North American cruise lines sail at 112% occupancy

In a report just released by the US Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), North American cruise occupancy rose to 112 percent in the second quarter of 2006. That is possible since two persons in a stateroom is considered full (100 percent) occupancy and many staterooms can accommodate up to four passengers. That number is up from 108 percent occupancy for the first quarter of 2006.

The report also noted that almost 2.5 million cruise passengers sailed from US ports in the quarter, up slightly from the same quarter in 2005. The top three cruise companies -- Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Star Group (which owns Norwegian Cruise Line) -- accounted for 96 percent of the business. Carnival Corporation, which owns seven brands, made up 53 percent of the traffic itself.

The era of booking last-minute cruises seems to have ended. If these numbers tell us anything, it's to book your cruise as early as you can.

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Conde Nast Traveler readers name Regent Seven Seas top dog

Conde Nast Traveler Magazine has announced the results of its 19th annual reader's poll, awarded based on the answers of over 21,000 participants.

Among the surprises this year was the choice of Regent Seven Seas as the top pick in the Large Cruise Ship category. The cruise line (formerly Radisson Seven Seas) edged out nine-time winner Crystal Cruises for the honor.

The number three pick in the Large Cruise Ship category is Disney Cruise Line. The top three choices in the Small Ship Cruise Lines category are SeaDream Yacht Club, Grand Circle Cruise Line, and Regent Seven Seas (again), respectively.

Other winners include San Francisco as the top US destination city, Florence as the top European city, and Bangkok as the top Asian city.

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Crystal announces World Cruise artists and speakers

A figure skater, a Grammy-Award-winning songwriter, a former presidential press secretary, and more: the guest artists and speakers to be featured on Crystal Cruises' world cruise, departing January 12, 2007 are a diverse bunch.

Among the featured special guests will be Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill; former NFL coach Don Shula; former presidential press secretary Marlin Fitzwater; NBC medical correspondent Dr. Art Ulene; and singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka.

In addition to the headliners, there will also be added speakers to complement the destinations, such as writer/photographer Hallam Murray, who has bicycled the 17,000 miles between Los Angeles and Tierra del Fuego and has lived among Chile's Mapuche tribespeople. In total, more than 200 artists, experts, and speakers will travel on the 109-day voyage.

Crystal's 2007 world cruise on the Crystal Serenity sails from Miami and calls at 44 ports in 27 countries before docking in Southampton. The cruise is available in total or in one or a combination of seven segments.

Join the excitement! Contact SureCruise today for more information, expert advice, and to book.

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Seabourn new-ship shocker: two ships ordered

Seabourn Cruise Line, the luxury cruise member of the Carnival Corporation family of cruise lines, has ordered two new passenger ships to be delivered in spring of 2009 and 2010.

This news surprised even industry insiders, since the ultra-luxury market hasn't been seen as a growth segment. But, given that backer Carnival Corporation doesn't dig into its wallet unless there's a very good reason, we now have proof that the luxury-segment rebound is alive and well.

The new ships will each accommodate 450 passengers in 225 suites, 90% of which will have private verandahs. The still-unnamed vessels will have triple the space, but just double the passenger capacity of Seabourn's existing ships, giving the liners the relaxed, personal feel of an oversized yacht.

The new ships' design specifications call for a 650-foot long hull, a beam of 84 feet, and a draft of 21 feet. They will be powered by diesel-generated electricity and twin screw propellers. The ships will also be "green ships," employing advanced wastewater treatment technology.

Seabourn Cruise Line currently operates three 208-passenger, all-suite luxury ships. They are known for their elegant, service-oriented ships and their unusual and diverse ports of call.

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Regular cruise traffic returns to New Orleans

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun has begun regular weekly departures from the Port of New Orleans, making it the first cruise ship to resume homeporting in the Gulf city since last year's Hurricane Katrina. The Sun is the first of four ships scheduled to homeport for New Orleans cruises by the end of 2007. The Sun makes weekly voyages to ports in Mexico and Central America.

Before the storm, the Port of New Orleans handled over 700,000 cruise passengers annually.

Among the first cruise passengers departing New Orleans was the president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, Gary LaGrange. He told an AP reporter that the voyage was his first vacation since Katrina.

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Renew your vows onboard Celebrity ships

Celebrity Cruises has announced a new wedding vow renewal program with two amenity packages available to cruise guests on all Celebrity sailings.

The "True Love Knot" package includes a ceremony officiated by the ship's captain onboard the ship, a certificate signed by the captain, recorded music, flowers for the bride and groom, photography, one photo of the couple with the captain, Champagne, two engraved Champagne flutes, cake, and breakfast delivered to the couple's stateroom.

The "Aisle to Isle" package includes a ceremony led by a shipboard officer, recorded music, Champagne, cake, a certificate, flowers for the bride and groom, and photography. Additional amenities, such as live music, receptions, and salon appointments may be added for an additional charge.

Renewing your vows is just another great reason for taking a cruise!

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Signature of Excellence upgrades completed by Holland America

Holland America Line, known for its gracious mid-size liners, has completed its "Signature of Excellence" upgrade initiative. The new features include even more luxurious accommodations, new destinations, additional dining experiences, and even higher levels of service. New facilities on the Holland America fleet include:

Culinary Arts Center – sponsored by Food & Wine Magazine, this kitchen theater hosts cooking demonstrations, guest lecturers, book signings, and wine and food tastings.

Explorations Café – sponsored by the New York Times Company, this "café" is a combination Internet center, library, and coffee shop. The library boasts 27,000 new titles and the computer equipment is the latest available. Of course, there are a few copies of the Times around, also.

Pinnacle Grill Restaurant – an intimate, reservations-only dining room, with fine china, silver, and crystal; many tables for two; table-side service; and excellent Pacific Northwest cuisine. Meals here carry a surcharge (currently $30 per person for dinner and $15 for lunch), but I heartily recommend it. I've dined here on two HAL ships and enjoyed the experience both times. The Pinnacle Grill is also a nice escape from the more boisterous public rooms.

Holland America Line operates 13 ships that sail throughout the globe. The line is particularly noted for its Alaska and Caribbean sailings.

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Jacques Pepin to be featured on Oceania cruise

Master French chef and PBS cooking show host, Jacques Pepin will be featured on Oceania Cruises' Regatta on a special voyage from Barcelona to Athens, sailing April 17, 2007. The voyage will feature cooking demonstrations, question and answer sessions, and epicurean excursions as well as specially-designed Pepin signature menus. Pepin will be joined onboard by pastry chef Jean-Claude Szurdak.

Pepin, a French immigrant, has been cooking since age 12. In addition to his PBS show, Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way, he is best known for his collaborations with Julia Child and as the author of 18 food and wine books.

Oceania Cruises' 264-passenger flagship, Regatta, will call at ports in Spain, Italy, and Greece on its 10-day journey. The cruise line is currently offering free airfare from many North American cities for this sailing. Cruise fares start at $2299 per person. Contact us to book!

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Cell phones come aboard Holland America in record time

Holland America is zooming from supporting cell phones on just one ship today, the Volendam, to their entire fleet, in less than 6 months. Amazing! Passengers' personal cell phones and PDAs that use GSM-compatible networks like Cingular and T-Mobile will work when the ships are at sea.

We hear some intense feelings from cruisers about cell phones at sea. The anti-phone camp naturally doesn't want to be disturbed by ringing cell phones and others' loud conversations. That's a Luddite attitude, according to the pro-phone camp, who figures cell phones have become ubiquitous and it's only a matter of time until they work everywhere.

Around here, our feeling is that we want the lifeline of knowing that since our phone did not ring, therefore no catastrophes unfolded back at home or the office. Peace of mind, like a grown-up pacifier.

Holland America's new cell phone service uses technology from a company called SeaMobile, a division of the Maritime Telecommunications Network company that already provides onboard Internet access. International roaming charges will apply to all shipboard cell phone calls or messages and guests will be billed via their shipboard account, probably in the ballpark of $1 to $2 per minute... so dial carefully! Holland America's announcement comes one week after sister company Carnival announced a similar plan for their ships.

Seattle-based Holland America has a fleet of thirteen medium-sized passenger cruise ships, which sail to the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Alaska, and around-the-world.

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NCL cruise passengers jailed in Bermuda for beating third passenger

A minor brawl outside a Bermuda nightclub has left two American tourists who arrived aboard Norwegian Crown cooling their heels for 90 days in a Bermuda jail. The two pled guilty to inflicting grievous bodily injury to another passenger outside of a Hamilton nightclub, and had apparently expected to be released after paying a substantial fine. But Bermuda Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner had other ideas, and sentenced the two to jail.

Michael Donovan of New Jersey and Joseph Pontieri of Staten Island pled guilty to beating and breaking the jaw of American tourist Christopher Emanuel on October 5, after a dispute in the nightclub involving a woman. Their prison sentence has since been upheld on appeal.

Bermuda police boarded the Norwegian Crown, in Hamilton for a three-day stint, to arrest the pair after the incident. The men had faced up to three years in jail and a $7,500 fine.

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Cruise ship Webcams and Bridgecams: cruise live from your desk!

The ongoing Internet-enabling of cruise ships now brings live cruising to your computer. Many ships offer near-real-time Webcams and Bridgecams with views from their ships' bridges and elsewhere onboard.

Admittedly, port areas aren't always the most scenic part of cruising, but every once in a while you'll get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, or the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, or picturesque Villefranche on the French Rivera. It's a fun diversion for any cruise lover.

Among cruise lines offering Webcams are:

• Princess Webcams
• Crystal Webcams
• CostaWebcams
• Carnival Webcams (Liberty and Valor only)
• Norwegian Webcams (select ship of interest, then Webcam option)
• Cunard for the QE2 Webcams and QM2 Webcams
  
• Royal Caribbean only on Voyager of the Seas Webcams
• Celebrity Webcams
  

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Hawaii advertising blunder lands Celebrity marketing department in hot lava

Celebrity Cruises' marketing department heads back to school for cultural sensitivity training after putting together a Hawaii cruising trade ad they really should have known would be poorly received in the islands.

King Kamehameha, who established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810, is a revered figure in Hawaiian culture and history. Imagine, then, the native Hawaiian community's dismay when it saw Celebrity's ad showing an iconic 1883 statue of the former ruler lifting a champagne toast to Celebrity.

Miami-based Celebrity Cruises, little sister of Royal Caribbean, has apologized for the misstep and has pulled the offensive ads, according to Celebrity spokesperson Lynn Marstenstein. The line will also publish advertisements in two of Hawaii's major newspapers apologizing to the Hawaiian people and enroll its top marketing staff in a cultural values and awareness training class to be conducted by the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association.

The Celebrity ad is just the latest in a series of misuse of Hawaiian cultural and intellectual symbols, according to the 'Ilio'ulaokalani Coalition, a group of Hawaiian cultural practitioners. Improper use is not limited to travel ads, according to the group, which cited similar mistakes in movies and by local businesses.

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New passport rules in flux again

Congress continues to monkey with proposed changes in passport rules, possibly delaying some of the changes, while simultaneously making them more convoluted. Your tax dollars at work.

Your best bet has always been to use a passport whenever you travel to or from the US, but the long-standing exception allowing Americans and Canadians to use a photo ID and birth certificate may be preserved for awhile longer for certain travel within the Western Hemisphere (for these purposes, the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda).

But only if you travel into or out of the U.S. across a land border or arrive on a cruise ship. And this delay for land borders and cruise ships might last until January 2008, or then again it might be 2009. We'll only know for sure once the legislative Magic 8-Ball comes to rest.

Oh, and we almost forgot. In this latest change, Congress also proposed inventing a BRAND-NEW form of ID, like a passport card, just for travel within the Western Hemisphere, that would presumably be cheaper than a passport. No details on if this will happen, or when, or what it might cost.

If you're flying bewteen the U.S. and any of those places, then strike all that. YOU still need a passport for sure starting January 8, 2007, just a few months away.

What's going on? The United States Congress recently approved an extension to 2004's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that until now had called for all travelers between the US and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Bermuda and the Caribbean to have a valid passport by January 8, 2007. As we mentioned already, the extension until 2008 or 2009 applies to sea and land passengers only; those arriving by air will still be required to have a passport.

For the latest updates, visit the US State Department's Website.

Even if you might not be required to have a passport, get one anyway. It's the best form of ID and having one allows you to jump on a last-minute deal without having to wait 4-6 weeks for passport processing or pay hefty rush fees. United States citizens can apply for a passport a one of the more than 7,000 passport acceptance offices. These are mostly post offices, but also include regional passport offices and American embassies overseas. New applicants must complete the required form (printable from the US passport office Website) and bring proof of citizenship (an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, green card, or naturalization papers), a photo ID, two passport-size photos, and $97.00. Those renewing passports may apply via mail. Passports are valid for ten years.

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Princess purser pleads guilty to stealing $400K from the ship's safe

In a follow-up to our earlier cruise blog entry, former Sapphire Princess Chief Purser Elisha Cuffe has pled guilty to theft in Ketchikan (Alaska) District Court and been sentenced to four months in jail.

The 32-year-old Australian was arrested in August after being found with over $400,000 money from the ship's vault in her cabin, in a cardboard box at the end of her bed. Cuffe, whose Australian passport had expired, will be deported back to Australia following her stay in Ketchikan jail. She could have faced up to five years in prison.

Princess Cruises is one of the leaders in Alaska cruising. The 2760-passenger Sapphire Princess is one of nine Princess ships that sail Alaskan waters each year from May to September.

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Unnecessary security evacuation on Star Princess in Canada

Those sailing on the 2500-passenger Star Princess were forced to evacuate the cruise ship on October 4 while the crew and security officials searched the ship. The evacuation, which took place in the port of St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, was called for after three suspicious packages and an unidentified man were seen aboard the vessel. But, nothing harmful was found on board and the ship departed after a three-hour delay.

The officials in St. John's do have past events to make them suspicious, though. In 2005, six Chinese citizens were found hidden oboard Star Princess when it docked at St. John's. In that case, the ringleader, Lin Zhou Zhang was sentenced to a year in jail for smuggling himself and the others into Canada with fake passports.

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Carnival Cruise Line cell phone rollout moving right along

Thought you were safe on a ship from having your cell phone ring? Well, those days are numbered.

Communication at sea has come a long way from the days (not too long ago) when you had to request a connection from the ship's operator and wait sometimes hours for the call to go through.

Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, which operates twenty cruise liners in the Caribbean, Mexico, and worldwide, is enabling cell phone access onboard its entire fleet. The system enables passengers with GSM-based cell phones (Cingular and T-Mobile customers, for example) to send and receive calls, emails, and other services of their personal cell phones while at sea.

Carnival's new wireless service has been implemented on the Carnival Conquest, Carnival Triumph, and Imagination. The line plans to add three new ships to the system each month, with the entire fleet completed by early 2007.

Wireless Maritime Services, a joint venture of Cingular Wireless and Maritime Communications Network, handles the deployment and offers low-cost roaming coverage for most of the world's cellular providers. Plans are in the works to upgrade that system to support higher-speed EV-DO services sometime in 2007.

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Cook up a storm in Holland America culinary arts centers!

Holland America Line, whose medium-sized cruise liners are equipped with shiny new culinary arts centers, announced their 2007 culinary cruise line-up last week. The schedule includes more that 40 chefs, wine experts, and cookbook authors.

Among them are Andrew Carmellini of New York's hip restaurant A Voce, who was recently named "Best New Chef" by Food and Wine Magazine; Andrea Immer Robinson, Master Sommelier, one of just 14 women in the world who have earned this distinction; Holly Turner, winemaker for Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla Washington; and Michael Symon, executive chef of Lola Restaurant in Cleveland and Parea in New York City.

Activities on the culinary cruises include cooking demonstrations, wine and food tastings, lectures, book signings, and complimentary recipe cards and tasting notes that you can take home with you.

Holland America's culinary arts centers include large theater-style demonstration kitchen and plasma video screens so that you won't miss a single detail. You can even watch from your stateroom!

Cruise itineraries range from October to May and include cruises to Europe, New England, China, the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, and Australia. For more information on Holland America's culinary cruises, contact the SureCruise.com cruise experts today.

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Sweet cruise Alabama! Set sail with Lynyrd Skynyrd

Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and classic southern rockers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, are headlining the "Gimme Three Days" cruise on the Carnival Fascination sailing January 5. The three-day cruise will feature performances by twelve bands, including Skynyrd, 38 Special, and Drivin N Cryin. The voyage will call at Nassau and offer a full day at sea to enjoy the amenities of the ship as well as a full schedule of concerts and other music events.

The 2052-passenger Fascination sails from Miami. Contact SureCruise for further information and for reservations.

As an aside, around here we recognize Skynyrd for their outstanding, rockin' Christmas album. Seriously. Check it out.

Lynyrd Skynyrd are best known for their hits "Freebird," "Gimme 3 Steps," and "Sweet Home Alabama," among others. The band 38 Special is led by Donnie Van Zant, the brother of Skynyrd leader Johnny Van Zant. Read more about Skynyrd on their official Website.

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Alaska cruise passenger accuses Holland America of fraud

In a two-part civil suit, filed in US District Court in Seattle, Ohioan J.B Miller accuses Holland America Line of fraud and asks for class-action status. Mr. Miller has two beefs: first, that he overpaid for a shore excursion during his July 2006 Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, and second, that a government fine collected by the cruise line wasn't passed along to the government.

The shore excursion in question was a $219 fishing trip Mr. Miller purchased. This portion of his lawsuit centers around a generally ignored Alaska statute that has required a cruise line to disclose any fee it may receive from a business it is promoting. Mr. Miller says that he never was informed of HAL's markup on the fishing charter and that he would have saved considerable money if he had booked the tour directly.

We're struggling with this. On the one hand, if the law was on the books, it should be followed. On the other hand, of course the cruise line adds a markup, as does any retailer selling anything. In addition, the cruise lines add value by vetting and monitoring their shore excursion vendors for quality and safety, and monitoring for any tardy return to the ship... so you don't miss the boat because your excursion motor coach got a flat.

The second part of the suit involves the so-called "Jones Act," the US law that forbids foreign-flagged cruise vessels (as most are) from transporting people between US ports without an intermediate stop at a foreign port. Violation results in a $300 per person fine.

After missing the Seattle embarkation because of a delayed flight, Mr. Miller and his family of four skipped over the foreign Canadian port call and joined the ship in Juneau, making them liable for this fine. His claim is that the government, as a matter of practice, seldom asseses these fines and the cruises lines don't pay them in reality. But, Holland America rebuts that penalty issuance can take many months and that it was too soon to tell if the cruise line would be fined for Miller's passage. A Seattle Customs spokesman confirmed this statement.

We're curious about this one, and although Mr. Miller's claim may amount to nothing in the end, it might be interesting for his attorneys to be able to dig into the truth of the matter through the discovery process and settle the matter once and for all.

Holland America Line, one of the largest cruise operators in Alaska, operates a number of cruises and cruise tours in the state from May to September each year. A spokesperson for the line denied all charges and called the lawsuit frivolous.

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Switcheroo with Carnival ships Miracle and Legend

Carnival Cruises announced that they will be shuffling the homeport assignments for their 2124-passenger sister ships, the Carnival Miracle and the Carnival Legend, beginning in the spring of 2007. Although the ships are similar, their individualized decor will give repeat passengers in their respective homeports a different cruise experience.

The Carnival Legend currently sails from New York and Ft. Lauderdale. She will be deployed to Tampa for year-round seven-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, beginning on April 15, 2007. The Carnival Miracle, currently based in Tampa, will be repositioned to New York, from which she will operate eight-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean, beginning April 25. On October 22, she will move to Ft. Lauderdale, where she will sail alternate weeks to the Western and Eastern Caribbean.

Because the Miracle and Legend are sister ships, all passengers booked on cruises sailing after the switch will be accommodated on the new ship in the same stateroom as they had reserved on the original ship.

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Royal Caribbean cancels 2007 Boston departures

Those of us who live near Boston are dismayed at Royal Caribbean's cancellation of its 2007 cruises from Boston. Company spokesperson Tracy Quan said that move was made so that Jewel of the Seas, which was scheduled to make the fall foliage and Bermuda voyages from Boston, could undergo routine dry-dock maintenance.

The line plans to resume Boston departures in 2008 and Massport, the port authority of Boston, confirmed that Royal Caribbean has requested a berth.

The 2112-passenger Jewel of the Seas has been based in Boston since her 2004 launch, sailing to Bermuda as well as to Canada and Maine for the fall foliage cruises.

Massport, located at the eastern edge of central Boston, expects 96 cruise ships to use the port in 2007, up from 82 in 2006. Massport's Lisa Langone said that the extra ships will more than make up for the revenue lost by Jewel's pullout.

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