NCL's Great Stirrup Cay - - Photo tour

That competition in the cruise industry is alive and well can be seen not only in the fact that the cruise companies are continuing to invest millions in new ships with new features but also in the fact that the lines are also investing millions in upgrading their private destinations. For example, Royal Caribbean has recently upgraded both its private island at Coco Cay in the Bahamas and its private resort peninsula at Labadee, Haiti. Not to be out done, NCL is in the process of a radical transformation of its private island Great Stirrup Cay or GSC as it is sometimes called. NCL was the first cruise line to create a private destination.

In 1977, it purchased GSC, a small uninhabited island in The Bahamas atoll, in order to be another port of call for its ships doing Bahamas and Caribbean cruises. The idea made a great deal of sense for several reasons. First, the prevailing wisdom in the cruise industry is that most people will choose the cruise with the most ports of call all else being equal. GSC would provide an additional port of call. Second, the cost of going to this port would be much less than going to a port where the ship would have to use pilots and pay to dock. Third, almost all of the money spent by the passengers at this destination would go to the cruise line.

At first, these private islands were little more than beaches that were accessed by the ship’s boats. However, over time, bars and dining facilities were constructed, sports facilities added and facilities for various types of shore excursions constructed. Now, the private destinations are essentially private resorts.

Last year, NCL began a $20 million dollar transformation of GSC. The first step was to build a marina where the tenders that bring the passengers to the shore could dock. Heretofore, passengers came ashore in landing craft, which lowered their ramps onto the beach itself. This was inconvenient for less fit passengers and it also meant that a large part of the beach could not be used for swimming or sunbathing.

Another part of the transformation is the new dining facilities. Gone are the old wooden structures and in their place are more substantial and more spacious places where the food is prepared and where it is consumed.

The sports facilities have also been expanded and NCL now offers jet ski and kayak tours of the area around the island. The transformation process is ongoing. Standing on the deck of a cruise ship anchored offshore one can see that other areas of the island are under construction. These will result in new beach areas and facilities such as a sting ray experience.

Beyondships’ updated and expanded photo tour of Great Stirrup Cay is at http://www.beyondships.com/NCL-GreatStirrupCay.html I have also included a page to show what the island looked like before the current transformation.

Majesty of the Seas - - Profile and Photo Tour

All cruises are not the same. At one extreme, there are 100 day around the world voyages. On the other hand, there are short get-away cruises touching at a few not to distant ports. The former tend to attract experienced cruisers who are more mature and more affluent. The latter is primarily the province of young people who are often sampling cruising for the first time.

For the major cruise lines that focus on a younger crowd, the short cruise market presents a not insignificant opportunity. If young first time cruisers like the experience, they will probably come back and try a longer cruise.

In recognition of this, Royal Caribbean spent some $36 million re-vitalizing Majesty of the Seas in 2007. Majesty was one of a trio of cruise ships that revolutionized the industry in the early 1990s. These ships were the first purpose built cruise ships to rival in size the great ocean liners of the past. After that, the door was open to bigger and bigger cruise ships.

By today’s standards, Majesty is a relatively intimate cruise ship. However, I was impressed when I went aboard her at how nice she looks. Her interior design is no longer revolutionary but it is not dated either. In fact, the central atrium still seems to shine. In addition, Royal Caribbean has added an array of casual dining venues including a Windjammers Marketplace, a Sorrento Pizza, a Johnny Rockets and a Compass Deli. These allow the guests to have choices like on the newer RCI ships, albeit on a smaller scale.

Not surprisingly, Royal has deployed Majesty to do short cruises to the Bahamas from Miami. Having made such an investment in her, it only makes sense to put her in one of the most competitive short cruise markets.

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

Cunard's Queen Elizabeth - - Profile and Photo Tour

This week we focus on the new Cunard Line ship Queen Elizabeth. At approximately, 91,000 gross tons, she is the second largest Cunarder ever built although she is still much smaller than fleetmate Queen Mary 2. However, size is not what makes this ship special.

The new Queen Elizabeth is the third Cunard ship bear the name. First, there was the giant ocean liner that was built as a running mate for the original Queen Mary. This ship was named after Queen Elizabeth, the consort to King George VI, who after her daughter came to the throne was known as the Queen Mother. The ship was considered the height of luxury and elegance for her time. She remained the largest ocean liner ever built until Queen Mary 2 entered service in 2004.

In the 1960s when Cunard was building a ship to replace the original Queen Elizabeth, the plan was to name the replacement ship Queen Elizabeth. However, at the naming ceremony in 1967, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed “I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second.” Whether Her Majesty meant to name the ship after herself or merely was memorializing the fact that there had already been a ship called Queen Elizabeth is something only she knows. However, in order to distinguish the ship from the monarch, Cunard put an Arabic 2 rather than a Roman numeral in the name. The Queen Elizabeth 2 or QE2 as she came to be known was the most famous ship in the world during a service life that lasted nearly 40 years.

The new Queen Elizabeth was named by Her Majesty last October. The name honors the two earlier ships. However, as Cunard has pointed out, it also carries the Queen’s name and is “her ship.”

All of this is a long way of saying that the new ship has a special name with a unique heritage. Tradition matters very much at Cunard.

The name is not the only thing that is special about the ship. She is based on the design that was used for Cunard’s Queen Victoria. However, she is not a mere clone of her fleetmate. Whereas the Victoria’s interior was art nouveau inspired, the Elizabeth is art deco. Moreover, it is a sumptuous interior that speaks of elegance, sophistication and luxury.

The Queen Elizabeth profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/QE.html The multi-page photo tour and commentary, done largely with my new Nikon, begins at http://www.beyondships.com/QE-Tour-1.html

Cruise ship dining - reviews and articles

The days are past when the only thing to do on a cruise was eat. However, when you tell people you have been on a cruise, one of the most frequent questions is “How was the food?” Thus, dining is still an important part of the cruise experience. In addition, cruise ships have so many dining options these days that it is helpful to have some guidance on what all the dining venues on the ships are about. Accordingly, this week focuses on dining on three of the ships that we have been covering recently.

First, there are three restaurant reviews. We have the fine dining experience of the Murano Restaurant on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-review-Murano.html Then we have the sophisticated but informal Cagney’s Steakhouse on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Cagneys-Review.html Finally, there is the family style Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Table on Allure of the Seas. http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-review-Giovannis.html

All three restaurants are quite different experiences. My hope is that these reviews will not only inform you about the specific experiences I encountered but that they will also provide an indication of the range of dining experiences that one can have on a ship.

Speaking of the range of options that one has on a ship, we have two new dining guides. Food and Beverage Director Ivo Belev provides commentary on the many different dining venues that guests have to chose from on Norwegian Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-dining.html Along the same lines, Executive Chef Claudio De Carlo discusses dining on Celebrity Century. http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Century-Chef.html (Our guide to dining on Allure of the Seas with Food and Beverage Director Joao Mendoca was published earlier and is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-ALOS-art-FB.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

Norwegian Gem - - Profile, Photos and Interviews

Norwegian Gem has certainly matured in the less than four years since she entered service in late 2007. Gone is the “It Girl” hype that surrounded her launch. In its place is a very solid cruise experience at a reasonable price.

The first thing that I noticed about the Gem when I sailed on her recently was how happy the crew seemed to be. Everyone was friendly and seemed to enjoy going about their work. Both Gem’s captain Roger Gustavsen and her Hotel Director Steve Jacobsen confided to me that ensuring that the crew is happy is a top priority. A happy crew makes for happy guests. They clearly seemed to be right.

Another thing that was underscored during my cruise on Gem was just how good the ship is technologically. Gem cruises out of New York in the winter. For many years, the common wisdom was that the sea conditions off the East Coast of the United States were just too difficult for a cruise ship in the winter. NCL proved the common wisdom wrong when it based Norwegian Dawn in New York year round in the early years of this century. The Gem, which was built by the same shipyard as the Dawn and which is a more advanced design had no difficulty.

Gem gave another example of her abilities while we were in the Bahamas. The itinerary called for the ship to go overnight from NCL’s private island Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau on New Providence island - - not a great distance. The plan had been for the ship to drift slowly overnight from one island to the next. However, a medical emergency arose and Captain Gustavsen put the Gem up to full speed. In the public rooms, one could not feel a thing. However, standing on the outdoor promenade, one could see the water whipping by. The ship can do more than 26 knots. Gem arrived in Nassau at 11 that night rather than her scheduled time of eight the next morning.

Several guests mentioned to me during the cruise, how impressed they were with the food on the Gem. This was not just in the specialty restaurants but also in the complimentary venues as well. More about the food on the Gem in a subsequent posting.
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NCL has two ships based in New York. However, I could detect no rivalry between them. While Gem’s officers were able to articulate why their product was better than other cruise lines ships, they said the experience was just the same on the Jewel.

Beyondships’ profile of the Gem has been updated and expanded with new daily programs, new menus and other new information about the Gem. It is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Profile.html The photo tour of the ship has also been expanded with many new photos of the ship’s interior. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Tour-1.html There is also a new photo essay with new exterior photos of Gem. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-Photos-Bahamas.html Finally, there are interviews with Captain Gustavsen http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-captain.html and Hotel Director Jacobsen. http://www.beyondships.com/NCLGem-interview-HD.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