Cruise ships on the move as traveler demand changes

by Chris Owen on

It was not all that long ago that cruise lines were boasting massive deployment to European waters for 2012 and into 2013. Now, it appears those waters across the pond might not be quite as attractive as at least one cruise line thought. Royal Caribbean is bringing one of their ships back to the U.S. On the other hand, some lines are expanding even beyond Europe as Celebrity Cruises heads to Australia and New Zealand and Carnival Cruise Lines hints at plans to court the UK cruise market. Let’s take a look.

The big news is that Royal Caribbean will redeploy Navigator of the Seas, scheduled to cruise in the Mediterranean, to the Caribbean for the 2011-2012 cruise season and sail out of Port Everglades, Florida.

“We are responding to vacationers’ demand for more Caribbean options this coming winter (and) spring,” Royal Caribbean spokesman Harry Liu told USA Today.

That’s good news for the U.S. cruise market as Navigator of the Seas will offer a unique series of five- to nine-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries between November 20, 2011 and April 14, 2012 when she goes back to Europe.Disney Cruise Line, who will complete the process of doubling it’s fleet soon, will move out of Vancouver after just one season. Sailing from Seattle next year, the line appears to be reacting to “the cost of flying” says the Regina Leader-Post who notes “Flying costs, especially with Disney’s high proportion of children, are important”.

Also, Celebrity Cruises plans to have six ships in the Caribbean during the winter of 2012-13, down from eight this coming winter. Celebrity is sending Celebrity Solstice to Australia and New Zealand and Celebrity Millennium will go to Asia for the first time calling in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay.

Even All-American Carnival Cruise Lines which has had a minimal presence in Europe is looking to the UK market for new passenger sourcing.

“We have a desire to source more people from the UK because of the common language we share,” Carnival chief executive Gerry Cahill told TTGLive.

Indeed, with new Carnival Magic debuting on May 1, 2011 and next-up Carnival Breeze coming out next year, the line will have plenty of experience and hardware in the area. Still, no announcements have been made on exactly how the Funship line will go after UK passengers.

“The UK market is a key priority for us, but how we try to attract it will be decided at a later date,” Cahill said, adding “There are a lot of options, and basing a ship in the UK could be one of those options.”

Flickr photo by Heroiclife

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Cruise ship makeover: come along for the ride

by Chris Owen on

There are new cruise ships and there are old cruise ships. The new ones have all the latest features, the old ones not so much. Well, at least not until they go in for scheduled maintenance. At that time, the cruise line has an opportunity to take care of routine repairs. Sometimes they add new features to those old ships, making them much more attractive to would-be cruise travelers looking for new features. Princess Cruises announced an extreme makeover for Grand Princess in February. Now, the line wants us to come along for the ride with a new series of video reports.

Grand Princess is going through the most significant transformation ever attempted by Princess Cruises. The ship will take on a new look with the addition of seven new suites, a remodeled casino, boutiques and art gallery, enhancements to the Horizon Court buffet area, Lotus Spa, and wedding chapel plus the addition of Crooner’s Martini Lounge.

The line will also remove Skywalkers nightclub, the race car spoiler-looking venue perched high above the aft end of the ship. Apparently the place did nothing for fuel economy and/or did not get enough “Wow, that’s cool” comments at the ship wash.


Through May 4th, viewers can follow along with daily updates to a new video journal chronicling the 24-day drydock.

“Our passengers really loved following the photo journals we offered during previous drydocks,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “So for this, our most extensive transformation, we wanted to take it to the next level and enable viewers to follow along with daily videos.”

Hosted by Grand Princess Cruise Director Martyn Moss, in the first installment audiences we see the beginning of the ship’s transformation as it sails to the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.

We’re thinking Skywalkers would make a great place to visit while ashore in Freeport. A couple welders and a big crane could probably pop that baby off the ship and set it on the beach. At least there would be something worth seeing in Freeport.

Cruise news rodeo roundup

by Chris Owen on


Sometimes there are little nuggets of information floating around out there that are not quite enough for a post but surely worthy of consideration if you are in to cruise vacations. Here are some from this last week, in-your-face rodeo style, just so we keep up to speed.

Norwegian Cruise Line entered into an agreement with Special Needs Group Inc. for them to be the exclusive mobility and oxygen equipment supplier for the line. Norwegian and pretty much all cruise lines do a good job of handling the needs of guests with disabilities. Locking in to one supplier will surely give them the consistency and reliability that one single company can offer. That’s also a score for ship security too. With one supplier delivering equipment to their ships, that could reduce the number of different vendors entering the security cloud that surrounds all ships in port.

Speaking of handicapped people, the battle rages on at CruiseCritic.com (@CruiseCritic) over a passenger who booked a suite thinking “butler service” would be the same as “I brought my nurse with me” and was terribly disappointed when not only uncared for but put off the ship about as fast as the cruise line could.

This week we also brought you a series commemorating the 99th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic which occurred April 15, 1912. Today’s cruise industry exists and operates in many ways as a result of the Titanic tragedy. This week we took a look at the legacy left behind that affects cruise passengers on every sailing of every ship.
Carnival Corporation ships from Princess Cruises and Cunard Line will be plugging in at the Red Hook pier in Brooklyn soon as all parties in the matter came to an agreement on how it would get paid for and have finalized plans. The bulk of the $15 million price tag for cleaner air because plugging in means turning off ships engines in port, will be paid for by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. One reader commented “Sure, just like the government, if they can’t fix it, throw money at it” but local residents, happy to not wear gas masks around the house, are thrilled.

“It’s deal time at Celebrity Cruises” says Gene Sloan (@CruiseLog) of USA Today’s Cruise Log. During the line’s Mediterranean Fly and Sail Event, running right now which “includes reduced rates on both cruises in the region and the airline flights needed to reach them” adds Sloan.

Over at Celebrity sister-line Royal Caribbean International (@RoyalCaribbean), things are heating up over their new all-you-can-drink program. Apparently, a good number of takers on the deal thought/interpreted/scammed that to meaning all-me-and-my-friends-can-drink. The cruise line was not amused. New rules for the plan call for everyone in the stateroom to pay the $29 per person, per day charge to get it.

The UK’s John Honeywell (@CaptainGreybeard) notes “Surely they must have anticipated only one half of a couple signing up and then attempting to buy drinks for his or her partner?” You would think so. The line has been offering all-you-can-drink packages for group cruises for quite some time but requires “all or nothing” compliance with all members of the group taking the package in order to get it.

Captain Greybeard was also onboard the new Carnival Magic which sets sail on May 1st for a first-hand look at how the ship is coming along. Gadling will be on board for that inaugural sailing bringing you information on the latest, greatest ship from Carnival Cruise Lines. We will also be bringing you port-of-call reports ala Gadling which will no doubt be something entirely different than you might have seen elsewhere. Here’s a preview

Kid Rock cruises to a different theme

by Chris Owen on

In the travel business we say “there is a cruise for everyone” and I really do think that’s true. Each cruise line promotes what they do to a different demographic. Some passengers like an old-fashioned lazy Caribbean cruise while others may enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle sailing using the ship as simply a method of transportation. In many ways the experience is quite similar though, regardless of the cruise line. If the difference between cruise lines seems a bit blurry you might want to consider a theme cruise.

On a theme cruise like-minded individuals gather to totally immerse themselves in a seagoing event that can last from a few days to a week or longer. Often, a lot of how it goes, how deep that immersion is, depends on who organizes and promotes the event.

Sixthman specializes in full-ship charters and recently wrapped up the Kid Rock’s Chillin’ The Most Cruise 2011. While some promoters may book blocks of cabins in a group-cruise sort of way, Sixthman does it a bit differently.

“We charter the full cruise ship, so anyone who books on one of our theme cruises will book through Sixthman, not through the cruise line” said Sixthman CEO Andy Levine adding “
The cost of a theme cruise is more than if a guest booked through the cruise line because it includes all entertainment, live shows, onboard activities, and more.”

How involved the promoter is in the onboard experience makes a big difference too. Remember, you get all the activities, entertainment and dining options that a given ship provides. The theme package stacked on top of that cruise line experience is what makes these different.

“Sixthman cruises are different from other theme cruises because we go out of our way to make sure all of the guests are happy. They get a full festival experience and end up building lasting relationships with other guests and artists. Each event builds a community.”said Levine.

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Some theme cruises have various levels of immersion that can be booked with more access to performers costing more.

“We also offer proximity to the artists – the performers who sail with us are open with their fans and enjoy hanging out around the ship. We don’t create a “VIP” environment – everyone who books has the same “backstage pass”-like advantages”concluded Levine.

So, interested in a theme cruise? Here is some more information you need to know.

Who might like a theme cruise
Have you ever been to a concert or event that was just so good you wished it would never end? Do you have a favorite author, film star or sports figure you can’t get enough of? Do you struggle to keep you hobby from overtaking your real life? Are you interested in a group of people that share the same lifestyle, focus or desires?

Theme cruises offer up close and personal time with whatever the theme might be. Sometimes called “special interest cruises” or “full ship charters” these sailings bring together people of all ages, sizes, shapes, colors and backgrounds with one thing in common: their interest in whatever it is that sailing is all about.

Who offers theme cruises
Some are organized by non-profit organizations for fund raising, others are simply put together by a small group interested in something cool then marketed to everyone in hopes of bringing together more people interested in that same something cool. The organization defines the idea and a travel agency sells it for them.

There are also travel companies that specialize in full ship charters like Sixthman who creates theme cruises with an emphasis on celebrating music and fan communities or Atlantis Events who organizes gay and lesbian cruises with being gay or lesbian the common denominator. Other travel companies do partial charters or simply book blocks of cabins on a ship as a large group. In most cases, unlike simply picking a ship and sailing date like you might with a cruise line, these have to be booked through whoever is handling them.

ThemeCruiseFinder.com is a good place to start with a wide variety of past and upcoming theme cruises listed.

Photo courtesy Sixthman

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10 stupid assumptions about cruise vacations

by Chris Owen on

It’s almost funny sometimes, the things people get stuck in their heads about any number of topics that turn out to be stupid assumptions. We often just assume things that are convenient. Like that driving rules are the same everywhere, until we go someplace where they drive on the “wrong” side of street. Then, all of the sudden, after our little world has been thrown off a bit, we adjust. Assuming can be dangerous on land but we can always drive back home if we totally fail. At sea, you’re pretty much stuck there with your bad assume-induced decision so let’s see if we can avoid some of the more common assumptions about cruise vacations.

The scary part, I want to tell you right up front, is that these 10 stupid assumptions about cruise vacations that actually do happen.

  1. “I bought travel insurance because I am sailing during hurricane season” Well that’s nice, did you buy shoes because it was sunny one day too? Most travel insurance does not cover acts of God (like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and second-comings) so that false sense of confidence you have is not going to help much if you decided not to go on a cruise because a hurricane looms. Being afraid of hurricanes is a good. Being afraid to cruise during hurricane season is not. Cruise lines will modify itineraries and take you someplace else before the rare occasion happens and they cancel a cruise. Cruise lines don’t make money when ships sit empty. They want to make money. Making money ranks just below keeping you and the ship safe. Even if they did cancel the cruise they would most likely refund your money and/or book you on a different sailing.
  2. “I know final payment is due but surely they will give me more time” Wrong. Cruise lines are more strict all the time on getting paid. Rightfully so too. They ask little of us. They want us to have a good time and go all out for that. There are a bunch of different ships going different places on sailings of varying length, one of which will be perfect for us. They want to be paid on time. If paying for your cruise that you booked a year ago, on time, is not possible, maybe we should not be going on this vacation in the first place. Maybe we need to be a bit more realistic and pay the rent first.
  3. “I have a big group of people I have brought along with me, I will probably get a discount” Your group of 12 people may not fit around the family dining room table but they are not a “big group” on a cruise ship. A big group would be 100 or more of your closest friends. Get that many and yes, there should be a discount of some sort.
  4. “I bought travel insurance just in case my daughter breaks up with her boyfriend“– I actually learned this one the hard way. One of my daughters had invited along a boyfriend which we agreed to pay for. Right after booking I thought “I’m not really sure if this relationship will last until the cruise. I’ll get travel insurance, just in case” To my surprise, travel insurance does not cover “being dumped by your girlfriend” which happened a couple weeks before the cruise. Here’s the scary part: I had been a travel agent and state-licensed insurance agent for five years when that happened and knew better. I just did not think about it, like a lot of people do, and assumed I was covered.
  5. “I bought a modified cabin, where’s my nurse?” This one does not come up much. Most people who are handicapped at a level that requires constant care research like its their job and know exactly what is ahead of them. Recently, a handicapped person booked a cruise in a modified (handicap-accessible) cabin. They booked a suite that came with butler service. They either assumed or misunderstood that the higher level of service would take care of their needs. In reality, the “higher level of service” they required translated into the job description of a day nurse. Constant care is not what a butler does. Shining your shoes, yes. Helping you go to the bathroom, no. See CruiseCritic.com for all the gory details, they pretty much own this story.
  6. “Seasick pills will be free, I’ll get it on the ship” I have had people tell me they just assumed it would be free because the cruise line does not want you to get sick and wants you out there gambling and spending money. Reality? You will get sick, go to the ship’s medical center and pay $200 for a shot that will help only marginally more than any number of preventative measures you could have taken care of before getting on the ship for less than $10 ashore.
  7. “I booked Carnival’s Early Saver Fare but changed my mind and want my money back“ – This does not come up all that often but when it does, it’s sad. What part of “Non-refundable deposit” don’t you understand? Carnival’s Early Saver fare is great for people who have their minds made up and are going on that cruise no matter what. It’s also great for those who have their minds made up, say 75% of the way, and cruise on Carnival a lot. This is not the fare for people who will likely want to make changes to their booking be it change to a different date, change guests, or just about anything else.
  8. “Wow, I can’t believe how much my bill was at the end of the cruise”– There is a lot to be said about the all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation. On a purely financial basis, you know about how much your entire vacation will cost right up front. But alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, shore excursions and other on-board purchases NOT included in the price can add up. That’s nothing to be scared of, just something to consider adding to that number floating around in your head as to how much this vacation is going to cost you.
  9. “I got a great deal on my cruise. NOW I will look a the details” – Travel agents know there is a group of people out there that are concerned primarily with price at the time of booking. Make that “obsessed with the price of the cruise at the time of booking” Nothing else matters but getting the best deal which, to them, means the lowest price. So very wrong. Its all about value, not price. But price alone is easy and fast to compare, click and buy. We all live in that world at one time or another. That works well for buying an air ticket or reserving a rental car. But to consider only price when booking the cruise part of the deal means you ignore other variables that can make a huge difference in the overall total cost in the long run.
  10. “I’m sure they will tell me what visas I need” or “I just won’t get off the ship”, I don’t need a visa” Either one of those will get you denied boarding on your European cruise and no refund will be given to you other than the port charges for the ports you won’t be going to. If a visa is required by any country on your itinerary and you don’t have it, the cruise line will not board you, not refund your money and you will have to get back home on your own. Not a big deal if you were driving to the port but if you flew to Barcelona from Denver that can mean a huge last-minute airfare bill to pay and no, travel insurance would not cover that either. It is totally your responsibility to know what documentation you need to enter a country. Not the cruise line, not your travel agent and surely not your click-to-book cruise broker.
There are things we assume that don’t get us in trouble and things that do. Assuming we will get good service on a cruise vacation, whatever “good service” means to us, is fair. Assuming the cruise line will make grand gestures to please you, like automatically lowering your fare if the price goes down after you buy, is not fair.

Flickr photo by quinet

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