Photos of Disney Dream; Cruise Ship Miles Per Gallon

This week our primary focus is the Disney Dream of Disney Cruise Lines. The Dream was the third ship built for Disney. But while she maintained the traditional ocean liner look of Disney's two earlier ships, she is a much larger ship. In addition, she was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, which is known for its quality.

The Disney Dream sails from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas on three, four and five day Bahamas cruises. As a result, I have run across her several times during Bahamas cruises on other ships.

These meets have afforded me the opportunity to take quite a few exterior pictures of Disney on Disney Dream. Inasmuch as she has the lines of a traditional ocean liner, she is quite photogenic.

Thus, we have a photo essay showing Disney Dream in Port Canaveral. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-port-canaveral-photo-essay.html

We also have a photo essay showing the ship maneuvering in Nassau harbor. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-nassau-photo-essay.html

To go along with this photo essay, we have a video of the ship underway in Nassau. http://www.beyondships2.com/disney-dream-nassau-video.html

In addition to the material on Disney Dream, we have a new FAQ. This one answers the question how many miles to the gallon does a cruise ship get? The answer discusses cruise ship fuel consumption and some of the techniques that cruise lines are using to reduce fuel consumption. http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-cruise-ship-fuel-mileage.html

Visiting the Alhambra, Cruise port Malaga, Spain

When I was growing up, I remember hearing of the Alhambra. It was most likely in connection with Washington Irving's writings, as his house was not far from ours. However, the image stayed in mind of this beautiful castle in Spain. This image was only reenforced as I grew older and read countless travel articles discussing the romance of the Alhambra.

Consequently, when a shore excursion going to the Alhambra appeared on the list of shore excursions offered on a recent cruise, I jumped at the opportunity despite the fact that it was significantly more expensive than the other excursions offered for that port. The warning that the excursion would involve a two hour coach trip each way did not give me pause.

As it turned out, the coach trip was entirely pleasant. It took us through the coastal mountains and then through the verdant valleys of Andalusia. There were snow-capped peaks, olive groves, vineyards, and a number of towns and villages. As it was all motorway, we zipped along without traffic delays. Indeed, there even was a ring road that skirted Granada so that we did not have to go through that city in order to get to its most famous attraction, which is perched on a hill overlooking the city.

When we arrived, it quickly became apparent that we were not going to be the only people viewing the Alhambra that day. In the grounds adjoining the castle, there are parking lots for buses and cars as well as a modern visitor center. Even though it was a weekday afternoon, the area was alive with activity. The coach only stayed a few minutes near the entrance to the visitor center before going off to look for the closest place to park, probably in Madrid.

Those in charge of the Alhambra have apparently given much thought as to how the monument's popularity could affect the experience of visiting it. The number of visitors allowed each day is limited. In addition, all of the infrastructure for the visitors is placed some distance from the historic buildings so as not to intrude upon the experience.

Still, having other people around is something that you have to deal with. It requires a good deal of patience to get photos that include only a few of your fellow visitors. More importantly, in the courtyards and gardens that were designed for quiet contemplation, you just have to tune out your fellow visitors.

Nonetheless, the Alhambra is a must see. It has impressive architecture, beautiful gardens and spectacular views of the city below and the surrounding mountains. On top of it has centuries of history as well as a haunting romantic aura of times past.

Beyondships' feature article about visiting the Alhambra, complete with photos, is at http://www.beyondships2.com/visiting-the-alhambra.html

In addition, we have added a profile of Malaga, Spain. It is the cruise port that is the jumping off point for visits to The Alhambra. Indeed, it is Spain's second busiest cruise port. The profile begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-destination-malaga.html

Queen Mary 2 - Stargazing, the Environment and Europe without Flying

This week we add to our collection of articles and interviews about Queen Mary 2 of Cunard Line. (see index of QM2 articles at http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-articles-interviews-reviews.html) QM2 is one the most extensively-covered ships on Beyondships. I have sailed on her more times than any other ship currently in service. In part, this is due to the fact that she sails between Europe and America and thus facilitates getting to and from the ships based on either side of the Atlantic. But it is also because I like the atmosphere onboard, particularly the enrichment program.

One aspect of the enrichment program that I like is that it goes beyond what you normally find on ships. QM2 has the normal sea-going activities such as trivia contests, Bingo, and arts and crafts. Like several other cruise lines, she also has a good lecture series. However, QM2 also has activities such as: acting classes with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts; jazz workshops with professors and/or students from Julliard; and a song writing program in which guests are guided by professional musicians. Some of these activities are regular features on QM2's daily program, others are presented on some but not all voyages, while still others may only occur once. However, the point is that QM2 consistently provides high quality programs that are beyond what you would normally expect at sea.

QM2's astronomy program is an example of this kind of programming. The ship was built with the only planetarium at sea. In this facility guests journey through space via programs developed in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium. This alone would be enough to place the ship's astronomy program beyond the norm. However, Cunard also has a relationship with the Royal Astronomical Society in which noted astronomers not only give talks but interact with guests in other ways. Our article about the astronomy program, including an interview with Dr. Chris Crowe of the University of Cambridge, is at http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-astronomy.html

A question that is frequently posed by guests is what happens to the leftover food, garbage and waste that is generated during a cruise? In the old days, the solution was just to toss it over the side. However, in these more environmentally conscious days, we know that such an approach has adverse consequences for the planet.

I asked Ariadna Mayoral, Environmental Compliance Officer on Queen Mary 2, about what happens to the garbage and waste on her ship. During the course of our conversation, I learned that there are environmental considerations in nearly every aspect of the ship's operation. The interview is posted at: http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-environmental.html

During the course of my travels, I have met many frequent cruisers in North America who say that they would like to visit Europe but that they do not want to fly. Flying is no longer the glamorous means of transportation that it once was and it is very understandable that people do not want to spoil their vacation by flying.

However, this does not mean that you have to miss out on the experience of going to Europe. While it is more time-consuming than flying, many people sail both to and from Europe. Queen Mary 2 sails both ways. In addition, it is possible to sail at least one way on a cruise ship. In a new FAQ item, we discuss how this is done and some of the considerations involved. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/faq-europe-without-flying.html

Great Stirrup Cay, St Kitts and Cunard's Queen Elizabeth

Norwegian Cruise Line's private island, Great Stirrup Cay, keeps changing. Despite a hurricane last fall, Norwegian continues to make noticeable progress on its ambitious plans to develop this Bahamian island into a vacation paradise. New beaches have been created and landscaping has been done to the finished sections.

More is to come but the changes that have been made already call for an update of our profile of Great Stirrup Cay. Indeed, we have added another page to this section of Beyondships. The tour of GSC begins at http://beyondships.com/NCL-GreatStirrupCay.html

We have also updated and expanded our coverage of another island - - St. Kitts. We have added some additional places of interest and taken a look at the Frigate Bay area. We have also re-arranged material in order to make it more reader-friendly and more consistent with our recent cruise destination profiles. The St. Kitts section begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StKitts-1.html

Finally, we have updated our profile of Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth with anew menus page http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-elizabeth-menus.html and a new daily programs page. http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-elizabeth-daily-programmes.html

Cruise ship Vision of the Seas: profile, photo tour, interviews, menus

I was a little apprehensive before sailing on Vision of the Seas. In researching her beforehand, I read that the ship had never had a major refurbishment since entering service in 1998. This sounded unusual to say the least and I wondered if I would find some worn out and outdated ship upon boarding.

My concern turned out to be entirely unwarranted. The ship was in marvelous shape. In fact, I found her in better condition than her sisters in the Vision class that I have sailed. I saw no signs of wear. She does not have all the features of Allure of the Seas but then you can't really expect a smaller ship to offer such a panoply of features.

What Vision does offer instead is a cruise experience on a personal scale. Her size is conducive to interaction both with your fellow guests and with the officers and crew.

Vision has a good senior team as well. Captain Srecko Ban is a dynamic young officer who likes to interact with the passengers and to lead by example.

I met Joao Mendonca when he was Food and Beverage Manager on Allure of the Seas. There he played a key role in developing that ship's innovative dining operation. Now that he has been promoted to Hotel Director, his talents are being used to create memorable cruise experiences for Vision's passengers.

Vision is scheduled for her first major refurbishment in September 2013. This is part of a fleetwide program to roll out some of the features of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas to the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The plans are ambitious and when completed will give guests on Vision more dining and entertainment options.

The transformers will have to be careful, however, to ensure that Vision does not lose the character and ambiance that she has today. Those are more valuable than physical features.

The home page for our profile of Vision of the Seas is at: http://beyondships.com/RCI-VOS-Profile.html

The photo tour and commentary about the ship begins at http://beyondships.com/RCI-VOS-tour-1.html

We also have a menus page with the new Royal Caribbean menus being used on Vision. http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-menus.html

Our conversation with Captain Ban is at http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-captain-interview.html

Mr. Mendonca talks about Vision today and outlines the changes that will be made during the refurbishment. http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-interview-hotel-director.html

Emerald Princess update - - Photos, Menus, Dining Guide and Captain interview

This week the focus shifts to Princess Cruises with an expanded and updated profile of Emerald Princess.

I had enjoyed myself on Emerald Princess the last time I was onboard and I was pleased to find that she still presents a quite enjoyable cruise experience. Apparently, quite a few other people agree as the ship attracts a high proportion of passengers who are in the upper tiers of Princess' loyalty program. These are experienced cruisers who do not spend their time on ships that do not deliver a superior cruise experience.

When I spoke with Captain Tony Draper and Hotel General Manager Peter Hollinson, I asked them what it is about Emerald Princess that attracts experienced cruisers. They pointed to the fact that she does longer cruises and that her itinerary includes a nice set of ports. In addition, they pointed to the strength of the Princess product in general.

I think they are valid points but that there is more to it than that. There is what they used to call a can-do atmosphere on Emerald Princess. It manifests itself in crew members who go beyond what is required of them. This reflects well on the ship's management too, of course.

In any event, my conversation with Captain Draper and Mr. Hollinson is reported at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-interview.html

We also have a new photo essay showing Emerald Princess in some of the ports that she visits in the Caribbean. (She spends her winters in the Caribbean and her summers in the Baltic). It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-in-the-caribbean.html

A lot goes on on Emerald Princess. To give you an idea of some of the entertainment and activities that occur during a cruise, we present a Scenes from a Cruise Slideshow focusing on the Emerald Princess' entertainment offerings. http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-in-the-caribbean.html

Princess styles itself the consummate host and Maitre d' Hotel Generoso Mazzone personifies that slogan. He has been with Princess since 1983 and really believes in the Princess product. Accordingly, he runs the ship's dining rooms with friendliness and style. His goal is a level of customer satisfaction that will turn each guest into an advocate for Princess.

To help me in creating a dining guide for Emerald Princess, I asked Mr. Mazzone to discuss both the overall Princess approach to dining and each of the dining venues on Emerald Princess. He generously gave of his time and insights. The dining guide begins at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-dining-guide.html

As a companion to the dining guide, we have also added a new Emerald Princess menus page. It has all of the main dining room dinner menus from a 10 day cruise. Plus, it has the menus from Sabatini's, the Crown Grill and from the Chef's Table. It appears at http://www.beyondships2.com/emerald-princess-menus.html

Norwegian Jewel revisited

Norwegian Cruise Line is in the spotlight this week. Its new ship, Norwegian Breakaway, is coming to New York to take up residence. This is an exciting prospect as Breakaway appears to combine the innovativeness of Norwegian Epic with the quality of a Meyer Werft ship.

Norwegian has had two ships based in New York for some time now. With Breakaway's arrival, one of those ships, Norwegian Jewel, will be re-deployed to other itineraries.

However, as Jewel takes up her new life cruising to Alaska this summer and to the Caribbean from New Orleans and Houston this coming winter, we wanted to update and expand our coverage of the ship. http://beyondships.com/NCLJewel.html

To that end, we spoke with Hotel Director Hugo Vanosmael about the various dining options on Jewel. Freestyle dining is all about giving the guests options. So to help you make these choices, we have put together a dining guide to Norwegian Jewel. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-dining-guide.html

Along the same lines, we have updated our Norwegian Jewel menus page. This includes the new menu for Cagney's steakhouse. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-menus.html

Jewel is a photogenic modern ship. With better than average speed, she also manages to get around. As a result, we have accumulated a number of good pictures of her in various ports in the Caribbean and The Bahamas this winter. These have been put together into a new photo essay. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-jewel-photo-essay.html