Mazatlan to cruise lines: We want you back

by Chris Owen on

Earlier this week, major cruise lines played it safe, skipping a port in Mexico, fearful of passenger safety when going ashore in Mazatlan. Attacks on passengers and crew caused Disney Cruise Line, Princess and Holland America to drop the city as a port of call on Mexican Rivera cruises. But Mazatlan tourism officials are not buying it.

“We highly value our long-standing relationships within the cruise industry, and are dedicated to ensuring that Mazatlan remains among the top cruise destinations on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Mazatlan has hosted nearly 1.5 million cruise passengers since 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the safest destinations in Mexico.” said Julio Birrueta, spokesperson for the Mazatlan Tourism Trust.

Mexico says they have taken steps to insure the safety of cruise passengers and are taking that message on the road.

Tomorrow, state and local government and law enforcement officials along with tourism and port authority executives will meet with cruise industry leaders. On Monday, government officials will meet with executives from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).

“Tourism is very important to Mazatlan and its residents. The destination plays host to nearly 2 million visitors per year from all over the world and the number has increased steadily for the past five years” added Birrueta

Flickr photo by Renee Silverman

Super Bowl XLV at sea? You bet

by Chris Owen on

Just about every cruise ship has a sports bar. Many ships have huge LED outdoor screens. It just seems to be a natural pairing to add this year’s Superbowl in for on-board programming. Cruise lines are doing just that and more.

Just to be sure the big game would be around for those sailing on Superbowl Sunday, Doug Parker of CruiseRadio got with each line to see what they had planned. “I’ve called every cruise line and most got right back to me with their plans” said Parker, working on a story for next week’s Cruise Radio broadcast.

They will be showing the game from “at least one lounge area on each ship” replied Holland America Line. “We will be airing the game fleet-wide!” chimed in Royal Caribbean.

Cruise lines have played a part in Super Bowls of the past too. In 2005, cruise ships parked close to Jacksonville Florida to serve as floating hotels for Super Bowl fans. On board, cruise lines often offer special game day packages complete with junk food and traditional beverages.

Travel Agencies are joining in the fun too, sponsoring “Super Bowl Cruise Party” groups on several major cruise lines. Boasting “Large screen TV’s everywhere”, Super Bowl groups formed long ago requiring just a small deposit to sign up and allowing monthly payments over time.

There is one drawback to watching the Super Bowl at sea though:

Cruise ship television reception works off a satellite system that must constantly be re-aimed because the ship is in motion. That can cause momentary signal loss from time to time. A few seconds lost at a critical moment on the football field could be a problem.

Would mutiny result?

Photo: Chris Owen

Cruise lines wage boycott on Belize

by Chris Owen on

The cruise port of Belize, known for some of the best scuba diving, an eclectic array of foods and wine, snorkeling or just knowing you have seen the Western hemisphere’s longest barrier reef, is in trouble. Not because of environmental issues, severe tropical weather or other problems common to Caribbean ports of call. Belize is suffering from a lack of cruise passengers, a wound-like boycott some say is self-inflicted.

Recently, some major cruise lines have canceled calls to Belize because of a dispute with tender operators over price. It seems Belize tender operators, the people that run the little boats back and forth between the big cruise ships that are too large to dock shore-side, want more than the cruise lines are willing to pay.

“According to reports, the parties are working toward a resolution” said cruise expert Stewart Chiron CEO of CruiseGuy.com adding “but Belize was changed for two Carnival ships last week which were rerouted to Grand Cayman and Costa Maya and three ships will be diverted this week.”

Tender operators want between $6.54 and $8.54 per passenger to take them from the cruise ships to shore and back. Cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, want to pay about $5.00 per passenger. But the dispute is not only about price.

“Carnival wants larger capacity tender boats, 150 passenger minimum, to accommodate their larger ships. Smaller tender boats are creating large back logs and delays getting passengers to/ from the ships” added Chiron, noting “Belize has many beautiful coral reefs that are being protected and require cruise ships to anchor farther out.”

Eventually, the Belize government may have to choose between making it possible for cruise ships to dock shoreside or lose them altogether.

Flickr photo by anoldent

750,000 reasons to like Disney Cruise Line

by Chris Owen on

It’s been all over the news, the launch of Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Dream, the line’s first new ship in over 10 years. Adding Disney Fantasy in 2012 more than doubles the size of the Disney fleet, bringing the line up to speed and beyond with new-ship features, new capacity to dominate the family cruise market and a new brighter outlook towards the future. But as is so typical of the American success-story company, as they look ahead, they look back.

It’s been so long since Disney launched a new ship that a world of media eyes descended upon Florida to sail along and see just what the legacy of Walt Disney had built. Most told of new features like the AquaDuck onboard water coaster, virtual portholes for interior cabins, the latest technology and new onboard entertainment.

On a short two-night preview cruise of the new Dream, Disney added one extra element hosting a fund-raising cruise for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America that raised $750,000.

Just being able to do that would be plenty for most organizations. But in typical Disney style the company brought along a number of Boys and Girls club members for the ride, treating them to an experience they’re not likely to forget any time soon.

Also along for the ride were normally land-based Disney cast members and their families who paid to sail along on the fund-raising cruise, see the new ship, and be part of it all.

As the ship prepared for “sail-away”, always a festive time on any cruise, company officials, dignitaries, cast members and friends packed the ship’s top deck. Disney Channel celebrities, the ship’s entertainment staff and the entire stable of Disney animation stars worked the crowd into a total Disney-immersion frenzy.

But it was bringing those Boys and Girls club members out on stage that sent the event wild, drawing the largest response from all. The deer-in-the-headlights look on the faces of those kids, unaccustomed to a rock star reception, gave way to smiles of appreciation with a side of “Yes, I DO have a future now!” . Once high-risk youths were safer, happier and had a much brighter future in no small part due to the Disney company and a relationship with the Boys and Girls Clubs that dates back to the 1950’s.

How appropriate for a ship all about dreams.

Photo: Chris Owen

A different kind of Spring break cruise

by Chris Owen on

Cruise vacations are a popular option for Spring breakers looking for a good time. Major cruise line ships fill fast with party-going students, often at a premium price. It’s the stuff high school and college memories are made of to be sure. This year, a different kind of student-focused sailing will make for some different memories.

Last year, students on Ocean Classroom Foundation’s Harvey Gamage sailed to Hispaniola. There, they built a house in just one week, from foundation to roof, for a poverty-stricken family. Their effort resulted in lots of good stuff. Two of the families children had been sharing a mattress placed on a dirt floor each night before they went to bed. One of the children had been living elsewhere for lack of resources and space. When the students left, that family had a good roof over their heads and those students came away with a life-changing experience.

“This type of service immersion is an invaluable experience on many levels,” said Alyson Graham, Ocean Classroom’s educational director.

In February, 17 high school students from seven US states will begin a similar voyage in the Caribbean that will sail through Spring break and end in the land of “I made a difference” in May. Called “SEAmester Spring 2012” the immersive voyage departs from St.Thomas on February 24Th arriving in New England May 5Th.

Sailings are being planned for Summer and Fall too. See Ocean Classroom Foundation for more information.

The Ocean Classroom Foundation is is a nonprofit organization committed to sending students and their teachers to sea on voyages in which the traditions, values and adventure of maritime life provide a unique context for education.

Photo: Ocean Classroom Foundation