Just Cruises Plus

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced that its Board of Directors approved the adoption of a “Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights” detailing CLIA members’ commitment to the safety, comfort and care of guests in a number of important areas.  This was very likely in response to the last couple of highly publicized cruise ship incidents.  This bill has been accepted by most of the major cruiselines.

INTERNATIONAL CRUISE LINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS

The Members of the Cruise Lines International Association are dedicated to the comfort and care of all passengers on oceangoing cruises throughout the world.  To fulfill this commitment, our Members have agreed to adopt the following set of passenger rights:

1.      The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master’s concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.

2.      The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.

3.      The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.

4.      The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.

5.      The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.

6.      The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.

7.      The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.

8.      The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.

9.      The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.

10.  The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website.

Grandeur of the Seas

Royal Caribbean cancelled the next 6 cruises of the Grandeur of the Seas while she undergoes repairs caused by a fire in the mooring area at the stern of the vessel.  She is currently scheduled to resume cruises from Baltimore July 12th.

Options if you are Booked on a Cancelled Sailing

1. Do Nothing – All payments will be refunded to you via the method that you paid.  For example, if you paid by credit card, your refund will be made to the credit card.  If you paid by check, you will receive a check.  You will also receive a voucher for a future cruise valued at 25% of the price of your original cruise (not including taxes).

2. Re-book – If you want to cruise soon and you re-book a Royal Caribbean cruise before June 12th, Royal Caribbean will move the money that you paid on the original sailing to the new sailing.  They will also apply the voucher to the new cruise.  Any monies owed to you will be refunded.

Crew Lauded

The vast majority of passengers heaped praise on the crew of the Grandeur of the Seas for their professionalism and good humor.   Passengers spent about 4 hours at their muster stations awaiting the news that the fire was put out.  Fortunately, there were no injuries to passengers or crew although there was some medical treatment rendered for symptoms related to anxiety.

Power was Never Lost

There was a vast difference in the experiences of the Grandeur passengers and the passengers who spent many days drifting on the Carnival Triumph.  The difference was power.  The Royal Caribbean ship never lost power and therefore her passenger amenities were not affected.  The Carnival ship’s fire resulted in a near total power loss and therefore passenger comfort suffered greatly.

Galapagos Turtle

The Galapagos National Park has cited Celebrity Xpedition for transportation and storage of 12 kilograms of frozen lobster tails in the Galapagos while out of season. Because of this, Celebrity Xpedition’s license that is necessary to enter the Galapagos National Park has been temporarily suspended by the local authority. As a result, Celebrity has cancelled the June 2 sailing of Celebrity Xpedition whille the licensing issue is resolved.

Update 6/14/13: The June 16th sailing has been cancelled as well

Crown and Anchor members may book cruises on the new Quantum of the Seas beginning on Tuesday May 28th.

– Diamond Members and above may book on Tuesday*

– All other Crown and Anchor members may book on Wednesday*

– Non Members may book beginning  Monday, June 3rd

Call us with your Crown and Anchor number and Credit Card.  Deposit is required at time of booking during the first week.  If you don’t know your Crown and Anchor number, call us and we will get it for you.

The Quantum will offer 4 different itineraries from its homeport, Cape Liberty (Bayonne), NJ.  It’s  first cruise from  will be on November 23rd 2014.

The schedule is not yet official.  Itineraries that we are aware of so far:

12 Night:  Labadee (Private Island); St Marten, St. Kitts, Martinique and Barbados – January 11th, March 1st and April 12th

11 Night:  Labadee, San Juan, St Thomas, St Kitts annd St Marten – December 1st and February 2nd

8 Nights: Labadee, San Juan, Samana (Dominican Republic) – January 3rd and March 21st

7 or 8 Nights:  Labadee, Nassau and Coco Cay – November 23rd, December 12th, December 20th, December 27th, February 13th, March 13th and 29th and April 24th

*Note:  Due to the reciprocity of benefits between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, if you are a Celebrity Captain’s Club member with Elite status, you are automatically considered to be a Diamond member on Royal Caribbean.  If you are a Captain’s Club member with Select status, you are considered to be a Platinum member on Royal Caribbean.

Contest Photo May 17, 2013

For last week’s photo contest, we asked where the pink bus was located. The correct answer was “Bermuda”.  In addition to the “pink” hint, some of you benefited from noticing that the bus driver was sitting on the right side of the bus.  Congratulations to Donna McNelis of Lansdale, PA, whose name was randomly selected from the 47 who responded correctly.

Bermuda’s Public Transportation

Bermuda is one destination where we encourage folks to use the public transportation.   Ferries provide service between Kings Wharf and Hamilton (approximately 20 minutes) and between Kings Wharf and St. George (approximately 45 minutes) with great scenery to view along the way.

As an alternative,  and to experience a more local flavor, regularly scheduled buses operate at frequent intervals to most of the interesting destinations throughout Bermuda.  Bermuda essentially has three major roads:  North, Middle and South and there are buses along each of these.  Buses and bus stops are clearly marked and color coded.

Individual rides can cost up to $4.50 depending on which zone you are traveling to.  If you are making multiple stops, (for example, if you want to visit multiple beaches along South Road)  it’s worth purchasing a day pass.  According to an anticipated spring 2013 fare increase,  the daily pass is expected to be about $15.00 for adults and half that for children 5 and older.  If you buy a pass for multiple days, the cost per day is decreased. Children under 5 are free.  Passes are good for both ferries and buses, so you can take the bus in one direction and then experience the ferry in the other.

Passes are conveniently sold just outside of the cruise terminal at Kings Wharf and in Hamilton.

Contest Photo 4/26/13 - S.S. John W. Brown

The answer to last week’s photo contest question is the S.S. John W. Brown.  The photo was taken of the ship as she was hosting a Project Liberty Ship cruise from Baltimore.  Congratulations to Donna Cunningham of Philadelphia, PA whose name was randomly selected from the four correct responses.

The John W. Brown is one of two surviving Liberty ships out of the 2,710 built during World War II.  The other is the Jeremiah O’Brien, based in San Francisco, California.  During the first few years of World War II, the Allies were losing more than twice as many ships as were being built.  Most of these losses were the result of U boat torpedoes in the Caribbean and Atlantic.  To counteract these unsustainable losses, the Brits and Yanks designed an expendable vessel that could be built cheaply and in great numbers.  Thus, the Liberty ship came into being.  They were built in an average of 6 weeks with the record being less than 5 days.

John W. Brown - on deck

The priority was quantity over quality.  Some were so poorly constructed that they broke in two while at sea.  They were slow and made good targets for U boats. Over 250 Liberty ships were lost during the war.  Their design life was 5 years, so it is a tribute to the men and women who keep the memory alive by the loving care they give to these two surviving septuagenarians.

We cruised for a day on the John W. Brown last year and can tell you that they only thing it had in common with today’s luxury cruise ships was that there was plenty of food.  However, the hot dogs and hamburgers were not served in a splendid dining room with white table cloths and attentive waiters.  They were served buffet style in a converted cargo hold.

If you want to experience hot, visit the engine room where the temperature reaches over 110 degrees.  Watch the massive connection rods as they pound out a rhythm of power.

Japanese World War II vintage aircraft

A highlight of the cruise was the “attack” by several Japanese World War II vintage aircraft and the victory of the American P-51 over these “aggressors”.

Project Liberty Ship will operate 4 special cruises this year from Baltimore.  If you would like to experience one of these “living history” cruises, go to www.liberty-ship.com for dates and rates.

Last week’s trivia question asked: What do Hopalong Cassidy, John Wayne, Judy Garland, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa have in common?

The correct answer is that they all sailed on the SS United States.  Congratulations to Mark Shapiro of Mission Viejo, CA whose name was randomly selected from the eight correct responses.

The SS United States

She was the fastest of her breed.  More than 50 years after breaking the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, the SS United States still represents the epitome of speed at sea.  She routinely “cruised” at 35 miles per hour.  During her record shattering maiden voyage, she averaged 44 miles per hour, so fast that she shed the paint from her bow.  The SS United State’s steam turbines produced twice as much power as the largest cruise ships of today despite being less than half the weight.

The SS United States – Then

A Philadelphia native, William Francis Gibbs, designed the ship to very high military standards (he also designed many ships of the US Navy in WW II).   Subsidized by the US government, the SS United States could be converted to a 15,000 person troopship within 48 hours and was nearly used during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  She plied the Atlantic for 17 years after her maiden trip in 1952 and never experienced a breakdown (listen up Carnival Cruise Line).

Now she is in trouble.  During the last 17 years, this national treasure has been rusting away at a South Philadelphia pier waiting for a knight in shining armor to come to her rescue.  Five years ago, philanthropist H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest gave the United States Conservancy more than 5 million dollars to purchase the ship and find a way of preserving her for future generations.

The SS United States – Now

Now the money is gone and, in a few weeks, this proud example of the genius of American engineering know-how will be become Toyotas and razor blades if she is not thrown a life ring.

Should the ship be saved?  Should the government step in?  We’d like to hear your views.

For years, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas has called Bayonne “home”.  It’s hard to believe, but the Explorer is about to become a teenager.  In November of 2014, the brand new Quantum of the Seas will replace the Explorer in Bayonne.  We first boarded the Explorer 13 years ago; we were wowed by the radically innovative design.  With each new iteration, Royal Caribbean expects ever-bigger WOWS.   Based on the initial reports, the Quantum won’t disappoint. 

Quantum of the Seas' North Star

 North Star.  A capsule that holds up to 13 people is attached to a long arm which raises it  to more than 300 feet above the ocean as it rotates above the ship.  The “ride” is about 15 minutes and is complementary (except for some special occasions).  A definite WOW!

 Rip Cord by iFly   It simulates the experience of sky diving.  A Wind Tunnel keeps you in the air while you “parachute to earth”.  A super WOW!!

 Sea Plex  Bumper cars.  We did the bumper cars along Stillwell Avenue at Coney Island last summer and it was OK but not WOW (the Cyclone is WOW). Maybe if the ship gets rocking and rolling, it will become a WOW.   We’ll wait and see on this one.

 A plus are the larger staterooms.  The standard rooms are 9% larger than their counterparts on the Oasis class ships, which are more than adequate in size and comfort.

 Bookings will open up for Crown and Anchor members on May 27^th.  Non-Crown and Anchor members will be able to reserve rooms on June 1^st.

Contest Photo 3/15/13 - Ortakoy Mosque

Last week, we asked you to name the domed structure shown in the contest photo (on right) and to tell us the city in which it is located.  Congratulations to Alan Heller of Baltimore, MD, whose name was randomly selected from those who answered correctly.

The name of the structure is the Ortakoy Mosque (officially, the “Buyuk Majidiye” Mosque).  And the city, of course, is Istanbul, a city with a “split personality” in more ways than one.  First, it is a city in which the modern and vibrant coexist with a history that goes back over 3000 years.  Second, the city resides in both Europe and Asia.  It is split  by the Bosphorus Straight which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.

Our visit to Istanbul was both adventurous and amazing.  The adventure included a public ferry ride, which zigzaged along the Bosphorus between European and Asian ferry stops.  Although we tried to blend in with the locals, our oohs and ahs must have given us away as tourists and a kind local took us under his wing  and gave a running commentary of the sites we saw along the river, albeit in Turkish.  However, we still appreciated the friendly hospitality and asked for repeat pronunciations of the sites he was naming.

Fishing from the Galata Bridge

Our adventure also included an unsuccessful pickpocket attempt on the Galata bridge  (unsuccessful due to Wayne’s quick reaction to the unfamiliar and unwelcome hand in his pocket) and a mild fender-bender that occurred when a Mercedes Benz cut in front of our Taxi.  Words between the drivers ensued and, because at that point we were a 5-minute walk from our destination, we quickly paid the driver and continued on our way.

While in Istanbul we also visited the amazing historical sites located in the Sultanahmet section of the city.  These included the Topkapi Palace (the sultan and his his harem lived here), the Hagia Sophia (at one time an Eastern Orthodox church, later a mosque and now a museum), the extraordinary and multi-minareted Sultan Ahmed Mosque, (commonly known as the “Blue” mosque due to the blue cast of the intricate tilework on the inside of the mosque).  Our nostrils were delightfully stimulated on our walk through the Egyptian Spice Market.  The Grand Bazaar is a sight to behold but is a bit on the touristy side (practice your negotiating skills).  We ended our stay in Istanbul with dinner and a local street fair in Ortakoy, a neighborhood located on the European bank of the Bosphorus.

If you are cruising to or from Istanbul, consider extending your stay for a few extra days to experince this wonderful city.  See below for a sampling of  photos taken on our trip!

View of the Old City from the Ferry Terminal

Coming Home from Work

Moving Day?

Waiting for the Ferry

Fishing Boats on the Bosphorus

The Egyptian Spice Market

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

Ortakoy Street Fair

Following the loss of power of the Carnival Triumph, we expressed concern about the management team of Carnival Cruise Line but we did suggest that their troubles might be the result of bad luck.  Today, Carnival is faced with two additional mechanical issues which are affecting the vacations of their passengers. 

The Carnival Dream experienced a failure of her backup generators while at a pier in St Martin and the Carnival Legend has a problem with one of her Azipods¹ which necessitated a sharp reduction in the speed of the ship.  The problems with the Dream and the Legend probably would not have made the news had it not been for the far more serious failure of the propulsion system of the Carnival Triumph.

The evidence seems to be building that bad luck is less of an issue than bad management.  We’re coming to the conclusion that the Carnival Corporation is far better at marketing ships than they are in operating ships.  They may be starting to recognize this sad situation since on Tuesday, Carnival announced it was conducting “a comprehensive review” of all 23 of its ships after the fire last month that crippled Triumph in theGulf of Mexico.  Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said the investigation will focus on the prevention, detection and suppression of fires, engine room redundancies, and what additional hotel facilities might be provided and might run off the emergency generators.

This is a much needed step that should have been done years ago.  Should you book a Carnival cruise?  Reality is that the vast majority of Carnival cruises are fun filled and come home with happy passengers.  Carnival is cheaper then the competition so that might be a factor in your decision.  Thus far, no one has been seriously injured as a result of the mechanical failures.  However, there is no denying statistics.  Carnival ships have experienced more mechanical issues than their competitors and we have very serious questions about how Carnival handled the Triumph issue and we think that they were very lucky not to have had serious injuries.

1 Azipods are used in most modern cruise ships.  They are pods that are attached to the ship.  The functions of the propulsion motors, the propellers and the rudder are all part of the Azipod system.