WHAT'S NEW ONBOARD
by Joseph Schmitt
We have seen some dramatic advances within the cruise
industry in regards to amenities, excursions, and destinations,
but the most noticeable evolution is in the sheer size
of these floating cities. Regardless of how you feel about
these sometimes over-the-top ships, cruise lines are banking
on a new business philosophy that “bigger is better”
and “give ‘em more, more, more.” In an
apparent competition of razzle-dazzle and glitz, with
some added shock and awe, every major cruise brand is
vying for your vacation dollar—and you should see
the lengths to which they’ll go to welcome you aboard.
CUNARD
First, on something of a somber note, we must acknowledge
the passing of a beloved queen. As of November 2008,
the world’s most prized vintage ocean liner was
decommissioned and sold to Dubai where she will become
a floating hotel and tourist attraction. Cunard’s
Queen Elizabeth 2, affectionately known as the QE2,
was launched in 1967, making her the longest-serving
ship in Cunard’s rich 170-year history. She crossed
the Atlantic over 800 times, carried over 2.5 million
passengers, and journeyed to distant shores on 25 world
cruises. Cunard has been steadfast in its mission to
maintain its upscale, iconic brand, most notably with
the launch of the Queen Mary 2 in 2004. The first authentic
ocean liner to launch in 35 years, the QM2 also held
the honor of being the largest passenger ship in the
world, if only for a few months before being outdone
in size by Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Of The Seas.
In late 2007 Cunard launched yet another
new ship, the Queen Victoria. This Vista Class cruise
ship is noticeably different from the QM2, not only
because of her smaller size, but also due to the extensive
use of glass in its superstructure, designed so that
the vast majority of staterooms have verandahs or ocean
views. While the QM2 is definitely an ocean liner, many
cruising aficionados contest that the QV is simply another
cruise ship. Many highbrow cruise critics heralded the
massive QM2 with great fanfare, but the QV and her new
sister ship The Queen Elizabeth, currently under construction,
have been less enthusiastically received. The QE will
be just slightly larger than QV at 92,000-tons, carrying
2,092-passengers and scheduled to debut in the autumn
of 2010. What binds these ships, even more than Cunard’s
storied past, is the level of service and sophistication
found onboard. While most cruise lines are shifting
toward freestyle dining and 24/7 casual wear, Cunard’s
Queens still maintain a high level of old-world style
with class-based dining rooms and numerous formal nights.
Although less stuffy than in the past, you can still
expect to experience the finest things in life at sea
with any Cunard vessel. http://www.cunard.com
HOLLAND AMERICA
Holland America’s newest ship, the Eurodam,
which launched in June 2008, is also the first in the
line’s new Signature Class series with enhanced
and reconfigured restaurants, bars, show lounge, and
public spaces. Some of the more dramatic additions are
the newly created spa suites within close proximity
to the Greenhouse Spa and beautiful, private, outdoor
cabanas available for daily rental. The 56 luxury Spa
Staterooms feature special in-room spa amenities like
a water feature, organic cotton bathrobes, and upgraded
bath products such as aromatherapy bath salts and body
products. You’ll also find an iPod docking station,
a yoga mat, and a spa concierge to assist you with spa
visits. The airy, tented cabanas are located on the
Observation Deck in a secluded area called the Retreat.
In addition to private deck chairs, cabanas also feature
chilled waters and tasty treats such as frozen grapes,
chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne. The reasonable
rate, from $30 to $75 for the day, is money well spent
for the added privacy and exclusivity one feels behind
the velvet rope.
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Regarded world-wide as one of the most eco-friendly cruise
lines, Holland America continues to expand their environmental
practices, knowing that every little bit helps move the
industry toward a greener horizon. The new Signature Class
series vessels are outfitted with advanced wastewater
treatment systems, capable of treating both black and
gray water to near drinking quality, exceeding maritime
industry standards. Even the dry cleaning system aboard
the Eurodam is more eco-friendly, using a new wet-cleaning
technology, free of the harsh chemicals often found in
traditional dry cleaning systems. Recycling has been a
standard operating procedure for Holland America since
1993. Each Holland America ship has a crew of five who
are responsible for the disposal of the eight tons of
solid waste generated on each seven-day sailing, with
the recycling proceeds from glass, aluminum, cardboard,
and other materials going to the shipboard crew benefit
fund. The 2,104-passenger Eurodam will be joined by a
sister Signature Class ship of the same size, as yet unnamed,
to be delivered in 2010. http://www.hollandamerica.com
SILVERSEA
One of the world’s best small ship cruise
lines, Silversea, is celebrating its 15th year of bringing
fine European elegance and service to exotic destinations
around the globe. At a time when many cruise lines are
charging guests for beverages, gratuities, and port
charges in addition to their cruise fare, Silversea’s
fares are truly all-inclusive, with every aspect of
the onboard cruise vacation being covered, even select
wines and spirits. This ultra-luxurious fleet of purpose-built
small ships defies the popular adage of “bigger
is better.” Designed specifically for navigating
waters in hard to reach destinations, the purpose-built
Prince Albert II debuted in June 2008 with a strengthened
hull and eight Zodiac boats, allowing 132 lucky passengers
intimate experiences in some of the most remote locations
on our planet, including both of Earth’s polar
regions. Scheduled to join the fleet in late 2009, the
540-passenger Silver Spirit will offer the distinctive
amenities and service Silversea guests adore, plus enticing
enhancements including a new supper club, an Asian-themed
restaurant, an expanded spa, and the largest suites
in the Silversea fleet, with 95% featuring private verandahs.
http://www.silversea.com
PRINCESS
As you might expect, Princess also has a new big
ship on the market. The 113,000-ton Ruby Princess was
delivered ahead of schedule last November to join her
sisters, Emerald Princess and Crown Princess, featuring
similar amenities like a dramatic piazza-style atrium,
The Sanctuary (an adults-only retreat), a giant outdoor
movie screen for movies under the stars, and 900 cabins
with private balconies. The Ruby Princess is also set
to share some industry secrets with a rare behind-the-scenes
“Ultimate Ship Tour.” This first-of-its-kind
ship tour ($150 per person) takes you to the engine
control room where you’ll get an overview of the
ship’s mechanical and electrical systems. Also
on this tour you’ll visit the backstage area at
the Princess Theater where you’ll meet the show’s
performers and production staff. Inside the galley and
food production areas, guests will meet with the executive
chef and learn about the process of feeding thousands
of diners, seven days a week. In addition to visiting
the print shop, photo lab, medical center, laundry facilities,
and the ship’s funnel, the tour concludes with
a visit with the ship’s captain on the bridge.
You’ll get a peek at the state-of-the-art navigational
equipment and safety systems aboard the Ruby Princess.
The three-hour tour will be offered only once or twice
per cruise on a sea day and space will be limited, so
reserve your tour in advance.
On a welcoming green note within the
cruise industry, Princess has implemented an impressive
campaign to reduce pollution at certain port cities
during the daylong calls. By turning off their diesel
engines and oil-fired steam boilers, Princess ships
in Juneau and Seattle have been improving air quality
and reducing pollution while plugging into shore power
to operate onboard services. Since this first program
of its kind in the world was enacted in Juneau in 2001,
Princess ships have been “plugging in” to
greener hydroelectric power and helping to clear Juneau’s
problematic accumulated haze, worsened by the city’s
climatic conditions and seaside geography. A similar
program was put into effect in Seattle in 2005. To create
this unusual power system, Princess has outfitted its
ships with a custom built, state-of-the-art electrical
connection cabinet that automatically connects the ship’s
electrical network to the electrical network ashore
via four flexible cables. While it’s clear the
technology is there for all cruise ships to connect
to shore power, the technological upgrade required from
the ships is only one half of the equation. The costly
and complicated upgrades for the ports-of-call have
made it slow for other ports to come online. The Port
of Los Angeles is the most recent addition to offer
shore power for Princess ships, and hopefully this will
become the industry standard very soon. http://www.princess.com
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