i.e. North America), it was moved to the secondary market (i.e., Europe or Australia). When it became to old to be viable in the secondary market, it became a gambling ship in Asia.

The traditional hierarchy of markets, however, no longer exists. As the popularity of cruises has developed in Europe, Australia and Asia, those parts of the globe have become primary markets. Consequently, you see more and more first tier cruise ships deployed to those markets. The deployment of the new Quantum of the Seas to China is but one example.

Thus, the industry has to count on the continued growth of cruising to absorb all of the ships. In addition, to attract guests, the ships are going places and doing things that were never envisioned when cruising was confined to the Caribbean. And speaking of the Caribbean, the change in the quality and quantity of the attractions and things to do in the popular cruise ports over the last decade has been amazing. A Caribbean cruise is not like it used to be.

Furthermore, the cruise line's existing ships have to be continually upgraded to remain viable. For example, after Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas entered service, Royal Caribbean undertook a fleet-wide revitalization program to bring some of the popular features of those revolutionary ships to the rest of its fleet. Along the same lines, Carnival so extensively re-did Carnival Destiny to create a platform for Fun Ship 2.0 that they re-named the ship (Carnival Sunshine).

All of this new building seems to be great for consumers. You have new ships and revitalized ships with new offerings. Ships are going to new places. There is more to do in traditional cruise ports as the desire to attract cruise dollars feeds development. Also, unless the laws of economics have been suspended, increased capacity (supply) should place downward pressure on prices.

On Beyondships this week we look at two ships of luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises. We have a new mini-profile of Seven Seas Voyager http://www.beyondships2.com/seven-seas-voyager-mini-profile.html. And we have expanded our coverage of Seven Seas Navigator with a new photo feature http://www.beyondships2.com/seven-seas-navigator-photos.html and videos showing the ship in The Bahamas http://www.beyondships2.com/seven-seas-navigator-video.html and in Canada. http://www.beyondships2.com/seven-seas-navigator-video-2.html

Quantum of the Seas and the Revolution in Cruising

Quantum of the Seas is part of a revolution in cruising. For more than a decade, the watchword in the cruise industry has been “choice.” All of the lines have wanted to give guests more options with regard to what to do while aboard their ships. But, for the most part, the new options brought forward just embroidered the traditional model of cruising. Then, about five years ago, ships started to enter service that offered a new model of cruising with real choice. Quantum carries that model to a new level.

Under the traditional model of cruising, an evening on a cruise ship revolved around the two seatings in the dining room and the two shows in the ship's theater. There was not much choice. Each guest was assigned to one of the seatings for dinner and, as a practical matter, that dictated which of the two shows in the theater you attended. The evening was pretty well mapped out. Yes, you could sit in one of the bars and listen to the piano player instead of going to the show but the majority of the passengers went to the show in the theater after dinner.

Norwegian Cruise Line broke with the traditional model when it introduced Freestyle dining. Guests were no longer assigned a dining time or a table in the main dining room but could dine when and where they liked. Most of the other cruise lines followed suit with their own versions of flexible dining. Still, because the main entertainment offering onboard was the two shows in the ship's theater, your dining time had to be scheduled around the show times. Thus, the choices as to when and what to do were still somewhat limited.

Then, in late 2009, Royal Caribbean introduced Oasis of the Seas and a few months later Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Norwegian Epic. These two ships broke completely with the traditional model of cruising. They offered not only choice in dining but also choice in entertainment. The shows in the theater were no longer the only high quality entertainment option. Thus, under this new model of cruising, guests had real freedom to plan their evenings aboard ship.

Royal Caribbean subsequently refined its version of the new model with Allure of the Seas while Norwegian refined its version with Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.

With Quantum, Royal has taken the new model even further. It has eliminated the main dining room altogether. In its place are five complimentary restaurants each with a different theme and menu. This is in addition to seven specialty restaurants where there is a cover charge. Thus, it is no longer a choice between dining in a general restaurant (i.e. a main dining room) or going to a specialty restaurant. In effect, the choice is now between an array of specialized restaurants some of which have a cover charge and some of which are complimentary. As a result, Quantum presents guests with a better set of choices.

Of course, there are practical limitations on this freedom of choice. If a couple of thousand people decide they want Asian food at 7 o'clock and descend upon a venue that has capacity for a few hundred, someone is not going to get what they wanted. To guard against such possibilities the lines that have implemented the new model of cruising encourage guests to make dining reservations just like they would on land. Some guests feel that this is an imposition on their freedom of choice but most appear to accept it.

It is disappointing that Quantum will only be based in the Port of New York – New Jersey for one brief season. Originally, Quantum was going to be Royal Caribbean's New York ship, replacing Explorer of the Seas in that role. But then Royal decided to commit the ship to developing the Chinese market and so Quantum will be leaving in the Spring 2015.

The reason this is disappointing is that another new model cruise ship is based in New York - - Norwegian Breakaway. Thus, Quantum and Breakaway would have been competing on a long term basis. It could only have been good for cruisers to have these two innovative cruise lines go head-to-head with their first tier ships. But then Quantum's sister, Anthem of the Seas, is scheduled to take up residence in this port in the Fall 2015 so perhaps the grand contest will take place afterall.

This week in Beyondships, we have a new profile section on Quantum of the Seas. http://beyondships.com/RCI-Quantum-Profile.html This includes a nine page photo tour and commentary, which takes you through the public rooms and open decks. http://beyondships.com/RCI-Quantum-Tour-1.html

Quantum of the Seas First Impressions

 This week I had the opportunity to go aboard Royal Caribbean's new ship Quantum of the Seas. My reaction was that this is a bold and complex ship.

Quantum is bold because she is such a departure from previous Royal Caribbean ships. Royal is a very popular cruise line and the safe course for a business that is on a winning streak is to just keep doing what it has been doing in the past. But Royal has never been one for playing it safe. Just consider the giant investment it made in the Oasis class ships which were a significant departure from what Royal had done with the popular Freedom and Voyage class ships.

With Quantum, Royal has gone even further, jettisoning such popular signature features as the Viking Crown Lounge, the Royal Promenade, the ice skating rink and even the main dining room. Other popular features including the rock climbing wall and Johnny Rockets are different than on earlier ships. In place of the old are new features and new concepts, which Royal is betting will interest customers even more.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how there are at least three versions of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience, which roughly correspond to the various classes of ships in the Royal fleet. Because Quantum is so different than her predecessors, there is now a fourth version of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience. This comes in an industry, where in the name of branding, most of the cruise lines are attempting to make their fleets as homogenous as possible. As someone who believes that ships should be different from one another, I find Royal's approach much to my liking.

Quantum is complex because she has a multi-facted personality. Features such as bumper cars and the sky diving simulator may give the impression that this is a frivolous ship, just a floating amusement park. The giant red bear on the port side of the ship also appears to convey this impression as it looks like an even bigger version of the big red dinosaur in the children's playground on Norwegian Dawn.

However, when you go inside the ship, you find that the public areas are sleek and sophisticated. They have the atmosphere of Celebrity Cruises' Solstice class ships (see, e.g., Celebrity Eclipse). Decidedly up-market with stores such as Cartier and Bvlgari and elegant dining rooms to host Royal's new Dynamic Dining concept, there is nothing frivolous here.

Even the giant bear turns out not to be part of a playground but rather a work of art by British sculptor Lawrence Argent. The concept is that by making a polar bear 30 feet high and coloring it magenta, an intimidating creature is transformed into something whimsical. Apparently overlooked is the fact that a giant red bear has a rather intimidating symbolism to those who remember the not-so-good old days of the Soviet Union. In any event, the bear grows on you after awhile.

Thus, Quantum's personality has an element of whimsy and playfulness but primarily it is an intelligent and serious ship. She can casual and she can be elegant. For example, her complimentary dining venues and her specialty restaurants offer a range of food extending from hot dogs to healthy choices to grand fine dining. The entertainment offerings are similarly broad. Throughout the ship is the quality and attention to detail that I have come to expect in ships built by Meyer Werft.

Overall, I was quite impressed by Quantum. Whether this view will be shared by long-time Royal Caribbean fans remains to be seen as the ship is so different than what has gone before. I tend to think they will like it. However, those fans in Royal's home market will only have a short opportunity to see for themselves since when Spring comes the ship is off to blaze a new trail in China.

This week Beyondships begins its coverage of Quantum with four items: a video showing the ship sailing from the Port of New York-New Jersey http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-video.html ; a review of the North Star experience on Quantum http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-north-star.html ; a Quantum of the Seas menus page with menus from some of the dining venues on Quantum http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-menus.html ; and a Quantum of the Seas deck plans page http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-deck-plans.html. More about Quantum next week.

The naming of Regal Princess and Costa Diadema

It has been a good week for the cruise industry.

On Wednesday, Princess Cruises officially named its new ship Regal Princess. The ship has been in service in Europe for a couple of months now but Princess held off on the official naming ceremony until she came to the United States to begin her season in the Caribbean. The line wanted to use the event to kick off the celebration of its 50^th anniversary in business.

For this event, Princess assembled the cast of the original Love Boat television series to act as the god parents of Regal Princess. That show is credited with kindling the general public's appetite for cruising. Princess Cruises had the foresight to let the television producers use its ships and its name in the series. (In the show, the ship was always called the Pacific Princess but both the original Pacific Princess and the original Island Princess were used in the filming). Thus, Princess has the right to bask in the glory and popularity of the series.

The ship itself is the sister to RoyalPrincess, which entered service last year. She is a big ship at 141,000 gross tons and along with her sister, the biggest cruise ships in the Carnival Corporation fleet. (Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is bigger but she is an ocean liner, not a cruise ship). More of an evolution than a revolution, the Royal Princess class ships give the line more space to present the cruise experience that it has developed so well on its smaller ships.

On Friday, Costa Cruises officially named its new ship, the Costa Diadema in Genoa, Italy. The line's headquarters are in Genoa and it celebrated with fire works and a light show.

For some time now, Costa and Carnival Cruise Lines have been using the same designs and the same shipyards for their ships. This ship is based on the same design as Carnival's popular Dream-class ships and like the Carnival ships, Diadema was built in Italy by Fincantierri. At 132,000 gross tons she is just a touch bigger than her Carnival sisters.

Interestingly, the interior of Diadema was designed by Joe Farcus who for many years designed the fantasy-land interiors of the Carnival ships. Carnival switched to a German firm for the more contemporary designs of Carnival Breeze and Carnival Sunshine. Thus, you now have a situation where the interiors of ships that are primarily intended for the European market are designed by an American and ships that primarily serve the American market are designed by Europeans. It has truly become an international industry.

I was glad to learn that Costa had this celebration for Costa Diadema. Costa is a venerable name in the cruise industry. Its reputation, of course, was injured by the Costa Concordia tragedy even though, from all that I have read, the accident appears to have been due to human error. Hopefully, the celebration this week also marks a new beginning for Costa.

Meanwhile, the widely-anticipated Quantum of the Seas embarked on her maiden transatlantic crossing from Southampton to the port of New York/New Jersey.

Thus, this week saw important milestones in the lives of three new cruise ships.

On Beyondships this week, we have a new section on the mansions that are the most popular attraction in cruise destination Newport Rhode Island. http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-newport-attractions---mansions.html This includes an in-depth review of a shoe excursion to Rough Point, the mansion of heiress Doris Duke. http://www.beyondships3.com/newport---rough-point.html In addition, we have a new photo and video feature on Holland America Line's Eurodam. http://www.beyondships2.com/eurodam-boston-photos.html

Photos: Love Boat cast - courtesy of Princess Cruises; Costa Diadema - - courtesy of Costa Cruises.

The three (or more) versions of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience

 I recently had a note from someone who said that he was considering going on Royal Caribbean International's new ship Quantum of the Seas and since I have sailed with Royal quite often, he wanted to get my insights into the cruise experience on the Royal Caribbean ships. Although this was a seemingly straightforward question, it was difficult to answer because there is more than one Royal Caribbean cruise experience. In fact, there are presently at least three types of cruise experience offered that roughly correspond to the various classes of ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

At the outset, I should say that there are a number of things that are done throughout the fleet. Thus, you always know when you are sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship. For example, the daily program is the Cruise Compass, the children's program is Adventure Ocean, and the loyalty program is the Crown and Anchor Society.  They all have a Viking Crown Lounge.  But just as both rural Mississippi and urban New York City are both part of the United States, life can be much different depending upon which class of Royal Caribbean ship you are cruising on.

The Radiance (ex. Radiance of the Seas ) and Vision (ex. Vision of the Seas) class ships are medium size cruise ships ranging from approximately 75,000 gross tons to 90,000 gross tons and carrying 2,000 to 2,500 passengers. The cruise experience on these ships is more of a classic cruise experience that is favored with a high percentage of adult passengers. Although the recent fleet-wide revitalization program, the Royal Advantage, has given these ships more specialty restaurants and a number of other features, their size does not permit them to have all of the features of the larger Royal Caribbean ships. Consequently, the emphasis tends to be on friendly and personalized service. In addition, the ships, especially the four Radiance class ships, tend to go to a wider range of ports than their larger fleetmates.

The eight Freedom (ex. Freedom of the Seas ) and Voyager (ex. Explorer of the Seas) class ships are cities at sea. Indeed, the Royal Promenade that runs down the center line of these ships is essentially a main street with shops, bars and restaurants. On the open decks, there are two large pool areas and on the Freedom class, a kids' aqua park and surfing simulators. Both classes also have ice skating arenas. Thus, there are lots of things to do. Of course, the Freedom class ships are nearly twice the size of the Vision class ships and carry up to 4,375 passengers. So the cruise experience is not as personalized as on the smaller ships. In general, the cruise experience on these ships tends to be a more active experience with a high proportion of families as passengers.

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas offer yet another cruise experience. These giants are not merely bigger versions of the Freedom class ships, they are a new model of cruising. Traditionally, an evening on a cruise ship revolved around the two seatings in the main dining room and the two performances in the ship's theater. Even the advent of flexible dining did not change the model significantly because the only real entertainment offerings were, as a practical matter, the two shows in the theater. With Oasis and Allure, you not only have quality dining alternatives but quality entertainment alternatives.

People who have not cruised on Oasis or Allure often express concern to me about the number of passengers on the Oasis class (6,300). However, the boarding and disembarkation goes amazingly quickly and the passenger flow on these ships is so well managed that long lines are a rare exception. Indeed, I have been generally impressed by the sophisticated management of these ships.

The new Quantum class, which is just going into service this week with Quantum of the Seas, may offer yet another version of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience. A little larger than the Freedom class ships, one might expect Quantum to be a bigger version of that model of cruising. However, she has no ice rink nor a traditional Royal Promenade. Nor is she a miniature Oasis. Instead, she has new entertainment venues and a new dining system, which replaces the main dining room with five themed, complimentary restaurants. Thus, Quantum promises yet another version of Royal Caribbean.

I like the fact that Royal offers more than one type of cruise experience. It provides variety. If the experience were the same throughout the fleet, it would be as dull as traveling on an airliner or having dinner every night at the same chain food restaurant where everything is homogeneous. Also, not everyone likes the same thing and so by offering a variety of cruise experiences Royal Caribbean appeals to a wider audience.

On Beyondships this week, we have a new destination guide to cruise port Boston. http://beyondships.com/Ports-Boston.html In addition to looking at the port http://www.beyondships3.com/boston-cruise-port.html, we walk the Freedom Trail http://www.beyondships3.com/boston-freedom-trail.html , take a look at USS Constitution http://www.beyondships3.com/uss-constitution.html and take shore excursions to Fenway Park http://www.beyondships3.com/visiting-bostons-fenway-park.html and to neighboring Salem, Massachusetts http://www.beyondships3.com/visiting-salem.html

Norwegian Dawn update - photos, menus, Hotel Director interview

Recently, I was aboard Norwegian Dawn. Although it seems like I am always running into Norwegian Dawn in various ports of call, I had not been aboard her for several years. Thus, I was anxious to see how the ship had changed.

During this period, Norwegian has been a cruise line on the move. Since Kevin Sheehan took over as CEO, there has been a marked improvement in the line. He seems to have been able to release the talent of both Norwegian's head office and the crews on the ships. Therefore, I was interested in seeing not just any physical changes but also how the revolution had affected the Dawn,

As for physical changes, there have been several. The area that was the observation lounge has been turned into suites and a conference center. Keeping the name of the old observation lounge, a new Spinnaker Lounge has taken the place of the department store that was at the stern of the ship aft of the main lobby. The shops have been moved forward and can now be found in the area corresponding to the shops on Norwegian Gem. Another change is that the Moderno Churascarria South American steakhouse has replaced the Tex/Mex Salsa specialty restaurant.

More changes are to come. Moderno will be moving up to an area near Cagney's steakhouse and the entire mezzanine overlooking the lobby will become an O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill.

Beyond these physical changes, the officers and crew seem to share the optimistic spirit that you find on other Norwegian ships these days. Once Norwegian's New York-based ship, Dawn is quite content with her new home in Boston and is looking forward to wintering in New Orleans.

We have updated Beyondships's Norwegian Dawn profile. The photo tour has been expanded and numerous new photos of the interior added. We have added a new menus page including examples of the new menus being used in the main dining room of which Norwegian is quite proud. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-menus.html There is also a new daily programs page with copies of Freestyle Dailies from past cruises. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-daily-programs.html Copies of the current deck plans have been added. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-deck-plans.html Hotel Director Alain Magnier talks about what the Dawn is all about these days. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-hd-interview.html

In addition, we have a new photo feature showing Dawn in Bermuda http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-photos.html and a video of Dawn heading out to sea. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-dawn-video.html

Portland England cruise port; Dorset attractions; Celebrity Reflection

 Portland is a cruise port of call that has been gaining attention over the last few years. Once a Royal Navy base, there is plenty of room for large ships to maneuver and dock. It is also located in a desirable spot on the southwest coast of England in Dorset, not too far from attractions like Bath and Stonehenge. With Southampton so much in demand by ships seeking to originate and or terminate cruises, Portland is a good alternative for ships seeking to make an in-transit port call.

While the cruise lines place emphasis on the proximity of internationally famous sites such as Stonehenge, there are worthwhile things to see in Dorset itself. There is for example, the beautiful rural countryside that so inspired the novelist Thomas Hardy. The chalk cliffs of the Jurassic Coast have a natural splendor of a different sort. Then there is the mysterious carving of the giant of Cerne.

One excursion I particularly enjoyed was to Minterne House, a large Elizabethan-style manor house. The home of the Digby family, it is set on 1,300 acres of stunning parkland. The house itself is not usually open to the public but the family did open its doors for our shore excursion group. Lord Digby greeted us and told us the story of the house and his family. Then we were allowed to explore the grand rooms on the lower level of the house.

During the tour, it was mentioned that one of the creators of the popular television series Downton Abbey lives nearby and has been a guest at Minterne. Could he have been inspired by those visits. Certainly, the story of the Digbys has a dramatic appeal. Lord Digny's sister was Pamela Hariman and she grew up at Minterne.

Accordingly, this week on Beyondships, we have a profile of the Portland cruise port http://www.beyondships3.com/portland-england-cruise-port.html ; a photo feature of some of the nearby attractions http://www.beyondships3.com/dorset-england.html and a feature on visiting Minterne complete with a slideshow http://www.beyondships3.com/minterne-house-england.html .

In addition, we have a feature showing Celebrity Reflection going to sea. It includes both still photos http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-photo.html and a video http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-reflection-video-2.html .

SS United States Profile; Adventure of the Seas interviews

 Last weekend, I had the great good fortune to go aboard the SS United States. It is a ship that I have read about for years as she is indisputably one of the great ships of history. Indeed, I have a painting of her over my desk along with the great French ocean liner Normandie. Inasmuch as the ship is rarely open to the public, it was a privilege to go aboard.

The SS United States is the fastest ocean liner ever built, a title she has held since 1952. No ocean liner or cruise ship before or since has come close to her top speed of nearly 40 knots. She is widely considered the height of American shipbuilding.

During her 17 years in service, the SS United States was a popular ship, carrying royalty, statesmen and celebrities across the Atlantic along with thousands of tourists. Bill Clinton, on his way to study at Oxford University, was one of them. She was a more down-to-earth and informal ship than the Cunard Queens or the French Line ships that were her main competitors.

The SS United States was a very American ship. As her confident, flowing lines and technological prowess suggest, she personified the spirit of America in the post war era.

She was built, not just for commercial reasons, but also for national defense. In fact, the United States government contributed the bulk of the $79 million needed to construct her in the early 1950s. The idea was that the ship could be quickly converted into a troopship capable of carrying 15,000 soldiers across the Atlantic in four days. The fact that the United States could quickly reinforce the NATO troops stationed in Western Europe with large numbers of soldiers acted as a deterrent to any notion that the Soviet Union may have had to invade Western Europe with conventional forces.

The SS United States was prematurely retired in late 1969. Commercial jet travel had arrived and demand for Atlantic crossings by ship was declining. At the same time, labor costs and fuel costs were increasing. Essentially, her owners, the United States Lines, took the ship down to Virginia and gave her to the government.

Once it was decided that the SS United States was no longer of military value, the government sold her to private interests. Then began came a succession of owners who had various grand schemes to put the ship back in service. Fortunes were spent on these dreams but none ever came to fruition.

During one of these episodes the ship was moved from Virginia to Turkey, then the Ukraine, and then back to the United States. She has been in Philadelphia since 1996.

Despite all the money that has been spent on her, the ship looks quite pathetic. She has not been painted in years, her deck machinery is rusting and there is even grass growing where some of the lifeboats once stood. Her interior is empty, stripped down to the metal. Her first owners sold off all of the moveable contents. Then when she was in the Ukraine, her interior walls were removed in order to remove the asbestos that was used to fireproof everything in the 1950s.

Her blemishes, however, are only cosmetic. Surveys have shown that the ship is still structurally sound. In addition, her vast expanse of interior space appears to be full of potential for development.

Finding someone that will realize that potential is the goal of the SS United States Conservancy. It has been talking with real estate developers and government agencies in an effort to preserve the ship. While there is hope for a new future, time is fleeting. It costs some $60,000 a month just to maintain the ship where she is and the Conservancy does not have unlimited resources. Once its money runs out, the SS United States will probably go to the scrapyard.

What a shame that would be! The SS United States is not only an important part of maritime history but is a symbol of the United States. Future generations will condemn us for our stupidity if we let her go. This is especially so considering her potential for future use. The Tate Modern in London, the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and the High Line in New York City are examples of how new uses can be found for old historic structures once they are no longer needed for their original purpose.

I have added an SS United States section to Beyondships with information and photos about the ship. http://beyondships.com/SSUS-home.html It includes a feature article outlining the story of the SS United States. http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-story.html There is also a photo feature showing the interior of the ship from my visit to the SS United States. http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-visit.html Also, we have a video showing the fine proud lines of the exterior of the SS United States. http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-video.html

Also on Beyondships this week is Part Two of our update on Adventure of the Seas. It includes an interview in which the captain, the hotel director and the guest services manager discuss what the cruise experience on Adventure is like. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-101.html In another interview, Hotel Director Gary Davies talks about the recent changes made to Adventure of the Seas and those planned for 2016. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-evolves.html Finally, Captain Olle-Johan Gronhaug explains what is happening when you see a cruise ship's lifeboats being launched while the ship is in port. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-boat-drill.html

Adventure of the Seas review and photos

This week the focus is on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. In April, Adventure underwent a refit, which added several new features to the ship. Thus, it is an appropriate time to take another look at Adventure. To this end, we recently did a transatlantic crossing on her followed by a short European cruise.

Adventure is a Voyager class cruise ship. In fact she was the third ship built in that class, entering service just after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Accordingly, she was named in New York by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and her god parents are six New York City firefighters and policemen.

Despite her New York City connection, Adventure is not Royal Caribbean's New York ship. (Somewhat oddly, her sister ship Explorer of the Seas was given that role when RCI decided to base a ship in New York harbor year-round). Instead, she has spent most of her time in the Caribbean sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The last few years, however, Adventure has been spending her summers in Southampton, England, sailing to the Mediterranean, the Canaries, the British Isles, Northern Europe and Scandinavia. She is doing that this summer but plans for 2015 call for her to revert back to year-round San Juan sailings.

Adventure is a very big cruise ship. At 137,000 gross tons, she is no longer the biggest cruise ship but she is still bigger than the vast majority of ships. Her size allows her to have many features including some that are not at all traditional on passenger ships. These include a pedestrian mall, lined with shops, bars and a cafe, running a considerable length down the ship's center line and a large ice skating arena. These are both used as entertainment venues as well so that there is more to an evening on Adventure than what is going on in the theater and the casino.

Normally, in the Caribbean, Adventure's passenger list is dominated by young families. However, on the two week long transatlantic crossing, there were few children. This left the ship's facilities almost entirely to her adult passengers. As a result, the adults had lots of choices and lots of space to indulge themselves in.

The crossing was not a straight run from Miami to Southampton. Rather, the ship took her time going across with Caribbean stops in Nassau, San Juan and St. Maarten to start the voyage and a stops mid-way across the Atlantic in the Azores. Thus, there were elements of a Caribbean cruise and a European cruise in this crossing. But most of it was long, lazy sea days, which makes these types of voyages so popular with experienced cruisers.

The weather going across was fine. Adventure took the southern route across, which tends to have better weather than the more northerly, traditional ocean liner route. The only grey skies were after the ship left the Azores and was skirting the Bay of Biscay.

For her European cruise, Adventure had a mix of sun and rain. Sun in Zeebrugge, Belgium and rain in Le Harve. Whereas on the crossing, there had been many British passengers, many of whom were going home after wintering in Florida, the vast majority of passengers on this cruise were British. There were more children than on the crossing but still not many as the schools were still open.

I used to find Royal Caribbean's success with the British public somewhat surprising. Royal provides an excellent cruise experience with nice ships, friendly service and quality choices in entertainment and dining. However, it is very much an American-style product, bold, informal and sometimes flashy. I have since come to the conclusion that this experience is successful with the British precisely because it is not British. Just going on one of the RCI ships is like going abroad, a break from the everyday routine.

The cruise was a different experience than the crossing. In Europe, the ports play a much more significant role as there is such a variety of things to see and do in the ports.

The new additions to Adventure include a giant video screen overlooking the pool, flat screen televisions in the passenger cabins, a new lounge for Diamond-level members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program and interactive electronic signage in the public rooms telling you such things as what is happening aboard and how to get from where you are to where you want to be. The Portofino specialty restaurant has become Giovanni's Table. These additions are only some of the features that will be added to the ship in the next few years under the line's Royal Advantage program, which is bringing features from the Oasis class ships to the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet.

I was pleased to see that the ship is being well-maintained. In fact, new carpeting was being installed unobtrusively as we sailed.

We have updated the Adventure of the Seas section on Beyondships. http://beyondships.com/AOS-Profile.html The photo tour of the ship has been updated to include the new features and expanded with more photos of the ship's interior and open decks. http://www.beyondships.com/AOS-tour.html There is a new menus page with menus from the main dining room and specialty restaurants. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-menus.html We've added a daily programs page with examples of the Cruise Compass from past cruises and of other informational materials distributed aboard Adventure. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-daily-programs.html There is a new deck plans page. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-deck-plans.html Finally, we have a new photo feature with exterior photos of Adventure in eight different ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-photos.html

Bermuda's Horseshoe Bay, Royal Princess, Celebrity Constellation

 I've just returned from Bermuda where I was again struck by the beauty of the island's South Shore beaches. These lie in a line along the south west coast and have the island's patented pale pink sand. The waters that lap upon the beaches are turquoise in color. To add some drama, there are periodic rock outcroppings that rise up vertically from the water and/or sand.

The most popular and best known of the South Shore beaches is Horseshoe Bay. It is quite large and has the most facilities of this group of beaches including a place to snack and a place to rent umbrellas and beach chairs.

Horseshoe Bay is not far from the Royal Naval Dockyard where essentially all the cruise ships dock these days. The cruise lines offer transfers to Horseshoe Bay. However, there are a number of other alternatives. Therefore, I've put together an article with some information about how to get to Horseshoe Bay. It is posted at http://www.beyondships3.com/getting-to-horseshoe-bay.html

While Horseshoe Bay is the most popular of the beaches, some of the neighboring beaches are even prettier. Chaplin's Bay, Stonehole Bay, Jobson's Cove and Warwick Long Bay have the pink sand, the dramatic rock formations and the added advantage of being more secluded. They are linked together by a sand trail that I've walked many times. I've put together a video showing some of the vistas along the way. http://www.beyondships3.com/bermudas-south-shore-beaches.html

Last Friday was the first anniversary of the naming of Princess Cruises' Royal Princess by the Duchess of Cambridge. Accordingly, in honor of Royal Princess' first birthday, we present a photo feature showing the ship in St. Maarten and in Southampton during her recent eastbound transatlantic crossing. http://www.beyondships2.com/royal-princess-photo-feature.html

We also have a photo feature and video showing Celebrity Constellation leaving Fort Lauderdale and sailing out at sea. The photo feature is at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-constellation-photos.html and the video is at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-constellation-video.html

Norwegian Cruise Line Private Island Great Stirrup Cay; Costa Luminosa

Norwegian Cruise Line's private island Great Stirrup Cay has been undergoing a dramatic transformation. Located in the Bahamas, GSC was the first island to be purchased by a cruise line.

Over the years, Norwegian did not do very much to develop the property. As a result, a call at GSC was something of a castaway experience. Guests landed on the island's only beach on landing craft military-style. There were a few wooden huts that housed a bar and a dining pavilion. There wasn't much there but it was usually a fun day.

Since 2010, Norwegian has invested more than $30 million in GSC. There is now a harbor where the tenders land. The original beach has been significantly improved and there are now three more new beaches with fluffy white sand. New concrete buildings contain bars, a snorkel shop, and a Bahamian market. Another building houses the dining facility and several neighboring pavilions are equipped with picnic tables for having lunch. There is also a pavilion where guests can wait out of the sun before boarding tenders back to the ship. The developed area has been landscaped with palm trees and lawn.

The transformation continues. Construction work is taking place on the other side of the island and at the edge of the developed area. Indeed, it is difficult to keep up with all of the improvements, the island changes so fast.

Our updated and expanded photo tour of Great Stirrup Cay begins at http://beyondships.com/NCL-GreatStirrupCay.html

Also, this week, we have added a new mini-profile of Costa Cruises' Costa Luminosa. http://www.beyondships2.com/costa-luminosa-mini-profile.html This goes along with a photo essay showing Costa Luminosa in various ports. http://www.beyondships2.com/costa-luminosa-photos.html

Norwegian Getaway - Captain, Hotel Director, Cake Boss, Artist and Restaurant Review

 This week we present a series of inside views of Norwegian Getaway by people connected to the ship. While a cruise ship's facilities are certainly an important part of the cruise experience, the people who work aboard give the ship its soul. So one of the ways Beyondships seeks to give a feel for the various cruise ships it covers is by presenting interviews with the people who run the ships.

Captain Tommy Stensrud is an experienced mariner who is in overall command of Norwegian Getaway. So we turned to him for an assessment of the nautical qualities of Getaway as well as the big picture view of what the ship is all about. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-captain.html

Hotel Director Sean Wurmhoeringer is in charge of everything that directly impacts the cruise experience including the food, the beverages, the entertainment and the accommodations. He is a veteran hotelier who has brought many cruise ships into service. We spoke with him about the process of breathing life into the ship as she entered service. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-hd.html

Artist David LEBO Le Batard painted the lively hull art that adorns Getaway. He speaks about the concepts that underlie his painting. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-lebo.html

Viewers of the popular television show “Cake Boss” are familiar with master baker Buddy Valastro. Mr. Valastro talks about his relationship with Norwegian Cruise Line and about opening a branch of Carlo's Bakery at sea. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-valastro.html

Another interview that we did on Getaway was with Norwegian's CEO Kevin Sheehan. While not specific to Getaway, Mr. Sheehan's remarks about Norwegian Cruise Line place its latest ship in perspective. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-ceo-kevin-sheehan.html

Finally, we have a review of Le Bistro specialty restaurant on Getaway. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-le-bistro-review.html

Norwegian Getaway Profile and Photo Tour

We have added a profile of Norwegian Getaway to Beyondships.

Norwegian Getaway is Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ship. Like her sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, she is a very big ship - - 146,000 gross tons. However, more importantly, she is part of the new breed of cruise ships. Traditionally, an evening on a cruise ship revolved around dinner in the main dining room and a show in the ship's theater. The new breed give guests several quality alternatives, not only in where and when to eat but also a variety of entertainment options. As a result, the guests have much more freedom to decide how to spend their evenings than before.

Physically, Getaway is very similar to Breakaway. Indeed, the only structural difference I noticed was that the courtyard in the Haven area does not have a retractable roof like it does on the Breakaway. However, there have been several changes in the line-up of public rooms. Chief among these is the Illusionarium, a dinner theater where guests are awed by a series of magicians and mentalists whose appearances are connected by a light-hearted storyline. There is also the Grammy Experience, where Grammy-nominated artists give live performances.

Most of the differences between Breakaway and Getaway relate to the fact that Breakaway is intended to reflect her homeport of New York City while Getaway is designed to capture the spirit of Miami. Getaway has a Latin theme that appears in menu items, drinks and in the entertainment. Indeed, Getaway's version of the Burn the Floor dance show is set in Old San Juan.

This does not mean that Getaway will only appeal to people with a Latin background. For the most part, Getaway offers the Norwegian cruise experience. It has the signature dining venues, Le Bistro, Cagney's Steakhouse, La Cucina Italian restaurant, and Ocean Blue seafood restaurant. Freestyle Cruising is still the name of the game. It just has a Latin overlay to it. Consequently, Getaway will appeal to all Norwegian fans.

Like Breakaway, Getaway was built by Meyer Werft. Once again, the German shipyard has delivered a quality product.

The profile page for Norwegian Getaway is at http://beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway.html . Our photo tour of the interior, public areas and accommodations on Getaway starts at http://beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway-Tour-1.html

In addition, the profile includes menus from Getaway's restaurants. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-menus.html There are copies of her deck plans. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-deck-plans.html And a selection of Freestyle Dalies (daily programs) and other information distributed onboard Getaway. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-daily-programs.html

Next week, we get an inside look at Getaway from her captain and other people connected with the ship.

Revolutionary dining for Quantum of the Seas; Majesty of the Seas photos

Adam Goldstein, CEO and President of Royal Caribbean International, unveils Dynamic Dining

 Last week Royal Caribbean unveiled a revolutionary new dining system for its Quantum class ships - - the forthcoming Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and a ship to be named later. The presentation quite impressed me because the new system, which Royal Caribbean is calling “Dynamic Dining” is so different than what anyone - - including Royal Caribbean - - are presently doing.

Traditionally, cruise ship passengers were assigned to a specific table in the ship's main dining room for their meals. On larger ships where the main dining room could not accommodate all of the passengers at the same time, each passenger was assigned to either the early or the late seating.

In the 1990s, this began to change as ships developed buffet restaurants that became a viable alternative for breakfast and lunch. However, for dinner, passengers continued to be assigned to a specific table at one of the two seatings on most ships. Some ships began to add a specialty restaurant where you could dine for an extra charge.

Early this century, Norwegian Cruise Line developed Freestyle dining. Its ships have more than one main dining room plus an array of specialty restaurants. Guests could eat in any of the main dining rooms or in any of the specialty restaurants when they wanted. No assigned tables, no assigned dining times.

In response, almost all of the other major cruise lines have added flexible dining options. Usually, one part of the main dining room follows the traditional system while another part has a system that allows guests to come when they chose. On ships that have multiple dining rooms, typically, one dining room is devoted to the traditional system while the other(s) have flexible dining. The menus used in all the dining rooms are the same. These lines have also added more specialty restaurants as time has passed to give the guests more alternatives.

With Dynamic Dining, Royal Caribbean is doing away completely with the traditional dining system. Instead of one main dining room, there will be five complimentary dining rooms as well as an array of extra tariff specialty restaurants. It is up to the guest to decide where and when to dine.

Dynamic Dining differs from Freestyle dining chiefly in that each of the complimentary dining rooms will be different with a unique theme and a unique menu. One will be American favorites, one will be a grand formal restaurant, one will be very hip and cutting edge, one will be Asian-inspired and one will be a California-style venue.

In addition, each of the complimentary restaurants is a relatively small venue and each has its own galley. (On most ships with multiple dining rooms, all of the food is prepared in the same galley). Thus, the chefs will be able to give more time and attention to each meal. This should enable them to make more sophisticated dishes.

To prevent more passengers than a particular restaurant can handle all arriving at the same time, Royal Caribbean is instituting a reservations system. Making reservations for cruise ship specialty restaurants is something passengers are used to but it is a rare exception for complimentary dining rooms. In any event, Royal Caribbean has developed an app that will enable guests to make reservations before they board and while on ship. There will also be other more traditional means of making reservations.

Dynamic Dining is a bold move. It promises to offer more choice and variety in cruise dining. At the same time, there are risks. For example, the traditional dining system lends itself to getting to know your fellow passengers. Over the course of the cruise, you often become friends with the people that dine at your table each night. This is particularly important to solo travelers.

There is also the question of how passengers will react to having to make reservations for dinner. Requiring reservations could dampen the feeling of being able to decide at the spur of the moment where and when to dine. Also, will people who purchase their cruises near the sailing date be disadvantaged because people who booked the cruise earlier have taken all the choice spots.

I tend to think such concerns can be dealt with using a little creative thinking. Thus, I look forward to seeing this concept in action. Moreover, the food samples served at the unveiling event in New York were excellent.

I spoke with several Royal Caribbean executives including Adam Goldstein, Presidenmt and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, about Dynamic Dining. That article is at http://www.beyondships2.com/quantum-of-the-seas-dining.html The article also covers the new specialty restaurant offerings on Quantum including venues developed in partnership with celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver, Michael Schwartz and Devin Alexander.

Turning from Royal Caribbean's newest ships to the grand dame of the fleet, we have a photo feature showing Majesty of the Seas as she traveled on one of her short Bahamas cruises. http://www.beyondships2.com/majesty-of-the-seas-in-the-bahamas.html There is also a video of Majesty at sea. http://www.beyondships2.com/majesty-at-sea.html All of this augments our profile of Majesty of the Seas. http://beyondships.com/RCI-MJOS-Profile.html