Designing Queen Mary 2; Queen Elizabeth Photos; Photo Guide to St. John USVI

We have several things for you this week.



To begin, we have an extensive interview with Stephen Payne. Mr. Payne is the naval architect who designed Queen Mary 2 for Cunard Line. QM2 is a unique ship. She was built to do regularly-scheduled transatlantic crossings. This meant that she had to have the strength and power to cope with the uncertain weather of the North Atlantic, arrive as scheduled and be comfortable for her passengers. No one had designed such a ship, i.e., an ocean liner, in more than 30 years when Payne was given the task of designing QM2.



In addition, QM2 had to be able to do cruises as well as transatlantic crossings and do them as well as any contemporary cruise ship. Thus, Payne also had to incorporate into his design all of the new thinking and technology of a modern cruise ship.


Finally, the ship had to be superlative. She was following in the wake of a line of great ships that included Mauretania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2.



I have sailed on Queen Mary 2 many times and can say that Mr. Payne’s design clearly accomplished these objectives. The ship is impressive to behold and her ability to handle seemingly any weather condition is amazing. Also, she can more than hold her own cruising as I’ve seen her do in the Caribbean, the Norwegian fjords and around Britain.


Beyond the success of his design, Mr. Payne has an interesting life story. It is one that supports the theory that you can live your dream if you remain faithful to it.


I’ve divided our interview with Stephen Payne into three parts. Part one is a profile of his career and is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-one.html In Part Two he discusses designing QM2 - - the concept and why things are the way they are on the ship. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-two.html Finally, in Part Three, he discusses the future of QM2 and of passenger ships in general. http://www.beyondships2.com/qm2-stephen-payne-interview-part-three.html


The next item we have this week is a new photo essay on Cunard’s latest ship, the new Queen Elizabeth. I encountered her at the beginning of her 2012 world cruise as she made a swing down through the Caribbean. The weather cooperated and yielded a good light for photo taking. http://www.beyondships.com/QE-photo-Caribbean.html



Leaving Cunard aside, we have a cruise destination photo guide of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. The smallest of the three main U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is also the least commercially developed. Most of the island is a national park. Consequently, its beautiful white sand beaches and its lush green mountainsides are largely unspoiled. Our photo guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StJohnUSVI.html


Finding a cruise that goes directly to St. John may be difficult. The island has no cruise terminal or pier. However, it is plainly visible from St. Thomas and it is a short ferry ride between the two islands. In fact, most of the ships that call in St. Thomas offer shore excursions to St. John.


So, while we are on the topic of St. Thomas, we have expanded our cruise destination photo guide of that port to include some more of the attractions in Charlotte Amalie such as Blackbeard’s Castle, the 99 Steps and the Synagogue. The St. Thomas guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StThomas.html

Talking with the Captain and Hotel Manager of Grand Princess; Restaurant reviews; Photos of Celebrity Eclipse

            Clearly, the biggest thing to happen to Grand Princess in recent years is the massive refurbishment that Princess undertook last Spring.  Reportedly, Princess spent $80 million to transform Grand Princess into a new ship.

            Accordingly, when I spoke with the two people who are directly responsible for providing the cruise experience on Grand Princess, her Captain and her General Hotel Manager, the conversation focused on the refurbishment (often referred to as the “drydock” by those onboard).  What was done?  And perhaps more importantly, how has it affected the cruise experience that Grand Princess offers?

            Captain Roger Bilton, first went to sea in 1979 and has been with Princess since 1989.  Hotel General Manager (a position formerly called “Passenger Services Director” at Princess) Adam Gorst has been with Princess three years longer, joining after graduating from hotel school.  Thus, both men have a substantial experience at sea.

            It is difficult to see how anyone could dislike what Princess has done to Grand Princess.  The public areas of the ship are comparable to any in the Princess fleet and Princess is a first rank cruise line.  However, what I found interesting was these two men’s insights into how the changes have affected the ship both nautically and from a hotel perspective.

            My conversation with Captain Bilton and Mr. Gorst is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-captain-hotel-manager-interview.html

            Two major changes made to Grand Princess were the addition of two new specialty restaurants.  Accordingly, I have posted reviews of both venues.

            Alfredo’s Pizzeria is a concept that debuted on the new Grand Princess.  It is an informal venue located in the ship’s new Piazza complex.  I found it an ideal place to relax after returning to the ship from a morning ashore on one of the Caribbean islands. You can sit by one of the large picture windows and enjoy the sunshine, the view and of course, the food.  More at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-alfredo-pizzeria-review.html

            The refit also gave Grand Princess the Crown Grill steakhouse.  Yes, Grand Princess had a steakhouse before the refurbishment.  But the Crown Grill is a much more upscale venue with a wider menu.  The concept first debuted on Crown Princess and was so successful that Princess has been adding to its ships ever since.  My review covers both this new Crown Grill and the original Crown Grill on Crown Princess, which I revisited a week after sailing on Grand Princess.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-crown-princess-crown-grill-review.html

            For a change of pace, I have also posted a new photo essay on Celebrity Eclipse, a personal favorite of mine ever since attending her naming ceremony in 2010.  The third ship in Celebrity’s Solstice class, Eclipse is based in the UK most of the year.  However, in the winter she sails from Miami to the Caribbean.  This photo essay shows this charming ship enjoying the sunshine.  http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipsephoto-Caribbean.html

Photo Tour of The Grand Princess

The first of the three ships that I sailed on during my recent month of cruising with Princess Cruises was Grand Princess. For students of recent maritime history, Grand Princess’ arrival on the scene in 1998 was a milestone event. She was so much bigger and looked so radically different than traditional cruise ships. It turned out to be a very successful design as well as 10 subsequent cruise ships now sailing for Princess and P&O Cruises are based upon her design.




OK, one might say, Grand Princess may have been a great ship in her day but what is she like now? Last year, Princess undertook the most extensive refit of a ship that it has undertaken to date. It significantly changed the look of the ship both inside and out. On the outside, the ship’s nightclub, which was suspended high over the stern of the ship was removed giving her sleeker lines. (I am told that the nightclub is now a man-made reef). On the inside, the ship was given features that have been so popular on the later Grand Class ships (Crown, Emerald, and Ruby Princesses) such as the Crown Grill steakhouse, Vines Wine Bar and the International Cafe. Other existing areas such as the Horizon Court buffet and the casino were made over. She was also given new features such as Alfredo’s Pizzeria and Leaves tea lounge that debuted on the post re-fit Grand Princess.



In my opinion, the refit worked well. The ship’s public areas are like a new ship. Moreover, in this regard, she is a first rank new ship comparable to any in the Princess fleet.



This does not mean that Grand Princess does not have a personality of her own. Perhaps because she carries less passengers than her younger relations, she has a surprisingly intimate feel for a big ship.



Because Grand Princess is in effect a new ship, I have removed her existing Beyondships profile and photo tour and posted a new profile and photo tour that is much more extensive than the one done in 2007. Even the URLs are different. The profile is now at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-GP-Profile.html  It has new menus, prorgams (Princess Patters) and other information about the ship. The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Princess-GP-Tour-1.html

Going Ashore - - Atlantis Submarine; Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach; and Photo Tour of Aruba

I have just returned from three delightful cruises in the Caribbean, all on Princess Cruises. Good weather, good food, nice people and excellent ships. Princess has done a great job in refurbishing the Grand Princess - - she is like a new ship. Crown Princess, I was very pleased to find, still has the sumptuous cosmopolitan atmosphere that I liked so much when she entered service. But the dark horse of the group was Island Princess, a unique blend of Princess’ Sun and Grand classes that was designed to do some unique cruises. If you are looking for something beyond the standard Caribbean itineraries, take a look at Island Princess. But more about these ships in coming weeks.




This week, Beyondships focuses on going ashore. First, we have a new article about cruising on the Atlantis submarines. These subs are submarines with windows through which the passengers can look out at the undersea world. I found it to be an exciting experience as we cruised through the coral heads and in amongst the sea creatures. Atlantis has subs based in several of the most popular Caribbean ports of call and the cruise ships often offer dives on the subs as a shore excursion. The article is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---undersea-cruising-on-the-atlantis-submarine.html



The second article is about Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. Seven Mile is a long (actually only about five and a half miles) crescent of white sand bordered by beautiful turquoise waters. It has received much praise and so is a popular attraction on Grand Cayman. The article relates my experience going independently to Seven Mile. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---a-walk-to-seven-mile-beach.html As with the Atlantis submarine article, this article is illustrated with photos.



In addition, the Beyondships cruise destination photo guide to Aruba has been updated and expanded. New additions include the Butterfly Farm, the Ayo Rock Formation and the Aloe Factory as well as some new photos of the beaches. It begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Aruba.html



On a more somber note, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the ocean liner Normandie. She was perhaps the most beautiful liner of all time and was capable of traveling at sustained speeds that none of today’s ships can match. Her demise was not only a loss to the shipping world but a tragic loss to the Allies in World War II as the fire took place as she was being converted to a troopship. To mark the anniversary, I have re-published a short piece that I wrote about the fire several years ago. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---the-demise-of-the-normandie.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

Explorer of the Seas - Talking With Captain Olav

Captain Olav Nyseter likes to point out that he has been with his company for nearly 50 years. This may be somewhat startling to some as Royal Caribbean is only 43 years old. However, Captain Olav counts from when he went to work as a deck hand on a freighter for I.M. Skaugen Company, one of the three original investors that came together to form Royal Caribbean in 1969.




During his time with company, Captain Olav has seen cruising grow from being “a little bit wild west” to the polished component of the vacation industry that it is today. In addition to commanding such important ships as Song of America, sovereign, Monarch, Legend, Splendor and Rhapsody of the Seas, he has been involved in bringing 11 of the line’s ships into service. He has also been fleet captain, doing the shoreside management of all of the ships in Royal’s fleet.

These days, he is once again captain of Explorer of the Seas, a ship that he brought into service in 2000. Explorer remains a very popular ship and Captain Olaf is one of the reasons for the ship’s continuing success. Beyond his credentials as a seaman, Captain Olav is personable with a dry Nordic sense of humor that makes him a favorite with the guests.

When I was on Explorer recently, I had the opportunity to Captain Olav about what makes Explorer successful and where he see the ship headed in the future. During the course of our conversation, we also touched upon some aspects of his life that underscore that he is an extraordinary individual. The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-captain-interview.html

St. Thomas Cruise Destination Photo Guide

St. Thomas is one of the most popular ports in the Caribbean. Indeed, it is so much in demand that it is not uncommon to have five large ships in port at the same time.




One of the reasons that St. Thomas is so popular is the shopping. Not only are there hundreds of shops geared toward the cruising public in downtown Charlotte Amalie but now there are malls that border the island’s two cruise ports.



However, there is more to St. Thomas than the shopping. The island has some beautiful beaches and not just Magens Bay, which has been called one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world.

The island also has an array of other attractions for sightseeing and activities. A person would be hard pressed to say that there is nothing to do.



I have been visiting St. Thomas since the early 1990s and the island has developed considerably since then. It has become much more tourist friendly.



Beyondships’ multi-page cruise destination photo guide to St. Thomas begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-StThomas.html