Hey dad, sorry about the dent in the ship

We thought it was bad to scratch the paint on the family car when we were kids. At least it wasn't a fender-bender involving two cruise ships. Carnival Legend, pulling out of Cozumel, hit Royal Caribbean's docked Enchantment of the Seas after being hit by a strong gust of wind. Nobody was injured.

The ships were both cleared to sail, and both continued their journeys and have since returned to their Florida homeport and started their next voyages. Visible damage was reported as relatively minor, broken glass and the like, and the passengers reactions seemed more excited that alarmed.

More details from 10connects.com.

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Royal Caribbean goes hip-hop; guests star in onboard Gotta Dance show

Putting guests in a hip-hop dance show!? We have to give Royal Caribbean credit. Ever since introducing their "Get Out There" tag line years ago, the cruise line has lived and breathed that brand essence, enabling adventurous guests to immerse themselves in out-of-the-box experiences during their vacation. First it was rock climbing, then surfing, boxing, zip-line excursions... you get the drift.

And the latest experiential innovation is a Hip Hop dance adventure open to all ages and skill levels, which will be fleetwide this summer. In Gotta Dance, based on the documentary film of the same name by award-winning director Dori Berinstein, guests let loose and 'wow' their cruisemates with cool new dance moves.

You probably haven't heard of the movie Gotta Dance yet, but you will. It's an award-winning documentary film hitting the big screen in July. Gotta Dance (www.GottaDanceTheMovie.com) chronicles the first-ever senior-citizen, hip-hop dance troupe for the New Jersey Nets Basketball Team. Just like the film, Royal Caribbean's Gotta Dance program will offer guests, from the young to the young-at-heart, a chance to grab their moment in the spotlight.

Kicking off each cruise will be a special screening of the film. Participants are divided into teams and, during their vacation, learn choreographed routines with a member of the Royal Caribbean dance team in sea-day rehearsals. Then the main event is a show on the cruise's last evening where each team performs in the ship's main theater. The routines were choreographed by New Jersey Nets Dance Coach Kimberlee Garris, who also appears in the Gotta Dance film.

Sounds like fun!

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Swine Flu hysteria ebbs; cruise lines returning to Mexico

As reason has gradually displaced the initial irrational hysteria about Swine Flu (yes, we know we're supposed to call it H1N1 Flu now, but choose not to), the cruise lines that had canceled their Mexico ports of call are now trickling back.

To be fair to the cruise lines, they really had no choice but to pull out of Mexico when the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended avoiding non-essential travel there on April 27.

But since then, as it became clear that Swine Flu has more in common with a garden-variety flu than some mutant killer disease, CDC rescinded its no-go recommendation and replaced it with the same common sense guidelines one should follow to avoid illness at any time. The #1 rule? Wash your hands often with soap and water. You can see the rest of the suggestions here. CDC still says that those at high risk for complications from any flu might want to avoid Mexico, like the very young or old.

At any rate, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line are already stopping in Mexico again, while other cruise lines will return throughout the rest of the year as ships are repositioned back into Caribbean or Mexican Riviera service for the fall and winter.

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Fuel surcharge intrigue continues

Back in November when Carnival Corporation announced the retroactive addition of fuel surcharges to existing bookings, we knew, first, that the rest of the industry would follow, and second, that there would be eventual pushback from customers or regulators. Nobody likes making a reservation, paying a deposit, and then being told sometime later that more money is due.

Sure enough, other brands owned by Carnival (like Cunard, Holland America, and Princess) added the fuel surcharge retroactively to existing bookings and, shortly thereafter, so did Royal Caribbean (and its siblings Celebrity and Azamara).

Meantime one cruise line, Norwegian, stands out as taking the most consumer-friendly approach to skyrocketing fuel prices. They added a fuel surcharge only for new bookings. Good for them!

Which brings us to earlier this month, and the regulatory pushback from Florida's attorney general Bill McCollum. The cruise lines had gotten themselves in hot water in Florida in 1997 over the issue of "port charges," since when ports were skipped (say, due to inclement weather), the "port charges" weren't reliably refunded. This resulted in an agreement between the cruise lines and the state requiring clear explanation of charges that make up the fare.

Apparently when Royal Caribbean was approached by Attorney General McCollum about whether, by adding retroactive charges now, they had run afoul of that 1997 agreement, the cruise line thought his argument was persuasive enough to cave in. So last week Royal Caribbean announced they're going to give back the retroactive charges, and clearly disclose the charges on new bookings.

Carnival, though, is resisting the idea of a rebate. Yesterday, Carnival Corp. dug in its heels on its quarterly conference call with financial analysts, falling back on its fine print which it said had mentioned for some time the possibility of future fuel surcharges. The attorney general disagrees that this constituted adequate disclosure, and it will be fascinating to see how this plays out over the next few weeks. We're thinking that kicking sand at their home-state attorney general will probably not serve them well in the long term.

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Liberty of the Seas first look report: surf's up!

We had the chance to sail onboard Royal Caribbean's brand-new Liberty of the Seas recently from the line's artfully named Cape Liberty Port in Bayonne, New Jersey. Like sister ship Freedom of the Seas, Liberty is a home run for the target "active adventure cruiser" market. Take a look at our brand-new Liberty of the Seas photos, and previous Freedom of the Seas photos, to see what we mean.

Freedom and Liberty are the world's two largest cruise ships, weighing in at 160,000 tons and carrying 3,400 passengers. An evolution of the line's successful Voyager-class vessels, Royal Caribbean uses the extra space made available on these behemoths for eye- and adrenaline-popping additions like surfing and boxing, plus a general upsizing of popular Voyager-class features like the rock climbing wall, "main street" Royal Promenade, and ice skating rink.

Surely the catchiest feature remains the Flowrider surfing machine, surrounded by stadium seating for the less adventurous, on which intrepid guests can either bodyboard or stand-up surf.

Lest you think bodyboarding sounds less exciting, wait to pass judgement until you've mastered executing a barrel roll, 360-degree spin, or bodyboarding while standing on your head--all skills the staff there will be happy to demonstrate and teach. Speaking of whom, we tip our hats to the staff manning this attraction, who bend over backwards to make even raw beginners feel welcome and have fun while they learn. The fancy surfing hardware is not what makes the attraction a huge success--rather it's the terrific Royal Caribbean employees working there.

Liberty and Freedom now sail Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami. Contact us to book and for free bonuses with each booking.

We could go on and on about Liberty of the Seas, but a picture is worth a thousand words so check out our Liberty photos!

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Royal Caribbean putting Freedom-class megaship in Europe

Royal Caribbean's third 160,000-ton Freedom-class ship will cruise from Southampton, England, for its inaugural season in May 2008, the cruise line has announced.

Independence of the Seas will share world's-largest-ship honors with sisters Freedom of the Seas, already sailing from Miami, and Liberty of the Seas, to be launched this summer. They'll share the biggest-boat honors until Royal Caribbean leapfrogs itself with planned-for-2009 220,000-ton "Genesis Project" leviathan.

Needless to say, 3,634-guest Independence will be the largest ship to be homeported in Europe, and further solidifies the trend of cruise lines working to diversify their itineraries beyond the highly-competitive Caribbean.

Like its sister ships, Independence will feature adventurous features like onboard surfing, a regulation boxing ring, ice skating rink, and rock climbing wall. For example, check out photos from Freedom of the Seas. Hopefully England's legendary cool and foggy climate will break up often enough to provide some nice surfing weather.

The ship will sail alternating 14-night itineraries called "Mediterranean Treasures" and "Italian Mediterranean."

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Carnival cancels New Orleans return for Triumph

Carnival will not be moving Carnival Triumph back to New Orleans in September as it had planned. Although the cruise line stated it had wanted to return the mega-liner to The Big Easy, weak bookings jinxed its plans. Carnival's Fantasy, already sailing from New Orelans, will remain.

Carnival said that travelers seem to still be taking a hesitant about cruising from New Orleans, undoubtedly driven by persistent reports of slow or stalled recovery efforts. We haven't been to New Orleans lately to judge for ourselves, but since the vast majority of cruise passengers simply "pass through" their embarkation city anyway, there seems to be no major reason to avoid the port.

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also have vessels sailing from New Orleans already.

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Two more cruise lines jettisoning trans-fats

Royal Caribbean's announcement a few weeks ago that it was moving away from unhealthy trans-fats in its cuisine spurred a response from Carnival, a direct competitor in the contemporary cruise market segment, and ultra-luxury line Crystal.

Carnival's press release is amusing, if you read between the lines. Its first sentence declares, "Carnival Cruise Lines, which led the cruise industry by initiating measures two years ago to remove trans fats from its menus, is taking that program to the next level." The clear message to the across-town rival? You kids at Royal Caribbean may have gotten press first on this subject, but we at Carnival were quietly way ahead--two years ago.

While both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have reduced trans-fats, and have plans in place to continually reduce their usage, Crystal is further ahead of the curve.

Crystal put an upscale twist on their announcement, saying not only that trans-fats are totally eliminated effective immediately, but also that a new "oil sommelier" will offer flavored, infused oils to diners to complement their meals. You know how a cruise ship wine sommelier will frequently wear their silver tasting cup as a necklace? What do you suppose an oil sommelier would wear?

Experts say that trans fatty acids are not required and provide no known benefits, increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and also lower levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), increasing the risk of heart disease.

So, good riddance!

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"Missing honeymooner's" wife and parents divorce over $1 million settlement

Solving the case of what befell "missing honeymooner" George Smith is starting to seem about as likely as OJ finding the "real killer" of Nicole and Ron. In the latest chapter of the bizarre case, Jennifer Hagel-Smith, George's wife, and George's parents, have fallen out subsequent to her acceptance of a $1 million settlement from Royal Caribbean.

George's parents and sister were reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to consider Jennifer's deal a "sell out" that they plan to challenge in court, while Jennifer plans to set aside $25,000 of the million for a fund in her husband's memory. The parents' attorney, a fellow named Brett Rivkind, whose firm's Web site describes itself as "cruise personal injury lawyers," has made a career of suing cruise lines. Since the deal remains subject to a judge's approval, who knows whether the deal will take place.

The presumption is that George fell or was pushed overboard in July 2005 during his honeymoon cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas after a late night of drinking. New spouse Jennifer, meanwhile, was found sleeping in a public hallway elsewhere on the ship.

When Royal Caribbean was told the following morning the George could be missing, they promptly involved the FBI as well as local Turkish authorities, and a nearby vacationing FBI agent came onboard to assist. Those facts seem accepted by everyone.

Our bottom line? Royal Caribbean seems to bear no fault for George's death through any action, or lack of action, and followed both the letter and the spirit of the law in working with authorities to help unravel the truth. Royal Caribbean has aggressively defended its actions, so we were surprised they offered this settlement, although we're sure at this point they would prefer for the story to finally go away.

We'd like to know what really happened, although unraveling that seems less likely all the time

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Trans-fats going overboard at Royal Caribbean

Good riddance to health-killing and unnecessary trans-fats at Royal Caribbean, the first cruise line to announce such a phase-out, which will be complete by year-end. Partially hydrogenated frying oil will be eliminated immediately, after a successful experiment with trans-fat-free oil onboard Navigator of the Seas last November.

"Vegetable oils that have undergone hydrogenation result in a type of fat that doctors have linked to serious health risks including diabetes, high blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels," explained Michael Bayley, senior vice president, Total Guest Satisfaction. "If we can offer guests a healthier serving of the foods they love by switching to trans-fat-free oils, while maintaining the same level of satisfaction, why wouldn't we make the switch?"

Royal Caribbean is working jointly with its suppliers to ensure that trans-fats are off the menu entirely by year-end.

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Port of Miami security false alarms: two in two days

Two days in a row blaring headlines trumpeted possible terrorist activity at the Port of Miami, yet each case turned out to be much ado about nothing.

The cause of the first case? "Just miscommunication," say the authorities. And the cause of the second? A box of garden-variety sprinkler-system parts misidentified as plastic explosive by an electronic sensor.

On Sunday morning a man driving a tractor-trailer into the port, which handles cargo as well as cruise passengers, aroused suspicion when due to a language barrier, authorities thought he said he was alone, when in fact there were two other men with him. Did we mention that two of these men were Iraqi, and one was Lebanese?

In the end it turned out that the three are in the country quite legally and proceedings against them have been dismissed, but in the meanwhile the FBI, Immigration, Customs, Coast Guard, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were all alerted. Authorities peeked inside the trio's container using a high-tech device and concluded it contained what the manifest said it did: car parts. End of story.

Monday, a pallet bound for Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas triggered a plastic explosives alert after being tested by an electronic device. The ship was evacuated, the suspect box was taken away and blown up by authorities, but in the end this too was a false alarm. The sprinkler-system parts in the box had meant no harm to anyone.

Given that we're all 46 times more likely to drop dead as a result of falling down than from a terrorist attack, according to Wired, we really wish that cooler heads would prevail at mainstream media outlets to wait for confirmation of suspected security risks like these--before going crazy scaring everybody with "terrorist alerts" as the press did this week with these incidents.

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"Missing Honeymooner" lawsuit against Royal Caribbean dismissed

Miami Judge Jon Gordon dismissed a case brought against Royal Caribbean by the family of George Smith IV, who disappeared from the Brilliance of the Seas in July, 2005, while on his honeymoon in the Mediterranean. His body was never recovered, but bloodstains were found at the scene.

Mr. Smith's disappearance, and presumed death, are a tragedy. Yet this tragedy was not Royal Caribbean's fault, and the cruise line did everything it reasonably could to help solve the mystery, starting with promptly notifying the FBI about a possible crime. So said the court, by dismissing the lawsuit.

The suit alleged that Royal Caribbean tried to cover up the incident to avoid liability and to minimize negative publicity. The complaint also charged the cruise line with "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and "invasion of privacy." Yet Royal Caribbean's lawyer Robert Peltz (and ultimately the court) disagreed. Mr. Peltz wrote in his 55-page motion that the cruise line acted above and beyond its legal requirements.

The Smith case has been one of the most publicized cases ever of a missing cruise ship passenger and has even spawned congressional hearings on maritime security.

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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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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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Watch those ship railings!

In another incident at sea, a 36-year cruise passenger from Ohio is presumed to have fallen overboard last week during a four-day Mexican voyage on Carnival's Imagination. No one apparently noticed Tammy Grogan missing until the ship docked in Miami on Monday. Her family said they last saw her about 36 hours earlier. The Orlando Sentinel quoted FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela as saying, "we do not suspect foul play," in spite of the family's reporting delay.

Although such incidents are rare, especially compared to the millions of cruise passengers who sail annually, the Toledo woman's disappearance is not without precedent. In the summer of 2005, newlywed "missing honeymooner" George Smith IV vanished from a Royal Caribbean ship sailing the Mediterranean Sea. In May, another Ohioan, Daniel DiPiero, 21, fell off a Royal Caribbean ship in the Bahamas after a night of drinking. In the latter case ship security cameras recorded his fall.

The International Council of Cruise Lines reported earlier this year that 24 passengers have gone missing since 2003, which while 24 too many, does makes cruising a comparatively very safe vacation choice statistically speaking.

Meanwhile, travel columnist Chris Elliott is a friend of ours who asks what can be done to solve the man-overboard problem: "What would you do to prevent people from falling off ships? Cut back on alcohol? Install better rails? Keep people off the balconies?" If you have an idea, let Chris know.

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Swimming with stingrays: is it safe to go in the water?

Since "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin died tragically from a stingray barb while filming a documentary in Australia, many are wondering whether popular swim-with-the-stingray attractions such as Stingray City in Grand Cayman are safe.

In a word, "yes," according to the cruise lines that sail to the Caribbean and various tour operators that run trips to so-called Stingray City. "(Irwin's death) is one of the rarest occurrences you can possibly believe," Pat Kenney, diver manager for Red Sail Sports told CNN. "They're very docile creatures."

Statements released by cruise lines that operate in the Caribbean concur. "I think everyone understands that this is a rare circumstance," Royal Caribbean's Lyan Sierra-Caro told Cruisecritic.com. Similar sentiments were expressed by Carnival, Disney, and Holland America.

Experts seem to concur that the circumstances around Steve Irwin's incident, where he and his cameraman had unwittingly surprised and boxed in a "wild" stingray, are totally different than the nearly-tame stingray feeding enjoyed by tourists.

Stingray City, which opened in the mid-1970s, gives visitors a chance to walk amidst and feed stingrays attracted by the years of free food. The attraction greets an average of 600 visitors a day, none of whom have ever suffered "any serious injuries," according to Mark Button, an operator for Moby Dick Tours which has been escorting visitors to the site for over 20 years. The rays at Stingray City are free to come and go... and they choose to come since they've been hand-fed for so many years.

Stingray City is one of the most popular attractions for cruise visitors to Grand Cayman, and most cruise lines calling at Grand Cayman, including Carnival and Royal Caribbean, offer excursions to the site.

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Cruise gift certificates launched by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity

Cruise gift certificates deliver sure-fire smiles on birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions. It's baffled us that many cruise lines haven't offered them. Apparently, Royal Caribbean and sister company Celebrity finally got the message, by introducing cruise gift certificates that can be purchased by consumers.

Their certificates, which come in denominations of $50, $100, $250, and $500, can be used towards the purchase of a cruise or for a shipboard credit, onboard purchases, spa services, drinks, and more. Purchased certificates can be delivered via email or by US mail. Contact SureCruise for further details or to purchase a certificate. Currently, certificates may only be purchased by US residents.

Royal Caribbean operates 19 cruise vessels that sail to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, and beyond. Royal Caribbean sailings range from three days to over three weeks. Celebrity Cruises has nine ships that sail to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and around the world. Gift certificates for either cruise line may be redeemed through SureCruise.

Or, if you'd prefer a more flexible certificate that can be redeemed on just about any cruise line, SureCruise offers its own cruise gift certificate program as well.

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Freedom of the Seas first look: surf's up!

Now that Freedom of the Seas has finally arrived at her toasty warm home in Miami--concluding her introductory tour for invited guests of cold, rainy, and water-sports-unfriendly places like Southampton, England and New York--we're happy to report that it's time to hang ten on the ship's super-cool Flowrider wave machine.

The aft end of deck 11, where the Flowrider is surrounded by stadium-style seating to entertain even those not brave enough to try surfing, was the most popular spot on the ship on the short introductory trip we just finished.

The Flowrider blasts 30,000 gallons of water a minute (more than enough to fill your backyard 20- by 40-foot inground pool) in a 3-inch sheet up a wave-shaped trampoline-like surface. Falling, which happens often, can look spectacular but is generally painless and fun.

Flowrider accommodates body-boarding on foam boards and surfing on 4-foot long hard-edged boards. Even someone who has tried neither can be body boarding quickly with the positive attitude and helpful tips of the sports staff. And once basic stability is mastered, it's time to start kneeling or standing and working on some tricks.

At separate times stand-up surfing on the hard-edged boards is allowed, and again, even rank novices are welcomed and encouraged. The staff will stand you up at the bottom of the machine on a board just out of the current, then, while holding your hands, edge you out into the water, let you stabilize a bit, and set you on your way. In our 100-passenger group, the vast majority washed out in 5 seconds or less, and a few past surfers were able to stay up for 15 seconds or so. Meantime everybody is applauding, hooting and hollering.

The ship's sports staff, meanwhile, could perform amazing tricks and just generally look super-cool as in the photo.

We'll have more details on Freedom, photos, and more in a future update.

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Search underway for man missing from Mariner of the Seas

A search is currently underway for a 21-year-old man, now presumed to have gone overboard early Monday from Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas during the first night of his vacation. At the time the ship had departed Port Canaveral, Florida, sailing for Royal Caribbean's Bahamian private island.

An onboard security camera spotted Daniel Dipiero, from Augusta, Ohio, on deck between midnight and 2 am Monday morning, and he hasn't been seen since. Traveling companions reported at 11 am that he hadn't slept in his interior stateroom. Following a futile search of the CoCo Cay private island, where the ship had since docked, and the ship itself, the FBI, U.S. and Bahamian coast guards were notified at 7 pm.

Unfortunately, harsh weather prevented the Coast Guard from beginning an aerial search of the ship's path until 9 am Tuesday morning.

The mainstream press, ever vigilant to seek controversy, is zeroing in on the 8-hour delay between when Mr. Dipiero's traveling companions alerted Royal Caribbean, and the time the cruise line notified other authorities. However, the ship had docked at CoCo Cay around 7 am, and begun tendering passengers ashore soon thereafter. By 11 am, when Royal Caribbean was notified, Mr. Dipiero could have gone ashore and that possibility needed to be ruled out prior to sounding the alarm.

With luck Mr. Dipiero will be found alive and well. Meanwhile our takeaway from this story, and other stories like it, is to treat railings on cruise ships with the same respect as a railing found on any tall building.

UPDATE 5/20/06: The investigation determined that Mr. Dipiero's group had smuggled aboard alcohol, against cruise line policy, and had videotaped themselves drinking. The tragic mystery is over, as it was announced that cruise line security camera footage showed Mr. Dipiero falling overboard.

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Freedom of the Seas christened in New York

The world's largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, arrived Wednesday morning in New York Harbor from Southampton, England, and was christened on Friday morning in a ceremony televised live on NBC's Today show.

Instead of the usual route of choosing a celebrity Godmother for the ship, Royal Caribbean let the Today show choose the country's "best mother," Katherine Calder, foster mom for more than 400 kids. She had the honor of cutting the ribbon that broke a mega champagne bottle across the ship's bow, and pronouncing the timeless prayer, "I name this ship Freedom of the Seas. May God bless this ship and all who sail on her."

Freedom offers many firsts on her resume besides size: the first onboard surfing at sea, the first boxing ring at sea, and the first hot tubs cantilevered over the side of the ship more than 100 feet in the air. Talk about a view! These features are in addition to Royal Caribbean's innovations on earlier ships--that you'll also find here--such as the enormous mall-like Royal Promenade, the iconic rock-climbing wall and Studio B ice-skating rink.

Freedom begins her public cruise career on June 4, with 7-night Western Caribbean cruises from Miami that are available at this moment starting at $864 per person, double occupancy.

We'll be checking out Freedom firsthand later in May and will report back with a full slew of photos and observations.

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Monster Royal Caribbean Genesis cruise ship announced

Royal Caribbean shook up the cruise industry today, announcing plans to build a monster 5,400-passenger ship for delivery in 2009. This Project Genesis vessel has Royal Caribbean one-upping itself, as it will be larger than the line's Freedom of the Seas, which itself won't even set sail until later this year.

The first Project Genesis ship will dwarf everything else afloat today (or currently planned for the future, for that matter), and Royal Caribbean has an option for a sister vessel. At 220,000 gross registered tons, 1,180 feet long, 154 feet wide and 240 feet high, the $1.1 billion vessel will be in a class by itself. The two nearest competitors, Freedom of the Seas and the Queen Mary 2, weigh in at a lithe 158,000 and 150,000 GRT respectively.

Royal Caribbean has yet to announce specifics about new features and guest experiences to be introduced on Project Genesis, but if experience is a guide, there will be interesting iconic hardware (like the Voyager-class rock climbing wall, and Freedom-class onboard surfing) whose details will be dribbled out to maximize publicity buzz.

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George Smith and Jennifer Hagel-Smith Update

Just when we thought that the case of "missing honeymooner" George Smith couldn't become more of a circus, the family hired famous forensic scientist (and expert publicity generator) Dr. Henry Lee to examine the Brilliance of the Seas stateroom from which George went missing over his balcony.

On NBC's Today this morning, Dr. Lee explained that when he examined the stateroom over the weekend prior to its next cruise from Miami, he did find "something" as a result of the three experiments he conducted onboard, but couldn't divulge in public what it was.

Dr. Lee also said he wanted to perform two additional experiments, but they were ruled out in negotiations with Royal Caribbean. Since one of these was to repeatedly toss a mannequin overboard from the balcony to see where it landed, which would have been disquieting to embarking passengers (let alone a media spectacle), we can see why it got nixed. But overall Dr. Lee gave high marks to the cooperation he got from the cruise line.

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Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guests can check in onboard for homebound flights

For $10 to $20 per passenger, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises guests can check in for their return flights, and check their luggage, onboard the ship, saving about 45 minutes. Before passengers disembark, they are issued boarding passes and luggage claim checks, and their checked bags are transported securely to the airport.

Celebrity offers the service today for cruises ending in Vancouver, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, San Diego, San Juan and Seattle, whereas Royal Caribbean offers Vancouver, San Juan and Seattle. Future airports will be added subject to Transportation Security Administration approval.

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Captain of "missing honeymooner" George Smith's cruise ship speaks

Michael Lachtaridis, the captain of Brilliance of the Seas in July when honeymooner George Smith apparently went overboard, spoke publicly for the first time today, with Dan Abrams of MSNBC's The Abrams Report. Also today, Royal Caribbean released what they call a factual chronology of the events, exceedingly detailed.

Amid mysterious circumstances and a variety of possibilities ranging from "tragic accident" to "extremely foul play," Captain Lachtaridis believes the more likely scenario is that George Smith went overboard accidentally, and asserted that he, his crew, and Royal Caribbean did everything possible to facilitate the investigation and help spouse Jennifer Hagel Smith.

Disagreeing on Abrams' show were the attorneys for Smith's family, and for his wife, Jennifer Hagel Smith, who both did their best to paint a picture of conspiracy and/or incompetence on the part of Royal Caribbean. There is a lawsuit from the family promised against Royal Caribbean.

Admitting that I harbor a general suspicion of most attorneys, the idea that Royal Caribbean bears responsibility for whatever tragedy befell George Smith is ludicrous. The man almost certainly went overboard from his own stateroom, either through accident or foul play, but in either event Royal Caribbean didn't cause it to happen, nor do the facts support a charge that Royal Caribbean could reasonably have prevented the tragedy. Without a security guard or camera inside each stateroom, there's no way to know for certain what played out there.

But did the cruise line try to hinder the investigation, as the attorneys charged? Turkish authorities had primary jurisdiction, since the ship was docked there, and were the immediate primary investigators. And even the opposing lawyers on Abrams' show admitted that the FBI had been called by Royal Caribbean about a possible crime by 10:30 am local time, less than two hours after the cruise line was first notified that someone may have gone overboard. Plus, a vacationing FBI agent in Turkey lent immediate assistance.

Another new detail is that the young men who were partying with the honeymooners, and were possibly the last people seen with George Smith, were warned about disruptive behavior by Royal Caribbean, and three days after Smith's disappearance were accused of an unrelated rape and put off the ship. Italian authorities concluded there was not enough evidence to charge them, however.

The FBI is still actively investigating these events, and hopefully will be able to reach a firm conclusion.

PREVIOUSLY: August 19, 2005, Missing Mediterranean honeymooner still a mystery

TODAY: January 5, 2006, Royal Caribbean "Factual Chronology of George Smith's Disappearance"

TODAY: January 5, 2006, Abrams Report transcript

UPDATE: January 6, 2006, the Associated Press reports that Jennifer Hagel Smith and George Smith were arguing in a bar earlier the night he disappeared, due to George believing Jennifer was flirting with another passenger. Jennifer kicked George "hard" in the groin, and left.

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First cruise ship calls in New Orleans since Katrina

As is the rest of the city, New Orleans' cruise business is sailing back. The first ship has called at the port since devastating hurricane Katrina, the German vessel Delphin Renaissance. Later in 2006, the cruise lines more familiar to U.S. travelers will also return.

Carnival will bring back its Carnival Conquest, currently operating from Galveston, at a to-be-determined date, and its Sensation in October 2006. Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas will be back in December 2006, and the Norwegian Sun returns in November 2006.

Washington Times: Cruise lines returning to New Orleans

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Avoiding your parole officer? Don't try to escape on a cruise.

Larry Moore, jailed for resisting arrest and assault in 2002, was paroled in 2004 but failed to meet with his parole officer, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued. We know criminals are rarely accused of being the sharpest tacks in the shed, but still, what did Mr. Moore think would happen after he provided the details of his identity as required prior to boarding Voyager of the Seas last week in New Jersey?

In the post-9/11 era, the authorities do indeed screen for outstanding warrants, and Mr. Moore was arrested prior to boarding. We feel it's a safe guess that Royal Caribbean didn't provide a refund, either, adding insult to injury.

The Jersey Journal: Wanted man nabbed at cruise ship

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Three crew members die aboard Monarch of the Seas after being overcome by methane

Three crew members died aboard Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas from methane gas exposure during onboard maintenance this morning while the ship was docked at the Port of Los Angeles, and five to ten other crew members needed medical treatment. The accident happened in a non-public area, so no passengers were effected, and by all accounts the end-of-cruise disemebarkation of the ship proceeded normally.

Royal Caribbean sources tell us that it is not currently known whether the ship will sail later today as planned to the Mexican Riviera.

DailyBreeze.com (AP): Cruise ship gas leak kills 3 workers at Port of L.A.

Update 9/3/05: The gas was apparently hydrogen sulfide, which occurs in sewage, not methane as originally reported. The ship was released and sailed yesterday evening for its next departure, although Royal Caribbean informed us the sailing was later in the day than scheduled.

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Royal Caribbean to launch onboard surfing

Today Royal Caribbean announced that guests on Freedom of the Seas, currently under construction in Finland and scheduled to set sail in May 2006, will be able to hang ten on a 32-foot-wide by 40- foot-long FlowRider continuous wave machine from La Jolla-based WaveLoch.

Future newbuilds from the line will also get the new feature, which up until today had been such a closely-guarded secret that Royal Caribbean president Adam Goldstein told us yesterday that he'd kept his own kids in the dark until the last minute. Their reported reaction: "Wow! Totally cool!"

Royal Caribbean is banking on others sharing the kids' sentiment. Guests can surf or bodysurf on the 30,000-gallon-per-minute current generated by the FlowRider, which is blasted over a curved, tensioned-fabric surface that promises to make the inevitable spills a soft landing. There will be no extra charge to surf. Less adventurous souls will have plenty of room to watch and encourage riders from the sidelines.

We met yesterday with executives from Royal Caribbean and Arnold Worldwide, the ad agency responsible for the cruise line's award-winning "Get Out There" marketing campaign, and it's clear that Royal Caribbean is committed to continuously pushing the envelope on adventurous and innovative onboard features.

For example, when rock climbing walls first rolled out on Voyager of the Seas, the response was so enthusiastic that all of the fleet's ships were retrofitted with the walls, and now the new onboard surfing ups the ante for the competition.

Cruises on Freedom of the Seas can be booked today with 02Cruise.com starting at $709 per person, double occupancy. Remember that only at 02Cruise.com will your booking be eligible for CruiseDividends points that you can cash in for valuable name-brand merchandise! Click here for itineraries, sailing dates, and pricing.

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Freedom of the Seas takes largest cruise ship crown from Queen Mary 2

Royal Caribbean's massive Freedom of the Seas officially became the world's largest cruise ship afloat when her hull was moved from drydock to wetdock on August 22, in preparation for the final work prior to her May 2006 introduction. At 158,000 gross registered tons, Freedom edges out the previous champ, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, which weighs in at a mere 150,000 tons.

Everything about Freedom is big, from the passenger capacity (4,370) and number of staterooms (1,817), to the size of the interior promenade (427 feet) and overall length (1,112 feet). The ship keeps the popular features of the Voyager-class vessels, like the rock climbing wall and ice skating rink, while adding new bells and whistles--some of which remain secret.

Freedom of the Seas' Western Caribbean itineraries are now available for booking, from $709 per person (double occupancy, as of 8/22/2005). All Freedom of the Seas bookings at 02Cruise.com are eligible to earn valuable CruiseDividends points redeemable toward name-brand merchandise, from Apple iPods to Weber grills.

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Missing Mediterranean cruise honeymooner still a mystery

In spite of intense media attention, authorities have yet to decipher what happened to honeymooner George Smith, of tony Greenwich CT, who disappeared from Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas on the night of July 5 enroute to Kusadasi, Turkey.

The short version of the alleged facts is that George and his wife Jennifer Hagel both were having a good time and became severely intoxicated. She fell asleep in a public area, and he was assisted back to his stateroom by two Russian brothers and a California teen.

A California deputy police chief in the stateroom next door reported hearing loud noises at 4 a.m. from Smith's cabin, sounding like a party, furniture being moved, arguing, and a loud thud. In the morning, blood was discovered by a cleaner in Smith's stateroom and on an overhang under its balcony, and Smith hasn't been seen since.

Turkish police were summoned about 9:30 a.m., and since then the FBI has taken up the investigation. The media frenzy even includes video leaked to NBC of the Turkish interrogation of the California teen.

Greenwich Time (Greenwich, CT): Man's disappearance aboard ship unsolved
MSNBC.COM: Analyzing the honeymooner disappearance

UPDATE 8/30/05: The FBI has sent a letter to passengers and crew members aboard the ship at the time asking them to come forward with any information they may have.

UPDATE 1/6/06: The ship's captain speaks

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Onboard drug smuggling ring busted

In a news development that's shocking to us -- are we naive? -- the feds have busted a drug smuggling ring active on at least 20 cruise ships! News reports say that the ringleaders were recruiting shipboard employees and passengers to be drug mules for their brazen scheme. A partial list of victimized cruise lines includes Disney, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival. Fifty-five arrests have been made so far, and these alleged knuckleheads are now eligible for well-earned hard time on federal charges.

NBC6 (South Florida): Smugglers move cocaine, heroin on cruise ships
Sun-Sentinel (South Florida): Drug ring sweep nets another 10

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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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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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Four major cruise lines introduce advertised pricing rules

[2/6/2006: LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S PROJECT GENESIS CRUISE SHIP? CLICK HERE.]

So did you think you can always find the best pricing for cruises online? Not any more!

First Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (which is owned by Royal Caribbean), and now Carnival and Norwegian, have announced new policies that are songs from the same hymn book. All four have announced that any publicly advertised cruise pricing must be the cruise line's officially approved rate, whether on the Internet, newspaper, radio, or anywhere else.

While Carnival and Norwegian will still allow a travel agent, once on the phone with a customer, to rebate some of their commission back to the customer, in effect lowering the cruise's price, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity went a step further to say that rebating itself is forbidden--that all customers must actually pay the company-approved price.

The impact to you, the customer? At least where Norwegian and Carnival are concerned you may be able to get a better price when you call a travel agency, than the price you see advertised online or in your newspaper or from the cruise line itself.

And with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity the situation is mayhem. Travel retailers forbidden from giving back cold, hard, cash are instead offering everything from free merchandise, to free insurance, to free hotel stays, to free champagne, in a quest to gain your business. Plus there are undoubtedly those who rebate behind the back of the cruise lines by mailing consumers a post-cruise check, although these agencies risk being cut off by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity altogether if discovered. One of Royal Caribbean's stated goals was to reduce consumer confusion, whereas more confusion has been the result.

Up until now, big-boy travel agencies earning more lucrative commission rates from these cruise lines advertised better pricing than their smaller competitors, since they could afford to give some of their higher commission back to their customers. Within the travel agency community there has been a lot of animosity toward these "rebaters" under the socialistic logic that the "little guy" and the "big guy" should be on a "level playing field." Although I can see the popular appeal, the last time I checked, this is not the way the real world functions. The irony is that the mega-agencies can afford to build entire departments to manage new value-added programs, like lining up free pre- and post-cruise stays at hotels, that the "little guy" will never be able match.

Frankly the populist angles of the cruise line press releases are a smokescreen. They can't come right out and say so, since travel agents currently sell the vast majority of cruises, but the cruise lines are trying to cut their payments to travel agencies. Which is 100% reasonable, given that these public companies' obligation is to deliver the highest possible return to shareholders. With larger travel agencies earning as much as twice the commission of smaller ones, by moving market share from larger agencies to smaller ones, the cruise lines save a pile of dough. Plus, now the cruise lines' own direct-to-consumer sales departments won't be in the embarrassing position of offering an "official" price on a cruise only to have it undercut by a mega-agency.

Another red herring served up by the cruise lines has been a stated concern that Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith, sitting down for dinner on the ship, might compare pricing and discover that the amount they paid was very different for a similar accommodation--due to travel agent rebating.

While Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith may well have an experience like this, travel agency kickbacks are unlikely to be the culprit. This is silliness for one big reason. Anybody who's bought an airline ticket is well aware that pricing varies wildly depending on when you bought it. The same holds true for cruise tickets, and in fact cruise line pricing yield management systems--that adjust fares as often as several times daily--had their genesis in that same airline technology. The amount of variance in pricing that a travel agency could introduce is absolutely trivial compared to the fluctuations driven by the cruise lines' own pricing techniques.

It will certainly be fascinating to see how this trend develops!

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