November 10, 2004 -- We've got Julie Andrews, kosher cruises, diving programs and more in this latest collection. You can't get more eclectic a mix than that.
Longtime Head of Holland America to Step Down
On December 1, after a run of more than thirty years, cruise industry icon Kirk Lanterman will step down as CEO of Holland America Line (tel. 877/724-5425; www.hollandamerica.com), handing the reins to current president and COO Stein Kruse.
To put Lanterman's tenure in perspective, there was hardly such a thing as the modern cruise industry when he took over at HAL. Cunard had just launched the QE2 a few years before and Carnival had just offered its very first cruises. Holland America, formerly a major player in the transatlantic trade, was down to a handful of aging ships. Today it's one of the dominant brands in cruising, with an eleven-ship fleet.
Lanterman will stay on in a non-executive role as chairman of Holland America Line Inc. and as a member of the board of directors of Carnival Corporation & plc., HAL's parent company.
Oslo native Stein Kruse joined Holland America Line in 1999 as senior vice president of fleet operations, after stints with K Line America, and Radisson Seven Seas. In 2003 he was promoted to president and chief operating officer.
Galveston Gains Grand and Galaxy
Is it something to do with the presidential election? I decline to speculate, but this month Texas's biggest cruise ship port became home to two more mega-vessels, bringing to six the number of ships sailing regular schedules from its terminal.
Celebrity Cruises (tel. 800/437-3111; www.celebrity.com) has positioned the 77,713-ton, 1,896-passenger Galaxy in the Lone Star state, departing from Galveston on 11- and 12-night Panama Canal cruises through April, with visits to Cozumel, Belize City, Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay (Jamaica). Fares start at $1,100 per person, double occupancy.
Princess Cruises (tel. 800-PRINCESS; www.princess.com) has snagged the title of "Galveston's biggest ship" by offering 22 round-trip departures aboard the 109,000-ton, 2,600-passenger Grand Princess, starting this week and running through April 9, 2005. The weeklong western Caribbean itinerary calls at Belize, Grand Cayman, and Costa Maya and Cozumel (Mexico). Rates start at $549 per person, double occupancy. Besides her new itinerary, Grand Princess is also offering Princess's new signature "Movies Under the Stars" attraction, with feature films, concerts, and audience-participation films projected onto a 300-square-foot poolside screen.
Over the past several years, Galveston has seen steady growth as a cruise homeport, and in May of this year celebrated its millionth cruise passenger since inaugurating year-round cruise operations in September 2000. In addition to Galaxy and Grand Princess, Carnival's Ecstacy and Elation and Royal Caribbean's Splendour and Rhapsody also use the city as a homeport.
Costa Takes Delivery of Third New Ship in Sixteen Months, Plans Yet Another
Costa (tel. 800/GO-COSTA; www.costacruises.com) is one busy cruise line. Following up on the Costa Mediterranea (christened June 2003) and Costa Fortuna (christened November 2003), the line has just taken delivery of the new, 105,000-ton, 3,470-passenger Costa Magica from Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
The ship was christened on November 6 in Barcelona, with the Spanish actress Paz Vega doing the godmother honors.
Costa Magica will sail 11-night Mediterranean cruises through the winter and spring, then switch to 7-night western Med cruises from Rome, with calls to Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tunis, Malta, Palermo, and Genoa.
During the vessel's inaugural festivities, Costa CEO Pier Luigi Foschi also announced that the name of the next Costa vessel, slated for delivery in summer 2006, would be Costa Concordia. The vessel will be the biggest cruise ship in Italian history, with a displacement of 112,000 gross tons and a passenger complement of 3,800.
In unrelated news, Costa's Mediterranea will be the venue this February for a "Holistic Health at Sea" cruise. Sailing from Fort Lauderdale on February 27, the weeklong cruise will feature classes and lectures in cooking, healthy living, holistic medicine, yoga, macrobiotics, meditation, shiatsu, Tai Chi, and natural beauty aids. Expert instructors include Emmy-winning TV host Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks; Michio Kushi, an authority on preventing and treating serious illness through diet; author and environmental medicine expert Dr. Sherry A. Rogers, M.D.; Tai Chi master C. K. Chu; author and Native American healer Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D.; yoga master Yogi Amrit Desai; and shiatsu teacher and healer Ohashi. Mark Hanna, an internationally known natural-food chef, will personally design non-dairy vegan/natural cuisine for guests using mainly organic ingredients. Prices begin at $1,095 per person, double occupancy. For information, see www.atasteofhealth.org.
Royal Caribbean Names First Ultra-Voyager
On November 8, workers at Finland's Kvaerner Masa-Yards laid a 443-ton keel block into an enormous drydock, the first step in creating what will be the largest passenger ship the world has ever seen. Royal Caribbean (tel. 800/327-6700; www.royalcaribbean.com) used the start of construction to announce the name of the new ship, dubbing it Freedom of the Seas.
An expansion of Royal Caribbean's popular Voyager-class vessels (the first ships to feature rock-climbing walls and ice-skating rinks), the 158,000-gross-ton vessel will be significantly larger and carry 286 more passengers than its precursors and will feature what Royal Caribbean claims as "some of the largest guest staterooms and the most spacious balconies in the industry." All cabins will have flat-screen TVs, and the ship will have extensive WiFi capabilities plus connectivity for regular cell phones. Other new features have not yet been announced.
Freedom of the Seas enters service in April 2006, sailing year-round 7-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from Miami. Bookings are scheduled to open in spring 2005.
Barge Bonks Enchantment
On Friday, Nov. 5, a dredging barge sideswiped Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Sea near downtown Key West, cutting a shallow six-foot gash just above the waterline and leaving a 50-foot scratch in her paintjob. No injuries were reported among the ship's 2,040 passengers and 741 crew, and quick repairs allowed the vessel to continue on her itinerary with only a five-hour delay. Her next cruise is already underway, with no problems reported.
Salvatore Ferragamo to Silversea Guests: C'mon Over
Passengers on Silversea Cruises (tel. 800/722-9955; www.silversea.com) are pretty well-heeled, and those heels are, like as not, attached to the bottoms of shoes made by Ferragamo, one of the great names in fashion. It's only logical, then, that the cruise line has arranged for Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the company's founder, to welcome a few small groups of its passengers into his family's private domain.
Offered as a pre- or post-cruise experience on three Mediterranean voyages in May 2005, the 4-day package is limited to ten couples per sailing. Events include:
- A stay at Ferragamo's Hotel Lungamo in Florence, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio
- A tour of the design and concept shops where Ferragamo products are created
- A visit to the Ferragamo shoe factory and a private fitting
- A preview (with option to buy) of next season's designs, not yet available to the public
- A gala fashion show and private dinner at Ferragamo's palatial apartment, the Piazza Caponi
- Visits to private palazzos and art collections throughout Florence
- An overnight stay at the Villa at Il Borro, Salvatore Ferragamo's family home, including a private concert and dinner at the estate's wine cave, hosted by Mr. Ferragamo
- Opportunities for horseback riding, hunting, biking, and fishing on the Il Borro Estate
Located 30 miles southeast of Florence, Il Borro is an 11th century village that was purchased by the Ferragamos in 1993. Covering some 1,700 acres, it's filled with medieval houses, red-tiled roofs, olive groves, and vegetable gardens.
Applicable voyages include the 12-night Barcelona-to-Rome sailing aboard Silver Shadow, departing May 14; the 8-night Rome-to-Monte Carlo sailing aboard Silver Cloud, departing May 29; and the 8-night Barcelona-to-Rome sailing aboard Silver Cloud, departing May 19.
Rates for the four-night Ferragamo package begin at $3,995 per person in addition to the cruise fare and must be booked through Protravel International (tel. 212/409-9580; www.protravelinc.com).
Julie Andrews to Sail Aboard Crystal Serenity
Reprising her role as godmother of the 68,000-ton, 1,080-guest Crystal Serenity, Dame Julie Andrews will join the first segment of Serenity's "Empires of the Sun" 2005 World Cruise, departing Los Angeles on January 15, 2005, and sailing to Tahiti via Hawaii and the Society Islands. On board, the award-winning entertainer will host a series of Q&A sessions as well as signing copies of her children's books.
Stretching over 101 days, Serenity's world cruise takes in 42 ports of call in 19 countries on four continents, spending two days in many of the cities along the way. Those without three months and $38,504 to spare can book segments ranging from 13 to 22 days, sailing from Los Angeles, Papeete, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Athens.
Ports of call include (embark/debark ports italicized): Los Angeles, California, USA; Oahu/Honolulu, Maui/Lahaina, Hawaii; Raiatea, Bora Bora, Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands; Nuku'alofa, Tonga; Tauranga, Auckland, New Zealand; Tasmania/Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Thursday Island/Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, Australia; Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; Hong Kong, China; Ha Long Bay, Hanoi/Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Bangkok/Laem Chabang, Ko Samui, Phuket, Thailand; Singapore; Male, Maldives; Luxor & Karnak/Safaga, Cairo/Port Said, Egypt; Santorini/Thira, Athens/Piraeus, Greece; Istanbul, Kusadasi, Turkey; Split, Croatia; Venice, Sicily/Taormina, Naples, Sardinia/Porto Cervo, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal, Bilbao, Spain; and, London, England.
Fares for the shorter voyages begin at $4,955 per person, double occupancy, and include pre-cruise hotel accommodations. Crystal Cruises (tel. 866/446-6625; www.crystalcruises.com) also offers specially-priced air fares to those guests booking any of the single World Voyage options.
Chosen Voyage Announces Kosher Cruises for 2005
When you think "cruise" probably the last thing that comes to mind is not being able to get enough to eat, but that's exactly the situation Jews are in on most ships if they follow the kosher laws. Yes, the cruise lines provide special meals by request and some kosher group tours even bring aboard their own chefs, but you never get the range of options enjoyed by other passengers. No overflowing buffets. No specialty restaurants. No snack stations. It's almost like being on an airplane.
Enter Chosen Voyage (tel. 877/462-4673; www.chosenvoyage.com). Founded by ordained rabbi and travel-industry veteran Matthew Schollar, the company offered its first cruises at the end of 2003, chartering Windstar's motor-sail vessel Wind Surf and remaking it into a fully kosher cruise ship. Now the company has announced a series of new voyages for 2005 aboard three different vessels, sailing in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
The year kicks off with January's "Yachtsman's Caribbean" cruise, sailing Jan. 6-13 aboard Compagnie des Iles du Ponant's Le Levant, a sleek, luxurious, 3,504-ton small ship carrying only 78 guests, with a staff of 64. Sailing round-trip from St. Martin, the cruise visits Guadeloupe (where guests will celebrate Shabbat with the local Jewish community), St. Eustatius/Saba, St. Barts, Antigua, and Anguilla.
Prices start at $3,200 per person, double occupancy.
From April 22 to May 2, Ponant's Le Diamant (formerly Radisson's Song of Flower) is home to CV's "Passover on the Mediterranean" cruise. July 4 to 14, Le Ponant will host "Italy and Greece Under Sail -- A Jewish History Cruise." Details on these voyages will be available shortly.
New "Celebrity Rewards" Visa Card Offers Cruise and Non-Cruise Benefits
Buy gas, get a cruise? Something like that. This month, Celebrity Cruises announced a new venture with MBNA America Bank, creating a credit card program offering travel, merchandise, and cash rewards. Holders of the Celebrity Rewards WorldPoints Visa card will be able to redeem WorldPoints for travel on major U.S. airlines with no blackout dates, or for leading hotel and car rental arrangements in the U.S., as well as for brand-name merchandise and gift certificates. Cardholders get double points for purchases of Celebrity Cruises vacations or onboard products and services; points for everyday purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants, or for recurring monthly bills; and the use of a 24-hour personal concierge service offering assistance with reservations at restaurants, tickets to sporting events or theaters, travel planning, flowers, birthday or other gift orders and special deliveries.
Celebrity introduced the new Celebrity Rewards Visa credit card on October 28 and is actively marketing to past guests and first-time cruisers. For info or to apply for a card, call MBNA at tel. 866/GET-MBNA and mention priority code KN4R or visit www.celebritycreditcard.com.
Holland America Tees Up Alaska Golf Tournament & New Denali Cruisetours
Golf in the Yukon? Why not. This summer, golfers sailing with Holland America Line (tel. 877/724-5425; www.hollandamerica.com) can sign up to play in the 27-hole Great Land Golf Classic, with the first nine holes played at the Meadow Lake Golf & Country Club in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; the next nine at the Top of the World Golf Course in Dawson City, Yukon (Canada's most northerly course); and the final nine at Black Diamond Golf Course at Denali National Park.
The program is offered on 23 departures of HAL's 14-day Great Land Cruisetour #5, beginning with the June 4 departure and ending with the August 20th tour. The season's overall lowest gross scorer and lowest net scorer will win a Caribbean cruise for two.
Great Land Cruisetour #5 includes a 3-night Inside Passage cruise aboard the Zaandam or Volendam and an 11-day land tour visiting Skagway, Fairbanks, Tok, Anchorage, Whitehorse, Dawson City, and Denali. Prices start at $2,149 per person, double occupancy, with golf fees adding an additional $150, including clubs and balls, tees, motorized golf cart, and a logo ball from each of the three golf courses. Reference Option # 2560 when making reservations.
Also on tap from HAL this summer are new Glacier Discovery cruisetours that cut to the chase, skipping the traditional post-cruise stop in Anchorage in favor of traveling directly from the Seward pier to Denali National Park.
"Having the option to go Direct-to-Denali gives guests who have a little less time the opportunity to explore one of Alaska's most prized national parks," said Richard D. Meadows, HAL's senior VP of marketing and sales. "With the two nights at Denali, guests have more options to flightsee, river-raft, hike, and enjoy the magical beauty of this renowned national park."
Direct-to-Denali is offered on four new 11- and 12-night Glacier Discovery cruisetours (tours 13, 14, 25, and 26), which include two nights at Denali and a Tundra Wilderness Tour that takes guests 62 miles into the park to view the north face of Mt. McKinley from Stony Hill Overlook. Early Savings double-occupancy fares for 11-day cruisetours 25 and 26 start at $1,674 per person, double occupancy. Fares for 12-day cruisetours 13 and 14 start at $1,774.
Oceania's Mediterranean Odyssey to Visit Libya, Tunisia, Morocco
As reported in this space in August, Libya is the newest "it" port, following the February lifting of U.S. travel restrictions. The latest line to schedule calls is Oceania (tel. 800/531-565; www.oceaniacruises.com), the premium operator launched in mid-2003 by former executives of Renaissance and Crystal Cruises.
On November 5, 2005, the line's 684-passenger Regatta will sail a 12-night "Mediterranean Odyssey" cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon, calling at Benghazi and Tripoli (Libya), Valletta (Malta), La Goulette (Tunisia, for visits to Tunis and Carthage), Gibraltar, Casablanca (Morocco), and Seville (Spain). An overnight stay in Tripoli allows time for exploring the historic city and surrounding Roman and Phoenician ruins. At Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, travelers can see the influence of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine domination.
Two-for-one prices currently start at $1,999 per person, double occupancy, and include free airfare from select U.S. and Canadian gateways.
Windjammer Goes PADI, Expands Dive Program
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (tel. 305/672-6453; www.windjammer.com) announced this month the addition of certified PADI dive instructors to the crews of the tall ships Legacy and Polynesia, enabling passengers of all skill levels to complete PADI scuba certification during their weeklong cruise. Beginners scuba courses for adults and kids will also be available.
"For years, Windjammer has worked through various dive operators on the island our fleet visited," said the line's president, Susan Burke. "While they offered experienced divers good opportunities to dive, we wanted to offer more."
This winter and spring, the 122-passenger Legacy will sail 6-night cruises from St. Thomas to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Come summer, she'll offer 3-, 4-, and 7-night cruises between Miami and Nassau, visiting lesser-known islands in the Bahamas. Certified divers can take advantage of daily one- and two-tank dives, night dives, and cave dives, plus dolphin dives and shark dives in Freeport. In the BVIs, divers can experience some of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean including the wreck of the RMS Rhone, voted the #1 wreck in the Caribbean by Sport Diver and Rodale's magazines
Meanwhile, Polynesia will spend winter and spring sailing 6-night French West Indies cruises out of St. Maarten. She'll transfer to Aruba in summer to sail 6-night cruises around Aruba, Bonaire, and Cura¿ao. Diving will be available four days of each cruise. For certified divers, Polynesia offers one- and two-tank dives, night dives, cave dives and other adventure dives. Discover Scuba courses will be available for beginners.
Prices for one-tank dives are $55; two-tank dives $85; Discover Scuba diving courses $75, dolphin dives $169; shark dives $89, all subject to change. Passengers on December sailings (excluding holidays) get a complimentary one-tank dive. Fares for 6-night cruises begin at $700 per person, double occupancy.
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