We look into a new ship, celebrities on sailings, an earthquake, wine tastings and more in this early December roundup.
Carnival Takes Delivery of 110,000-Ton Carnival Valor
On December 1, Carnival Cruise Lines (tel. 800/327-9501; www.carnival.com) took delivery of its new 110,000-ton Carnival Valor. The vessels will begin year-round 7-night Caribbean cruises following a December 17 naming ceremony presided over by ship's godmother Katie Couric, longtime co-host of NBC's Today show.
The largest Carnival "Fun Ship" ever based in Miami, the $500 million vessel features 22 lounges and bars, four swimming pools, a 214-foot water slide, a 13,300-square-foot health club, a comprehensive golf program, four restaurants (including an upscale supper club), and a 4,200-square-foot children's play room, as well as a teen club/game room. Of the ship's 1,487 staterooms, 60 percent offer either an ocean view or a balcony.
Valor's eastern Caribbean cruises call at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten, with three days at sea. Western Caribbean cruises call at Belize City, Isla Roatan (Honduras), Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, with two days at sea.
Princess Plans New Ship, Expands Wireless Access Fleetwide
In early 2004 Princess Cruises (tel. 800-PRINCESS; www.princess.com) made some kind of history by debuting three 100,000-ton-plus megaships within a span of only three months. But why stop there? This week the line announced yet another new vessel will be delivered in May 2006. A sister-ship to this year's 113,000-ton Caribbean Princess, the new kid will be named Crown Princess after a vessel that debuted in 1990 and left the Princess fleet in 2002. Like Caribbean Princess, she'll sail full-time in the Caribbean, offer feature films on a giant outdoor screen, and serve Caribbean snacks from the Café Caribe buffet. New attractions include more dining venues (an international cafe, a wine and seafood bar, pub fare in the Wheelhouse Bar, and a steak and seafood house) and a "piazza-style" atrium which the line describes as having a street cafe environment.
In other news, Princess has also announced that wireless Internet "hotspots" have now been installed in the atriums of all fourteen Princess vessels, allowing laptop-packing passengers to log for 35 cents per minute. Passengers may purchase a Windows XP compatible card on board if their computers do not already have a wireless network card. See feature story for more on wireless options in the cruise industry.
MSC Opera Makes Florida Debut
The game is on for MSC Cruises (tel. 800/666-9333; www.msccruises.com), the Italy-based cruise arm of container-shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company. A niche player in the U.S. market till now, the ambitious little line took a step toward playerhood December 2, debuting its new flagship at a Fort Lauderdale ceremony featuring godmother Sophia Loren.
The 58,600-ton, 1,590-passenger Opera will sail alternating 7-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries through March. In January she'll be joined in the Caribbean by sister-ship Lirica, sailing 11-night Caribbean and Central America routes through early April. It's the first time MSC has had two ships sailing from the U.S. since it entered the market in 1998. Both vessels sail European cruises from spring through fall, along with the other five ships in the MSC fleet.
At the December 2 gala, MSC's Italian CEO, Pierfrancesco Vago, noted that parent company Mediterranean Shipping is the second largest container carrier in the world, operating 290 vessels and with revenue of $6 billion. It's "stable, solid, and experienced," he said, and has made numerous moves that will help its cruise wing become better established in the Florida cruise community -- including moving some of its container business to Fort Lauderdale. During the ceremony, Opera was berthed next to the container ship MSC Ulsan, making its first visit to the port.
Commenting on the line's rapid growth in the past year, Richard E. Sasso, the new president and CEO of MSC Cruises USA, reprised a theme that is becoming the MSC mantra: Cruising is about more than flashy new ships. "Anybody can build new ships," he said. "It's the personality of the product that matters."
Sasso, the former president of Celebrity Cruises, took over MSC's North American operation in April. Since then, he's been busy reshaping it to compete internationally, with the intention of creating a premium-class line on par with Celebrity and Holland America.
Click here for a complete review of Opera, with analysis of improvements that will be implemented throughout the upcoming season.
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Go Mobile with Onboard Cell Phone Service
This week, sister-companies Royal Caribbean (tel. 800/398-9819; www.royalcaribbean.com) and Celebrity Cruises (tel. 800/437-3111; www.celebrity.com) hopped on the newest cruise-tech bandwagon, partnering with Wireless Maritime Services to offer cell phone access at sea.
The new capability is now available on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas and is slated to launch in the coming weeks on Navigator of the Seas and the Celebrity ship Summit. The fourth cruise entity to announce cell service recently, RCI and Celebrity plan to extend service to their combined 29-ship fleet within the next twelve months.
Celebrity Presents Celebrities on 2005 Sailings
Lying in the sun not enough for you? That's why cruise lines offer lectures and other types of enrichment activities. Celebrity Cruises (tel. 800/437-3111; www.celebrity.com) already offers up to four featured speakers/performers on every cruise, including caricature artists (on weeklong Caribbean and Bermuda sailings), naturalists (on Alaska, Hawaii, and South America sailings), and wine experts who offer onboard seminars and pre-dinner varietal tastings. For 2005, the line is adding a string of featured celebrities who, though they mostly fall into the "Remember them?" category, are still pretty tasty.
- Orson Bean, January 2 aboard Millennium: A star of stage and screen, Bean has been acting since 1945, with his most recent credits including roles in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and the film Being John Malkovich. Bean is founder of the arts-oriented 15th Street School of New York, author of the oddball 1971 volume, Me and the Oregon.
- Irving R. Levine, January 3 aboard Infinity, May 7 and July 25 aboard Galaxy: Former NBC News Chief Economics Correspondent Irving R. Levine was one of the first TV network correspondents to cover the economy full-time, winning a number of awards for his groundbreaking reporting. Today, Levine is a frequent commentator on Nightly Business Report.
- Dick Morris, January 31 aboard Infinity, June 13 aboard Galaxy, July 16 aboard Constellation: Once called "the most influential private citizen in America" by Time magazine, Morris was a key advisor to President Bill Clinton during his re-election victory in 1996. Morris now serves as a political analyst for FOX News.
- Dr. Patch Adams, February 15 aboard Infinity: Patch Adams, M.D., is founder and director of the Gesundheit Institute, which has served more than 15,000 people with free medical care. Dr. Adams complements his training as a physician with his experience as a street clown, believing that medical professionals should examine the relationship between humor and therapy by blending knowledge, showmanship, and hands-on teaching techniques.
- Ernest Borgnine, May 1 aboard Millennium: Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine has appeared in more than 100 films, including The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Wild Bunch (1969), and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). In 1953, he starred opposite Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra in the classic From Here to Eternity. Two years later he won a best-actor Oscar portraying the lovable title character in Marty. From 1962 to 1966, Borgnine starred in the television series McHale's Navy.
- Walt Cunningham, May 23 aboard Galaxy: On October 11, 1968, Walt Cunningham occupied the lunar module pilot seat for the 11-day flight of Apollo VII, the first manned flight test of the third-generation U.S. spacecraft. Cunningham executed maneuvers enabling the crew to perform exercises in transposition and docking and lunar orbit rendezvous with the S- IVB stage of their Saturn IB launch vehicle.
- Larry Hagman, August 13 aboard Constellation: Best known for his work as J.R. on Dallas and as Captain Tony Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, Hagman has been a star of stage and screen for more than fifty years. He has appeared in such hit films as Primary Colors, Nixon, and Superman.
- Cathy Rigby, August 14 aboard Millennium: Cathy Rigby earned the highest U.S. gymnastic scores in the 1968 Summer Olympics and was the first American woman to medal at the World Championships. Transitioning to acting in 1981, Rigby has performed in The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me In St. Louis, South Pacific, and most notably Peter Pan, for which she won a best-actress Tony Award.
- Jane Powell, August 27 aboard Constellation: The star of more than twenty major MGM musicals, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Royal Wedding, Jane Powell has been an icon in Hollywood since her arrival in Tinseltown in the mid-1940s.
- Ike Pappas, September 10 aboard Constellation: As a correspondent on the CBS Evening News with both Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, Pappas reported on the Vietnam War, the U.S. civil rights movement, the space program, and seven presidential campaigns, and witnessed the murder of accused Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas Police Headquarters.
- Rita Moreno, July 30 aboard Constellation: Star of such legendary Hollywood musicals as The King and I and West Side Story (for which she won a best supporting actress Oscar), Moreno was the first actress to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.
Cruise to Tibet with Crystal . . . Sort Of
Cruises to the Caribbean and Mexico? Sure. Alaska and New England? Sure. But the Himalayas and Tibet? Well, sort of. In spring 2005, guests traveling on Crystal Cruises (tel. 866/446-6625; www.crystalcruises.com) Asia itineraries can sign up for an 8-night add-on excursion to Tibet. Departing from Beijing and available to guests sailing on Crystal Harmony, the package includes visits to some stunning and legendary sites, including:
- The Tombs of the Tibetan Kings in Congue
- Potala Palace, the thousand-room former winter home of the Dalai Lamas
- Norbulingka Palace, the Dalai Lamas' summer palace
- Jokhang Temple, considered the spiritual center of Tibet
- Drepung Monastery, Tibet's largest and richest monastery
- Sera Monastery, also known as the Wild Rose Garden
- Barkor Bazaar, the oldest street in Lhasa and a nexus of Tibetan culture, economy, religion, and art
- A flight over the Himalayas, providing views of Mt. Everest
The "Timeless Tibet" journey costs $2,750 per person, double occupancy, in addition to cruise fare, and includes air and land transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, and destination guides. It's one of three pre- and post-cruise land programs Crystal is offering this year, alongside a Yangtze River cruise and a trip to Xi'an and its Terra Cotta Warriors. Crystal Harmony's 13- or 14-day Asia cruises are offered March 15 and 22 and April 5, 13, and 26, departing from either Hong Kong or Beijing and featuring a complimentary, inclusive 3-night stay in Beijing. Trans-Pacific voyages depart on February 24 from Los Angeles to Hong Kong and on April 26 from Yokohama to Vancouver. Travelers booking the March 22 and April 5, 13, and 26 departures before December 31 are eligible for 10% savings off their cruise fare. With the early-booking promotion, the 14-day cruise itineraries that include the Beijing land program start at $3,166 per person.
Crystal Gets Extra-Comfy with Custom Pillow Menu
Some people prefer fluffy, some prefer firm, so what's a luxury cruise line to do? This week Crystal Cruises (tel. 866/446-6625; www.crystalcruises.com) instituted a new pillow menu aboard its three-ship fleet, with passengers getting a choice of "regular" king and standard-size pillows or four specialty options:
- Hypo-allergenic king- or standard-size pillows, filled with down-like polyfiber;
- Round neck pillows, sotonic elastic foam-filled, for neck or lumbar support;
- Firm standard-size pillows, with 95% feather and 5% down filling; or
- Therapeutic sleep-sensitive standard-size pillows, 100% polyester fiber with head and neck indent
The pillow collection joins other bedroom amenities introduced fleetwide earlier this year, including Egyptian cotton sheets and feather bed toppers.
Earthquake Shakes Dominica
On Sunday, November 21, the southern Caribbean island of Dominica was struck by an early-morning earthquake that registered 6.0 on the Richter scale. The quake followed several days of heavy rainfall, which led to numerous landslides that cut off access to certain villages. Though communities throughout the island were affected, the greatest damage was seen in the north, particularly in the Portsmouth District. Despite reports of significant structural damage, access has been restored to all affected communities except Grand Fond, and 90% of roads have been cleared. No deaths or serious injuries have been recorded, and the island is not under any state of emergency.
Centered about 10 kilometers off Dominica's northeast coast, the quake was also felt on the nearby islands of Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the other islands of the Grenadines.
Since Dominica's hotels and tourist attractions were all undamaged by the quake and operating normally, cruise business has already resumed, with Carnival's Carnival Destiny and Star Clipper's Star Clipper both arriving on the morning of November 23.
Located between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the southeastern Caribbean, Dominica (www.dominica.dm) is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands, with an area of nearly 290 square miles. Known for its lush rainforest jungles and waterfalls, the island is also home to the last remaining settlement of Carib Indians, the Caribbean's indigenous peoples.
St. Kitts to Expand Port Zante Cruise Facility
St. Kitts (www.stkitts-tourism.com) had it hard for a few years. After launching construction of the ambitious Port Zante cruise facility in 1997, the island was whacked by successive hurricanes that left the pier an unfinished and unusable wreck. Massive rebuilding and expansion led to its completion in late 2002, sporting 45,000 sq. ft. of shopping and office space, restaurants, and a welcome center, all located steps from the capital city of Basseterre. This week, St. Kitts announced its intention to construct a second cruise pier at Port Zante and add new stores to its existing collection.
Construction is expected to be completed by September 2005, with the new pier measuring 1,434 feet in length, with sufficient depth to accommodate any of today's megaships. Between its two piers, Port Zante will be able to berth up to four megaships simultaneously, or larger numbers of smaller ships.
Cruise lines that currently include St. Kitts as a port of call include Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, P&O Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Radisson, Oceania, Orient Lines, Costa, Club Med, Cunard, Silversea, Sun Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Sea Cloud Cruises, and Star Clippers.
Tasting the Waters? Royal Caribbean Makes Nighttime Calls to St. Croix
St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, but in terms of cruise tourism it's by far the poorest. While St. Thomas is jammed with megaships nearly every day of the year (with many passengers ferrying over to gorgeous St. John for the day), St. Croix has seen almost no cruise business since 2002, when most lines pulled out citing lack of traveler interest and a rising crime rate.
In late November, though, Royal Caribbean began quietly dropping in on the island again, with several of its ships scheduled to make overnight refueling stops following a day in St. Thomas. Passengers were able to disembark for the first time during Voyager of the Seas' November 30 call, and were greeted by a street fair featuring Caribbean musicians, dancers, and food and crafts vendors.
Royal Caribbean plans to continue with St. Croix visits through October 2005, with passengers able to go ashore between approximately 8pm and midnight. St. Croix will reprise its street fair each time a ship arrives.
Oceania Adds Second Libya-Tunisia Voyage
Oceania Cruises (tel. 800/531-5658; www.oceaniacruises.com), the company that sprang from the ashes of Renaissance Cruises' bankruptcy, was one of the first companies to schedule calls to Libya when the U.S. travel ban was lifted in February 2004. Last week, it announced that its 684-passenger Insignia would sail a second 10-night voyage in the region, traveling Athens to Barcelona on November 17, 2005, and calling on Benghazi and Tripoli (Libya), Valletta (Malta), La Goulette (Tunisia), Monte Carlo, and Marseille.
A highlight of the voyage is an overnight stay in Tripoli, where magnificently preserved Leptis Magna, founded in the first millennium B.C., contains the largest bath house built outside of Rome. Passengers may also visit the Roman city of Sabratha, which served as a Phoenician trading-post and was part of the short-lived Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before being Romanized and rebuilt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, is situated on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Sirt and has roots that can be traced back to the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine empires.
Rates currently start at a low $1,599 per guest (based on 2-for-1 cruise fares) and include free airfare from select U.S. and Canadian gateways.
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