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September26, 2004 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings, Cruise Fans, Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News, brought to you courtesy of Pat Crane and 7 Seas Cruises. Pat and I join in wishing all of our readers in hurricane-ravaged areas a speedy return to normal. Our hearts go out to you. Although we were very fortunate, losing only the screening around the pool and a freezer and refrigerator full of food to Hurricane Frances. So many have not been so lucky, especially with Ivan's attack on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama coast. Our daughter #2 in the suburbs of Birmingham lost power for 24 hours when hurricane-force winds hit central Alabama. Let us hope this hurricane season is over soon! Pat would like to apologize to anyone who called and left a voice mail message in the last three weeks. Hurricane Frances took them! Seriously, we have not been able to recover any voice mail since the hurricane. Finally, we were able to reset the voice mail box and can now retrieve messages again. Unfortunately, all of the message for the past three weeks are gone! Please call again. Pat is available (almost) all the time at 1-866-424-1090. Email is working fine at cruiseplanners7seascruises@ msn.com, and the website is open 24 hours a day at www.7seascruises.com Get in touch! Let's go cruising! And speaking of cruises, let me share with you some impressions of the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas??¦ Remember when Carnival had that reputation for being the party cruise line? Well, the baton has been passed. The party line today is Royal Caribbean. From the moment one is besieged by drink waiters until you leave the ship, there is more drinking than I have ever seen on a cruise ship. And more unsupervised children. And more rowdiness. It had been sometime since we had been aboard a Royal Caribbean vessel. Our last RCCL trip was back before the "Get Out There" slogan and climbing walls and in-line skating tracks. Clearly, the cruise line has repositioned itself for a far younger demographic. And those in their 20s and early 30s would probably like it. For those in their 40s, 50s and up, this may not be your favorite cruise line. The Mariner of the Seas is lovely. It is a very handsome ship, and so large that there are a few quiet places hidden away. Mostly, however, people were concentrated in the public areas-the bars, the pools, the main indoor promenade "mall" area-and these places seem crowded. It was difficult to find a lounge by the pool whenever the sun was out, although there were lounges available on the outdoor Promenade deck. Cabins vary from lavish to tiny. We were in an interior cabin and after nine days together in such small space, decided we would pay for the upgrade next time! Those interior cabins are so small that getting into bed requires laying down and swinging your legs over the furniture, or just vaulting over the loveseat. As twin beds, there would have been a modest space to walk between them, but as a queen, it was hilarious! The dining room was lovely. It is three stories high, with stunning crystal chandeliers and subtle differences in d?©cor from floor to floor. Tables are arranged to make conversation possible. The service was impeccable. Rita, a lovely young Indonesian woman was assisted by Jamaican Wayne. They worked well together and were personable, efficient and delightful. Dining room meals were good. Some entrees and soups were outstanding! Others were okay. Everything was edible, hot and well-seasoned. And the menus offered a reasonable variety in every category. No complaints. The buffet-style meals in the Windjammer caf?© were also good. Sufficient variety made eating breakfast and lunch there attractive. And the Windjammer is available for dinner, too, for those who chose not to dress up for the dining room. The Windjammer has panoramic windows across the back of the ship. Quite pleasant, especially at 4 p.m. when only a few people took advantage of the desserts and sandwiches offered for tea. Now, having said that, there are some disappointments on board. The 24-hour snack venue is on the crowded mall-promenade area. Sandwiches, cookies and desserts are always available, depending on what is left over from the dining room or Windjammer. The only beverage available, however, is coffee. Ice cream is only available in the dining room at dinner and at the Ben & Jerry's (at $ 3 a scoop). Iced tea in off-hours can only had from room service. There were a couple of frozen yogurt stands with complimentary cones by the pool and next to the 24-hour snack venue. As for entertainment, the ice show is the most spectacular show we've ever seen on a cruise ship! It was fabulous, with talented performers, great music and plenty of special effects! Being assigned late dinner, we didn't get to go to any of the production shows. Staying up for a show that started at 10:45 was beyond us! The casino was fun, with a carnival or state fair motif that was colorful well planned. It could get crowded, but except for the smoke, never seemed too uncomfortable. The library was a beautiful room and comfortable for relaxing with a book. The Internet caf?© was completely automated and expensive at 50- cents per minute. It became a great value when charges were waived during our hurricane crisis. For those with laptops, securing an in-cabin connection is a good value, but there are only 30 or 40 of those connections available, so make arrangements just as soon as you get on board. The cost is $100 for the week. So, should you go on Mariner of the Seas? Yes. But go with your eyes open. This is not the ship for those who want a relaxing week idling by the pool. Or those who want gourmet meals. Or those who want fabulous, exciting ports of call. These are pretty standard Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises. Port Canaveral is efficient and the parking garage is great for those who want to drive to their cruise (and it is a full day closer to everywhere than Miami!). I'd recommend the ship and ports for those with young families who like lots of activities. For well-seasoned or senior travelers, probably not. If you have questions, just let us know. Now, here are some other cruise news items??¦ The Passover holiday is a time of year that many observant Jews seek a vacation destination where their traditional dietary needs can be satisfied and eliminate the need for the heavy duty cleaning, changing of dishes and special food preparation that is required if they stay at home. Many go to resort hotels with special Kosher for Passover cuisine. Traditionally these hotels have charged a steep premium for the Passover period, offering the required food and services but are generally lacking in other facets, like entertainment, casino or sightseeing that make for an excellent vacation. During the past few years a specialty tour operator, Cruise Associates, has negotiated with certain cruise lines and has been able to provide remarkably successful high quality Kosher, Passover cruises. We have now contracted with them to provide this opportunity for our clients, or potential clients, that would be interested in this type of holiday vacation. With four years of experience producing Passover cruises, Cruise Associates has the entire project down to a very precise system. Under the daily guidance of their contracted rabbinical staff, one of the ships galleys is cleaned and properly prepared for this purpose. In addition special china is brought aboard to conform to the holiday requirements. A Kosher caterer and Mashgiach (Kosher Kitchen Supervisor) is on board to supervise the preparation of all of the Kosher food, which is also brought on board and is of the highest quality available. In addition to providing freshly prepared onboard gourmet Kosher food for the three daily meals. There is also a special daily afternoon tea service, as well as a nightly special late snack. A gala sail-away buffet is also presented. Pre-frozen "airline style" Kosher food is never used. The Kosher food served on this cruise is quite simply, the best available, anywhere. There are many choices at every meal including tempting vegetarian selections. This year the selected ship will be MSC's elegant new ship the "Lirica". Departing on April 22, 2005 from Ft Lauderdale, this ship will offer a 10-night Caribbean cruise visiting San Juan, Barbados, Antigua, St. Maarten and Nassau. The cruise itinerary encompasses the entire Passover holiday, which is a must for the kosher homemaker. The cruise package includes: cabin accommodations in selected category; Kosher food throughout the cruise, under the supervision of the on board Conservative Rabbi; two Passover Seders, including traditional kosher wine; daily religious services; a special lecture series conducted by a prominent " Scholar In Residence;" port charges and taxes; pre- paid gratuities and for residents in some counties of South Florida, bus transportation to and from the ship. Insurance is not included, but can be be purchased separately. If you're interested, please call Pat. He has complete information and will be happy to provide a quote for this unique trip. Two high-energy Las Vegas-style revues - "Far From Over - The 80s" and "Nightclub Express" - will be featured aboard Carnival Cruise Lines' new 110,000- ton Carnival Valor, which is scheduled to begin year-round seven-day Caribbean service from Miami Dec. 19, 2004. Produced by Carnival Productions - the company's in-house entertainment group - the new shows take center stage in Carnival Valor's 1, 400-seat medieval-themed Ivanhoe Show Lounge, which will feature the latest in shipboard technology - " fly-in" scenery capabilities, a turntable stage with built-in lifts allowing for multiple sets, a multi-million-dollar sound and lighting system, including laser pods, and a rising orchestra pit. The first show, "Far From Over - the 80s" celebrates the era of "big hair," leg warmers and, of course, unforgettable music. Making maximum use of the Ivanhoe lounge's technical capabilities, the show kicks off with a captivating laser display set to the song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. There's also a tribute to the dance movies of the 1980s such as Fame, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, and Flashdance. Production numbers set to songs popularized by the then-new concept of "music television" - Prince, the Bangles, Run DMC, Katrina and the Waves, and Madonna - are also included. The second show, "Nightclub Express," takes guests on a rollicking tour - hosted by a talking, singing sofa, no less - of some of the world's famous cabarets and night spots. Ten different venues are featured with sets, costumes and music appropriate to each. From the tropical-flavored numbers at the Copacabana to the sultry jazz and blues songs at the Cotton Club and pulsating disco tunes at Studio 54, audiences are treated to colorful interpretations of a variety of musical genres. Carnival Valor is slated to enter service from Miami Dec. 15, 2004 with a special two-day introductory voyage to Nassau, The Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to begin year-round seven-day service from Miami Dec. 19, operating alternating week-long voyages to the eastern and western Caribbean. Eastern Caribbean cruises call at Nassau, The Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, while western Caribbean cruises visit Belize City, Belize; Isla Roatan, Honduras; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. MSC Cruises set up a product to whisk baseball addicts away to sea to ease the pain when the World Series is over. The Baseball Theme Cruise will depart Dec. 11 on the MSC Opera, with Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Earl Weaver, and other former players, including Vida Blue, Tommy Davis, Bert Campaneris, Graig Nettles, Darrell Evans, Stan Bahnsen and Dave Campbell. The ship will follow an eight-day, western Caribbean itinerary, while the players share memories from their careers. The ship will call at Key West, Fla.; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Roatan Island, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. Call Pat for more information! VIKING RIVER CRUISES added new ships and new itineraries in Europe and China for 2005, including the seven-night Heart of Germany, which is built around the opportunity to shop in the Christmas markets. New itineraries in China include the Imperial Jewels of China, which includes nights in Beijing, Xian and a three- or four-night Yangtze cruise. A longer version called Imperial Jewels & Shopper's Paradise adds Guilin and Hong Kong. China' s Cultural Delights includes Beijing, Xian and a Yangtze cruise from Chongqing to Shanghai. A longer version adds Guilin and Hong Kong. The new Roof of the World includes Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Lhasa, Shanghai and a three-night Yangtze cruise. The new ships are the Viking Sun and the Viking Century Sky. Pat has details! Hurricane Frances was the most disruptive hurricane in the cruise industry's history, closing ports for extended periods and forcing the cancellation and detouring of a number of cruises. Carnival Corp. said its quarterly earnings would be down three to four cents per share. Royal Caribbean Cruises said the hurricane's financial impact would be closer to seven to nine cents per share; by comparison, it said, Hurricane Andrew in 1992 cost the company about a penny per share. Nearly two dozen ships were affected by Frances. Several were forced to wait out the storm at sea with full loads of passengers, returning to land two or three days later than scheduled. Others voyages were simply canceled. Even one ship that wasn't at sea was affected: the former Jubilee, which was undergoing a refurbishment in a Bahamas drydock when Frances hit (the facility closed for the storm). Here are the next ships due to take to the seas??¦ Costa- Magica Nov 2004 105,000 Carnival-Valor Dec 2004 110,000 NCL-Pride of America June 2005 72,000 Carnival-Liberty July 2005 110,000 NCL-Jewel Aug 2005 92,000 Holland-Noordam Jan 2006 85,000 NCL- Pride of Hawaii Summer 2006 92,000 Costa- TBA June 2006 112,000 MSC- TBA June 2006 90,000 Princess- Caribbean-2 June 2006 116,000 Royal Car-Ultra Voyager Summer 2006 160,000 Cunard- Queen Victoria Jan 2007 88,000 MSC-TBA Spring 2007 90,000 If you're like me, you can't wait to learn more about these exciting new ships and the wonderful places they'll take us. It's nice to have something to dream about! Until next week, Pat is waiting for your call. Please remember, if you call about a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise, please identify yourself as a newsletter reader. Without knowing that, Pat can not risk discounting those cruise products. So tell him upfront and he'll make sure you get a discount! And remember, Pat discounts all other cruise lines and all departures. Smooth sailing. And please no more hurricanes! Teri |
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