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Sailing From Port of Houston – Texas’ NEW Cruise Terminal

By
Chris Owen
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Bayport Cruise Terminal
Bayport Cruise Terminal

Just back from a 4-night cruise aboard Caribbean Princess on Princess Cruises first-ever Cruising For A Cause, it was our first time sailing from the Port of Houston. Actually, it was the first time sailing from the Port of Houston for most passengers. Built in 2008 to the tune of $30 million, the new facility has been sitting empty; waiting for cruise lines to come calling ever since.

Princess Cruises will sail Caribbean Princess from Houston on a series of twenty seven 7-night itineraries to Belize, Roatan and Cozumel through April 2014 when the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale for alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean runs. In November 2014, Emerald Princess will begin sailing from Bayport through April 2015…so it looks like Princess is going to be calling Houston home for quite some time.

Getting There

Traveling from Houston’s Intercontinental Airport (IAH) it takes about 45 minutes to reach the Bayport Cruise terminal. The drive reminded us a lot of the trip from Orlando (MCO) to Port Canaveral, minus the palm trees. Princess offers transfers for $96 per person, round-trip which is a good price. We also noticed a fleet ofSuperShuttle vans lined up for pre-arranged transfer and runs about $60 per person, round trip with pricing based on how many people in the party. Private cars are also available for $97 and that’s for the car, holding up to three people via ExecuCar.

Getting Out Of There
Located inland, it takes a few hours sailing to get from Bayport to open sea. We liked it and thought sailing past the Texas landscape made for a great sailaway. This was a bit of a concern before we did it as opposed to sailing from Galveston, located right on the ocean. No big deal really, getting to the ocean.

Actually, cruise ships will probably never equal the amount of traffic that the Port of Houston Authority sees via freighters. The number one port in the United States for freight shipping, there is a lot of activity there which also makes for some good ship-watching on the way to sea.

Inside Bayport Cruise Terminal-
The shiny new cruise terminal is well organized and allowed plenty of space for embarkation activities. Special for the Princess Cruising For A Cause, a local band played military- and 60’s-themed music as passengers lined up. Special areas for upper level past-guests of the cruise line were stocked with snacks and beverages too.

Frankly, we enjoyed sailing from Bayport every bit as much as sailing from Galveston; Bayport just seems to be out in the middle of nowhere. Again, much like Port Canaveral.

Booking

If the idea of a Caribbean Princess sailing from Bayport sounds good, better book quickly. We have the ability to look at dining availability, a good indicator of how a ship is filling up on any given sailing. What we see today is a waiting list for both early and late dining through February 2014, indicating that this will be a very popular first season for Caribbean Princess.

Also Sailing-
Starting in fall 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line will sail 2,374-passenger Norwegian Jewel from Houston on seven-day Western Caribbean cruises through the 2017 cruise season.

Here are some more views of what we saw at the new Bayport Cruise Terminal.

Review: Princess Cruises Cruising For A Cause Sailing To Honor U.S Veterans

By
Chris Owen
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Review: Princess Cruises Cruising For A Cause Sailing To Honor U.S Veterans
Review: Princess Cruises Cruising For A Cause Sailing To Honor U.S Veterans

This week I am on board Caribbean Princess on a four-night sailing from the port of Houston. The occasion is Princess Cruises first-ever Cruising For A Cause sailing, devoted entirely to supporting a charitable organization. Make that two charitable organizations; Operation Homefront and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

On board, veterans and their families will hear distinguished retired military officers and guest speakers share their experiences. Panel discussions will bring stories from World War II to present day. Informal receptions are planned for each of the five branches with generals and admirals as hosts. That’s coming up. Today is all about sailing away, under U.S. Coast Guard escort, on a ship full of stories.

The program started as we entered the Houston cruise terminal; a beautiful like-new facility not used all that much as most ships sailing from Texas hail Galveston as home. The giant embarkation hall was decorated with red, white and blue balloons and banners. Each passenger was given an American flag for a first-ever Red, White and Blue Sailaway party. A live band played songs of the past. And the stories began.

I can’t recall ever wishing a waiting line to get on a cruise ship would move slower.

Embarkation conversations happened between those in line, proud of their service and shared military experience, sporting ball caps and t-shirts specific to their branch of the Armed Forces. On the ship, stories continued as old friends met again, new friendships began and Princess began working their Escape Completely magic on what I would have thought to be one tough crowd.

Quite the contrary, heroes in their 90’s were dancing alongside young ‘kids’ in their 60’s with Princess entertainment staff mixed in to be sure everyone was having a good time.

We have sailed Caribbean Princess a number of times and enjoyed the onboard programming as well as the layout of the ship, unique features and more.

On board this week for Princess Cruises Cruising For A Cause, an entire sailing saluting U.S. Veterans, it’s no surprise that theme-specific offerings are a bit overwhelming. Still, let’s take a look at what we are getting in addition to what Princess normally offers.

  • Interesting Events In The Princess Theater– In Princess Cruise For A Cause- The Stories Begin we talked about programming specific to military members and their families including a panel of senior officers and individual presentations of interest to veterans
  • In-Cabin Television Programming– In addition to normal stateroom television programming, a Military TV Channel hosts video from Operation Homefront, the Veterans History Project and the World War II series.
  • Keepsake Commemorative Challenge Coin- “Members of the U.S. military have a long-standing tradition of carrying a special coin symbolizing unit identity and esprit de corps,” explains Princess of a special Commemorative Challenge Coin given to each person sailing as a momento
  • Special Guest Profiles- a booklet for each stateroom detailing the background of each member of the impressive Senior Officer Panel, Senior Spouse Panel, guest speakers, hosts and panel moderators.
  • Cruise For A Cause Art Auction- standard fare cruise line art auction with a unique twist: all proceeds go to Veteran’s organizations
  • Informal Receptions- for each branch of the service, hosted by a member of the officer’s panel.
  • Themed Drinks of the Day- Stars and Stripes was white rum, blue curacao, pina colada mix and grenadine.
  • Headliner Entertainment via country singer and veteran Rockie Lynne who has appeared nationally on Good Morning America, CMT, the Grand Ole Opry “Live” and Fox News. Lynne is also co-founder of a an annual motorcycle ride called Tribute to the Troops, which visits the homes of fallen soldiers acknowledging them for making the ultimate sacrifice.
  • Support for Veteran’s Organizations- A portion of each passenger’s cruise fare from $100 to $300, depending on stateroom category, will be matched by Princess Cruises and donated equally to the two veterans’ organizations, Operation Homefront and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
  • Taps- Passengers enjoy an evening performance with Jari Villanueva, a retired Air Force bugler from Arlington National Cemetery, who is a foremost authority on Taps and other U.S. military bugle calls.

Thinking about a themed cruise? Ask for specifics on what ‘extras’ come along with the deal. The list should be long and fulfilling if its going to come anything close to the marvelous time we’ve had on Caribbean Princess honoring our soldiers!

Booking Tips: Be A Good Fit For The Cruise Line, Ship

By
Chris Owen
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white cruise ship
Photo by Matthew Barra on Pexels.com

Costa Cruises will be sending Costa Luminosa to North America for a short series of 10-night deep Caribbean sailings, starting in December. Luminosa, a very similar ship in size and feel to Carnival Legend, has prices starting at $499 per person + kids sail free. Still, what all passengers on board will find is a very European experience that can be interpreted as a ‘bad’ experience if expecting a North American-style. This is not it.Cruise Compete

On board and anticipated to make up 80% of the total passenger mix, Europeans will smoke more, be thinner and have more fun They will probably get more out of the experience than demanding North American passengers, of whom there are bound to be a few. Open-minded North Americans, on the other hand, will have some unique opportunities to experience European cruising without having to buy airfare, experience jetlag or deal with icky things like foreign currency conversion rates.

To some, this is a dream come true. Parents wanting teens to have an international experience, say playing soccer on deck with a team from Germany, they can do that on Costa Luminosa.

Others, buying only because of the extraordinary value, may be in trouble. Self-blindsided by the European cruise experience after thinking primarily of price, the style can be pretty overwhelming. Get prepared in advance, not so much.

Quick story: On the Italian Night dinner they do the swinging the napkins thing and people doing a conga line around the dining room like on a North American cruise. Here though so many more people participated. Anyone not filming it was doing it and no one was sitting. How any one at that event (and it was an event) could have been thinking of their land-based concerns at that time is beyond me…and that’s what it’s all about.

Price indeed may be a heavily weighted factor in the buying decision. But to get the most out of a cruise vacation, there are other factors to consider as well, factors that might not seem so important at the time of booking that can come back to bite later.

Also consider the destinations, accommodations available and appropriate, the cruise line, the timing of it all and any special concerns of others traveling.

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

Disney Cruise Line Adds Lifeguards To Family Pools

By
John Shallo
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a woman wearing silver bracelet
Photo by Cuff It on Pexels.com

Cruise CompeteDisney Cruise Line has silently begun employing lifeguards and has deployed them to each of the family pools aboard their ships. At this time, lifeguards are currently in place at the family pools aboard the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic. Disney Cruise Line plans to add lifeguards to the Disney Wonder and the Disney Fantasy by mid-November.

Disney Cruise Line has stated that they continually evaluate their practices, changing them as warranted by present scenarios.

The decision by Disney to add lifeguards aboard their ships most likely stems from a recent drowning of a 6 year old aboard another cruise ship. No lifeguard was on duty in the past incident.

The new lifeguards will be stationed at each family pool during the pool’s open hours.

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

Are You A Good Fit For Costa Cruises? Check Here And See

By
Chris Owen
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Cruise CompeteWhich North Americans would be a good fit for sailing Costa Luminosa when the ‘ship of light’ comes to visit next year? First and most easily quantifiable: savvy cruise travelers who would like to sample the European cruising experience without paying for international air travel. They would not get the international ports of call, but they would get the onboard experience. Costa is not going to change what they do when sailing from Miami appreciably from what they do year-round in the Mediterranean.

But who else would be a good fit for the Costa experience? Here are some groups of travelers for whom Costa would fit like a glove:

  • Someone Trying To Learn A New Language – This is about as close to total immersion into a different, diverse culture as we can get embarking from a North American port. While predominant languages vary some from sailing to sailing, expect the opportunities to hear and read English, Italian, French, German and Spanish. Joining a talk intended just for _____-speaking passengers is no problem.
  • Value Seekers – Pricing for the 10-day sailings that Costa Luminosa will offer, round-trip Miami start at $499 per person + tax, making them one of the best cruise values around. Still, be sure you are OK with the European Experience before booking. Also consider at least some of the price difference between traveling from your home in North America to Miami vs. traveling to a European embarkation port.
  • Foodies – There is Italian food and there is real Italian food. I’ve had both and will vouch for Costa’s culinary ability. The mozzarella, pasta and sauces on Costa Luminosa are every bit as good as we have experienced in Venice, Italy. Almost everything on the ship is made from scratch in the two deck-high galley that hosts a full butcher shop, bakery and more. Tours available.
  • Smokers – there is no denying it, smoking is part of the European experience. To those who smoke and are mad at North American brands for all but banning it, your ship has come in, briefly. Non-smokers: It will take a few more steps but they can avoid the lion’s share of the smoky areas. Those with a long cruise history: roll back the clock 10 years and think of cruising at that time. That is what this is like.
  • Those Interested In Wellness – the two-level Samsara Spa has all the facilities a spa lover could ask for. Having the physical equipment is one thing though and knowing what to do with it another. On Costa Luminosa the program is complete and inclusive packages make buying easy. Seal the deal by booking a cabin in the Samsara area of the ship which includes dining in the exclusive Samsara restaurant, serving healthier food done well that tastes good
  • Spa Freaks – Spa travel experts along on our trip seem to agree “this would be the perfect ship for a girlfriends getaway,” concluded Zippy Sandler of ChampagneLiving.net. I’ll add in a wonderful place for couples. The Dream Package they offer includes spa treatments, fitness or meditation classes, tanning sessions and unlimited access to spa facilities.
  • Classic Cruise Ship Lovers – Considering Costa Luminosa a ‘new’ entry into the North American cruise market, at 92, 000 tons she is small by comparison to other ‘new’ ships. That means less people, easier navigation around the ship and just ten usable decks. (I don’t count the top two that have sports things on them that not everyone will use)
  • Parents and Families- The Costa Cruises children and teens program is very much like the award-winning Carnival Cruise Line’s Camp Carnival or Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean. Age group breakdown, often a deciding factor for parents, is quite age-appropriate, well supervised and kids have fun. Bonus: Top deck lido area just for kids. Extra Bonus: Give your kids a taste of the world without leaving home. Extra Value Bonus: Kids 12 and under sail free in a cabin with two adults.

Are You A Good Fit For Costa Cruises? Check Here And See | 29

Who should not book Costa Luminosa?
There are a few groups of people for whom this ship and the Costa experience would not be a good fit. Those in these groups who received a recommendation to sail from their travel agent need to find another one. The last thing in the world that we want to have happen is for someone not suited for this to be booked on it. Nothing good will come of it.

  • Someone expecting the standard North American experience– This is not it. Do yourself and others a favor: stay home. Costa is proud of what they do, as they should be, and has no intention of customizing their product for North Americans.
  • Rabid Non-Smokers not willing to work around the smokers who will indeed be a higher percentage on this ship than on any North American brand. It’s avoidable but it’s there and it won’t go away if you complain. Lisa and I are former smokers and simply walking through a faint cloud of smoke when passing an outdoor smoking area irritates me. Lisa is over it. I am not.
  • Someone who likes really big ships with lots of top deck features- This ship is very much like Carnival’s Spirit-class and Holland America’s Vista-class ships in layout. Décor most closely matches Carnival Legend, (a little neon and a lot of art) a ship we love and have sailed multiple times. Most apt not to like: Fans of Royal Caribbean Freedom- and Oasis-class ships.
  • Someone who likes small, intimate ships- This is bigger than that and because small ships usually come along with a premium price, they tend to draw a more affluent clientele. Personally, I like this size ship where walking from one end to the other can be done quickly and getting lost is hard to do.
  • Someone who finds ‘foreigners’ unpleasant in real life- This would be torture for you. On Costa Luminosa, North Americans will be in the minority and will feel it at every turn. On the up side: North American’s are apt to be quite popular if re-visiting ports on the ship’s Caribbean itinerary, having sailed to them before.

Costa Luminosa will sail a short series of 10-day deep Caribbean sailings, round-trip Miami starting December 7, 2013 with pricing starting at $499 per person for inside cabins, $699 per person for Oceanview cabins and $899 per person for balcony cabins. See your travel agent for details.

Recommended:

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

Skip The Crowds: Online Holiday Cruise Sale Season Has Arrived

By
Chris Owen
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No need to risk lives cramming into retail stores this Black Friday. On Cyber Monday, travel buyers can relax also. Cruise Lines will be offering some of their best bargains of the year with value-priced sailings plus complementary bonus extras.

Continue

Windstar Announces Sailings To Asia & Arabia

By
John Shallo
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Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises has announced that their newest motor yacht, Star Pride, will debut a season in Southeast Asia & Arabia in the fall of 2014.

Windstar will be offering five unique itineraries calling in “small ship ports” throughout Asia, Arabia, and India. Highlights on these itineraries include Luxor, Egypt; the Suez Canal, Mumbai, India; Phuket, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Hong Kong. All 5 itineraries are now on sale from Windstar.

“Small ship cruising is an incredible way to explore this part of the world. There are tremendous
experiences to be had from the ancient cliff city of Petra to the colorful Ho Chi Minh City,” said Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises’ chief executive officer. “This is our first journey beyond Europe, South Pacific and the Caribbean, and we are delighted to announce Star Pride’s Southeast Asia & Arabia deployment.”

Launching in May of 2014, the 9,975-ton Star Pride is the first of three new power yachts to join
Windstar’s fleet. With a guest capacity of 212, the all suite yacht will undergo several upgrades and changes in design and décor to align with Windstar’s casual contemporary style. Star Pride will showcase many signature Windstar experiences, including the line’s famous Sail Away party, yacht deck barbecue gala, and Open Bridge policy.

The Mediterranean On An Italian Cruise Line Is A Different Experience, But Not A Scary One

By
Chris Owen
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Sailing on Costa Luminosa in the Mediterranean this week, we’re finding a lot of the cruise experience to be much the same as when sailing anywhere else in the world. Just two days into the itinerary, it has been lots of fun, a unbeatable value and an easy way to travel. Still, some things are uniquely different and knowing about them in advance is helpful. We start with a few tips.

Language Barriers

English is the official language on board Costa Luminosa but those who speak it as their primary language are a small minority. This is not a problem or reason for concern. On an elevator full of other passengers, none of which appear to speak English, it is still OK for you too to smile at the cute baby everyone like everyone else is. Some things are universal. Three 7’s on a slot machine draw comments that need no interpreter to know they mean ‘Nice hit!’

Money matters

Here, Euro is the currency used on board and it is easy to work with. The conversion rate is something one needs to keep in mind for the actual cost to them on the credit card bill upon returning back home. Think one Euro is about one and a half dollars and you’ll do better than fine.

Embarkation

Getting on the ship could best be described as ‘different’ and that’s about it. While on a North American sailing everything is done at the check-in desk before boarding the ship, on Costa Luminosa we gave up our passports for the ship to hold until the end of the journey, registered a credit card after boarding and were given boarding group cards at curbside.

Food Basics

There’s plenty of it, around the clock, just like a North American sailing and it is included in the price. There are a few upgrade/alternative options. Much of what we are experiencing is remarkably similar to other ships from other lines such as Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean or Celebrity. Still, there is ‘food’ and there is ‘cuisine’.

Cuisine

There are a few unique gems, like pretty much anything with pasta and any coffee drink other than what is called here “American Coffee”, perhaps with a bit of a tone of disapproval. The up side is that there are some marvelous opportunities to see how coffee beverages should be made and learn from the experience. Yet another nail in Starbucks coffin for me that began on our Viking River Cruise last summer where, from Budapest to Amsterdam we found unique café’s that knew how to do it well.

I’ll have more sailing in the Mediterranean on an Italian cruise line Wednesday when we explore the notion of joining a ship on an itinerary in progress at any one of a number of ports of call.

AIDA Will Base Ships In Tampa From 2014 Through 2016

By
John Shallo
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Tampa is about to meet the happiest looking ships in the cruise industry. AIDA Cruises has announced that they will soon begin sailing from Tampa beginning in 2014.

For the Germany based, smiling cruise line, this will be the first time an AIDA ship will sail year round from a North American port. Beginning in December 2014, AIDA will base the AIDAvita in Tampa, sailing western Caribbean cruises through 2015. In 2015, the AIDAmar will take over the sailings until 2016.

AIDA is now the fifth cruise line to base a ship at the Port of Tampa.

Costa Victoria To Emerge With New Features & Amenities In November

By
John Shallo
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Costa Victoria
Costa Victoria

Costa Cruise’s Costa Victoria is set to return to service on November 11th with an array of new features and amenities.

In November, the Costa Victoria will emerge with new balconies, terraces and windows, new restaurants including a terrace buffet and a pizza and noodle bar, as well as an expanded boutique shopping area. The Costa Victoria will emerge boasting an “Italy at Sea” theme that is translated in every detail of the upgraded ship, from the exquisite food to the bright colors and tailored service.

“Our investment in Costa Victoria means she is going to offer our valued Asian passengers the absolute finest and most enjoyable cruising holiday, which speaks to our long-term commitment to the Asia market,” said Buhdy Bok, senior vice president Pacific, Asia and China for Costa Crociere S.p.A. “As the first international cruise company to enter the China market in 2006, Costa Cruises is proud of how we’ve developed alongside China and have been able to satisfy the rapidly growing demand for cruise holidays with innovative and high-quality cruising options.”

The Costa Victoria is currently undergoing a $18 million renovation at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore.

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