July 2009

Back (up) to the Future

If you stand along the banks of the Ems river in Germany near the Papenburg shipyard you are bound to see an amazing sight.   A giant cruise ship going down the river - backwards!   Is this a prelude to a parallel parking test for the Captain’s driver’s license exam?  No, but it is certainly a huge challenge.  Like cars and trucks, the most efficient direction for a ship to move is forward.  However,  when ships are being built at Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg, the layout of the assembly buildings dictate that they enter the structure head in.  Therefore, when the ship is nearly completed and ready for sea trials it must leave stern first.  And since the Ems River is quite narrow, larger cruise ships can’t execute a  U turn and have to depart for the open sea by traveling in reverse.

Recently, Celebrity Crusies’s newest Solstice-class ship, the 2,850 passenger Equinox left on this 26 mile backwards journey en route to Eemshaven, Netherdlands where the Ems River meets the open sea.  Under the watchful guidance of Captain Apostolos Bouzakis, the ship successfully transited the narrow river channel and is now at its temporary berth.  There the ship will be provisioned and loaded with additional supplies.  The ship then proceeds to sea trials and is scheduled for official hand off to Celebrity Cruises from the builder on July 16^th.  After a series of trade and press functions the ship will sail on July 31 on a 8 night cruise through the Norwegian fjords.   The only question left unanswered?  Do ships have back up lights?

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A Good Buy on a Lanai

 What is a Lanai, anyway?  You have probably lived in an apartment or house that claimed to have one but never quite figured out the difference between a patio and lanai.  Well it would appear that they are one and the same.   So, why the buzz from Holland America about “lanai staterooms” being introduced on the Veendam?   Well, it’s due to the fact that oceangoing lanais are a rarity and Holland America seems to be cornering the market on them.  These staterooms offer direct access to the open decks.  It is funny how old things become new again because many early cruise ships introduced in the 1950’s had outside corridors for access to staterooms.  

The addition of 38 lanai staterooms on Veendam is a key feature in the latest round of Signature of Excellence enhancements at Holland America. Similar in size to the premium line’s outside-view staterooms, the new lanai accommodations were recently added to the ship and feature large sliding glass doors with direct access to the Lower Promenade wrap-around teak walking deck. Lanai staterooms will be added to ms Rotterdam this year and three other ships by 2013. Each lanai stateroom also features reserved deck chairs outside sliding glass doors that have a one-way mirrored coating to ensure privacy.

 Thirty-two new verandah staterooms also were built on the aft portion of the ship, along with eight new inside staterooms. All staterooms aboard Veendam received new decor, modern wall sconces, carpeting, drapes, pillows and bed runners and resurfaced desks and vanities. Bathrooms saw an “extreme” makeover with new vanities and cabinetry.

A final stateroom enhancement was the creation of 15 spa staterooms -- 12 outside converted to verandah in drydock and three other inside -- featuring a variety of exclusive spa amenities. The rooms offer their own ambiance with a decor reflecting natural elements and soft earth-tones. A counter-top water feature in each stateroom provides a natural, ambient background sound and artwork reflects serene images in nature. Exclusive spa treatments and a spa room service menu are offered only in these staterooms.

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Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club – the top-rated premium brand’s three-tiered recognition and benefits program designed exclusively for its most loyal guests – has been redesigned and relaunched based on a series of member-inspired enhancements. Several of these new features are rolling out across the fleet on sailings beginning in July, while others will be introduced in intervals over the course of the year. “Our most loyal guests deserve our loyalty in return, so we’re thrilled to offer them a vastly improved program,”said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Our new Captain’s Club gives them greater recognition, exclusive benefits, and a number of enhancements designed to make them feel like the center of our attention every time they sail with us.”  New features launching in July include the Captain’s Club Celebration, a one-of-a-kind social and  entertainment event available to all members; significantly improved Internet and laundry benefits for Select and Elite tier members; and a new onboard lounge exclusively for Elite members. The brand has even introduced a new theme for Captain’s Club, which doubles as its ongoing commitment to members: “The center of our attention.”  But these improvements are only the beginning. During the second half of 2009, Celebrity will expand the Captain’s Club with a variety of other new features, all of which will be announced prior to taking effect.  “Our new Captain’s Club was designed based on a tremendous amount of research, feedback from our members, and advice from our travel partners,” said Hanrahan. “We want to ensure that we deliver every aspect to our guests’ utmost satisfaction, so we’re choosing to roll out the enhancements in intervals, beginning with improvements to the member experience onboard.”  A highlight of the onboard experience is likely to be the Captain’s Club Celebration. Soon available across the fleet, with the exception of Celebrity Xpedition, all members will be invited to this exclusive event once per sailing. Redesigned to be a highlight of every cruise, the spirited affair will provide the perfect opportunity to meet fellow members, chat with the Captain and senior shipboard officers, experience interactive cooking demonstrations, and enjoy the unique “CC Jams” performance by a variety of shipboard musicians. For members interested in a quiet haven of their own,

Celebrity is pleased to introduce the Captain’s Club Lounge at Michael’s Club, exclusively for Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions each morning and early evening. The new Lounge will offer a casual coffeehouse-style experience from 8AM to 10AM, with complimentary espressos, teas and other menu items, a variety of reading materials, and, on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, wi-fi access. Every evening from 4PM to 6PM, Captain’s Club Elite members and their stateroom/suite companions can return to the Lounge to enjoy socializing with fellow members, participate in a wine tasting event, or simply relax and enjoy a quiet, complimentary drink before dinner. In recognition of their desire to stay in touch with family and friends while vacationing, Elite members will now receive complimentary Internet packages, while Select members will receive a significantly discounted rate on any Internet package. Also within the new program, Captain’s Club Select- and Elite-level members can now enjoy new laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing benefits, based on the length of their cruise.  Celebrity also is extending its pledge to make members the center of attention by engaging many in the entirely new Captain’s Club Advisory Board, to ensure its most loyal guests always have a voice in shaping the program. Participation on the Advisory Board will offered online on a rotating basis to a selection of members across all tiers.  In addition to focusing on effectively delivering the new features of Celebrity’s Captain’s Club, Celebrity will continue to ensure that members enjoy all the program benefits currently available as well, and that they continue to have more opportunities to achieve higher-tier status.  “We will continue to provide members in every tier of the Captain’s Club with the recognition and rewards they’ve come to expect, while adding several new enhancements over the course of this year,” said Hanrahan.  “We also want to ensure that our members have the opportunity to quickly advance to the next tier. That’s why we count tier credits versus purely counting cruises. Tier credits are earned simply by sailing with us, but we also award additional credits for cruises of 12 or more nights, and for booking certain stateroom and suite categories. As a result, members can more quickly advance to the next tier.”  “What we’re rolling out today, combined with everything we’ll be adding to the program over the course of this year, will add up to what I’m confident will be the best loyalty program at sea,” Hanrahan added. Prior Captain’s Club benefits and new enhancements available at launch include:

For Classic members (1-4 tier credits): Access to the loyalty desk and loyalty host; a premium onboard discount booklet; access to the new Captain’s Club Celebration event; a complimentary custom air request; pre-cruise specialty restaurant reservations; member reunion cruises; one-category upgrades; and an online newsletter.  For Select members (5-9 tier credits): All of the benefits of Classic membership, plus priority embarkation, a complimentary wine seminar, priority status to shore excursion waitlist, an invitation to the senior officers’  cocktail party, 25% off any Internet package, complimentary pressing of two clothing items, and discounted  laundry on cruises of 12 nights or more.  For Elite members (10 or more tier credits): All of the benefits of Select membership, plus a private shipboard departure lounge with continental breakfast, priority tender service, priority waitlist for dining room seating, elegant tea service, complimentary use of Thalassotherapy pool use on Celebrity Mercury, complimentary access to the Persian Garden (port days only), access to the new Captain’s Club Lounge at Michael’s Club, 90 free Internet minutes, one free item of dry cleaning, a complimentary bag of laundry (wash, dry, fold) and additional discounted laundry on cruises of 12 nights or more.

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You Deserve a Cruise!

It’s a fact, psychologist’s state that a well-timed vacation offers significant
benefits for mental health. The relaxation provides a much-needed change of
gears in time-starved society, and may be an ideal time to reconnect with
loved ones traveling with you. For those traveling alone, vacations may
lead to a higher level of self discovery.”

A well-chosen vacation, according to experts, offers significant benefits including:

• Relaxation, shifting gears and change of scenery are good for one’s health – physical, mental and spiritual
• There is no better time or setting for reconnecting with family and friends and renewing relationships
• A vacation is an opportunity to discover or rediscover oneself
• There’s no better time to recharge and re-energize and to look forward with confidence and enthusiasm

What makes a cruise the perfect vacation therapy? For starters, exceptional ease of planning and the convenience of having a “home away from home” for the length of the trip. And, the diversity of cruise experiences available means that there is a vacation for every taste, interest and budget. Plus, inclusive pricing that means excellent value for money spent. In fact, there are some unbelievable cruise deals available today that simply won’t last forever. And, I will do all the planning for you…

You deserve to get away and save more money on a great vacation than you ever imagined – And I would like to help you find the perfect cruise just for you.

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Wow, summer is here and it seems a lot of people are putting off making their cruise travel plans.  Well, sometimes it pays to wait and this might be one of those times.  Cruise Planners has just announced its biggest sale of the year.  We asked the cruise lines to sharpen up their pencils and give us their best deals.  And they came through with the hottest offers of the summer.  There over 15 major cruise lines participating in this sale and more offers than we’ve ever seen.  Ship board spending credits range from $50 to $400.  There are a bunch of 2 for 1 fares and free airfare specials.  Family vacation?  We even have a Kids Sail Free program.  And one cruise line is even offering unlimited free shore excursions.  The good news is that these offers are available on a huge variety of cruise lines and ships from short to long and from economy to ultra-luxury.  And departures are available throughout the rest of the year and into 2010. The not-so-good news is that like summer, these specials must come to an end.  So, put away the lawnmower and pick up the phone because it’s time to get some Cruisitude.

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Wow, summer is here and it seems a lot of people are putting off making their travel plans.  Well, sometimes it pays to wait and this might be one of those times.  Cruise Planners has just announced its biggest sale of the year.  We asked the cruise lines to sharpen up their pencils and give us their best deals.  And they came through with the hottest offers of the summer.  There over 15 major cruise lines plus land and tour companies participating in this sale and more offers than we’ve ever seen.  Ship board spending credits range from $50 to $400.  There are a bunch of 2 for 1 fares and free airfare specials.  Family vacation?  We even have a Kids Sail Free program.  And one cruise line is even offering unlimited free shore excursions.  The good news is that these offers are available on a huge variety of cruise lines and ships from short to long and from economy to ultra-luxury.  And departures are available throughout the rest of the year and into 2010. The not-so-good news is that like summer, these specials must come to an end.  So, put away the lawnmower and pick up the phone because it’s time to get some Cruisitude.

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http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/chairmans-blog/ 

Here are some comments on the photos  from the cruise industry trade group Seatrade Insider Newsletter:

From bird’s-eye views of Central Park to a dizzying look down on the AquaTheater’s diving platform, astonishing images of Oasis of the Seas are posted on the blog. The AquaTheater pool sports more equipment than the space shuttle, Fain quips. And the air conditioning components ‘look more like artwork.’

Shots of the Rising Tide Bar show the feature that will continuously move between the atrium and Central Park. The area where the zipline will fly, a Crown Loft and many other elements of the world’s largest cruise ship are on view for the first time.

The massive propulsion pods and a gigantic bow thruster are among the technical components depicted. Fain notes the four thrusters together can provide more power to move the ship sideways than most ships have for total propulsion power.

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Pass the Ketchup

Dining options on Carnival Dream, debuting in September, range from a two-level casual eatery featuring a new Italian pasta station and a burrito bar to Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue.

In outlining the ship’s food selection, Carnival Cruise Lines emphasized that most choices are included in the fare. Exceptions are the reservations-recommended steak house and specialty coffees and select patisserie items.

The two-level buffet restaurant’s new pasta bar gives a choice of noodles, sauce and ingredients, and the burrito bar will let diners create an oversized wrap with a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp, salsa and other accompaniments. The venue, The Gathering, also houses a 24-hour pizzeria with seven kinds of pies, a Mongolian wok for custom-made stir-fries, a tandoori oven, a New York-style deli, a different featured international cuisine daily and a 35-item salad bar.

An expanded 24-hour room service menu, free of charge, includes new choices such as medium rare roast beef and brie on French baguette and grilled fresh mozzarella and portobello mushroom on focaccia. A complimentary sushi bar is found on the Promenade Deck.

Ocean Plaza, the new café and entertainment venue, will offer WiFi access and a dozen kiosks to access FunHub, the recently announced intranet portal and on-board social network. The centerpiece is Plaza Café, a patisserie serving specialty coffees, milkshakes and baked-on-board cakes, pies and cookies.

The Chef’s Art Steakhouse is a 139-seat venue with prime dry-aged USDA beef selections ranging from a nine-ounce filet to a 24-ounce porterhouse, along with lobster tail, lamb chops and other choices. The service charge is $30.

Carnival Dream’s two-level Scarlet and Crimson main dining rooms will present six appetizers and soups, two salads and six entrees each night. Always-available ‘Carnival Classics’ include char-broiled steak with a signature rub, grilled chicken and pasta dishes and what Carnival calls the cruise industry’s most popular dessert, warm chocolate melting cake, as part of a six-choice dessert menu.

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