“Back to the 30′s” – To-morrow’s Cruise Ships Will Be More Crowded

By Kevin Griffin  The Cruise People, Ltd.  London

In an article in “Fox Business” last Friday entitled “Next Generation Cruise Ships Might Not Be the Best,” Paul Motter pointed out a rather interesting thing about the new cruise ships now under construction for the major lines, and something that no one else seems to have noticed as yet – but they will have less space than their immediate predecessors.

Motter’s opening words were, “A fundamental change is happening in the cruise industry right now that could affect cruise travellers. The major lines are still building new ships, but the long-standing belief that the newest ships are always the best might no longer be true. The next wave of cruise ships set to arrive in 2012 and 2013 will be optimised for the new economic reality.”

Just as cruise lines have been building bigger and bigger so that economies of scale could allow them to keep cruise prices down and attract a wider audience, so now they have decided to squeeze a few more passengers aboard their newest ships. Part of this has no doubt been caused by the fact that the lines had significantly to reduce fares to attract custom during the recent recession, making them more reliant on on board revenue, which can now generate another 40-50% additional revenue over the ticket price.

Going back a bit, the first use of the term “Passenger Space Ratio” seems to have been by Douglas Ward twenty-five years ago in the first (1986) edition of his “Berlitz Complete Handbook to Cruising.” It is calculated by dividing a cruise ship’s gross tonnage by the number of passengers carried in lower beds, but can also be assessed by counting all beds, including third and fourth berths.

It is not appreciated by many that a ship’s gross tonnage is actually a measure of volume – at one time a gross ton was equivalent to 100 cubic feet, although that is no longer the case. And while gross tonnage is a measure of a ship’s total internal capacity, some have said that using a ship’s net tonnage, the measure of its revenue-earning spaces, would be more accurate.

At any rate, a high passenger space ratio indicates a roomy ship. Britain’s “Choosing Cruising” web site breaks this down into categories as follows: “below 20 poor; 20-30 average; 30-40 good; 40-50 very good; over 50 excellent.” Here are the calculations for the major classes of cruise ship in service today and the calculations as well for those now on order:

As long as cruise lines (the notable exception being NCL) have been building ships with PSR’s in excess of 40, there has been very good space for customers even if passenger numbers have been growing. But now, Princess and Royal Caribbean are planning to go back from the 40′s into the 30′s to join NCL in the “less space” brigade. Princess passengers who are used to their two Panamaxes, the Coral Princess and Island Princess and the Mitsubishi-built Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess are particularly likely to notice less space on the new Royal Princess when she arrives. Carnival, on the other hand, seems to be going in the opposite direction with its latest trio and staying above 40.

However, it is worth remembering the advice of Douglas Ward twenty-five years ago, when in his handbook he said “a passenger space ratio above 30 can be considered extremely spacious.”
In earlier years, a 22,000-ton ship carrying 1,000 passengers would have had a PSR of only 22, so we have got used to living in relatively prosperous times.

Finally, to quote Paul Motter in “Fox Business” once more, “while the cruise lines will inevitably market the forthcoming cruise ships most ardently, in fact the ‘greatest generation’ of ships is already here. For decades, the rule of ship selection had been ‘newer is better,’ but with this coming generation of new cruise ships starting in 2012 and 2013, that will no longer be true. The best ships will still be those of the 2008 – 2011 vintage – and they could become relative bargains.”

AEGEAN ODYSSEY, Voyages to Antiquity, 31 May to 15 June 2011.

 

Where to begin? Well, the logical place is Toronto’s Pearson International Airport where I boarded an Alitalia plane on the late afternoon of 31 May for an overnight flight to Rome. I had made the booking through The Cruise People several months earlier and, with documents and passport all in order, I settled in for a seven-hour flight.

At Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport the meet-and-greet service functioned properly and before long I was aboard a coach for the journey to my hotel. The route took us through some of Rome’s most historic areas and, in fact, it took about 1 hour 30 minutes from the airport to the Hotel Visconti Palace where I stayed for the next two nights. Most, if not all, Voyages to Antiquity journeys include a land-based component either prior to the cruise or immediately after. The Visconti Palace hotel was modern and efficient, and my room was ready without any waiting period. The word “Palace” in the hotel’s title seemed a little excessive, but there was no doubt that it was an entirely satisfactory location for the next two days. Breakfast was included, and for other meals there were several restaurants nearby in addition to the hotel’s open-air restaurant on the seventh floor.

Voyages to Antiquity takes its name seriously. The itineraries are destination driven and the rich history of the Mediterranean forms the basis of every shore excursion. My journey, titled “The grand object of all travel is to see the shores of the Mediterranean,” a quotation by Dr. Samuel Johnson, was to take me from Rome to Venice, with 12 days aboard Aegean Odyssey but only one full day at sea. The first two days in Rome, though, included tours each morning, one to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon, and the other to the Colosseum and the Forum, followed by a coach journey of about 40 miles to Civitavecchia, the port from which the ship departed. Rome itself is some miles from the sea and it does not have its own port. The nearest one of any size is at Civitavecchia.

For each tour in Rome and during the following 12 days a considerable amount of walking was required, often on rough and uneven surfaces, some paved and some unpaved, and frequently uphill and downhill. A descriptive booklet issued to each passenger grades each tour as 1, 2 or 3 in its degree of strenuousness. In my opinion most of these tours are not suitable for anyone with limited mobility. Add to that the fact that the Mediterranean can be quite hot during the summer months and that the historic sites tend to be busy with visitors. Still, I have to say that I really enjoyed these shore excursions. The sites were unfailingly interesting and had much to tell me of the history, architecture, religion and art of the various regions. If I had to choose a favourite, it would be Segesta in Sicily, where the Greek temple and the nearby open-air theatre had survived for 2,500 years in an excellent state of preservation. A close runner-up would be St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, where Aegean Odyssey’s passengers had a private evening tour of this impressive cathedral.

A bonus for two of the three shore excursions in Sicily was that they were about 15 to 20 miles from the ports where Aegean Odyssey was docked and the coach trip showed us the highlights of the cities of Trapani and Messina where we docked as well as the neighbouring countryside. However, I have to point out that for two of these excursions the ship was due to tender her passengers close to the historic sites but the captain stated that the weather forecast predicted choppy seas so he decided to dock his ship at the nearest city, thus making necessary the overland coach trips to the sites.

At each port at least one shore excursion was included in the fare. The fare also included gratuities to waiters and stewards. Several afternoon excursions were optional at additional cost. After Civitavecchia the ports were Bonifacio (Corsica), Cagliari (Sardinia), Trapani, Palermo and Messina (all three in Sicily), Valletta (Malta), Dubrovnik and Split (both in Croatia) and Venice.

For each shore excursion, the coaches were air conditioned and in the hands of capable drivers. The local guides that accompanied each excursion had a good command of English and were remarkably well informed about the sites we visited. Modern technology being what it is, the passengers carried a voice-controlled transmitter system that consisted of a receiver that could fit into a shirt pocket, with a neck strap and an earphone. This allowed the guide to talk in a conversational voice, and even at a distance the guide’s comments were audible. It is a fact, however, that even the best guides tend to talk to excess and seem unaware that people can sometimes learn on their own through their eyes without the need of a spoken commentary.

Still, I must state that the guides were pleasant, professional and knowledgeable.

My cruise took place in the first half of June when temperatures ranged from 24 to 30 degrees Celsius (76 to 86 Fahrenheit). A nice touch occurred when we disembarked from the ship to board the coaches for the shore excursions. A steward stood at the foot of the gangway handing out bottles of ice-cold water. On our return he offered small cups of iced tea or some other drink before we ascended the gangway..

Which bring us to Aegean Odyssey herself, a ship of 11,563 gross tons and a length of 461 feet.

From an unlikely beginning as a roll-off roll-on cargo ship built in the 1970s, she was first converted in the 1980s to a cruise ship that could accommodate 576 passengers and she operated budget-level cruises mostly in Mediterranean waters. Then she was acquired by her current owners in 2009 and completely updated and refurbished. Instead of 576 passengers she now carries a maximum of only 370. She has 198 suites and staterooms, 40 of them having private balconies. I never saw the ship in her previous incarnation, but it appears that the most recent transformation was carried out with a generous budget.

After her several conversions and updates, the white-hulled Aegean Odyssey has a pleasing and distinctive profile and in the ports that she shared with much larger and more modern cruise ships she did not in the least look out of place.

The reduction in passenger capacity has brought a number of benefits. For example, on Deck 3 the Marco Polo dining room is the same one as she had previously but now, completely refurbished, there is more space between tables and there is a good number of tables for two persons, something that is frequently lacking in many cruise ships. Other tables hold four or six people.

The Marco Polo room is open for lunch and dinner and within a two-hour time frame passengers can dine when they like and with whom they like. The waiters are nearly all Filipino and I found them pleasant and efficient at all times. The menus themselves offer a good selection of dishes for each course and the plates are attractively presented. The food has a Mediterranean influence, appropriate considering the itinerary of the cruise. I recall that the day after we left Palermo the menu included swordfish that had been bought in that city the previous day. Dinner on the day we left Messina included fish that had been obtained in port that morning. Dinner includes red or white wine (or beer or a soft drink) at no additional charge. However, more sophisticated vintages are available at extra cost. While the journey, land and sea, included at no additional cost at least one shore excursion from each port, the fare also included gratuities to waiters and stateroom stewards, as well as transfers between the airport and hotel at the start of the cruise and from the ship to the airport when the voyage ended. These features make it simple to calculate the entire cost before making a booking.

For dining, passengers are not limited to the Marco Polo Room on Deck 3. The Terrace Café and Grill aft on Deck 6 is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Terrace has both an indoor section (nicely air conditioned like the rest of the ship) and an outdoor area. When the ship was in port I frequently used the outdoor section with the harbour forming an always interesting background. Although the meals were self-service buffet style, invariably a waiter was always on hand to carry the tray from the buffet to the table. Breakfast included all the standard dishes, while lunch and dinner always offered a fairly wide selection for each course.

At four o’clock each afternoon tea was served in the Terrace Café and at 10:30 every evening snacks were provided in the Charleston Lounge. Throughout the day coffee and tea, along with pastries, were available on the Lido Deck near the Swimming Pool. While a swimming pool is a standard item on nearly all cruise ships, it is not always widely used, and this applied to Aegean Odyssey’s pool. The chairs around the pool were made of wood and I noticed that the ship’s directory correctly described them as chaises longues, not as chaise lounges, a faux pas that is all too common in North America. Sun worshippers could find many chaises longues aft on Lido Deck while passengers that preferred a shady location could locate a few aft on the Bridge Deck.

Most of Aegean Odyssey’s public rooms were on Deck 6. Forward was the large Ambassador Lounge. Although only one deck high, the floor was slightly raked so that those on the back row could still see the stage. This lounge was where the ship’s lectures were held. On my voyage, the ship carried two enrichment lecturers who were well qualified to talk about their specialties and were always approachable to the passengers. Lecturers are mostly British and sometimes American, often recruited from the ranks of academe or diplomacy.

Midships stood the Charleston Lounge, perhaps Aegean Odyssey’s most attractive room. It was the social centre of the ship, where passengers seemed to congregate instinctively. At one end stood a bar (beer US$3.50, whisky US$5.00, service charge 12½ per cent). Mention of the bar reminds me that the ship’s policy regarding alcohol is that bottles brought aboard must be handed in to Security at the gangway and will be returned to its owner at the end of the cruise. This regulation, common to many cruise lines, tended to irk more than a few passengers.

At the other end of the Charleston Lounge stood a platform where the entertainers performed. Aegean Odyssey does not go in for flamboyance. The entertainment consisted of a trio that played the lighter classics, and a cocktail pianist who specialized in the works of Kern, Berlin, Gershwin and Rogers. There were no comedians, vocalists, magicians or chorus line—and no one seemed to miss them. If you want to know what else Aegean Odyssey did not provide, there was no casino, no photographer, no offers of gold chains at $1.00 per inch at the ship’s shop, no birthday cakes with sparklers in the dining room and no Baked Alaska at dinner on the final night.

The ship had a well laid-out shop with above-average quality merchandise. It was located on the port side aft, close to the Terrace Café. On the corresponding position on the starboard side was the Library, a comfortable and inviting room. Voyages to Antiquity takes its journeys seriously, as a glance at the enrichment lecturers listed on the website will prove. Thus the Library contains a wide selection of books related to the voyages. Many are serious books written by authorities past and present. Personally, I think that few, if any, passengers will get through all three volumes of Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” in the course of a single voyage. Still there was also a selection of lighter titles as well as board games such as chess, Monopoly and Scrabble. At several ports English-language newspapers were brought aboard.

A room that saw only limited use during my voyage was the Observation Lounge on Deck 9. The windows on three sides gave commanding views of the sea but the lounge’s most frequent occupants were bridge players who were more concerned with their cards than with the scenery.

Aegean Odyssey’s passenger accommodation is spread over four decks. The suites and cabins fall into 14 price categories. I occupied Cabin 433, an inside cabin forward on Columbus Deck (Deck 4). Although it measured only about 130 square feet, it was sufficient for my needs. It had two single beds, which could not be combined to form a double bed. The drawer space and closet space were satisfactory but I noted that the closet has plastic coat hangers rather than wooden ones. The cabin had a small flat-screen television and a safe. The bathroom had a shower but some of the larger staterooms and cabins had a combined tub/shower. The higher-priced staterooms and suites had additional amenities such as refrigerators. My cabin steward was efficient and friendly.

On most of Aegean Odyssey’s voyages, most passengers come from the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, with a few other nationalities thrown in. The ship operates exclusively in the English language. A point to remember is that there are very few announcements on the public-address system.

One feature that sets Aegean Odyssey apart from most cruise ships is that no two consecutive voyages follow an identical itinerary. Thus on my voyage after most passengers disembarked at Venice about 40 remained aboard for the next cruise. For the remainder of 2011 and for the 2012 season she will operate almost exclusively in the Mediterranean, with a foray or two into the Black Sea. Her cruising season runs from March to November.

My cruise ended at Venice where the ship stayed overnight. I disembarked and boarded a coach for Venice’s Marco Polo airport where I took a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, to be followed by a much longer Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Toronto.

In summary, I enjoyed my journey more than I had anticipated. The ship herself has been converted thoroughly and what she offered in the way of accommodation, cuisine, enrichment, entertainment and service surpassed my expectations. The shore excursions were consistently interesting even to someone like me, who has only a limited knowledge of the long history of the Mediterranean. Travel arrangements from arrival to departure went off without the slightest problem.

Voyages to Antiquity and its one-ship fleet operate in a niche market. The company seems to have a firm knowledge of the desires, tastes and interests of its typical passengers and what they want to achieve from their cruise. Its ship and the itineraries are likely to attract return passengers.

If questions arise, I will be pleased to respond.

LiveJournal Tags: Aegean Odyssey

Swan’s MINERVA Sails from Portsmouth for The First Time

Minerva makes her maiden voyage from Portsmouth

The Band of HM Royal Marines of Portsmouth gave a spectacular quayside performance as Minerva sailed away from her new homeport of historic Portsmouth for the first time.

The sun shone for passengers as she set sail for her first ‘no-fly‘ cruise of the summer, ‘Coast of the Kingdom’, which explores the stunning coastline of Britain and Ireland.

Minerva will return to the conveniently accessible new cruise terminal for a series of no-fly cruises in July and August before heading back to the Mediterranean and beyond for the late summer season.

Pullmantur Comes to Canada

Image via Wikipedia

Advantages

All Pullmantur Cruises sold in Canada (other than the “Mexican Pacific) include the following exclusive amenities:

1. ALL INCLUSIVE CRUISE – includes stateroom of choice, all food, all entertainment, all soft drinks, coffees, afternoon tea and tapas, all domestic beer, all domestic (Spanish and Portuguese) wines, all liquor and water. (You  can SAVE over $250 per person or more per week)
2. FOR THE YOUNGEST ONES – Infants – All children sharing cabin with parents up to 2 years of age – FREE CRUISE AND PORT CHARGES / NO CHARGE, available on ALL CRUISES, ALL YEAR!
3. WE UNDERSTAND YOUNG PEOPLE – All children sharing cabin with Parents from 2-17 years of age (not yet turned 17) – FREE CRUISE / PAY ONLY PORT CHARGES AND GRATUITIES, available on ALL CRUISES, ALL YEAR
4. INCLUDED TRAVEL INSURANCE – Medical repatriation, Family or companion repatriation due to medical repatriation of the insured, Minor or disabled escort, Medical assistance worldwide, repatriation of remains – NO CHARGE . 2 other optional insurance policies available for $28 and $45. (call for complete description and details). You travel worry free and with peace of mind.
5. COMPETITIVE PRICING – All Pullmantur Cruises are sold in Canada in U.S Dollars. Our per diems are less, due to our exclusive all-inclusive system, and offer you a unique experience for this type of cruise
7. RARE PORTS OF CALL – In both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, Pullmantur delivers ports of call not offered by the mass market cruise lines – Oporto Portugal, Bilbao Spain, Casablanca Morocco, Puerto Progreso Mexico, Colon Panama or La Guaira Venezuela. Expand your horizon with Pullmantur. Many of our cruises also allow you to embark from a choice of ports to suit your schedule and air routing.
8. HUMAN SIZED SHIPS – All the modern fleet of Pullmantur ships are comfortably sized and right for the itineraries they feature. Our smallest ship carries 1442 passengers (Ocean Dream), and largest ship 2733 passengers (Sovereign). 

Why The Cruise People?

For 40 years, The Cruise People, Ltd. has been designing the perfect sea holiday experience.

Whether you’re looking for expedition voyages, a luxury cruise, a river or barge trip or a passenger freighter passage, our specialists can help make you dreams come true – not matter where you go!

Here are a few great reasons for you to use The Cruise People:

• Whatever your budget, each detail of your trip will be meticulously handled by a travel professional who will offer you multiple customized options.
• We give you recommendations based on our personal travel experiences and offer you unadvertised specials and access to exclusive travel promotions.
• If anything were to go awry during your trip, you have a personal travel advocate standing by ready to help you navigate your way safely to your destination and then back home.

Feel free to contact us for a free consultation in North America at 1-800-961-5536 or in the UK on 020 7723 2450.

LiveJournal Tags: The Cruise People

Costa Cruises: The Biggest In Europe

by Kevin Griffin writing as http://www.latecruisenews.com/http:/the-cruise-examiner/

Figures released by Costa Crociere SpA of Genoa confirmed its position as Europe’s largest cruise operator, with 2.15 million passengers carried by its Costa, Aida and Iberocruceros brands last year. The overall passenger increase was 18% over 2009, with Costa group now operating twenty-six ships, fourteen under the Costa banner, eight with Aida and four with Iberocruceros, with another four for delivery by 2013, two each for Costa and Aida. The delivery and naming of  Costa Favolosa at Trieste on July 2 will bring Costa to fifteen ships and the Costa Group to twenty-seven.

The group’s consolidated revenues rose by around 12% in financial year 2010, reaching just under 3 billion euros. Costa Crociere is now one of Italy’s top ten most profitable companies and ranks 49th in terms of revenues in a 2010 survey of more than 3,700 Italian businesses that generated revenue of at least 50 million euros the previous year.

Costa has also recently announced its cruise itineraries for autumn 2011 and spring 2012. Its new programmes will include new mini-cruises, for those who would like to try Costa for the first time, new and exclusive itineraries in the Caribbean, new routes for South America and a new extended cruise from South America to China.

For those who would like to try Costa without going for a full week, in the spring and autumn of 2012  Costa Atlantica will offer a series of new 3-4-5 night mini-cruises from Savona to Barcelona, Ibiza or Palma, Ajaccio and Marseille, with embarkations available at any of Savona, Barcelona or Marseille.

On this side of the Atlantic,  Costa Mediterranea will offer a brand-new Caribbean itinerary from December through March. A new 7-night cruise from Guadeloupe will alternate on two itineraries that include Aruba, Curacao, Costa’s private island (Catalina), Isla Margarita, St Lucia, St Maarten, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados and Antigua.

Costa will also enhance its South America programme when Costa Victoria is based in Santos between December and March for 9-night cruises calling at Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Porto Belo and Ilhabela.

Costa Serena will also offer new Canaries and Madeira programmes.
From November through March, she will offer 11-night cruises from Savona to the Canaries and Madeira, as well as 14-night cruises to the Canaries and Madeira that will include calls in Spain and Morocco. Between November and March, Costa Serena will also offer 11-night cruises to Greece, Turkey and Israel, leaving Savona and calling at Katakolon, Ashdod, Haifa, Izmir, Piraeus and Civitavecchia.

In a special sailing to position  Costa Victoria from South America to Asia, she will depart Santos on March 7, 2012, on an unique 72-night cruise to Shanghai, with four different sectors being offered to the public. The first leg, from Santos to Savona, will be a 17-night crossing with calls at Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia, Recife, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, Madeira, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Barcelona. The second leg, leaving Savona on March 24, 2012, will depart for Dubai on an 18-night cruise calling at Naples, Port Said, the Suez Canal, Sharm el Sheik, Safaga, Aqaba, Salalah and Muscat.

The third leg will commence on April 11, 2012, in Dubai on a 20-night cruise to Singapore calling at Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Malè, Colombo, Phuket and Port Kelang. And finally, the fourth leg to Shanghai will be a 17-night cruise with calls at Bangkok, Ho Chi Min City, Da Nang, Halong Bay, Hainan and Hong Kong. Thereafter, from May 18, Costa Victoria will be based in Shanghai to offer a series of 4-5-6-7-night cruises for the growing Asian market.

In the Indian Ocean,  Costa Allegra will again sail from Mauritius on 14-night Indian Ocean cruises from November to March, calling at the Seychelles, Madagascar and Reunion on a route offered only by Costa.

Starting in 2012, there will be a Costa ship positioned in the Red Sea year-round. From November to March,  Grand Voyager, be chartered from Spanish affiliate Iberocruceros, will offer 7-night Red Sea cruises with calls in Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Given characteristics that make her ideal for sailing the Red Sea, the ship will be operated by Costa Cruises with its own staff, and the service, atmosphere and style of a Costa cruise. Then from March until the end of 2012, Costa’s own Costa Marina will take over the 7-night Red Sea itinerary.

In Europe, 8-night cruises in Costa Magica out of Amsterdam will allow guests to visit six of Europe’s top capital cities on one cruise: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Oslo. This cruise will also be available for boarding in Dover, which has been abandoned by MSC Cruises in favour of Southampton.

Meanwhile, after returning from her first world cruise, Costa Deliziosa will offer 11-night cruises to the North Cape and the Baltic, departing from Amsterdam.

From Germany, Costa Pacifica will be offering a series of 10-to-16-night cruises from Kiel and Hamburg, to the North Cape, Iceland, Spitzbergen and the Baltic.

Costa Luminosa from Amsterdam and  Costa Fortuna from Copenhagen will complete Costa’s North European operations, with7-night summer cruises to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic.

The new flagship, Costa Favolosa, will operate 7-night cruises in the United Arab Emirates and Oman throughout the winter of 2011 and 2012.

In the Far East, Costa Classica will leave Singapore on a 14-night itinerary, which can be broken down into two 7-night segments, sailing to Thailand and Malaysia. She will also operate 5-night cruises out of Hong Kong to Taiwan and Vietnam.

Back in the Caribbean, in addition to the new programme by Costa Mediterranea,  Costa Atlantica will operate a new 10-night itinerary from Miami, with calls at Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel and Nassau. And for the first time  Costa Luminosa will be positioned in the Caribbean to run 7-night cruises from Guadeloupe, calling at a different island each day. Caribbean passengers will also be able to enjoy the line’s private beach resort at Catalina in the Dominican Republic.

In South America, there will be four Costa ships operating next winter: Costa Pacifica, making her South American debut, Costa Magica, Costa Fortuna and Costa Victoria. Cruises will be offered from Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires to ports in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

Looking further ahead, on January 6, 2013, Costa Deliziosa will set sail from Savona on a 100-night Round-the-World cruise, a westbound route embracing all five continents. Her 2012 cruise, by comparison, will be only 76 nights.

For the winter in the Mediterranean, Costa Deliziosa will leave Savona in December on an 11-night cruise to the Canary Islands and three Mediterranean mini-cruises. Costa Concordia will offer 7-night cruises from Savona to Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Palermo and Civitavecchia. From February,  Costa Romantica will also be deployed on 11-night cruises to the Canary Islands.

In the summer of 2012 the two new ships, Costa Fascinosa and Costa Favolosa, will sail from Venice and Bari on 7-night cruises to Greek Islands and to Greece and Turkey,  Costa Fortuna will also operate week-long cruises out of Venice and Bari, in her case to the Greek Islands and Croatia. Costa Romantica will meanwhile leave Venice on 11-night cruises to Egypt and Israel or the Black Sea. Costa Classica will operate 7-night cruises from Trieste and Ancona to the Greek Isles.

From Savona, Costa Serena will offer a 7-night itinerary to Naples, Catania, Tunis, Barcelona and Marseille and Costa Concordia will offer a 7-night itinerary to Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Palermo and Civitavecchia. Costa Mediterranea, meanwhile, will offer 11-to-13-night cruises to the Canary Islands and to the Black Sea, or Egypt and Israel. Finally, from July to September, Costa Atlantica will operate 7-night summer cruises from Savona to Civitavecchia, Naples, Tunis, Valencia and Marseilles.

In the autumn of 2012, Costa Deliziosa will be deployed on 11-night cruises from Savona to the Canary Islands, Costa Luminosa on 9-night cruises to Lisbon and Casablanca; Costa Pacifica on 11-night cruises to Egypt, Greece, Israel and Turkey and Costa Fortuna 10-night cruises to Egypt, Greece and Turkey. During the autumn and spring the Costa Magica will also offer a special 10-night itinerary to Marseilles, Livorno, Palermo, Athens, Izmir, Rhodes and Malta.

Thirty years ago, in 1981, after surpassing the Soviets with a mix of ten owned and chartered ships, Amerikanis, Carla C, Danae, Daphne, Enrico C, Eugenio C, Federico C, Flavia and World Renaissance, and Costa Riviera about to come on line, Costa claimed to operate the world’s largest cruise fleet. Now, as the largest cruise operator in Europe, there is no doubt that, with fifteen ships to its name and twenty-seven under its control, Costa has come a long way, and has picked up a significant role in the development of cruising on a world scale.

Cunard’s 2013 World Cruises Announced

Cunard Line has announced the 2013 World Voyage programme . On 10 January 2013 Queen Victoria and flagship RMS Queen Mary 2 will set sail from Southampton, England on epic voyages around the globe with the ships together visiting 55 unique ports of call in 28 countries.

The company offers itineraries calling on legendary ports, featuring overnights in Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Dubai in Queen Victoria; and overnights in Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai and a two-night overnight in Cape Town in Queen Mary 2.
"We are proud to continue the 90-year legacy of our signature world voyages," said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. "To sail the world’s oceans and touch all corners of the globe is an incomparable experience, one that is even more heightened by the elegant style, attentive White Star service and world-class experience aboard a famous Cunard liner."

Queen Victoria World Voyage
Queen Victoria makes a  return to the World Voyage in 2013 featuring convenient departures from New York, Ft. Lauderdale and San Francisco. Her 105-day voyage will span 34 exotic ports in 23 countries, crossing three of the earth’s oceans, both tropics and the equator, and passing through two of the world’s most impressive engineering feats – the Panama and Suez Canals.

From San Francisco, the ship sails to the South Pacific and New Zealand before arriving for an overnight stay in Sydney, Australia. Next, Queen Victoria heads north for an overnight call in Hong Kong via the Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, Bali, Manila and another overnight in the vibrant Chinese city of Shanghai. Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India line the route to Oman before a fourth overnight call, this time in Dubai. Queen Victoria begins the final leg of her voyage with visits to Jordan and Egypt before transiting the Suez Canal, followed by  European calls in Rome (Civitevechia) and Lisbon before completing her voyage in Southampton.
In total, Queen Victoria will visit nine ports for the first time: Falmouth in Jamaica, Bay of Islands in New Zealand, Brisbane, the Whitsundays, Darwin, Bali, Manila, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Sokhna, Egypt.

 
Fares for the full 105-day World Voyage start from $19,995 per person, based on double occupancy.

Segment Voyages capture the essence of Queen Victoria‘s World Voyage in a shorter time frame, ranging from 16 to 23 days, and include New York to San Francisco (16 days), San Francisco to Sydney (20 days), Sydney to Hong Kong (23 days), Hong Kong to Dubai (20 days) and Dubai to Southampton (18 days). Guests can enjoy great value by combining two or more consecutive segments to create adventurous Liner Voyages. Segment fares start from $3,235 per person, based on double occupancy.

RMS Queen Mary 2 World Voyage
Now a seasoned World Voyage liner, Queen Mary 2 will begin her sixth World Voyage in Southampton, and head east, across four continents and 34 ports in 18 countries. Her 106-day voyage will include six inaugural calls to Abu Dhabi, UAE; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Langkawi, Malaysia; Ko Samui, Thailand; Christchurch, New Zealand and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Queen Mary 2 sails first to an overnight stay in Dubai that includes en route calls to Spain, Greece and Egypt, as well as a transit of the Suez Canal. After an inaugural  call to Abu Dhabi, she will sail to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam before gliding into Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong for an overnight stay. After that, Queen Mary 2 is off to Shanghai for another overnight stay and then to Australia’s Gold Coast on the way to Sydney. From here, she will offer a 12-day loop of New Zealand, including a first-time call in Christchurch in addition to visiting Wellington, Auckland and the beautiful Bay of Islands. After a second visit to Sydney, Queen Mary 2 will turn her bow westward, heading for Cape Town in South Africa by way of Australia’s south and west coasts, Mauritius, Durban and a premier call to Port Elizabeth. After two nights in Cape Town, this voyage continues to explore the African continent with a call in Namibia before returning to Europe for calls in the Atlantic Isles and Spain and journey’s end in Southampton.

Full World Voyage fares start from $19,995 person, based on double occupancy.
Segment Voyages aboard Queen Mary 2 range from 12 to 22 days and include Southampton to Dubai (18 days), Dubai to Hong Kong (20 days), Hong Kong to Sydney (18 days), roundtrip from Sydney (12 days), Sydney to Cape Town (22 days) and Cape Town to Southampton (16 days). Segment fares start from $2,575 per person, based on double occupancy.

Enhanced Benefits Programme
Guests who book their World Voyage adventure before 29 February 2012 can enjoy savings of up to 10% off Early Booking Fares (EBF). This discount will be applicable to Full World, Liner and Segment Voyages. Those booking by this date will also receive an On Board Credit of up to $3,000 per stateroom – on Full World and Liner Voyages.
In addition to the 10% Bonus Early Booking discounts, World Club members will receive additional savings of up to $2000 per person and – NEW for 2013 – these savings will now combine with most fares outside of final payment for which the past guest qualifies – giving past guests the peace of mind that booking early will remain advantageous.
Full World Voyage benefits include:
• Complimentary Hotel & Dining Charges (gratuities)
• Gala World Voyage Dinner
• Special Commemorative Gifts
• World Voyage Concierge
• Welcome Aboard Reception & Senior Officer Dinner
• World Voyage Cocktail parties

Group Programme – Cunard and The Cruise People, Ltd. will continue to offer special group rates for a limited time.

 

Queen Elizabeth South Pacific and Americas Voyages
In addition to these grand World Voyages in 2013, Queen Elizabeth will embark on an extended voyage through the South Pacific as well as offer some itineraries in the Americas, visiting 22 ports in 11 countries and making 11 maiden calls. The 36-day Pearls of the Pacific voyage will sail roundtrip from Los Angeles on 4 February and call on Honolulu, and Pago Pago and Apia in Somoa, and then make several calls in New Zealand including Auckland, Napier, Wellington and a maiden call in Christchurch. The ship will then sail for two more calls in Papeete and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, before visiting Kahalui and Hilo in Hawaii for the first time, and concludes the voyage in Los Angeles. Fares for this voyage start from $6,245 per person, based on double occupancy.

Queen Elizabeth‘s Americas voyages include a 15-day Panama Canal voyage from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles and an 18-day Los Angeles to New York voyage.
On a luxury cruise aboard Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, passengers revel in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination. By day, guests enjoy leisurely activities – including reading in the ships’ voluminous libraries, relaxing in their world class spas, enjoying white-gloved afternoon tea service and engaging in Cunard Insights guest enrichment programmes. By night, guests are treated to black tie dinners, entertained by Royal Nights themed balls and West End-style productions, and delighted by Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails. In addition, each Cunard Queen pampers her guests with impeccable White Star Service and offers a wide variety of premier stateroom accommodations – including award-winning Queens Grill & Princess Grill suites.

For more information and to book a 2013 Cunard World Voyage aboard Queen Victoria or Queen Mary 2, or to book a Queen Elizabeth South Pacific or Americas voyage, consult The Cruise People, Ltd. on 1-800-961-5536..

LiveJournal Tags: QM2,Queen Mary 2,Queen Elizabeth,Queen Victoria

The Ocean Liner Society Chooses Crosières de France and its Horizon for its 2012 Group Cruise, Departing Marseilles 27th May

by thecruisepeople

In 2010, the Ocean Liner Society chose Croisières de France and its 37,301-ton Bleu de France (delivered in 1982 as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ previous Europa) for its annual group cruise. This “all-inclusive” cruise proved such a success that in 2012 the Society is returning to Croisières de France to sample its latest ship, the 46,811-ton Horizon, the first new ship to be built for Celebrity Cruises in 1990.

The 2012 cruise will take the “Tutti Frutti” itinerary, departing Marseilles on Sunday, 27 May for Portofino, Rome, Salerno, Trapani and Valetta, with a full day spent at sea before returning to Marseilles.

Celebrity Cruises was formed by Chandris Cruises in April 1988 in order to fulfil a new cruise contract it had negotiated with the Government of Bermuda. As well as acquiring the Italian liner Galilio Galileo, which it rebuilt in 1988/89 and renamed Meridian, Celebrity built two new ships specifically for the Bermuda run. These were the sister ships Horizon of 1990 and the Zenith of 1992.  Horizon‘s initial run was the weekly service between New York and Bermuda, serving both St George’s, on the islands’ east end, and Hamilton. Regular service between New York and Hamilton had been started as far back as 1864 by the Quebec Steamship Co Ltd, which was taken over in 1919 by the Furness Bermuda Line, and which in turn lasted until 1966.

In 1997, Celebrity Cruises was bought by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and the newer and larger ships of the Century and Millenium classes were introduced, eventually making Horizon the smallest ship in the fleet. In 2005,  Horizon was allocated to a new joint venture with TUI Group called Island Cruises, taking on the new name of Island Star. When Royal Caribbean withdrew from Island Cruises, she rejoined her sister ship Zenith at Royal Caribbean-controlled Pullmantur Cruises in Spain and was again renamed, this time as Pacific Dream. Now having reverted to her original name, Horizon will join Pullmantur’s French-based cruise operation Croisières de France in the spring of 2012 to replace  Bleu de France, which has been sold to Saga Cruises to become Saga Sapphire.

OLS group fares are valid for a minimum number of double cabins, and there is a limited number of category DE and DI cabins available for singles with no single supplement provided enough doubles are booked. Bookings can be made through the OLS group agent The Cruise People Ltd in London.

2012 Horizon fares compare very well with Bleu de France fares in 2010 as lead-in prices are lower – €510 per person for an inside cabin compared to €585 in 2010 and €630 per person for an outside cabin compared to €850 in 2010.

While fares are all-inclusive of passage, full board, port charges and drinks, spirits, wine and beer in the dining rooms and bars on board, a service charge of €65 per person for gratuities will be added to your on board account.

Itinerary                                             Arrive             Depart
MARSEILLE                                                                                17.00
PORTOFINO  (Santa Margherita)                09.00                18.00
ROME  (Civitavecchia)                                   08.00                19.00
SALERNO                                                        08.00                19.00
TRAPANI                                                          08.00                19.00
MALTA (Valletta)                                              09.00                17.00
AT SEA                                                                         (sea day)
MARSEILLE                                                      08.00       

Ocean Liner Society Group Rates – Horizon 27th May 2012

(Fares are cruise-only and include port charges of €175)

Category
Brochure
120-day
OLS Group

Fares are in Euros €
Fare (1)
Fare (2)
Fare (3)

Staterooms

DI Discovery Inside
€725
€560
€510

HI Horizon Inside
825
630
570

DE Discovery Outside
925
700
630

HE Horizon Outside
1125
840
755

C Comfort Outside
1325
980
880

P Prestige Outside
1525
1120
995

PB Prestige with Balcony
1685
1232
1095

Suites      

JS Junior Suite
€1785
€1302
€1145

JB Junior Balcony Suite
1925
1400
1235

S Royal Suite
2125
1540
1355

SB Royal Balcony Suite
2325
1680
1480

(1) The above fares are cruise only per person in double occupancy and do not include service charge of €65, which is added to your account on board  (CDF published brochure fares are thus €65 higher than brochure fares shown here).

(2) For bookings made prior to 120 days before departure.

(3) OLS Group fares include no single supplement on a limited number of cabins in Categories DI and DE, provided the minimum number of double cabins is booked.

A deposit of 25% will confirm a reservation and penalties for cancellation by the passenger are as follows:

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More than 31 days before departure: € 90
61-90 days before departure: 25% of the fare amount
30-60 days before departure: 50% of the fare amount
Fewer than 30 days before departure: 100% of the fare amount

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Members of the general public can qualify to travel on this cruise by joining the Ocean Liner Society. Membership is £20 in the UK, £23 in Europe and £25 in the rest of the world. As well as the opportunity of joining OLS group cruises, this includes a subscription to their 48-page quarterly journal, Sea Lines. Further details can be found at www.ocean-liner-society.com.

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For further information and availability for this cruise please contact The Cruise People Ltd at 020 7723 2450, Freephone 0800 526 313 or in North America at 1-800-961-5536.

 

LiveJournal Tags: Ocean Liner Society

A Glimpse of Times Past

 

The only two ships of this type that I can think of are Aranui and RMS St. Helena.

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 in Layup at Dubai.

 

Rob was allowed aboard my favourite ship, RMS Queen Elizabeth2.  I will be posting clips frequently for the next month of his visit.

 

LiveJournal Tags: Queen Elizabeth 2,QE2