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Cruise News 12/26/00

Happy Holidays.

It has been a week since the SeaBreeze (originally Costa's Fredrico C. of 1958) sank in 4,300 feet of water off the Virginia coast, and it is still not clear why an old but seemingly seaworthy ship sank in rough weather. In case you missed it, 34 crewmen were rescued from the 20,416 ton cruise ship by a pair of U.S. Coast Guard helicopters after the ship's captain radioed that the ship was in trouble and taking on water.

While the sea conditions were severe, with 20-30 foot waves and 40 mph winds at the time of the rescue, the conditions by themselves should not have been able to cause the sinking of the 606 foot vessel. The ship had been recently inspected by U.S. and Canadian authorities and was found to be in good condition. A spokesman for the ship's owner, Cruise Ventures III, said Monday he didn't know why the ship went down. Cruise Ventures III is a subsidiary of DLJ Capital Funding in New York which took possession of the ship after Premier Cruises was shut down by DLJ in September.

Because the ship was in international waters at the time of the sinking, it will be Panama's responsibility to investigate the incident. Panamanian authorities arrived in North Carolina last week to begin interviewing crew members. So far details about the exact cause of the sinking remain sketchy. Early reports indicate that when requesting assistance the captain reported that something "had broken loose in the engine room" which caused the ship to begin taking on water. Why the watertight doors were unable to limit the flooding is not yet clear. Stay tuned for updates as the investigation continues.

In other Premier related news, it is expected that the Oceanic (formerly Big Red Boat) will return to service from South Florida in the near future. Imperial Majesty, which currently operates the former Premier ship OceanBreeze is said to be currently negotiating the purchase of the Oceanic.

In the meantime, the trouble-plagued Edinburgh Castle (Big Red Boat II) is scheduled to arrive in Port Everglades this Thursday to undergo a USCG inspection prior to her entering service for Imperial Majesty who will take her under short term charter until they can take delivery of the Oceanic.

Passengers on board Costa's CostaRiviera forced the cancellation of an 11-day Mediterranean cruise Tuesday after the stench of sewage made dozens of cabins aboard the ship uninhabitable. Approximately 70 passengers left the ship in Naples because of the smell. The CostaRiviera had left from Savona, Italy on Sunday after four weeks in dry dock and was on a cruise with stops scheduled for Egypt, Israel and Greece.

In a statement, Costa said it would refund the cost of the voyage, fly the passengers home and give them a 50 percent discount on a future cruise. The company, which is owned by Carnival Corporation and is Italy's largest cruise line, said it "deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests."

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) reported net income of $193.8 million on revenues of $850.3 million for its fourth quarter ended November 30, 2000, compared to net income of $251.0 million on revenues of $791.2 million for the same quarter in 1999.

Net income for the year ended November 30, 2000, was $965.5 million on revenues of $3.78 billion, compared to net income of $1.03 billion on revenues of $3.5 billion for the same period in 1999.

The company's cruise operating income increased in the fourth quarter of 2000 to $187.2 million from $174.1 million in last year's fourth quarter. Commenting on cruise operating results, Carnival Corporation Chairman and CEO Micky Arison noted that, "Despite continued pressure on cruise pricing, resulting in slightly lower net revenue yields, and higher fuel costs, we were still able to grow our cruise operating earnings during the fourth quarter."

Arison also noted that while fiscal 2000 brought many challenges to Carnival Corporation, the company also had many significant accomplishments that will strengthen its business in future years. "During 2000, we introduced several new ships into service, carried a record number of cruise guests, significantly expanded our European presence and accelerated our shipbuilding program in two strategic areas."

During fiscal 2000, the company's cruise brands introduced an unprecedented four new cruise ships -- Costa's 2,112-passenger Costa Atlantica, Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory, and Holland America Line's 1,380-passenger Amsterdam and 1,440-passenger Zaandam.

Also during the year, the company carried a record 2.7 million guests, a 12.8 percent increase over fiscal 1999, and increased occupancy levels to 105.4 percent from 104.3 percent in 1999. "Cruising enjoys the highest satisfaction rating within the vacation industry and exposing so many people to our brands' vacation experiences has long-term benefits for growing our base of future cruise guests," Arison noted.

Arison stated that Carnival continued to execute its strategy to increase its presence in the fast-growing European cruise marketplace. During the fourth quarter of 2000, the company purchased the remaining 50 percent interest in Costa Crociere, Europe's leading cruise company. After the acquisition, the company significantly accelerated its development plans for Costa beyond its contract for a 2,100-passenger sister ship to the Costa Atlantica by signing a letter of intent for the construction of two 2,700-passenger vessels for delivery in November 2003 and October 2004. In addition, the company recently announced the transfer of Carnival Cruise Lines' 1,022-passenger Tropicale to the Costa fleet, which, after a major refit, will begin operating in the European market in late spring 2001.

"The acquisition of Costa, combined with the expansion of Costa's development plans, demonstrates our belief in the growth potential of the European marketplace and our commitment to expanding our presence in this very important market," Arison said, noting that Costa's European cruise business has experienced significant revenue yield growth during fiscal 2000.

Disney Cruise Line has announced that Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper, co-hosts of television's film review series "Ebert & Roeper and the Movies," will host Disney's first-ever film festival aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship, Feb. 1-4, 2001.

In addition to all of the programs and activities offered on board the Disney Wonder, guests who book the film festival package will enjoy meeting Ebert and Roeper at the first night's dinner, screening three films hand-picked for this cruise by the popular duo and participating in question and answer sessions throughout the three-night sailing.

Screenings and question and answer sessions are scheduled to take place at the 290-seat Buena Vista Theatre, a full-screen cinema with Dolby Sound on Deck 5. The cinema is home to screenings of first-run Disney films and animated classics that are shown to Disney Cruise Line guests day and date with their release in land-based theaters nationwide.

Crystal Cruises has set 2002 cruise destinations for Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony. The worldwide roster of cruises features 55 sailings, ranging in length from nine to 100 days, calling in 152 different ports.

New for 2002 will be a return to China and Japan after a three-year absence, more Baltic Sea cruises than ever before, an all-British Isles cruise, a Gulf of Alaska voyage, two winter holiday sailings round-trip from US domestic ports, and the ultimate Crystal voyage -- a 100-day World Cruise, sailing round-trip from Los Angeles.

The 55 sailings slated for 2002 feature 14 maiden calls: Hayman Island, Australia; Seoul, Korea; Londonderry, Ireland; Stornoway, Scotland; Thessaloniki, Greece; Dutch Harbor and Kodiak, Alaska; Hakodate, Otaru, Sendai, and Shimizu, Japan; Monterey, California and Wake Island.

Crystal Harmony will begin 2002 with two Panama Canal itineraries, followed by a series of South America cruises, featuring an overnight stay in Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval, a voyage around Cape Horn and a call in the remote Falkland Islands. The luxury liner will cross the Pacific in early spring where she'll remain throughout the season. Highlights include Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, Japan; and Shanghai, Dalian, Qingdao and Beijing, China. In conjunction with these cruises, Crystal offers a complimentary three-night pre- or post-cruise program in Beijing showcasing the Forbidden City, Tian An Men Square, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Sacred Alley, and a private dinner at the Great Hall of the People.

Crystal Harmony will leave the Orient and sail to Seward, Alaska to launch her summer Alaska season, consisting of three different itineraries, and six round-trip San Francisco voyages. The ship will sail the Panama Canal, Caribbean and Mexico for the remainder of the year.

A Panama Canal Cruise will start the winter schedule for Crystal Symphony, followed by her seventh consecutive World Cruise, the "Grand Pacific Circle," on a new route round-trip from Los Angeles to the four continents bordering the Pacific. She'll spend late spring through fall cruising Western Europe and the Mediterranean including a "best of Italy" itinerary, a return to Dubrovnik, and a French Riviera sailing; the Baltic Sea, featuring an overnight in St. Petersburg on every cruise; and the British Isles. Crystal Symphony will also finish the year in the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera.

An eight-page 2002 Cruise Guide including full itineraries and pricing will be available in January. This is Crystal Cruises' first publication of all 2002 itineraries. The annual 108-page cruise Atlas for 2002 will be available in early 2001.

As construction continues for the May debut of Golden Princess, Princess Cruises has announced the senior officer team that will lead the ship's bridge, technical and hotel departments. The vessel, a sister ship to the company's Grand Princess, is currently under construction at Fincantieri shipyards in Monfalcone, Italy, and will debut with 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises running through the summer.

Captain Bernie Warner, currently captain aboard Grand Princess, will command the new vessel. Chief Technical Officer will be Piero Ferrero, an 18-year Princess employee. Martin Ford will serve as Passenger Services Director, a position he currently holds aboard Grand Princess. Cruise Director will be Alastair Greener, who currently serves in the same capacity aboard Grand Princess. Geraldine Salmon will serve as Senior Doctor, a position she recently held aboard Sky Princess until its recent transfer to P&O Australia.

Staff Captain will be Angelo Vago. He began his career at sea with Sitmar Cruises in 1987. Lauro Crispi will serve as Staff Purser Food & Beverage. Crispi began his cruise career with Sitmar in 1970. Staff Engineer Officer will be Carlo Febbraro. David Thomas will be Staff Electro Technical Officer.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
During warm weather duty in the 20's and 30's swimming pools suddenly appeared on the decks of transatlantic liners. How were these temporary pools constructed?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question -The freighter Free State Mariner became a popular cruise ship after being rebuilt in 1952. What was her name after the conversion and what was her primary itinerary?

Answer - This ship was and is now as Monterey (now MSC) and was meant to be on the Hawaii cruise run. courtesy of Johan Coeman

Cruise News 12/18/00

Now defunct Premier Cruise Lines' SeaBreeze (originally Costa's Fredrico C. of 1958) sank this week off the coast of Virginia. The SeaBreeze, which is owned by International Shipping Partners of Miami, was about 200 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia when the first distress calls were received by the Coast Guard around 11:00 am Sunday. In response, two Coast Guard HH-60 helicopters and two C-130 Hercules aircraft were dispatched to the scene. In extremely difficult and dangerous conditions the helicopters rescued 34 crew members off the distressed 600-foot Panamanian-flagged passenger vessel which had begun taking on water at about 1:15 p.m. on Sunday. In 25-foot seas and 20-30-knot winds, the first HH-60 on scene airlifted an amazing 26 survivors into an aircraft designed to carry 6-10 passengers, and the second helicopter lifted eight people from the sinking Sea Breeze I about 200 miles east of Cape Charles, Va.

The Coast Guard's plan had been to retrieve 17 crewmen with each helicopter but when the basket from the first helicopter was lowered to the deck of the pitching ship, it was swarmed by panicked crewman. Petty Officer Darren Reeves who was lowered with the basket, was able to restore a sense of order and the evacuation proceeded at a rapid pace as the helicopter pilot ordered more and more crewman were hoisted from the floundering vessel.

The crew members were taken to Oceana Naval Air Base where Virginia Beach EMS and Naval Air Station Oceana Fire & Rescue officials treated them for mild hypothermia. One crew member was taken to Virginia Beach General for an unknown cardiac condition. The SeaBreeze departed departed Halifax, Nova Scotia and stopped in Boston before heading for Charleston, S.C. The crew members were of mixed nationalities including Greek, Filipino, Indonesian, Nicaraguan and Guatemalan. All aircraft involved in this rescue are based in Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.

A Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., C-130 Hercules airplane that flew over the site of the sunk passenger vessel confirmed that the vessel is not a hazard to navigation in 4,300 feet of water and there were no reports of an environmental impact. The crew did find a large debris field consisting of tables, chairs, lifeboats and life rafts approximately 290 nautical miles east of Cape Charles, Va.

By Monday all but one crewman had been released from the hospital. Monday afternoon the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Hampton Roads received a request from the lead investigating agency, the Panama Maritime authority, to assist in an investigation into the cause of the sinking.

Royal Caribbean International's Sovereign of the Seas was forced to make an unscheduled stop at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at approximately 8:30 a.m. Sunday, to end its cruise due to a partial loss of electrical power at approximately 11:30 p.m. EST Saturday night. The ship was originally scheduled to end its cruise at 9 a.m. Sunday morning in Port Canaveral.

"All of our guests and crew are safe and comfortable," said Jack Williams, president of Royal Caribbean International. "Our decision to divert the ship to Port Everglades was made to minimize any inconvenience to our guests."

The ship, with 2,478 guests and 920 crew members, was approximately 50 miles east of Fort Lauderdale when an electrical transformer on the port side of the ship failed, disrupting the distribution of power to certain areas of the ship. In spite of the failure, the ship has three of its six diesel generators functioning, as well as two of its four main engines and its emergency generators.

Guests were transported back to Port Canaveral where the cruise originated on Thursday, December 14. The three-night cruise stopped in Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday and Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay, Bahamas, on Saturday.

Crystal Cruises is going around the world in a new direction in 2002. For the first time ever, the line has set a round-trip Los Angeles itinerary to the four continents bordering the Pacific for its annual World Cruise. The new 100-day "Grand Pacific Circle" voyage -- the ultimate cruise opportunity in Crystal's repertoire -- will depart Jan. 17, 2002 and call in 33 ports in 20 countries in North and South America, Australia and Asia.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. last week announced it had received an extension on its options to purchase a fifth and sixth ship within its new Radiance class. The extension was provided by the Meyer Werft shipyard of Papenburg, Germany, builder of the Radiance-class ships. The options have been extended to June 27, 2001. The option for the fifth Radiance-class ship was to have expired Monday of this week, while the option for the sixth ship would have expired upon delivery of the first Radiance-class ship, in March 2001.

The extension provides Royal Caribbean more time to consider the purchase of the two additional ships, which are scheduled to be delivered in 2005 and 2006.

In an unprecedented move, Cunard Line has announced that guests who sail aboard the line's Queen Elizabeth 2 or Caronia during 2001 will be granted an exclusive, month-long "Patrons' Preview" of Inaugural Season passages aboard Queen Mary 2, due to be completed in late 2003.

Names of guests sailing on either of the company's existing liners in the coming year will be kept, and a private catalogue of QM2's inaugural season sailings will be sent to them in advance of its publication. They will have a 30-day period in which to reserve their choices of departures and accommodations before the ship is opened to public sale. Guests who have already booked or who book on QE2's 2002 World Cruise by December 31, 2001, will likewise enjoy the exclusive privilege.

In a working partnership between Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and the Finnish marine power systems supplier Wartsila Corporation, the new 86,000-ton cruise ship "Carnival Spirit" will be fitted with the cruise industry's first smokeless diesel engines.

The "Carnival Spirit," the first ship in a new class for Carnival Cruise Lines, is currently under construction at Kvaerner Masa-Yards Inc. and is expected to enter service in late spring 2001. Its inaugural season will include two Panama Canal sailings, a series of Alaska and Hawaii voyages, and a new eight-day schedule from Miami.

Initially, two of the ship's six Wartsila 9L46D engines will be modified with the new "smokeless" engine technology. The new modified engines represent the culmination of a year-long project between Carnival and Wartsila to develop a new "earth-friendly" power system, dubbed project EnviroEngine. The modified engines, part of a diesel-electric propulsion system, represent one of the most environmentally friendly power plants ever made available for cruise ships, exceeding the international standards for emissions set out in MARPOL Annex VI.

"We are very pleased to install these state-of-the-art engines in the 'Carnival Spirit' and look forward to the many environmental benefits provided by this important new technology. Carnival's cooperation and support has been very important to us," said Ole Johansson, President and CEO of Wartsila Corporation.

The two Wartsila 46 EnviroEngines use a common rail fuel injection system which enables injection pressures to be kept sufficiently high at all engine speeds -- even at the lowest levels -- to ensure clean combustion with no visible smoke emissions. The EnviroEngines will be particularly beneficial for use in port, as they produce no visible emissions even when lightly loaded for producing energy for lighting, air conditioning and other hotel systems.

The EnviroEngine design is expected to be used for other vessels currently under construction, including 86,000-ton ships by Carnival Cruise Lines and for sister companies Holland America and Costa. Existing ships can be refitted by replacing the current fuel injection pumps with common rail components.

Crystal Cruises announces that its parent company, NYK, has signed a contract today with French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique for the construction of a new luxury ship. The contract signing comes just five weeks after the formal Letter of Intent and establishes a June 2003 delivery date, almost six months ahead of original plans enabling the vessel to be operational for the summer season.

"It is with great pride that we order a new ship for Crystal Cruises. Over the last few years, the line has achieved a high degree of recognition in the luxury cruise market. As we look to the future, cruising will be one of NYK's core businesses in the 21st century," said Jiro Nemoto, chairman of NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) shipping company at the signing ceremony in Tokyo.

At its current capacity of 1,880 berths (940 each on Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony), Crystal Cruises is the largest luxury cruise operator in the industry. The yet-unnamed 68,000-ton, 1,080-guest ship will increase the line's capacity by almost 60%.

In other Crystal news, the cruise line announced that Crystal Symphony's seventh consecutive World Cruise will blend a mix of new ports with cosmopolitan, exotic, and historic destinations. In all, from Los Angeles, the itinerary includes Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; Valparaiso and Easter Island, Chile; Pitcairn Island; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Papeete and Moorea, Tahiti; Raratonga, Cook Islands; Nuku'alofa, Tonga; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Hayman Island, Cairns and Darwin, Australia; Bali and Semarang, Indonesia; Singapore; Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, China; Seoul, South Korea; Hiroshima, Osaka, Yokohama and Shimizu, Japan; Oahu, Maui and San Francisco, and returns to Los Angeles.

Crystal Symphony's "Grand Pacific Circle" features nine maiden calls for the luxury vessel: Valparaiso, Hayman Island, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Hiroshima, Osaka, Yokohama and Shimizu.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
The freighter Free State Mariner became a popular cruise ship after being rebuilt in 1952. What was her name after the conversion and what was her primary itinerary?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Name the former Holland America liner that along with QE2 ended up being one of last two passenger ships to cross the Atlantic on a regular basis. What was her name when she was retired in 1988 and whom did she sail for?

Answer - The last transatlantic liner to sail along with QE2 was HAL's Maasdam of 1952. She became the Stefan Batory of Polish Ocean Lines running mainly between Canadian ports and Gdansk. courtesy of Dirk van Heiningen

Cruise News 12/11/00

If you ever wondered how serious Carnival Cruise Lines is about enforcing the no smoking policy aboard their MS Paradise, the cruise industry's first smoke free cruise ship, the answer is "very serious". According to syndicated travel columnist Eileen Ogintz (Taking the Kids), since the Paradise entered service in November of 1998, an average of four to six people per month are fined and sent home for violating the line's no-smoking policy.

Each passenger who books passage on the Paradise must sign a contract prior to boarding the ship that promises they will abide by the no-smoking policy. The following is a summary of the policy:

“Smoking on board the Paradise will not be allowed anywhere, at any time. Possession of smoking materials on board will be deemed a violation of this policy. Please refer to clause 6(c) of your ticket contract for full details on this policy. Please be advised that violation of the non-smoking policy may result in your debarkation at Carnival's sole discretion. In this event, there will be no refund, our Vacation Guarantee will not apply, and any additional costs incurred will be the guest's sole responsibility. Additionally, as set forth in the ticket contract, the guest will be held responsible for liquidated damages in the amount of $250 for violating any aspect of the non-smoking policy. Liquidated damages and repatriation expenses (including airfare) will be assessed automatically to your on-board account for violation of this policy.”

Once on board, security personnel and ship staff monitor passenger activity to ensure that no one lights up anywhere on board the ship. Any cigarettes or cigars uncovered during baggage x-rays are confiscated for the remainder of the cruise.

If after all that a passenger is discovered smoking, as per the cruise line's policy they are fined $250 and escorted ashore by security personnel at the next port of call. From there, it is the passenger's responsibility to find their own way home. According to Carnival President Bob Dickinson, the strict policies and penalties are necessary to "...to effectively insure that the integrity of the smoke-free environment is maintained"

If you have an opinion about Carnival's no smoking policy, stop by Cruise Talk at - http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/cruisetalk/ - and share your views with fellow cruise passengers.

In other Carnival news, Carnival Corporation announced that its Carnival Cruise Lines unit will transfer its 1,022-passenger Tropicale to sister company Costa Cruises in February 2001. The move comes as Carnival and other cruise lines in North America struggle with low stock prices and low ticket prices for cruises in the Caribbean. The lower prices are blamed partly on the unprecedented number of new ships and berths which have entered service over the past year. The transfer of the Tropicale to Costa will shift approximately 2 percent of Carnival's capacity out of North America and will reduce the region's overall expected capacity increase in 2001 to 9.5 percent from 10.2 percent.

Prior to its delivery to Costa, the 36,674-ton vessel will complete its current schedule of 10-day Panama Canal cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which end Feb. 10, 2001. After that, Costa will immediately reposition the Tropicale to Genoa, Italy, for an extensive refurbishment and refit before placing the vessel into European service. Once the work is complete, the vessel will assume the physical characteristics and on-board ambiance of a typical Costa ship.

"We've said all along that Costa will be our primary platform for expanding our European business and the transfer of the Tropicale is consistent with that strategy," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation chairman and CEO.

As a result of its transfer to Costa, the Tropicale will not operate its two- and three-day Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla., scheduled to begin March 26, 2001. Guests booked on those cruises are being contacted by Carnival and will be offered full refunds plus a $100 per cabin future cruise certificate redeemable on any of the line's three-, four- or five-day voyages in 2001.

The Tropicale entered service in 1982 as the first new cruise ship built in nearly a decade and served as the prototype on which Carnival's three "Holiday-class" vessels were based. Many of the Tropicale's features, such as Carnival's trademark red, white and blue winged funnel and some of the largest cabins in contemporary cruising, are employed in the line's new ship projects today.

Following a review of their Alaska itineraries for the 2001 season, when Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will bring five ships to Southeast Alaska, plus offer a new rail service, the two lines have decided to cancel their calls to Haines, beginning in 2001, to offset rising operating costs. They will continue to offer shore excursions that showcase Haines, however, and will continue to work with many long-time local partners.

Starting in 2001, shore excursions to Haines will be staged from nearby Skagway. The specifics of the shore-excursion packages have not been finalized yet.

The elimination of Haines as a port of call was an economic decision for the two cruise brands. Rising fuel costs have forced the lines to evaluate several ports of call, which were not fuel-efficient. By bypassing Haines and heading straight from Skagway to Juneau, for example, a ship can slow its speed considerably and consume far less fuel.

"We routinely evaluate our ports and itineraries for operating efficiencies and customer satisfaction. This decision was purely an economic one," said Royal Caribbean President Jack Williams.

"Royal Caribbean and Celebrity remain committed to the people and community of Haines," added Celebrity President Richard Sasso. "We will continue to work with several of our long-time partners to offer shore- excursions and will honor our pledge to complete the baseball field for Haines residents."

Haines has been a port of call for the Royal Caribbean brand since 1990.

United States Lines' first ship, the 1,212-passenger ms Patriot, arrived in its home port of Honolulu, Oahu, last Thursday as the newest and largest cruise vessel dedicated to sailing among the Hawaiian Islands year-round.

A Christening Ceremony was held last Friday, December 8th where Maggie Inouye, wife of Senator Daniel Inouye, officially dedicated the ship. During the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle on the vessel's hull, thousands of orchid and rose blossoms were dropped from a helicopter onto the ship. Other highlights of the ceremony included the blowing of a conch shell, a Hawaiian chant, presentation of colors and rifle salute by the King's Guard, singing of the Hawaiian National Anthem, and dockside entertainment by local dancers and musicians including the Royal Hawaiian Band and Moana Chang.

On Saturday, December 8th the vessel began a series of 7-night cruises that depart from Honolulu to Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; and Kona, Hawaii; and return to Honolulu.

Royal Olympic Cruises newest flagship, Olympic Voyager. arrived in Port Everglades, Florida last week for a maiden call in the United States. With the ability to travel comfortably at speeds as high as 28 knots, Olympic Voyager is the fastest ship of its class in the world. The ship's high speed, which the cruise line attributes to its proprietary Fast Monohull design, enables the Olympic Voyager to offer destination focused itineraries in the Mediterranean and South America.

During its inaugural summer season beginning June 24, 2000, Olympic Voyager offered 7-day itineraries to three continents (Europe, Africa, Asia), and visiting Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. For its inaugural winter season, Olympic Voyager will be the only ship to sail round trip cruises from Ft. Lauderdale to South America, introducing a series of four 17-day round trip cruises to the Amazon, and three 12-day Orinoco cruises round trip from Ft. Lauderdale. In addition, Olympic Voyager will sail two 11-day Maya cruises that includes a complimentary full-day tour to spectacular Chichen Itza for all passengers.

Olympic Voyager is the first newbuild for Royal Olympic Cruises and the first new cruise vessel in a decade to fly the Greek flag. The 25,000-ton, 836-passenger ship was built by Blohm + Voss GmbH Shipyard in Hamburg.

Princess has raised the surcharge from $3.50 to $15.00 for passengers wishing to dine in the Grand Princess' alternative dining room Sabatini's. The surcharge to dine in the Painted Desert remains $3.50. According to Princess, the increase is corresponds to an upgrade in the menu offerings in Sabatini's.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Name the former Holland America liner that along with QE2 ended up being one of last two passenger ships to cross the Atlantic on a regular basis. What was her name when she was retired in 1988 and whom did she sail for?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What was the name of the last cruise ship to sail the Haifa to New York route for Israel's Zim lines?

Answer - The last Zim ship to sail from Haifa to NYC was the Shalom, which is now the laid up Regent Sun. courtesy of Drodstein@aol.com

Cruise News 12/04/00

A report into last year's collision between NCL's Norwegian Dream and a cargo ship in the English Channel was released this week. The report concluded that the Nowegian ship and the officer on watch duty at the time of the accident were at fault. According to the report, the cruise ship "had a duty to keep out of the way in the encounter with the Ever Decent and the actions which she took did not avoid a collision"

The watch officer was distracted and "failed to appreciate at an early stage that a risk of collision was developing". The report also suggested that the array of sophisticated equipment on the bridge of the 'Dream' made matters worse for the harassed watch officer by causing 'information overload'. Both ships were severely hampered in taking avoiding action by other vessels around them. The report said that the Ever Decent's actions were not without fault, she could have done more.

The cruise ship captain , who had not visited the bridge for 5 hours, is criticised for not putting extra officers on duty on the bridge. The captain failed to realise the heavy burden on the watch officer, in this crowded shipping channel.

Following a $21 million refurbishment, flying the U.S. flag and staffed with an American crew, United States Lines' first ship, the 1,212-passenger ms Patriot, departed San Francisco on Dec. 2, 2000, and is journeying across the Pacific Ocean to launch 7-night cruises of the Hawaiian Islands. The ms Patriot is the newest and largest ship dedicated to cruising the Hawaiian Islands year-round.

The ship is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu, Oahu, on Thursday, Dec. 7. On Saturday, Dec. 9, it will launch weekly cruises that sail from Honolulu to Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; and Kona, Hawaii, before returning to Honolulu.

The Patriot got off to a bit of a rough start last week when pre-inaugural events scheduled to be held onboard the ship while visiting San Francisco were unexpectedly cancelled when improvements to the ship's fire suppression system took longer to complete than expected.

"The introduction of the ms Patriot to America is an exciting occasion for our company, and one that expands consumers' leisure travel options," said Philip C. Calian, chief executive officer, American Classic Voyages Co. (Nasdaq: AMCV), parent company of United States Lines. "The ship's comprehensive Island Explorations program will provide 80 ways to explore Hawaii, one of the world's most popular vacation destinations."

New ship features include a Hawaii Destination Learning Center, innovative children's and teen's activity centers, and upgraded conference and meeting facilities.

The ms Patriot is the first in a fleet that represents new beginnings for the U.S. cruise industry. AMCV has under construction two 1,900-passenger cruise ships -- the largest ever built in an American shipyard and the first in more than 40 years. The ships are scheduled to enter service in Hawaii for United States Lines in 2003 and 2004.

Royal Caribbean International announced a new dining option that allows children enrolled in the line's Adventure Ocean program to dine with their favorite youth staff. "We are committed to providing guests of all ages with a great variety of choices, designed to enhance their cruise vacation experience," said Dan Hanrahan, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. "Adults cruising with children will now have an opportunity to enjoy dinner with or without their young family members."

The specialty children's dining program, designed with a complete child's menu, is available in the Windjammer Cafe, Solarium or Johnny Rockets restaurant from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Some ships will provide table-service and others will offer a buffet. The number of youth staff dinners will vary with the length of the cruise.

Approximately 120,000 children sail each year on Royal Caribbean's ships. The Adventure Ocean youth program began 13 years ago, and features highly trained youth staff who provide parents the freedom to enjoy their cruise by entertaining their children with fun and educational activities.

The free program, described as "Edu-tainment," or educational entertainment, blends make-believe, educational activities, daily itineraries, ports of call, ocean and land habitats visited on each voyage, games, individual and team sports, art, performance and a general good time into a unique onboard experience for children, teens and parents.

The late-Premier Cruise Line's Seabreeze (originally Costa's FEDERICO C) was sold last Friday by sealed bid to a NYC merchant bank for $1.75 million. The ship's creditors were disappointed as they claim the price is $250,000 less than her appraised price. It is not clear whether the ship will re-enter service or has been sold to be scrapped.

Silversea Cruises and international boutique hotel association Relais & Chateaux announced plans last week for an exclusive alliance featuring a signature collection of land programs, culinary cruises, and reciprocal marketing benefits. This partnership between one of the world's leading small ship cruise line and the association of some of the world's most intimate and distinctive hotels and restaurants includes a customized collection of pre- and post-cruise land programs linking some of Relais & Chateaux's worldwide properties together with Silversea's global itineraries. Discussions are currently underway and plans for developing these specially tailored land programs will be a main focus of the Silversea/Relais & Chateaux relationship in 2001.

A cornerstone of the alliance will also be the culinary program found aboard the ships of Silversea featuring the critically acclaimed chefs of Relais Chateaux - Relais Gourmands. Rising stars of the culinary world will join Silversea's award-winning team of chefs to offer entertaining and educational cooking demonstrations, host shopping tours in local markets around the world (where feasible), and create La Collection du Monde, a sampling of specialty dishes to be featured regularly on all Silversea cruises. Additionally, visiting chefs will showcase the favorite dishes from their respective Relais & Chateaux - Relais Gourmands restaurants the world over.

Princess Cruises recently presented the line's first Alaska shore excursion awards – Tour Guide of the Season and Shore Excursion of the Season – at ceremonies aboard each of the company's ships deployed in Alaska. The awards, which are based on customer feedback throughout the season, recognize the top operators in each Alaskan and Canadian port featured on Princess itineraries.

Begun last year in the Caribbean as part of Princess’ C.R.U.I.S.E. (Courtesy, Respect, Unfailing In Service Excellence) customer service program, and expanded to Alaska in 2000, these awards recognize the importance of tour operators to passengers' cruise experience. Tour Guide of the Season award winners receive $100, a tour of the ship and onboard lunch for their family. Operators of the Shore Excursion of the Season receive a plaque and a letter of commendation. Below is a full list of winners:

Juneau
Tour Guides of the Year:
Dave Frederick – Alaska Travel Adventures
Ben Lyman – Gastineau Guiding
Shore Excursions of the Year:
Helicopter Glacier Hike (NorthStar Trekking)
A Trip to Taku Lodge (Taku Glacier Lodge/Wings of Alaska)
Wildlife Sightseeing Cruise (Allen Marine)

Ketchikan
Tour Guide of the Year:
Tony Azure – Ketchikan Sportfishing
Shore Excursions of the Year:
Ketchikan by Horse-Drawn Trolley (Seahorse Ventures)
Tatoosh Islands Kayaking (Southeast Exposure)

Seward
Tour Guide of the Year:
Whitey Van Deusen – Trails North
Shore Excursion of the Year:
Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise (Kenai Fjords Tours)

Sitka
Tour Guide of the Year:
Dorrie Farrell – Sitka Tours
Shore Excursion of the Year:
Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (Allen Marine)

Skagway
Tour Guides of the Year:
Corey Rowles – Chilkat Guides
Wade Gruhl – Packer Expeditions
Shore Excursion of the Year:
White Pass Railway and Heli-Hike (Packer Expeditions, Temsco Helicopters and White Pass Railway)

Vancouver
Tour Guide of the Year:
Craig Franklin – Rockwood Adventures
Shore Excursion of the Year:
Deluxe Grand City Tour (Grayline of Vancouver)

Victoria
Tour Guide of the Year:
Ken Todd – Grayline of Victoria
Shore Excursion of the Year:
Evening Butchard Gardens Tour (Grayline of Victoria)

In other Princess news, the cruise line introduced a new menu for Sabatini's - one of two specialty restaurants aboard Grand Princess - which recently unveiled this new style of authentic Italian trattoria dining.

The new dining option debuted with the ship's first Caribbean sailing in October and according to the cruise line, the meals are prepared and presented in true trattoria fashion. The courses arrive with a flourish on platters fresh from the kitchen; salads are tossed tableside and soup is ladled into fresh bread bowls. Complementing the menu specializing in seafood is a refined yet casual atmosphere that includes extensive personal attention from the ship's top European waiters and even a song from the pizza chef as he creates Princess' famous pies.

"This new dining experience just further reinforces that Princess is committed to creating innovative dining choices for our passengers," said Dean Brown, Princess' executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. This new dining concept prompted a number of changes to the restaurant including a new kitchen, new dishware and table settings, and a specially trained service team.

Sabatini's is open for both lunch and dinner service. As the restaurant has proven quite popular, advance reservations are encouraged and the per passenger cost is $15.

The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL; Oslo) has declared a quarterly dividend of 13 cents per share for shareholders of record at the close of business on December 19, 2000, payable on December 29, 2000. This is the 29th consecutive quarter Royal Caribbean's Board of Directors has voted to declare a dividend to shareholders.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
What was the name of the last cruise ship to sail the Haifa to New York route for Israel's Zim lines?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Holland America's Volendam and Veendam of 1971 both started life sailing under different names for a different cruise line. What were their original names and what line did they sail for? Bonus question: what happened to these classic liners?

Answer - The Argentina and Brasil were Moore McCormick Lines. They sail today as the Universe Explorer and Enchanted Isle of Commodore. courtesy of Ed Aigner

Cruise News 11/27/00

Airtours PLc, Britain's biggest package holiday operator, reported a 23 percent drop in annual profits last week. The company, which is owned 25% by Carnival Corporation, blamed much of the loss on the company’s unsuccessful attempt to enter the German tour market this past summer with the purchase of Frosch Touristic (TSi). The group faced increased competition in the German market after Germany's Preussag bought Thomson Holidays for 1.8 billion pounds earlier this year

The group, which also operates a fleet of cruise ships, announced pre-tax profits of $144.3 million (101.3 million pounds), before adjustments, for the year ending September 30th. This compares to a pre-tax profit of $184.3 million (131.5 million pounds) for the same period last year. Sales for the year were $6.2 billion (4.4 billion pounds), an increase of 18% from year earlier numbers.

In a prepared statement, Airtours Chairman David Crossland said "We are determined to turn around our German operations and return them to profits and in North America we are excited by the future growth prospects of TSi and our restructured charter operation". Additionally, the company said that it was pleased with the pace of its future bookings, with overall group bookings for the winter 2000/01 season up five percent over the previous year while summer 2001 bookings were up by four percent.

Airtours ran into problems earlier this year soon after the expansion into the German market and issued a warning in August that profits would be significantly lower than expected. Last week’s financial news was accompanied with management changes including the promotion of Tim Byrne to chief executive and Peter McHugh as the chief executive of the German operation.

British shipyard Cammell Laird Holdings Plc announced this week that 700 jobs were at risk after Costa Crociere decided to delay an expansion of the Costa Classica that had been scheduled to begin this past Sunday. Costa Crociere, which is a unit of Carnival Corporation had contracted with the shipyard to have a 146 foot section of newbuild added to the middle of the 53,700 ton ship which would have increased the vessels overall length to 864 feet.

The cruise ship, which had been heading for the ship yard reversed course and headed back to Genoa after the decision was made. "It is bad news for the Merseyside yard...but we are not purely a shipbuilding company,” a Cammell Laird spokesman said. Cammell Laird's shares dropped 39% to a 30-month low following the announcement.

Costa Crociere said it had postponed delivery of the liner because work at the shipyard was behind schedule. "Up to the present, Costa has not exercised its right to terminate the contract due to the delay, but it has requested that a competent Board of Arbitrators ascertain the contract situation without affecting the actual progress of the work,” it said in a statement.

The $72 million cruise ship conversion contract is the largest individual contract for the Liverpool shipyard. According to Cammell, "The arbitrator has been requested to determine the legality of whether Costa Crociere has the right to postpone delivery of the vessel and/or terminate the contract”.

American Classic Voyages Co. (Nasdaq: AMCV) announced last week that it will host two meetings for industry analysts aboard its newest ship, the ms Patriot (formerly Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam). The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 28 in Los Angeles, and the second on Thursday, November 30 in San Francisco. Both meetings will begin at 11:30 a.m. PST. Philip C. Calian, chief executive officer, and Randall L. Talcott, vice president finance, will conduct presentations at the meetings.

A live webcast of each presentation will be available online at www.amcv.com and at www.streetfusion.com. An on-demand replay will be available at the same sites for two weeks following the call.

Just five months after the shipyard launch of Delta Queen Coastal Voyages' first vessel, the second ship in the new fleet was christened at Atlantic Marine, Inc., in Jacksonville, Fla., Friday, November 17, 2000.

The 226-passenger coastal vessel will inaugurate nine cruise itineraries featuring the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritime Provinces and U.S. eastern seaboard in 2001. The ship launched Friday, the cv Cape Cod Light, will debut Aug. 4; its sister ship, the cv Cape May Light, will enter service May 5.

Roderick K. McLeod, president and chief operating officer of the parent company, American Classic Voyages Co., said, "The shipyard launch of the Cape Cod Light marks another step forward in AMCV's growth initiatives, and underscores its commitment to rekindle the American shipbuilding industry."

In a move that is sure to please senior, affluent, and Internet hungry cruise passenges, Crystal Cruises has extended the hours of operation for their onboard Internet program to 24-hours a day. This is the newest expansion in the line's communications program that debuted e-mail aboard Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony in 1997 and Internet connections earlier this year. Even when the dedicated Computer University @ Sea lab is closed, guests can now explore the world wide web or log in to their e-mail accounts through the night by using newly installed computers in additional public areas.

At the program's inception in 1997, about 10% of Crystal's guests sent or received e-mail. Today it is up to 66%, more than six times the initial usage. In addition, approximately 70% of the crew uses the service.

"Many of our well-traveled guests, whether for personal or business reasons, find it necessary, or just simply enjoy, staying in closer touch with their world back home," says Bret Bullock, Crystal Cruises' vice president, entertainment. "Crystal Cruises' service philosophy is to meet and exceed one's expectations of a luxury cruise experience. We're able to do this for our guests by combining 24-hour availability -- the ultimate in service -- with the technology to which we've all become accustomed on land."

Web TV is not yet avaialable on board the Crystal fleet.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Holland America's Volendam and Veendam of 1971 both started life sailing under different names for a different cruise line. What were their original names and what line did they sail for? Bonus question: what happened to these classic liners?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which Red Star Line ship became one of the most popular cruise liners of the 1920's. She was also one of the first liners to sail on world cruises on a regular basis?

Answer - The Red Star Line Belgenland was one of the first ships to go on regular world cruises and was the biggest ship ever owned by Red Star Line.. courtesy of Paulo Mestre

Cruise News 11/20/00

Celebrity Cruises m/s Millennium, the newest addition to its fleet arrived in New York last week. The 1,950-guest Millennium, which made its maiden voyage on July 1, arrived in New York harbor last Thursday, marking the conclusion of its first translantic voyage.

Millennium is scheduled to enter Caribbean service next month but before this happens she will enter drydock in Newport News, Virginia for work designed to eliminate the vibration that has been detected in certain areas of the ship under certain sea conditions. This vibration has been linked to the design of the stern hull. Shipyard workers will use the dry-dock period to attach a buffer to the aft section of the hull, which is expected to eliminate the vibration. This work is expected to take three weeks.

Millennium is scheduled to begin alternating eastern and western Caribbean sailings departing Fort Lauderdale on Sundays from December 17 through April 22, before embarking on an eastbound transatlantic itinerary from Fort Lauderdale on April 29, arriving in Barcelona, Spain, where the ship begins its 2001 season in the Mediterranean.

Holland America announced this week that the lines co-flagship ms Amsterdam will embark on her maiden World Cruise in January of 2002. The three month voyage will be the line's 37th world cruise since 1958 -- only the fourth by a Holland America ship not named "Rotterdam." Departing Los Angeles, Calif., Amsterdam embarks on a trans-Pacific crossing that calls at Hawaii, the south seas islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, and proceeds on to New Zealand and Australia before setting off to the wonders of the Far East, Asia, the Middle East and finally, the Mediterranean, before crossing the Atlantic to end its inaugural world cruise in high fashion in New York.

According to Holland America, Grand World Cruise itineraries are created in a unique collaboration between the cruise line and its guests. Through passenger surveys and comments, the line identifies exotic ports of call its world cruise guests desire to visit and sets out to craft a "dream itinerary" from that wish list. As a result, Holland America's world cruise itineraries provide wonderful opportunities for well-traveled guests to visit the far-flung corners of the world. In 1999, the dream-cruise collaboration resulted in the Rotterdam being the largest passenger vessel to ever visit Antarctica.

One important aspect of a world cruise is the on-board cuisine. Holland America Line makes a commitment to world cruise guests that it will not repeat a meal during the course of the 99-day cruise. Expansion of the menu provides opportunities to introduce dishes that reflect cuisines and ingredients from the regions of the world the ship visits -- paella in Spain, pasta in Italy, pia fish in Tahiti and fresh oysters and rock lobsters in Australia. Further, all full-cruise guests have the opportunity to dine at the captain's table during the voyage. Other dining venues include the alternative Italian Odyssey Restaurant, casual Lido dining and 24-hour complimentary cabin service.

We have heard that A.Lelakis, former owner of the now defunct Regency cruises, is contemplating a return into the cruise business with a new ship to be called Regent Sun (to be delivered next year). If true, the ship in question is most likely the unfinished hull of the Regent Sky which is is still at the Avlis Shipyards. The hull is actually from the former ferry Stena Germanica which had been sold to Regency Cruises and was supposed to be the company's first newbuild until they filed for bankruptcy.

Those of you that had been considering a cruise to Cuba on board one of Toronto-based Blyth & Company' ventures will be disappointed to learn that the company has cancelled the series of cruises that were scheduled to begin on November 18th. The cruises were designed to take advantage of loopholes that would allow U.S. citizens to legally travel to Cuba despite a general ban on visiting the island.

According to company president Sam Blyth the cancellations were due to a succession of threats, including a bomb threat to the ship La Habana. Blyth said passengers who had booked passage will be offered alternative programs for visiting the island, or full refunds. "We're not giving up," Blyth said. "We still believe strongly that Americans should have the right to visit Cuba. There's lots of them that want to, and if we can provide a legal basis to do so, we're going to continue to do it."

On a side note, Sam Blyth was also one of the backers of the World Cruise Company that filed for bankruptcy in May of this year stranding 161 passengers in Tahiti.

Princess Cruises is celebrating the announcement of Los Angeles as the home port of its new ship -- aptly named Star Princess -- with a $50,000 donation to the Hollywood Historic Trust, the largest corporate donation ever made to the organization.

This contribution will be used to make repairs and provide general upkeep to the stars along the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first star to receive attention will be that of Jean Harlow, whose body of work includes "China Seas" -- an adventure, comedy, romance film she starred in with Clark Gable that was set aboard a ship.

In other Princess news, the cruise line announced that it has awarded its advertising account to Suissa Miller Los Angeles. The company made the selection following a review of five advertising agencies, which included incumbent J. Walter Thompson, Chicago; Lowe Lintas & Partners, New York; BBD&O/West; and McCann Erickson, Los Angeles. Princess tapped Suissa Miller to play a key role in developing a new brand identity for the cruise line, which already is one of the best names in cruising.

"Though all of the agencies we considered presented thoughtful strategy and interesting creative concepts, Suissa Miller impressed us with their capabilities and experience building strong brands," said Todd Putman, Princess Cruises' vice president of marketing. "We believe that they are particularly well suited to play a key role in our growth over the coming years."

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which Red Star Line ship became one of the most popular cruise liners of the 1920's. She was also one of the first liners to sail on world cruises on a regular basis?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which German four stacker painted her funnels in White Star colors in an attempt to avoid capture by the British as she sought safe harbor during the early days of World War I?

Answer - The German Liner was Komprinzessin Cecile. courtesy of John Georgountzos

Cruise News 11/13/00

In case you missed it, Cunard announced last week that they had signed a contract with France's Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard for the construction of the Queen Mary 2. At 150,000-tons, she will be the largest passenger vessel ever constructed when she enters service in late 2003.

Queen Mary 2 will have a basis-two capacity of 2,620 and will be built at a cost of approximately $780 million (U.S.). Expected to enter service in late 2003, the Queen Mary 2 represents the first new ocean liner constructed in more than three decades. Visit our Queen Mary 2 profile for additional information, including pictures of the ship and her public rooms.

With colorful streamers raining from her rails, hula dancers swaying on deck and the rhythms of Polynesian music filling the air, American Hawaii Cruises' S.S. Independence set sail from her new home port of Kahului, Maui, on Nov. 12, 2000.

The classic U.S.-flag ocean liner, an icon of Hawaii's fabled "boat days," visits 5 ports on 4 major Hawaiian islands during its 7-night voyages, enabling passengers to experience more than 80 optional shore adventures and an award-winning Hawaiian cultural enrichment program.

The new itinerary includes an overnight stay aboard the Independence in Kahului as well as in Honolulu, Oahu, the ship's former home port, so that passengers have ample time to explore the isle's most famous attractions. They can also see the beauty and diversity of the "Big Island" named Hawaii, and of the "Garden Isle," Kauai.

Carnival Cruise Lines announced this week that they will position the new 86,000-ton Carnival Pride on year-round alternating seven-day eastern and western Caribbean departures from Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in January 2002. Carnival Pride will be the only cruise ship to offer the only western Caribbean cruise program from Port Canaveral. It will feature two ports rarely offered on cruise itineraries -- Belize City, Belize; and Progreso/Merida, Mexico. Other featured ports on the western Caribbean route include Key West, Fla.; and Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, Mexico.

Belize City is highlighted by its rugged mountainous landscape and numerous eco-tourism opportunities, while Progreso/Merida, an unspoiled Mexican paradise only recently opened to cruise visitors, offers outstanding beaches and is conveniently located near the region's vast archaeological sites, including the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza.

The Carnival Pride will also be the first Carnival ship to call at a private island, which will be featured on all eastern Caribbean sailings. From April to October, the Carnival Pride will call at Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas. The rest of the year, the itinerary will feature Salt Cay, also a Bahamian private island which will be accessed via tender service from Nassau, where the ship will dock.

Other ports on the eastern Caribbean itinerary will include St. Thomas/St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. The Carnival Pride will be the only "Fun Ship" visiting St. Maarten, whose beautiful beaches and excellent scuba diving, snorkeling and sport fishing attract visitors the world over.

Crystal Cruises announces that its parent company, NYK, has signed a Letter of Intent with French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique for the construction of a new luxury ship. The 68,000-ton, 1,080-guest ship is expected to join Crystal's existing Six-Star rated fleet in the fall of 2003.

"The order for this new state-of-the-art cruise ship further demonstrates our commitment to Crystal Cruises and reinforces NYK's continuing support of the line's award-winning product," said Takao Kusakari, president of NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha), the largest shipping company in the world.

With 1,880 berths, Crystal is the largest luxury cruise operator in the industry. The unnamed vessel will increase Crystal's capacity by almost 60%.

Crystal's new build will feature an even greater space-per-guest ratio than sister ships, Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, considered two of the most spacious ships afloat. Plans include expanded areas for spa services and other athletic, cultural and intellectual pursuits. Within a range of luxury accommodations, the line will increase its number of penthouses and enlarge its deluxe staterooms with verandahs. Approximately 85% of its all outside staterooms and suites will offer private verandahs.

Conditions onboard Premier's Seawind Crown, which has been stranded in Barcelona, Spain since the cruise line went out of business on September 17th deteriorated further this week. A small number of the remaining 260 crew members, turned violent and began fighting with other crew members when they were prevented from removing television sets from the ship in an effort to sell them on the street.

Another group of crew members attempted to raid the ship's wine cellar, and someone reportedly tried to break into a safe containing $2,000 in petty cash. In response to the escalating violence, the ship's captain, Amadeu Albuquerque, called local Spanish police who have taken up positions on the dock where the ship is tied up. According to Captain Albuquerque, the presence of the police seems to have helped stem the violence.

The remaining crew is made up of workers from 26 countries around the world and lack the necessary funds to return to their homes. According to the latest reports from the ship, the current owners, New York investment banking firm, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, have promised to make good on the crew's back pay and repatriate them, but no payment date has been set. Previous dates for payment and transfers home have apparently come and gone.

Living conditions onboard the ship are described as frightful with dirty dishes and bags of garbage piling up on the decks and in the passage ways. Crew members have created a web site to share their side of the story. Visit http://www.help260seawindcrew.com/ to find out how they are doing and if they will be successful in their efforts to gain back pay and get off the ship.

P&O Princess Cruises, which recently split off from parent company P&O, reported an eight percent rise in third quarter operating profit last week. But the company whose ships starred in the television series "The Love Boat" said that high fuel costs and lower fares would continue to present challenges for at least two more quarters. "While pricing conditions for the next two quarters are challenging, the market is continuing to grow and the fundamentals of the cruising industry remain sound," Chief Executive Peter Ratcliffe said in a statement.

High fuel costs and lower fares that shrink passenger yields -- how much money operators make on their customers -- have hit cruise operators internationally. An earnings warning earlier this year by the world's biggest cruise group U.S. Carnival Corp (NYSE:CCL - news) sent shock waves through the industry. In response, operators have been shifting their ships around the globe to see whether they can catch more market share.

Analysts said P&O Princess Cruises' rise in operating profit to $189.3 million was in line with expectations and that its outlook was as predicted.

A record number Americans say they plan to take a cruise in the next few years, new cruise industry research shows. And while current low prices – described by some observers as the lowest since the 1980s – may be playing a role, the 2000 Market Profile Study of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) indicates that traditional attractions such as pampering, great food and good value are drawing vacationers to cruising.

A record 43.5 million Americans say they "definitely" or "probably" are going to take a cruise vacation within the next five years, according to CLIA’s Market Profile Study. Nearly 69 million have expressed an interest, ranging from mild to strong, in taking a cruise in that same timeframe.

These prospects are motivated by the exceptional vacation experience that cruises represent; the study reveals that cruises continue to generate the highest level of "extremely" satisfied vacationers of any leisure trip type. Thirty-four percent of those who cruise report they were "extremely" satisfied with the experience, compared with 30 percent of those who rented a vacation house, 29 percent of those who visit friends and relatives, 25 percent of those who took a package tour, and 24 percent of those who took a resort vacation.

"Pampering" is what sets cruises above other types of vacations, the study shows, with 75 percent of cruisers saying cruises were better than other types of vacations for pampering. Cruises topped other vacation types for these reasons as well: fine dining (74%), being hassle free (71%), allowing a person to relax and get away from it all (69%), a chance to visit several destinations (68%), good value for the money (65%), and being easy to plan and arrange (65%).

The majority of respondents also thought cruises exceeded other types of vacations for entertainment, activities, luxury, destination "sampling” (the opportunity to visit a place to which one might wish to return), excitement and adventure, romance, reliability, fun, safety, and comfortable accommodations.

Even vacationers who have yet to take their first cruise perceive cruises as a better vacation alternative, the study indicates. They ranked cruises higher than other vacation types on pampering, dining, the chance to visit several destinations, relaxation, romance, and entertainment, among other things.

According to James G. Godsman, president of CLIA, "When people experience something good, they tell all their friends, neighbors and relatives. This positive word-of-mouth, paired with the cruise industry’s far-reaching marketing efforts, is helping to dispel the old myths about cruising and is instrumental in attracting first-timers."

In fact, CLIA predicts that about 45 percent of the 6.5 to 6.8 million cruise passengers anticipated this year will be first-timers, "which translates to some 3 million ‘converts’ to cruising," says Godsman. Because the intention to repeat the experience is so high (about nine out of ten cruisers say they plan to cruise again), the industry sees the growth in first-timers as an annuity for the future, Godsman explains.

The healthy influx of first-time cruisers could also be related to the prevalence of low cruise fares, CLIA concedes, especially as high gasoline prices this summer sent automobile vacationers scrambling for alternatives. But even without low prices stimulating the market, consumers perceive cruises as providing exceptional value.

"The typical cruise price includes onboard accommodations, ground transportation to and from the port, meals, activities and more," said Godsman. "Compare a cruise to just about any other vacation, item for item, and it’s practically a given that cruise will cost less."

Factor in the comfort quotient – unpacking only once, sleeping while the ship takes you to a new port, etc. – and the value of a cruise exceeds any other vacation, Godsman said.

"What people don’t always realize," Godsman continued, "is that the cost of a cruise also includes a wide range of value-added amenities, such as state-of-the-art gyms, imaginative play centers for children, and thought-provoking lectures and enrichment opportunities. You get a lot for your money when you cruise."

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which German four stacker painted her funnels in White Star colors in an attempt to avoid capture by the British as she sought safe harbor during the early days of World War I?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which of the last great liners was sold to the Iranian government for use as accommodation ships in the 1970's?

Answer - The Michaelangelo and Raffeallo of the Italian lines were sold to Iran in 1977 to be used as stationary accomodation ships. courtesy of Erik Vandermel

Cruise News 11/06/00

The big news this week is today's announcement that Carnival Corporation has signed a contract with France's Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard for the construction of the Queen Mary 2. Despite skeptics reports that the ship would likely be downsized, today's announcement confirmed the liner's size at at 150,000-tons, which will make her the largest passenger vessel ever constructed when she enters service in late 2003.

Queen Mary 2 will have a basis-two capacity of 2,620 and will be built at a cost of approximately $780 million (U.S.). Expected to enter service in late 2003, the Queen Mary 2 represents the first new ocean liner constructed in more than three decades.

At 1,132 feet long and 17 decks high, the vessel will stretch nearly four football fields in length with a height equal to a 23-story building. Queen Mary 2 will also have a beam of 135 feet, making it the longest and widest passenger ship ever constructed. Its unprecedented size provides for the widest variety of modern amenities and facilities aboard any ocean-going vessel.

"From the time we first considered purchasing Cunard Line, our plans always included building a new liner," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation chairman and CEO. "Cunard's tremendous global brand equity was built by many famous liners and now it will be carried on by the Queen Mary 2," he added.

After nearly two years in the planning stages, Cunard claims Queen Mary 2 will be the most luxurious liner afloat and will set a new standard in seagoing vacations, with dramatic public spaces designed to evoke the style and elegance of the grand transatlantic era of ocean travel.

Commenting on the Queen Mary 2's place in history, Larry Pimentel, Cunard Line president and CEO, said, "Cunard has been carrying people between Europe and America and around the world for more than 160 years. For the last six decades, there has always been a Cunard Queen on the sea. Queen Mary 2 will be the heir to all that has gone before and she will be a showcase of the art of shipbuilding in its most refined and masterful form. Queen Mary will carry the grace and elegance of a bygone era into the future."

Among the ship's many highlights are multiple dining venues, including Cunard's traditional "Grill Rooms," a 1,300-seat three-deck-high main restaurant and a casual poolside eatery, indoor and outdoor wrap-around promenades encircling several decks, a planetarium, a seven-classroom enrichment center and an art gallery exhibiting maritime paintings and memorabilia.

Five swimming pools -- including an indoor pool housed within the ship's expansive health and fitness facility -- along with a diversity of entertainment venues, ranging from intimate locales to a spectacular multi- deck show lounge, will be featured, as well.

Queen Mary 2 will have 1,310 staterooms, nearly three-quarters of which will feature a private balcony. More than 90 suites, including six penthouses offering private butler and concierge service, and five 1,650-square-foot "duplex apartments," each featuring their own private gymnasium, are also available.

According to Cunard, the vessel's numerous technological advancements will include a state-of- the-art MerMaid (TM) "podded" propulsion system comprised of two fixed and two rotating units allowing for easy maneuverability, along with a diesel and gas turbine power plant capable of creating 157,000 horsepower, which will enable the ship to sail at 30 knots, significantly faster than other cruise ships.

"Cunard is synonymous with luxury cruising and the Queen Mary 2 -- with its elegant public areas, modern amenities and spacious, well-appointed accommodations -- will usher in a new era in ocean travel while providing Carnival Corporation a unique opportunity to build upon the line's rich and storied tradition," Arison said.

Including the Queen Mary 2, Carnival Corporation currently has 16 new vessels with an estimated value of $7 billion scheduled for delivery over the next five years. Included in the company's order book are seven vessels for its Carnival Cruise Lines unit five for Holland America Line and three for Costa Crociere.

Carnival Corporation is comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise line based on passengers carried, Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, and Costa Cruises. Combined, Carnival Corporation's various brands operate 48 ships in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and other worldwide destinations.

The crew of Royal Caribbean International's "Splendour of the Seas" was honored last week for its efforts in rescuing 11 crew members of a sunken cargo ship in stormy seas.

The crew received the New York Council Navy League's AMVER Award (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System) at the League's annual black-tie anniversary dinner in New York. "Splendour of the Seas" is the first cruise ship to receive this award, presented only in those years when a rescue at sea of appropriate significance takes place. The captain of "Splendour of the Seas," Tor Isak Olsen, accepted the award.

The award salutes a rescue effort on December 16, 1999, after the 250-foot cargo ship, "Capricorn," was overtaken by a storm approximately 90 miles northwest of Aruba. Its 12-man crew was forced to abandon "Capricorn" as it sank in 30-knot winds and 10-foot seas.

During those events, the U.S. Coast Guard received distress calls and automated distress signals from an unknown vessel -- later found to be "Capricorn." Unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the nearest ship in the area. At the same time, approximately 1 a.m., the crew of "Splendour of the Seas," sailing in the area, saw flares shooting over the horizon and immediately sailed in their direction. Within 30 minutes, Splendour came upon two life rafts holding 11 members of the Capricorn crew.

The Splendour crew then went about the dangerous task of getting all 11 people onboard the cruise ship in the dark of night and hazardous sea conditions. Splendour was joined in its search-and-rescue efforts by the 850- foot Norwegian tanker "Nord Horn" and the Dutch naval ship "Van Spejk." All three ships remained in the area for an additional seven hours searching for the "Capricorn" captain, whose body was discovered by the crew of "Van Spejk."

In other Royal Caribbean news, the Grandeur of the Seas experienced a loss of electrical power last Tuesday at about 6:15 a.m. EST with the ship approximately 7.5 miles outside of Curacao.

After the outage, the four-year-old ship was functioning on emergency generators that provide power for lighting and other emergency needs. By 10:45 a.m. EST, all air conditioning, lighting and plumbing functions were fully restored. The company worked with local marine officials to have tugboats tie to the ship and tow the ship to the port of Willemstad, Curacao. The ship had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday on a seven-night cruise of the southern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced last week that they had decided not to renew their contract with Steiner Leisure for shipboard spa services and had instead entered into a fleet wide agreement with Mandara Spa, LLC for the operation of all of its shipboard spas. According to NCL, Mandara Spa will create an entirely new onboard experience in keeping with NCL's Freestyle Cruising product which combines the romance of shipboard travel with the relaxed style of the best resort spas. The new spa experience will begin on all NCL ships in January, 2001.

Mandara Spa, headquartered in Hawaii, is an operator of resort spas in the world. In addition to some 35-resort spas in Bali, Thailand, Malaysia, The Maldives, Micronesia, Tahiti, Hawaii and Aruba, Mandara Spa also operates the spectacular new spa at the 3,000 room Paris -- Las Vegas Casino Resort and will shortly open a major new spa at one of Hawaii's most successful resorts -- the 3,200 room Hilton Hawaii Village in Honolulu. Mandara's spa at the Datai resort on Langkawi Island in Malaysia recently was voted the second best resort spa in the world in Conde Nast Traveler's readers' poll of the World's Best.

Clive warshaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Steiner Leisure said, "We, of course, are disappointed with Norwegian's decision, particularly in view of our revenues and passenger reviews being at historical highs on Norwegian's ships. We believe that the terms we proposed for renewal of our agreement with Norwegian were extremely competitive and fair and hope that we will have the opportunity of serving Norwegian's ships at some time in the future.

"None of the company's other cruise line agreements that, individually, are expected to account for more than five percent of Steiner Leisure's 2000 revenues are scheduled to expire within the next twelve months. The scheduled expiration dates for those agreements are as follows; Carnival - 12/31/05, Celebrity - 01/15/05, Holland America - 11/30/05, Princess - 12/31/01 and Royal Caribbean - 01/15/05.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which of the last great liners was sold to the Iranian government for use as accommodation ships in the 1970's?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which famous liner included the Knickerbocker Bar with artwork depicting the evolution of the cocktail?

Answer - I believe it was the Empress of Britain which had the the Knickerbocker Bar with artwork depicting the evolution of the cocktail? courtesy of winnif@aol.com

Cruise News 10/30/00

Explorer of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrived at her home port of Miami earlier this week, two days after leaving New York, where she made her U.S. debut. Near sister-ship to the Voyager of the Seas, this vessel is equipped with one of the cruise industry's first oceanographic and atmospheric laboratories, which will be staffed by research scientists. Created in partnership with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Explorer's science facilities will help researchers discover answers to some of today's most significant questions in atmospheric, ocean and climate research.

The ship includes artwork by Tony Curtis, Anthony Quinn, Billy Dee Williams and many others. Valued at $600,000, the "ArtStars" celebrity exhibit is unlike any art collection afloat, and joins more than $10 million in commissioned art onboard the ship. Explorer and Voyager are the only ships to offer vacationers ice skating, a rock climbing wall 200 feet above sea level, an inline skating track, a basketball court, and interior staterooms with views of a shopping and entertainment boulevard. Other exciting features include a Johnny Rockets restaurant; a 1350-seat theater; a golf course and golf simulator; and one of the largest casinos afloat.

Explorer of the Seas began year-round cruise vacations from Miami through the Eastern Caribbean on October 28, 2000.

Approximately 260 crew members from Premier's Seawind Crown have been stranded aboard the ship in Barcelona, Spain since the cruise line went out of business on September 17th. They have created a web site to share their side of the story. Visit http://www.help260seawindcrew.com/ to find out how they are doing and if they will be successful in their efforts to gain back pay and get off the ship.

Couples who marry onboard Golden Princess set to debut May 16, 2001 can opt to have their wedding ceremony broadcast live via webcam on the Princess Cruises website, http://www.princess.com. The broadcasts will be accessed by a link on the Princess website and, like bridge cams, will be updated once per minute, allowing viewers to follow the ceremony. A similar webcam will be added onboard Grand Princess at a later date.

A Miami Circuit Court judge last week dismissed two lawsuits filed against Royal Caribbean Cruises by the parents of a young woman who disappeared two years ago during a Caribbean cruise. In his ruling Tuesday, Circuit Judge Stuart Simons said the parents of Amy Bradley, who disappeared from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas, committed "a fraud on the court" by providing false answers to attorneys.

The two lawsuits, one for negligence and the other for wrongful death, claimed the cruise line was negligent in searching for Bradley. Bradley mysteriously disappeared while on vacation on a Royal Caribbean ship on the morning of March 24, 1998. In addition to negligence, the lawsuit claims that the cruise line defamed her father and brother, and caused intentional emotional damage to the family.

The Complaint charged that Bradley, then 23, was abducted from the ship "Rhapsody of the Seas". The lawsuit stated that Bradley was abducted, hidden and then forcibly removed from the ship when it docked in Puerto Rico on March 28, was shoved into a waiting taxi at the terminal. It also stated that Royal Caribbean's indifference to Bradley's disappearance allowed her presence on the ship to be concealed by her abductor and created circumstances which permitted her to be held undetected.

Judge Simons in his ruling said the Bradleys concealed evidence that their daughter was sighted shortly after her disappearance by numerous witnesses who indicated she was not under duress and might have been in Curacao voluntarily. The judge "dismissed the suit with prejudice" which legally prevents the Bradleys from taking further legal action against Royal Caribbean.

``We're delighted with the decision and pleased to see that Judge Simons has upheld the long-established rule that lying under oath is never acceptable, no matter what the purported reasons,'' said Jeffrey Maltzman, attorney for Royal Caribbean. ``While we don't think lying under oath is acceptable, we sympathize with the Bradleys over the loss of their daughter and understand this is a personal tragedy for their family.''

Royal Caribbean has maintained all along that Bradley disappeared from the balcony of her family's stateroom between 5 and 6:15 a.m. on the morning of March 24, 1998. The cruise line said it searched the ship several times, alerted gangway security and distributed Bradley's photo to all crew members and passengers. All crew members passed voluntary polygraph examinations with the FBI.

During preparations for the trial Royal Caribbean's lawyers discovered that over 100 people had told the Bradleys they had seen their daughter within several months of her disappearance. Many of the sighting placed Bradley in Curacao and reported her well and not under duress. The Bradleys did not provide this information to the court.

Cunard has announced more details of and a full-color brochure highlighting the 2002 World Cruise of its flagship Queen Elizabeth 2. The 108-day journey will depart on January 7, 2002 from New York westward around the globe to Fort Lauderdale, where she arrives April 26, 2002. Being titled "Voyage of Exploration," the 2002 version of the liner's annual maritime pilgrimage retraces the sea routes of great explorers and discoverers of the past. For those who wish to be a part of history, but are not prepared to spend a whole season on board, published segments of between 6 to 106 days' duration are also available.

"A true Around the World Cruise is the dream of a lifetime for many travelers," said Larry Pimentel, CTC, Cunard Line's President and CEO. "For others, including several hundred QE2 aficionados, it is an annual celebration. But for newcomers and veterans alike, no other travel experience compares with being a part of this gala social season at sea."

The 2002 route balances languorous days at sea with exciting overnight stays in six of the 35 ports of call. After transiting the Panama Canal, the five-star liner samples the Mexican Riviera, California, Hawaii and French Polynesia enroute to New Zealand and Australia. Then, sailing up Australia's west coast, QE2 visits Adelaide and Perth before re-entering the tropics to visit breathtaking Bali. The Philippines, Japan, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore complete the Asian elements of the cruise. Cochin and Mumbai, India are Indian Ocean stops on the way to the ravishing Seychelles Islands and Mauritius. Durban and Cape Town are next, followed by a bevy of islands including St. Helena, Tenerife and Madeira. The last leg of the journey is the traditional crossing from the liner's home port of Southampton, England to New York and onward to Fort Lauderdale.

Silversea Cruises today announced the beginning of a fleetwide program of fundraising for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, through its participation in the British Airways "Change for Good" appeal. The ultra-luxury line is the first cruise company to join the British Airways "Change for Good" program, which encourages travelers to donate their unused foreign currency to UNICEF. Since its inception in 1994, "Change for Good" has raised more than $15 million.

Renaissance Cruises announced this week that it has signed leading marketing agency Grey Direct and leading image building agency Ericsson Fina, both partner companies of Grey Global Group (Nasdaq: GREY), to handle the Company's multi-million dollar National Advertising and Marketing account. The strategic partnership with Grey will allow Renaissance Cruises to continue to position itself as a global leader in cruise vacations.

"We expect Grey will enhance the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing efforts directed towards the travel agency community, our valued past guests, and the millions of cruise prospects throughout the world," added Cozzi. "Grey's global advertising and marketing approach will enable Renaissance Cruises to broaden its marketing opportunities and enhance relationships with trade and consumer media vehicles. Travel agents will benefit from this new partnership because they will be better able to recommend our outstanding cruise product to their clients."

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which famous liner included the Knickerbocker Bar with artwork depicting the evolution of the cocktail?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - This week we have another Queen Elizabeth question. Over the years many ocean liners and cruise ships has arrived in New York city to be welcomed by fire boats and cheering crowds. What year did Cunard's Queen Elizabeth first visit New York and what made her maiden voyage so special?

Answer - The Queen Elizabeth sailed secretly in March 1940 to New York City, painted in grey. The British government leaked mis-information that she was bound for Southampton. Legend holds that Luftwaffe planes were sortied to sink her there. Scottish workers at the John Brown ship yard were told to report to work with a change of clothes and were informed of their true destination after departure. courtesy of kenmac@skyliners.org

Cruise News 10/23/00

In case you missed it last week, the results of TravelPage.com's 6th Annual Internet Cruise Survey have been announced. Over 800 Internet users responded to the 2000 survey which was conducted online at the TravelPage.com website this past summer. Respondents rated over 30 cruise lines and 200 cruise ships. For complete results please go to http://www.travelpage.com and click on the cover photo of HAL's Statendam.

Royal Carribbean's Explorer of the Seas, the newest entry in the "world's largest cruise ship" contest, arrived at New York harbor this past Tuesday after crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton, England. Like her sister-ship, the "Voyager of the Seas," Explorer boasts some of the most innovative shipboard amenities in the industry. She begins year-round cruise vacations roundtrip from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on October 28, 2000.

Royal Caribbean also announced that they will be joining other cruise lines such as Holland America by featuring atmospheric and oceanographic laboratories on board ships in their fleet with the first one being on the Explorer of the Seas. The laboratories, which were created in partnership with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, will be staffed by world-class research scientists and help researchers find answers to some of today's most significant questions in atmospheric, ocean and climate research.

The Voyager-class ships are the only vessels to offer vacationers an ice-skating rink, a rock climbing wall 200 feet above sea level, an inline skating track, full-court basketball and interior staterooms with views of a shopping, dining and entertainment boulevard. Other features include a Johnny Rockets restaurant; a 1,350-seat theater; a golf course and golf simulator; more than 15,000 square feet dedicated to health and fitness, and one of the largest casinos afloat.

The official naming ceremony took place on October 21 in New York, with the ship's godmother, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, one of the 20th century's greatest female athlete. For pictures and more information more about Explorer of the Seas, visit TravelPage.com's profile page at http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/ships/rc_explorer.asp

Shares of P&O Princess Cruises plc ("P&O Princess") became available on the New York And London Stock Market's earlier this week. Ordinary shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange and through a sponsored American Depositary Receipt (ADR) facility listed on the New York Stock Exchange, under the trading symbol "POC" in both locations

This move follows the demerger of the company from the P&O Group, a defining moment in the 150 year maritime history of the British based group. P&O Princess is the third largest cruise company in the world by revenue, operating six global brands in the cruise industry: Princess Cruises, the North American premium cruise brand; P&O Cruises, the UK's largest premium cruise brand; Aida Cruises, one of Germany's fastest growing cruise companies; the successful P&O Cruises in Australia, Swan Hellenic in the UK and Seetours International in Germany.

The start of trading on the New York Stock Exchange was marked by the ringing of the opening bell by Peter Ratcliffe, Chief Executive Officer of P&O Princess Cruises, and Gavin MacLeod, well known as Captain Merrill Stubing of the popular television series "The Love Boat" and long-time spokesperson for Princess Cruises.

Commenting from New York, Peter Ratcliffe, Chief Executive Officer of P&O Princess Cruises, said: "As one of the big three cruise companies in the world, P&O Princess Cruises can now be properly valued by international investors alongside its competitors in the premium and contemporary cruise markets. "Cruising is one of the fastest growing travel segments, driven by increased disposable income available for leisure expenditure and demographic trends worldwide. These factors, together with high levels of satisfaction and repeat business among our cruisers, will continue to generate increased demand for worldwide cruising. We look forward to taking advantage of these growth opportunities, as we build on our strong local brands, sustain the high quality of our existing fleet of cruise ships and look to increase our global presence."

Not to be outdone, Royal Caribbean International immediately announced plans to update the menus aboard all 13 ships in their fleet by introducing a new "Culinary Series" of menu items designed to match the itineraries of the fleet. According to Rudi Sodamin, master chef, author and Royal Caribbean International's director of culinary development, the new Culinary Series was motivated by the challenge of pleasing the palates of a diverse and exciting mix of guests.

Many of the Culinary Series new dishes were specifically created for certain itineraries. For example, on Alaskan cruises, guests enjoy not only fresh Alaskan salmon but also Alaskan cod, halibut, scallops, shrimp, wild mushrooms, fresh berries and many other ingredients raised or grown locally. Several menus provide information on the culinary traditions of a region or the history of a particular dish. In a further attempt to squeeze money out of passengers wallets the cruise line also announced that "All menus are available in souvenir versions for a nominal fee".

In other Princess news, the cruise line announced that the beginning next year, Star Princess, sister ship to Grand Princess, will be home based in Los Angeles for Mexico sailings. Star Princess will be the largest ship ever to serve this cruise market. Beginning March 16, 2002, the ship’s Mexican Riviera itinerary will take passengers round-trip from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

"There’s never been a ship or cruise product like this one sailing from Los Angeles," said Dean Brown, Princess’ executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service. "Star Princess is virtually a destination unto herself, where passengers can enjoy Princess’ famous ‘what they want, when they want’ style of cruising which allows them to design a cruise experience around their personal desires. The ship offers the ultimate in dining, activities and entertainment choices.”"

Princess will debut this style of cruising from Los Angeles with the fall 2001 season when Sea Princess will offer the same itinerary to passengers. The 77,000-ton ship will depart on Saturdays, sailing between September 29 and December 22.

In other financial news, Royal Caribbean announced record third-quarter results earlier this week. Net income increased 18.5% to $201.5 million, in the third quarter of 2000, compared to $170.0 million, in the same quarter of 1999.

Revenues were $835.2 million for the third quarter of 2000, as compared with $734.5 million for the same quarter in 1999. The increase in revenues is attributable to a 17.9% increase in capacity primarily as a result of Voyager of the Seas and Millennium joining the fleet. Occupancy for the quarter was 109.7%, up slightly from last year's 109.0%.

Net revenue yields (net revenue per available passenger cruise day) declined by about 1%. The company's profit margins improved during the quarter as compared to 1999. Approximately $6 to $8 million of this improvement can be attributable to the timing of certain marketing and other expenses, which will now be incurred in the fourth quarter of 2000.

"We are pleased with our ability to continue to expand our business and improve our profitability," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of 10.5 cents per share for the fourth quarter ending November 30, 2000. The dividend is payable on December 14, 2000, to shareholders of record on November 30, 2000.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
This week we have another Queen Elizabeth question. Over the years many ocean liners and cruise ships has arrived in New York city to be welcomed by fire boats and cheering crowds. What year did Cunard's Queen Elizabeth first visit New York and what made her maiden voyage so special?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - After her 1956 winter overhaul, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth returned to service sporting new hardware that helped Cunard promote a new marketing campaign to encourage winter crossings. What was this new hardware?

Answer - The Queen Elizabeth was outfitted with stabilizers that would make winter crossings smoother. courtesy of Bill Forsstrom

Cruise News 10/9/00

Holland America Line received top honors in TravelPage.com's 6th annual Internet Cruise Survey. The survey rates cruise lines in six categories and also tracks Internet users favorite cruise ships and cruise destinations. Holland America scored highest in two of the six categories including Best Cruise Line and Best Service and was rated number two in the Best Food and Best Public Rooms and Staterooms categories. Last year's top cruise line, Royal Caribbean, received top marks for Best Public Rooms and Staterooms and Celebrity Cruises was again rated number one for Food.

Over 800 Internet users responded to the 2000 survey which was conducted online at the TravelPage.com website this past summer. Respondents rated over 30 cruise lines and 200 cruise ships. For complete results please go to http://www.travelpage.com and click on the cover photo of HAL's Statendam.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and parent company Star Cruises today announced a number of deployment changes for both the NCL and Star Cruises fleets including the transfer of the legendary s/s Norway into Star's fleet.

In September 2001 the s/s Norway will be re-deployed to Asia for service in the Star fleet. According to NCL President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Veitch, "The S/S Norway has served NCL well for two decades and we are pleased that this historic liner will remain within the group through her new deployment in one of Star Cruises' major markets," said Veitch.

"With the s/s Norway cruising in exotic Asian waters, her faithful followers from North America and Europe will have the opportunity to experience Asia onboard a ship internationally acclaimed with classical opulence," said Dato KT Lim, Chairman of Star Cruises.

Prior to its repositioning to Star Cruises, the s/s Norway will embark on a summer season of seven-day, alternating eastern/western Caribbean "farewell cruises" as NCL's flagship. These cruises will replace a previously announced plan to deploy the ship on two-and five-day service next spring. The final three "farewell" cruises, including a 16-day transatlantic voyage, will feature special on-board amenities and programming designed to celebrate the ship's legendary heritage and place in maritime history. Details on the "farewell cruises" will be announced soon by NCL.

The transfer of the Norway into Star's fleet also will coincide with the arrival of Star's newbuild Superstar Libra that will be based in Singapore. Superstar Libra, the first of the new-generation 2,300-passenger Libra-class vessels, will be delivered to Star Cruises in October 2001 and is scheduled to arrive in Singapore in November 2001.

The line also announced that they will take delivery of its new "Freestyle Cruising" flagship Norwegian Sun in September 2001. Superstar Virgo, now based in Singapore, will move to Hong Kong, replacing twin sister ship Superstar Leo in that market year-round.

Lastly, in November of 2001 Star Cruises will transfer the Superstar Leo to NCL's fleet. The 76,800-ton ship will be re-named and deployed year-round in Hawaii on seven-day itineraries. The ship will be the only large, new ship offering year-round, weekly cruises in Hawaii, a move that Star hopes will have a significant impact on the expanding Hawaii cruise market.

A youth activities coordinator on board the Norway was arrested by the FBI and charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl while at sea. FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela identified the 30-year-old Norwegian Cruise Line employee as Danny Hanoian, of Fresno, Calif. He was arrested Saturday when the Norway returned to Miami although he had already been taken into custody by the ship's crew soon after the incident. According to Orihuela, Hanoian molested the girl after inviting her to visit his cabin last Friday evening.

From our..."What exactly did you expect the police to do.." file...A passenger onboard Holland America's Veendam dialed 911 on a cellular telephone to reach the local police department after the cruise ship briefly lost power while cruising off the coast of Oregon. The ship was heading from Vancouver to San Diego when an electrical generator failed, leaving the 1,700 passengers without heat, lighting, ventilation, or running water for about three hours. According to Coast Guard Petty Officer Jonathan Reardon, the ship was never in danger and an auxiliary power system provided limited electricity after the main power failed.

Holland America Line announced this week that it is expanding the number of round-trip 10-day cruises to Mexico's Pacific Coast from San Diego in 2001 aboard the ms Statendam. In addition, the company is introducing new 7- and 10-day cruises aboard the ms Ryndam to offer more Mexico cruise choices.

"San Diego has proved to be an extremely popular home port for Holland America," said David A. Giersdorf, senior vice president, sales and marketing. "We're entering our third year of home-porting the Statendam in San Diego, and once again, we're increasing the number of 10-day cruises it will offer to the Mexican Riviera in 2001." Holland America is adding one sailing aboard the Statendam and three cruises on the Ryndam in fall 2001. The Ryndam's sailings will feature new itineraries that combine Baja and the Mexican Riviera, providing guests with new cruising choices.

In other Holland America news, the cruise line announced additional details about its 2001 European cruise season. The expanded season will begin on April 8 with a 16-day Transatlantic Cruise on board its new sister flagship, the Amsterdam, from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome and conclude with the Noordam's 14-day Transatlantic Cruise from Rome to Tampa departing Nov. 21.

New ports of call in 2001 include Ceuta, Morocco; Loutraki, Greece; Pithagorion, Samos, Greece and Cartagena, Spain. In addition, the company is returning to Venice as a homeport. The lines other flagship, the 1,316-passenger Rotterdam will sail on 18 cruises, offering 12- to 22-day itineraries; the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam will sail on 12 cruises, with 12- and 16-day itineraries; and the 1,214-passenger Noordam will offer 22 cruises, with 10- to 14-day itineraries. The cruise selection includes the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, Western and Northern Europe, and the Transatlantic.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which was the first fully air conditioned cruise/passenger ship?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What was the name of America's only nuclear powered merchant vessel and how many passengers could she carry? Bonus: Where is she now?

Answer - The ship was the Savannah and she carried 60 passengers. She is laid up in the James River Va.reserve fleet. courtesy of dbr46@aol.com

Cruise News 10/2/00

Three passengers onboard P&O's Oriana were injured and three others were treated for shock when the ship was struck by a 50 foot wave during a trans-Atlantic trip last Thursday. The wave was so powerful that it shattered the windows of six cabins and the onrushing sea water flooded an additional 20 cabins. The ship was crossing from New York to Southampton and was in force 10 seas approximately 600 miles west of Ireland when the wave struck.

A total of eight people (eight passengers and one crew) were in the six cabins struck by the wave. One cabin was flooded to a depth of three feet and the escaping water flooded the adjacent hallway and staircase.

Captain Richard Fennelow told a press conference in Southampton he had never experienced anything like it in more than 20 years at sea. "These things do happen to transatlantic liners on occasions," he added. "The ship was handling the weather very well before this occurrence. It was rolling easily and staying ahead of the sea and the swells.

"Witnesses said the wave was about twice the height of the others we were navigating which were about 20 feet high. "There was no panic. There was obviously apprehension that I was able to alleviate by telling them by broadcast what was going on."

After the wave struck Captain Fennelow turned the ship's bow into the wind and slowed her speed to three knots while emergency repairs were carried out. The broken windows were replaced with metal plates which were welded into place for the remainder of the trip.

It was not immediately known why the windows, which are designed to meet international safety standards, failed. According to P&O managing director David Dingle, "The ship was specifically designed to withstand the toughest ocean going conditions, and really this was an absolute freak. It was extremely rare and hard to anticipate."

The Oriana arrived in Southampton on Sunday morning, about 18 hours behind schedule. Repairs were scheduled to be completed by Sunday and the ship was expected to leave on its next scheduled cruise one day late. The line said that passengers would be compensated for the lost day.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL - news), the world's largest cruise operator, has concluded its previously announced transaction to acquire the outstanding 50 percent interest in Genoa, Italy- based Costa Crociere from Airtours plc, a British-based travel supplier. The cost of the Costa transaction will be 350 million Pound Sterling.

"The purchase of the remaining 50 percent of Costa will allow Carnival Corporation to aggressively expand the operations of Costa, which is Carnival's primary platform for growing our cruise business in the European market," said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation chairman and CEO.

Costa Crociere has an international fleet of seven ships that span the globe offering cruises of seven nights and longer throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America, and Caribbean. Earlier this summer, Costa launched the 86,000-ton CostaAtlantica.

In other Costa news, the line announced this week that it has signed a letter of intent with Italian shipyard Fincantieri Cantieri Navali S.p.A. for the construction of two 105,000-ton vessels for delivery in late 2003 and late 2004. The 2,720-passenger ships will be built at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa which in the past built such classic liners as Rex, Andrea Doria, and Michelangelo. The two vessels are expected to be similar in design to the Carnival Triumph-class ships but with some modifications to the layout of the public spaces. Each vessel is expected to cost approximately 850 billion lira (approximately $400 million US at current exchange rates).

In an effort to help reduce the impact of its cruise ships on the surrounding environment, Princess Cruises announced that they will turn off the engines of its ships when they dock in Juneau next summer and use surplus hydroelectric power supplied by Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AEL&P). Princess hopes the move will send a clear message that Princess is serious about addressing local residents concerns about smoke accumulation in Juneau.

The new program, which requires a multi million-dollar investment, is unprecedented in the cruise industry in North America, and requires innovative, new technology and equipment which is being developed in conjunction with an international electrical engineering firm and AEL&P. As part of the agreement with Princess, AEL&P will not be required to pay the capital cost of the service connection, and will rebate the revenues from power used by Princess to local residents.

In other Princess news, the cruise line announced this week that the Crown Princess will leave the line in 2002 to join the fleet of Aida Cruises, a sister company serving the growing German market. The 70,000 ton, 1,590-passenger vessel will be renamed and refurbished specifically to meet the interests and needs of the German market. Aida Cruises is part of P&O Cruises, the new international cruise company slated to demerge from current parent P&O in October.

Holland America Line today announced that Mrs. Janet Lanterman, wife of company CEO and Chairman Kirk Lanterman, has been named godmother of the line's second flagship, ms Amsterdam.

Mrs. Lanterman will officially dedicate the Amsterdam, the third ship of that name in the company's 127-year history, at naming ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on October 30, 2000. Following the ceremony, the vessel departs on her 10-day maiden voyage through the Panama Canal, followed by 15 additional departures on the popular Panama Canal cruise itinerary. Under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard at Marghera, Italy, the Amsterdam is scheduled for delivery on September 30, 2000.

Crystal Cruises announced that the Crystal Harmony will be sailing round-trip from San Francisco to Alaska/Canada from May 21 through the summer of 2001. Each of eight 12-day cruises aboard the luxury liner calls in the Alaskan ports of Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan; Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; and features the Inside Passage, and, depending on the itinerary, Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
What was the name of America's only nuclear powered merchant vessel and how many passengers could she carry? Bonus: Where is she now?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which ship was the first to offer movies at sea?

Answer - The United States Shipping Board's MARTHA WASHINGTON, operating in the early 1920's for Munson Line on trips from the United States to Brasil, Uruguay and Argentina. The movies were shown on deck. courtesy of Mark Smith

Cruise News 9/25/00

An elderly cruise ship passenger who authorities feared had fallen overboard from the Dawn Princess last week was found alive and well at her home in Detroit. The woman, Sherry Caminita, 73, reportedly left the ship while it was docked in Juneau last Friday after a disagreement with her traveling companion. She left all of her belongings on board the ship and boarded a flight from Juneau to her home in Detroit without telling anyone.

After the women was reported missing Saturday morning, the Dawn Princess' captain notified the Coast Guard who dispatched two boats and a helicopter out into heavy fog to retrace the cruise ship's route from Juneau to Ketchikan. Coast Guard official said that a review of the ship's passenger tracking system found no evidence that Ms. Caminita had left the ship in Juneau.

In case you missed last week's Cruise News, Premier Cruise Lines has ceased operations and all of the company's ships have been seized on behalf of the line's banker and are being put up for sale. The Rembrandt which was seized in Halifax on September 14th, arrived in the Bahamas last week and is now laid up along with Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) and IslandBreeze (Big Red Boat III) at Freeport. The Seabreeze has been detained in Halifax with crew on board awaiting payment of back wages and transportation home. About 80 of the 450 crew aboard left last Wednesday after receiving monies owed and airline tickets home. It is not clear when the rest of the crew will be paid and when the ship will leave Halifax.

Euginio Costa (Big Red Boat II) which was on charter from Oceanic Marine Ltd. is presently at the Navy Homeport on Staten Island. Seawind Crown was originally seized at Palma by her charter operators Pullmanturs but has since moved to Barcelona where she is awaiting further instructions. Estimated sales prices for the fleet range from a high of $25 million for the Rembrandt to $13 million for the Seawind Crown.

Refund Update: Premier Cruise Lines and its sureties announced that they have retained the firm of Freehill, Hogan & Mahar ("Freehill") of New York, NY to process all claims within the terms of a surety bond provided pursuant to Federal Maritime Commission ("Commission") regulations. Freehill has established a Coordinating Centre for all claims and inquiries at its offices at 80 Pine Street, New York, NY 10005-1759. Inquiries may be made by calling (212) 425-1883 or by email to Premier@Freehill.com The facsimile number is (212) 425-0392.

The surety bond provides for indemnification of passengers for nonperformance of transportation by Premier on vessels embarking passengers at U.S. ports, and is underwritten by Greenwich Insurance Company and NAC Reinsurance Corporation. This bond would apply to all such Premier cruises.

Passengers who paid for transportation by credit card should immediately contact their credit card issuer. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issues information regarding consumer rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act. For that information, please see the FTC web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcb.htm.

Those who purchased any third party travel insurance should also immediately contact their insurer to claim reimbursement under their insurance policy if it covers such cancellations. Prior experience has shown that third party insurers and credit card issuers may often provide speedier reimbursement to passengers than the claims process established to handle claims under bonds issued pursuant to Commission requirements.

A U.S. expedition confirmed that it has located the wreckage of RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued 705 survivors from the Titanic. Carpathia was later torpedoed by a German U boat and sank off the coast of Ireland. Author Clive Cussler and founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency said the wreck, which was found last spring, was confirmed as the Carpathia last week.

The ship, sunk near the end of WWI in 1918, was found in 514 ft. of water off the east coast of Ireland. Cussler said he and his team were able to pinpoint the wreck using scan sonar and have surveyed the wreck with remote operating vehicles.

The Titanic, whose wreckage was found in 1985, left approximately 1,500 people dead; 705 others were rescued by the Carpathia. Video released on Friday clearly shows the ship's stern, a propeller and winches used to load cargo. Cussler said his team and Nova Scotia television firm Eco-Nova were shooting a documentary on the story as part of a documentary to be shown on Canada's History Channel.

The Carpathia was steaming in convoy from Liverpool to Boston on July 17, 1918, when it was hit by two torpedoes from the German U-boat. A third torpedo slammed into the vessel's hull as its lifeboats were being lowered, killing five crew members. The ship slipped beneath the surface the following day and the surviving crew and 157 passengers were picked up by a British warship, HMS Snowdrop, and safely returned to Liverpool.

Holland America Line, the leader in providing accessibility solutions for its guests, has installed the industry's first system for the safe, comfortable transfer between ship, tender and pier for guests using wheelchairs.

Called the Shore Tender Accessibility Project, the system was developed for Holland America by Cap Sante Marine, Inc. of Anacortes, Wash. First installed on the ms Statendam in May, the custom-built $100,000-plus prototype system has been in operation during Statendam's Alaska season. The ms Ryndam and ms Volendam are scheduled to be outfitted with the system next, with the rest of the Holland America fleet to follow during scheduled drydocks.

The prototype was developed to address a common challenge when guests using wheelchairs desire to go ashore or participate in shore excursions requiring tendering. Cap Sante Marine's unique system provides a safe, dignified means of transporting a guest using a wheelchair down the gangway and onto the tender while still in the chair. The guest's wheelchair is locked into place on a lift that runs on an inclined track from the top of the gangway to the tender. A ramp on the tender allows the chair to be wheeled directly aboard and locked into place atop a specially designed scissor-lift. That lift is then raised to provide the guest a clear view through the tender's windows.

Once dockside, the tender has a hydraulic leveling system that can be adjusted to allow for differences in height up to 23 inches between the dock and the tender, allowing the wheelchair to be rolled directly off the tender and onto the dock.

Royal Caribbean International has expanded the choice of shore excursions available to passengers on board "Majesty of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas" three- and four-night Bahamas cruises. New excursions include the following:

• America's Cup Challenge - On this 3 1/2-hour tour, guests will experience one of the most exhilarating water sports in the Caribbean aboard former Team New Zealand's International America's Cup-class racing yachts. Participants will have an opportunity to sail the yacht, grind a winch, trim a sail or just sit back and enjoy.
• Historical Harbor Cruise and Discover Atlantis Tour - Guests will take a short cruise of the Nassau harbor to Atlantis. There, they will tour and experience this spectacular resort featuring "The Dig," a series of interconnected underground passageways, boulevards and chambers which recreate the underwater streets of the mythical Atlantis, as well as lagoons where they will view sharks, barracudas and many other creatures of the deep.
• Historical Harbor Cruise and Atlantis Beach Day Tour - Guests will enjoy a short cruise of the Nassau harbor with a guided tour through "The Dig" and other highlights of Atlantis, and relax on the white sands of Cove Beach at Atlantis.
• Historical Harbor Cruise and Discover Atlantis Tour and Golf-Putting Package - From the docks of Prince George, guests will cruise the Nassau harbor to Paradise Island, where they will receive a guided tour of Atlantis. Then on to the Ocean Club where they can enjoy 18 holes of golf at a beautiful course designed by world renowned golfer, Tom Weiskopf, and have use of the private driving range and clubhouse.
• Historical Harbor Cruise and Discover Atlantis Tour/Tennis Package - After an historical harbor cruise to Atlantis, guests will be given a guided tour of Atlantis and taken to the Atlantis Sports Center. Here, guests will be able to play tennis for an hour on the newly designed tennis courts.

These shore excursions will be available on Majesty of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas in October and mid November, respectively, and will be available on all ships visiting Nassau in 2001.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) reported net income of $396.2 million ($0.67 Diluted EPS) on revenues of $1.23 billion for its third quarter ended August 31, 2000, compared to net income of $415.1 million ($0.67 Diluted EPS) on revenues of $1.16 billion for the same quarter in 1999. Net income for the nine months ended August 31, 2000, was $771.7 million ($1.27 Diluted EPS) on revenues of $2.93 billion, compared to net income of $776.2 million ($1.26 Diluted EPS) on revenues of $2.71 billion for the same period in 1999.

The company's higher revenues during the third quarter of 2000 were primarily driven by an 11.3 percent increase in cruise capacity provided by Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph, launched in July 1999; and Holland America Line's 1,440-passenger Volendam and Zaandam, introduced in November 1999 and May 2000, respectively.

Barbara Shrut has assumed the role of Vice President, Customer Loyalty, for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Her responsibilities include past-guest programs for Royal Caribbean International and e-marketing and distribution for both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which ship was the first to offer movies at sea?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - From where does the term "Captain's Dinner" originate?

Answer - Steamship captains used to provide all of the food for his cabin passengers....all of whom were seated, refectory style, at his table. Some ships carried more passengers than could fit, but that's the origin of the term. courtesy of Marty Snyder

Cruise News 9/4/00

In this week's installment of..."technology marches on (...and steps sideways)"...Celebrity Cruises made the embarrassing announcement this week that they have decided to dry-dock their newest ship Millennium, this November to perform work on the vessel's stern hull design.

As reported earlier, a vibration had been detected in certain areas of the ship under certain sea conditions. This vibration has been linked to the design of the stern hull. Shipyard workers will use the dry-dock period to attach a buffer to the aft section of the hull, which is expected to eliminate the vibration. This work is expected to take three weeks.

The unscheduled dry dock will prove costly to the cruise line as it will necessitate the cancellation of one two-night and three seven-night Caribbean voyages. Guests booked on any of the four cruises will receive a full refund, plus additional compensation. Guests on the seven-night cruises, November 26, December 3 and 10, will receive a 50 percent discount on any future Celebrity seven-night Caribbean sailing, excluding certain holidays. Guests booked on the two-night sailing, November 23, will receive a $100 credit for a future Celebrity cruise.

The company is continuing to review the matter with the ship's builder, Chantiers de L'Atlantique, and expects the bulk of any costs associated with the dry dock to be covered by the builder.

Currently, Millennium is sailing 10- to 14-night cruises in Europe. It is scheduled to arrive in New York on November 15 for several days of inaugural activities and begin cruising from Fort Lauderdale on December 17, following the dry dock.

Similar modifications will be made on Millennium's sister ship, Infinity, while it is still under construction at the shipyard.

In part II of this week's ..."technology marches on (...and steps sideways)" file...Carnival engineers announced this week that they believe a design flaw in the Azipod propulsion systems that drive two of the lines cruise ships is causing premature wear in certain parts which has resulted in breakdowns. The propulsion systems, which were built by ABB Industry Marine Group of Helsinki, were named as the reasons behind the cancellation of a series of cruises on the Paradise this past July and two Elation cruises scheduled for Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 2000.

The design flaw reportedly will require dry docking for maintenance about every 18 months rather than the normal 30-month cycle, which would negate the fuel efficiencies gained through the system. To date, ABB Industry Marine Group has delivered 25 Azipod units to a variety of cruise lines including: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Holland America and Star Cruises. An ABB spokesperson has said that the units on the Elation and Paradise are the only units with this particular deficiency.

In other Carnival news, Carnival Corporation announced last week that they have signed an agreement to purchase the remaining 50% in Italy-based Costa Crociere from Airtours PLC for $525 million in cash. Carnival will also maintain its 26% interest in Airtours.

Silversea Cruises took delivery last week of Silver Shadow, its new 28,258 grt, 388 guest, state-of-the-art vessel. Delivered on schedule, Silver Shadow officially became the third ship in Silversea's fleet, Thursday, August 31, at 12:00 noon. The ship completed its final outfitting at the T. Mariotti Shipyard in Genoa and is now preparing for its Inaugural Cruise.

Silver Shadow will sail from Civitavecchia on September 15 on her maiden voyage through the Mediterranean following the Naming Ceremony and a Gala Inaugural Celebration for guests featuring fireworks and the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra. Highlighted by calls in Livorno, Marseille, and Barcelona, and a two-day overnight stay in Casablanca.

Cunard Line has announced Queen Elizabeth 2's 2001 theme cruise line up. From the 1st Annual Fine Arts Festival at sea to the 19th annual Floating Jazz Festival, Cunard Line's flag ship will feature 21 theme cruises next year on 21 Transatlantic Crossings and Grand Liner Voyages.

Other themes will include, Great Mysteries-Fact or Fiction, QE2 Goes to the Movies, Great Explorations & Discovery, 13th Annual Big Bands at Sea, Chef's Palate-6 night, and Make 'Em Laugh.

Royal Caribbean International will expand its Australia/New Zealand cruise offerings in 2001 when Legend of the Seas embarks on a third season of international sailings through Australasia, the Middle East, India, Asia and the South Pacific. The Royal Journeys program, launched in 1999, will be renamed "Exotic Destinations" and feature seven exciting voyages between Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand as the centerpiece of the season. These itineraries are the first to include an overnight stay onboard the ship while in port in Sydney and Auckland, allowing guests an entire day and night to explore these exciting cities.

Century Casinos, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTY) announced last week that it has signed a five-year casino concession agreement with The World of ResidenSea Ltd., the owner and operator of the world's first ocean going luxury resort, based in Freeport, Bahamas. ResidenSea is the first to offer private residences on board a ship for purchase by customers.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Cruise lines today are touting their alternative dining......which passenger ship was to first to offer this option.....and we don't include room service or deck buffets?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which cruise ship's capacity was set to equal the number of seats in a 747?

Answer - The ship in question was the 'Golden Odyssey', built for Royal Cruise Line in 1974. Her capacity equalled that of a Boeing 747 and it was felt the use of one planeload of passengers to fill the ship would promote their fly/cruise programme. The ship is still in service as the German-operated 'Astra II'. courtesy of Tony Davis

Cruise News 8/28/00

In this week's episode of our continuing drama How Not to Operate a Cruise Line, hundreds of passengers aboard Premier Cruise Lines Big Red Boat II were stranded aboard the troubled cruise ship (see Cruise News for June 19th) after the elevators used to transport passenger luggage ashore failed. The ship had just returned to New York from a scheduled 7-day Canada/New England cruise when the elevators malfunctioned and passengers were kept onboard until the elevators could be repaired and the luggage moved to the pier.

Conditions were so bad that some passengers used their cell-phones to call the The New York City Police Department with reports of "passengers in distress". Officers were dispatched to the ship and both the the police department and U.S. Coast Guard are looking into the matter.

The elevator problem capped a string of problems over the past week that included power outages, air conditioning failures and plumbing blockages. As a result of the problems the ship was forced to cancel a scheduled stop in St. John's, Newfoundland while repairs were attempted in Boston. A Premier spokesperson said that passengers would be given free tickets for another cruise and that the company would waive the $35 port charge for the missed stop.

From our..."technology marches on (...and steps sideways)" file... Carnival Cruise Lines, today announced that it will cancel two seven-day voyages of its cruise ship Elation departing Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 2000, to perform preventative maintenance on the ship's two Azipod propulsion units. As a result, the company estimates that fourth quarter 2000 earnings will be reduced by approximately one cent per share.

The Elation, which sails every Sunday from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, is one of two ships in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet that features Azipod propulsion. The other vessel, Paradise, experienced a problem with the system in July, which forced the cancellation of five week-long cruises while the ship underwent repairs.

"Based on what we've learned during the course of repairing the Paradise, we feel it is prudent to take this precautionary measure on the Elation now to ensure we do not experience a similar problem on that ship in the future," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president. "We are timing this in a manner that provides our guests with more than two months' notice of the cancellations so that they will have ample time to make alternative vacation plans. Nonetheless, we realize the cancellation of any vacation is a disappointment and an inconvenience, and for that we sincerely apologize," Dickinson added.

Guests on the cancelled cruises will receive a full refund and a 50 percent discount on a future cruise of seven days or less. Travel agent commissions on the cancelled sailings will be protected.

Delta Queen Coastal Voyages has announced the itineraries for their coastal cruise ships which are scheduled to debut May 5, 2001. According to the cruise line, the itineraries are destination-focused and provides passengers the opportunity to explore in depth the heritage, personality and attractions of North America's coastal cities and towns.

Delta Queen Coastal Voyages' newly constructed, 226-passenger ships, the cv Cape May Light and cv Cape Cod Light, are named for historic lighthouses and designed to resemble the classic coastal packet ships of the late 1800s. These ships will launch nine inaugural vacation itineraries featuring the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritime Provinces and the eastern coastline of the United States. The scheduled itineraries include the following:

• The Charms of the Chesapeake Bay - 7-night voyage between Norfolk, Va., and Philadelphia, Pa. Departures: May 5 and 19, June 2, Oct. 27 and Nov. 10, 2001.
• Exploring the Coastal Islands of New England - 7-night voyage between Philadelphia, Pa., and Providence, R.I. Departures: June 9 and Aug. 4. Providence to Philadelphia departures with itineraries in reverse order: Oct. 6 and 13.
• New England Coastal Adventure - 7-night voyage between Providence, R.I., and Portland, Me. Departures: June 16, Aug. 11 and Sept. 22. Portland to Providence departures with itineraries in reverse order: Sept. 1, 15 and 29.
• Journey North through Maine and Canada - 7-night voyage between Portland, Me., and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Departures: June 23 and Aug. 18. Halifax to Portland departures with itineraries in reverse order: Aug. 25 and Sept. 8.
• Grand Voyage of Discovery North - 14-night voyage between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Buffalo, N.Y. Departure: June 30. Buffalo to Halifax departure with itinerary in reverse order: Aug. 25.
• A Passage Through Canada - 7-night voyage between Quebec City, Quebec, and Buffalo, N.Y. Departures: July 21, Aug. 4 and 18. Buffalo to Quebec City departures with itineraries in reverse order: July 14 and 28, and
• New England's Coastal Colors - 7-night voyage beginning and ending in Providence, R.I. Departures: Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29; and Oct. 6.
• Grand Voyage of Discovery South - 14-night voyage between Philadelphia, Pa., and Charleston, S.C., Departures: Oct. 13 and Nov. 17.
• Grand Antebellum Adventure - 7-night voyage beginning and ending in Charleston, S.C. Departures: Oct. 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 24; Dec. 1 and 8.

Canyon Ranch Management, operator of a number of health resorts, announced this week that they have formed a new division, Canyon Ranch at Sea, that will design and operate a line of cruise ships dedicated to health, healing and adventure. Unlike the many ships that currently offer spa facilities, each Canyon Ranch ship will be a health resort from stem to stern. The cruise ships will be operated as companion properties to the existing health resorts in Tucson, Arizona, and Lenox, Massachusetts.

The company says that agreements have been signed with Societa Exercizio Cantieri shipyard in Viareggio, Italy, for construction of the first two vessels, Quest I and Quest II. S.E.C. is a private, international shipyard that designs, develops and builds a variety of specialized sea craft. S.E.C. was the contractor for the construction of Silver Sea's five-star vessels, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind. Preliminary plans call for the ships to have a worldwide itinerary, with inaugural launch scheduled for 2002.

The Quest I and Quest II will have nearly double the passenger space ratio of other five-star cruise ships sailing today. The two 25,000 gross registered tonnage vessels will each carry only 320 guests in 180 cabins. Additionally, each ship will feature large all-outside suites, 90% of which will have private verandas. All suites will be lavishly appointed, complete with entertainment centers, luxurious private baths and ample closet space.

In response to Hurricane Debby’s movements throughout last week, Royal Caribbean International announced several changes to its itineraries: Monarch of the Seas visited all of its ports of call last week although the ship reversed the order of some ports to avoid storm activity. Enchantment of the Seas traveled a Western Caribbean route last week, visiting Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. The ship had been set to sail an Eastern Caribbean itinerary last week, but storm conditions ruled out that route. Grandeur of the Seas sailed a slightly revised Western Caribbean itinerary last week. Because of lingering storm conditions, however, the ship stayed at sea on Thursday and Friday, instead of visiting Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.

Guests on board Holland America Line's newest cruise ship, the 1,380-passenger ms Amsterdam, can sip an espresso drink while they surf the Internet. The ship's Internet Café is located on Promenade Deck, between the Java Café and the Atrium. The new location will afford the Internet Café increased visibility and accessibility by guests and will permit the Amsterdam to retain the Puzzle Corner, another feature enjoyed by guests, adjacent to the library on Upper Promenade.

The Amsterdam joins her sister ships, ms Rotterdam, and ms Volendam in offering the popular Internet service for its guests. The Internet Café, equipped with seven computer terminals and a printer, is open 24 hours; a staff member is on hand during posted times. The basic charge to guests is $.75 per minute -- the fee is based on the time the guest logs on to the time they log off.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which cruise ship's capacity was set to equal the number of seats in a 747?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Which was the first cruise/passenger ship to have televisions in every passenger cabin?

Answer - Chandris Line's Anerikanis, built as the Kenya Castle for Union Castle Lines in 1952. courtesy of George Northup

Cruise News 8/21/00

Last week we reported that a male passenger was reported missing from Carnival's Elation off the coast of Mexico. This week a women somehow fell overboard from Carnival's Holiday while the ship was sailing from Los Angeles to Ensenada. According to Rod Thomas, supervising deputy coroner for Orange County, California "We have no idea whether it was an accidental fall or a homicide or if it was a suicide".

The women was reported missing at 11:05 p.m. last Friday evening and a California Department of Fish and Game boat and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were immediately dispatched to aid in the search. The 728 foot cruise ship returned to the spot where the women was reported missing and two lifeboats were lowered to assist in the search. The women's body was found at 1:30 a.m.

While passengers falling or jumping off of cruise ships is rare, it does happen. A review of Cruise News over the past 18 months reveals that there were at least 9 different incidents reported during that period. In most cases the passengers either jumped or were acting recklessly (...think Jack and Rose in Titanic) when they fell overboard.

In a move that could eliminate one of the biggest "boarding day" headaches - standing in line for shore excursions - Princess Cruises will now allow passengers to pre-reserve their shore excursions via a new service accessible through the cruise line's web site.

The new web-based tool will allow passengers with a current booking to access their reservation information at princess.com, and personally select their favorite shore excursions in advance of the cruise – giving them yet another option to customize their vacation experience. Travelers can electronically reserve tours for most ports of call worldwide, including those in Alaska and the Caribbean – destinations where Princess is the only cruise line to offer a pre-reservation program. Advance tour reservations will continue to be available by mail, as well.

Costa Crociere, the Italian joint venture of Carnival Corp and Airtours, announced today that it has signed a contract with Finland's Kvaerner Masa-Yards to construct a 86,000 ton cruise ship. The unnamed vessel which will accommodate 2,100 passengers is expected to cost $350 million to build.

Dino Schibuola, President and CEO of Costa Cruises North America, states, "As with the birth of the CostaAtlantica, the announcement of this new vessel is a momentous occasion. It demonstrates the strength of the Italian Style brand of cruising and symbolizes Costa's commitment to providing our guests with the most exciting, advanced and unique cruise experience -- Cruising Italian Style."

Plans call for the ship to be built in Helsinki with a scheduled delivery sometime in 2003. With this contract, the order books at Kvaerner increase to $2.6 billion.

Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced a significant restructuring of its Marine Operations department, including the internal promotion of two senior marine executives, the appointment of three veteran maritime experts to newly developed vice president-level positions, and the engagement of a renowned executive consultant to oversee environmental affairs and risk management.

Under the new management structure, NCL's Marine Operations department is now segmented into five distinct functional areas: environmental & regulatory affairs; port operations, nautical operations, technical operations and ship personnel. The new organization will be headed by Sigve Bru, Senior Vice President.

Last week we reported that Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to allow passengers to connect directly to the Internet from the privacy of a phone jack in the cabin. Well, it turns out that this capability has been available onboard NCL's Norwegian Sky since the ship entered service last year. In addition to the well publicized internet kiosk onboard the ship, the phone equipment onboard the Sky allows passengers to dial up from their cabins. Calls from the cabin are charged at $.75 per minute which should be a substantial savings over using the Internet kiosk since you can compose your messages on your laptop off-line and connect just to send them.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which was the first cruise/passenger ship to have televisions in every passenger cabin?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What was the largest passenger ship to ever fly the U.S. flag as her registry and ownership?

Answer - Largest US ship was the Leviathan, used to be Vaterland form Germany; WWI reparation. It weighed in at 59,000 tons. SS United States at 53,000 tons is the largest built on American soil, and registered in the US. courtesy of drodstein@aol.com

Cruise News 8/21/00

Last week we reported that a male passenger was reported missing from Carnival's Elation off the coast of Mexico. This week a women somehow fell overboard from Carnival's Holiday while the ship was sailing from Los Angeles to Ensenada. According to Rod Thomas, supervising deputy coroner for Orange County, California "We have no idea whether it was an accidental fall or a homicide or if it was a suicide".

The women was reported missing at 11:05 p.m. last Friday evening and a California Department of Fish and Game boat and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were immediately dispatched to aid in the search. The 728 foot cruise ship returned to the spot where the women was reported missing and two lifeboats were lowered to assist in the search. The women's body was found at 1:30 a.m.

While passengers falling or jumping off of cruise ships is rare, it does happen. A review of Cruise News over the past 18 months reveals that there were at least 9 different incidents reported during that period. In most cases the passengers either jumped or were acting recklessly (...think Jack and Rose in Titanic) when they fell overboard.

In a move that could eliminate one of the biggest "boarding day" headaches - standing in line for shore excursions - Princess Cruises will now allow passengers to pre-reserve their shore excursions via a new service accessible through the cruise line's web site.

The new web-based tool will allow passengers with a current booking to access their reservation information at princess.com, and personally select their favorite shore excursions in advance of the cruise – giving them yet another option to customize their vacation experience. Travelers can electronically reserve tours for most ports of call worldwide, including those in Alaska and the Caribbean – destinations where Princess is the only cruise line to offer a pre-reservation program. Advance tour reservations will continue to be available by mail, as well.

Costa Crociere, the Italian joint venture of Carnival Corp and Airtours, announced today that it has signed a contract with Finland's Kvaerner Masa-Yards to construct a 86,000 ton cruise ship. The unnamed vessel which will accommodate 2,100 passengers is expected to cost $350 million to build.

Dino Schibuola, President and CEO of Costa Cruises North America, states, "As with the birth of the CostaAtlantica, the announcement of this new vessel is a momentous occasion. It demonstrates the strength of the Italian Style brand of cruising and symbolizes Costa's commitment to providing our guests with the most exciting, advanced and unique cruise experience -- Cruising Italian Style."

Plans call for the ship to be built in Helsinki with a scheduled delivery sometime in 2003. With this contract, the order books at Kvaerner increase to $2.6 billion.

Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced a significant restructuring of its Marine Operations department, including the internal promotion of two senior marine executives, the appointment of three veteran maritime experts to newly developed vice president-level positions, and the engagement of a renowned executive consultant to oversee environmental affairs and risk management.

Under the new management structure, NCL's Marine Operations department is now segmented into five distinct functional areas: environmental & regulatory affairs; port operations, nautical operations, technical operations and ship personnel. The new organization will be headed by Sigve Bru, Senior Vice President.

Last week we reported that Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to allow passengers to connect directly to the Internet from the privacy of a phone jack in the cabin. Well, it turns out that this capability has been available onboard NCL's Norwegian Sky since the ship entered service last year. In addition to the well publicized internet kiosk onboard the ship, the phone equipment onboard the Sky allows passengers to dial up from their cabins. Calls from the cabin are charged at $.75 per minute which should be a substantial savings over using the Internet kiosk since you can compose your messages on your laptop off-line and connect just to send them.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Which was the first cruise/passenger ship to have televisions in every passenger cabin?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What was the largest passenger ship to ever fly the U.S. flag as her registry and ownership?

Answer - Largest US ship was the Leviathan, used to be Vaterland form Germany; WWI reparation. It weighed in at 59,000 tons. SS United States at 53,000 tons is the largest built on American soil, and registered in the US. courtesy of drodstein@aol.com

Cruise News 8/14/00

A 42 year old male passenger was reported missing from Carnival's Elation last week. The FBI confirmed that the passenger, John Conaty, was reported missing at approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 31 while the ship was cruising off the coast of Mexico. According to authorities, the passenger was last seen the previous evening around 11:30 p.m. by family members in the ship's casino. It was not clear why he was not reported missing until 14 hours later.

Once alerted, the Coast Guard initiated a search that covered 65 nautical miles during an 11 hour period. The cruise ship itself participated in the search by turning around an retracing her course for the remainder of the day. At this time, no evidence of the missing passenger has been found.

From our..."Its About Time" file...Royal Caribbean Cruise lines has announced that they will extend Internet access directly to all passenger cabins. A number of cruise lines have been offering Internet access from a public kiosk or cafe for some time, but Royal Caribbean is the first to announce that passengers will be able to dial up from the privacy of their own cabin using their own computer.

While the kiosks and cafes are fine for browsing or checking the occasional e-mail they leave much to be desired if you needed to conduct business while on a cruise. During our Millennium cruise earlier this year on HAL's Volendam (click here for more about our Millennium cruise), it took at least 30 minutes to file each day's report using the limited function computers of available in the ship's Internet Cafe. If cabin connectivity had been available on the Volendam, the job could have been done in less than five minutes.

Royal Caribbean seems to agree that there is room for improvement. "We're rebuilding our entire business around customer centricity, and our shipboard technology didn't allow us to provide the customer experience we wanted to," Royal Caribbean CIO Tom Murphy says. "We know it runs contrary to the old notion of cruising, which was to keep people out of their cabins. But we recognize that the cabin experience is as important as everything else." Specific pricing has not yet been announced.

Disney Cruise Line expanded their cruise offerings last week when the Disney Magic left Port Canaveral for the lines first 7 day itinerary. The cruise ship's departure not only marks a milestone for Disney Cruise Line, but also helps establish Port Canaveral as a seven-night cruise port.

Disney's new seven-night cruise calls on the eastern Caribbean ports of St. Maarten and St. Thomas, with excursions to St. John, as well as Castaway Cay, Disney's private Bahamian island. "This is more than just an expanded itinerary," said Matt Ouimet, president of Disney Cruise Line. "We've designed new entertainment, clever programming and unique dining to create a new way for families to experience a Disney Cruise vacation."

When the Disney Magic entered service two years ago she offered seven-night land and sea vacations which combined a Walt Disney World vacation with a cruise to The Bahamas. Since then passenger traffic through Port Canaveral has increased steadily with and increase of 67 percent in the first half of 2000 compared to the same period last year, and an increase of 59 percent for all of 1999 compared with 1998.

Princess Cruises announced this week that passengers on all Gulf of Alaska sailings in 2001 will have the choice of taking a new Anchorage airport transfer between their ship docked in Seward and the Anchorage airport, in place of a traditional motorcoach transfer. Cruisers using this option will also receive meet-and-greet services, baggage handling and transportation between the Anchorage rail depot and Anchorage International Airport.

"Our new rail transfer program will provide passengers with an added bonus to their Gulf of Alaska voyage, allowing them to complement their cruise experience with a glimpse of the region’s scenic interior," said Dean Brown, president of Princess Tours. "This mini land tour will be a great way to begin or end the cruise adventure."

The nearly five-hour tour on Alaska Railroad’s own domed rail cars will feature a wide array of scenery. River crossings, mountain lakes, canyons, cascading waterfalls and glaciers will await passengers at every turn. As the train climbs from sea level, passengers will travel through some of the most breathtaking wilderness Alaska has to offer, some of it accessible only by rail.

Crown Cruise Line announced this week that the Crown Dynasty will return to the warm waters of the Southern Caribbean to begin her second season of weekly sailings from Aruba. The second season in Aruba will run from Nov. 4 through April 14, 2001 with weekly sailings to the ports of Curacao; Soufriere and Castries, St. Lucia; Barbados, Grenada and Bonaire.

The 2000 Aruba season replicates the "Hidden Harbors of the Caribbean" itinerary introduced in 1999. This season the route will change slightly, offering passengers extended time in each port of call to explore the pristine beaches, historic sites, duty-free shopping and scenic attractions of Caribbean islands rarely visited by the larger, mass-marketed ships.

Carnival Cruise Lines will temporarily stop calling at St. Maarten next year as part of a fleet realignment. The Fascination, which brings an estimated 100,000 passengers and $10 million in associated revenue to the island each year, will stop calling at St. Maarten in April of 2001. Service to the island will resume in November of 2001 when the slightly larger Carnival Spirit (84,000 tons and 2,124 passengers) shifts to an Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

Reports that the worlds largest cruise line was pulling out of St. Maarten in response to continued harassment of its passengers by the local population were downplayed by Carnival spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz who said the move was being made for marketing purposes. "Where St. Maarten is concerned there were some issues of concern, but this decision was primarily based on a new marketing strategy," De la Cruz said.

Royal Caribbean International has named "Female Athlete of the 20th Century" Jackie Joyner-Kersee godmother of Explorer of the Seas. Sister ship to the 3,114-passenger, 142,000-ton Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas debuts in New York City October 16. Explorer of the Seas includes many of Voyager's features like an ice-skating rink, in-line skating track, rock climbing wall and Royal Promenade. Explorer also features the cruise industry's first full working oceanographic and atmospheric laboratories.

"Jackie embodies the spirit of leadership and a commitment to an active, healthy lifestyle that complements the design and personality of Explorer of the Seas," said Jack Williams, president of Royal Caribbean International. "We believe the ship will delight the public in the same way Jackie's accomplishments have inspired her fans."

Before you rush out to make your hotel reservations for next year's Cannes Film Festival you might want to consider that Fort Lauderdale Int'l Film Festival is negotiating with Seabourn Cruises to charter the Seabourn Goddess I and use the ship as a floating hotel. Seabourn Cruises and the Fort Lauderdale Int'l Film Festival, (the world's longest film festival) are contemplating the move as a solution to the lodging log-jam at Cannes. Motion picture company execs and their attending stars will be able to book a cabin on-board the Seabourn Goddess. Parties, interviews will be held on board, thereby avoiding the panic of Cannes hotels. 24 hour room service, five star service, water sports, 24 hour tenders, plus all meals and open bar is included.

The intense interest in a millennium wedding is prompting more than 2.4 million couples across the United States to tie the knot this year. As churches, temples, reception halls and hotels book quickly, more than 160 of these couples have found a unique alternative that combines the wedding ceremony and honeymoon vacation into one complete, special package. They have decided to get married on a cruise ship.

So far this year, 97 couples have said "I do" on board Princess Cruise Lines' Grand Princess, and there are already more than 60 weddings scheduled for 2001. Princess, which claims to be the first and only line allowed to perform legal at-sea weddings, offers all-inclusive wedding/honeymoon packages aboard the Grand Princess. Even more options await brides- and grooms-to-be next year with the introduction of Golden Princess, sister ship to Grand Princess, which will also offer an onboard wedding chapel.

"Grand Princess offers a unique alternative for the growing number of couples who want to get married in the millennium and beyond," said Rick James, Princess Cruises' senior vice president of customer service and sales. "When her sister ship, Golden Princess, launches next year, more couples than ever will have the opportunity to make their day that much more special by exchanging their vows at sea."

Cruise News Trivia Question:
What was the largest passenger ship to ever fly the U.S. flag as her registry and ownership?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - This week we have another visual Cruise Trivia Question. The picture below was taken from the beach in Nassau. There are five cruise ships in the picture, can you name them all?

Click here for a bigger picture.

Answer - From back to front...."Oceanic" (Big Red Boat), Fantasy, Ocean Breeze, Disney Magic and the Soveriegn of the Seas. courtesy of Jeff Ross

Cruise News 8/7/00

Celebrity Cruises announced last week that they were evaluating whether to return their newest ship, Millennium, to the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard where she was built for repairs prior to her scheduled transfer to a Caribbean itinerary later this year. The ship, which is equipped with the cruise industry's first gas turbine engines, has shown that under certain sea conditions a vibration could be felt within certain areas of the ship.

While this has not been, and is not expected to be, a problem on the ship's current European sailings, it is possible that the sea conditions in question could be more prevalent in the Caribbean. The company is working with Chantiers de l'Atlantique to resolve the matter prior to its sailing in the Caribbean this winter. If a decision is made to return the ship to the builder's shipyard, it will be made prior to the ship's scheduled arrival in New York on November 15. That decision, however, has not yet been made. Celebrity Cruises will provide more detailed information as it becomes available and will contact all guests whose cruises may be affected.

Cunard Line has announced a new program that offers passengers the chance to sail on two ocean liners in a single vacation. Entitled Cunard's Perfectly Paired Passages, the concept allows travelers to make a single purchase and journey across the Atlantic aboard Queen Elizabeth 2 before or after sailing on QE2's fleetmate, Caronia, for a voyage in either Europe or North America. Ranging from 18 to 24 days, these holidays offer guests a variety of 13 different cruise packages. Each QE2 transatlantic crossing features a different theme cruise from a Big Bands At Sea to a Great Authors-Literary Festival cruise. Some combinations even allow those who prefer not to fly at all to cruise the Atlantic both ways on board the two ships.

"Crossing the Atlantic on the QE2 is an unforgettable experience," said Cunard Line President and CEO Larry Pimentel. "It evokes the golden age of ocean travel. But for most vacationers, the crossing is just a part of their holiday. Now we've extended that nostalgic experience by combining a QE2 transatlantic crossing with a perfectly matched Caronia cruise, visiting the most appealing destinations in Europe and North America. Guests can enjoy one seamless grand holiday and the same Cunard White Star Service that their ancestors may have once experienced, combined with all of the modern luxuries, including Computer Learning Centres, comprehensive spas, and Broadway productions."

The new Union-Castle Line, which chartered P&O's Victoria for a two month Millennium cruise earlier this year is looking to get back into the cruise business again -this time on a more permanent basis. The original Union-Castle Line which operated a fleet of ships between the UK and South Africa for nearly 120 years, ceased operations in 1977. The new Union-Castle Line, which acquired the rights to the name a few years ago, is looking to offer what they describe as "4-star quality" cruises on a mid-size vessel.

According to the cruise line, the ship will follow itineraries that offer a blend of popular destinations with a selection of smaller ports and islands which are rarely, if ever, visited by other cruise ships. To help the planned itineraries meet the interests and expectations of future Union-Castle Line cruisegoers as fully as possible, they are inviting people to complete a questionnaire on their web site (http://www.union-castle-line.com). Participating in the survey makes you eligible to win scale model of the Centenary Voyage ship "Victoria" and a bottle of vintage Champagne. (prize draw ends midnight GMT 30th September 2000).

Princess Cruises has acknowledged that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has charged the company with an administrative complaint for two instances of smoke emissions which violate the State of Alaska’s air quality regulations. The incidents to which the EPA charge refers occurred last summer in 1999 and involved the Sun Princess and Dawn Princess, both during a visit to Seward. According to the EPA, the two ships emitted greater than allowed amounts of smoke while docked in the port. Princess has 30 days to respond to the complaint.

Princess said that it has cooperated fully with the EPA in its investigation over the past year and has expressed regret over the incidents. "These were two regrettable, isolated incidents which were due to short-term technical and operational issues," said Peter Ratcliffe, president of Princess Cruises. "These issues were resolved immediately last year, and Princess remains committed to eliminating technical issues that may result in any occurrence of smoke. Princess takes the protection of the environment, especially in Alaska, very seriously and we work diligently to make sure our ships treat Alaskan waters and air quality with the utmost respect."

In other Princess news, the line announced a series of new 15-day Panama Canal cruise for Fall 2001/Spring 2002. The itineraries which include sailing between Ft. Lauderdale and San Diego aboard the Crown Princess will provide passengers with a bird’s-eye view of this engineering marvel plus stops at colorful and exciting destinations in the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Mexican Riviera. This new itinerary will complement the company's other sailings through the Panama Canal, including a 10-day round-trip cruise from Ft. Lauderdale aboard Sun Princess and a series of 10- to 22-day Grand Panama Canal Adventures in fall and spring aboard Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and Ocean Princess.

In other new ship news, Costa Cruises announced that they are extending their Free Balcony giveaway for the CostaAtlantica. Guests purchasing a category 5 ocean view stateroom on any CostaAtlantica Caribbean sailing departing between November 19, 2000, and April 2001, will be upgraded to a balcony stateroom (category 6) for free. (Must book by September 30, 2000; some restrictions apply.)

The CostaAtlantica was constructed at the Kvaerner Masa Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. At 85,000 grt and with a double occupancy capacity of 2,114, she is the 7th and largest ship in Costa's fleet. The CostaAtlantica began her inaugural season in Europe on July 16, sailing 7-night cruises to Greece and Turkey. After a special 5-night positioning voyage from Venice to Genoa on October 29, she will make her first transatlantic crossing to join the CostaVictoria in Fort Lauderdale for their 2000/2001 Fall/Winter Caribbean program with alternating 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean November through April.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
This week we have another visual Cruise Trivia Question. The picture below was taken from the beach in Nassau. There are five cruise ships in the picture, can you name them all?

See picture and answer above.

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Two steamship companies, one still in business and mighty powerful, were named P&O. The "P" for both companies stands for "peninsular". What does the "O" stand for in each name? (The "O" is for a different word for each.)

Answer - ) The company still in business is Peninsular & Oriental. The other line was Peninsular & Occidental, whose principals chose to name their line in honor of the older firm. Peninsular & Occidental operated the FLORIDA, CUBA and SOUTHERN CROSS during the 30's, 40's and 50's in a service from Florida to Cuba. courtesy of M. Smith

Cruise News 7/31/00

An Air France Concorde en route to New York City crashed outside Paris shortly after takeoff last Tuesday, slamming into a hotel and a restaurant. The plane had been chartered by Peter Dielmann Cruises and was carrying 96 passengers to New York for a 21 day cruise aboard the ms Deutschland. All 109 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft were killed along with 4 people on the ground. The Deutschland departed as scheduled late last week.

Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), took delivery last Friday of its new $440 million cruise ship, the 102,000-ton Carnival Victory, during the traditional "hand-over" ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, where the 2,758-passenger vessel was built.

The delivery of Carnival Corporation's 10th vessel from the Italian shipbuilder was commemorated with a reception and luncheon Saturday for Italian dignitaries and European press. Carnival then hosted a dinner and party for Fincantieri's shipyard workers who spent the better part of the past two years constructing the cruise ship.

The Carnival Victory, the 15th vessel in the "Fun Ship" fleet and the third in Carnival's "Destiny-class," will depart Monfalcone Wednesday, Aug. 2, on its transatlantic crossing and is expected to arrive in New York on Monday, Aug. 14. From there, the Carnival Victory will sail on its inaugural voyage -- a sold-out, two-night cruise-to-nowhere departing Aug. 18, followed by three additional sold-out, two-night cruises, an overnight voyage, and various travel agent and fundraising functions. The ship will then launch a program of four- and five-day cruises from New York to the Canadian Maritimes Aug. 31.

"We are very pleased that our partners at Fincantieri have worked so diligently in delivering this beautiful vessel ahead of our projected schedule, and we are looking forward to her U.S. arrival so that guests and travel agents can see for themselves what we believe is a superb expression of the 'Fun Ship' vacation experience," said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president.

Following its New York voyages, the Carnival Victory will sail on a series of one- to five-night voyages from Newport News, Va., and Charleston, S.C., before repositioning to Miami to operate a three-day Bahamas voyage and a program of week-long Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 15.

A crewman onboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky was crushed to death last week during a test of the cruise ship's watertight doors. The ship was cruising off the coast of Alaska last Wednesday when the accident occurred in an interior area of the ship that is not accessible by passengers. About 2,000 passengers and 750 crew members were aboard the Norwegian Sky when the accident happened. It was not immediately known how the crew member failed to avoid the large, but slow moving hydraulic door.

Guests on Holland America Line cruises beginning or ending in Seward, Alaska, can now opt to take the Alaska Railroad to or from Anchorage. The new transfer option augments those provided by Gray Line of Alaska's deluxe motorcoaches. Both motorcoach and train offer stunning views of Alaska's scenery for the 130-mile journey. However, the train traverses dramatic terrain accessible only by rail and offers panoramic windows in its unique, single-level dome cars. It also lets passengers move around during the trip, enjoy a meal in the dining car and relax in the lounge. Tour guides aboard the train point out places of interest and share local history.

Holland America announced that they will feature eight 15-day Circle Hawaii cruises aboard the ms Statendam in 2001, sailing round-trip from San Diego. Four cruises sail in winter/spring and three in the fall, plus a special holiday cruise. Circle Hawaii cruises offer one of the most comprehensive ways to see Hawaii, calling at Hilo, Hawaii; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai; Lahaina, Maui; Kona, Hawaii; with a brief service call at Ensenada, Mexico. Every cruise sails past the active Kilauea Volcano in the evening when its glowing lava "show" can be seen best.

Crystal Cruises announced that they have expanded the Crystal Harmony's South America program and will offer five cruise departures next year. The cruises will range in length from 11 to 16 days, and will depart on Jan. 13, and 29; Feb. 10 and 23; and March 10. Depending on the itinerary, the cruise ship will explore the east and west coasts of South America, including calls in the West Indies, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The season's highlights include the breathtaking landscapes of the Chilean fjords; an overnight stay in stylish Buenos Aires; a two-day visit to Rio de Janeiro that coincides with Carnaval, the city's festive costume and musical celebration; and the dramatic cliffs of Cape Horn. Exotic shore opportunities include a day trip by private plane to Iguazu Falls; and a visit to a Patagonian penguin colony.

Crown Cruise Line announces a special itinerary for the Crown Dynasty from Baltimore, Md., to Aruba sailing Oct. 25 - Nov. 4. Alternatively, passengers have the option to join the cruise on Oct. 28 in Fort Lauderdale for a 7-night sailing. Cruisers onboard the Crown Dynasty for the full 10-night sailing will depart from Baltimore on Oct. 25 and "Enjoy the Good Life" for 2-days and 3-nights at sea before arriving at the Port of Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 28. The cruise continues as additional passengers board in Fort Lauderdale to experience a 7-night Caribbean cruise with stops in Grand Turk Island, Virgin Gorda, St. Barts and Guadeloupe before arriving in Aruba on Nov. 4.

Cunard has announced that Queen Elizabeth 2 will sail a 16-day Caribbean Holiday cruise roundtrip from mid-town Manhattan (Pier 92) December 20, 2000 - January 5, 2001. Sailing south from frosty Manhattan, QE2 will call at balmy Fort Lauderdale, Montego Bay, Jamaica; Curacao; Bonaire; Barbados; St. Thomas and Cape Canaveral, Florida and Fort Lauderdale again, before returning guests, pampered and suntanned, to New York. Alternatively, "snowbirds" who wish to enjoy the Holiday cruise can embark and disembark in Fort Lauderdale.

Princess Cruises has announced a 71-day global itinerary spanning six continents aboard Royal Princess in 2002. Royal Princess will sail on her second world voyage from February 11 to April 24, 2002 following a route that takes passengers from Ft. Lauderdale to Athens with calls at more than 25 ports along the way. "Our world cruise features a terrific itinerary and the special atmosphere found aboard the beloved Royal Princess," said Rick James, Princess’ senior vice president of customer service and sales.

Royal Princess’ itinerary encompasses some of the world’s most popular destinations as well as lesser known ports. The voyage begins in Ft. Lauderdale and calls at Cartagena, Colombia before transiting the Panama Canal. The ship then stops at Manta, Equador and Lima, Peru, before setting across the Pacific, with calls at Easter Island, Tahiti, American Samoa and Fiji along the way. Continuing on, passengers enjoy visits to Auckland and Bay of Islands in New Zealand followed by Australian calls at Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef (Cid Harbor) and Cairns. Royal Princess next travels to Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and two new ports -- Bangkok and Kuantan in Malaysia. Passengers also visit Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, as well as Cochin and Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India. The vessel then sails to Oman, continuing through the Red Sea to an overnight call at Safaga to see the temples of Luxor and Karnak. After a transit of the Suez Canal, the ship overnights at Egypt’s Port Said for tours of Cairo and the Great Pyramids. Following a call at Ashdod, Israel, Royal Princess completes her world cruise in Athens.

Princess Cruises has appointed long-time Coast Guard commanding officer Captain George Wright as the company's new director of compliance and security. In this new position, Wright will be responsible for overseeing the company's environmental programs, fleet security operations and access compliance program.

BLACK Ink. Marketing, a brand consultancy and marketing firm, has been awarded the branding program for Royal Olympic Cruises. Billings for this account are estimated at five million dollars. BLACK Ink. Marketing will work with Royal Olympic Cruises to develop the brand positioning for all marketing communications. In addition, BLACK Ink. Marketing will introduce the line's two new cruise ships, the Olympic Voyager and the Olympic Explorer.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Two steamship companies, one still in business and mighty powerful, were named P&O. The "P" for both companies stands for "peninsular". What does the "O" stand for in each name? (The "O" is for a different word for each.

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What was the first cruise/passenger ship to have a "magrodome" (the automatic glass or plexiglass covering over the pool area)?

Answer - "The Oceanic of Home Lines was the first ship with a Magradome. She currently sails as the Big Red Boat for Premier. courtesy of James Tagliani

Cruise News 7/24/00

Ten Haitian stowaways were discovered aboard Carnival's Ecstasy early this morning as the cruise ship was returning to Miami. The Haitians apparently boarded the ship on Saturday while it was docked in Nassau, Bahamas. They were attempting to blend in with the rest of the passengers but were discovered by the ship's crew and handed over to agents from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) when the ship arrived in Miami.

This appears to be a big week for stowaways as a nine-year old boy from New Orleans successfully stowed away on Carnival's Sensation last Friday. Akeem Davis, who is autistic, apparently ran away from from home on Friday and made his way the five miles to the New Orleans cruise ship docks where he ran aboard the Carnival cruise ship. Police were alerted to the possibility that he had boarded the ship but after a two hour search failed to uncover the missing boy the ship departed at 5:00 PM. Akeem was discovered by the crew approximately two hours later and given his own cabin. After the Sensation arrived in Tampa on Sunday the boy was handed over to local authorities who said that he would be flown back to New Orleans and reunited with his mother later that day.

In other Carnival news, the return of the Paradise has been delayed and two more cruises have been cancelled. A total of four cruises scheduled to depart between July 16-August 6, 2000, have now been cancelled due to technical problems with the ship's engines. As a result, the company estimates that third quarter 2000 earnings will be reduced by approximately three cents per share.

The Paradise, which departed the Port of Miami July 16 and returned to the same port later that evening with a technical malfunction in one of its Azipod propulsion units, will be drydocked at a Newport News, Va., shipyard to undergo repairs. The vessel is now scheduled to re-enter service on Aug. 13, 2000.

"As technical experts have provided a more detailed assessment of the problem, we unfortunately have determined that the required repair time necessitates the cancellation of these cruises," said Bob Dickinson, president of Carnival Cruise Lines. Guests scheduled to sail on the July 16 departure during which the problem developed will receive a full refund of their cruise fare plus a free future three to seven-day cruise. Guests booked on the departures of July 23-August 6 will receive a full refund as well as a 50 percent discount on a future three to seven-day cruise. Travel agent commissions on the cancelled cruises will be protected.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this most unfortunate situation is causing our guests. We recognize that a vacation is a precious and highly anticipated event in people's lives and we very much regret the disruption and disappointment resulting from these cancelled cruises," Dickinson said.

In a move that could make it easier for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would prevent the government from enforcing the 40-year-old ban on travel by most Americans to Cuba. While journalists and Cuban Americans have been able to travel to Cuba for some time, most American tourists seeking to visit the island have had to do so by traveling "illegally" through third countries.

The House rejected a proposal that would have lifted the entire trade embargo, but did approve a bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Sanford (R-South Carolina) that would prohibit the government from spending money to enforce restrictions on travel to Cuba by Americans. According to supporters of the bill, increased contact with Americans will weaken Castro’s power on the island.

Last week's votes were made during consideration of the $29 billion spending bill that funds the Treasury Department - the U.S. agency charged with enforcing the embargo against Cuba. You might want to wait a spell before booking your cruise to Cuba though, as both the U.S. Senate and the President must also approve the bill before it becomes law.

Celebrity Cruises has announced that bookings have opened for the inaugural season of Summit, the third of four 91,000-ton Millennium-class ships to be launched by the line between 2000 and 2002.

The 1,950-guest Summit will make its maiden voyage on October 1, 2001, embarking on an 11-night Western Caribbean itinerary from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The $350-million ship is currently under construction at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France.

According to a study conducted by Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA) and Wharton Economic Forecasting Associates (WEFA), the total economic impact of cruise lines, their passengers, and U.S. cruise line suppliers in 1999 reached $15.5 billion. The study, commissioned by. the International Council of Cruise Lines, expanded on a previous study conducted in 1997 and examined the degree to which the cruise industry is meeting or exceeding the previous projections. In the 1997 study, it was projected that industry spending in the U.S. would reach $18.3 billion by 2002.

Direct spending of the cruise lines and their passengers on goods and services produced in the United States in 1999 was $8.1 billion. The direct and indirect spending generated by the cruise industry resulted in 214,901 U.S. jobs. The cruise industry's strong growth throughout the 1990s generated a 13% increase in the number of cruise ships operating in the North American fleet with an average rate of 11.5% increase in passenger capacity.

Royal Caribbean International announced today that it would accept bookings on Viking Serenade for three- and four- night Baja Mexico cruises until November 2001. The final four-night Baja cruise will set sail from Los Angeles on October 29, 2001, and the final three-night cruise, reserved as a travel agent appreciation cruise, will depart November 2, 2001.

The ship will begin a new venture with the launch of a new cruise brand in Europe in the partnership between First Choice Holidays and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Viking Serenade will sail seven-night Mediterranean cruises during the summer season and seven-night Caribbean cruises during the winter season.

Starwood Hotels announced last week that they have added cruising to the list of award options available to members of the hotel company's loyalty program. According to Starwood, the World's Leading Cruise Lines (WLCL) -- the marketing alliance for Carnival Corporation's six cruise brands -- has signed on as the newest partner for their Preferred Guest program. Now, members can receive discounts of $200, $500 and $800 per stateroom on more than 40 WLCL vessels operated by Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Seaburn Cruise Line and Windstar Cruises.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
What was the first cruise/passenger ship to have a "magrodome" (the automatic glass or plexiglass covering over the pool area)?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - Where exactly was "Luxury Liner Row" - and how was it traditionally defined?

Answer - "Luxury Liner Row" spanned Piers 84 - 97 on Manhattan's west side, from W. 44th-W.57th Streets. courtesy of Bilee

Cruise News 7/17/00

Carnival's Paradise experienced problems with one of the ship's two Azipod propulsion units which forced the cancellation of this week's cruise only hours after the ship left Miami. The ship, the first "smoke free" cruise ship, was carrying 2,600 passengers when she left Miami on Sunday headed for Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. She arrived back in Miami at 8:00 PM and some passengers remained aboard Sunday night and Monday as they attempted to arrange early returns home. The next cruise, scheduled to depart on July 23rd has also been cancelled.

Carnival announced that all passengers would receive a full refund of their cruise and airfares and a free future 3-7 day cruise. Guests on the cancelled July 23 sailing are to get a full refund and a 50 percent discount on a future cruise, Carnival said.

Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P&O) announced Monday that the proposed merger with Festival Cruises is off. The $600 million deal, which was announced in May, called for the integration of Festival's operations into P&O's cruise division. "The decision reflects the continuing low valuations of cruise companies arising from current stock market perceptions in the U.S.," the companies said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)is urging cruise lines to drop their opposition to installing individual smoke detectors in passengers cabins. In a report released last week, the NTSB again warned that the number one danger to passengers aboard cruise ships is fire and that ships without smoke detectors in cabins put passengers at risk. The updated report was in response to recent fires aboard Carnival's Ecstasy in 1998, Tropicale in 1999 and HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam earlier this year.

The NTSB first recommended that cruise lines install the detectors in passengers cabins in 1997 following fires aboard the Commodore's Universe Explorer off Alaska and Cunard's VistaFjord en route to the Azores. Five crewmen died of smoke inhalation aboard the Universe Explorer and 67 crew members and two passengers were injured. The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) in the past has opposed the installation of individual smoke detectors on the grounds that they would produce numerous false alarms which could result in panic among passengers even though the NTSB's 1997 proposal never called for an integrated system that could be triggered by a smoke alarm in a single passenger cabin.

The ICCL responded to last week's report by announcing that their Technical Committee, is continuing to look into the issue and is evaluating approaches that include audible sounding individual smoke alarms and other systems that will achieve the goal of the NTSB recommendation without the adverse operational and technical aspects. Several ships have been fitted with test systems for evaluation.

Those of you looking to re-live the glory days of ocean travel by traveling on Premier's Rembrandt (...formerly Holland America's Rotterdam of 1959) might be interested in this report we received today from a passenger on board the ship:

...the air conditioning on the SS Rembrandt is totally unacceptable. The current trip from Baltimore to Nassau and return, mid July, 2000 has been miserable. Temperatures in rooms are near or above 80 degrees F., with high humidity. Some forward parts of the ship are OK, but the back half of the ship, and the rooms, are far too hot and humid and miserable for anyone to call it a vacation. Some people are sleeping on the decks at night, or in the cooler lounges. The administration on the ship refuses to acknowledge that there even is a problem -- like maybe it would go away if they ignore it. The passengers are miserable, and nothing is being done. The crew said that they never had these problems on the northerly cruises to Canada. I wonder why. DO NOT consider a summer cruise on this vessel. This is being written from Nassau. I wouldn't be suprised if some passengers flew home from here rather than suffer the return trip.

Carnival Cruise Lines' Triumph reportedly will have a "state-of-the-art" weather tracking system installed on board. The system will include devices that collect data on the overall health of the oceans. Water temperature, air temperature, salinity, humidity, and pH and oxygen levels will be monitored and transmitted to scientists at the University of Miami.

In other Carnival news, the line announced that the maiden voyage of its next new ship, the Carnival Spirit will be a 16-day Panama Canal sailing leaving Miami on April 29, arriving in Los Angeles on May 15, 2001.

The Delta Queen, an authentic paddle wheel steamboat which has plied the rivers of America for nearly 75 years and is a designated National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Congress, hasn't seen this much excitement since the days of Prohibition. While docked in Nashville yesterday, set to begin a nine-day Civil War cruise with 174 passengers, the grand old lady was raided by the Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission and a bevy of state troopers and local police as reporters and camera crews recorded the mission. Authorities carted off 3,000 bottles of what the company's president calls "pretty darn good stuff," charging the cruise line with failing to pay Tennessee state taxes on the spirits.

"This came as a complete surprise," said Roderick K. McLeod, president and chief operating officer of the 110-year-old Delta Queen Steamboat Co. "When I found out, it was like hearing that my sweet little great-grandmother just got busted for bootlegging. There must be a mistake!

"As the largest American cruise line owner and operator, we pay local, state and federal taxes each year for hundreds of goods and services," he added. "We thought that we were in full compliance with the law and have never heard anything to the contrary."

Royal Caribbean International today announced it will operate the 2,000-passenger Rhapsody of the Seas out of three ports in the Gulf of Mexico during late 2001 and early 2002. The decision to operate the ship out of the ports of Galveston, Tampa and New Orleans, between October 28, 2001 and April 5, 2002, marks the first time the company has sailed a ship regularly out of the Gulf of Mexico.

The decision to operate Rhapsody of the Seas out of the three Gulf ports was based on the growing interest in cruise vacations within the United States. Cruise industry research shows that only 11 percent of American adults have ever taken a cruise vacation. Several factors contributed to the selection of the three ports: the populations of the port cities and those of other metropolitan areas within driving distance; the ease of air transportation in and out of the cities; the simplicity of highway transportation for guests living outside the immediate port cities; port facilities; and the likelihood of guests spending pre- and post-cruise vacation days in the port cities themselves.

Rhapsody will sail from the Port of Galveston on October 28, November 4, 11, 18, 25, and December 2, 9, 16, 2001, on eight seven-night Western Caribbean sailings, with ports of call at Playa del Carmen and Cozen, Mexico, Georgetown, Cayman Islands, and Key West, Florida.

Cruise News Trivia Question:
Where exactly was "Luxury Liner Row" - and how was it traditionally defined?

Answer - Will be published in next week's column along with the name of the first person to submit the correct answer. Send your answer to cruise@travelpage.com.

Last Week's Question - What is the distinctive name of the document carried on board cruise ships (and other passenger vessels) that details the fundamental breakdown of passengers, officers and crew for any passage.

Answer - The SOB (Souls On Board) report. courtesy of mrblanche@compuserve.com