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| << January03, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
January24, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings, Cruise Fans, Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruises News. It appears we had some distribution problems with the newsletter over the holidays, so Pat has asked me to repeat my review of the Norwegian Star and our pre-holiday cruise last month. I will cheerfully do so. But, first, I want to remind you that Pat is waiting to take your calls and answer your questions about all things "cruise-y." He's open 7 days a week, usually from about 8 until 9 or 10 at night. If he is away from the phone, just leave a message and he'll call you back. The toll- free number is 1-866-424-1090! Or drop him an email at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com. Remember, you are always welcome at the website, too. www. 7seascruises.com And now, just a little cruise news??¦ NCL Corporation ("NCL") announced that it will build two new 2,400- berth Freestyle Cruising ships with delivery dates in time for the summer season of 2007. One ship will be built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and will be delivered in February 2007. The other ship will be built at the Helsinki, Finland yard of Aker Finnyards and will be delivered in May 2007. The aggregate cost of the two ships is estimated to be ?‚¬770 million, or approximately $1 billion at today's exchange rates. The Meyer ship will be an exact repeat of the Norwegian Jewel, currently under construction at that yard and due for delivery in August 2005. It will have 2,384 lower berths, 10 restaurants, an expansive top-of-ship complex of Garden Villas and Courtyard Villas, multiple lounges, bars, and entertainment venues, and some 540 staterooms and suites with private balconies. The Aker Finnyards' ship will be a new design, incorporating all of the features of the series of purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships that NCL has introduced since 2001. Slightly larger in capacity than the Meyer ship, it will have around 2,430 berths. Additionally, it will have over 840 staterooms and suites with private balconies. In a first for the industry, every outside stateroom on this huge ship will have its own private balcony. Finally catching up with the rest of the cruise industry, Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a new on-line shore excursion booking system that provides guests the opportunity to purchase shore excursions prior to their cruise using the line's user-friendly Web site, carnival.com. With the new system, guests are able to book shore excursions in conjunction with all Carnival "Fun Ships" sailing to 65 different ports throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canada, New England and Europe. More than 1,000 different shore excursion choices are available. Snorkeling and scuba expeditions, horseback riding, helicopter flightseeing, shopping and city tours are among the excursions that can be booked via this new dynamic shore excursion booking engine. In-depth information such as excursion description, activity level, duration, and pricing are included in each listing. On-line shore excursion orders can be made from 180 days up to five days prior to departure date. And now, for those who missed the Norwegian Star review??¦here it is??¦ About the Norwegian Star??¦ It had been awhile since Pat and I sailed on NCL. I have also liked the line, especially because of its innovative itineraries. This 8-day Mexican Riviera itinerary is no exception. Sailing from L.A. at 4 p. m.on day 1, the first stop is at 11 a.m. on day 4 when we docked in Acapulco. The once-trendy Acapulco looks tired. It is a big city and although the "old town" is a relatively easy walk from the port, there's not much reason to go. It is shabby and crowded. The traffic and resulting smog prompted son-in-law #1 to remark, "Hmmm. Smells just like 1970." It's true. Burning leaded fuels is not doing the air quality any favors. What is very fun in town is Fort San Diego, located literally just across the street from the pier. The fort is fascinating! Climb up and have a look around. A $3 entrance fee takes you back in time to the early days of Acapulco, introduces you to the connection between the Philippines and Mexico and shows you 300 years of fashion in an exhibit underwritten by Sears. Since the ship stays in port until 2 a.m. on day 5, there are several evening options. We elected to go back to the fort for a fascinating multi-media show projected on the side of the fort and on a wall of water. After the excellent show, we were taken to the hotel sight of the famous Acapulco cliff divers. It's a good show, but sitting above the cliffs made the dives seem less dramatic than they are. The hotel has a wall of photos and autographs of all the big names in Hollywood from the '30s, '40s and '50s. It's all very nostalgic, especially for old movie buffs. On Day 5, we sailed to Ixtapa and Zihutenajo. While Ixtapa is a modern, computer-designed resort town, its' sister city, Zihuatenajo is still a charming, fishing village. Beaches are nice, uncrowded and not swarming with people trying to sell you something. A nice change! Pat went deep sea fishing and enjoyed it, although not catching anything was a disappointment. Day 6 took us to Puerto Vallarta-a nice port with an attractive downtown and a lovely walkway around the downtown harbor. If you go, see the fish chairs- one of the most unusual urban sculpture displays I' ve ever seen. Lots of imagination! It's a great place for pictures. Our Lady of Guadeloupe is worth a visit. For the more adventurous, the zip-line canopy adventure is a great way to spend a day. Expect to do some climbing then hang on as you zip, platform to platform, above the jungle. Excellent reviews for this experience-from kids as young as 10 and grownups, too. Day 7 brought us to Cabo San Lucas. Something about this lovely place makes me want to sit in a bar all day and watch the world go by. I must not be alone in this, since the harbor is lined with places to do just that. The town is far more developed than Pat and I recalled from our visit there just two years ago. Ocean kayaking is fun there. A number of people from our group tried it and most thought it was great. A leaking kayak that filled with water and overturned twice provided more adventure than one father and son team counted on. Day 8 was a sea day as we made our way back up the coast to LA. The Norwegian Star is a lovely ship with much to recommend it. The theater sight lines are the best. The shows were great. The musical entertainment was good. The spa was marvelous with unusual offerings including a massage class for two! The fitness center was well equipped and offered spinning classes and both pilates and yoga. Cabins were very well equipped, but relatively small. Our balcony cabin was adequate, with a small sitting area and compact but comfortable balcony. The clever bathroom had separate areas for shower and toilet-nice and private. I liked the warm, wooden walls and striped draperies. There was a magnifying mirror built in the bathroom and a real hair dryer that could actually dry long hair! Downside, however, was the lack of a decent reading light. I tried to read in bed one night and it was impossible. I ended up watching "I Love Lucy" on the old sitcom channel instead. And what is a cruise without food? When NCL does it right, no one is better. When they miss, they miss by a mile! The steak at Cagney's ($20 cover charge per person) was perhaps the best I have ever eaten. The chocolate fire cake, on the other hand, was dreadful. Everything else was in between. Overall, I'd give the food a B-. Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas was a C. Holland America's Oosterdam was a B+. There was a sameness to the breakfast buffets - and the lunch buffets, too. Not bad. Just same day-in and day-out. NCL's free ice cream continues to make many friends and the 24-hour Blue Lagoon diner was a nice change of pace, with a great bowl of tomato soup, cheeseburger and other selections including great buffalo wings all day and all night. The most dangerous place on board is the genuine Colombian Emeralds store! Gorgeous, glittering gems and a week to pour over them! It is too tempting! Overall, the shipboard service was excellent! Our room stewards, Donovan and Nipriadi were superb! Waiters and casino and front desk staff were also terrific. The vessel's captain was personable and seemed more approachable than most people in his position. He even announced the presence of whales from the bridge when a pod of killer whales was spotted on our starboard side as we headed back to California and they headed to warm Mexican waters for the winter. So, what's wrong with NCL? Not much. Except for freestyle cruising, which I just don't like. I enjoy the relationship between guest and waiter that can develop over a week. I like knowing where I am going to sit and with whom. Freestyle might work for a couple or a group of four, but for a large group of 20, it is impossible! On two nights, we were able to enjoy a huge table for the whole group. The rest of the time, we were divided wherever they could squeeze us in. It was not the ideal arrangement for a group that wanted to stay together. I would recommend the trip for those who like beaches and warm, sunny weather. I would suggest it for families, but not for large groups. It would make a good romantic getaway or honeymoon. For those who like Texas Hold 'em, there is a new poker room. For other gamblers, the tables were kind to Pat and the slot machines actually paid off! There were plenty of nickel slots and some that could be played for a penny! The pool has two slides and four hot tubs. There is a separate kiddie pool with slide and nice facilities for children. And that's it for this edition of the 7 Seas Cruises News! Until next week, smooth sailing and happy sea dreams! Teri |
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January24, 2005 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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