Just Cruises Plus

American tourists visiting the Normandy Cemetery and Memorial in France were greeted with a chained gate and a sign that read, “Due to the U.S. Government shut-down, this site is closed to the public”.  Many had planned their visits to relative’s graves for months and were outraged that they were prevented from paying their respects.

Each year, thousands of Americans visit the site of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, which took place on June 6^th 1944.  Several thousand American servicemen died in a single day of intense fighting on the beaches and cliffs at Normandy.  There are row upon row of Crosses and Stars of David over the graves of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Cruise ships visiting Bermuda can now keep their casinos open at night while in port, Bermudian members of parliament decided earlier this week.

The Cruise Ship (Casino) Act 2013 permits onboard casinos to operate between 9 pm and 5 am, the Royal Gazette reported.  According to Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell, the move ensures that Bermuda remains a competitive cruise destination.

Cruise ships will need to remain in port for one full night or longer in order to qualify for permission to operate their casinos. Additionally, cruise lines will need to pay a casino licensing fee.

Oasis of the Seas - New Sister Expected

Two of the largest passenger vessels afloat, the Oasis and Allure of the Seas, are now looking forward to a new sister.  Last week, Royal Caribbean International kicked off the building of a new mega-ship with a steel cutting ceremony at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

At 227,000-gross tons, the ship, which will be the third in the line’s Oasis-class, will be slightly larger than its sister ships, which are 225,282-gross tons.  The as-yet-unnamed ship is scheduled for delivery in mid-2016.  Royal Caribbean has an option with STX France for a fourth Oasis-class ship.

Contest Photo - Cape Cod Lighthouse

For our 8/30 photo contest, we asked the name and location of the lighthouse in our contest photo (shown at right). 

The lighthouse is named Cape Cod Light and is commonly referred to as Highland Light by New Englanders.  It is located in Truro, Massachusetts, which is on the northeast part of Cape Cod, on the way to Provincetown. 

Cape Cod is a Mecca for lighthouse lovers and, of the 14+ lighthouses marking the Cape, Cape Cod Light has the distinction of being the oldest. The lighthouse was erected in 1797 after multiple shipwrecks and numerous fatalities finally prompted congress to designate the $8,000 in funds needed to construct a lighthouse. 

Cape Cod Light was enhanced and ultimately reconstructed over the years and by the 1930’s, it was considered the most powerful lighthouse on the east coast.

By the early 1990s, decades of erosion had eaten away at the coastline putting Cape Cod Light just over 100-feet from falling into the ocean and being lost forever. A committee formed within the Truro Historical Society that raised and received over $1,500,000 in charitable donations, state and federal grants. In July of 1996, the 404-ton, Cape Cod Light was successfully moved 453 feet back from where it once stood.

Congratulations to Alan and Elsie Saylor of Downingtown, PA who are the winners of the $25 gift card.  Their response was randomly selected from 17 correct responses.

USS Long Island - Image from the private collection of Reuben Goossens

We thought that our trivia question, “What is the name of the aircraft carrier that became a cruise ship?”,  would be tough.  Only 5 people responded.  Three people gave the answer that we were looking for which was USS Long Island (aircraft carrier) to M/V Seven Seas (cruise ship).  One person gave the names of two British aircraft carriers which were converted to the Italian liners Sydney and Roma.  This was also a correct answer.  The fifth person gave the name of a ship that began its career as a passenger ship and later became an aircraft carrier for Italy during WW2.  We also put this into the pool of 5 correct answers.

The Long Island was built as a cargo ship at Sun Shipbuilding inChester,PA.  Before completion, she was sent toNorfolk and in 77 days was converted into the United States’ first “baby flattop”.  She served throughout WW2 as an aircraft ferry and as a carrier pilot training ship.  After the war, she was sold for scrap but at the last minute was sold to a Panamanian Company and sent toItalyfor conversion to an immigrant ship carrying passengers from Italy to Australia.

M/S Seven Seas - Image from the private collection of Reuben Goossens

In May of 1953, she was sent to Bremerhaven, Germany were she was completely rebuilt as the M/V Seven Seas.  She sailed for 10 years in the European market.  In 1963, she became a college cruiser with instructors from colleges and universities all over the world.  Her career ended in 1977 when she was sent to Belgium for scrapping.

Congratulations to our gift card winner, Andrea Swierzy of Philadelphia, PA, whose name was randomly drawn from those who responded.

Oceania's Nautica

Oceania Cruises, our most requested deluxe cruiseline, has announced an investment of $50 million to upgrade three of its small cruise ships during a six-week dry dock next year.   The upgrades are expected to transform the suites, staterooms and most public areas by incorporating the best features of Oceania’s newer and larger O-class ships (the Marina and Riviera).

Refurbishments to sister ships Regatta, Insignia and Nautica will include:

– completely new bathrooms in the ships’ Owner’s and Vista suites.

– an overhaul of the casual dining venue, the Terrace cafe, and the addition of the Baristas coffee bar.

– the ships’ only indoor smoking areas will be completely enclosed and an air filtration system added.

– the ships’ restaurants, the Grand Dining Room and Toscana, will be expanded with more tables for two. 

– the Canyon Ranch and Spa Clubs will receive new steam and changing rooms.

The 3 ships are scheduled for dry dock between April 24 and June 6, 2014.  

Oceania Cruises, as well as Azumara Cruises, offer a clear step above the mass market cruise lines with a very moderate extra cost.  In other words, they are a very good value for folks looking for a more upscale experience and who can forego the waterslides and rock climbing walls.

An expose on CNN  showed food being stored in crew staterooms and hallways on board the Silver Shadow while she was  cruising in Alaska.  The media generally accentuates the negatives in any story relating to cruise lines.  However, there are times that the cruise lines are not responsible or forthcoming.  There are times when cruise companies will cut corners to save a buck.  When it doesn’t affect safety or health, it’s no big deal.  For example, we heard that one cruise line stopped putting parsley on potatoes to save money.  This is cheap but no big deal.

However, when food requiring refrigeration is stored in cabins and hallways, a catastrophy is being risked.  Silversea denies that this was a company policy and that it was crew members who were acting inappropriately.

Silversea charges top dollar for their cruises and should be able to afford the refrigertors required to store their food.  The ship will again be inspected but we would not recoomend the Silver Shadow until it has passed several inspections.

We get the Center for Disease Control Vessel Inspection scores and we find that a failure is exceedingly rare.  Most ships score over 95 (out of 100).  Check your ship out at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/.  You’ll see that both Princess and Royal Caribbean had multiple ships that scored a perfect 100.

Recognize this Caryatid?

Caryatid which stands in the British Museum

For last week’s photo contest we asked in which European museum this caryatid is located and where did she originally stand?  Congratulations to Ann Marie Danvers, of Philadelphia, PA,  whose name was randomly selected from the 27 correct responses.

This Caryatid stands as part of the “Elgin Collection” in the British Museum in London.  It was taken from the site of the Acropolis in Athens.  Caryatids are female figures which serve as supports.  This is one of six that held up the roof of the Erectheion (the temple of the Acropolis).

Between 1800 and 1803, G.B. Lusieri, acting on behalf of Lord Elgin, removed this caryatid, which stood second from the left on the front of the south porch.  During the Greek War of Independence (1821-33) the Erectheion was reduced to ruins, although the caryatids survived.  It has since been reconstructed.  The BritishMuseum’s caryatid is better preserved than her sisters, which have now severely weathered.  They have recently been removed to the Acropolis Museum and replaced by casts.*

* Taken from an excerpt of The Elgin Marbles by B.F. Cook

Grandeur of the Seas Docked in Baltimore

The Grandeur of the Seas is cruising again after spending 6 weeks in a shipyard undergoing repairs caused by a fire at the stern of the vessel.  We had the opportunity to visit the ship yesterday and we witnessed first-hand the full range of Oasis type enhancements that were incorporated into the Grandeur’s upgrade in 2012.  The enhancements turned a middle aged lady into a young, vibrant athlete.

Here is a quick summary of the Oasis style changes:

The Grandeur’s Centrum has been designed with an Alice-in-Wonderland type theme.  The Centrum, in addition to being the focal point for passenger services, is used as a unique entertainment hub which includes aerialist performances.

A 220 square foot movie screen provides pool-side entertainment.

The Grandeur’s rugs, bedding and bathrooms are new and modern.

The Grandeur has a Royal Family suite which can accommodate up to 8 guests.

The Grandeur has three specialty restaurants in addition to Chops Grille:

Giovanni's Table - Decorative Wall

Izumi, an Oasis-class Sushi and Asian-fusion cuisine restaurant

Giovanni’s Table, a classic Italian trattoria. We had a wonderful meal here and, because the appetizers were served family-style, we had the opportunity to try delicious dishes that we might not have ordered on our own.

Chef’s Table, an intimate, exclusive gourmet dining experience for a very limited number of guests.

Centrally located panoramic staterooms with over-sized windows were added to Decks 7 and 8. When first introduced, these staterooms were the same price as standard ocean view staterooms, however Royal Caribbean has since discovered the appeal of these staterooms (both in terms of window size and location) and has now moved them to a higher priced category.

The Grandeur hosts a jogging track, rock climbing wall and a state of the art fitness center.

Looking for a cruise on a mid-sized ship that does notrequire air travel?  For those who live on the east coast, Baltimore is a wonderful alternative to (and addition to) Bayonne, Boston New York and the Grandeur of the Seas is a terrific modernized option!

Grandeur's Modern Sink Design

The Grandeur’s Baltimore sailings include a variety of itineraries including 6 and 7-night Bermuda, 7 and 8-night Bahamas and 10-night Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Chops Grille

Chefs Table

Centrum’s Alice in Wonderland Theme