Celebrity & Azamara Top Cruisers Choice Awards

by Kevin Griffin writing for cybercruises.com

Sister lines Celebrity and Azamara walked away with the top positions in the Cruise Critic Cruisers Choice awards last week. Looking at the top five ships in three categories in the US and UK polls, Celebrity scored nine firsts and Azamara eight, followed by Oceania and Thomson with six each.

For purposes of its polls, Cruise Critic defined a medium-sized ship as carrying between 1,200 and 1,999 passengers, with anything above that being defined as large and anything below as small. The results are laid out below for the best five ships in each of category for each of the UK and US, as well as the best ship in each category for dining, entertainment and service for the UK and US. The actual ships’ scores are given in brackets. Some of the surprizing results: are laid out below.

Cruise Critic Cruisers Choice awards 2013 – Scores courtesy of Cruise Critic

The most interesting result was that of the forty-eight results laid out above, Royal Caribbean brands collected eighteen of the top spots, compared to only four for Carnival brands. Celebrity’s nine wins were all for 2,850-berth Solstice class ships except for 1,814-berth Celebrity Century positioning third in the UK medium ships category. Celebrity took the UK’s top three large ship positions.

Azamara did proportionally even better in that with only two 684-berth ships, it managed to pick up eight of these awards. The other Royal Caribbean win was the 5,408-berth Allure of the Seas, which took third-best large ship in the US results.

Oceania managed six wins in the categories we have chosen above, all by its two newest ships, the 1,258-berth Marina and Riviera. But the real surprise was Thomson Cruises walking away with six awards, not only from their own market in the UK but also from US voters. We can think of only one reason for that and that is that the UK results must be included in the US ones, but the website is not clear as to the methodology.

Certainly, with Thomson selling off brands, such as its ski operation, Neilson, and contemplating unloading others to pay down £1.6 billion in debt, any aspiring bidder might look at Thomson Cruises as a possible acquisition. That its older ships should have achieved tops in the mid-size awards for entertainment in both polls and also outscored Carnival’s brand-new 3,690-berth Carnival Breeze makes Thomson worth a look.

It is actual cruisers who are being polled here and of the Carnival brands only one ship from each of Carnival, Cunard, Holland America and Seabourn managed to score in this sample, and none from P&O or Princess. What makes it even odder is that Carnival Breeze won her spot in the UK survey and not the US one. In the US, Disney managed to score as many wins as all Carnival brands combined.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Crystal each achieved three places, but Azamara’s two ukltra-premium ships taking eight places to only three for Crystal’s two ultra-luxury ships is an interesting surprise.

The Growth of Cruising – A Twenty-Five Year Comparison

by Kevin Griffin writing for cybercruises.com

Twenty-five years ago, in 1988, the main cruise lines were Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Royal Viking Line.

Royal Viking Sun

Of these seven, only two, Norwegian America and Royal Viking Line, have fallen away, consolidated into Cunard. But half a dozen new lines have arisen.

In 1988, Seabourn had introduced its first ship, the 212-berth Seabourn Pride, and four more lines follow over the years with Crystal Cruises, Regent and Silversea, all ultra-luxury, and more recently Oceania and Azamara in the ultra-premium sector. The former Chandris Cruises, meanwhile, evolved into Celebrity Cruises, which was taken over by Royal Caribbean in 1997.

Of the lines we have chosen, it might be surprising to some that in 1988 the fleet numbered only 39 ships with 37,157 berths (42 and 40,566 berths if we include Cunard), especially as in 2013 the top eight ultra-luxury and ultra-premium lines together operate 25 ships with 21,480 berths. In this context, to-day’s ultra-luxury and ultra-premium fleet is more than half the size of the entire main line and luxury fleet of twenty-five years ago.

The biggest difference, however, is in the size of the ships. Although the 1988 average was below 1,000 berths per ship this was the beginning of a period of growth, not only in number of berths (Princess Cruises’ 62,500-ton Star Princess, which seemed big then, had only 1,470 berths), but ships started to grow in tonnage as well.

Ultra-Luxury & Ultra-Premium Fleet comparison table: 1988 – 2013

The average ship size for the main-market lines grew from about 950 berths to 2,335 berths, or almost two-and-a-half times per ship. And the size of ultra-luxury and ultra-premium ships has risen from 212 in  Seabourn Pride to about 670 to-day if we do not include Cunard, or more than three times the size.

And the main market lines have also been taking advantage of economies of scale. Although Norwegian Cruise Line had introduced the 70,202-ton 1,850-berth Norway in 1980, it was 1988 before Royal Caribbean introduced the 73,192-ton 2,292-berth Sovereign of the Seas. But another eight years saw the introduction of the 101,353-ton 2,642-berth Carnival Destiny. The result has been that traditional lines’ fleets and berth capacities have grow exponentially:

Main Line & Luxury Cruise Fleet comparison table: 1988 – 2013

Other lines such as Costa Cruises and Chandris Cruises, with six ships each, the 10-ship Epirotiki Lines and a single-ship (at the time) P&O Cruises have not been included in this analysis, but obviously Costa and P&O have both benefitted in terms of fleet expansion from being taken over by Carnival Corp, now Carnival Corp & plc.

All in all, despite wars, terrorism, disease and economic dislocations, the industry as a whole is surviving and seems to be surviving well if we can judge by cruise line stocks as well as fleet size .

Cruising in Crystal Serenity

 

On Wednesday, November 28, at 1:30 pm, we boarded the Crystal Serenity at Lisbon for an 11-night cruise to Madeira, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Agadir, Cadiz, Valencia and Barcelona.

Crystal Serenity

While there are many ports on this cruise, we will concentrate instead on the ship and the Crystal experience.

So what does one get with Crystal Serenity?

The answer is a large and very comfortable ship of 68,870 tons, built in the same shipyard as Normandie, France and Queen Mary 2, and carrying a maximum of 1,070 passengers. With a passenger space ratio above 60 tons per guest this is the one of the highest in the industry. And on our voyage, with just 730 passengers, there was space to spare.

If one has cruised with Crystal before, it just changed to all-inclusive a little over six months ago, so the first impression one gets is rather interesting. Rather than the bartenders and sommeliers trying to sell you expensive wines so they can maximize their tips, they now open with an introduction of the wines that are included in the inclusive package. I expected the hard sell again so when our first sommelier finished listing the choice of wines, I thought he was listing the ones that made money for the line, and asked him for the list of inclusive wines.

It takes a little while to get used to the fact that the crew is no longer trying to maximise on board revenue – but once one gets used to that, it is much more relaxing and one is not on guard all the time against such typical cruise line activity as trying to raise your spend well above the ticket price. It is all in the fare unless one wants a particular premium wine. Internet apart of course – to get the price down to 20 cents a minute one has to buy $300 worth.

The entertainment venues include the main show lounge forward and the Palm Court Bar up top forward, with a view over the bows; the piano bar, the Avenue Saloon aft, and another piano bar that also features a string quartet in the atrium. The choice of spirits is international, but the wines take a heavy slant towards American – with wines from California and the State of Washington available in all the bars.

The European inclusive wines, a Cotes du Rhone, a Languedoc and a Chablis from France plus a Pinot Grigio from Italy, offer an excellent selection but are only available in the dining room. One suspects this is because the American wines are from Crystal’s own “C” collection and there may be an element of cost control here, but if one prefers European wines, it is an odd policy when Crystal is trying to expand to a wider international audience, and to be honest, it is disappointing.

If you play around with the bartenders they may be able to bring a bottle of a European wine to their bar but to be honest, they should not be expected to do that.

The music, at least on our cruise in the Avenue Saloon, showed a marked tilt towards American middle of the road – so if you like Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Ritchie, with a little Andrew Lloyd Webber thrown in, the this is the bar for you. Think of a song like “Sweet Caroline.”

But don’t be looking for contemporary American artists such as the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Eagles, Jefferson Airplane and Fleetwood Mac, because you are unlikely to hear them unless you can get them by request. The addition of the string quartet from eastern Europe does broaden the choice a bit. To add to the musical background, a tape of “What a Wonderful Life” by Louis Armstrong is played every time a Crystal ship leaves port, but one does not generally hear any Duke Ellington, in fact I heard no blues, jazz or rock, which is a pity.

Possibly in the shows but one shouldn’t have to go to a show to hear a particular kind of music.

The best part of the cruise was the service to our stateroom and the fact that we were upgraded to a 403 sq ft veranda – just as a guide the typical 1970s cabin measured 120 sq ft and Carnival later upped this to 180 sq ft, but there are still plenty of 150 sq ft staterooms, even on relatively modern ships. Our extra large balcony was heaven. There was enough room for two deeply cushioned chairs and stools that could be put together to form a proper chaise lounge instead of perching at a table as is often the case.

There is also a table to that the two chairs can be used for on veranda dining. It was great when not going ashore, or on days at sea, to be able to relax all day in the privacy of one stateroom and have food brought if we didn’t want to go to a dining venue. The penthouses also have the advantage of a butler, who will do pressing for you, make reservations at the alternative restaurants and arrange a goodly supply of free wine for you room, not to mention canapes every afternoon.

As to the food, the jury is still out on this one as the cruise is not yet half over, so we will report its final verdict soon. But for venues there are plenty. As well as the main dining room, there are two alternative restaurants – Prego for Continental dishes and the famous Silk Road by Nobu, with its own sushi bar, for Asian cuisine. The latter is because, although based in California, Crystal Cruises is owned by Japan’s NYK Line. In fact, the original Crystal ship, Crystal Harmony, now sails as Asuka for NYK Cruises in the Japanese market.

On our voyage there were also quite a few groups of Japanese cruisers, as well as Chinese-Americans. There is also the pool area midships on deck 12, which has now become a served restaurant area called Tastes. This area is very popular and there can be times even with just 730 passengers on board, when it is not possible to get a seat. This is partially because Crystal only open the buffet-style Lido Cafe for lunch from noon till 1:30 pm. On deck 6, there is also a small self-serve area and bar called The Bistro, and there is very good room service at no extra cost.

LiveJournal Tags: Crystal Harmony,Asuka,Crystal Serenity

Holland America Line Single-Handedly Extends St Lawrence Season

Originally published by our London office.

 

Holland America Line’s Maasdam, a regular St Lawrence trader, passing under the Quebec Bridge

For many decades, in the days before air conditioning, the St Lawrence cruise season ran all summer long. From 1919 until 1965, Canada Steamship Lines offered weekly Saguenay cruises from Montreal, with a season that ran from June to September, even during the war. From 1921 to 1961, the Clarke Steamship Company offered longer “Round the Gulf” and Labrador cruises in a season that ran from May through October. After these services closed, Cunard Line, the Baltic Shipping Company, Polish Ocean Lines, Moore-McCormack Lines and the Greek Line, among others, began offering week-long cruises from Montreal or 10/11-night cruises between New York and Montreal.

The history of St Lawrence cruising goes back a long way. Under the auspices of Thomas Cook, the Quebec Steamship Company first sent its 1,864-ton Orinoco out from New York in the summer of 1894 to visit Saint John NB, Halifax, Charlottetown, Gaspé, Tadoussac, the Saguenay River and Quebec. Indeed, by 1904, the Plant Line was advertising its Gulf of St Lawrence cruises from Boston as follows:

Six Days’ Cruise 1400 miles for $18. From Union Wharf, Boston, every Tuesday and Saturday, 12 noon for Halifax, Hawkesbury and Charlottetown. Good board. Cheapest rates. Best trout and salmon fishing, and shooting. Beautiful scenery. This doesn’t half tell it. Send stamp for booklet “Looking Eastward,” maps, etc.

A pioneer of St Lawrence cruising from 1908 until the First World War, the s.s. Trinidad cruised the St Lawrence by summer and sailed from New York to Bermuda in the winter.

The Quebec Steamship Company’s 2,162-ton Trinidad followed in 1908, the 300th Anniversary of the founding of Quebec. In 1919, this line was acquired by Britain’s Furness Withy & Co, who cruised first the 5,530-ton Fort Hamilton and and then the 7,785-ton Fort St George from New York to Quebec. Between the wars, the Anchor Line, Canadian Pacific, the Clyde Line, White Star Line and others all offered cruises between New York, the Maritimes, Quebec and Montreal. These cruises were nearly always offered in the high season in July and August, when it was hottest in the cities, as a getaway from the summer heat.

More recently, however, the so-called Canada New England brand has suffered in that even The Sunday Times now tells people who want to cruise the St Lawrence to go in the autumn. The question is, is this the propogation of a myth or is it simply because cruises only go there now in the autumn? This has been one of the biggest challenges facing St Lawrence and New England destinations in recent years, but things are slowly starting to change.

In recent years, Holland America has operated one ship, the 1,266-berth Maasdam, into Montreal between May and October. Starting this autumn, however, it brought a second ship to the St Lawrence, in the 1,348-berth Veendam, which it had previously been operating on the New York-Bermuda run. Next year, Holland America will operate Veendam on a full season of St Lawrence cruises, from May through October, turning at Quebec while Maasdam continues to turn at Montreal.

Maasdam departing Montreal on a cruise. On the left is the Sailors’ Memorial clocktower on Victoria Pier. Behind here is where the Canada Steamship Lines and Clarke Steamship Company cruise ships used to sail from

Moving Veendam to St Lawrence cruising is interesting in two ways. First, Holland America has already let it be known that it thinks it can make more money trading to Canada and New England than in what was once regarded as the lucrative Bermuda cruise market. Secondly, with the imposition of the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) this summer, Veendam is actually going against the flow.

When sailing to Bermuda she spent most of her time outside the 200-mile ECA limit but by sailing to Canada she will always be within it. This means she will have to burn more expensive distillate fuel in order to reduce sulphur emissions, something that Holland America has already estimated increased their fuel costs by 40% in the Alaska trade, which is also completely within the ECA, for an  extra $200,000 on a 7-night cruise.

Veendam will handle four embarkations and four disembarkations at Quebec, bringing more than 20,000 extra visitors a year over a three-year period. Under the new marketing agreement, Montreal will also see additional turnarounds from Maasdam in July and August. This programme, announced last month, is backed by $1.15 million in government funds, half from Tourism Quebec and half from Quebec City.

Included in Veendam’s new sailings will be four 14-night round trips from Quebec that will call at Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston and the Saguenay. Equally, Maasdam will offer seven 14-night round trip cruises from Montreal calling at Quebec, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor and Boston. Both itineraries will also be available as one-way 7-night sectors between Montreal and Boston and Quebec and Boston.

As part of this agreement, the 450-berth Seabourn Sojourn, operated by Holland America affiliate Seabourn, will also operate three St. Lawrence turnaround cruises from Montreal that will visit seven ports in Quebec: Montreal, Quebec City, Trois Rivières, Saguenay, Baie Comeau, Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands.

Holland America has become a bit of a pioneer in the St Lawrence. It was the first cruise line to visit Sept Iles, on the St Lawrence North Shore, when it sent  Maasdam there in May 2009. This in itself was an earlier season start than usual for the St Lawrence, the call having been made during a positioning voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Montreal, something it will offer again in 2013. The new $20 million berth at Sept Iles now accepts cruise ships of up to 985 feet in length.

Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boréal calls at the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence

Fellow North Shore ports Baie Comeau to the west and Havre St Pierre to the east have also added cruise facilities and their proximity to Gaspé on the South Shore, Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island and Corner Brook in Newfoundland, offers a choice of half a dozen cruise ports in the Gulf of St Lawrence below Quebec. The Magdalen Islands, which has its own weekly cruise ferry from Montreal and is now also visited by Compagnie du Ponant and Crystal Cruises, adds a seventh.

Crystal Symphony seen here calling at Quebec, offers a round-trip Gulf of St Lawrence cruise from Montreal each September.

On September 30, Crystal Cruises operated  a 7-night round trip from Montreal with its 960-berth Crystal Symphony. Three of her four ports, Sept Iles, the Magdalen Islands and the French islands of St Pierre et Miquelon, were first time calls for Crystal. The fourth port, Quebec, has been rated as the most popular cruise port in North America. This Montreal round trip itinerary will be repeated on September 26, 2013. But in September 2014, the cruise will be offered by Crystal Serenity from Quebec. A larger ship than Symphony, the Serenity presumably can’t get under the Quebec Bridge to sail upriver to Montreal.

Royal Caribbean has also started operating turnaround cruises from Quebec with its 2,112-berth Brilliance of the Seas, with a typical 10-night cruise taking in Baie Comeau, Corner Brook, Halifax, Sydney, St Pierre et Miquelon and Charlottetown. Like the Serenity, the Brilliance is to tall to fit under the Quebec Bridge.

Other St Lawrence visitors this season have included the 3,114-berth Emerald Princess, 2,104-berth Eurodam, 264-berth Le Boréal, 2,476-berth Norwegian Dawn, the 2,620-berth Queen Mary 2, the 684-berth Regatta, 490-berth Seven Seas Navigator, 388-berth Silver Whisper and Veendam, nearly all in September and October. Not to mention Aida, Fred Olsen and Saga ships that cruise over from Europe.

The addition of  Veendam to the St Lawrence trade is good news for Quebec City, which in 2013 will see five Holland America calls each month from May to August and seven in June. The only other ship coming nearby in the summer months is Oceania’s 1,258-berth Marina, which will make an unusual June 1 call at Quebec while on a 16-night cruise from New York to Southampton. The other ships will all wait until September (21 calls) and October (27 calls), when they come flocking in for “the leaves.”

For more details on Cruising the Gulf of St Lawrence please call The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk and in Canada at 1-800-961-5536 or e-mail cruise@thecruisepeople.ca

Solo Fares aboard Crystal This Autumn

Crystal Cruises (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Crystal Cruises already charges one of the lowest rates in the luxury cruise industry for sole occupancy of a double occupancy room, but with a new solo travellers’ sale on fall Mediterranean voyages, guests traveling alone can enjoy even lower fares to vacation in ease through one of the most beautiful cruising areas in the world.  A significantly-reduced solo supplement of just 10% can save individuals up to almost $900 off a private, deluxe outside stateroom (Category C) of their own.

The savings are offered on eight 11- and 12-day Crystal Serenity sailings through the Black Sea, Middle East, Canary Islands, and entire Mediterranean.  The all-inclusive luxury cruises embark in Athens, Istanbul, Venice, Barcelona, and Lisbon from September through November, with overnight visits and more time in both smaller, off-the-beaten-path and favourite, large ports throughout Italy, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Montenegro, Israel, Croatia, Morocco and the Canary Islands.  Attractive air add-ons are offered from more than 200 North American ports.

“A Crystal cruise is a wonderful option for solo travellers who seek luxury and pampering while on vacation and also the fast, easy friendships that are made on board,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president of marketing and sales.  “This is an ideal opportunity for cruisers indulging in a room all to themselves to realize significant savings and value with the World’s Best Cruise Line.”

Among the extraordinary care Crystal provides for solo travellers are Ambassador hosts on every sailing for those seeking a dance partner, assigned seating for dinner in the Crystal Dining Room, and “Table for 8,” which brings individuals together for friendly shared dining in the specialty restaurants at night.  Crystal Cruises’ ocean resort experience always includes fine wines, premium spirits, and gratuities with one’s holiday, as well as a host of other complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining, featuring the world-renowned cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of passengers in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

Crystal Cruises at The Cruise People, Ltd. – since 1972

CRYSTAL SERENITY South America World-Cruise Segment

Crystal Cruises (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First-time visits to the Chilean Fjords and Puerto Chacabuco, plus nearly 100 Crystal Adventures ashore highlight Crystal Serenity’s brand new itinerary around the tip of South America next winter.  Sailing from Lima to Buenos Aires for the first time February 2, 2013, the Crystal World Cruise segment takes passengers on an immersive, 24-day journey to some of the most awe-inspiring and culturally exciting sites in the Southern Hemisphere, including the  Seno Eyre Fjords, the  landscapes and wildlife of Patagonia, the  hillsides of Valparaíso (translation: “Paradise Valley”) – even the birthplace  of the tango.

Daring, over-the-top adventures include:

· a rare visit to Earth’s last great wilderness, Antarctica, with a guided trek on King George Island and zodiac ride to view penguins in their natural habitat;

· flying over the mysterious Nazca Lines, ancient geoglyph figures in the desert floor that can only be seen from above; and

· an overnight option to Perito Moreno Glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rugged expeditions offer:

· exploration of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego by horseback;

· hiking to the mouth of the magnificent Iguazú Falls;

· kayaking through the Strait of Magellan; and

· pitching in at a working Uruguayan ranch. 

Cultural and culinary experiences range from:

· exploring vineyards and tasting wines to visiting beachfront communities of the “jet set;”

· perusing local markets and taking cooking lessons with local cuisine experts to browsing the art and homes of renowned Latin American artists such as poet Pablo Neruda; and

· tracing the footsteps of Argentina’s famed “Evita” to dancing the night away at a Buenos Aires nightclub.

As part of Crystal’s 2013 World Cruise, the voyage features expanded enrichment programming and courses in wellness, language and music.  The line’s exclusive Ocean Views series will present expert lecturers discussing the day’s hot topics.

Until June 30, all-inclusive Book Now fares for the “Southern Fjord Exploration” start at $12,760/person, and can be combined with other World Cruise segments for greater savings.  2013’s complete 74-day Grand South American Exploration sails round-trip from Miami starting January 16, with a Book Now starting price of $US26,970/person, double occupancy.

Crystal Cruises’ passion for creating unique luxury experiences both on land and at sea have helped earn the company top ratings from international travellers for two decades.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact The Cruise People at 800-961-5536 or visit our website.

LiveJournal Tags: Crystal Serenity,world cruise

Is STX France Slightly Confused About Its Own 150-Year History?

 

The 139,400-ton MSC Divina, one of eleven St Nazaire-built MSC ships, is 1,094 feet long and carries 3,500 lower-berth passengers

When STX France handed over the MSC Divina to MSC Cruises at St Nazaire on last Saturday, she became the eleventh St Nazaire-built ship to be owned by the Naples-based cruise line. General manager Laurent Castaing was quoted as saying that “MSC Divina is the eleventh ship in just over ten years that our shipyard has built which is operated by MSC Cruises. Her sister ship MSC Preziosa, currently under construction, will become the twelfth ship.” True as far as it goes, although two of those ships had been delivered to the now defunct Festival Cruises and then acquired by MSC. Castaing then went on to say that “Throughout our 150-year history never before have so many vessels been built for one shipowner, and this is a record that deserves to be highlighted.” It’s just too bad his facts were wrong.

The 83,423-ton Normandie, one of twenty-two St Nazaire-built CGT ocean liners, was 1,029 feet long and carried 2,000 passengers

As is so often the case these days, researchers appear not to have done their work properly, putting Castaing into the embarrassing position of quoting their inaccuracies. Why? Because the St Nazaire yards built twice as many ships for the famous Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, also known as the French Line. Starting with the s.s.France of 1865 and finishing with the last s.s. France of 1962, St Nazaire built twenty-two passenger liners for CGT. These included some of the most famous Transatlantic liners of their day – Paris (1921), Ile de France (1927),Lafayette (1930), Champlain (1932) and Normandie (1935). STX France itself is the successor to two shipyards, Chantiers de Penhoët and Chantiers de la Loire, which were merged in 1955 to form Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

While MSC Cruises is a big customer for STX, in recent years the shipyard has also completed RMS Queen Mary 2,Crystal Serenity and the eight Renaissance ships and is now building Europa 2 for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Meanwhile, for anyone wanting to cruise in a French ship these days we offer Compagnie du Ponant, with itineraries worldwide on three small ships, and CMA CGM, with cargo-passenger services worldwide on more than 65 container ships. Or, of course, you can book with MSC Cruises! For further details please call The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk or in North America at 1-800-961-5536 or cruise@thecruisepeople.ca

LiveJournal Tags: MSC DIVINIA,MSC PREZIOSA,NORMANDIE,SS FRNCE,PARIS,ILE DE FRANCE,LAFAYETTE,CHAMPLAIN,RMS QUEEN MARY 2,CRYSTAL SERENITY,EUROPA 2

Holland America’s Maasdam Opens Montreal Cruise Season; Record 55,500 Cruise Passengers Expected in 2012, Up 46% on 2011

by thecruisepeople

CRUISE PASSENGER NUMBERS EXPECTED TO LEAP 46% IN 2012

Montreal’s 2012 cruise season, which starts this Saturday with the arrival of Holland America Line’s Maasdam at Alexandra Pier, will set a record: 55,500 passengers are expected to visit Montreal, up 46% over last season. From May 12 to October 24, 2012, 49,000 passengers are expected to transit through the passenger terminal during 35 scheduled international stopovers, and a further 6,500 passengers will embark on domestic cruises, primarily for the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Pictured above is Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony, which will operate a 7-night round-trip cruise from Montreal on September 30.

“I am absolutely thrilled by these results that show a very promising future for Montreal’s international cruise industry as well as significant economic spinoffs for the city,” said Sylvie Vachon, president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, at a press conference held this morning at Iberville Passenger Terminal.

“The success of the 2012 cruise season isn’t a coincidence. Those involved in this rapidly developing industry have joined forces on the Montreal Cruise Committee and have established the success of this sector as a major priority,” said the Hon Charles Lapointe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal.

Led by Tourisme Montréal and the Montreal Port Authority, the Montreal Cruise Committee brings together Aéroports de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal, the City of Montreal, Casino de Montréal and the Société de développement commercial du Vieux-Montréal. The committee is also supported by the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec. The 2012 cruise season should generate about $14 million in economic benefits.

For more information on cruising to or from Montreal and Quebec as well as New England call The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk in North America call 1-800-961-5536 or e-mail cruise@thecruisepeople.ca

LiveJournal Tags: Montreal,St. Lawrence,Maasdam,Crystal Symphony

A Spate of Mid-Life Refits

by Kevin Griffin og our London office writing in cybercruises.com

We reported that Rhapsody of the Seas was at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore for a $54 million mid-life refit, and that Minerva and Costa neoRomantica had re-emerged from theirs. In the case of Costa neoRomantica, which also received major structural modifications, the bill came to €90 million (about $118 million).

These refits usually involve tens of millions in investment per ship and many weeks in drydock to achieve them. Sometimes there are external signs of the changes, as when balconies and new decks are added, sometimes all the changes are internal as in the “Solsticization” projects at Celebrity.

Recently came news of an even more ambitious plan from Carnival Cruise Lines. Carnival Destiny, which was the first 100,000-tonner when she was launched at Venice in 1996, will be going to Fincantieri for an even bigger mid-life refit, out of which she will emerge in April 2013 with a new name – Carnival Sunshine. (Is Carnival trying to steal some thunder from Royal Caribbean’s “Project Sunshine” ships on order at Meyer Werft for delivery in 2014 and 2015?)

Costing $155 million, somewhat like Costa neoRomantica, Carnival Sunshine will get an extra deck and two new deck extensions as well as new staterooms (182 compared to neoRomantica’s 111), but unlike the neoRomantica she will not need saddlebag balconies as the Destiny class have their lifeboats installed at a lower level.

This month, the “new” 3.006-berth Carnival Sunshine will enter cruise service in the Mediterranean, departing in October for a new base at New Orleans, where she will replace the 2,974-berth Carnival Conquest. The Conquest was the first ship to be built with the extra deck that Carnival Sunshine will now have and Costa’s Costa Concordia class are sister ships. This investment is part of the $500 million FunShip 2.0 programme, which also includes more modest updates to  Carnival Liberty last year and Carnival Glory and Conquest later this year.

Features found on the line’s newest ships, including Guy’s Burger Joint, the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Fahrenheit 555 extra-tariff steak house, Italian Cucina del Capitano, Red Frog Pub, EA Sports Bar and Hasbro Game Show will be incorporated into the new design, as will a casual dining option in the Lido restaurant, a coffee bar, the Havana Bar Cuban lounge with Latin music and a Sunshine Bar in the atrium. Interiors will be by PartnerShip Design.

The best-known recent example of this type of work is the $140 million “Solsticization” of Celebrity Cruises’ four Millennium class ships, with the first upgrade completed on the Celebrity Constellation in 2010. Averaging $35 million per ship, Celebrity Infinity completed Solsticization in December 2011, Celebrity Summit last month, and Celebrity Millennium will complete the project when she emerges from the Grand Bahamas Shipyard in May.

The Summit, redelivered last month, received Aqua Class veranda staterooms with access to a new Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Blu. Also added was Qsine, the specialty restaurant that debuted on Celebrity Eclipse.

Also new to Summit is the Celebrity iLounge, where passengers can buy the latest Apple products, and the line’s famous Martini Bar, complete with frosted countertop, plus Cellar Masters wine bar where patrons can buy wines by the glass.

Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria have been added, along with a creperie, Bistro on Five. Suites have gained verandas, new furniture and more sumptuous appointments. Extra ocean-view and inside staterooms have also been added, and all accommodations have been outfitted with fresh carpet, upholstery and bedding, as well as flat-screen televisions.

Finally, we mentioned the Rhapsody of the Seas going to Sembawang for a $54 million makeover (see last week for the actual updates) as part of Royal Caribbean’s $300 million Royal Advantage program. Radiance and Splendour of the Seas were completed last year and after Rhapsody, they will be joined by the Grandeur and Serenade of the Seas this May and November.

And it’s not just the mainstream lines. Crystal Cruises has spent well in excess of $50 million recently on upgrading its soon-to-be-all-inclusive Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
Indeed, while new orders for cruise ships may have slowed down since the onset of the recession there is a very good market for shipyards to be updating cruise ships that are now ten and fifteen years old in order to bring them into line with their newer fleetmates.

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Crystal Adventure Programme

Crystal Cruises (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hike, drive, ride, fish, climb, sail, row, bob, fly or surf in locales from western France up to the Arctic Circle and over to Iceland with Crystal Cruises in Northern Europe from May to September.  The ultra-luxe line has set more than 100 new boutique Crystal Adventures to take maximum advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor opportunities and stunning natural beauty. 

On new outings, outdoor enthusiasts can:

· River Raft Iceland’s glacial Hvitá River (outside Reyjkavik).

· Rock Climb Ireland’s Mourne Mountains (CS Lewis’s Narnia-inspiration) outside Belfast, or rappel down a Dalkey quarry after taking in the view ofDublin.

· Surf in Biarritz, with Quicksilver’s world-class surf school instruction (from St.-Jean-de-Luz).

· Tank-Drive a vintage WWII battle tank for two miles near Portland.

· Helicopter over Paris and Versailles (from Honfleur), Bordeaux wine country, or Iceland’s recently-erupted Eyjafjallajökull volcano (from Reykjavik).

· Olympic Wheelbob down Lillehammer’s Olympic Bob & Luge Track outside Oslo.

· Horseback Ride through the “Garden of Ireland”/County Wicklow outside Dublin, Finnish countryside and forest near Helsinki, or mountains outside maiden call Akureyri, the latter on the back of Icelandic horses descended from the Viking Age.

· Kayak past colourful Copenhagen via its harbour and canals or the natural beauty of coastal northern Norway (from Tromso).

· Hike the chalky Dorset coastline in Portland, England or Norway’s highest mountain, Mt. Ulriken (in Bergen).

· Fish the Finnish Archipelago, Geirangerfjord or near Reykjavik (sea angling).

· ATV or 4×4 Drive through North Cape’s gateway, Magerøya Island(Honningsvåg) or past glacial Icelandic landscape to either a lobster lunch or snowmobile adventure (Reykjavik).

· Boat past Helsinki’s seaside villas and lighthouses by catamaran; discover caves and orkas in maiden call Heimaey, Iceland by RIB or motorboat; spot puffins on a RIB sea safari to Runde Island (near Ålesund, Norway);  or scout for sea eagles by Zodiac in Lofoten, Norway (maiden call).

· Soak weary, post-activity bones in a natural geothermic/volcanic lagoon en route to stunning Godafoss, a.k.a. “Waterfall of the Gods” (from Akureyri).

Other new boutique excursions that focus on the arts and off-beat experiences (and require less adrenalin!):

· Blown Glassmaking near Saint-Malo: Fashion your own blown glasswork at a local studio.

· Venturing Off-the-Beaten-Path in Berlin: Explore living as the locals do, with shopping at the fruit and vegetable market, riding the Underground, and going inside a typical local apartment.

· Painting in St. Petersburg: Take a painting master class at Russia’s largest private modern art gallery.

· Evening Walking with a Night Watchman in Copenhagen: Take a different type of walking tour, at night, with a traditional uniformed, and informed, local “night watchman.”

· “Titanic Experience” in Belfast: Visit the new Titanic museum on the centennial anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

· Gourmet Dining and Wine Tasting in Bordeaux: From slow food to Médoc wine, join local experts in exploring the region’s legendary estates, including a gala dinner at Château Haut-Bailly.

Many Crystal Adventures offer new Private Options for couples.  For even more intimate time ashore, guests can also custom-craft a Crystal Private Adventure or take an Overland Adventure, such as a two-day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg.

Until April 30, “Book Now” fares for Crystal’s Northern Europe cruises start at $US2,965 per person/double occupancy for eleven days sailing from London to Hamburg.  Additional savings are available for combining select voyages, groups of six or more, or sharing the experience with someone new-to-Crystal.  Attractive air add-ons are also available from more than 90 North American airports.

Crystal’s passion for creating exclusive, eye-opening luxury shore-side experiences are cornerstones of its Crystal Adventures programme, earning the line top ratings for two decades.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact The Cruise People at 1-800-961-5536 or e-mail cruise@thecruisepeople.ca.

More information on Crystal Cruises.