Just Cruises Plus

Artistry II Panorama Suite

If the trend we’ve seen within our business is representative of the travel industry, the demand for river cruising has taken off.  Many of our clients who have enjoyed ocean travel for years are now looking for new adventures on the European rivers.

So we think it’s timely that Avalon Waterways has ordered two more ships for delivery in 2015,   This is in addition to the 3 already on order for delivery in 2014.

The 2015 ships, Avalon Tranquility II and Avalon Tapestry II,  will be similar to the three ships that are to roll out later this year: the Avalon Poetry II, Avalon Illumination and the Avalon Impression.

Avalon introduced it’s first Suite Ships in 2012 and 2013. The vessels offer three passenger decks with a large central lounge, a cozy Club Lounge, outdoor seating areas and a main restaurant.

Avalon says Suites Ship cabins are among the industry’s roomiest, with 80% being either 200-square-foot Panorama Suites or 300-square-foot Royal Suites.

With the addition of the five vessels on order, Avalon will have 10 Suite Ships in its fleet by the end of 2015, all in Europe. They’ll account for 66% of the line’s European capacity.

Holding 128 to 166 passengers, all five of the new ships are part of Avalon’s new Suite Ships class, which feature suites with what the line is calling open-air balconies — extra-large sliding glass doors with seven-foot openings.

We have found that the these rivers crusies fill up early, so whether your looking at the Rhine, the Danube, Rhone or any of the other picturesque European rivers,  take the “early booking” deals – pricing is not likely to improve and many cruises are sold out a year or more in advance.

– Credit for the information in this article goes to Gene Sloan, USA Today/Cruise Log Blog

The Super bowl may be compromised due to the virus that sickened upwards of 600 passengers on the January 21st cruise of the Explorer of the Seas.  That was the opinion of a female passenger expressed in an interview aired by CBS.  The evidence was the fact that the ship docks within a few miles of the stadium.  Obviously the woman’s logic was bizarre at best.   Of course, the news media was on hand like vultures when the ship docked in Bayonne 2 days earlier than scheduled and they eagerly interviewed passengers who sought their moment of fame on the nightly news.  “Cruise from Hell” and “Nightmare cruise” are some of the terms used by news people who have no interest in the truth.

Here’s the real scoop from a passenger who was there.  The illness hit the ship early and hard.  The medical staff was clearly overwhelmed.  Dozens were lined up at the ship’s infirmary and were not seen for hours.  Others elected not to report their illness and to self medicate (Imodium).  People confined to their rooms needed room service but the room service staff was besieged with orders and, despite adding staff, could not keep up with the demand.  These are the people who were understandably very unhappy.

However, the majority of passengers did not become ill and life aboard was relatively normal although ports were missed and a few shows cancelled.  We were one of the lucky ones who did not experience illness.  We can say absolutely that the public rooms including bathrooms were kept spotless by a hard working crew.

For those who became ill, their misery lasted from 1 to 3 days.  Nausea and diarrhea were the main symptoms and those who reported their illness were quarantined for a day after their symptoms subsided.  Most of those who experienced illness had a good time once they became well, thanks to a dedicated crew and officers.  By the end of the cruise, the situation was well in hand. Very few new cases were being reported.

The captain held a meeting with the passengers and was quite up front about the problems encountered by the velocity of the spread of the illness.  He indicated that medical staff as well as Center for Disease Control (CDC) personnel had boarded the ship in San Juan and St Thomas.

The home office of Royal Caribbean did not cover themselves in glory.  They initially offered a less than WOW compensation to passengers which did not even cover the lost days.  A huge number of passengers expressed their strong displeasure at the offer.  Evidently, the captain conveyed the passenger’s unhappiness to the home office because they came back with an offer that was fair and generally accepted.

What did I learn from the experience?  Bring Imodium on a winter cruise and touch as few things as possible.

How should the cruise lines respond to these outbreaks?

Although the Norwalk Virus* is by no means limited to cruise ships (anyone who has lived at a university can attest to this), the cruise lines, in a coordinated and expedited effort, need to collaborate with the CDC to help determine how the illness is spread.

Next, the cruise lines should have a clear advertised policy on what happens when a passenger shows up at the pier for their cruise with an illness.  Currently they ask passengers to fill out a questionnaire about their current health.  I would suggest that most folks would lie rather than be denied boarding.

A plan needs to be developed in those extremely rare instances where illness strikes hundreds of people.  This should include having workers with other jobs be trained to recognize the Norwalk virus and deliver Imodium to the rooms of sick people.

Finally, the cruises lines should offer appropriate compensation when an outbreak occurs that has a significant effect on both sick and well passengers.  Cheapskate offers only alienate people.

What should you know?

The Norwalk virus is a winter malady.  If you are worried, cruise during the other three seasons.

Serious long term illness or death from the Norwalk is exceedingly rare.

Purell is useless against the virus.

Washing hands often will help stop the spread of the virus.

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*Norwalk virus was originally named after Norwalk, Ohio, where an outbreak of acute viral gastroenteritis occurred among children at Bronson Elementary School in November 1968.

Contest Photo 1/12/14

We had a record number of correct answers to last week’s photo contest (photo on right).  In fact, we had no incorrect guesses.  Of course, the correct answer was New Orleans.

The “Big Easy” was originally settled by the Spanish, taken over by the French and finally sold to the US in the Louisiana Purchase.  Africans, both free and slave, were in New Orleans from its earliest days as were Native Americans. With this rich and diverse history, it is no wonder that New Orleans is America’s most unique big city.

Music, food and the Mardi Gras are the life blood of New Orleans and this year’s Mardi Gras is rapidly approaching.  The big day, Fat Tuesday, is on March 4th but the party has already started with the parades beginning on February 15th.

Royal Caribbean, NCL and Carnival all have round-trip sailings from New Orleans at various times of the year.  Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas has a couple of last minute deals worth checking out.

Congratulations to Larry Pollock of Levittown, PA, the winner of our $25 gift card.  His name was randomly selected from the 67 who responded correctly.

More Scenes of New Orleans. . . . .

New Orleans Street Scene

French Market

Jazz-themed Metal Sculpture

New Orleans Street

Egret on Bank of the Mississippi

The Edge of Jackson Square

Celebrity Century

According to French news reports,  Celebrity Cruises’ 1995-built Celebrity Century will be transferred to Croisières de France (CDF), a French cruise line owned and operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises, in 2015.

CDF is currently sailing the Horizon and will temporarily add sister-ship  Zenith to its fleet in 2014 –  both are ex-Celebrity ships.  It is expected the Century will take the place of the Zenith in 2015 at which point the Zenith is assumed to be heading back to Pullmantur, a Spanish cruise line which manages CDF and which is also owned by Royal Caribbean.

With the arrival of the Century, CDF is said to be hoping to spend longer days and overnights in the bigger ports, and plans to make its first foray into Northern Europe, carrying an estimated 120,000 passengers in 2015.

Celebrity has so far offered no comment on these reports.  As of this date, the 1800-passenger Century is scheduled to sail with Celebrity at least until April of 2015 and has itineraries that range from  Caribbean and  Alaska to Australia/New Zealand and the Far East.

During yesterday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade festivities,  Royal Caribbean announced that the Broadway show Mamma Mia will play onboard its next cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas.

The addition of Mamma Mia to Quantum of the Seas follows the trend of adding Broadway shows to cruise ships that Royal Caribbean started when it added Hairspray to Oasis of the Seas followed by Chicago to Allure of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean also offers Saturday Night Fever onboard Liberty of the Seas.

Quantum of the Seas will debut in November 2014 and be based at Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

Celebrity Cruises is overhauling its Captain’s Club loyalty program, in the hopes of making it easier to earn additional perks and adding two elite levels to give top-tier members more to aspire to.

The roll-out for the changes began on November 25th.  Celebrity will be sending notifications to members of the club, which the cruise line says has about 2 million active participants.

Current Structure vs New Structure

The current structure is based on the number of sailings a member accumulates.  So, for example,  it takes 10 credits to reach Elite status.  Credits can be earned by taking a cruise, by staying in a concierge-level suite or by taking a sailing of 12 nights or more.

With the new structure, the system will change to one based on cabin category, multiplied by cruise nights.  For example, an interior cabin will earn two points per night, while a penthouse suite is worth 18 points, so the difference between these two categories on a a 7-night cruise would be 14 vs. 126 points.

Celebrity is also adding two more tiers, Elite Plus and Zenith, which will require more points and provide more perks.  Some existing Elite members will automatically be enrolled in Elite Plus, however very few will graduate initially to Zenith.  Elite status will require 300 points, Elite Plus 750 points and Zenith level will start at 3000 points.   There are many new perks but the biggest one is a free cruise to Bermuda or the Caribbean for Zenith level.

It is important to note that no one will go backward in status as the points system changes.   There will be no fees in the program and points will never expire.

Contest Photo 11/15/13

In last week’s photo contest, twelve of you correctly guessed that the location of the contest photo  (shown at right) was Kotor, Montenegro.   The winner of our $25 gift card is Edward Korte, of Weaverville, NC, whose name was randomly selected from those who responded correctly

If you are on a Mediterranean or Adriatic itinerary, consider it a bonus to have the picturesque town of Kotor as one of your ports of call.  Located on a beautiful bay on the coast of Montenegro, Kotor is a city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the old city was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and is filled with medieval architecture.

The bay is the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular.

Here are some additional views of Kotor.

Spectacular Coastline View

Approaching the Port

Kotor up close with mountainous backdrop

Architecture of Kotor

Ship Size Matters

In January, there will be a limit on the number of ships over 40,000 tons that will be allowed in Venice Lagoon. 

After November 2014, no cruise ships over 90,000 tons will be allowed in the lagoon.  Officials expect that large ships will be rerouted through the Contorta Saint’ Angelo Canal which is further away from the most visited parts of the city.

If Venice is high on your list of places to see while on a cruise, this may be the last year that you will have a wide choice of ships and cruise lines that offer convenient access to the city.

Last week, we asked you to respond with the one glaring error in the following paragraph:

The Ridgefield was a true tramp steamer.  She was originally built as a World War 2 cargo ship and changed owners and names several times.  She was one of 2710 Liberty ships built during the war.   On a frigid December night in 1962, the Ridgefield was sailing toward Galveston, Texas with a load of grain and beer when she struck a shallow reef off of the East end of the island.  She has been a permanent resident of Grand Cayman ever since.  The ship is still there but time and weather have taken their toll on the wreck and the bow and stern are pretty much gone –  but parts of the ship can still be seen.  However, we don’t know if the beer is still there.

What was the glaring error?  There are no frigid nights in Grand Cayman, even in December.   The lowest temperature ever recorded in Grand Cayman is 52 degrees Farenheit.  The average daily high in December is 84 F with an average low of 72F.

We receved 12 responses to this challenge.  Congratulations to Ken Young of Frederick, MD, the winner of the $25 gift card, whose name was randomly drawn from the correct responses.

Contest Photo - SS Ridgefield

Last week’s photo contest was a tough one.  Only 2 people correctly identified the island (Grand Cayman)and only one correctly identified the ship (SS Ridgefield).  We took the photograph 30 years ago while visiting Grand Cayman.  We rented a moped and rode to the East end of the island and came upon the rusted old Liberty ship.

The Ridgefield was a true tramp steamer.  She was originally built as a World War 2 cargo ship and changed owners and names several times.  She was one of 2710 Liberty ships built during the war.   On a frigid December night in 1962, the Ridgefield was sailing toward Galveston, Texas with a load of grain and beer when she struck a shallow reef off of the East end of the island.  She has been a permanent resident of Grand Cayman ever since.  The ship is still there but time and weather have taken their toll on the wreck and the bow and stern are pretty much gone –  but parts of the ship can still be seen.  However, we don’t know if the beer is still there.

The winner is Rocky Cestroni who will receive a $25 gift card.  This brings us to next week’s contest.  There is one glaring error in the above paragraphs.  Can you identify the error?  Those who email (or call) us with the correct answer by Thursday, October 24th will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

PS. If you would like a daysail on a real World War Liberty ship,  Check out the website for Project Liberty Ship.