Carnival joins the battle of the bedding

Have you noticed the ongoing battle among hotels over who offers the most luxurious sleep experience? You've got catchy names like Sheraton's Sweet Sleeper bed, the Westin Heavenly Bed, Embassy Suites' Suite Dreams bed...you get the idea. Now the cruise lines have come onboard this trend, and we're all for it.

Carnival today announced a fleet-wide upgrade to be complete by year end, with the not-so-catchy but descriptive name "Carnival Comfort Bed Sleep System." The European-made beds offer eight-inch spring mattresses with hypoallergenic duvet. Sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers, says Carnival, are made of an "ultra-fine, ring-spun, satin-striped cotton blend." We personally believe cotton should never be blended with anything in a high-quality linen, but then again we're linen snobs. New pillows are said to give the feeling of down while remaining non-allergenic. Suite passengers score a pillow menu adding options for fluffy goose down, or firm latex.

Previous cruise line entrants to the battle of the bedding include Oceania Cruises, which since their inception has touted their Tranquility Bedding featuring 350-thread-count cotton linens and goose-down pillows. And Holland America's recent Signature of Excellent upgrades included self-described "premium plush Euro-top mattresses and highest-quality cotton bed linens."

Sweet dreams!

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High-flying canopy tour opens in Alaska

Adrenaline junkies who have been entranced by the idea of treetop canopy zip-line tours, usually a distant rain forest adventure, today have a new option on an Alaska cruise. Passengers on cruises calling in Ketchikan can fly at over 100 feet above the jungle floor, courtesy of the new Alaska Canopy Adventure and Wildlife Expedition. Take a look at the breathtaking photos in the article linked below!

SitNews.us: Ketchikan's first canopy adventure opens this week

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Goldie Hawn declines to re-christen Sea Princess

We don't know what's odder: that Princess Cruises decided to re-christen the Sea Princess when they swapped the ship back into their fleet this weekend in Southampton England, or that the christener, Goldie Hawn, declined to perform her appointed task.

The Sea Princess was built and introduced to the Princess Cruises fleet in 1998, to be swapped out to sister company P&O Cruises in 2003 to serve the Australia market and renamed Adonia, to be swapped back now and re-renamed Sea Princess.

The re-renaming ceremony over the weekend hit a snag when Goldie Hawn, flown in especially to release the traditional bottle of champagne to break over the bow, claimed she felt unwell and couldn't fulfill her commitment. Princess substituted British actress Joanna Lumley.

Screen stars were featured at the re-inaugural ceremony to emphasize the addition of the popular Movies Under the Stars outdoor movie screen high atop the ship. The Sea Princess will be cruising Europe and the Caribbean. Sea Princess is substantially identical to sister ships Dawn Princess and Sun Princess (and Ocean Princess which is currently sailing in the P&O fleet as Oceana).

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Disney sets sail from LA

West Coast Disneyphiles rejoice! Having just completed a Panama Canal cruise to reposition from Port Canaveral, Florida, the Disney Magic on Saturday started a season of 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises sailing from Los Angeles. The new itinerary coincides with the 50th anniversary celebration for Disneyland in Anaheim. The Disney Cruise Line ship will return to Florida on an eastbound Panama Canal transit on August 20, 2005. Sister ship Disney Wonder remains sailing alternating 3- and 4-night Bahamas trips from Port Canaveral, which are designed to mesh perfectly with a 4- or 3-night stay at Walt Disney World to make a fun all-Disney sea/land vacation.

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John Cleese joining Queen Mary 2 Trans-Atlantic Crossing

Monty Python fans rejoice! Monty Python co-creator John Cleese will sail and entertain aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2 on its June 9-15, 2005 transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England. The star of the current hit broadway show Spamalot will be joined by his wife, Alyce Faye Cleese, psychotherapist and author of "How to Manage Your Mother," and Australian actor and writer Bille Brown. Select films from John Cleese's repertoire such as "A Fish Called Wanda," "The Meaning of Life" and "Fawlty Towers" will be screened onboard.

Click here to request a quote and to book the cruise.

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Mermaid Pod problems cause Celebrity cancellation, again

We're having déjà vu. Celebrity Cruises announced this afternoon the cancellation of the June 3 sailing of the Summit from Vancouver due to Mermaid Pod mechanical problems, and the shortening by one day of the current, May 27, trip. A visit to drydock in Victoria is required to repair the "premature wear" in the ship's starboard propulsion system. The ship is expected to sail as usual on June 10.

The Rolls-Royce Mermaid Pod propulsion systems on Summit and the other Millennium-class vessels have proven to be so breakdown-prone that Celebrity filed a $300 million lawsuit against the manufacturer in 2004, amid daytime-TV-worthy allegations of known defects, deceptive and fraudulent marketing, and elaborate coverups.

Guests on the cancelled trip receive a full refund, of course, plus a free trip on a future cruise, which seems fair to us overall under the unfortunate circumstances. Those on the shortened cruise get a $300 onboard credit, reimbursement of airline change fees or hotel expenses up to $100, and a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

Celebrity Press Release: Celebrity Cruises Cancels One Alaska Sailing, Shortens Another

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Enchantment of the Seas cut in half

This weekend the Keppel Verolme shipyard in Rotterdam sliced apart Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, in preparation for sliding in a new 73-foot section. The ship scores 151 new staterooms and some fun new first-of-their-kind features prior to returning to service in July with a "re-inaugural" cruise from Cape Liberty Port in Bayonne, New Jersey cruise terminal.

Four bungee trampolines make their debut for thrill-seekers, which is a nice compliment to Royal Caribbean's ubiquitous rock-climbing wall. A pool area expansion adds, among other things, a splash deck for kids includes fountains that kids can control and douse their friends. A new Latin-themed lounge, new premium Chops Grill steakhouse, Seattle's Best coffee, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, plus expansions to the dining room, shopping area, casino, jogging track, fitness facility, day spa and art gallery, round out the upgrades.

Enchantment of the Seas Cruise Itineraries and Pricing

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Norway future uncertain, heading for Malaysia

The Norway, pulled from Caribbean cruise service by Norwegian Cruise Line after a tragic boiler explosion in 2003 killed eight crew members, is reported to be headed toward Malaysia for an unsettled future.

Immediately after the catastrophe, whose power knocked doors out of their frames three decks away, it seemed that Norwegian planned to repair the ship and press it back into service. Those plans failed to materialize, and the Norway has languished in mothballs since then. At the time, the Norway was the consistent low-price leader for Caribbean cruises with fares frequently dipping as low as $350 per person including taxes for a 7-night cruise. Today, though, rumors have the Malaysia-bound ship becoming a training vessel for hotel staff.

In spite of its low-rent reputation prior to the accident, the ship pulled a loyal following as a classic, true ocean liner with beautiful lines. The world's largest ship when launched as the France in 1961, the Norway is a mere 100 feet shorter than the Queen Mary 2, today's largest ship in the world by any measure.

AFP Via Yahoo! News: Giant 'Norway' liner sets sail for new life in Malaysia

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Carnival swipes outdoor movie screen concept from Princess

We were amused that Carnival Cruise Line's announcement last week of the addition of a huge outdoor movie screen on its newest ship omitted mention of having stolen the concept from Princess Cruises. Especially since Princess was bought by Carnival in 2003! Ah well, perhaps Princess consoles itself about the theft of one of its brand differentiators by its corporate parent with the thought imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

This week's announcement disclosed that Carnival Liberty, whose inaugural cruises launch Carnival's Mediterranean program this summer, will feature a 270-square-foot outdoor LED movie screen poolside on the Lido deck. Sounds exactly like the screen, pictured here, already onboard Caribbean Princess (which started the trend), Grand Princess, and Sea Princess. As does Princess, Carnival plans to use the screen for movies, sporting and special events, and concerts.

Having sailed on one of Caribbean Princess' inaugural cruises, we can report that the screens and their sound systems do a spectacular job. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean (appropriately) in the brightest mid-day sun. It looked crystal clear and the sound quality rocked. It's a lot of fun!

Caribbean Princess Inaugural Photo Gallery

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Cruising with your wheelchair

Do you know anyone with limited mobility, or confined to a wheelchair? I had an elderly relative who was mentally just as sharp as a tack, but couldn't get around too well, and my wife and I spent years trying to convince her to join a family cruise. But she was afraid of being a burden to others, and downright refused to consider it. Too modest for her own good, she didn't realize the pleasure that everyone else would gain from her company.

These memories came back when I read an article about a bunch of disabled travelers and their friends from a rehabilitation center who are setting sail on their second cruise next week, and I thought, "Good for them!" I hope this becomes a growing trend. While older cruise ships can be hit-or-miss, most new cruise ships are more accessible than is generally known: accepting of service animals, with specially equipped staterooms and public restrooms, wheelchair seating in showrooms, and even some lifts into pools and jacuzzis.

At the same time, travelers cannot expect full Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance on cruise ships. For one, almost all major-line cruise ships are foreign-flagged which makes their ADA compliance strictly voluntary, although this is a matter of current governmental debate. The only US-flagged vessels are the Hawaiian "Pride" ships of Norwegian Cruise Line--Pride of Aloha, Pride of America, and the upcoming Pride of Hawaii--which do fall under the aegis of the ADA, yet you still can't fully predict their level of accessibility since there are no final ADA rules for cruise ships.

The bottom line? Do consider a cruise vacation to bring together your family, including those with disabilities. Everyone can have a wonderful time together. Yet research and plan carefully to thoroughly understand your chosen cruise line's policies and ship's facilities and limitations. Cruise line Web sites will give general information and a good starting point.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Wheelchairs packed, they'll cruise to paradise

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Holland America Westerdam: Photo Gallery Now Up

For those of you who like to inspect every nook and cranny of a new cruise ship, we've posted our latest ship photo gallery, of Holland America's new Westerdam, sister ship to Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Click any image in the gallery to enlarge.

Holland America Westerdam Photo Gallery
Westerdam Cruise Calendar

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Time for families to come aboard!

So many families with kids are missing the boat because they don't know cruising has grown into a one-of-a-kind vacation choice for families, and for extended family reunions.

The cruise industry has made tremendous strides in catering to kids, embracing the truth in: "if the kids ain't happy then ain't nobody happy." Onboard large, modern ships you'll find separate facilities for toddlers, young kids, juniors, and teens. Each is fully supervised by qualified staff. And the cost for your kids to participate in most programs? Nothing! There's no other vacation in the same league.

For example, while mom and dad enjoy a romantic gourmet experience alone, junior might be digging in to a spaghetti dinner with all his new friends. Some lines offer late-night kids' programs so mom and dad can enjoy dinner, a show, and some time in the casino. And there are plenty of activities the whole family can enjoy together that are so engaging that even the most jaded teenager won't be rolling their eyes. Think parasailing, rock climbing, America's Cup yacht racing...

And we're not just talking Disney Cruises here either (although if you're a Disneyphile then they're a great choice). Take Holland America, which ten years ago catered exclusively to the retired set. Their new ships have outstanding kids' facilities, and Holland's gorgeous Half Moon Cay private island recently upgraded with kid-friendly activities like a mini water park, horseback riding, and swimming with stingrays.

Photo Gallery of Holland's Private Island Half Moon Cay
Milford (MA) Daily News: Ships not kidding around about catering to youths

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Dinner with MassPort: sports, politics and revenge

Last night we were invited to dinner by the Massachusetts Port Authority (MassPort) and Norwegian Cruise Line, as a thank-you for our support of cruises sailing from Boston. The two questions on everybody's mind in The Hub are always: when will Norwegian put a new ship in Boston to replace the Majesty, and, when will MassPort upgrade its cruise terminal facilities.

In regards to the latter, port director Mike Leone related a quote oft-repeated locally that in Boston, there are three pastimes: sports, politics and revenge. These last two present a challenge for even the best efforts of MassPort officials to improve or expand on Black Falcon Cruise Terminal since many powerful constituencies need to, ummm, benefit from any such project. That, plus the fact that at present Boston is a seasonal port, meaning that the facility must be either multi-use or paid for in a complex private/public partnership including private businesses who would benefit financially from a new cruise terminal. Who knows, since the Norwegian Dawn started sailing successfully to the Caribbean year-round from New York, perhaps Boston will eventually see similar service.

The question of Norwegian replacing the aging-but-well-maintained Norwegian Majesty (former flagship of now-defunct Majesty Cruise Lines) with a newer and larger ship has almost become a matter of "when," not "if." We say "almost" since there are some hard-to-predict complexities with getting docking rights from the Bermudan government. Provided that hurdle is overcome, the most recent scuttlebutt we hear suggests a new Norwegian ship in Boston for the 2007 Bermuda cruise season.

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Elderly couple presumed overboard

In a sobering reminder that cruise ship railings need to be treated with the same respect as a balcony in any building, the U.S. Coast Guard has concluded that an elderly couple fell overboard Thursday, from the Carnival Destiny in the Caribbean, since no evidence of foul play was found.

USA Today: Elderly couple disappear during cruise

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"Fly away," Ft. Lauderdale mayor tells cruise passengers

The mayor of Ft. Lauderdale suggests that airport capacity limitations in the city can be solved by...forbidding cruise passengers from using the airport. Really? At the U.S. port with the largest number of cruise ships departing?

At least, that's what the Sun-Sentinel reports that Mayor Jim Naugle said on Thursday. He'd rather protect the available seats at the Ft. Lauderdale airport for the conventioners who drop more cash during their visits than the cruise passengers.

And how would that work, exactly? Would the airline reject reservations unless you could provide documentation that you weren't getting on a cruise ship?

Adding potential insult to potential injury, the Ft. Lauderdale airport is logistically delightful for cruise passengers. For starters it frequently has better airfares than the next-best alternative, Miami, since it's served by lower-fare carriers JetBlue, Southwest and Song. And Port Everglades is so convenient and close to the Ft. Lauderdale airport you can wave to the cruise ships' bridge crews on your landing pattern.

So, we hope that others will have more constructive solutions than Mayor Naugle, such as, say, adding runway capacity.

Sun-Sentinel (South Florida): Cruise, convention debate surfaces
Search for all Ft. Lauderdale Cruises

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Carnival Cruise Line's European Vacation

Strong bookings this summer on Carnival's first-ever Mediterranean cruises aboard brand-new Carnival Liberty have inspired the cruise line to commit today to sending the ship back across the pond for 2006.

A series of 15 12-day "Grand Mediterranean" cruises round-trip from Rome will sail between May and October 2006. The itinerary includes Naples, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Venice, Italy (overnight stay); Messina, Sicily; Barcelona, Spain; Cannes, France; and Livorno, Italy.

Carnival Press Release: Carnival Cruise Lines to Return to Europe

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Holland America launches Culinary Arts Program

Holland America today introduced an initial crop of chefs who will be sailing as part of the line's culinary arts program. Guests are promised significant interaction with the chefs, ranging from hands-on experimentation to book signings.

Some notables mentioned in the press release include Michelle Bernstein, co-host of The Food Network's Melting Pot, and Neal Gallagher from Oceana (the restaurant, not the cruise line), winner of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef award.

As a part of its Signature of Excellence program launched last year, Holland America is in the process of equipping all of its ships with Culinary Arts Theaters. Already installed onboard half the fleet's ships, the remainder of theaters will be completed throughout 2005-2006. Holland's classroom-style theaters contrast with the demonstration kitchen onboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2, which is restaurant style.

Signature of Excellence also includes goodies like upgraded beds and linens, enhanced stateroom amenities, the Pinnacle Grill extra-cost fine dining venue, and expanded youth facilities.

Holland America Line Introduces The Culinary Arts Center, Presented By Food & Wine Magazine

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Norwegian Majesty collision in Bermuda

Norwegian Cruise Line's string of recent misfortunes has continued as the Bermuda Royal Gazette reports a collision in high winds between the Norwegian Majesty, attempting to dock in St. George's, and several moored yachts. Norwegian confirmed the incident to us but was unable to offer further details at the moment.

Royal Gazette (Bermuda): Cruise ship smashes into yachts

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Alaska cruise passenger tax a non-starter, for now

Alaskans continue to gnash their teeth over whether they love the cruise industry, or hate it. Maybe "hate" is too strong a word, but at the very least there may be some tough love coming along. The current litmus test is whether to implement a state cruise passenger head tax of about $50 per person.

The Alaska House has rejected the measure, but it's still planned to be a ballot initiative in 2006.

Cruise industry lobbying groups have fought the measure tooth and nail, even challenging efforts to place the question on the ballot. The logic is that Alaskan cruises are already more expensive than cruises elsewhere, like the Caribbean and New England, which is true, and that even small tax-driven price increases could drive cruisers away from Alaska and toward the alternatives, which may or may not be true.

Those in Alaska who are pro-cruise-tax figure that travelers won't even notice another $50, and that only a statewide measure can work well. A lesson was learned by all when the port of Haines implemented a tax on its own, and cruise lines bailed out.

Juneau Empire: House vote trounces statewide cruise ship tax

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More rough weather for Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Dawn experienced rough weather again this weekend, causing a delay on its run back to New York and the cancellation of a planned 1-night Mother's Day getaway cruise on May 8. Those booked on the cancelled cruise received a full refund and half off a future cruise.

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Setting up house onboard the Queen Elizabeth 2

Assisted living facilities are so...yesterday. The new hotness is moving in to a 5-star cruise ship! Mrs. Bea Muller has lived on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 since 1999 and is still going strong. The 86-year-old has received quite a bit of media attention over the years for this gambit, and the Newark Star-Ledger recently did us the favor of tracking her down for an interesting update.

Mrs. Muller started her journey onboard QE2 after her husband passed away, and she plans to keep it up "'till I'm bored or dead." This in spite of a minor snub when Cunard declined to move Mrs. Muller to the Queen Mary 2 when it took over QE2's trans-Atlantic crossings.

Interestingly, Mrs. Muller's story has caused some pundits to semi-seriously question whether cruise ships could be the retirement wave of the future. Her expenses run about $66,000 a year which is compared in the article to $48,000 for a high-end assisted living center. We're going out on a limb here and guessing that QE2 is at least $18,000 more fun than even a swank assisted living facility.

Newark Star-Ledger: Life is a cruise for QE2 senior

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Bitter brew on board?

The Orlando Sentinel has decided to help out coffee addicts with an unscientific-but-amusing expose of which cruise lines know their way around a coffee bean.

The free coffee on Royal Caribbean and Princess brewed up a bitter reaction. On the other hand, Radisson, Windstar, Crystal, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, and Costa perk along with high-quality java. Other cruise lines drew mixed reviews, with cynical (realistic?) observers suggesting that the quality of the free coffee has declined as many lines have added extra-cost gourmet coffee bars that serve the really good stuff.

Orlando Sentinel: What's Brewing on Cruise Ships (Registration Required)

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Pay to Have Your Stateroom Cleaned?

Those of you who watch the reality-TV show Airline UK on the A&E Network are already familiar with the UK no-frills airline EasyJet. The airline's founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, is a self-described "serial entrepreneur" who has now launched a low-fare, low-service Mediterranean cruise line, EasyCruise, to complement the rest of his very orange EasyEmpire (which includes -- no kidding -- EasyPizza).

The EasyCruiseOne ship seems more like a large ferry to us than a cruise ship, with only 86 staterooms, of which (it seems from their Website) only four have a window. On the upside, you can sail for as little as $50 per person, per night. On the downside, that buys only an ORANGE inside stateroom and you will pay extra for everything from getting your stateroom cleaned, to every last morsel of food.

Doesn't seem like our cup of tea, but then again, we could be biased. The company only books passengers directly, cutting travel agencies like us right out of the loop.

Time Magazine Europe: Livin' On Easy Street
EasyCruise Web Site

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Caribbean Cruises Now Sail from Boston

Now that your tax dollars (yes, even if you live in Wisconsin, you're still paying for it) are bearing fruit as Boston's massive Big Dig highway project draws to a tortured close, you may as well take advantage of the easier access to the Boston Cruise Port, Black Falcon Pier, with new-to-Boston Caribbean cruises.

More cruises from Boston have been added each year, and now Royal Caribbean will be sailing the new Jewel of the Seas all the way to the Caribbean on 10- to 12-night itineraries.

Boston Herald: Cruise line adds in Boston

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Details trickle out on Freedom of the Seas

Royal Caribbean is teasing us by trickling out more details on their upcoming largest ship in the world, Freedom of the Seas, whose itineraries beginning in June 2006 are now open for booking.

Some great news for families with children, who typically get stuck in multiple staterooms if they want a separate "kids room," is that more family-friendly accomodations will be available, such as inside, oceanview, and balcony family staterooms that can sleep 6 (with a curtained-off sleeping alcove for the kids), and Royal Family Suites that can sleep 8 in two entirely separate bedrooms.

Of course Freedom includes the popular Voyager-class elements like the ice skating rink and Royal Promenade. The signature climbing wall gets a size upgrade, a new interactive water park keeps everyone cool, and hard-to-please teens score their own nightclub, "living room," and sundeck. Whirlpools will be cantilevered over the side of the ship, delivering a one-of-a-kind view.

Freedom is the first of three sister ships in the class that Royal Caribbean has ordered, the last of which is scheduled for delivery in 2008.

Royal Caribbean Press Release

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