Just Cruises Plus

Princess Cruises just announced the new 3600 passenger Royal Princess whose inaugural sailing is scheduled for May of 2013.  Does this name sound familiar?  That’s because the first P&O Princess Cruises cruise ship (1984) was also named Royal Princess.  It was one of the first, if not the first, ships to completely dispense with interior cabins.  The ship now serves in P&O Cruises fleet as the Artemis.

The latest Royal Princess, in addition to being the largest in the fleet at 141,000 tons, will feature an on-deck retreat exclusively for adults which offers passengers a secluded spa-like setting for complete relaxation.  As the first Princess had all outside staterooms and no inside rooms, the new Royal Princess has no traditional outside staterooms.  All ocean facing rooms will have balconies.

A sister ship to the new Royal Princess is expected to sail in the Spring of 2014.

We had a small turnount for our three Alaska seminars held on November 22nd…and this was by design.  Each of three small groups (12 or less) met with Judy Bliss, our Princess Cruises representative who has an immense passion for and knowledge of Alaska.  During Judy’s presentation, we were taken on a virtual tour of Alaska via land, sea and rail.  Many who were considering an Alaska cruise-tour in the next few years had felt intimidated by the overwhelming number of options available.  Judy helped break down the options into manageable decision points – she did this in a methodical, yet engaging, manner.  All who attended agreed that the hour spent with Judy was well worth it.

Photo Contest 11/18/11 - Dead Sea - Photo by Michal Zvalova

The Dead Sea, also called the “Salt Sea”, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It’s geographic claim to fame is that its surface and shores are 1,388 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation on the earth’s surface. However, it is probably most recognized for it’s extreme saltiness.  With 33.7% salinity, it is one of the world’s saltiests bodies of water.  This salinity makes floating  effortless.  It also makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish —  hence its name.

Dead Sea Salt Cluster - Photo by Michal Zvalova

Effortless Floating on the Dead Sea - Photo by Michal Zvalova

We received 25 responses to our 11/4/11 photo contest and all 25 correctly named the location of our photo (shown below) as Skagway Alaska.  The winner of the contest is Chuck Diefenderfer of Maple Glen, PA.  Chuck’s name  was randomly selected from the 25 who correctly responded.

Photo Contest 11/4/11 - Skagway, Alaska

The town of Skagway has a population of less than 1000 which doubles in size during the summer months to support the influx of tourists.  The port is a popular cruise ship stop — understandable when you walk through the small town and, everywhere you turn, there is a breathtaking view of mountains.

Skagway - A town with a view

Skagway’s White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad runs throughout the summer months.  It’s locomotive “parks” right in town.  We highly recommend this trip which you can purchase as an excursion aboard your ship.  Even if you are not a narrow gauge railroad geek (as some of us are), the scenery is amazing.

White Pass and Yukon Narrow Gauge Railroad

The typical tour offered is round trip.  We opted for a tour which took us by train to the top of the mountain and then we biked down. Even with the drizzly weather, the ride to the bottom was exhilarating!  There was little pedaling and lots of braking.

Up by train, down by bike

We thank all of the participants in our photo contest.  This is only the second time that we stumped you.

Photo Contest 10/21/11 - Ships docked in Roatan, Honduras

Roatan was one of the very few Caribbean islands that we had never visited and, as certified scuba divers and avid snorkelers, we looked forward to hours of fun in the crystal clear waters for which Roatan is known.  Alas, mother nature had other plans for us.  One of the worst rain storms in Roatan’s history struck only hours before our arrival aboard Celebrity’s Millennium.  Winds were still whipping muddy waves into a dark froth as the ship tied up to the pier in Coxen Hole, the island’s capital.

Celebrity's Millennium docked in Coxen Hole

As soon as we got off the ship, we checked a number of booths offering various excursions.  These are nearly always significantly less expensive than the excursions offered by the cruise line.  We spent some time comparing the offerings of the local vendors and selected a tour which took us to the key sights of the 36 mile long and 4 mile wide island.  Our driver, Francisco, was outstanding and very skilled, which was lucky for us since there were several mud slides and uprooted trees along the hilly and winding roads which are not in good shape in the best weather conditions.

Important:  The cruise line guarantees that they will not leave you if you are late getting back from an excursion purchased from the ship.  However, you have no such guarantee when you do an excursion on your own or with a local operator.   You need to make certain that you know “ship’s time” and that you leave extra time in case your transportation breaks down.

Cruise ship dock in Coxen Hole

While the overcast skies and wet sand kept bathers off the beaches, it could not hide the beauty that would become stunningly evident once nature reverted to its usual sunny state.   The coral reef is not far from the shore and this was our original goal.  This reef is the longest in the Western hemisphere and stretches from the tip of the Yucatan down to the Bay Islands (Roatan is one of the Bay Islands and is part of Honduras).  The reefs of Riviera Maya, Belize and Cozumel are part of this reef system known as the Mesoamerican reef.  The reef is home to over 500 species of fish as well as a large population of manatees.

Many of the best beaches are located on West Bay, a 20 minute taxi ride from the cruise ship.   While all of the beaches are public, there’s a catch.  In order to get on a beach, you must go through one of the resorts and there is a charge.  Bananarama Dive Resort is one resort which will provide round trip transportation from the cruise ship dock and give you access to their facilities for $30 per person .  Tabyana is a gorgeous beach which caters to cruise ship passengers and is offered as an excursion by the cruise lines.  However, with a bit of effort, you can get to the West Bay beaches by taking a regular taxi to West End, a busy and colorful beach village, and then take a water taxi to West Bay.  You won’t pay to get on the beach athough there will be a small charge if you rent beach chairs and umbrella.

View of West Bay beach on an overcast day

During our drive, we saw much poverty which stood in stark contrast to the luxury experienced by most visitors.  We learned that most of the economy is controlled by five families and we also discovered that black and white people live in separate communities.  Most of the economy is based on tourism although there is a significant fishing industry.  Spanish and English are taught in the schools so most folks are bilingual.

View of Honduras' waters through native wildflowers

Should you visit?  If you are a certified scuba diver, this is heaven on earth.  Folks who love to soak up the sun on a beautiful beach would be right at home here although there are many other islands which have beaches that are equal to Roatan’s.  For our cruise, it was a refreshing change from Jamaica, a usual stop on Western Caribbean cruises.

View of Coxen Hole from our departing ship

The winner of our 10/7/11 photo contest is Bernie Lineman of Warrington, PA.  Bernie’s name was randomly selected from the 11 who correctly identified the contest photo (shown below) as St. Peter’s Church located in St. George, Bermuda.

St. Peter’s is said to be the oldest surviving Anglican chuch located outside of the British Isles.   It’s exterier and interior or both lovely in their simplicity.  The church is technically located on the Duke of York Street, the main road that passes through St. George, however it sits much higher and further back than its neighbors.

Many Bermuda visitors flock to Hamilton, which is the capital of Bermuda and highlighted for it’s shopping district, but St. George is absolutely worth visiting.  It ’s waterfront and back streets are picturesque, walkable and hold a lot of history.

Photo Contest 10/7/11 - St. Peter's Church, St. George, Bermuda

A brief walk from St. Peters is  the “unfinished church”, whose construction began in the 1870’s when St. Peter’s Church was badly damaged by a storm and thought to be beyond repair. Once the consctruction was underway, there were funding difficulties and a segment of the local population felt they would rather invest the money in repairing the old church instead of completing the new one.

We were very lucky to capture the photos below during our visit in 2010. In December of 2010, the unfinished chruch was closed to the public due to the potential for crumbling masonry caused by structural deterioration from wind and water.

The Unfinished Church - partial exterior view

The Unfinished Church - interior view

The Unfinished Church - view through the archway

Bermuda is known for it’s beaches.  If your ship is docked at the Royal Navel Dockyard located at the western end of Bermuda, you are relatively close to some of Bermuda’s best beaches.  Horseshoe Bay is spectacular and has convenient changing facilities and consession stands making it a popular  beach choice  for visitors.  

Horseshoe Bay

It’s very easy and economical to go beach hopping either by taking the dedicated beach shuttle or public transportation (be sure to take the bus route along South Road).  Bermuda buses are clean and stop at all of the major beaches.  The ferry is a terrific and economical way to get from the Dockyard to Hamilton and to St. George.  If you have extra time and would like to see some off the beaten track sites, you can also take the bus from town to town.

Bermuda Beach Art - birds eye view

Steamboat Makes a Comeback 

A new cruiseline, The Great American Steamboat Company, is re-introducing the 436-passenger American Queen steamboat to the rivers of the south and mid-west United States.  Cruises on the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers will begin in April of 2012.  The ship will depart from cities which include Memphis, New Orleans, Vicksburg, St. Louis, Louisville, St. Paul, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

The American Queen, built in 1995 and originally operated by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, is possibly the largest steamboat ever built. It is a 6-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat.  The American Queen is actually a hybrid ship whose paddlewheel is powered by steam but which gets some of it’s maneuverability from  a secondary propulsion unit powered by diesel-electric propellers.

Voyages range from three to 14 nights.  Rates include bottled water and soft drinks, coffees and cappuccinos, wine and beer with dinner, deluxe pre-cruise hotel stays and complimentary shore excursions.

NCL Names New Ships

The next two ships from Norwegian Cruise Line will be named Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Gateway.  Despite the names, there is much to like about these new ships.  Like the Norwegain Epic, the new ships will have studio  staterooms for singles with a private lounge.  They will also have 42 oceanview staterooms that will accomodate 5 passengers so families of 5 won’t have to buy two rooms.

These 4,000 passenger vessels will be delivered in April of 2013 (Breakaway) and April of 2014 (Getaway).

Ship Fire Kills Two in Norway

An intense  fire aboard Hurtigruten Line’s MS Nordyls killed two crewman and forced passengers into lifeboats.  The ship was near Aalesund, Norway when an apparant explosion tore through the engine room.  In addition to the two deaths, nine crewmen and three rescue workers were injured.  There were no injuries among the passsengers.  “We were sent up on deck and given our lifevests,” Danielle Passebois-Paya, a French tourist told Norwegian daily Aftenposten.  It took only a few minutes after the alarm and we were in the lifeboats”  “It was a well-organized evacuation,” she added.  “The crew did a really good job.  Everything was calm and went smoothly.  There was no panic.”

The Nordlys was in danger of capsizing due to the amount of water pumped into her to fight the fires.  This is exactly what happened to the French Line’s Normandy at a New York pier during WWII which ended the short career of, what may have been, the most beautiful ship ever built.

Most ships of the Hurtigruten Line ply the craggy western coast of Norway, stopping to deliver mail and cargo to the towns and villiages along the coast.   It is a great way to get close to the people of Norway while enjoying spectacular scenery.  However, some ships sail to Antarctica and Greenland.