The other cool ships of 2010

by Chris Owen on

Undeniably, the big cruise ship story of 2010 was Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, sister to last year’s Oasis. Coming in a close second and third were two other ships by two other lines that deserve a nod before we get too far into 2011.

The other whopper from 2010 was Norwegian Epic. Small by comparison at 150,000 tons and 4,200 guests but no small story at all. Pre-sailing Norwegian Cruise Line boasted then delivered top-shelf entertainment options that clearly set the bar high for others to grab.

The Cirque Dreams and Dinner show was simply the best entertainment option I have see at sea and worth enduring the somewhat minor to “what were they thinking?” design flaws of the new ship. Throw in a dazzling Blue Man Group performance and fair pricing and this one should do well. Norwegian announced more new ships coming up but nothing specific and no duplicate of Epic is on the horizon. Probably one of those “Oh lookey, we’re doing good so we ordered more ships” things the cruise lines do sometimes to make Wall Street happy.

Next up in order of coolness, was Celebrity Eclipse, the third of Celebrity Cruises Solstice-class ships and clearly the future of the line. This is totally a mature adults ship and I don’t mean old people. Geared towards a relaxing, adult experience, this one defines the serene pleasure-cruise experience that others are working into existing ships and featuring on new builds. If that sounds like boring-ship city it’s not.

Celebrity has fully embraced the latest technology on several fronts that put these ships light-years ahead of others in shipbuilding savvy. Building the ships from the bottom up, as opposed to considering passenger areas first, made for a more energy efficient design. From a Teflon coated hull that reduces drag and increases fuel efficiency to happy-environment solar panels to supplement the ships power, this one stretches known technology to make a real dent in the nasty footprint cruise ships have become known for.

But its not like the passengers were secondary by any means.

New dining options, a Celebrity Life onboard program that promotes well-being and health along with superior dining options make this one a stand-out leader for the line. The only problem I see with these marvels is why would anyone even want to sail on their older, boring ships at all? Look for those to be shipped off to needy ports doing shorter sailings on their way out the door in 2011 and 2012.

Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

2011: Attack of the Oasis sisters?

by Chris Owen on

The big…make that GIANT story for 2010 in the world of cruise vacations was Allure of the Seas, sister-ship to last year’s 220,000 ton Oasis of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. The monster ship gobbled up headlines, berth space at ports and will send other ships running in 2011.

I liked Allure better than older sibling Oasis but that might have been because they worked all the kinks out that come with moving 5000 people on, off and around a ship each week by the time Allure was born. Technically “twins” they’re really not exactly clones and both ships have a distinct aura about them that’s undeniable. Allure is actually a wee bit longer, enough to give her captain verile bragging rights, and both ships have some different minor features. Still, combined, they close in on half a million tons of ship and that’s nothing to ignore.

Each ship has more restaurants, more cabins, more things to do, more people to see than any other ship at sea. Feature-hungry cruise passengers got everything they had been asking for and more.

Is this a case of “be careful what you ask for, you might just get it?”

Between the two, Royal Caribbean has chased a lot of ships out of South Florida, leaving much of the market to themselves.

Time will tell but so far prices are holding at a high level and the new ships are filling up fast which equals success in any body’s book. They better too, at more than a billon dollars each, there’s a lot riding on their success. Down the line Royal Caribbean is going to have to find some new places for the ships to visit as guests get over the wow-factor and want to get off the ship at ports. That’s no easy task.

Not one port was set up to handle this size vessel before they were built and all ports had to be modified to make it work. Surely, it’s worth it to local economies to have a ship dump 5000 paying tourists off for a day. Southampton is drooling over the possibility and maybe even Brownsville, Texas will throw their hat back in the ring to finally get that cruise port they want so bad.

The future of new-builds for Royal Caribbean holds an empty slate which makes sense. The Oasis sisters will be a tough act to follow.

2 unique new cruise ships sailing in 2011

by Chris Owen on

2010 was a good year for new cruise ships. Highlights included Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic that set the bar solidly higher for at-sea entertainment, highlighted by a Cirque Dreams and Dinner experience that was well received. Answering that call for improved entertainment, new largest-ship-in-the-world Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas followed nicely in the footsteps of older sister Oasis, clearly establishing herself as a unique ship of her own.

Looking forward to 2011, more new ships are on the horizon including Oceania Cruises new Marina, nearly double the size of the line’s existing three ships; Celebrity Silhouette, the fourth Solstice-class ship from Celebrity Cruises and another new yacht from Seabourn, the Seabourn Quest among others. Today we focus on two different ships by two different lines that will probably be the most talked-about of the bunch.

Disney Dream – at 128,000 tons, Disney Cruise Line’s new entry, the first of two with Disney Fantasy coming out next year, promises to steer Disney in a unique new at-sea direction. Sailing from Port Canaveral, the new ship will more than double the size of the Disney fleet carrying up to 4000 guests. Called “the most anticipated ship of 2011” by CruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown

Carnival Magic – the second of Carnival Cruise Line’s Dream-class ship and will offer 3,693 guests a 7 to 12 day Mediterranean sailing in the Summer followed by a unique first for Carnival; home-porting a new ship in Galveston Texas. 130,000 ton Carnival Magic will make a total of 23 ships in the fleet. Look for this one to be launched with some unique, social ways capitalizing on Carnival’s signature “fun” element.

When it comes to cruise ships, size matters

by Chris Owen on

Royal Caribbean just keeps on making big news with big ships in a big way. The line released video this week of new Allure of the Seas meeting up with nearly-twin ship Oasis of the Seas for a late night rendezvous.

In a ceremonious way, the ships sailed side by side and small crafts were launched from each to meet between the two. An exchange of gifts ceremony of sorts was conducted including posters signed by the officers of both ships, delivered by Adam Goldstein, Royal Caribbean’s President and CEO.

Both Oasis-class ships are rated as the same size, a whopping 220,000 tons carrying 5,400 guests at double occupancy. Allure has some cosmetic differences and is a wee bit longer. Her captain knows it and takes full advantage of his bragging rights.

Just five centimeters difference in length is all but Captain Zini of Allure did not hesitate to send along an over-sized measuring tape when company officials met mid-ocean. So yes, when it comes to cruise ships, size definitely matters.

One has to wonder how this exchange would have played out had the new ships been commanded by women captains.

New Disney ship rekindles Walt’s fire

by Chris Owen on

Disney Cruise Line Imagineers worked overtime looking for just the right mix of on-board features for the new Disney Dream, sailing January 26. The line has infused a spirt of imagination, grandeur and magical wonder that even Walt Disney himself might not have dreamed of.

“These new additions are near perfect moves for Disney,” says cruise industry expert, Stewart Chiron CEO, CruiseGuy.com. “Timing of their introductions couldn’t have been better. The biggest ships have been previously introduced and now all of the attention will be clearly focused on Disney’s newest class of ships.”

On board Disney Dream, the first new ship for the line since 1999, are more features, attractions and at-sea innovation than ever before.

The AquaDuck, a flashy on-board roller coaster unlike any attraction at sea, has twists, turns, drops, acceleration and river rapids – all while racing around the upper decks of the ship. Inside cabins with virtual “portholes” provide a real-time view outside of the ship via a live, high-def feed.

The 4000-guest Disney Dream combined with upcoming Disney Fantasy in 2012 will double the number of ships in the fleet and triple passenger capacity. But competition for guests has never been tougher and they will be up against new feature-heavy ships from other lines.

“As when Disney Magic was introduced, the cruising public had no idea how ‘fantastical’ these ships could be.” said Chiron adding “Now with about 13 years of ship operations and shipbuilding experience under their magical belt, hold on! Dreams will come true in ways made possible only by Disney.”

Hopes are high that new Disney Dream and upcoming Disney Fantasy will roll back the clock to a time wonder and magic when their existing ships were the latest and greatest at sea. Walt would like this.