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

Interview with Captain Ian McNuaght and Other Cruise News.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Captain Ian McNaught of Cunard Line. This was indeed an enjoyable experience as I have known Captain McNaught since he was a young officer on Queen Elizabeth 2 in the 1990s. Captain McNaught is perhaps best known for being the last Cunard captain of the QE2 and his vibrant personality has made him a great favorite of regular Cunard passengers.

Our conversation touched upon a number of topics but the primary focus was on Captain McNaught’s latest command Cunard’s Queen Victoria. The ship is the second largest Cunarder ever built and was designed to bring the Cunard transatlantic crossing style to cruising. Cunard has had cruise ships in the past but their style was always different than its transatlantic liners. Some were mass market, some were luxury, and some reflected the Norwegian style of their previous owners.

Captain McNaught sees the Queen Victoria as carrying through the Cunard experience of QE2 and more recently Queen Mary 2. There are differences but then each ship is different. He attributes much of Cunard’s success in carrying over the Cunard style to his crew and their Cunard training. He is also very impressed by the technology on Queen Victoria, which he feels enhances the product.

My conversation with Captain McNaught is posted at: http://beyondships.com/QV-McNaught-1.html

Turning to the week’s other news:

Princess Cruises has announced that in 2011, it will transfer the Royal Princess to sister company P&O Cruises. Royal Princess is one of Princess’ small ships (see our profile and photo tour at http://beyondships.com/Princess-RP-Profile.html ) She will be following in the footsteps of the previous Royal Princess, which became P&O’s Artemis (http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html). Artemis will be leaving the P&O fleet and thus the addition of Royal Princess to P&O will allow that line to maintain its presence in small ship cruising. The ship is to be renamed Adonia.

Meanwhile, life is changing for some of Royal Princess’ sisters. Royal Princess is one of eight nearly identical ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises. Following the demise of Renaissance, three of these ships went to Princess, three to Oceania Cruises and two to Azamara Cruises.

This week Azamara announced that it was changing its name to Azamara Club Cruises. Its new president, Larry Pimintel, explained that the new name was more in keeping with the club-like atmosphere onboard its up-market ships. The line is also changing its approach to become more destination focused with longer stays in port including more overnights. I’ll be writing more about Azamara’s plans in the near future.

I recently heard from two of the officers who have been interviewed on Beyondships. Trevor Lane, who had been Staff Captain on Queen Mary 2, has been promoted to captain and is the master of the Pacific Sun of P&O Cruises Australia. Meanwhile, Captain Francesco La Fauci, who I interviewed on Carnival Triumph, is now in command of Carnival Conquest.

P&O's Artemis - - quietly special

Artemis may be the smallest ship in the P&O fleet but she is a special one.

First, there is her historical connection. When the ship worked for Princess Cruises she was named Royal Princess in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. This connection remains as her current name is the Greek name for the goddess that the ancient Romans called Diana.

Then, there is the design. Because of the thoughtful placement of the ship’s machinery, her open decks are uncluttered. In addition, all of her cabins have ocean views.

Next, Artemis does not do the same itinerary week after week. Rather, she moves all over the globe. Also, because of her size, she is able to go to ports that many large cruise ships cannot. This is one of the reasons why most of the passengers that travel on Artemis are experienced cruisers.

Finally, Artemis has a friendly atmosphere. Traditional and British, yes, but the passengers appear to enjoy each others company and that of the service-oriented crew.
My profile of Artemis appears at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at: http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Artemis-Tour-1.html