Ten Unique Viking Caribbean Features Cruise Travelers Will Love

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September 11, 2016

Viking Ocean Cruises has created a new category of cruise vacation unlike any other. Taking the core elements of the unique Viking Longships river cruising experience to sea has proved popular. Sailing this year in North America for the first time, Viking Star will do a short series of Canada/New England sailings before repositioning to debut in the Caribbean. Once there, a unique Viking Caribbean features will be put to the test in an environment most North American cruise travelers are quite familiar with.

Passengers Will Wake Up To A Lovely View – Every stateroom has a balcony. There are no oceanview or inside accommodations. No staterooms have obstructed views. A smaller sized ship, every venue is not far on Viking Star.
Travelers Will See More Of The Caribbean- With an included tour at each port, there will be no deciding IF we want to pay extra for a shore excursion. Viking does not see the point in charging to take us there then charging again to see the place they took us to.
We Will Enjoy The Caribbean On Our Schedule- While the content of those included tours is planned in advance, the time we get off the ship to do one is flexible. We can choose early morning, mid morning or afternoon, in advance of sailing.
No Smuggling Necessary- Since beer and wine are included during meal times and available for a reasonable price at other times, liquor smuggling skills will not be used here. Should you want to bring your own liquor on board, that’s fine, they don’t care.
Internet Access Is Included– It’s not high speed (yet) but it’s free and easy to use on any device, making sharing that Caribbean experience with friends around the world easy.
An Adult-Oriented View Of The Caribbean- Viking Star carries just 930 passengers very few of which are children. The ship is simply not attractive to the family travel market. All staterooms are set up for two people and there are no family features or accommodations.
A Different Starting Place- Viking Star’s smaller size enables the ship to call in smaller ports and dock in different places than possible on larger ships. That ability also bring an onshore experience that does not include thousands of other travelers deposited ashore at the same place.
A Better Time To Visit The Caribbean- Starting at a different place, as noted above, brings a less congested first impression of the port. Still, at the popular places to visit there might be tours from other ships in port…at other times of the year. Viking Star’s Caribbean season happens at a time when school is in and family travel is out, taking the lion’s share of visitors out of the mix.
Viking’s Business Model Is More Traveler Oriented- Mega Ship cruise lines need passengers on the ship, generating onboard revenue, to make money. Still, they must include different ports to attract travelers and support the “unpack once, see multiple places” core element of cruise vacations. So they build them, extending that pay-as-you-go revenue model ashore. Viking’s business model does not work that way, as we have seen in this short list of Viking Caribbean features.
New Ports Of Call Not Created By Cruise Lines- Viking’s different business model relies heavily on destination and passenger focused experiences. That focus bring places not normally visited by cruise big ships cruises. Guadeloupe is most likely a new port of call for those who have visited the Caribbean on mega-sized ships.
The Caribbean Seen Like Those On A Luxury Cruise– We advertised Ten Viking Caribbean Features. Like Viking, we’re giving you one more. An unexpected feature only found onboard and only because Viking is constantly updating what they do at an accelerated rate that makes keeping up with the actual onboard experience virtually impossible. So, #11: Until now, only Cunard, Crystal Cruises, Costa and Regent Seven Seas cruises visited places like Guadeloupe, all for a considerably higher price. Also, at a number of Caribbean ports, Viking Star passengers will walk off the ship rather than tender ashore, again due to the smaller size of the ship.

Viking Caribbean Features Begin At Home

In addition to Viking Caribbean features, also unique to Viking Ocean Cruises is extensive pre-cruise information. Provided via their online My Viking Journey planner the information is heavily weighted on the experience, not geared to sell services in advance of sailing. While Spa Treatments and a handful of additional tours are available for a fee, their mere presence and focus is on customizing the experience to each individual’s preferences. That’s going to be a common theme in the Caribbean as it has in other destinations around the world and should serve the world of Caribbean cruising well.

Cover Photo ©Chris Owen

Two Viking River Cruises’ Viking Freya crewmembers die after striking bridge

By

John Shallo

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September 11, 2016

Two crew members were on the ship’s bridge as it hit a bridge over a canal near the Danube close to the southern German town of Erlangen. All passengers were rescued unharmed.

Two men on board the river cruiser died near the southern German town of Erlangen on Sunday when the boat hit a railway bridge. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the location on the canal connecting the Danube and Main rivers.

“The dead were two men, aged 33 and 49,” and both crew members, said a police spokesman.

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MSC Cruises Reveals Name Of Second Meraviglia Generation Mega-Ship: MSC Bellissima

By

John Shallo

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September 5, 2016

Celebrates Float Out of Sister Ship MSC Meraviglia

1. MSC Cruises executives, Mr Pierfrancesco Vago and Mr Gianni Onorato, open the valve with STX Director — MSC Cruises executives, Mr Pierfrancesco Vago and Mr Gianni Onorato, open the valve with STX Director

MSC Cruises has revealed the name of its second STX France-built Meraviglia-generation ultramodern mega cruise ship. She will be called MSC Bellissima and will come into service in the Spring 2019.

“MSC Bellissima is a name that embodies the beauty and the magnificence of this entire next generation of MSC Cruises ultramodern mega-ships, so rich with new features and amenities for guests of all ages and interests,” said Gianni Onorato, chief executive officer of MSC Cruises. “We are so pleased to be able to make this announcement on the very day that her sister ship MSC Meraviglia is touched for the first time by water, a moment that symbolizes the real ‘birth’ of a ship.”

2. MSC Meraviglia floating out for the first time and transferring to the wet dock at STX France in Saint Nazaire (front view) — MSC Meraviglia floating out for the first time and transferring to the wet dock at STX France in Saint Nazaire (front view)

The announcement was made earlier this week at STX France’s shipyard in Saint Nazaire, as the Company celebrated the float out of MSC Cruises’ first next-generation ultramodern mega-ship, MSC Meraviglia, due to come into service in June 2017. The ceremony was attended by, amongst others, esteemed MSC Cruises and STX France guests, Senator of Pays de la Loire Region, Bruno Retailleau, General Council President of Loire Atlantique, Philippe Grosvalet and the Mayor of Saint-Nazaire, David Samzun.

More than 120 guests gathered at STX France to celebrate the float out of MSC Meraviglia

“Since we opened sales last year for MSC Meraviglia’s inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean, from the very beginning demand has been extremely encouraging,” said Onorato. “This make us believe that this is a generation of ships with a bright future ahead, that has already caught the attention of vacationers from all markets.”

“We are extremely proud to design and build MSC Cruises’ next generations of cruise ships,” said Laurent Castaing, president of STX France. “We are aware and thankful for the trust this amazing company has in our innovation ability. It’s been more than 12 years that our industrial partnership has started, and we are always excited by the challenges of fulfilling MSC ambitions.”

The float out is a key milestone in the construction of a ship: the dry dock is flooded, the ship is moved to a wet dock, where she then enters the final phase of her construction. Today’s event presented a unique opportunity to showcase guests and global media alike the cutting edge design that makes the Meraviglia generation of MSC Cruises ultramodern mega-ships uniquely innovative, and a true destination in itself. This includes, amongst her many on-board features, the specially designed Carousel Lounge where Cirque du Soleil artists will perform shows created exclusively for MSC Cruises guests; a 315 foot long Mediterranean-style promenade with a 262 foot LED sky that runs through the center of the ship; and an enhanced MSC Yacht Club, MSC Cruises’ exclusive ship within a ship luxury concept, with its own private facilities spanning three decks.

Watch MSC Meraviglia Construction Time-Lapse (Bow View):

Don’t Let Priorities Get In The Way Of Your Cruise Dreams

By

John Shallo

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September 4, 2016

Frequent cruise travelers know all about the value a cruise vacation offers. They know which cruise line is their favorite, what time of year they like to sail and the places they want to see on an itinerary. To a point, they like returning to a familiar ship, port of call or stateroom category too. But realize it or not, frequent cruise travelers can get in a bit of a rut. It happens most often with those who sail in the waters of the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Those are both areas that are often value-priced but can be less than dazzling after a few visits.

The bad news is that God, The Creator Of The Universe, is not likely to make any additional islands…but you never know.

The good news is that Cruise Lines, The Popular And Bullet-Proof, will make their own islands…count on it.

But the number of islands is really not the issue here. There are plenty of beautiful Caribbean Islands right now, we just need to look at them and maybe cruise travel in general, from a different angle.

Let’s talk about priorities

What is the ultimate decision-maker when booking a cruise vacation? What factor is a no-budge element of the equation? The travel dates? The cost? The Experience?

Thinking about your priorities can guide decisions effectively. But letting priorities get in the way of dreams is what we are looking to avoid here.

Priorities that involve numbers like dates and dollars are easy to define. Experiences, not so much. Think about these common priority items and define yours.

Budget

Simply put, budgeting is required to maximize the use of travel funds. To consider the price paid for the cruise plus as any pre- or post-cruise expenses, the total cost of cruise travel would be stupid. Not remis, not forgetful, not ‘something you did not get around to’. Stupid.

Today, there are many tools and a huge amount of information online that we can easily access. While trying to budget everything, like trying to plan everything, is not really recommended (must leave $ + time to be spontaneous) getting a general idea of what the total cost of a cruise vacation will be is not difficult.

In the Caribbean, there are cruise travelers who have had their fill of it but the travel budget does not allow travel to places farther away. The cost of airfare to Europe, for example, can often be more than the price of a 7-day Caribbean cruise.

Flying

We hear from a lot of Florida and other coastal state residents that they’re bored with the Caribbean but they don’t want to fly anywhere to do something else. Some of them try land vacations, stay-cations, RV life, minimalist______ and/or camping. Many of them return from that experience with a greater appreciation for cruise travel too though.

For you, it’s not that you don’t like the Caribbean, its just that you go there so often that the thrill is gone. Perhaps it’s time to take another look at airfare. Cruise lines have (wisely) positioned ships all around the continental United States to be within driving distance. That strategy served them well during the recent depression, when there was no way that the Smith family of four would have flown from Arizona to Miami paying for flights AND a cruise. But they did not have to anyway, they drove to the port and sailed on one of a number of ships available round-trip Galveston.

But if home port sailings to the Caribbean are not getting you excited, maybe it would be better to skip a year, save up travel funds, and go someplace entirely different the next year.

Being afraid of flying is another matter.

Get back the thrill

At first you are happy cruising in the Caribbean multiple times because visiting familiar places is fun and safe. You like telling others about your friend in Cozumel who has a great deal on jewelry, the beach you like or which side of the ship to book your balcony on for the best view because you have ‘been there, done that’.

But think back to the first time you did that Eastern or Western Caribbean itinerary. Remember the excitement of exploring new places, eating different foods or just walking along a new (to you) beach.

Bring back the thrill of the Caribbean by doing it differently.

Take a cue from destination focused cruise options

Small luxury ships like Azamara Club Cruises 2-ship fleet that sail an eclectic roster of itineraries, most of which never repeat. Azamara plans optional shore excursions to be immersive and exclusive to Azamara passengers. Those people have a gusto for learning and seeing new places. Sailing around the world, tiny 30-ton Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest take just 694 passengers.

Do that on your big ship cruise with three easy steps to point you in the right direction:

Book early
Schedule time for study
Make your own immersion experience.

Invent a new you

This is so easy its ridiculous that we don’t all do it, right now. Vow not to do anything you ever did before on Cozumel. If you would take a cab to a favorite beach, try another. Right down to the brand of beer you drink, nothing the same, this works. (Also works with real life)

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

Hurricane Season Is Nothing To Be Scared Of, Even Now

By

Chris Owen

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September 4, 2016

Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs through the end of November. In the past, chiming in with other sources writing something along the lines of ‘Tips For Cruising During Hurricane Season’, would be the order of the day right about now. To me, the assignment would be all about taking something scary (a massive killer storm) and making it something to consider (like which shoes to pack) but surely nothing to be concerned about. Today, when we talk about safety, hurricanes and cruise travel, the discussion is quite different than it was just a few years ago.

An excerpt from a post I wrote in 2003:

“The cruise lines make the safety of their guests, crew and vessels their highest priority and are prepared to keep their passengers and ships out of harm’s way. It is quite unlikely that the Captain will seek out a hurricane then command the ship to go full speed ahead right through it while hollering “Yaaaaaahooooo!!!” on the ship’s loudspeaker system.”

Then came the grounding of Costa Concordia and all of the sudden that light-hearted treatment of the potential danger of a hurricane at sea became embarrassingly inappropriate.

About to stand trial in Italy for manslaughter among other charges, Captain Francesco Schettino is accused of going on a joyride with a cruise ship that resulted in the death of 32 passengers. Not funny.

Still, even after Costa Concordia, ship breakdowns and fires, I still totally believe that cruise lines do indeed have our safety as a number one priority.

Am I naive?

Someone could probably make a case that I am indeed naive. But that case would have to be presented in a way similar to that of CNN’s supermarket tabloid-style coverage of all things cruising these days.

So today, we take a more sober tone when talking about hurricane season, a time that presents the possibility of a dangerous situation at sea. Oddly, that tone produced some bold tips:

Your Odds Of Living Through A Hurricane Are Probably Better At Sea-

At home we have a sense of confidence that gets thrown off when at sea. At home, we know were to go, what to do, etc.
Cruise lines, however, do live in the sea, know all about it, what to do, where to go and what is likely to happen when we throw a hurricane into any given itinerary.
This is where the choice of a cruise ship (which can be moved) over a vacation on land (which can not be moved) was a wise choice. That all-inclusive Caribbean Island resort was leveled during the storm. Your cruise ship just went somewhere else.

The Technology Gets Better All The Time-

Cruise ships have many of the same devices that land- based weather-forecasting stations do and they know how to use them.
As satellite technology continues to advance, there are more “eyes” on every ship in the ocean all the time and those eyes communicate

Forget About Hurricanes, Cruise Lines Have This Under Control

Cruise lines have contingency plans for every imaginable weather situation.
When the unimaginable weather situation develops, cruise lines will handle it.

If they err, cruise lines err on the side of abundant caution, not the “Yahoo!, let’s ride this one out” mentality.

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

Seven Lucky Ways To Cruise More, No Gambling Experience Required

By

Chris Owen

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September 4, 2016

So you have become addicted to cruising. Good. We’re glad you’re here. Unlike other addictions, cruise travel is one to be encouraged. Reasons to continue your cruise addiction are plentiful these days. Better food and entertainment are on the list as is a more relaxed dress code, a focus on destinations and more. But being sold on feeding your cruise addiction and having the tools to do so are two entirely different animals. Rather finding an additional job, getting a loan or stealing, here are a variety of ways to cruise more.

Your Smartphone

I was a really good customer of one cell phone service provider for decades. I believed that sticking with one service provider was smart and that I would get the best pricing and perhaps some bonus consideration. When I began traveling internationally, I tried a variety of that provider’s plans but none really allowed me to use my smartphone abroad as I did at home. That got me to looking around, running across T-Mobile. I wanted to move to take advantage of their plan which provides unlimited data and no overage charges anywhere in the world. One problem: I was locked into my previous carrier and did not really own my phone. All of the sudden the “free phone” plan I had embraced for decades was a problem and a bitter pill I had to swallow in order to change providers. Oh am I glad I did. As a result, our monthly cellphone bill has been cut to a third of what it once was. Those saved dollars go a long way toward feeding my cruise addiction.

Your Home Telephone

I grew up with a hard wired home telephone, just like everyone else. There was really no thought of any other way to communicate by phone because there really was no other source to turn to. Now there is. Very soon, more people use cellular phones as their “home phone” than not. When we switched to T-Mobile, the deal included four phone lines. We only needed three so the fourth went for my home office line, using the same number that was formerly hard-wired. Better yet, I can take that smartphone line with me when I am ‘out of the office’ and it is as though I am always ‘in’. More funds available to cruise more.

Reconsider Loyalty Elsewhere As Well

A sign of the times perhaps, I have come to the realization that the best place for consumers to be, in many respects, is “thinking about being loyal to you”. Increasingly, we are seeing loyalty pay off less and introductory offers bringing more in the way of value. If the ‘for new customers only’ deal is really attractive and does not lock you into a long term commitment, take it. When the introductory term runs out, switch to some other company. There will always be another ‘deal’ around the corner or one to get you back.

Cut The Cable

My best (so far) example of reconsidering loyalty comes from cable television. More accurately, cutting the cable television out and going to streaming internet sources for entertainment at home. Since July of this year, nearly one million people have done just that, finding life without cable entirely possible. Streaming services replacing cable as the go-to destination for hot shows. Still, broadcast TV still has one major advantage over the online alternative: live television. If watching live news, sports or the latest shows as soon as they’re broadcast is a priority, that can be difficult but not impossible without a paid TV subscription. I really like live news so Sling TV is a good choice for about $20 per month. On the other hand, via AppleTV I get CBSNow included at no charge which is nearly live news. SkyNews brings international news from the UK and is indeed live. It’s all a matter of priorities. If the priority is feeding your cruise addiction, the choice is rather easy.

Amazon Prime

Saving money on things we buy anyway is always a good idea. A subscription to Amazon Prime brings competitive pricing and free 2-day delivery. A bonus is included entertainment. Amazon-exclusive television series are really as are their included movies and streaming music. Better yet, all of those can be downloaded and watched later, maybe onboard your cruise ship instead of buying a movie. To get in the mood for a cruise: Titanic or Poseidon Adventure work and will probably not be offered on your cruise ship. Better yet: learn something new along the way or get all that nomadish flavor without the backpack via a variety of travel-related video of equal value to actually doing these tedious things yourself. Going to Germany or Japan? Check the Amazon Original Series The Man in the High Castle which explores what it would be like if the Allied Powers had lost WWII, and Japan and Germany ruled the United States.

Keep Looking

Carrying all of the above thoughts forward, take a look at other ways of buying everyday items, relationships/loyalty you have with brands ranging from insurance to automotive needs, shoes and groceries. You may find the provider being used does indeed offer the best value, but they might not. At the end of the process you’ll have a decision to make: continue this relationship or look for a better source.

Track Pricing And Buy Right

A final thought that might help direct your actions or non-actions: track pricing. We started doing this not long ago, scanning purchase receipts into our smartphones. Out shopping, it is now easy to recall what we last paid for a commonly purchased product. That beats the feeling that “it seems less expensive” with actual facts that enable informed decisions.

Flickr photo – Ryan Milani

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

Comparing Cruise Line Beverage Programs: A Timeless Guide

By

Chris Owen

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September 1, 2016

There are a number of ways to examine the topic of cruise line beverage programs. On one extreme, we have luxury cruise lines that include all beverages all the time as part of the deal. Forget about them for now, those cruise lines are not what this is about. At the other extreme we have cruise lines that charge for nearly all liquids consumed. That’s the topic at hand and the real reason you are reading this right now. Some cruise lines present a variety of packages, hoping one will come close to matching what an individual cruise traveler is looking for. Sold as a convenient way to customize our travel experience, these are really nothing more than the cruise line indirectly guaranteeing our onboard spending.

The natural tendency when addressing the topic of cruise line beverage programs is a comparative one. We might compare different levels of beverage programs on each cruise line, pit one cruise line vs another or calculate how many drinks one might need to consume to come out ahead. Instead, we trust you to investigate each of the cruise line beverage programs, if the value is a deal breaker on which line to choose. Loyal fans of a given line need look no further than the cruise line’s website. Regardless of how you go about it, here are factors to consider:

You Will Not Come Out Ahead By Much
On a recent sailing of a big ship cruise line, we tested pay-by-the-drink vs. all-you-can-drink. At the end of the seven day sailing, we would indeed have come out ahead buying the unlimited Cheers Beverage Package from Carnival Cruise Line, but not by much. $8.05 to be exact. How each individual will come out on each cruise line’s beverage program obviously depends on how closely the program matches what that individual is likely to consume. Someone who exclusively drinks rum and Coke will not gain much from a package that includes coffee drinks, beer and/or wine.

Consumption Estimated From Your Living Room Will Probably Not Match Actual Consumption
When we imagine our consumption of beverages on a cruise from home or work it is natural to leave out one important factor: You won’t be at home or at work when consuming those beverages. While we may be experienced/insightful/addicted cruise travelers, the actual hoopla of being on board can be difficult to replicate on the sofa or at our desk while the boss isn’t looking and we browse the internet.

Sticking To Your Living Room Expectation Might Produce Better Results
Those cruise travelers who want to be sure they get their money’s worth could be in for trouble. If 15 drinks a day would leave you with a vague memory of that day at home, the magical cruise ship will not improve that tolerance level. All cruise line beverage programs have limits and rules that come along with their plans. One drink at a time, a given number of drinks in an hour and the ability to avoid over-serving even those on the all-you-can-drink plan are realities not thought of until on the scene. Also, do the math.

Absolutely A Great Budgeting Topic
Fans of adding prepaid gratuities, just to get that out of the way in advance of sailing might like to add a beverage program for the same reason. Those cruise travelers not 100% sure about what their actual consumption will be can accomplish much of the same by adding onboard credit. All major cruise lines allow it. This popular option is also good for gamblers who want to be sure there is a limit on what they can possibly lose. Obviously, the success of this option depends on the individual’s resolve not to go over budget.

The Convenience Factor Is Not That Big Of A Deal
When I sail on luxury lines that do include most beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, a common reason I hear from other passengers who came from big ships: “I did not like having to pull out my card to pay for everything I had to drink”. Well that won’t apply to your big ship cruise line beverage program. In order to monitor your consumption, beverage package players will need to produce that onboard charge card anyway.

Go To The Source For The Facts
There are a number of cruise travel-related websites that break down and compare plans. Those should be visited for entertainment purposes only. To get the real story on cruise line beverage programs, visit each cruise line’s website for the very most current information. That’s important because cruise line beverage programs can and do change frequently. Even purchased in advance, all major cruise lines reserve the right to change pricing and specifics of their plans.

A List of Big Ship Cruise Line Beverage Packages

How to Choose the Best Travel Insurance for Your Trip

By

John Shallo

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August 31, 2016

With the summer months in full flow, millions of people across the world are heading off on their summer holidays. It’s the perfect time of year for any type of trip so make sure that your holiday goes as smoothly as possible by protecting yourself with the right insurance. Use this guide to pick the best travel insurance for your holiday.

Family Holiday

If you’re taking your family on a summer holiday, then you’re probably best buying travel insurance for the whole family together. Often insurance companies offer special prices for families, such as offering free insurance for younger children. Make sure you’re careful when choosing which provider to go with though, as some may sting you with having to pay excess on each person if you make a claim. For more advice, visit this website.

Backpacking

Backpacking around the world is a great way to travel, but make sure you’re insured before you go. Many travel companies only offer insurance for a limited amount of time, such as one month. So shop around to make sure you can get insured for the length of your holiday. Consider the benefits of your insurance over the cost, as cheaper ones may not help you out when you need them.

On a Cruise

As with any holiday, it’s extremely important you take out travel insurance when going on a cruise. Some companies might even not let you book on the cruise without proof of insurance. If you fall ill on your trip, getting transported to hospitals can be tricky when out on the sea and definitely costly. So make sure you get specialist cruise insurance to keep you protected from unwanted costs.

Car Insurance

If you’re going to hire a car abroad and travel that way, then make sure your travel insurance covers you for driving a car. You need to make sure that you are eligible to drive a car in the country you’re visiting for an insurance provider to cover you. This might mean you need to have been driving for three years and be over a certain age. Get started by completing mock exams to help you pass your driving theory test, and then get both tests booked and passed so that you can hire a car in the future.

How to Claim On Your Holiday Insurance

Once you’ve taken out travel insurance, make sure you print the documents and take them with you while abroad. If you need to claim, make sure that you call your insurer within the time limit they set. Keep evidence of both your insurance plan and the reason you need to claim, and depending on the situation, possibly contact the police for further evidence.

Whether it’s time relaxing on a beach, travelling across a continent or sailing the seas, millions of us spend all year saving up for our dream summer holidays. Now that you’ve read our advice for travel insurance, you are all ready for a smooth and successful trip abroad, enjoy!

Cruise lines open up kitchens, reveal secrets

By

Chris Owen

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August 28, 2016

The Dining Room - Deck 2 & 3 Aft Koningsdam - Holland America Line

Gourmet cuisine has always been a big part of the cruise vacation experience. On many ships, flaming Baked Alaska has been paraded around the dining room on formal nights. Signature menu creations like Carnival’s Warm Chocolate Melting Cake or Princess Cruises Fettuccini Alfredo keep guests coming back for more. In recent years, a focus on sharing what were once closely-guarded secrets has become quite popular. Cooking classes, events, demonstrations and even food and wine-themed sailings are becoming popular on most lines.

Learn to cook

Royal Caribbean International has partnered with Chefmakers Cooking Academy to offer unique cooking programs to guests.

Available now on several ships, guests will have an opportunity to enhance their cooking skills while sailing. For an additional cost, guests can learn everything from pumpkin carving to what it takes to host an elaborate dinner party. Chefmakers at Sea’s hands-on classes range from $40 to $125 and are suitable for beginners and the experienced home cook alike. With several essential programs like Knife Skills, Quick & Easy Fish, and All About Chicken, to highly social and interactive cooking parties like Asian Persuasion, New American Cuisine, and Surf & Turf, there is a wide variety to choose from. Successfully piloted aboard Mariner of the Seas, the three-hour programs are open to guests 18 and over.

Participants will receive their very own Chefmakers apron and recipe cards for all menu items prepared, as well as complimentary wine based on class selection. Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase the high quality kitchenware and utensils that they learn to use in the classes.

Explore – Food & Entertaining

Foodies have a full roster of possibilities on Holland America Line. In their Culinary Arts Center, a dedicated party planner hosts a series of presentations showing how professionals do what everyday people might be interested in.

Partnering with Food and Wine magazine, passengers are encouraged to enroll in small, hands-on cooking classes. Want to learn how to make Steak Diane or Espresso Chocolate Mousse? They teach that here.

The Chef’s Table

In an effort to expand extraordinary on-board programs, Princess Cruises followed by big brother Carnival Cruise Lines have the ultimate on-board food event, The Chef’s Table, which lets guests tour the galley and dine with a working Chef from the ship.

The culinary experience includes a multi-course dinner hosted by one of the line’s master chefs along with a private cocktail reception and a tour of the galley. With The Chef’s Table, a group of up to 12 guests have cocktails and hors d’ouevres with the ship’s Chef de Cuisine. The Chef then takes the group on a tour to see the galley in operation. The evening concludes with a full-service dinner with appetizers, entrees and desserts.

We did this on our Alaska Cruisetour with Princess Cruises on the Coral Princess . It was a lot of fun and nothing to be scared of or intimidated by if you are not familiar with the operation of a huge kitchen that can serve thousands in one seating. It was really more of a look behind the scenes and foodies of all types would like this. We were not dodging waiters with huge trays full of food or slipping on banana peels carelessly dropped about. This place was spotless. Not “somebody is coming to inspect our kitchen” clean but a “this is the way it is” clean. Very impressive.

Nobody got to touch knives, get close to anything hot or argue with a waiter who brings back cold soup. We were given chef coats and paraded through the dining room as though we were going back to the kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience. What we got in our hands was fine French Champagne (thus the No-Knives designation) and various little creations someone made before we got there. Our photos were taken with the Executive Chef and Maitre ‘d then back to the dining room we went, minus the chef coats, to be dazzled by a multi-course dining extravaganza. I felt a little sorry for those dining around us. What they had must have surely felt like a TV Dinner in comparison to the opulent display brought forth by the culinary staff, course after course after course.

One of the best parts of this: Up close and personal time with the Maitre ‘d who should be at the top of anybody’s schmooze list on a cruise. The benefits of being a nice person with a Maitre ‘d in your corner can be staggering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzrDugNB2MQ

Food and Wine-themed sailings

Continuing to focus on the guest experience at sea, Celebrity Cruises is adding to their Celebrity Life program with themed sailings called “Savor Your Destination“. The new addition centers around an invited guest chef on select sailings.

An expansion of “Savor”, the popular culinary-and-wine/spirits-focused pillar of Celebrity Life, Savor Your Destination will include a line-up of special interest cruises aimed at celebrating Celebrity’s onboard culinary experience by inviting guest chefs and other food and wine experts to enhance select sailings.

Program highlights include:

A meet-and-greet style cocktail hour with the invited guest chef

A cooking demonstration in the ships theater
Book signing for chefs with published cook books
A “Star Chefs” competition where guests team up with high-ranking Celebrity chefs for a cook-off judged by selected guests
Cooking classes for guests in the ships main galley
A food-and-wine-pairing by the guest chef in the ships specialty restaurant

Savor Your Destination kicked off with Chef Benjamin Christie sailing on Celebrity Eclipse on an 11-night Canary Islands cruise. Christie is an acclaimed television host, author, online food personality, and unofficial culinary ambassador based in Sydney, Australia. Future guest chef’s include UK-based chef Adam Byatt, Food Network’s Daisy Martinez, Zach Bell from Palm Beach’s Cafe Boulud, Carmen Gonzalez formerly of Miami’s Carmen the Restaurant and US chef John Currence.

In the future, Celebrity will announce additional Savor Your Destination events designed to give cruisers the opportunity to expand their culinary horizons while at sea. “The Savor Your Destination cruises are another experience in our robust onboard culinary enrichment program,” Van Staden said. “Our guests love great cuisine, a passion that expands to other gastronomic experiences such as winemaking. As we continue to develop the Celebrity Life Savor Your Destination cruise lineup, we will welcome not only chefs, but also winemakers and food artisans, to share their expertise with our guests.”

Classes, demonstrations, food events hosted by celebrity chefs and behind-the-scenes tours are just one part of an expanding culinary trend on today’s cruise ships. Most cruise lines are also offering a variety of themed cover-charge restaurants that require a nominal fee to attend.

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

Give Cruise Lines A Break

By

Chris Owen

-

August 28, 2016

A recent report from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) tells us that in the United States alone, 10.4 million people took cruise vacations on CLIA member lines in 2011, contributing over $40 billion to the US economy. If we stop right there, this sound like a really good thing for a recovering U.S. economy; something that should be encouraged. Still, there are those who would call the cruise industry in for questioning before a Congressional hearing, attempt to regulate what they do and publicly cry out for something to be done about them.

Why? Being foreign-flagged vessels, U.S. based cruise lines pay little or no taxes.

“The cruise lines take advantage of an obscure provision in the U.S. tax code which permits shipping companies to evade taxes by incorporating overseas and flying the flags of foreign countries,” says maritime attorney Jim Walker on his CruiseLawNews blog, in the game since 1983, adding “That’s why Carnival is incorporated in Panama, Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia, and Princess Cruises is incorporated in Bermuda. “ And he’s right. Absolutely. No doubt about it.

My thought: So what?

Who, in business today, would not want to enjoy the benefit of paying little or no business income taxes? How much better, how much healthier, would any business be if they did not have to pay corporate income taxes?

Really. Think about it.

Years ago, I owned a small restaurant and dutifully paid in taxes required by law. During another economic slowdown, this one in the ‘80’s, I ended up closing the doors on that place. Had we been able to skip those taxes, we might still be there today. Such is the case for many small businesses. Big business too, does what they can to avoid paying US taxes. Apple has iPhone parts made outside of the US to avoid payroll taxes. Land-based operations for cruise lines pay those.

Admittedly, it’s a weak argument to be in favor of cruise lines, but I can sure see how being foreign-flagged has its allure. That same rule limits liability when things go wrong too. To me, that part is far more important than if they pay taxes or not.

The recent case of some cruise passengers being held at gunpoint on an island where crime is a known problem is a good case in point. At first, our legal system threw the case out agreeing that it is impossible for a cruise line to know everything about every shore excursion they offer. On appeal, it looks like the matter will get another look, rightfully or not. The foreign-flagged element will no doubt come in to play here too and end up saving the cruise line from an even longer legal battle.

That CLIA report also tells us that worldwide, 16+ million people sailed in 2011 and U.S. cruise passengers made up 10.4 million of that total. U.S. ports handled 60 percent of all global cruise embarkations, with nearly 10 million passengers sailing just from American ports. That’s good news for a healthy cruise industry, mostly American-based. From a purely financial view, that’s good news for the American ports those ships call “home”, the place they begin and end their itineraries.

Each time a ship stops, American goods are loaded on board and American services are engaged to support the ship’s arrival. Passengers embarking and disembarking use land-based transportation services, eat at local restaurants, shop at local stores and more, all contributing to the American economy. At the same time, all those passengers pay sales tax on those good and services they use and the cruise line pays port charges and government fees every time it docks, some of which is included in the price of a cruise fare.

So let’s turn it down a notch on the “cruise-lines-are-getting-a-free-pass” propaganda.

Some taxes are indeed being collected that can be directly attributed to cruise ship operations. Cruise lines provide jobs for crew members that come from impoverished nations where jobs are few and a future even more scarce. Cruise lines give back to society via involvement in a number of charitable organizations. They run safe ships that exceed the demands of International law, have passenger safety as their #1 priority and provide a good vacation value in the process.

Close the book, lock the door and move along; one of the very best parts of what cruise lines do is allow many Americans who might not otherwise have traveled, to get out and see the world.

They provide their cruise vacation product in a safe, secure environment that is unmatched in terms of quality, variety and value. They back it up by exceeding expectations when things go wrong, not because they have to, because they know that to continue to succeed in the long-run, they need to.

“In this uncertain economic environment, we are pleased to demonstrate the importance of the North American cruise industry to the U.S. economy in creating jobs and positively impacting the residents of all 50 states through direct and indirect spending,” said Christine Duffy, CLIA’s past president and CEO, summing it up nicely, concluding appropriately, “These findings are further evidence that the industry’s ability to provide outstanding choice and value that resonate strongly with consumers work in beneficial ways for the country’s economy as well.”

This article is brought to by Cruise Compete. CruiseCompete.com allows you to easily compare multiple offers from Cruise Experts.

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