New Passenger Freighter Voyages for Up to 80 Year Olds

Columbus Loop – Short World Voyage – From Seattle or Vancouver to the
east coast or from the east coast to Seattle or Vancouver.
Weekly sailings – 15 vessels in the service – 16 ports on a full round
voyage of 105 days.
Proposed port list (subject to change) – Seattle, Vancouver, Yokohama,
Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Mediterranean Sea
and Suez Canal passage, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Mediterranean Sea
and Suez Canal passage, Tanjung Pelepas, Hong Kong, Yantian, Shanghai,
Pusan, Seattle.

India America Express – Weekly liner service between the east coast and
India, Pakistan and the Suez Canal area. Eight vessels sailing 56 days
for a complete round voyage of 10 ports. Port List (subject to change) –
New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston, Mediterranean Sea passage, Port
Said, Suez Canad Passage, Jeddah, Muhammad Bin Qasim Karachi, Nhava
Sheva Jawaharlal Nehru, Mundra, Damietta, New York.

Pacific East Coast 2 – From Ensenada (Mexico) through the Panama Canal
and the Caribbean, the Far East and back to Ensenada. Weekly service
with 11 ships in the service and 15 ports of call with a complete round
voyage length of 77 days. Port List (subject to change) – Ensenada,
Manzanillo (Mexico), Punta Manzanillo (Panama), Panama Canal transit,
Cartagena, Kingston, Caucedo, Puerto Cabello, Port of Spain, Chiwan,
Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Pusan, Ensenada.

Pacific Express 3 – Around the World in 77 days including passages of
the Panama Canal, Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. Weekly service
with 11 ships and 15 ports.
Port List (subject to change) – Houston, Mobile, Miami, Jacksonville,
Savannah, Charleston, Tanger Med, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Chiwan, Shanghai, Pusan, Balboa, Punta Manzanillo (Panama), Houston.

The French-flag passenger freighter M.V. CMA-CGM ROSSINI will sail
a 21-day itinerary every 47 days, starting 22 October, 2010. The
itinerary is Charleston, Savannah, Freeport(Bahamas), Veracruz (Mexico),
Altamira (Mexico), Houston, New Orleans, Freeport, Savannah and back to Charleston.
The ship has five cabins, each with a double bed or twin beds. All
cabins have two wide windows in front, private bathroom with shower, wash
basin and toilet, private lounge, refrigerator (handy for your
duty-free beverages available on board), desk and locker.
Dining is in the officers’ mess with the senior officers. Other
amenities include a small gym with ping pong, and rowing machine. There
is also a small outdoor pool, and you will find deck chairs on the sun deck.
The passenger lounge on E deck includes sofa, easy chairs, tea table,
game table, small library, TV and DVD player, Hi Fi set and a refrigerator.
Also on E deck is the laundry with washer and dryer. This ship is
equipped with an elevator. Please note that passengers must be mobile
as elevators do not work in rough seas or emergencies.

REQUIRED – Valid passport which expires a minimum of 6 months after the
conclusion of the voyage. Passengers carrying passports, other than
American or Canadian, must obtain a US visa.

The fares for these voyages including port taxes/bank transfer fees,
and deviation insurance are:
Doubles – each of two – Euro 2170
Single use of a double cabin – Euro 2380

All passengers are required to carry emergency hospital/medical
insurance including emergency evacuation (sometimes called air
ambulance) coverage. Not required but strongly recommended is
cancellation insurance to protect your fare in the event of illness,
accident or bereavement of yourself, your travelling companion or
immediate family members. We are happy to quote on this insurance for
Canadian residents. We will supply a source for American residents if
they so wish. There will be a medical form for your doctor to
complete indicating you are in satisfactory health to sail in a ship
with no medical facilities or doctor on board. Age limit is 75 (now 80
with 2 good medical reports from your doctor – one with deposit and one
within a month of sailing)!

Booking requirements:
Cabins are held for one week at no obligation. At the end of that time,
completed booking form is required and a 25% deposit is due. Balance is
due 10 weeks prior to scheduled sailing. Payments are in EUROS and may
be sent to us by bank draft, money order or wire transfer. Please note that banks
charge both you and us service charges for wire transfers. Bookings
closer in than 10 weeks require full payment with acceptance of the
option. Medical certificate and proof of insurance should be submitted
closer to sailing date (see top of medical form).

Please note that this is a working cargo vessel and the cargo takes
priority. There is always the possibility of a night port call or a short
stay in port if cargo requirements are light.

Review of RMS QUEEN MARY 2 Queens Grill – with client’s permission

Image via Wikipedia

I never thought we would travel in the Queens Grill of a Cunard Liner, but the "upgrade fairy" kindly favoured us with such a treat on the eastbound crossing of 21st May on Queen Mary 2. Prior to this, the only time we were in the Queens Grill was to attend muster drill on the QE2 two years ago. In honour of our 40^th wedding anniversary, which was a few days prior to the voyage, we splurged by booking a Princess Grill stateroom. The upgrade came about three weeks before the trip. The U.S. Cunard site (which Canadians must use) is silent on anniversary celebrations, but the U.K. site promises a number of treats – and the actual anniversary date doesn’t need to be whilst on board, just reasonably close. I took a chance and sent a copy of the marriage certificate to Cunard’s California office and asked if we would qualify for this package. A quick reply assured us we did. The cost of a postage stamp was a good investment: we were provided with some roses, a respectable bottle of faux-champagne (in addition to the real thing provided to everyone in Queens Grill and the not-so-good bubbly sent from the Cunard World Club) a box of chocolates, a certificate from the Commodore and a voucher for a photograph of our choice. On one of the cruise blog sites, those on this side of the pond complain about the discrepancy in this complimentary amenity, so we were lucky to get it.

We had the added bonus of departing from Manhattan’s traditional Pier 90 thanks to a collision between some other ship and the main gangway of the new terminal in Brooklyn. My initial concerns about whether humble people like us would feel out of place in QG were quickly dispelled at the first lunch with the friendly people at our table. We were immediately at ease with a couple from England and another couple from Scotland. A seventh person had been squeezed in at our table for six and this was a stroke of luck. That seventh man was the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of London. A reduced orchestra of 30 was on board to give two performances each of two concerts. The final concert was a thoroughly-enjoyable Last Night of the Proms – with Union flags provided. Three of our table-mates joined the passenger choir. I resisted the invitation explaining that I might be barely acceptable for Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia, but my participation in Handel’s Largo in four-part harmony would be grim indeed. With that explanation the maestro ceased further attempts at conscripting me.

The Queens Grill experience was everything we expected it to be. The two Grills restaurants are almost identical, but as is to be expected there is slightly more choice in QG and the Maitre D’ encourages off-menu ordering, something we never did because the daily and the a la carte menus offered all our favourite meals. It is easy to be spoiled by such a degree of luxury, although Cunard has never disappointed us on any of our seven crossings – the first one was on the QE2 in 1973 – however modest our accommodation. Regarding the “elegant casual” dress code (jacket but no tie required) for the first and last night of a crossing, I had read that many men will wear a tie, especially in the Grill rooms. I have never gone to dinner in an elegant restaurant without a tie and I don’t intend to start now, so I was pleased that a significant number of men, albeit in the minority, felt the same way. On formal nights, formal meant formal to at least 90% of the men. From my wanderings about the ship, I would say the Grills were no more formal than the Britannia restaurant. Most of the women did not wear ball gowns; tasteful long dresses were in the majority.

I have been asked by some friends whether the difference in fare between Princess and Queens Grills is worth it. My answer would be yes – if money is no object. But for people of modest means it probably isn’t worth it. The fare difference between PG and the smallest QG suite, which we had, is usually considerable, although occasionally there is a superb deal offered. PG passengers get the same priority embarkation as QG and use of the Grills deck, Concierge Lounge and Queens Grill Lounge. The small QG suite is about a third larger than the PG rooms and if you put a dollar value on the other benefits: real Champagne, the complimentary in-suite bar (two bottles to start with and the promise of a refill if needed) the Jacuzzi and butler service, it may not be worth it to many people. But it was a fabulous experience and if Cunard ever wants to upgrade us again we won’t say no!

LiveJournal Tags: Queen Mary 2,Queens Grill,Princess Grill

New Method of Crewing on RMS Queen Mary 2

As Cunard Line’s RMS Queen Mary 2 arrived in Southampton yesterday, not only did her passengers change, but so did a number of her crew. Revealed this week was the fact that the ship also now carries large numbers of crew members who are married to each other and live in "married quarters" on board. What with the romance of being at sea, there is apparently more of this than is commonly known.

This arrangement not only solves the age-old problem of family members being away when one goes to sea, but also cuts down the demand that family members be able to travel with crew members from time to time. The spouses now both work for the company instead.

By some estimates as many as 15% could be working and living under these arrangements, many of whom have met on board either Queen Mary 2 or another of the Cunard ships.

Celebrity Cruises Presents Exotic New Voyages in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and French Polynesia

Image via Wikipedia

 

Like the boomerang, believed to have originated in Australia, Celebrity Cruises has announced plans to return to the region in 2011-12, with an enticing new series of holidays on Celebrity Century.

“This marks a significant expansion of Celebrity’s diverse array of global vacation options,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. “We’re thrilled to return to Australia and New Zealand. It’s a region our guests and trade partners around the world have said they wanted to experience again with Celebrity, pairing our award-winning dining, exceptional service and high style with the beauty, charm and diversity of the area. This move further exemplifies our ‘Designed for you’ platform, and how we fulfill what cruisers desire.”

Marking the line’s first return to the land Down Under in two years, Celebrity’s new Australia and New Zealand season – bookended by a series of holiday options in Hawaii – features a total of 36 ports in six countries: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, French Polynesia, the U.S. and Mexico. The lineup includes 10 distinct itineraries, with six varied departure ports, including Sydney and Perth (Fremantle), Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Honolulu, Hawaii; San Diego, California, and Ensenada, Mexico.

Celebrity’s new series begins October 2, 2011, with two consecutive 15-night Hawaii sailings from San Diego, followed by a 10-night Hawaii cruise from Ensenada to Honolulu. An 18-night “Pacific Jewels” voyage departs Honolulu November 11, followed by five 12- and 13-night New Zealand cruises between Sydney and Auckland, including a holiday sailing departing Sydney December 24. These offer a more destination-rich experience for cruisers, with only three days at sea, versus five on most competing lines’ itineraries.

Cruisers also have the opportunity to experience a rare, 36-night circumnavigational voyage – a first for Celebrity – through two combinable 18-night sailings: One will sail around the southern portion of Australia, featuring an overnight stay in Sydney and transits through three sounds – Milford, Doubtful and Dusky – in New Zealand’s World Heritage-designated Fiordland National Park. The second of the combinable 18-night sailings takes cruisers around Australia’s northern coast, and features a visit to the idyllic island of Bali, Indonesia – marking yet another first for Celebrity.

The new series also includes two, 18-night Trans-Pacific voyages visiting the French Polynesian islands and Hawaii.

Among the ports Celebrity will visit for the first time are Geraldton, Broome, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane, Adelaide, Albany, Bunbury and Perth, Australia, in addition to Burnie, Tasmania, and Bali.

To complement the cruises and allow passegers to delve deeper into the land Down Under, Celebrity has created a series of cruisetour packages, with details to be announced when bookings open for the entire slate of vacation options on Thursday, July 29. Celebrity also will announce details of an early booking incentive on that date.

The 1,814-passenger Celebrity Century is ideal for offering guests spectacular views of the scenic region, having been refitted in 2006 to add 314 new verandas, along with the elegant Murano restaurant and the truly “cool” Martini ice bar.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, onboard programmes, and world-class cuisine. Celebrity sails in Alaska, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s honours include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of 10 ships. Its $US3.7-billion investment in building five Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest five-year investment in premium cruising. For more information, call The Cruise People 800-961-5536 or Skype the.cruise.people

Holland America Line Continues Weekly Bermuda Cruises in 2011

 

Holland America Line will offer 24 seven-day cruises to Bermuda aboard ms Veendam in 2011, continuing the schedule established this year with weekly cruises to the popular holiday destination.

Holland America Line returned to regular Bermuda service departing from New York in 2010 after more than 25 years. The 2011 voyages begin May 1 and will sail roundtrip from New York through Oct. 9, calling at St. George’s and Hamilton.

“Bermuda offers our guests an outstanding warm-weather vacation experience, with pristine beaches, cultural charm and world-class shopping and golf,” said Richard D. Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programmes. “Our roundtrip departures from New York also provide exciting pre- and post-cruise stay and sightseeing opportunities, making this a unique and very attractive itinerary.”

The 1,350-passenger Veendam will spend one day at St. George’s and two nights at Hamilton, providing guests with multiple opportunities to experience the island’s British charm, world-renowned pink-sand beaches and abundant cultural heritage sites by day and to sample its lively evening restaurant and nightclub scene.

Bermuda offers holiday activities for the entire family, from the historic Globe Hotel in St. George’s — a centre for Confederate blockade runners during the American Civil War and today a museum — to water sports including kayaking, deep sea fishing and snorkelling. Passengers can choose from more than 40 shore excursions, including Atlantic Reef fishing, scuba diving and dolphin encounters in Hamilton and horse and carriage tours and a glass-bottomed kayak eco-tour in St. George’s.

The weekly itineraries will call first at St. George’s, Bermuda’s original capital. Founded in 1609, the town of St. George’s in the northeast area of Bermuda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the Americas. Narrow, twisting streets and pastel-painted houses create a European feel. Its diverse historic and cultural sites include St. Peter’s Church, the oldest continually used Anglican Church in North America, and Fort St. Catherine, with displays of weapons, artifacts and a replica of the British Crown Jewels. More than a dozen forts dating to the 17th century command the surrounding hills.

Following St. George’s, travellers will have the opportunity to explore the island’s capital, Hamilton, which is the commercial hub and seat of government located at Bermuda’s geographic centre. From Veendam — docked at the center of town — guests can take a short walk to Front Street and explore its array of colourful shops and restaurants. Hamilton also is home to a massive 19th-century, neo-Gothic cathedral and the Georgian-style Sessions House, built in 1815.

Cruise fares begin at $US699 per person plus taxes, double occupancy. For more information, consult The Cruise People 1.800.900.0889

LiveJournal Tags: Hamilton,St. George’s,Cruise People

Shipboard Credit with Viking River Cruises

From now until 31 August The Cruise People, Ltd. has available a $50 shipboard credit for most river sailings in Russia, Europe and China for the this year and 2011.

 

This credit is combinable with many other offers.

ECA Could Hurt Canadian Cruising

Emission Control Areas are going to affect the cruise industry and cruise ports within these areas. Under current regulations, cruise ships within 200 miles of the Canadian coast can use fuel that is 1.5 to 2.5 percent sulphur. The proposed cuts, set out in an agreement with the United States, would demand sharp cuts in sulphur over the next five years, to start in 2012. The sulphur limit will be 1 percent by 2012 and 0.1 percent by 2015.
Now, the first cruise line has announced that it might have to drop cruises from the UK to Canada if the new emissions regulations go into effect for cruise ships. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said that the extra fuel cost of $17,000 a day would make it uneconomical for them to do so. Unlike container ships that can turn around and just leave the 200-mile coastal zone, cruise ships stay within that zone as they sail between North American ports – and at to-day’s cruising speeds it can take half a day’s steaming to get out of a 200-mile ECA area.
The same rules will apply to all Alaska cruises, whether leaving from Vancouver or Seattle, itself a huge trade. It is hard to believe that such a cack-handed result could be obtained from this movement, which was started by the US Environmental Protection Agency saying that 14,000 lives a year might be saved from reducing ships’ emissions. Where did they get this number?  And just how many lives could be saved by cutting smog in Los Angeles?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Clean-air rules spark cruise boycott threat (cbc.ca)
• Cruise ships ask for break on fuel requirement (theglobeandmail.com)
• Clean-fuel rules may prompt cruise line to bypass Canada (theglobeandmail.com)

ECA Could Hurt Canadian Cruising

Emission Control Areas are going to affect the cruise industry and cruise ports within these areas. Under current regulations, cruise ships within 200 miles of the Canadian coast can use fuel that is 1.5 to 2.5 percent sulphur. The proposed cuts, set out in an agreement with the United States, would demand sharp cuts in sulphur over the next five years, to start in 2012. The sulphur limit will be 1 percent by 2012 and 0.1 percent by 2015.
Now, the first cruise line has announced that it might have to drop cruises from the UK to Canada if the new emissions regulations go into effect for cruise ships. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said that the extra fuel cost of $17,000 a day would make it uneconomical for them to do so. Unlike container ships that can turn around and just leave the 200-mile coastal zone, cruise ships stay within that zone as they sail between North American ports – and at to-day’s cruising speeds it can take half a day’s steaming to get out of a 200-mile ECA area.
The same rules will apply to all Alaska cruises, whether leaving from Vancouver or Seattle, itself a huge trade. It is hard to believe that such a cack-handed result could be obtained from this movement, which was started by the US Environmental Protection Agency saying that 14,000 lives a year might be saved from reducing ships’ emissions. Where did they get this number?  And just how many lives could be saved by cutting smog in Los Angeles?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Clean-air rules spark cruise boycott threat (cbc.ca)
• Cruise ships ask for break on fuel requirement (theglobeandmail.com)
• Clean-fuel rules may prompt cruise line to bypass Canada (theglobeandmail.com)

Christmas in 2011

We all know how hard it is to get a family get together planned.

We are pleased that Holland America Line has delivered its Holiday Sailings brochure for Christmas 2011.

Just contact us at 1-800-961-5536 or cruise@thecruisepeople.ca to receive yours.

LiveJournal Tags: Christmas,family vacation,family holiday

Ted Koppel and Mary Higgins Clark on Silversea

 

Silversea Cruises has landed two renowned celebrities from the worlds of journalism and literature to guest lecture aboard two Silver Whisper voyages. ABC News veteran Ted Koppel will host the 10-day, Stockholm-to-Southampton voyage (#4025) departing 23 August 2010, and bestselling suspense novelist Mary Higgins Clark will be the featured speaker on the 16-day, Buenos Aires-to-Santiago cruise (#4102) departing 20 January 2011.

Ted Koppel is the managing editor for the Discovery Channel, the largest cable network in the United States. In this role, he hosts Koppel on Discovery, a series of programmes examining major global topics and events. The Emmy Award-winning journalist spent 42 years at ABC News. From 1980 until 2005, he was the presenter and managing editor of ABC News Nightline, one of the most honoured broadcasts in television history.

Mary Higgins Clark is known as America’s Queen of Suspense. The worldwide bestselling author — whose books have sold over one hundred million copies in the US alone — has penned dozens of suspense thrillers, including one set on the high seas, Santa Cruise, co-authored with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark. Her latest novel, The Shadow of Your Smile, published in April, is already a New York Times bestseller.

Steve Tucker, Silversea’s vice president of field sales for North America, said: "It’s a special honour for us to welcome Mr Koppel and Ms Clark on these two voyages. We know our guests will be intrigued by their stories and insights."

On their respective Silver Whisper voyages, Mr. Koppel and Ms Clark will host lectures and a Q&A session.

Silversea Cruises is recognised as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering passengers large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels:  Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper and Silver Spirit — all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance.  With the inclusion of the expedition ship Prince Albert II, the company’s itineraries encompass all seven continents.

In the US, Silversea has been voted "World’s Best" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times), and rated Number-One luxury cruise line by high-net-worth consumers in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI).  International awards include "Best Innovation in Products and Services" from the Italian Innovazione Marketing Oggi Awards (2009); "World’s Leading Small Ships Cruise Line" from World Travel Awards (2009); "Five Star Diamond Award" from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2010); "Number One" small-ship line in the Readers’ Choice survey conducted by Britain’s Condé Nast Traveller magazine (2007); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" Excellence Award by Spain’s Cruise News Media Group (2009); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Australia’s Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (2010); and "Best Luxury Cruise Operator" according to Asia’s Travel Weekly (2008).

LiveJournal Tags: Ted Koppel,Mary Higgins Clark