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Top 10 Cruise News Stories From 2013

By
John Shallo
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Sometimes Life Throws You
Grandeur of the Seas

2013 was a high profile year for the cruise industry. From unfortunate fires, to the debut of new ships, and even Fiats escorting ships into port. Let’s review the top 10 headlines from the cruise industry in 2013.

Carnival Triumph
Top 10 Cruise News Stories From 2013 4

Carnival Triumph Fire

Kicking off 2013, Carnival’s Carnival Triumph suffered an engine fire in her aft engine room on February 10, 2013. As a result of the fire, the ship lost most of its power and propulsion, setting the ship adrift. The Carnival Triumph was soon towed back to the United States, docking in Mobile, Alabama late at night on February 14th. The fire onboard the Carnival Triumph led Carnival to undertake a fleet wide review of their fleet’s safety systems and install additional generators onboard each ship.

Grandeur of the Seas Fire

A few months later, Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas suffered a fire on one of her rear crew decks. As a result, guests were required to report to their muster stations. After the fire was extinguished, the ship proceeded to sail towards Freeport, Bahamas under her own propulsion. Guests were flown back to the United States following their arrival in Freeport.

Costa Concordia Raising

Roughly over a year after the tragic sinking of the Costa Concordia, the ship was finally righted on September 17, 2013. After a multiple hour operation, the Costa Concordia was finally lifted from her side and placed upright in the water. Now, crews are preparing the ship to be re floated and towed to an undisclosed scrapyard.

Smoking Bans

Cruise lines took a strong stance against smoking this year, many banning it altogether from balconies. Royal Caribbean, Disney, Cunard, P&O, and MSC North America banned smoking on all balconies. The group or cruise lines cited guest feedback, health concerns, and the obvious risk of fire as the primary reasons to extinguish the flame on balcony smoking.

green metal post in front of the body of ocean with boats during twilight
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Venice Restrictions

In a predictable move, local Venetian officials enacted legislation banning all cruise ships over 96,000 GRT from navigating the main Venetian lagoon and canal. In addition, the number of cruise ships sailing through the main canal will be cut by 20%. The decision came after months of large scale protests by local citizens. Venetian officials are researching a new route for cruise ships to navigate for sailing into Venice.

Carnival Sunshine Renovation

The Carnival Sunshine, formerly known as the Carnival Destiny, debuted this past summer after a roughly month long renovation at Fincantieri’s Trieste shipyard. The Carnival Sunshine underwent a major transformation, rebuilding and redesigning almost every area of the ship. The ship later debuted with a string of unfinished projects, which were soon resolved. The Carnival Sunshine’s renovation was the largest renovation project undertaken by Carnival in its history.

Disney Magic Renovation

The Disney Magic also underwent a major transformation across the Mediterranean in Cadiz, Spain. Undergoing a redesign of many public areas, the ship’s renovation was the largest undertaken for Disney Cruise Line.

MSC Divina
MSC Divina

MSC Divina Arrives In Miami

MSC’s first year round North American ship arrived in Miami with much fanfare on November 19, 2013, announcing the Italians had arrived. The MSC Divina was escorted into PortMiami by a small fleet of Fiat’s, quickly gliding over the water and jumping through the ship’s wake. The event quickly went viral on Twitter and YouTube.

New Ships

While 2013 was a small year for new ship debuts, two important ships made their debut early in the year. Norwegian’s Norwegian Breakaway and Princess’ Royal Princess both are new builds for their respective cruise lines and are launches to new classes of ships. Both debuted to much fanfare and celebrities such as the Rockettes and Gavin MacLeod. Both ships will be followed by a sister ship in 2014.

Drink Packages

2013 also saw an increase in the number of cruise lines offering all inclusive beverage packages. Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Holland America Line debuted new beverage packages, offering guests a new variety of options for onboard beverages.

Viking Star’s Keel Laid, Marking New Milestone for Viking Cruises

By
John Shallo
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What started with the first Steel being cut in June 2013 has progressed fast. This week Viking Cruises announced the keel was laid for its first ocean cruise vessel, Viking Star. This marks the next phase of construction for the company’s first-ever ocean cruise product. A ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 18, at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard outside Venice, Italy.

The laying of the keel is a formal recognition of the start of construction. The 930-passenger Viking Star features state-of-the-art design from seasoned nautical architects and engineers. The company is not slowing down its amazing growth as it also plans to launch a record-breaking 14 new river vessels – Viking Longships® – in March 2014.

“Our new ocean itineraries are selling at an unprecedented rate, and the enthusiasm we have seen from guests is truly remarkable,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “There is undoubtedly interest in an ocean cruise experience that returns the focus to the destination, and Viking is actively planning to meet that demand.”

Viking’s ocean itineraries will include Viking Star’s maiden voyages in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Classified by some as a “small ship,” the all-veranda custom-designed vessel allows travelers to get closer than ever to their destinations with maximum time in ports, while highlighting history, art and local culture through privileged-access excursions and onboard experiences that are truly designed for the experienced traveler.

For additional details, contact Viking Cruises toll-free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or visit www.vikingcruises.com.

Yet Another Reason To Consider Using A Travel Agent

By
Brooke Faulkner
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man in black suit jacket while using smartphone
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

On board Viking River Cruises longship Viking Skadi recently, I thought a lot about undeniable value of using a travel agent. Not so much for their ability to make the booking; cruise travelers can do that by calling cruise line to get the job done. They can also book most cruise vacations on line. But on that river cruise sailing, a great option for some and a bad choice for others, having a travel professional on their side still reaps huge rewards.

The click-to-book Internet reservation option might be easy but denies us the representation offered by a travel agent. Calling the cruise line we may talk to someone who knows what they offer but other options are not mentioned. A travel professional with our best interests in mind will match us with appropriate travel options then be our advocate down the road, when other packages, discounts or deals come up that may be to our advantage.

Cruise vacations represent an undeniable value. That we unpack once and visit multiple locations, so much is included in the price and other common elements of the experience that are huge selling points for those agents. Still, these are things that savvy travelers can figure out for themselves. The mechanics of going on a cruise are well documented on web sites like this one too.

It is the one-on-one personal element provided by a travel agent, one interested in a lifelong relationship with their clients, that is probably the single most important reason to use one, and a very viable reason as well. Not because they will get a ‘better deal’ through an agent. The initial price, if one chooses to take the required time to do the research necessary to get it, will probably be the same with or without an agent. That traveler can even keep up on future promotions offered by the cruise line that may reduce the price or add value if they keep up on that research. But the initial recommendation, made by someone who has been there and done that, is pure gold.

By the way, it was a travel agent who recommended we take our first cruise a dozen years ago on Carnival Fascination, then sailing from Miami to Key West and Cozumel. Without that recommendation back then, I would probably not have seen these Christmas Markets in Europe via a river cruise today. Here is some of what I might have missed-

3 Reasons That Make Specialty Restaurants A Great Choice

By
John Shallo
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Specialty dining has become all the rage in the modern cruise industry. Gone are the days of traditional set time dining in the main dining room. Cruisers tastes and views of dining have substantially changed over the years, leading to the redevelopment of dining onboard cruise ships. The most notable change – the addition of specialty restaurants. Here are the main three reasons for why specialty restaurants have become such a great choice for onboard dining:

Quality is greater than quantity

The main dining room onboard is serving meals to the majority of the ship each night. Depending on your ship, that could mean that a few hundred guests will be dining with you around the same time. While the galley works as hard as it can to serve quality food, they also have a schedule to keep. Dining in a smaller, specialty restaurant, the dedicated galley is able to spend more time preparing each dish due to the lower number of guests in the restaurant. In these smaller galleys, there isn’t as much demand from the restaurant, allowing the chefs to take their time and grill your steak to perfection. Specialty restaurants have become a primary choice for cruisers who are looking for a high quality dining experience.

Quiet time

In addition to quality meals, a specialty restaurant is also able to provide a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. These restaurants are free of hundreds of guests conversing, dancing waiters, and announcements from the maitre d’. Guests will be able to enjoy their meal in this serene, intimate atmosphere.

Sometimes it pays to pay

While these specialty restaurants will usually cost a small cover charge, the ability to charge allows the cruise lines to provide higher quality, gourmet meals for these restaurants. While meals in the main dining room are almost always excellent, specialty restaurants tend to go the extra mile when it comes to the meals they serve. Guests will be able to find larger, more exquisite steaks, pasta dishes, seafood, and chicken entrees. Guests craving a true gourmet meal have found specialty restaurants to do the trick.

While you most likely won’t be disappointed by any meal onboard a cruise ship, specialty restaurants do provide a higher end dining experience and can satisfy some guests who prefer a better quality, more serene, gourmet meal.

Viking Christmas Markets Review: Favorite Things

By
Chris Owen
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Heidelburg, Germany has a wonderful Christmas Market with German Bratz, Franks and more cooked on an open pit. Served on french bread with sautéed onions. #yummy #VikingRiver #VikingChristmas

Beginning our Viking River Cruise holiday sailing, I was already sold on the travel experience that a river cruise can provide. That was solidly defined on a Viking sailing last summer. The focus of the experience is largely off the ship. I got that. River cruising is a viable travel option when matched with the right traveler. But editorial questions were posed. What about that destination focus? What parts stand out as stellar reasons to go on a Christmas markets cruise?

Let’s take a look.

  • Ghluwein – Simply put, this potent holiday beverage is a signature item of Christmas markets. Served in souvenir mugs that can be refilled at a discount, each is customized for the market where they are sold. Better yet, Viking showed us how to make it at home before our sailing came to an end.
  • Live The Sound Of Music – Let’s face it, this is the place where the iconic 1965 movie was filmed and it looks very much the same today, even in winter. While we can watch the film on our stateroom television, we’re choosing to wait until we get home. The “we were there” moments should be spectacular.
  • Unique Gifts – As anticipated, there was a wide selection of gifts being sold at the Christmas markets. Odds are that those looking for unique holiday gifts will find plenty from which to choose. Held in the city center, where we saw open-air markets in the summer, the scene is every bit as vibrant during the holidays. Difference: In the summer it was pointless to buy fresh meat or fish to bring home. Holiday gifts are not perishable as are the personal memories created finding them.
  • Another Side Of Fabulous – While we sailed the same stretch of the river Danube in the Summer, doing so in the Winter is an entirely different experience. While some of the ports are the same on our itinerary, we visited them at different times of the day, rarely duplicating previous experiences. So yes Bob, James and Mary Lou (friends from last sailing) the Grand Euro itinerary did not “spoil” the Christmas Markets cruise for me.
  • Sausages – As mentioned earlier in this series on A Viking Christmas, we know nothing of sausages at home. We just thought we did. It will be difficult to pick up a package of name brand bratwurst at the local supermarket upon return.
  • Eat Bad Things And Live To Tell About It – Our Viking river cruise includes a tour every day. Part of the tour requires walking more distance than one might at home makes up for it. On board our Viking longship we find a nice variety of food, served in reasonable portions.
  • Holiday Spirit – Some people get into the December holidays with gusto and need no encouragement to deck the halls. Others may need a shot of holiday cheer and Christmas markets provide a double dose.
  • Wine Tour Opportunities- Scenic cruising through the Wachau valley on our Viking river cruise I was reminded of how pretty the many vineyards were as we sailed along in the summer. Made still by winter, wineries continue tours with more of a focus on education than walking the fields of vines.
  • History Is Not Seasonal – One of the features of a river cruise is a focus off the ship. Those interested in visiting places they may have seen only in movies, television or read about in books have every opportunity to see them in winter. Complemented by local guides who add commentary appropriate for the season (“this is where the Nazi’s nearly froze to death”) added a seasonable component to their running commentary along the way.
  • Even Scrooge Will Like It – Regular readers know we look at gift-giving in an entirely different way, skipping birthdays, anniversaries and other common family gifting events to afford the creation of enduring memories on cruise vacations. Sydney and Whitney, for example, probably wouldn’t have remembered the (insert name of gift) we might have given them when they were 10 and 12. But the memory of riding through the Jamaican rain forest with our then-new friend Lincoln endures to this day. We bought no gifts for anyone at any markets, yet very much enjoyed the seasonal ambiance of them.

    On my summer sailing, several of the other passengers on Viking Odin had done a Christmas Markets sailing before. They pointed out along the way where the markets would be and what to expect, many with a tone of satisfaction, confidently assuring me that it would be a marvelous experience.They were right.

Trace Adkins and Country Stars team up for a Country Cruise aboard Norwegian Pearl

By
John Shallo
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Norwegian Pearl
Norwegian Pearl

Pack your cowboy hat and sun tan lotion. The 2nd Annual Country Cruise is ready to Set sail on the beautiful Norwegian Pearl on January 12-19, 2014 for 7 music filled days with some exciting country music stars.

With 100 concerts and events around the ship, passengers will be in country music heaven. They will enjoy late night dance parties, Q&A sessions, photo opportunities and surprise unplugged performances and jam sessions throughout the seven night cruise.

Performers and Bands

The entertainment lineup for this country music event is superb and features twenty-five performers in total. Here is just a sample of what you can expect:

Trace Adkins – One of America’s top country music artists with over 20 Billboard country music hit singles and is a featured headliner of the cruise.

Montgomery Gentry – With fourteen Top 10 singles, the duo of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry has sold millions of albums and won many awards.

Wynonna Judd– The Five-time GRAMMY winnerwill also be performing for guests. In addition to being a major platinum selling artist with multiple Number One songs and bestselling albums, Wynonna is also a New York Times bestselling author and popular television performer.

Neal McCoy – Returning by popular demand from last year’s country cruise. This multi-platinum country artist has produced 11 albums and over 25 charted hits.

Cruise and Ship Information

The ship will sail from Miami, Florida on a 7-night cruise to Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico with three full days at sea. On sea days, guests can bask in the sun while listening to their favorite tunes and take time to explore all that the Norwegian Pearl has to offer. This popular Norwegian Cruise Line ship is packed with 16 dining options, 13 bars and nightclubs, two pools and waterslides, kids and teens programs in dedicated age-appropriate clubs, the Mandara Spa, Body Waves Fitness Center, a four-lane bowling alley, six hot tubs, and much more. All meals in the ship’s main restaurants are included in the price of the cruise, while meals in the ship’s specialty restaurants have a small cover charge.

What’s Included?

. A nightly show in the Stardust theater.
. Two performances by each Main Theater entertainer (Early and Late)
. Nightly performances around the ship from special guests in 2 other locations.
. Q and A sessions.
. Opportunities to get up close and personal with musical guests.
. Late night dance parties with radio station djs.
. Song writer workshops. Some insight on how it’s done for you songwriters out there.
. Surprise unplugged performances and jams.
. Search for the best voice on the ship contest – judged by the pros.

Get Onboard and Book It Today

Space is still available and cabins are now 50% Offthe published rates. To reserve your cabin or get more information visit http://www.countrycruising.com/cruiseaddicts.html.

Those with questions or seeking more information can contact the Country Cruising hosts, Flying Dutchmen Travel, by phone at 800-248-7471 or 707-546-1212 or by email at info@countrycruising.com.

Viking Christmas Markets Review: A Stop In Vienna

By
Chris Owen
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people riding horse carriage on street
Photo by Anton Uniqueton on Pexels.com

Continuing live daily reports of our Viking River Cruise, we have been visiting every Christmas market we happen to see. Stopping in Vienna we enjoyed the largest one in Austria.

The cloudy day with temperatures in the 30′s was a stark contrast to the sunny 90-degree summer day we had experienced last summer. But hot Ghluwein, a traditional holiday beverage kept the crowd in a festive mood.

Visitors from all over the world joined Austrians of all ages who enjoyed roasted chestnuts, grilled Bratwurst, assorted sausages and other traditional holiday treats.

Gift-givers chose from hand-painted Christmas tree ornaments, nutcrackers, delicate straw stars, wooden toys, puppets, holiday wreathes and decorations, leather goods, unique craft items and fresh baked goods. For hundreds of years, only local tradespeople could sell their goods at the markets helping to preserve the regional charm and personality of the market.

Christmas markets have livened up the winter season throughout Europe for centuries, as they did for those of us who came by Viking longship.

We will have a complete review of the ship, crew, food and destinations shortly.

Carnival To Launch Seuss At Sea In 2014

By
John Shallo
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Seuss At Sea

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced a new partnership with the Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which will bring the world of Dr. Seuss to Carnival’s ships beginning in 2014.

The new partnership will bring new dining options and activities centered around Dr. Seuss and his characters to the Carnival fleet. One of the most prominent features of the partnership is the Dr. Seuss theme breakfast, which will take place in each ship’s main dining room on the first sea day of the sailing. Guests will be able to dine from a menu of Seuss favorites including Green Eggs & Ham, Moose Juice, Goose Juice, among other entrees. The breakfast will also feature character visits from the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, Thing 2, and Sam. The theme breakfast will cost guests $5 each.

In addition to the theme breakfast, guests will also be able to take part in a variety of Seuss themed activities. For kids, Carnival will offer story time with Dr. Seuss books and toys. Seuss movies will be shown on the ship’s pool side big screen, and characters will hold photo ops and visits throughout each sailing.

“Our youth and family programming continues to be highly rated and extremely popular with the millions of families who sail with Carnival, but we’re constantly challenging ourselves to uncover unique and interesting ways to further enhance our guest experience,” said Mark Tamis, senior vice president of guest operations for Carnival Cruise Lines. “We are thrilled to bring the fun, whimsical and wonderful world of Dr. Seuss to life for our guests of all ages to create even more fun and memorable moments during our cruise vacations.”

Carnival’s partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises follows a recent trend in the cruise industry. MSC Cruises recently partnered with The Smurfs to bring the Smurfs to the MSC Divina, Norwegian partnered with Nickelodeon, and Royal Caribbean partnered with Dreamworks in 2010.

3 Easy Ways To Qualify For Cruise Deals

By
Chris Owen
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scrabble tiles on wood plank
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

Cruisers today have become smart consumers, searching for the best deals and the largest savings. Many cruisers know which time frames to book in, which lines offer the best deals, or which destinations are discounted throughout the year. Many cruisers, however, sometimes forget about easily obtainable cruise deals.

1. Loyalty Pays
For cruisers who have cruised before, cruise lines usually offer discounts for their loyal guests. When booking online, over the phone, or through a travel agent, don’t forget to mention that you are a past cruiser of the cruise line. Once a cruise line has won your business, they usually don’t want to lose it. By mentioning your loyalty status at booking, more often than not, a nice deal will be waiting for you.

2. Where In The World Can I Get A Deal
Another easily claimed discount is for guests residing in select states or provinces. Many cruise lines now offer discounts for residents of specific states to cruise on certain itineraries throughout the year. By mentioning your state of residency when booking, guests can often find discounts for their state on itineraries around the world.

3. Sometimes It Pays To Age
Most cruise lines nowadays offer special rates to guests who are over 50 or 55 years old. While many cruisers may be shocked that cruise lines would offer special rates to their once primary demographic, cruise lines are still looking to entice the over 50 crowd to their ships. While many people would complain about turning a year older, many look forward to the cruise deals it can bring.

While cruisers can find great discounts on certain itineraries throughout the year, many should give these qualifications a closer look when booking their next cruise. It can make the difference between a cruise on a tight budget or being able to buy that extra drink at sail away.

Viking Christmas Markets Review: Your Questions Answered

By
Brooke Faulkner
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The night view from the gangway of Cologne, Germany during our Viking River Cruise aboard Viking Tor. #VikingRiver #VikingChristmas #cruise

Half-way through our Viking River Cruise, sailing from Passau to Budapest, it’s time to answer your questions about Christmas markets, river cruising and more.
Let’s dig in.

Which Itinerary To Choose?

Jim R from Tulsa asks, “Is this the same route you took in the summer? Isn’t everything dead along the river now?”

The summer sailing was Viking’s Grand European Tour, a 15-day sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam. This one started in Passau, Germany and will end in Budapest. While a shorter sailing, the Christmas markets itinerary is jam-packed with events, tours and a variety of optional things to do.

Viking offers pre- and post-cruise packages on all their sailings. Talking to other passengers I get the feeling that more of them added a pre-cruise stay in Prague or post-cruise package in Budapest though. Bookending the 7-sailing with both would add up to 13 total days though so not much less time overseas than I spent in the summer.

Everything is far from dead along the river too. No, not as green and pretty as in the summer but the castles, structures, and amazing places are still there, as they have been for centuries.

Here’s an example: Yesterday when scenic cruising through the Wachau Valley (a personal favorite from the summer trip) we had reached the point where we needed a break from the action and a nice afternoon nap seemed in order. Lisa had settled in, about to fall asleep when I saw the first of a dozen magnificent castles outside our stateroom window. Pulling open the curtain I said, “open your eyes”. That was the end of the nap; there is just too much to see.

Time To Relax

“Chris, I have a laundry list of questions for you…from your Facebook photos it looks like you’re going non-stop,” writes Sylvia G from New Jersey, “Is there time to relax and enjoy it? Would you recommend this itinerary for a first river cruise? How is the Internet on the ship?”

Sylvia, Good questions all and thanks for asking! Say hi to Mortie!

Like any other cruise on a river or in the ocean, there seem to always be more things to do than possible in a day so choices become important. Still, one of the elements of the river cruise experience that Lisa likes best is the relaxed atmosphere aboard Viking Skadi. It is not uncommon to see other passengers with an iPad in the ship’s lounge, relaxing and enjoying the day with new friends met on board. On a ship with less than 200 passengers and 50 crew, we know far more of each than on a big ship and we like that.

First-timers would enjoy this, sure. I am finding out though that it is more common for first-timers to do the 15-day sailing, considered the classic river cruise experience, which covers more distance. One night before dinner the ship’s Program Director (like Cruise Director on an ocean ship) introduced us to a variety of other itineraries that Viking does throughout Europe which also seem interesting. To me, one of the itineraries along the Danube or Rhine rivers are perfect for first-timers but not for the reasons one might think. I like this part of the world because we get to see so many places we might have seen in movies, on TV or read about in books, replacing images stored in our brains with real-life experiences.

The Internet on a river cruise ship is about as efficient (or not) as on an ocean ship but here it is free. Technology is evolving that will bring land-like speed and connectivity soon but it is not here yet. It’s a line-of-sight satellite system so every time we go under a bridge, the signal drops.

Loyalty Program

Fred T from Atlanta wants to know “Does Viking have a past-guest party? If so, are there a lot of people there?”

You bet they do Fred and it’s nice. Held in the Aquavit Lounge at the front of the ship, those in attendance learn the story of Viking’s Norwegian heritage, meet the Captain, have cocktails and mingle.

Before it is all over, they also learn the story of Aquavit, the liquor which is aged in oak casks on board ships that sail to Australia and back, crossing the equator twice. As the story goes, it is believed that the moving seas and frequent temperature changes cause more flavor to be extracted from the casks.

Attendance Not Required But Recommended

Shirley and James from Sydney, Australia ask “On these included tours you talk about, are they really something worth doing or would it be better to arrange our own excursions like we do on other lines?” What about the tour guides? Can you hear them? Do they speak English well?”

Thanks for writing Shirley and James and yes, the tours are not only worth doing but a big part of the experience. This is coming from someone who is not a big fan of organized tours too.

The included tours are, to me, one part of a total program Viking has that begins at home. Prior to sailing, they send small books that give complete details of your itinerary and background information on the river you will be sailing. Early in the voyage, an expert on the European Union (EU) comes on board to explain how all that works with currency, customs and the relationship between member countries.

Viking also uses only local guides who speak fluent English, the language also spoken on the ship and they are also quite good. Hearing is not a problem because everyone has radios that enable them to hear every word and even stray from the group a bit and still be within range.

I like that we get a generous amount of free time to explore on our own and custom recommendations from the guides on where to eat, what else to see and shopping suggestions.

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