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

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

Profile and Photo Tour of cruise ship AIDAbella

This week we have a new cruise ship profile. AIDAbella is a 69,000 gross ton ship, which entered service for AIDA Cruises in 2008. As with all AIDA ships, she is instantly recognizable by the Egyptian-inspired mural on her bow and sides.

AIDAbella is an intriguing ship. When you hear that she is only 69,000 gross tons, you may well think that she is a relatively small ship. However, she has her own version of all of the features and amenities that you would expect in a contemporary cruise ship. Still, she does not feel crowded or over packed. This is perhaps due to the very non-traditional open architecture inside.

The ship is also intriguing because of AIDA's non-traditional approach to cruising. Many cruise lines have either done away with or give the guests the option of dispensing with set dining times and assigned tables. However, at AIDA, they have even dispensed with the main dining rooms. Instead, the ship has three buffet restaurants and, of course, they are not your standard buffet venue.

Along the same lines, many ships now have some form of entertainment in the ship's atrium. On AIDAbella, the atrium has become the theater with a stage and very sophisticated theatrical equipment. This is where the production cast and visiting performers put on their shows.

AIDAbella is geared for the German market. However, even for non-German speakers it is interesting to look at what is happening on the Bella. Its club-like approach is clearly non-traditional. However, will the concepts that AIDA has already put into practice be incorporated by the more traditional cruise lines tomorrow?

Our profile of AIDAbella is at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAbella-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAbella-Tour-1.html

One night cruise on Norwegian Gem; Cruise destination Nassau

Very short cruises are becoming extremely popular. People want to get away from it all for just r a day or an evening, take a mini-vacation or a memorable night out. On these cruises, the ship is the destination as there are no ports of call.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has been very active in this market. Several of its ships are doing one or two night cruises this winter. The popular Norwegian Gem has a one-night cruise in her schedule each month this winter.

We went aboard Norwegian Gem to experience one of these one-night cruises to nowhere. During the voyage, we spoke with Hotel Director Jenny Lind about one-night cruising on the Gem. That article is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-one-night.html

In addition, we have expanded and updated our section on cruise destination Nassau in the Bahamas. We have added an additional page to our photo feature on the attractions of Nassau. http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-nassau-attractions.html

Also, we have a new slideshow with photos of cruise ships that have called in Nassau. It is a busy cruise port and seemingly sooner or later every ship comes to Nassau. Well, that is probably an exaggeration but we have photographed quite a few ships in Nassau over the years. The slideshow is at http://www.beyondships3.com/cruise-destination-nassau-ships.html

Photo essay - Cruise ships in Southampton; cruise ship size and crowding

Southampton in southern England is a great place for cruise ship enthusiasts. Not only do quite a few ships call there during the warmer months but there are several places around the harbor from which you can get a good view or photograph the ships. There always seem to be a few people around taking photos as the time for the ships to sail draws near.

This week, we have a series of pictorials of ships that were in Southampton when I visited there in May. The ships covered include: Oriana and Oceana of P&O Cruises; three sister ships - - Ventura, Azura and Crown Princess; and Queen Mary 2, Celebrity Eclipse and MSC Opera. I have also tried to give bits of information about each of the ships. The pictorials begin at http://www.beyondships2.com/seen-in-soton-oceana.html

We also have a new FAQ. I often find that people are under the impression that the larger the ship is, the more people it will have onboard and thus there will be more lines and crowding. However, the fact is that there is no absolute correlation between size and number of passengers. There are very large ships that have much fewer passengers than smaller ships. In addition, the fact that one ships has more people than another does not necessarily mean more lines and more crowding. This topic is discussed at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-ship-size-and-crowding.html

Photos of cruise ships Jewel of the Seas and Norwegian Gem

Norwegian Gem

This week we have new photo essays of two ships - - Norwegian Gem and Jewel of the Seas.

As discussed in a previous post, I was on Caribbean Princess during Hurricane Sandy. The ship took shelter in Boston harbor during the storm. Jewel of the Seas was also there through the storm. After she left, Norwegian Gem arrived because the port that she was scheduled to go to, New York, remained closed for a few days after the storm. Once it was announced that New York would re-open, both Caribbean Princess and Norwegian Gem sailed there.

Gem and Jewel have several things in common. Of course, they both have jewelry-inspired names. But more importantly, they were both built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany which is known for its high quality products and attention to detail.

In addition, when I interview ship captains, I often ask how fast can this ship really go? According to this unscientific survey, the two fastest cruise ships currently in service are Jewel of the Seas and Norwegian Gem. (Queen Mary 2 is the fastest passenger ship in service but she is an ocean liner as opposed to a cruise ship). I am thinking of holding a race to determine this question once and for all.

In any event, it was an interesting coincidence to see one right after the other.

The photo essays have shots of the ships both during the day and at night. There are also short video clips. The Norwegian Gem photo essay is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-gem-photo-essay.html and the Jewel of the Seas essay is at http://www.beyondships2.com/jewel-of-the-seas-photo-essay.html

Adventure of the Seas Photos; The New Forest and Exbury Gardens

The first item this week is a new photo essay on Adventure of the Seas. Adventure is one of Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ships. The Voyagers are large ships (approximately 135,000 gross tons) and there is plenty to see and do on board. For example, they were the first ships to have the Royal Promenade – the street or indoor mall running down the center of the ship's interior. They also have ice skating rinks, on which they put on ice shows that are essentially musical spectaculars. The main dining rooms are also spectacular rising through multiple decks to a grand chandelier.

Adventure is the third ship in this class. For some reason, she always seems to be in St. Maarten when I am there. As a result, I have accumulated quite a few photos of her in that port. This photo essay presents some of them and serves to augment our existing Adventure of the Seas section. The new essay is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-AOS-Photos.html

For most of her life, Adventure has been sailing the Caribbean. However, next summer she is scheduled to be based out of Southampton, England. In honor of that, this week we are also presenting a cruise destination photo essay on the New Forest, which is just west of Southampton in England.

Although the New Forest is called “New” it is actually a rather ancient place. There have been settlements there since before recorded history. Even after King William I declared it a royal hunting preserve in 1079, people continued to live there. As a result, the New Forest is steeped in history and tradition. Thatched roof houses, small villages, stone churches and ponies who roam at will, all are part of its charm.

It is a national park but it is not a wilderness. Rather, the authorities act to preserve this unique blend of countryside, forest, heath, pubs and villages.

Our section on visiting the New Forest begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-england-new-forest.html

One of the most popular attractions of the New Forest is Exbury Gardens. It was the dream of one of the members of the English branch of the Rothschild banking family and there is still a connection between the Gardens and the family. It is a woodland garden with flowering plants, rare species, and lots and lots of rhododendron. There is also a rather fun narrow gauge steam railway.

On a recent cruise, I took a shore excursion to Exbury. I have written down my experiences and posted them along with some photos at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-england-exbury-gardens.html

Photo Essays - Azura and Ruby Princess

When I am out cruising, I often come across other ships that are in a photogenic situation. Sometimes, during the course of a day, there will be opportunities to photograph the ship in different ways. Sometimes the resulting photographs can be put together to tell a story.




This week we have photo essays on two sister ships - - P&O Cruises’ Azura and the Ruby Princess. Although the two ships said for different cruise lines they are sisters. They are both Super Grand Princess class ships built by the Fincantieri ship yards in Italy. P&O at one time was the parent company of Princess and now they are both part of the Carnival Corporation family so it is not surprising that they would share a ship design.



The essay on Azura follows her through a port call at the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. It was a beautiful day and Azura photographed well against St. Kitts’ green mountains and clear blue skies. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Azura-photos-StKitts.html



Just as Azura is P&O Cruises’ latest new-build ship, Ruby Princess is Princess Cruises’ latest new-build. During the winter months, she is based in Fort Lauderdale and in this essay we see her at various times between ending one cruise and beginning another. In addition, we see her making a port call at the popular island of St. Maarten.

It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-RU-Photos-1.html

AIDAaura Profile and Photo Tour; Talking with her Club Manager

I find the AIDA approach to cruising intriguing. Essentially, it tosses away the traditional rules of cruising in order to foster a more open, club-like atmosphere. In some ways, it is like Norwegian Cruise Line’s Freestyle approach but more so. For example, not only are there no assigned dining times but there is no traditional dining room. Instead, there is a choice of buffet restaurants and specialty restaurants.




Of course, this approach to cruising is not for everyone. I like traditional cruising with its formal nights and rituals of the sea. However, variety is good too.



AIDA manages to execute its approach to cruising quite well. The ships are well-maintained and spotlessly clean. In addition, the staff is open and friendly.



The line is Carnival Corporation’s German cruise line and the cruise experience is designed for the German market. It has been quite successful there, generating a loyal and growing following. Indeed, the line has been adding ships at a rapid rate in order to keep up with the demand. I find it interesting that both AIDA and Cunard do very well in the German market even though the cruise experiences that they offer are at the polar extremes of formality.



This week, our focus is on one of AIDA’s smaller ships, the 42,000 gross ton AIDAaura. This ship provides a more intimate version of the AIDA experience than her larger fleetmates. Also, the smaller ships such as the Aura are used as pathfinders to explore new destinations before one of AIDA’s larger ships is committed to that itinerary.



Beyondships’ profile of AIDAaura is at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAaura-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour of the ship begins at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAaura-Tour-1.html



I also spoke with Harald Bernberger, the Club Manager (Hotel Director) on AIDAaura about his ship and how it differs from Mr. Bernberger’s last ship the larger AIDAluna. He also provided some insights on why AIDA ordered its next two ships from Mitubishi Heavy Industries in Japan rather than from the German yard that built AIDA’s most recent class of ships. That interview is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/AIDAaura-art-HD.html

Monarch of the Seas - - Profile and Photo Tour

Monarch of the Seas still attracts a wide variety of cruisers. When she entered service in 1991, Monarch was the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship. Today, she is far from the largest. Her older sister, Sovereign of the Seas, has been transferred to Royal Caribbean’s Spanish affiliate Pullmantur. However, Monarch has found a market niche that keeps her viable in the American market.




That niche is small get-away cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Bahamas. Monarch does three and four day cruises that call at Nassau and at Royal Caribbean’s private island Coco Cay.



Port Canaveral is not far from Orlando and families vacationing at the theme parks in the Orlando area often want to add a short cruise to their vacation. Because the cruises on Monarch are shorter and less expensive than the cruises done by such first tier ships as Freedom of the Seas, Disney Dream and Carnival Dream that also sail from Port Canaveral, Monarch is able to attract some of the theme park vacationers.



The price and the short length of the cruises also make Monarch attractive to young people looking to try cruising for the first time.



They also make Monarch attractive to veteran Royal Caribbean cruisers who live in Florida. Without much planning, travel or expense,, they can hop onboard for a few days in familiar surroundings.



Although much has been spent to refurbish and maintain the ship over the years, one cannot expect all of the features of the new Royal Caribbean ships. Still, the core features of the Royal Caribbean product are there. One will find that many of the bars and lounges are signature Royal Caribbean venues. Similarly, the ship offers many of the activities that are popular with Royal Caribbean cruisers. Furthermore, while Monarch is not as big as Oasis of the Seas, she is still a big ship with big ship facilities.



Beyondships’ profile of Monarch of the Seas is at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-MONS-Profile.html and the multi-page photo tour and commentary is at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-MONS--Tour-1.html

Holland America's Maasdam in Canada and New England

In the fall, the cruise ships gather in New York and in Boston for cruises to Canada and New England. The autumn leaves are starting to change and people want to see the colors. Also, it is hurricane season in the Caribbean and the weather in Europe is starting to decline so the ships gravitate toward the northeastern United States.

One ship that one frequently sees on such cruises is Holland America’s Maasdam. One of the S-class HAL ships, Maasdam is large enough to provide the amenities of a modern cruise ship but also small enough to get to ports such as Montreal. Thus, Maasdam is well-suited to the Canada/New England run.

I have had the opportunity to photograph Maasdam several times when she was in Canada and in New England. She has pleasing lines and is photogenic.

Accordingly, I have added a photo essay to the Beyondships’ profile of Maasdam showing her in Halifax, one of the more popular ports of call on this route, and in Boston, which is the embarkation port for many of her cruises. This essay is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-photo-1.html

Carnival Miracle Photo Essay

Carnival Miracle is one of those ships that just always seem to be in front of my camera.

For the last few years, Miracle has been one of two Carnival ships based in New York during the summer season. She primarily heads south towards the Caribbean and the Bahamas on relatively longer itineraries.

In the winter, she operates out of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. There, her schedule takes her on both Eastern and Western itineraries. Thus, the ship gets around and it is no wonder that I am seemingly always running into her.

Miracle is the last of four Spirit class ships built for Carnival in Finland. The design is a forerunner to the Vista class cruise ships in the fleets of Holland America, Costa, P&O Cruises and Cunard. However, her interior by ship architect Joe Farcus gives her a unique identity. Moreover, her captain pointed out to me that because the ship does longer cruises she tends to attract a more sophisticated clientele than some of her fleetmates.

I have put together a new photo essay on Carnival Miracle showing her in some of the ports that she visits and underway at sea. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalMiracle-photos-2.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Holland America's Veendam

Holland America’s Veendam is one of the first ships that was profiled on Beyondships. She is a relatively small ship in comparison to today’s mega-cruise ships but she has elegance and sophistication.

In 2009, Veendam underwent a major refit. The focus of the work was on the stern area where the aft pool was turned into a resort-style shallow pool and the surrounding area transformed into a retreat. In addition, a series of balcony cabins were added along the stern.

What I had not expected when I went onboard recently were the changes to the ship’s interior. The area that was the casino bar has been re-done into “The Mix”, which encompasses three different bars - - spirits and ale, champagne and martinis. In some ways, the concept is similar to the “Bar Central” area on the larger NCL ships. However, here the three bars are physically separate.

The Ruebens Show Lounge is now the Showroom at Sea. In addition to changing the name, HAL has changed the concept. Instead, of being a theater, there are nightclub like tables in front of the stage.

All of the changes to Veendam necessitated essentially redoing the Beyondships’s profile and photo tour. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Veedam-Profile.html and the new photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-Tour1.html

In addition, Veendam now spends her summers cruising from New York to Bermuda. This has produced several opportunities to photograph her in one port or the other. Accordingly, I have added a new page of exterior photos of Veendam to the profile at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Veendam-photo-1.html

Photos of Holland America's Eurodam

This week the focus shifts to Holland America’s Eurodam. This ship is s Super-Vista class ship, which means that she is an enlarged version of the Vista class design used in ships such as HAL’s Noordam and P&O Cruises’ Arcadia.

In the two years since Eurodam entered service, I have come across her numerous times in my travels. I think this is because Eurodam does not do the same itinerary each week. For part of the year, she is in Europe, for part in Canada/New England and for part in the Caribbean. The ship gets around.

For me, that is just fine. While she does not have the lines of a traditional passenger ship, she is a photogenic modern cruise ship. Also, she is a maneuverable ship and that allows her to do interesting things in close proximity to other ships, which makes for interesting photos. Accordingly, I have put together a new photo essay of pictures of Eurodam in various ports. It is at: http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Photos.html

In addition, since my profile of Eurodam was done shortly after the ship entered service, I have updated both the profile and the photo tour of Eurodam on Beyondships. This includes lots of new photos. The profile is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam.html and the photo tour is at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Eurodam-Tour1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Dawn Princess

I have now been on three of the four Sun Princess class ships. Three of these ships, Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess sail for Princess Cruises. The fourth ship is P&O’s Oceana. She began life as Ocean Princess for Princess Cruises but was transferred to P&O Cruises when P&O still owned Princess.

These 77,000 gross ton ships carry just under 2,000 passengers and would be described as medium-sized cruise ships relative to the ships that are coming out of the shipyards these days. They are large enough to have the features one expects on a modern cruise ship but not so large as to be overwhelming.

The ships have a sleek, arrow-like shape. It is not a traditional passenger ship shape but it is attractive nonetheless.

One thing that struck me about the three I have been on - - Dawn, Sea and Oceana - - is how bright and fresh they look. Although they were built around the turn of the Millennium, they have been well-maintained. Indeed, Dawn Princess just went through a major refurbishment during a drydock last year.

Sun Princess and Dawn Princess are now based in Australia. Reflecting the fact that cruising is becoming increasingly popular down under, Sea Princess will be joining them there next year.

This week Beyondships adds a section on Dawn Princess to its roster of cruise ships. Dawn specializes in longer cruises such as voyages around Australia or to New Zealand and destinations in the South Pacific. Indeed, she even does a yearly world cruise. The lifestyle on Dawn Princess is still very much the Princess Cruises experience. However, it has an Australian overlay to make it more comfortable for its primary passenger constituency.

Beyondships profile of Dawn Princess is at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-DP-Profile.html . The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-DP-Tour-1.html

Profile and Photo Tour of Ocean Princess

The usual reason why a cruise line has small ships is well as large ships in their fleet is that over the years the line has been building larger and larger ships and as a result, the older ones are now relatively smaller than the newer ones. However, this is not always the case. Princess Cruises has three small ships in its fleet that are not the result of the evolution of the line’s fleet but rather because they could offer a somewhat different cruise experience.

Ocean Princess, Pacific Princess and Royal Princess (which will be joining sister company P&O Cruises’ fleet next year as Adonia) are part of a series of eight nearly-identical ships that were originally built for Renaissance Cruises. When that line went bankrupt, other lines swooped in to add these delightful little ships to their fleets. Oceania Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises now have the others.

Oceania and Azmara use these ships to provide luxury cruises. At Princess, the three small ships adhere to the same standards as the larger ships in the Princess fleet. However, while it is a Princess cruise, it is somewhat different.

On the one hand, these ships do not have all the options that one finds on a larger ship. However, the small ships have an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere like a country club or a British country house. They are also more intimate; one can get to know a substantial percentage of the crew and the passengers.

Also, Princess does not use these ships to do the same type of cruising as its larger ships. They do longer cruises and rove the globe, often traveling to places where larger ships cannot go.

Beyondships’ profile of Ocean Princess is at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-Tour-1.html and there is an interview with General Hotel Manager Daniele Cafiso in which he talks about the Ocean Princess cruise experience. http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-OP-art-HD.html

New Photos and Information about P&O Cruises' Ventura

When I was in England, I had the opportunity to revisit P&O’s Ventura. This ship went into service in 2008 and was at the time the largest cruise ship dedicated specifically for the British market. The onboard atmosphere is designed to appeal to contemporary British tastes in the décor, entertainment dining and activities. Accordingly, Ventura attracts primarily British passengers and those who enjoy the British lifestyle.

The ship itself is a sister ship to Princess Cruises’ Grand class ships and is the fulfillment of a long-held desire for the line. P&O used to be the owner of Princess Cruises and seeing how successful the Grand Princess was for its subsidiary, P&O long planned to add one to its fleet. It even went so far as to place an order for one with Fincantieri but it always made more sense strategically to allocate these ships to Princess. Indeed, the one that was first ordered for P&O became Caribbean Princess.

Now with two years of service under her belt, Ventura has shown that the Grand-class works in the British market. As a large ship, she is able to give holidaymakers an array of choices in activities, dining and entertainment. While she has many of the features of her Princess sisters, she is not a mere clone. The décor, while contemporary, is slightly more subdued. The specialty restaurants are geared more toward the British palate.

I took Ventura from Southampton up into the Norwegian fjords. The scenery there is most spectacular with tall mountains rising thousands of feet up from the water’s edge. It is also a varied cruise involving calls in remote villages and calls in cities. I have posted a photo essay showing Ventura in some of these spots. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Norway.html

I have also updated and expanded the Beyondships’ profile and photo tour of Ventura. In addition to numerous new photos, there are new daily programs, menus, and more information about the ship. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-Tour-1.html There is also a new page of photo tour that focuses on the ship’s main galley. http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Ventura-galley.html

Oriana Profile and Photo Tour and Norwegian Epic in New York

Oriana is a ship that I have been hoping to take a look at for quite some time. Her entry into service in 1995 was recognized as such a significant event that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II agreed to name the ship. After all, this was the largest passenger ship that had been built for the British market since Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2. Furthermore, she was nearly as large as QE2 and was full of all sorts of new luxury innovations. Over the years, Oriana has retained an aura about her and most Brits will know precisely what you mean when you say her name.

Although built in Germany, Oriana is thoroughly British. Her interiors are contemporary but done in restrained good taste. There is no glitz or attempts to invoke awe. Rather, there is the understatement of conservative British style.

Oriana’s British-ness also appears in the food served onboard, the activities and the entertainment. She seeks to make the people she was designed to serve feel comfortable on their holidays.

The vast majority of passengers on Oriana are British. However, P&O Cruises, her owner, also welcomes international guests who are interested in a truly British experience.

In many ways, this is a classic cruise experience as in the days before Las Vegas went to sea. At the same time, she has a celebrity chef specialty restaurant, a West End style theater, a large cinema, a spa, three pools, five whirlpools, 11 bars and even a pizzeria.

Beyondship’s profile of Oriana is at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/PO-Oriana-Tour-1.html

A much different cruise experience came to New York this last week in the form of Norwegian Epic. This is Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest ship and at 153,000 gross tons the fifth largest cruise ship now in service.

As NCL proudly has proclaimed, its “Freestyle Cruising” was designed to break the traditional mold. On Epic, innovation is a watchword, combing entertainment and dining venues, curving interior walls and cabin configurations unlike any other cruise ship.

I was able to photograph Epic as she came up the Hudson River and docked on the West Side of Manhattan. My photo essay of this event is at: http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-photoessay.html

Photos of Cruise Port Southampton and Independence of the Seas

This week we are going beyond the ships themselves and looking at the cruise port of Southampton, England. Now, few people set out with the goal of spending their vacation/holiday in Southampton. However, it is Britain’s primary cruise port and so cruisers often spend time there before or after a cruise.

While Southampton is not a tourist destination, it is tourist friendly. There are a variety of hotels and places to eat. In addition since Southampton is the large shopping center for southern England, it has lots of stores ranging from traditional high street stores to vast modern shopping malls.

Due to the fact that Southampton was - - and still is - - an import seaport, it was heavily bombed during World War II. Consequently, much of the city dates from the post-war period. However, I was surprised to find how many historic properties still exist. Indeed, Southampton reportedly has the most amount of medieval city walls in England.

Southampton is also not far from a number of places of interest including Stonehenge, the Isle of Wight, the naval museums at Portsmouth, Salisbury cathedral, and Winchester. A little further away but still within day trip range is the metropolis of London and all it has to offer.

My photo tour of Southampton begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-Southampton-1.html

One of the ships that sails out of Southampton is Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Now the world’s second largest cruise ship, Independence has modern lines but with a hint of the style of traditional ships, especially in the bow area. This lends itself to photographs and I have now added a page of photos of her taken in Florida and in Southampton to the Independence of the Seas section of Beyondships. It appears at http://beyondships.com/RCI-IOS-Photos1.html