Profile and Photo Tour of Oceania's Regatta; Photo Essay on Carnival Dream

This week the focus is on two ships that present quite different cruising experiences. Indeed, they could be said to be polar opposites. Both ships are very good at providing the type of cruise experience that they set out to provide. However, that experience is quite different and whether you will be happy cruising on either of these ships very much depends upon your tastes and lifestyle. Thus, they serve to illustrate that all cruise ships are not fungible and thus it is important to investigate the type of cruise experience that a ship provides before booking a cruise.




Oceania Cruises Regatta is one of eight essentially identical cruise ships that were built for Renaissance Cruises. When that company went out of business the eight ships were dispersed among several cruise lines. Previously, Beyondships has profiled R Four, which is now Ocean Princess of Princess Cruises http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Profile.html and R Eight, which is now Adonia of P&O Cruises. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Adonia-Profile.html Regatta was formerly R Two.



The R class ships are relatively small ships providing an elegant cruise experience in an intimate setting. They have wood-paneled public rooms that are furnished with overstuffed chairs and subtle unobtrusive art collections. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an upscale country club. Wisely, Oceania has maintained this atmosphere on Regatta.



Regatta is offered as a luxury cruise experience. It includes a gourmet dining program developed by Chef Jacques Pepin. Things like airfare are included in the fare and there is no cover charge for the two specialty restaurants. The intimate shipboard spa is operated by Canyon Ranch.



With only 684 passengers, the ship is uncrowded. Moreover, the guest to staff ratio is 1.71 to one, which allows for very personalized service.



As a small ship, Regatta is able to get into ports that the larger cruise ships cannot. Thus, her itineraries include ports that are off the beaten track.



As a result, Regatta tends to attract experienced travelers as well as those who are seeking a luxury experience. Guests are often mature and well-to-do.



Beyondships’ profile of Regatta is at http://www.beyondships.com/Oceania-Regatta-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Oceania-Regatta-Tour-1.html



Carnival Dream is the largest cruise ship in the Carnival fleet. In fact, in terms of gross tonnage, she is four times the size of Regatta. She carries more than five times as many passengers.



Although Carnival still calls its ships “Fun ships,” they are not the young singles party boats that they were when the line began. Rather, the focus is on young families. Carnival provides a good quality cruise experience at reasonable rates designed to embrace people for whom cruising was not an affordable vacation option in the past.



Dream is big, bold and brassy. While her interior is more subdued than earlier Carnival ships, it is still intended to evoke a good times atmosphere. Furthermore, as a very large ship, there is space for lots of amenities and features. The spa is quite large as is the outdoor pool deck. There are also numerous bars, lounges and public areas.



Carnival Dream currently operates out of Port Canaveral in Florida. Her itineraries include major Caribbean ports where she can dock. These are popular ports that are well-developed for tourism.



I’ve added a new photo essay to Beyondships’ profile of Carnival Dream showing her in one of those popular ports - - St. Maarten. http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-photo-essay.html We have also added some more Fun Times daily programs to the profile page. http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html



Thus, Carnival Dream and Regatta provide much different vacation experiences. Which is better depends upon what you like.

Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam - Profile and Photo Tour

Nieuw Amsterdam is Holland America’s latest ship. The sister ship to Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam entered service last summer. She is enlarged version of the line’s Vista class ships - - Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam.

The ship’s name is the Dutch name for New York City, which was founded as a Dutch colony in the 1600s. Accordingly, there are quite a few references to New York in the ship’s artwork and décor. Furthermore, although the ship has a good collection of traditional European and Asian art, the overall atmosphere has a modern sleekness that calls to mind Manhattan.

Nieuw Amsterdam was also the name of one of Holland America’s most beloved ocean liners. Built in the late 1930s, the earlier Nieuw Amsterdam was designed to complement the World’s Fair of 1939. More modern than her contemporaries, she was considered to be one of the most elegant and attractive ships of that period. Unfortunately, only 15 months after her maiden voyage, the Netherlands was invaded as part of the Nazi blitzkrieg. The ship, in New York at the time, was converted into an Allied troop ship and transported thousands of soldiers. After the war, she was restored to her former state and served until 1971 with Holland America, first on the transatlantic service and later as a cruise ship. Thus, today’s Nieuw Amsterdam has a proud heritage.

Life onboard today’s Nieuw Amsterdam follows Holland America’s sophisticated cruising style. There is more emphasis on the intellectual and cultural than on physical activity. However, the ship does have substantial spa as well as two large pool areas. It also has three specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room and several casual venues.

Beyondships profile page for Nieuw Amsterdam is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Nieuw.html It has deck plans, menus, daily programs, recipes and other information about the ship as well as acting as the home page for the Nieuw Amsterdam section of the site.

The multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Nieuw-Tour1.html

Celebrity Century - Profile, Photo Tour and Interviews

When you speak to the officers of Celebrity Century about their ship, invariably one hears phrases such as a “ship with a soul” or the “ship has a great heart.” What they are referring to is an atmosphere aboard the Century that makes one feel that traveling on this ship is special.

Century is smaller than most major cruise ships. She did not start out that way. When she entered service, she was one of the largest cruise ships in operation. However, over time, cruise ships have become bigger and bigger and so Century has become relatively more intimate. Moreover, the layout of her public rooms somehow adds to this feeling of intimacy. The major rooms flow very well together so there is a feeling that nothing is very far away.

Century’s age also plays a part. She is now 15 years old and while that is less than middle age for a ship, there is a feeling that this ship is tried and true. People have been enjoying her for years. There is no doubt that this ship works.

Overlaid on this is the fact that Celebrity spent $55 million to revitalize the ship in 2006. This included the addition of a fine dining specialty restaurant and numerous balcony cabins. The ship also got a makeover of her public spaces and existing cabins which somehow managed to preserve her pre-existing sophistication.

Century also lends herself well to the modern Celebrity product. Her facilities allow her to present most of the Celebrity Life activities that one encounters on the larger Celebrity ships. In addition, the typical Celebrity passenger appreciates her large contemporary art collection, the elegance of her wood-paneled Michael’s Club, the grandeur of her main dining room as well as quality of her culinary options.

Beyondships’ profile of Celebrity Century is at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Profile.html The photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Tour-1.html
In addition, we have interviews with her hotel director Jan Willem Kuipers http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-HD.html
and her cruise director. Sue Denning. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-CD.html

Holland America's Westerdam - - Profile and Photo Tour

Holland America’s Westerdam exudes a feeling of quiet elegance. The ship is not ornate. The basic interior design is contemporary like the top executive offices at the headquarters of a large corporation. The lighting is soft, the walls are un-detailed but covered in nice materials. What makes it interesting is the use of museum quality art work to populate the spaces. They often do not immediately catch the eye but upon closer inspection there is much to discover about them.

This type of atmosphere appeals to the typical Holland America guest. They are worldly and usually experienced travelers. They want subtle sophistication. The ship is a relaxing refuge as they go about exploring but still one that offers intellectual and cultural stimulation.

Westerdam is one of four Vista class ships in the HAL fleet. At over 80,000 gross tons, she is one of the biggest ships that HAL owns. However, she is not as large as many ships being built today. Thus, she has space for all of the features that one would expect from a modern ship but still has an intimate feel.

Beyondship’s profile page for the Westerdam is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam.html and the multi-page photo tour begins at. http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam-Tour1.html

While I was on the Westerdam, I spoke with the Hotel Manger Marcella Himmelreich and asked her about what makes a cruise on the Westerdam a premium cruise experience. Our conversation is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Westerdam-Article-HM.html

Photo Tour and Profile of Carnival Destiny

Last time, I noted that Beyondships now profiles all of the Carnival Cruise Lines ships that were derived from the design of Carnival Destiny. However, cruise ships like people, change over time and so one has to revisit them every so often in order to keep up to date. What better place to start than the ship that started it all - - Carnival Destiny.

Destiny was the first cruise ship larger than 100,000 gross tons. This size enabled Carnival to offer features not found in other cruise ships including Carnival’s own ships. In addition, the economies of scale allowed Carnival to offer good quality at an affordable price.

Destiny has not stood still. Over time new features have been added to her. Most recently this has included a 270 square foot LCD screen over the main pool area and the addition of a mini-golf course. Thus, while Destiny is no longer the world’s largest cruise ship, she remains a viable competitor doing four and five-day cruises out of Miami.

Beyondships profile of Carnival Destiny is at: http://beyondships.com/CarnivalDestiny-profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalDestiny-Tour-1.html

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