While the Costa Concordia tragedy is still unfolding and the total story is yet to be told, I wanted to share my own shock and horror of seeing this disaster unfold over the past several days. After 200 plus cruises, I could not fathom anything of this nature happening understanding the stringent regulations the cruise industry is held to and their own standards of safety protection put in place to ensure this type of disaster could not unfold.

 While the activity of the Costa Concordia’s Captain appears to have made many grave errors, perhaps the only good thing he may have done was beach the ship to keep the ship from completely sinking in deeper water and allowing the guests close proximity to the local port for easier evacuation. I will not comment yet on this major concern until all the facts are in place but it appears, rogue behavior (human error) by the ships Captain, created this disaster…

 After nearly 45 years of traveling by ship, this horrendous incident is a first for me but let me share some information about the cruise industry with you…

 During the last 10 years- Nearly 100 million passengers took cruise vacations- 6 safety related deaths took place during that time until Costa Concordia

 The cruise industry still remains the safest mode of transportation and while there have been other “fender benders” over the years, mostly due to wind activity while docking or un-docking; this industry has a stellar reputation and loss of life was virtually non-existent.

 All guests who embark a ship are required to partake in a lifeboat safety drill within 24 hours. In the US, I believe this takes place at sailing time due to US Coast guard regulations. Upon embarkation, every ships cabin TV plays the safety video regardless of where the ship is, has complete safety instructions posted n the back of a cabin door, and generally a complete lifeboat drill is held.

 The fact that chaos ensued on Costa Concordia is not shocking to me due to the nature of the ships initial accident, loosing power (except for emergency power which did kick in although it is low-level lighting) beaching, turning on its side due to that beaching, the fact the lifeboats on one side were inoperable due to the heavy listing, the lack of instruction for the 500 who had just embarked the ship only a few hours earlier, and the mutual fear factor shares by everyone including the ships crew as this happened so quickly. I believe based on the hull damage caused by the lengthy hole created by the rocks doomed this ship from the initial impact.

 The nature of the ship turning so quickly on its side was likely due to the beaching and the laws of physics for a vessel to be in such shallow water.

 Do I Think Cruising Is Un-Safe?

 NO! I think most cruise lines including Costa generally uphold a very high standard of safety, comply with stringent SOLAS (Safety Of Life AT Sea), local coast guard, and all maritime organizations rules. These ships are constantly monitored and crew training takes place continuously. This event was the result of human error and very poor judgment by the ships Captain.

 What Would I Do To Assist My Own Safety On My Next Cruise?

 

• Watch the cabin TV video showing what to do in the event of an emergency-this usually plays all day on the first day of a cruise and is already playing when you enter your cabin
• Review the safety details behind the cabin door that give detailed instructions on what to do in the event of a disaster
• Ask my room steward where the closes evacuation route or staircase is nearest my cabin to ensure I knew where to go
• Attend and listen carefully to the ships safety drill
• Relax and enjoy my cruise as will most all 17 million who will choose to take this exciting vacation!

 In the meantime, my thoughts go to those who were lost in this tragedy as well as anyone who endured the agony and fear during this unnecessary tragedy. I know that safety rules will be once again revisited and perhaps changed in the immediate future…

 Travel Safe!

The best and those who need help of 2011 are simply subjective to my own personal experiences and those taken from the many cruise passengers who have booked with me during the 2011 year. I won’t mince words and hold back as honesty is the best policy for a travel professional who must decipher the good, the bad, and the ugly… Yes, all three coexist in the fantasy world of cruise travel… By saying “needing help”, creates a fear that the cruise line is not good. This simply isn’t the case. It just demonstrates an area wherein a particular cruise line did not deliver up to par in 2011.

BEST LUXURY LINE- Crystal Cruises

Consistently the best luxury brand across the board and rates the highest among guests year after year. This cruise line should be the model of the cruise industry while having  two older ships now, Crystal continuously refurbishes, polishes, and delivers the best all-around luxury product-period! Congratulations…

LUXURY LINE NEEDING HELP-Silversea Cruises

The onboard service continues to be erratic according to sailed guests. It varies from ship-to-ship and sailing. I would hope this issue had rhyme or reason but it appears to be a moving target! Polish that service Silversea and you will have a complete winner as your ships are beautiful, unique, and provide superb cuisine!!!

BEST PREMIUM LINE-Oceania Cruises

Ocean delivers the best in class with its mid-sized 700-1200 passenger ships that offer excellent food, service, and value. It’s itineraries are superb and country club casual dress code-creates a winner for sophisticated travelers looking for the perfect ambiance. This line consistently delivers a wonderful and innovative product Congratulations!

PREMIUM LINE NEEDING HELP- tie between Celebrity Cruises and Holland America

Both suffer from inconsistent fleets of ships in need of refurbishment and repair. While Celebrity is refurbishing its older ships in a fast track move ( several years overdue), these older ships have been overshadowed and neglected as the new and spectacular Solstice Class ships emerged over the past few years.  Celebrity, however, continues to be a brilliant cruise line, innovative, and has the BEST maritime architecture in the premium sector of the cruise industry. I suspect Celebrity will overshadow its main competitor Holland America in 2012 with a “finally” refreshed fleet of ships.

Holland America has done a mixed job of refurbishing its fleet of elegant mid-sized ships. It appears that the Signature of Excellence 2.0 initiative slowed exponentially in 2011 and guests have returned commenting on how this fleet of popular ships suffers from mismatched décor and partial refurbishment. The word tired comes to mind and is often mentioned by returning guests. While HAL delivers superb onboard value, excellent service, and cuisine, it needs to continue to tend to its fleet a bit more lavishly. This line could out shadow all of its competition as the true winner as is it has the makings of perfection with its brilliant fleet of mid-sized ships –just finish the upgrades properly Holland America!!!

BEST CONTEMPORARY LINE- Norwegian Cruise Line

This line is often overshadowed but giants Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Carnival but has been the comeback kid re-inventing itself over and over. The Norwegian Epic although widely criticized for its innovative bathrooms has been a hallmark of the cruise industry in 2011. Its older ships have been upgraded and include the best dining options, spectacular entertainment, and staying true to its ever popular Freestyle dining… The Haven, a series of unique  exceptional suites offers a luxury cruise experience and services not offered by the other contemporary brands. Congratulations!

CONTEMPORARY LINE NEEDING HELP- MSC

This new and exciting cruise line with beautiful-NEW, spotless ships continues to suffer from inconsistent food and service. It has become the bottom barrel price point in North America and it makes no sense to me why MSC cannot pull itself up by its boot straps and deliver a truly great product. They have an award winning formula but seem to be caught in the doldrums of fine tuning its product. Come on MSC, take heed and deliver!!!! The MSC Yacht Club is one winning piece delivering a unique all-inclusive luxury product on three of its largest ships. This product offers superb value and service and overshadows the experience found throughout the rest of the ships.

Challenges Ahead for 2012

The cruise industry will likely suffer from continued lower price points in 2012 as the world economy continues to languish. The problem is that many lines have indeed cut back and in some cases significantly. While it might be partially acceptable to do so, the problem seems to be that overall delivery by most lines varies from ship-to ship as the customer experience is sometimes impaired by continuous push for onboard revenue, possible cut backs in food, staff, and some services. These are noticeable to avid cruisers who travel lines and remember every item that is cut back. I suggest the cruise industry stay true to its promises in the brochures which do unfortunately over-glamorize the experience that is actually delivered. This applies to all three cruise categories…

Nonetheless, cruising offers a brilliant vacation and one that cannot be matched value for dollar ashore-  Congratulations to the winners and the best to those needing some help…

Happy Cruising!!!

 

As it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the perfect time for a cruise or visit to New Zealand and Australia… I just spent three glorious weeks enjoying the hospitality of this beautiful and unique destination. After a 13 hour flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane on the outstanding airline, Virgin Australia, I was ready to see the sights and sounds of this sub-tropical city since I had a full day layover before a flight to Auckland, New Zealand where my 14-day cruise was to begin. Brisbane is a cosmopolitan city that has an amazing river, beaches, mountains, and teaming with natural wildlife. It is the perfect blend of provincial Aussie life and the 21^st century. Brisbane did not disappoint! I could live there-a great start to a trip indeed… After leaving my day room at the ultra-hip Emporium Hotel, it was time for a 3-hour flight to Auckland on Air New Zealand…

 I was ready to embark the Holland America ms Volendam and unpack. This venerable and classic-style ship was built in 1999 and recently completed a partial makeover which focused on a complete redecorating and refreshing of the ships staterooms as well as lots of new carpets. The ship at 12 years old has a retro style of old world meets modern. It is eclectic but frankly, needs some more updating and refurbishing to compete with her newer fleet mates and some parts of the ship were plain tired! My suite was incredible with nearly 550 square feet of elegant spaciousness and access to the concierge Neptune Lounge was a huge plus. The ships staff and food did not disappoint and lived up toHollandAmerica’s “Signature of Excellence”. I was impressed by the gracious and very polite ever-smiling staff. The chef gets special kudos as the food was consistently delicious in all the dining venues including the main dining room and alternative venues. The shows were low key and held at the odd evening hours of 7 and 9pm. This did not bode well for those of us at late seating (8:00pm). One had to forgo the pre-dinner cocktail hour if you wanted to see a show. The passengers were a mixed  blend of American, Canadian, and Aussies. The average age was 70+ which also made the ship quiet at night. Those of us in our 40’s and 50’s found it hard pressed to find any life after 10pm other than the Casino. It was a very quiet crowd and a very quiet ship. I will add that bar drinks and wine are priced very fairly compared to many other lines including its next major competitor, Celebrity Cruises… The service and food definitely fared better than recent Celebrity Cruises experiences so kudos to HAL for keeping a high quality experience on the ms Volendam. The ship carries just under 1400 passengers and is easy to get around with three staircases and elevator banks. All cabins are very spacious and some of the largest in the cruise industry… There is never a wait to get around. The ship is easy to navigate and there are rarely if ever a line to stand in on this ship-a HUGE PLUS! I hope HAL takes notice and spends a few more dollars refurbishing this GEM of a ship to keep her a true premium class ship…

 The cruise around New Zealand is absolutely brilliant with soft-adventure tours, cruising past active volcanoes, fjords that rival those ofNorwayandAlaska. Each port offered and exciting array of tours of scenic wonders, adventure, beauty, and wildlife. I loved every stop especially the NEW port of Akaroa which as the substitute for Lyttleton ( earthquake damagedChristchurch). Akaroa is one of the most scenic ports in the world and framed by gorgeous mountains and white limestone cliffs.  The town with its French theme reminded of an Alpine Village in the Alps. It was beyond charming! After a week of non-stop New Zealand ports-of-call and a perfectly clear day sailing the incomparable Milford Sound, we crossed the rocky Tasman Sea for 2-days heading towardsTasmania.Tasmania offered all the wildlife one expects fromAustralia including Koalas, Kangaroos, Emu’s, crocodiles, tropical birds, and the famed Tasmanian Devils. Yes, they live up to their reputation as vicious little creature especially when they are fed… I loved the wildlife and event took a tour of an amazing series of underground caverns that were remarkable. After visiting cosmopolitan Melbourne, the cruise ended two-weeks later in Spectacular Sydney, Australia… I was sad to leave the ms Volendam but ready to see the sights and sounds of one of the best cities in the world. I recommend this trip to any cruiser looking for an exciting place to visit and the flight isn’t that much farther from the West Coast than it is to go toEurope. If coming from the East Coast or mid-west, a stopover in LA orSan Francisco helps make the flights more palatable.

 Amazing Sydney with the most spectacular harbor in the world was just as delicious as I remembered from my last visit in 1994. I was fortunate to stay at the Orient Express owned Observatory Hotel which is one the cities most luxurious boutique hotels and a haunt of the cities elite to visit its exceptional restaurant, Galileo’s…

 After getting a taste of early summer inSydney, watching the city prepare for Christmas-although it was odd to see summer attire and Santa caps. My favorite memory was  visiting a beach during a balmy Sydney day and hearing Let It Snow play over the loudspeaker…

 Sydney does not disappoint and offers some of the best of old style architecture and the most ultra-modern style. Its harbor may be the most beautiful on the planet. It is filled with parks, gardens, marinas and elegant neighborhoods. This is a social city and very friendly. This part is most amazing considering the population is teeming at nearly 4.5 million inhabitants.

The highlight of my trip was a 3-day visit toCairnsfor a trip to theGreat Barrier Reef. This trip will be covered in my next blog!

Happy Cruising…

 

I had the pleasure of spending my 50^th Birthday on the new Oceania Marina for 12-days sailing from Venice to Istanbul this past month. This was my second time on this ship in her early 7 month career. I was splendidly pleased with her maturation as a young entrant into the cruise marketplace. She is lauded by her management as a premium-plus 5-star product but truthfully, she is a notch above and forays into the exclusive luxury market shared by Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea Cruises.

This amazing 1200 passenger ship offers personal service from a hand selected staff who have all been employed in 5-star hotels throughout Europe and Asia, extraordinary cuisine with an amazing menu selection and many venues to choose from, and open dining concept which works beautifully, a mostly all- inclusive cruise program with the exception of alcohol, no lines to stand in, no harassment of onboard purchasing or add-ons, a country club casual dress code (a huge plus), offers some of the finest cruise itineraries offered with a port-of-call virtually every day, and caters to an affluent and well-traveled clientele. Oh, all bottled water, soft drinks, coffee drinks, juices, and alternative dining venues are included in the price of the cruise. A recent addition offers guests local transfers to the city center in selected ports-of-call…

All of this is offered at a fair price that is above its “so-called” contendersHollandAmerica, Celebrity, and Cunard. The difference from those well positioned premium class lines is that Oceania is BETTER… Yes, far better. For a 10-year old cruise line that will have 4 ships in 2012, two of these carrying 1200 passengers and two carrying 684 passengers,Oceania has well positioned its value proposition and has pushed itself into the luxury market. The premium class lines aforementioned cater to much larger audiences, do not have the variety of culinary offerings, charge for everything Oceania includes, and are no much different in price than Oceania Cruises!

This fine company uses famed chef Jacques Pepin as its cornerstone of offering truly fresh and superb cuisine in a variety of no-charge dining venues. The culinary offerings are the most extensive I have encountered to date and amazing. The lines has partnered with Bon Appétit and created a culinary arts kitchen with exceptional cooking classes, Wine Spectator for La Reserve, a gourmet dining venue that offers superb wine pairings, the Artists Loft, a place where guests can express their artistic side, and has an amazing Canyon Ranch Spa Club at Sea…  This is just a few of this fine lines offering…

I was fortunate to reside in a Penthouse  Suite on Deck 11 that offered elegant furnishings in muted sea foam tones. This 425 square foot masterpiece was well laid out with a walk in closet, large vanity, more than ample storage space, king sized “Tranquility Bed” with 1000 count Egyptian cotton sheets and bedding, large sofa with table, a working desk, vanity with lighting area for ladies to do their makeup, and a table with two large chairs at the foot of the bed for in suite dining. The balcony was substantial with residential style luxury club chairs and a table. The bathroom was all granite with a full-sized bathtub, separate shower stall, and huge sink… The line even provides Bvulgari amenities for most of its cabins and suites! I had two cabin attendants which kept the suite immaculate and a fine Indian Butler named Vijay, who was as professional and gracious as one could possibly imagine. All suites also have access to an Executive Concierge Lounge where there are many amenities and this area acts as the front office for these privileged guests. There is also access offered to the Canyon Ranch Spa Club for sunning to all suite passengers.

 Marina offers varied accommodations including inside, ocean view, balcony, concierge balcony, Penthouses, and three grades of custom designed Penthouses that match the finest residences shore side!  There is a stateroom for every taste…

This ship sailed after 2-days inVenice to Koper in Slovenia,Dubrovnik inCroatia, Kotor inMontenegro, and Corfu, Zakinthos, Patras,Athens, Chios in Greece, Kusadasi (Ephesus) and 2-days in Istanbul,Turkey.

I met a well-traveled group of guests for all over the US, Mexico, Canada, the  UK,Italy, Australia, and Hong Kong. This was an international crowd served by a brilliant international crew that were always polite, respectful, hard-working, and provided a caring experience to the varied guests on this ship.

So, as Oceania considers itself a premium-plus line, I say NOT. It is a low luxury to high luxury cruise experience. It offers exceptional value on a gorgeous ship with lovely crew, and some of the best food to be found at sea. My favorite part was not having to bring my tuxedo or a suit! It was elegant without being formal…

If you are looking for exceptional value, try Oceania Cruises!!!!

What does this mean?

 Celebrity Cruises has just launched a marketing campaign called Modern Luxury as the tag line for its fleet of premium class 5-star rated ships…

 Is this luxury, well… I would argue the semantics of this. I think marketing today over promises categorically by many brands but this new campaign might be pushing the envelope.. Modern luxury, according to Celebrity Cruises, is equating the superb décor of many (not all) of its ships and equating the overall experience to that of driving an Audi. The new ad campaign by this prestigious brand shows old guard luxury and new guard luxury-where it believes it fits…  hmm….

 The fact remains True luxury exists in today’s cruising World with all- suite, mostly all-inclusive ships that offer travel experiences in the $350-$1000+ per person a day. Luxury ships offer experiences for 200-700 passengers with no lines, no nickel and diming, and exclusive travel experiences… Celebrity offers a fantastic cruise experience but most of its 7-day cruises offer lead-in rates for far less than $100pp a day-this is not luxury and is mass market-sorry, it’s a fact! I have found sailing in 2011- 10-day Mediterranean Cruises on Equinox from $869pp and 7-day Caribbean Cruises on Summit from $529pp. This is mass-market pricing and fits most of today’s average traveler’s budget… This is GREAT VALUE- just not luxury!

  Louis Vuitton  does not offer fire sale or reduced prices to its clientele. It bears a standard and price point that keeps it exclusive-it is luxury.  Celebrity ships carry 2000-3000 passengers per ship. How does that equate to Modern Luxury? Celebrity Cruises is FAR from all-inclusive-you pay for everything extra onboard other than most meals, accommodations, and entertainment. How is this Modern Luxury? I’m not beating them over the head but debating an important point of differentiation and perhaps overselling!

 The true LUXURY (5-6 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include: Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea (there are some other smaller players but the listed lines are the main players).

 The true PREMIUM (4-5 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include: Oceania, Azamara, Cunard, Celebrity, and Holland America

 The true MASS-MARKET Contemporary (3-4 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include: Princess, Royal Caribbean, NCL, MSC, and Carnival

 Don’t get me wrong. I love Celebrity ships and think the soon to be five Solstice Class ships are BEST IN CLASS-but, in the 5-star premium market. Having exceptional décor and amazing marine architecture doe not make luxury-even Modern Luxury.

Even Oceania Cruises (a line that says unabashedly that it is a high premium class experience) offers smaller ships than Celebrity with a capacity of 700-1200 passengers, offers air included, pre hotel stay in Europe, local port transfers, unlimited alternative dining, bottles water, soft drinks, and all coffee drinks and juices included-this line does not call itself Luxury yet, it includes more value…

 This is just a point of differentiation between brands.

 I just don’t want today’s cruise consumer to be completely confused… Celebrity is a GREAT BRAND, has a GREAT REPUTATION, and is a LEADER in the 5-Star premium cruise experience. It’s Solstice Class ships are luxurious in décor and offer a very fine cruise experience but, it is not a luxury travel experience…

 Happy Cruising!

July in the Mediterranean is a hot and very busy season indeed…I was one of 2600 passengers on Norwegian Cruise Lines 94,000 ton Norwegian Jade which just celebrated her 5^th birthday in the NCL fleet. She was purpose-built as Pride of Hawaii but this was a disastrous short lived venture as NCL could not keep America Staff onboard the ship due to US politics and bureaucracy. After the Hawaii venture failed, this magnificent ship was converted into Norwegian Jade and sent off to service in Europe year-round.

 The Jade is a well maintained, and almost spotlessly clean ship done in rich colors and lots of dark rich wood paneling (faux of course, due to fire at sea regulations). She is a ship built for the contemporary market and is far more appealing than any Carnival ship and while her other competitor, Royal Caribbean, has more interesting maritime architecture, I prefer the NCL Jade (part of a 4-sister ship “Jewel Class” fleet). She is going into a dry-dock in November and I hope NCL tones down and upgrades some of the child-like décor to a more sophisticated look as they have created on their newest ship, Norwegian Epic.

 Some of the ships décor is just too kitschy and done up like a little boys bedroom but some elements are quite well done. Nonetheless, this is a contemporary product and not a premium experience.

 The ship offers a non-stop cornucopia of dining venues that range from Sushi, Steak house, Asian fusion, Tepanyaki, French, Italian, and so forth. There is a fee of $10-$30pp for these alternative venues and this is where I choose to dine as it creates more of a resort like fee and makes the cruise experience more interesting than eating in the main dining room. In this venue, it is a bit redundant and large dining halls do nothing for me personally. NCL offers Freestyle onboard where one can pick when, where, and with whom they choose to dine. I personally prefer this although there is sometimes a wait of 10-15 minutes during peak hours. This is not a problem as passengers are handed a beeper and can have a drink while waiting… The food in all of the alternative dining venues was very good to excellent while meals in the main dining rooms was okay to good. I feel this way on most ships personally, by the way!!!

 NCL offers a fun and lively ship where there is constant entertainment in the evening ranging from piano bar performers, live rock band, disco with professional DJ (most ships use cruise staff that play crap from their own Ipods)-not on NCL!, lively variety acts, comedians, and full musical Broadway style shows. They excel compared to many cruise lines in the breadth of  entertainment offered. The pool side performances by a Romanian singer was not quite up-to-par with her heavy accent singing American pop songs and she became ridiculed. This was the only poor choice of entertainment on my cruise… Can’t win them all…

 The staff were always friendly except in a couple of instances where training of who goes first Passenger or Crew were not yet ingrained but when vacuuming in the corridors took place, staff stopped, turned them off, and greeted me on every occasion. The dining staff, cabin staff, and pool staff were always friendly. NCL has the best bar staff and while their cocktail prices are higher than their competitors, they make excellent drinks…

 I was fortunate to stay in one of the forward Penthouses where the cabin was just around 300 square feet and my balcony was as big as the room adding almost another 300 square feet. The views were amazing especially coming in and out of port. Guests in Penthouses are given extra privileges from Butler Service, to private dining in Cagney’s (the ships steak house) for daily breakfast and lunch. This is always a treat!  We also had access to a lovely Concierge, Florentina, a Croatian woman who is professional, delightful, and as courteous as one could possibly want. She is a true asset to NCL.

I think NCL Penthouses offer a far superior experience than her competition, and in some ways more than some higher class premium lines. Many elements of traveling in an NCL Penthouse border on a luxury experience. This class of ship also offers a private Courtyard Area just renamed The Haven. This area is a card access area of suites that share their own private pool, spa, sauna, gym, and sunning area… These accommodations have become so popular that many Hollywood celebrities and pop stars (most notably Reba McIntyre) have booked these for their families. The Royal family of Kuwait were on my sailing and had many of these magnificent suites booked…. I have stayed in The Haven on several occasions and must tell you it is quite special. My favorite is the single Black Diamond Suite perched at the very top of the ship overlooking the pool and offering a panoramic view unparalleled  …This suite is nearly 600 square feet in size and has 2 balconies on either side of it (his and hers)..

 I have talked a lot about the Jade but the itinerary was also quite nice. We sailed from Venice to Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos,Izmir, and 2 days at sea before arriving backu  .. The handling of embarkation and disembarkation by NCL was downright spectacular. It was among the easiest I have ever encountered.

 While I truly enjoyed the cruise, I was disappointed by the lack of supervision of nearly 1000 children of various ages. 1600 Europeans were onboard and the kids mostly did not participate in the programs offered by NCL so kids overran the ship. They took over the disco, drank alcohol freely and openly-not sure how this happens. I am told that if they are 18 or older (16 for Europeans), and the parents sign a waiver, they can drink-no bueno!!!!!!! It was appalling to go to the dance club and see hundreds of 11-16 year olds out of control. Kids took over the adults pool and NCL security had zero control over this issue…  Kids took over elevators by pushing all the floor buttons thinking it was cute, and were constantly running… I will likely not travel again in the Summer for this reason. From what I hear, Summertime on most cruises-especially contemporary brands, kids rule the roost-sorry, this kids rule experience is not for me …

 What I Liked About Norwegian Jade

• The many dining venues with high quality of dining in paid-for venues
• The cruise price compared to other brands
• Freestyle Cruising
• The cleanliness of the ship
• The overall friendliness of the crew
• Great entertainment
• Superb embarkation and disembarkation
• Wonderful array of suites and penthouses
• Florentina, the ships Concierge-she is a TREASURE!
• Excellent cocktails!

 What I disliked About Norwegian Jade

• Unsupervised children and teens and kids taking over the adults-only pool
• Teens drinking in the dance club
• Little boy décor in corridors and many cabins-this can be easily remedied and make the ship look more sophisticated
• TV programming was pedestrian “E” Channel for your main viewing is just dull and common-NCL can do better!
• Main dining room food and service can use improvement. This is the weakest link for NCL.

Happy Cruising!

 

I have taken about every type of shore excursion while on a cruise that ranged from a bus tour with 40-50 uncommon travelers (not my ideal way to see the worlds sites) to private car and driver where one can pick its pace and sightseeing based on true personal interests… While that is my preferred way to see the sights of the World, it is very expensive and can run up to 1500 Euro a day in some parts of Europe!

I was hosting a group on an 8-day Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise from Venice this past July and decided to invite my group to take a special cruise on a chartered catamaran and sail around the ancient volcanic Greek island of Santorini…

I was able to negotiate a charter of Captain Ted’s largest boat as seen in the picture above, the Dream Catcher… She is a state -of-the-art luxury catamaran that offers a smooth and delicious sailing experience around this marvelous gem of an island.

Knowing that there would be 5 large ships anchored in Santorini, I knew the crowds would be immense on this postage stamp sized town of Fira and the lines of cruise passengers taking the tram from the tender port to the top could take hours-all of this in famous Summer 90 degree heat!!!

We were whisked off the ship in the first tender ashore (30 of us) where we beat the massive lines to take the tram to the old town of Fira. Once there, we were met by Aristotle who took us to our mini-vans for a hair-raising ride to the port where Dream Catcher awaited us… She did not disappoint!

Our excursion started at 2:30pm and ended at 9:00pm… It was the most amazing way to see this island that was destroyed many millenia ago by one of the strongest volcanic explosions in recorded history, destroyed the ancient Minoan civilization that lived there, created a tsunami that destroyed much of North Africa, Greece, and neighboring countries, and even shook the first great step-pyramid of Zozer outside of Cairo forcing it to partly collapse-now that must have been horrific… Anyway, we boarded our luxury boat where we were invited to sit on the nets, swim in the wine blue color of the Aegean Sea, and enjoyed a sumptuous Greek meal filled with fresh seafood prepared by Captain Ted’s amazing crew who also kept the drinks coming…

We swam inside the sulfur springs of the active caldera which apparently have a healing effect on those with arthritis and joint stiffness and in many bays in coves. The water was refreshing and the scenery was remarkable with the towering cliffs of this island towering around us at all times… It was impressive, exciting, invigorating, and I think every one who joined in, had one of the best shore excursion days-ever! I sure did…

At the end of the day, my group was pretty sad to have to leave as the time passed so quickly but the ride back to Fira at sunset was remarkable… I normally don’t gush about excursions but this was TOPS.. I even reviewed it on Trip Advisor!!!

Check out: www.SantoriniSailing.com

When you next visit Santorini, this is the one excursion NOT TO MISS!!!

Happy Travels…

 

 

A Full World Cruise is an affordable luxury for those with time and some extra money to spend on a truly unique travel experience… Cruise lines are offering more affordable options in 2012 than in years past!

 My choice would be to sail on the majestic Queen Mary 2 which offers a 108 day voyage sailing roundtrip from Southampton that travels down the coast of Africa, over to Australia, up through Asia, in the Dubai from India, sails through the Suez Canal, and into the Mediterranean before heading back to Southampton. Okay, I skipped the details on the 38 ports-of-call (not including Southampton) but a World cruise is a port sampler for the traveler who has this popular run on their “bucket list”. This type of voyage can be had for under $20,000 per person which is amazing affordable in today’s travel world. The cruise line offers all kinds of incentives for guests who book the entire voyage with substantial onboard credits and pre-paid tips to incentivize those who book the entire trip rather than segments (smaller portions of the 108 day trip for those who cannot take the entire voyage).

 Queen Mary 2 has come into her own since being introduced in 2004 and she is a magnificent vessel. Her World cruise is a historic experience as she is the largest vessel to ply this annual event also serviced by a myriad of other cruise lines, the most stable for days at sea between continents, and offers an amazing onboard entertainment program that is likely unmatched. A World cruiser is offered dazzling entertainment, guest celebrity speakers and performers, cultural entertainment, guest chefs, ever changing menus, upgraded amenities and food from regular cruises, onboard gifts, and services that go beyond a normal cruise. These are very special occasions and experiences that have some of the highest passenger ratings of any travel experience-period!

 Guests who take these voyages often come back year-after-year to seek the companionship of others who join this “country club” and become regulars. The onboard staff become extended family and the experience is never boring but something extraordinary. While I have never done a full World Cruise, I have taken many segments and can tell you how wonderful these voyages are.  The theme parties alone are reminiscent of the golden era of travel where black tie balls, decorative themes, and panache abound. It is truly something elegant to experience.

While the itineraries are really port samplers, one can take superbly planned excursions in each port to ensure the most ids made of the day or two in the various ports. Overnight stays are planned in important ports like Cape Town Sydney, and Hong Kong…

 If you have the time and funds, break out the champagne and take one of these very special cruise experiences…

 

In a sea of  cruise deals, bargains, smoke and mirrors-the sixty four thousand dollar question is…

 What is good value when booking a cruise?

 This is no easy question to answer. First, value is perception to each individual and to ones own budget. I will leave this as food for thought but want to underscore what I think is GREAT value in today’s cruise offerings…

 Oceania Cruises has launched a limited time sale with savings up to 75% off. Not only does this represent some of the best values in cruising today but  cruise rates are lower than EVER for this venerable decade old high-premium class line… Oceania Cruises fleet of ships falls somewhere between  HollandAmericaandCrystalCruises…Oceaniaoffers mid-sized ships 700-1200 passenger ships that focus on service, food (a foodies delight), and port intensive itineraries…

 12-day Fall Mediterranean cruises now startat$3249 per person. This is for an inside cabin but includes airfare (a $1500pp value in itself), cruise with all gourmet meals and entertainment, onboard gratuities, soft drinks, bottled water, transfers in ports-of-call, and an ambiance that is hard to beat in today’s world of mega-ships!

 The NEW Oceania Marina was just voted as the first premium class hip to earn 5-Stars from popular cruise devotees web site Cruise Critic. This was a major coup for this line.

It is not secret that I returned from Oceania Marina raving about this premium class experience and the affordability of this line compared to Cunard,Holland America, and Celebrity Cruises.. All of the latter operate much larger ships and experience quality seems to vary among those lines as they have suffered  from exponential growth challenges and frankly, have not met the quality and standards offered by Oceania Cruises.

 See for yourself and check out this link to some incredible Oceania Cruises Savings during this 75% off sale… http://www.cruisecenter.com/promo/view/?ID=87

 Happy Cruising!

I just returned from nearly three weeks in Egypt in its post revolution and was amazed by the level of calm I experienced given the fact that Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan while I was there and major State Department alerts were sent out, a serious riot took place in a Northern Cairo suburb between Coptic Christians and Islamic fundamentalists. So, given the bad news I was hosting nearly 60 passengers in Cairo and the Nile with an extension onwards to Jordan. The near calm experienced by my group was amazing. The hospitality, friendliness, and even somewhat aggressive behavior by the known sales vendors was far more inviting than any of my many visits to this amazing destination. Now is the time to visit Egypt as tourism is off nearly 85%. There are no crowds anywhere, monuments, museums, and cities are being cleaned up, and the new spirit of democracy is strong felt as one travels through this amazing country.    Square(ground zero for the Egyptian revolution) was cleaned up and looked fresh after the turmoil that prevailed this past January. I truly felt safer than prior visits. There is still trouble brewing, however, and this is said to be normal for such a large and diverse population. The Nile cruise was operating with about 25 of nearly 200 boats that travel between Luxor and Aswan. Even the weather was surprisingly comfortable for most of the trip. It is said that hotels are averaging 10-20% occupancy in Cairo which was quite jarring  to see some major hotels with nobody in attendance. My group was spoiled by an amazing opportunity and time to visit this great destination that still ranks among the top travel destinations on the planet. Egyptians are very hopeful, proud, and excited for their future democracy. This alone is exciting for them.

 After touring Egypt, I headed off  for a trip to the lovely Dead Sea in Jordan, visited the ancient pink city of Petra, and spent 2-days in Amman. Jordan was also surprisingly calm, wonderfully friendly, and void of tourists. They are suffering from their proximity to Syria, Egypt, and on-going Palestinian conflicts with Israel. Nonetheless, my experience was stellar especially the evening spent at the New Kempinski Ishtar resort on the Dead Sea where after a swim (rather float) in the salty Dead Sea, covering myself head to toe in black mud (a healthy treatment), and ending a magical day with a poolside dinner under the stars overlooking an infinity pool into the Dead Sea with Jerusalem ablaze across the water, one could not ask for more!Petraby night was an extraordinary visit with its deep canyon walkway lit by candles  until you reached the famed Treasury where about 150 or so enjoyed Jordanian Bedouin music and tales by locals under the candle lit Pink building that is the main monument to this amazing city built into the rocky canyons… It was simply magical.

 As I said earlier, now is the time to go to these amazing and very affordable destinations before the crowds reappear and prices go back to normal levels… I would go back tomorrow if I could.

 Happy Travels.