Crown Princess Profile and Photo Tour; Breakfast at Sabatini's

             I have long felt an affinity for Crown Princess.  I first experienced her shortly after she entered service in 2006 and was impressed by the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the ship.   The Piazza, the center point of the ship both structurally and spiritually, was a visual feast with its use of marble and European-inspired detailing.  While this ship was clearly for the more demanding traveler, it was relaxed at the same time.  And the food, particularly the Italian dishes, was impressive.

            Since then I have been back for visits and have encountered her in various ports - - New York, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, St. Martin, Fort Lauderdale, Southampton to name a few.  She has always been surprisingly photogenic.  Perhaps the best shots were of her in Barbados as the orange light of the setting sun engulfed her.

            Accordingly, I was excited to be able to spend a week on her recently, cruising the Western Caribbean.  I had spent the previous week cruising on the recently refurbished Grand Princess.  Although Grand’s refurbishment had given her many of the features first seen on Crown Princess, the two ships still present different cruising experiences.  Although she is a large ship, I found Grand to have a more intimate charm.  Crown remains, as she has always been, elegant with an almost sumptuous luxury.

            Beyondships’ profile of Crown Princess was one of the first profiles posted on the site.  Over the years, new information has been added to it.  However, I felt that it no longer did the ship justice.  Therefore, I have completely redone the profile with new daily programs, menus and other information.  In addition, I have created a new and much larger photo tour and commentary of the ship.  The new address for the profile is http://beyondships.com/Princess-KP-Profile.html and the new address for the photo tour is http://beyondships.com/Princess-KP-Tour-1.html.

            I have also added a specialty restaurant review entitled “Breakfast at Sabatini’s”.  Sabatini’s is Princess Cruises’ signature Italian specialty restaurant.  In order to enhance the cruise experience of guests traveling in the ships’ suites, Princess has opened Sabatini’s to those guests for breakfast.  My review recounts my morning experiences at Sabatini’s on Crown Princess and on Island Princess. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/crown-princess-island-princess-sabatini-review.html  

Explorer of the Seas Dining Guide; St. Kitts Cruise Destination Photo Guide

  

          Inasmuch as Explorer of the Seas is a very large cruise ship, you would expect it to have a number of places to dine.  However, as Hotel Director Xavier Matthias explained it to me, the different venues on Explorer are not there just to distribute the passengers around the ship.  Rather, each venue is designed to give the passengers a different experience that when taken together add up to a memorable cruise.

            To find out more about the dining on Explorer, I sat down with Mr. Matthias, a 17 year veteran of Royal Caribbean who started as a steward, and Executive Chef Patrick McCabe who has been sailing with the line for 10 years, and asked them to talk about each of the dining venues on Explorer.  From that I have put together a dining guide to Explorer of the Seas.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-dining-guide.html

            One of the destinations that we went to on my last cruise on Explorer was St. Kitts.  St. Kitts is one of the most scenic islands in the Eastern Caribbean.  It is growing in popularity as a cruise destination but it still has a quiet atmosphere and the people that I’ve met on my various voyages were quite friendly.  

            One of St. Kitts attractions that I found particularly interesting was the Brimstone Hill Fortress.  The forts on most of the Caribbean islands that I have seen have not been terribly impressive.  However, Brimstone Hill is quite a different story.  It occupies a volcanic dome that towers some 800 feet over the sea and the surrounding countryside.  The sides of the dome are almost vertical.  At the top are the defense works consisting of a citadel with great stone walls and a number of defensive bastions that overlook sheer cliffs.

            As I was walking around the fortress, I couldn’t help but think what an incredible task it was to build such a structure at a time when horses were the primary means of power.  It was quite a feat of engineering.  Unfortunately, it also must have been a source of suffering for the slaves who actually performed the toil.

            Today, however, Brimstone Hill has lost any sinister atmosphere it may have once had.  The views from the ramparts are simply spectacular.  St. Kitts’ coastal plain stretches out below and you can see miles out across the blue sea.  In the other direction are the mountains and a verdant mountain valley.  Punctuating the scene are stone ruins that would have enthralled the 19^th Century romantic poets.

            Brimstone Hill is one topic covered in our cruise destination photo guide.  It is posted at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StKitts-1.html  

St. Croix Cruise Destination Photo Guide; Talking with Celebrity Silhouette's Cruise Director

          

  To round out our coverage of the United States Virgin Islands, this week we are presenting a cruise destination photo guide to St. Criox.  The largest of the USVI islands, St. Croix may be the least visited by cruise passengers.  This is probably due to several things including the fact that the island is too far from St. Thomas practically to do a day trip during a call there but yet too close for ships to visit both as ports of call.  Also, St. Croix has suffered from an image of being crime ridden.

            Nonetheless, St. Criox appears to be gaining popularity as a port of call.  A large investment was made in recent years to improve the cruise port facilities.  In addition, locals appear to be successful in getting the word out that its crime rate is not really different than elsewhere in the Caribbean.

            Like the rest of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix has some pretty beaches and scenic mountains.  However, the island has also managed to preserve much from its past.  Both Christiansted and Frederiksted, the island’s principal towns, have quite a few buildings dating back to the Danish colonial period.  Indeed, some of these have been declared landmarks of the U.S. government.  Thus, St. Croix has something of interest for the historically and architecturally-minded.

            Our cruise destination photo guide to St. Croix begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StCroix-1.html

            My last visit to St. Croix was on the Celebrity Silhouette.  She is a beautiful, elegant new ship.   However, one of the things that brings a ship to life and which can make or break a cruise experience is the entertainment.  Therefore, I spoke with Silhouette’s cruise director Paul Baya about what type of entertainment people should expect on Silhouette.  That interview is posted at  http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-cruise-director-interview.html

            In addition, I have put together a slideshow of scenes from a cruise on Silhouette.  My hope is that this will supplement our extended photo tour of the ship and help you to get a feel for this fine ship.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-slideshow.html  

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