Brave Travelers Wanted: Your Cruise Ship Awaits

by Chris Owen on

Otherwise brave and robust travelers have been having second thoughts about cruise vacations – and rightfully so. The grounding of Costa Concordia, a fire on Costa Allegra not long after and thoughts of the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic are all valid concerns. Wondering what the experience might be like, we bought a ticket for a ride on Princess Cruises‘ newly remodeled Grand Princess and lived to tell about it.

I know for a fact how very safe cruise vacations are; the numbers speak for themselves. I really do believe that cruise lines value our safety as the number one priority at sea and that only makes sense too. After all, at sea is where the show happens and if they don’t take care of business when completely surrounded by ocean in all directions as far as the eye can see, the future looks grim.

But as much as I love this business, I could not help but look at Port Everglades, full of ships as it commonly is on any given Saturday, a bit differently.

Was I scared to go on a cruise?

No.

Did I have any doubt that Princess would deliver a safe, quality experience?

Absolutely not. They are, after all, the line of the Love Boat.

Still, I was about to board a cruise ship. Every single sailing we had done before this did not have the shadow of a modern day maritime event that seriously flirted with disaster hanging over it. Embarkation seemed normal but I found myself looking closely at procedures and precautions taken by the port authority and cruise line. “Were there always TSA agents present?” I asked myself and could not really remember if there were or not. I was glad to see them hanging around though.

Before boarding we were advised that there would be a mandatory safety drill at 3:15 p.m. That sounded like earlier than normal to me and we framed our early afternoon activities around it, giving that time more attention than on previous sailings in our minds. Unpacking, touring the ship and having lunch – everything seemed normal.

A great deal of attention was given to sanitation procedures, especially in the buffet area where an obvious priority was being placed on good food-handling procedures and eliminating as much opportunity as possible for norovirus situations to happen or get out of control. That made sense after a recent outbreak that caused ships from a number of lines to pump up efforts in that area.

When time came for the safety drill we had already been watching the clock with more interest than on previous sailings and were not surprised to see muster stations fill quickly.

Our safety drill was held in a large public venue, normally used for shows of some sort. We were advised that when the drill began there would be an eight- or nine-minute safety briefing that we should pay attention to.

When that drill started, from the moment it began, those feelings of apprehension that a great many of those on board felt almost instantly went away.

Why? Because when that safety drill started you could have heard a pin drop in that room. The deafening silence was broken only by a small group of teens, probably on a senior trip for spring break. Teens, of course, are indestructible in their minds.

Every single person, and there must have been 300 of them, gave that safety briefing their undivided attention signaling that they understood the importance of it.

Actually listening to the safety briefing as though our lives may depend on the information we were receiving, it was also clearly apparent that the ship was in good hands.

They had a plan on what to do if things went wrong, they knew how to execute it, were practicing part of that plan right then and would be diligent to protect our safety.

No longer were we relying on the undisputed but impersonal statistics of how many millions of people travel safely by cruise ships each year. No longer did we blindly believe it was a safe way to go because we had been on a bunch of cruises and nothing bad ever happened.

When the safety drill was over, the room cleared quickly and passengers went about their business of having a fabulous cruise vacation, whatever that might have meant to each of them. I suspect they might be having an even better time of it too, armed with the truly important information we received that day.

The tragic death of those passengers that did not make it off Costa Concordia will be remembered as a lesson learned by cruise lines, affecting how they do business now and in the future. Still, that event and those people who died should be given credit for arming passengers for many generations to come with a sense of urgency about safety that actually could save many more lives some day.

[Flickr photo via flickrized]

‘Titanic’ Back At Box Office, Enhanced For Your Tragedy-Viewing Pleasure

by Chris Owen on

April 15, 2012 marks the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic, the supposedly unsinkable ocean liner. Today, “Titanic” the movie by James Cameron, is re-released and enhanced for 3D, Real D and iMax, all to make the memorable scenes more vividly spectacular.

“The story of the Titanic endures because it is the soaring story of courage and cowardice,” says an article in today’s Washington Times. “It is the story of the men and women that managed to endure, the selfless officers and crew, and the band of musicians who played almost to the end.”

After recent additions to maritime history including the near-disaster grounding of Costa Concordia, a tragedy in its own right, the re-release of Cameron’s masterpiece is timely and more relevant today than when it was when first released in 1997.

“Titanic’s story carries the sad realization of a number of ‘ifs’ to be endlessly debated,” continues the article. “If only she had had more lifeboats; if Captain Smith and J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line, had not pushed the engines to their utmost capacity; if their corporate arrogance hadn’t forced the speed to break some existing record.”

“If only she had collided with the iceberg head-on, there would have been a chance for more survivors, but the side cut made it a tragically different story.”

Bringing home the message of Titanic, it was a side cut in Costa Concordia flooding one too many of that ship’s water-tight compartments that sealed its fate too.

Here we have original footage of Titanic of 1912 before its departure to its final journey.



[Flickr photo via Artshooter]

Cruise Vacation Shore Excursions: A Better Value With New Service

by Chris Owen on

Cruise vacations may have an all-inclusive nature but, as anyone who has sailed knows, the cruise fare paid far from covers everything. Incidental, but nearly mandatory, expenses like gratuities, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages and transfer services to and from the ship can add up fast. One part of it all that can make or break a cruise vacation experience is shore excursions — what we do off the ship. A new service now offers remarkable savings on the same or better tours than those offered by the cruise line.

Going live this week, Viator Shore Excursions offers more than 500 shore excursions in over 80 of the most popular ports around the globe, including new destinations Juneau, Monaco and Mykonos.

“The new Viator Shore Excursion platform builds on the increasing popularity of independent shore excursion bookings on Viator.com,” Barrie Seidenberg, CEO and president of Viator told Gadling. “We’ve taken our great inventory and added innovative technology to create the new user experience and give cruise passengers direct access to the best excursions in their ports of call to help them make the most of their time and money in every port.”Commonly thought of as the safe way to go, tours offered from the cruise line are often priced much higher than when bought from independent operators. Those tour companies are often the same people that provide the service to cruise lines. Now, our friends at Viator, a leading resource for researching and booking tours and activities around the world, unveiled a new website specifically designed to help cruise passengers find and book shore excursions with savings up to 60 percent off typical rates offered by cruise lines.

“For far too long cruise passengers have been beholden to the cruise lines for shore excursions that are often overpriced, over crowded and represent only a fraction of what’s available locally,” added Seidenberg.

The site has been designed for the complex nature of shore excursion bookings and will offer only relevant tours and activities based on the specific itinerary of the most major cruise lines.

Passengers select the cruise line, ship name and departure date, and Viator instantly loads the cruise ship’s itinerary and then shows only those excursions that can specifically work for each port of call based on arrival and departure times and availability.

Comparing Viator tours to similar tours offered by cruise lines, Viator comes out on top often with savings of up to 60 percent on tours we compared to cruise line prices.

Still, one of the big concerns passengers have with using third-party sources is missing the ship if the tour runs late. Viator has that covered too with their service “Viator’s Worry-Free Bookings.” If a passenger misses the ship because of a Viator excursion, Viator will transport them to the next port of call at no cost to the traveler.

On top of that, budget-conscious travelers will enjoy their Low Price Guarantee that really nails down their pricing as the best.

“Viator’s Low Price Guarantee also protects you two ways. First, if you find a lower price for the same tour or activity offered by the same operator (priced in the same currency) within 72 hours of booking, send us the details and we’ll refund the price difference. No gimmicks, no exceptions,” says Viator on its website. “Second, we also protect you against arriving at a destination and finding the same tour or activity offered at a lower price from our operator. If you do happen to find a lower price direct from our operator, simply send us the details and we’ll refund the price difference. It’s that easy.”

Low price, good availability and the worry-free policy make the new Viator Shore Excursions a great tool to consider when planning a cruise vacation. We suggest a simple comparison test. Open two screens on your computer — one with the ship’s offerings and one with Viator’s shore excursions for that same itinerary.

Going port by port it looks like Viator’s savings could be considerable.



[Images via Flickr user JorgeBRAZIL]

Travel Smarter 2012: Your best cruise values in 2012

by Chris Owen on

Looking for the best cruise values, many travelers check the Internet in a click-to-buy way, much like they might an airline ticket or hotel room. Like airfare search engines, some online cruise booking sources are better than others. Some people turn to travel agents who keep up on the latest industry trends, current pricing, and special offers not always available to consumers. In 2012 and into 2013, finding the best cruise value will take knowing what to look for first, then using a variety of sources to bring home a package that is way more than just the lowest price.

Forget the Concordia effect
January’s grounding of the Costa Concordia in Italy sent shock waves through the cruise industry and a call to take a closer look at cruise safety. What the grounding of the Concordia did not do was lower cruise prices. Consumers expected it, the press reported that bookings were down, but nothing happened. Travel agents knew this because business was generally unaffected. Instead of looking for prices to tumble, agents took advantage of existing offers and promotions for their clients, reaping huge values, but not due to a ship accident.

Ships that linger a while
Hot on the horizon are itineraries that linger a bit longer, if not overnight, at popular ports of call. Travelers are becoming increasingly weary of quick pit stops at popular destinations and want more time to explore. Cruise lines are answering the call and those sailings will be priced to fill ships. This offer is becoming especially popular on high-end cruise lines.

River Cruising grows even more
Also, look for the river cruising craze in Europe to continue, for many of the same reasons: travelers want more time at ports and want more of an up-close-and-personal experience ashore. River cruise ships with far fewer passengers on board will deliver that, and at reduced rates, in competition to mega liners. However, that pricing won’t last. Once they catch on, prices will go up.

Discounts on seven-day or longer sailings
Still, the mega liners need to sail full ships, so look for discounts on seven-night and longer sailings as a best value in 2012. A recovering global economy in many nations will entice old travelers into the booking pool and cruise lines will vie for their business.

The dollar is looking better
More outstanding values for sailing from North America may be affected by the weaker Euro, which has almost reversed the exchange situation it was in last year when the dollar was weak. Now, cruise lines who made massive deployments to Europe, in anticipation of sailing their floating assets to more profitable waters, are bringing ships back to the more reliable North American market, though it still needs some encouragement to book. Pricing, especially in the fall of 2012, will be excellent.

Refurbished ships are where the action is
Probably the best value in 2012 will be refurbished ships, priced nicely to sail full. Slowing down a bit on bringing out new ships, cruise lines are taking a step back, looking at what worked on the new ships and adding those popular features to old ships, usually during routine dry-dock maintenance work.

Adding features that might not have existed when the ship was built, cruise lines are transforming older ships into vibrant, relevant floating hotels, competitive with the newest at-sea, or land, vacation options.

A dry dock period usually means routine maintenance and we don’t hear much about it, but with improvements becoming a priority, expect new carpets, upgraded stateroom amenities, and more stuff they can’t do with the ship full of guests. Sometimes these things are part of a grand plan to roll out popular features to older ships in a big way.

Past projects with much more than normal dry dock maintenance were spearheaded by Carnival Corporation brands and their Evolutions Of Fun program on Carnival Cruise Line ships. They brought an array of improvements to older ships including a new water park and an adult serenity area. Sister-line Holland America soon followed, spreading the Signature of Excellence program around the fleet.

More recently, Royal Caribbean focused on Radiance of the Seas. By applying the updated Royal Advantage programming to the older ship, they brought about a makeover of incredible proportions that were made possible, at least in part, by importing popular features from giant sisters Oasis and Allure of the Seas.

The most significant transformation of a Princess Cruises ship occurred not long ago aboard Grand Princess. During a 24-day makeover, the first of Princess’ workhorse Grand class ships had a massive renovation to receive many of Princess’ trademark features, introduced since the ship’s 1998 debut, including the wildly popular Piazza atrium.

“This is the largest makeover we’ve ever undertaken for any of our ships,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises‘ executive vice president. “When Grand Princess was launched she was the most innovative ship at sea, and now we’re adding some of the later innovations we introduced on subsequent ships.”

The king daddy of all remodeling programs, though, has to be Carnival Cruise Line‘s Fun Ship 2.0 initiative, an intense array of onboard programming, brand infusion, and signature “fun” that is consistent with their industry-leading position. They have defined cruise vacations for decades and will lead the way to a future generation of cruise passengers.

The $500 million remodeling program is much more than just a new coat of paint and new carpets. Branded elements of the initiative include: Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri; the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez; and “Hasbro, the Game Show.” On Carnival Liberty right now is the Blue Iguana Cantina and Tequila Bar, and the Red Frog Rum Bar, both receiving rave reviews from passengers on the ship.

“Carnival Liberty is the first ship in the fleet to feature many of our Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements and guest response has been tremendous, exceeding our expectations,” said Lania Rittenhouse, Carnival’s vice president of product development. “From the EA SPORTS Bar to the RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar to Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network personality Guy Fieri, guests are really enjoying the wide array of innovations. We are looking forward to rolling out additional elements of Fun Ship 2.0 such as the Punchliner Comedy Club Presented by George Lopez and ‘Hasbro, The Game Show,’ later this year as the implementation of this exciting project continues.”

Look for remodeled ships, which are way less expensive than building new ones, to be a best value in 2012 and beyond. Start searching via cruise line websites, check Internet cruise brokers to get an idea of where pricing is, and then call or email a travel agent that specializes in cruise vacations. A good travel agent’s expertise in booking should yield great value, if not immediately then down the road if new discounts, promotions, and offers come into play.

It’s something travel agents do that will not happen when booking directly with a cruise line. (Seriously, they are not going to call you up and let you know they just lowered your fare, trust us.) Click-to-buy methods can’t touch the perks that will keep us sailing smoothly into the future with the best possible value.




[flickr image via joiseyshowaa]

Cruising after the Concordia grounding: what you need to know

by Chris Owen on

When Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy, the world watched as what seemed to be a lazy traveler’s easy road to adventure had thousands scrambling for their lives. Forget the bingo, shuffleboard and buffets; all of the sudden what was thought to be impossible unfolded before our eyes. The Concordia grounding was a clear example of just how wrong things can go when we travel, highlighting the importance of safety but yielding very few lessons. Odds are, it will be business-as-usual for the cruise industry soon with a few minor but important tweaks.

“We were having dinner when I heard a huge bang and suddenly it felt as if the ship was being ripped apart,” Concordia passenger Agata Martisi told the Telegraph. “I turned to my husband and said, ‘My God, that sounds like we’re on the Titanic!'”

Not since the disastrous sinking of the RMS Titanic, a hundred years ago in April, had the world turned its attention to maritime matters in such a serious way. A great many lessons were learned from Titanic, giving birth to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), an international maritime safety treaty that imposed strict regulations on seagoing vessels. Those lessons are in force today, making a cruise one of the safest travel options available. But that knowledge was probably of little comfort to those 4,000+ passengers and crew on the Concordia who saw their vacation/workplace/lives come to an abrupt end on Friday, the 13th of January.”The captain of the Costa Cruises ship that partially sank on Friday after hitting rocks off the coast of Italy had diverted the vessel onto a route not authorized by the company,” reported USA Today, quoting Costa chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi.

Accounts of events leading up to the grounding, including blame and how the ship’s evacuation was handled, vary. But one element of the story seems clear: the chaotic reality of actually abandoning the ship was far from the well-organized, methodical process consistent with safety training that millions of cruise travelers have received over the years.

“The accident is a reminder of the importance of safety procedures and a wake-up call for the 16 million or so passengers who embark annually, some of whom may have become complacent about those nettlesome safety drills,” said the Los Angeles Times.

That appropriate training was viewed by passengers very much like the safety talk given by airlines before the beginning of every flight — something the line is obligated to do but will probably never come into play. Rarely do passengers offer their full attention. We can only imagine what those who did not pay any attention at all were doing when the delayed “abandon ship” order was given on Concordia. Recently released video suggests that the chaos was not only among passengers though as we see here:




As always, paying attention during a safety drill is a good idea that will go a long way to getting us off a ship in a timely manner if the need should arise and if the abandon ship order is given.

Another good idea would be one that travel agents have recommended for years, to memorize the deck plans of the ship, or at least be somewhat familiar with them before boarding. In the past, the idea was based on the belief that it would keep passengers from bumping into walls, trying to find their way around the gigantic ships for the first day or two, adding to more quality time on the ship. In the future it may mean the difference between getting off the ship in an emergency, or not.

“In a situation that is similar to the Titanic tragedy, crewmembers of the cruise ship, Costa Concordia, repeated many of the same mistakes as the workers on the Titanic did years ago,” reported CruiseLineJobs. “Primarily, when it became obvious that the Concordia was sinking and the passengers were seeking escape, chaos ensued, and as one passenger of this shipwreck stated, ‘It was every man for himself.’ According to one official from Italy there was no clear leadership for the rescue effort.”

As anticipated, and as appropriate, the global cruise industry recently announced a new emergency drill policy requiring mandatory muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from port. The new policy is consistent with the industry’s announcement of a complete safety review in response to the Concordia grounding and as part of the industry’s continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures.

The Cruise Lines International Association, European Cruise Council, and the Passenger Shipping Association put forward the new policy with the support of their member cruise lines.

In a joint statement, the cruise ship associations said: “The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity,” reports the Telegraph.

Under the new muster policy:

  • A mandatory muster of all embarking passengers will happen prior to departure from port.
  • Late arriving passengers will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
  • The policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity.

This is probably nothing new to American cruise travelers sailing from North America where safety drills are customarily done before departure anyway. Though by international law, ships were only required to do safety drills within the first 24 hours. This change addresses the situation that may have contributed to what was reported as “panic” and “miscommunication” on board Costa Concordia for over 500 passengers who had just boarded that fateful day and had not received a safety briefing.

And that’s probably about all that will come of the legacy of Costa Concordia. History will probably write it as a near miss or a shot across the bow with a call for more safety, but documented facts indicate that cruising is already extremely safe. Safety measures in place before the grounding of Concordia were thought to have all possible contingencies addressed. But just as airline crashes, also rare, teach caution airlines to reexamine safety protocols, so has the grounding of the Costa Concordia served to remind cruise lines just how horribly wrong things can go.





[Flickr photo via EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection]