BIG vs. SMALL SHIPS - IS CHOOSING BETWEEN THEM A REAL DILEMMA?

Not so in this writers view. The mega liners of today, defined as ships over 100,000-tons, do more than just outweigh their smaller counterparts. As they grow bigger so do the onboard activities and entertainment making them a more likely competitor of land based resorts than smaller ships. Between 1996 and 2010, 43 mega-liners with a combined passenger capacity of just over 142,000 guests have been added to the cruise market. Eleven more will enter service between 2011 and 2014 adding another 48,000 berths. All were scheduled for construction before the current economic downturn. If anything, I predict we will experience a decline in small ships which already appears to have begun. Earlier this year the only remaining U.S. cruise line, Cruise West, sold its flagship, “The Spirit of Oceanus”, to a Danish company. Their remaining seven ships were either sold or surrendered to their lenders. Cruise West had been in business for 64 years. Three years earlier the once popular “Windjammer Barefoot Cruises” closed its doors.

It takes three years from concept to completion to bring a new mega-liner on line. None are envisioned at this time other than those currently under construction indicating that we may be seeing an end to their growth with more than enough in use or soon to be added to the worldwide fleet to cover current and future demand. It is difficult to imagine anything larger than Royal Caribbean’s two 225,282-ton Oasis Class Ships being built in the future. My guess is that they will continue their reign as the world’s largest.

In an earlier review, recorded in this blog, I described in detail the innovations and accommodations my wife and I experienced aboard the Oasis of the Seas. I thought it might be appropriate in this review to show some photos taken on our very first cruise aboard the 20,000-ton Sea Venture in 1972 and contrast them with our 2009 Oasis cruise. Though limited in number and prospective I believe they dramatically reveal the stark differences:












Eleven Sea Ventures would fit nicely inside
the Oasis of the Seas. 720 vs. 5400 guests























Two portholes and very limited space vs.
roomy cabins - many with balconies.























Small single level showroom vs. stadium
theater seating for 1,380 guests.























A single small pool vs. 4 pools, 10 whirlpools
and 2 flow-riders for onboard surfing.












Having established by tonnage alone big ships have so much more space to enable new activities doesn’t mean that there aren’t significant differences among mega-liners themselves. My wife and I have sailed on one out of four that have been built to date and four of the nine cruise lines that operate them including Carnival, Cunard, Princess and Royal Caribbean. The Carnival Destiny was the first on the scene in 1996 at 101,353-tons but was eclipsed by the Grand Princess just two years later. The race to build the biggest and best had begun. In 1999 the RCCL’s Voyager of the Seas claimed the title of the world’s largest cruise liner and began an unsurpassed record of building the industry’s most innovative ships. The Voyager introduced us to Rock Wall Climbing, Ice Skating, Professional Ice Shows and their now signature Royal Promenades. In 2003, Canard’s Queen Mary 2 took over the title and introduced the first shipboard Planetarium. In 2006, however, RCCL once again recaptured the title with the first of its Freedom Class ships and adding another unique first – onboard surf riding. Then, in 2009, RCCL’s Oasis of the Seas was delivered with more of just about everything plus a full size carousel, AquaTheater and a zip line crossing the ship from starboard to portside.

That leaves the question as to when we would choose a smaller ship. Ships averaging half the size of mega-liners have been our windows to the world throughout the 38 years we have been cruising. We have visited just over 100 ports world-wide with destinations in Alaska, Eastern and Western Caribbean, Hawaii, New England, Canada, the British Isles, Eastern and Western Mediterranean, Australia, South America and the South Pacific from exotic Bora Bora to mind boggling Cairo and its pyramids at Giza. Most recently our trips have been repeat cruises aboard the mega-liners sailing the Caribbean. Seldom do we get off the ship and simply enjoy the weather, the pools and the food. We are finding more and more repeat cruisers enjoying the same thing. Unsettling times, overcrowding and beaches no longer as pristine as in the past all seem to be contributing factors. If you have never been there however the aforementioned do no apply.

Happy Cruising!

CRUISING FROM GALVESTON -A REAL DEAL FOR NORTH TEXANS

It was an especially cold winter in 2010. Any other time, when taking a Caribbean Cruise, my wife and I would be headed for DFW Airport and a flight to a port in Florida. This time, however, we were scheduled to leave from the Port of Galveston, an easy five and a half hour drive from the Dallas area.

Arriving at Terminal 2 where our ship, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas was docked, dropping off my wife and our baggage at the terminal , continuing on to the dock’s adjacent parking lot where a shuttle bus awaited to return me to the ship is a process both simple and efficient when compared to the ever increasing cost and hassle of flying.

A comparative look at the costs of flying to Florida vs. driving to Galveston reveals more savings than one might expect. For example, the lowest airfare for two round trip tickets to Ft. Lauderdale, that I was able to find at the time, amounted to $986 including taxes and fees - checking two bags added $120, DFW airport remote parking, at its lowest rate, for seven days added another $56 and a time consuming bus ride to the terminal, transfers in Florida from the airport to the ship and return - a pricey $61 - bringing the total two person cost to $1,223. In contrast, the cost of parking at the Galveston pier for seven days is $70. Adding the cost of gas for the 672 mile round trip in our Prius hybird - $48 - bringing our total outlay to $118 - a savings of $1,105!

The total cost of the cruise, of course, depends on the type of accommodations, number of days and time of year but in most cases are the same in each port with the exception of the newest mega-liners like RCCL’s Oasis and Allure of the Seas which command premium rates making the savings even greater. As one might expect, interior cabins are the lowest in price with Ocean View, Balcony and Suites requiring incrementally higher fees. Discounts are always available for seniors age 55 and over.

During the remainder of 2010 three ships will be operating out of Galveston. They include Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas with six seven-day cruises during November and December. Carnival’s Ecstasy with both four and five day sailings in October and the company’s Carnival Conquest which will be operating seven day cruises in November and early December.

For 2011 RCCL’s Voyager is scheduled for sixteen seven day cruises from January through April and in May a one way fourteen day transatlantic crossing to Barcelona, Spain to reposition it for the European market. Carnival will use its Conquest for seven day cruises from mid August to early December. The Carnival Triumph will offer ten five day cruises from October to December and in mid-November through mid-December the brand new, mega-liner, Carnival Magic, will arrive in Galveston for three seven day and one eight day Caribbean cruise.

In this writers view, the next fourteen months present an uncommonly wide range of Galveston based cruises especially attractive for North Texans and nearby residents of Oklahoma and Arkansas who together currently make up 97% of the port’s patrons. Detailed information on dates, prices and ports of call are readily available on the web at www.rccl.com and www.carnival.com.

The photo gallery below shows the five ships serving Galveston during the remainder of 2010 and throughout 2011, their gross tonnage, the year they entered service and passenger capacity.



At 137,276 tons Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas is the largest ship serving Galveston. It has a passenger capacity of 3,138 and has been refurbished twice since its completion in 1999. This photo clearly shows the close proximity of parking at the port – a plus factor available to both cruise lines.


The Carnival Magic, shown here in an artist’s rendering, is scheduled for completion in 2011. It will weigh in at 130,000 tons and will be capable of carrying 3,652 passengers – the largest capacity of the ships currently serving the port.


The 110,000 ton Carnival Conquest, shown here docked at the port’s Terminal 1 entered service in 2002 and carries 2,974 passengers.


The Carnival Triumph was completed in 1999, carries 2,974 passengers and weighs 101,509 tons.


Last but not least is the 70,367 ton Carnival Ecstasy, the smallest ship serving the port with a passenger capacity of 2,056. The Ecstasy spent six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina serving as a hotel for refugees and relief workers after which it was refurbished and upgraded with new features.

My wife and I have had the pleasure of sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, Carnival’s Conquest and the Imagination, a sister ship of the Ecstasy. We rate the Voyager as the best buy from the standpoint of service and its range and quality of age specific activities for children and adults. It is the ship that introduced cruisers to such innovations as rock climbing, roller skating, ice skating, international ice shows, miniature golf and the lines’ now signature multi-storied Royal Promenade with shops, eateries and elaborate parades at the beginning and end of the cruise. Whatever your choice, you will find worthwhile land excursions at the Caribbean Ports they both visit and the substantial savings accrued by sailing from Galveston.
HAPPY CRUISING!

ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S NEW OASIS OF THE SEAS

TAKING CRUISING TO A NEW LEVEL

Heralded as the world’s largest and most innovative ship, my wife and I simply could not pass up the opportunity to book passage on the one week Maiden Voyage of Royal Caribbean’s new and historic Oasis of the Seas sailing the Eastern Caribbean from its specially built terminal in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on December 5 , 2009.

Our penchant for cruising actually began thirty-seven years ago when we sailed on the very first ship designed and built exclusively for cruising. The ship was the 20,000-ton Norwegian luxury liner Sea Venture that had begun weekly sailings between New York City and Bermuda in 1971. Its most historic place in the history of cruising, however, began a few years later. For nine seasons ending in 1986 it became the star and backdrop for one of TV’s most popular and longest running shows: The Love Boat. Viewed by millions of people worldwide it is credited with introducing the public to the idea of cruising as a vacation and spawning an industry that generated a record $40 Billion contribution to the U.S. economy last year along with a record number of huge ships to choose from.

Since that first experience we have cruised on 27 ships including every class of mega-liner, defined as a ship of at least 100.000-tons, and five of the eight cruise lines that currently operate them. It is from that perspective that I pen this report.

Standing 17 decks tall, nearly 1,200 feet in length, weighing in at 225,283 gross tons and capable of carrying 5,400 guests along with 2,100 crew members it leaves no room for argument on its claim as the world’s largest cruise ship. (In December of 2010 it will be joined by a sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, with both vessels completely eclipsing the former record holders, the company’s Freedom Class ships, by an astonishing 65,282 tons!) I find it more intriguing, however, to visualize the almost unbelievable fact that one could tuck 11 Sea Ventures neatly inside its massive hulk!

There is also no arguing that the mega-liners of today pack so many more entertainment venues onboard than those of lesser tonnage that they can rightfully claim to be destinations in themselves. What makes this one so intriguing is whether it’s claim as the “most innovative ship ever built” translates into truly exciting new concepts that will capture the interest of cruise aficionados everywhere in every age group and be able to do so in the wake of a faltering worldwide economy.

As our bus from the airport pulled onto the dock, the sight of the sheer size of the Oasis alongside its newly completed pier is staggering. It does not take long, after stepping aboard, to realize the words “wow” and “incredible” seem inadequate to describe the experience. As we sipped Champagne, handed to us as we boarded, the vastness of our surroundings began to sink in and we couldn’t help but wonder if a week was going to be adequate to fully explore it. After briefly checking out our balcony stateroom on deck 9 we headed up to deck 16 for a delightful lunch at the Windjammer Marketplace just one of its array of eateries. From there we soon met up with long time friends and travel companions for dinner at our assigned table in the Opus Dinning Room on deck 4. This first day had been exhausting. We had left home at 3:45 AM to make our flight from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale so unpacking and early to bed became our goals to enable a fresh start in the morning. The next two days would be at sea providing lots of time to experience what the ship has to offer.

As we found out the next day, the economy indeed, had its impact on the sailing. It was reported that we left port with only 3,542 passengers nearly 1,900 fewer than capacity. This had to be a great disappointment for Royal Caribbean who conceived of the ship five years ago in a robust economy and spent $2.5 Billion to build it. Captain Wright, Master of the Oasis reported that he will not have a full ship until January of 2010.

Putting that aside, I will now attempt to describe its offerings starting with the most impressive – Central Park. Located on deck 8, it is a feature so unique one would think it impossible to create on a sea going vessel. Open to the sky and looked down upon from interior balconies (another first) it contains an unbelievable 11,926 live plants and trees though I am honest to say I did not count them and am relying on the information provided by the cruise line. It is just one of those things you have to see to believe. There are places to eat and benches to just enjoy the view and paths to stroll day or at night-time when it is beautifully illuminated.

Next in total uniqueness is the Boardwalk located on deck 6. Another area open to the sky with interior balconies not only looking down upon it but out past the stern of the ship to the open sea. It is here you find the first ever full size Carousel at sea with exquisitely hand carved and painted horses, zebras, giraffes and lions and more adults than children riding them to their hearts delight and as often as they like. Here you will stroll by more eateries (they are everywhere you go) and come upon the AquaTheater with its amphitheater-style seating for professional high diving from 10 meter platforms and a water ballet show entitled Oasis of Dreams. A giant trampoline between its two diving towers allows gymnasts and aerialists to flip and dismount into the pool. Two giant video screens on each side enhance the experience even showing underwater images of the swimmers. The show is followed by Dancing Waters using hundreds of water nozzles surrounding the pool set to music and reminiscent of the famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Overlooking the Boardwalk from deck 15 is a Zip Line. After signing my life away, I am told I’m the first 80 year old to use it. I figured if former President George Bush could jump out of an airplane at age 80 I could certainly handle a Zip Line. It was an exhilarating experience to speed diagonally across the open atrium, 9 decks above the Boardwalk, for a distance of 82 feet!

The other shows, as one might expect, were equally spectacular. Heading our list was the Broadway show “Hair Spray” performed in the ships giant three deck high Opal Theater that seats 1,500. Close behind was “Come Fly with Me” with a cast of Royal Caribbean dancers, singers and aerial artists and featuring the advanced technology capabilities of the big theater. “Celebrity Showtime” also performed in the Opal, featured Matthew and Gunner Nelson who did their Grandparents Ozzie and Harriet Nelson proud with their repertoire of recorded hits. Fairy tales were the subject of “Frozen in Time” an elaborate ice show performed in the familiar Studio B ice rink a carryover from other Royal Caribbean mega ships. Even comedy has its own distinct venue in a studio named Comedy Live. The entertainers there interacted with the audience with an adult show without being the least bit raunchy. Because of the huge number of passengers all shows on the Oasis require advance reservations. This can be done from your computer at home in advance of the sailing, as we did, or from your stateroom’s interactive TV or the ships box office. Since all shows are performed more than once it makes it possible to see a favorite show a second time if not fully booked. As you enter each show an usher uses a hand held electronic sensor to confirm your reservation and is able to welcome you to the show using your name.

As for sports there are basketball courts, two Flow Riders for surfers, two giant rock climbing walls, ping pong tables, an array of adult and children’s pools, a challenging nine hole putt-putt golf course, a one mile long jogging track, covered but open to the sea, big and small hot tubs and our favorite - an adult only Solarium pool and hot tub area. A Vitality At Sea Fitness Center offers every imaginable state of the art fitness equipment while a Vitality At Sea Spa offers everything from a massage to total body seaweed wraps, steam rooms and a full range beauty shop. For children there is a spectacular and inviting pool along with age specific programs for infants (another first) and special teenage venues and programs.

For those familiar with Royal Caribbean’s Voyager and Freedom Class Ships there is also a Royal Promenade. Located on deck 5, it is longer and wider than those of the past, with a vintage auto parked in the street lined with familiar specialty shops and restaurants. Its most striking feature: the “Rising Tide” bar. Have a drink at the bar as it rises slowly to Central Park on deck 8 where you can disembark or chose to ride it back down again. The Promenade is also the scene of elaborately costumed parades Royal Caribbean is famous for on the first and last night at sea. Just below the Promenade on deck 4 is Casino Royale a familiar presence for gamblers on all of the company’s ships.

The food on the Oasis gets our five-star rating whether dining at six different restaurants with no added fees or its six specialty eateries with per person fees ranging from $15 for Giovanni’s Table to $75 for the Chef’s Table with an exclusive multi-course dinner by one of the ships chefs. All specialty restaurants require advance reservations. The ship offers traditional early and late reserved table dining in its three-tiered main dining rooms as well a new service featuring any-time dining where, as the title suggests, you chose when you want to eat on any particular day.

There are three days at sea and three ports of call in the ships itinerary including St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau in the Bahamas. Having been to them on multiple occasions we saw no need for sightseeing and stepped off the ship only to take a picture of it or to see a welcoming native marching band sent to greet us. For us the cruise was about the ship not the ports. We enjoy it even more when many passengers disembark to take advantage of tours and shopping.

Our 182 square foot stateroom was located on deck 9 with a queen size bed, sitting area, private bathroom and a 50 square foot balcony overlooking the sea. It included a 32” flat screen interactive TV complete with keyboard and internet access. Now with a first-hand familiarity, if we were to sail on it again or it’s yet to come sister ship, we would try one of the unique balcony staterooms overlooking the Boardwalk with a view past the stern and out to sea. For those with as need for more space, there are 28 two-level lofts with 545 square feet and floor to ceiling windows, yet another first, and requiring a much larger pocketbook.

All in all Royal Caribbean certainly deserves to claim to have built the world’s most innovative ship. It has something for every taste and desire and provides a new definition for a ship being a destination in itself. In this writers view, it rivals most land-based resorts. The only thing lacking aboard are sandy beaches. After seeing what has been accomplished in this latest design it would no longer surprise me the company’s next generation of ships will provide that as well. Congratulations Royal Caribbean – Well done!

12/28/09