Disney Cruise Lines – Cruise Line Review

(Before you read this article I would just like to take a moment to say that our thoughts and prayers are with Rebecca Coriam - a crew member who went missing from the Disney Wonder this past week - and her family. And though, the timing of this article and her disappearance are coincidental, it still seems inappropriate to me, to post something about Disney Cruise Lines this week, without mentioning Rebecca.)

I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce a new series of articles here on Ramblings. These articles will be cruise line reviews meant to help anyone reading this blog to get to know the cruise lines and the different products that they offer allowing you, the readers, to make the right choice when choosing who to sail with on your next cruise vacation.

Due to the success of our previous blog involving Disney Cruise Lines, I have decided to start off this series with Disney Cruise Lines! Let me just say first off, that, as you know, I myself have never been on a cruise (sad I know)...everything I write here is based off of years of learning about and getting to know the industry through reading, watching, internet, friends, and many many reviews.

Started in the early 1990’s as an extension to Disney’s extremely profitable theme parks, Disney Cruise Lines (DCL) is a relatively new player and the cruise industry operates three ships - the Disney Magic (1998), the Disney Wonder (1999) and the new Disney Dream (2011) -on cruises to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Mexican Rivera. Disney currently is operating Disney Magic and Disney Dream in the Caribbean/Bahamas, while the Disney Wonder is sailing out of Los Angeles (YAY!!) to the Mexican Rivera and later in summer, Alaska for the first time in DCL’s history. Interestingly enough, this isn’t Disney first foray into cruising. Disney once had some presence on the ships run by the now gone Premier Cruise Lines.

Ever since it’s first sailing, DCL has been known for its high level of service, attention to detail and overall quality. The line receives consistently good reviews and is already much loved. But why? First of all…the ships… Disney operates some of the most beautiful ships currently sailing both inside and out. The outside is made to echo the beautiful curves and sweeping lines of the great ocean liners of old…the ships even have two funnels (though the forward one is fake). On the inside the ships are decorated in classic, timeless styles such as Art Deco (Disney Magic and Disney Dream) and Art Nouveau (Disney Wonder) and are really quite beautiful even with the Disney so called, “whimsy” (sorry I had to channel the Disney marketing there).

(Above photo - "Disney Magic" by flickr member CenterLine 717")

The ships offer many different amenities for all the different age groups that Disney carries. They have extensive kid facilities (Oceaneers Club & Oceaneers Lab), with spaces for babies, toddlers, young kids, tweens, and teens (Vibe & Aloft). Several areas are, likewise, dedicated to adults only, such as restaurants, clubs, bars, decks, and pools. There are also other spaces dedicated to family fun. The ships each have three pools on the top deck, the Mickey Pool at 2ft deep is for kids (also featuring a water slide), the Goofy Pool (the Donald Pool on the Disney Dream) is the main pool for anyone’s use, and then situated in front of the forward funnel is the Quite Cove Pool exclusively for adults. Disney ships are designed for almost anyone whether you are single, a couple, old, young, or a family.


Dining onboard is noteworthy itself. Disney Cruise Lines uses a dining system call “Rotational Dining” where instead of one large main restaurant there are three smaller ones that passenger rotate between (waiters and servers also rotate with you to insure good, personalized, service). The main restaurants on the different ships vary save for one, Animator’s Palate. On the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, this eatery magically (to use a Disney term) transforms from a colorless room with pictures of Disney animation cells on the walls, to a very colorful room that pays homage to Disney’s beautiful animation (to show you how detailed Disney is, for this one room they had a custom score written and recorded to go with the transformation). On the Disney Dream, Animators Palate has many video screens all over the room where Crush, the sea turtle from Disney – Pixar’s “Finding Nemo”, will come and interact with diners….personally, I prefer the older version but no doubt a lot of people will love the feature.

Other restaurants onboard include Disney’s signature, ‘Palo’, an upscale restaurant located at the aft top deck on all Disney ships giving the space incredible panoramic views. The restaurant is adults only and features a great Italian inspired menu. Other than that, the ships, of course, have a buffet and other snack options. On the new Disney Dream Disney introduced a new restaurant called, ‘Remy’ after the main character, Remy, in the Disney – Pixar film “Ratatouille”, with a French inspired menu created by two noted chefs - Chef Arnaud Lallement from l'Assiette Champenoise (a Michelin 2-star restaurant) and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort –it is easily the most upscale and luxurious dining venue aboard any Disney ship. With its classic Art Nouveau style, and adults only atmosphere, Remy is located next to Palo, on the ships top deck aft, and similarly features beautiful wrap around ocean views.

As far as the entertainment on Disney’s ships goes, understandably it is some of the best, if not the best, at sea according to reviews. Disney original shows and musicals, such as Toy Story (made just for DCL) are preformed every night in the ships, Walt Disney Theater and are usually met with much applause. The ships also feature some of the only dedicated cinemas in the cruise industry, the Buena Vista Theater, which features many first run films on a giant screen. On top of these two options, the ships also have several clubs discos, pools (which I already covered…though I did forget to mention that Disney Dream has a 700ft water coaster), lounges, sports areas and several large parties such as the Sail Away Party, or the nighttime, Pirates of the Caribbean Party, both of which are on the top deck. One other thing that Disney does that no other cruise line in the world does, is a spectacular fireworks show at sea!

Disney has designed their ships to be accommodating to everyone, especially families. One area where this is greatly apparent is in the cabins. DCL standard cabin are larger than usual, better appointed, and on average can accommodate 4 people, and up to 5 in some. On top of this, they have split bathrooms where the bathtub (note that most standard cabin in the industry only have a shower) and a sink in one room, and then the toilet and a sink in another…this convenience allows multiple people to use the facilities at the same time…very nice! Most Disney cruises (at least those in the Bahamas and Caribbean) stop at Disney’s private island of Castaway Cay (previously known as Gorda Cay); a beautiful and lush island used exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests.Castaway Cay (CAC - we will call it that for short instead of Castaway Cay because I am getting tired of writing Castaway Cay every time I want to refer to Castaway Cay and it is much easier just to say CAC instead of writing out Castaway Cay over and over) since it first entered into operation when Disney Cruise Lines started out, has been called the best of any of the private destinations that the Cruise Lines owe.

The island’s main attraction is its extensive beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, and various boating and water activities, such as snorkeling, jet skiing, kayaking or paddle boating. On top of that you can go biking, hiking on a nature trail, eat, drink, play with, and feed stingrays, or go parasailing. The island has three beaches, each of which serves a different purpose. First is the Family Friendly “Castaway Family Beach” – the largest and closest beach to the ship - the teen beach (for teens…obviously), and then the secluded (it's separated from the rest of the island’s amenities by a long walk- or tram ride- down an abandoned runway) “Serenity Bay”, the adults only beach where you can relax, take yoga classes, swim, intertube, or have an open air message in a private cabana on the beach. There is also a small area just for little kids, were they can play different games and dig for whale bones. Unlike other private cruise lines destinations (save for Royal Caribbean’s Labadee), Disney has built a pier for the ship to dock at, allowing passengers to go back and forth between the ship and island whenever you want. Also convenient is the fact that CAC is connected to the ship’s system which allows passengers to charge any purchases made on the island, to their cabin. Everything is designed to make things easy and relaxing for Disney guests.

Disney is known for its great level of service and attention to detail. Often when reading reviews for DCL you will read a lot about the service and the gracious employees and how they made the cruise special. If you have ever stayed at a Disney Resort, you will know how great the service can be, employees are happy, personable, and attentive.

All of this said, there are some things that keep people off of Disney ships (or Disney Resorts for that matter)… the worry that the Disney-ness of it all will be over powering. On DCL you have the characters, you have the Disney movie references, hidden mickeys, Disney shows, Disney parties, Disney themes in the décor and you have Disney themed restaurants… Really, it sounds as if you will be drowning in a pool of Disney on these ships (I am drowning in it just from writing ‘Disney’ over and over again). I have good news though, this isn’t the case. What many people have told me, and what many reviews have said, is that the Disney in these ships is not overpowering, or even too much. Actually, it’s apparently tasteful and done in a way that doesn’t offend. Much of the Disney stuff can be avoided if you so choose, and you can have a great cruise without too much, Disney. Of course, I would be lying if I said that it's not there and that the Disney influence is not strong, but’s its not like you're going to get hugged by some man dressed like a dog (just kidding kids – or Disney fans…… that really is Pluto!) every time you turn a corner because you won’t. Of course if you can’t stand anything Disney, don’t cruise with them…your loss IMO, but really if you don’t want any Disney in your vacation, well, why would you choose them anyway? But really rest assured that you can sail with DCL without getting an overdose of Disney. Again, if you have ever stayed at a Disney Resort, then you will know that while there is a lot of Disney-ness, there is also a very tasteful and nice product.

One other thing that people worry about, is the idea that kids will be running rampant, and acting crazy all over the ship. Well according to what people have said in reviews, the kids are very well behaved, mostly, because they are so well entertained in their own areas. I personally can’t remember ever reading about a naughty kid on a Disney cruise (but I won’t be liable if you choose a Disney cruise after reading this and find that this is not the case ;) ).

Not everything DCL is all peachy and good. There is one major complaint I have about Disney Cruise Lines… the prices. I have griped about this on the blog before but… Disney is expensive and they are expensive pretty much across the board (as in, their parks are also expensive). This is odd because Disney Cruise Lines is part of the ‘mass market’ segment of the cruise industry (along with Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean) and knowing that you might, at first, think that their prices would reflect the mass market... Nope. They don’t…they are higher, sometimes by a lot. For example, on April 23rd (my birthday!!!!!) both the Disney Magic and the Oasis of the Seas will be leaving on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise. On the Disney Magic, for 2 people in a standard balcony cabin, you will pay $4,489.02 total for the cruise, whereas on Oasis, with the same arrangements, you would pay $3,346.80 total for the cruise. To make this price contrast worst, the Oasis of the Seas - along with her sister ship the Allure of the Seas - is the largest and most amenity filled cruise ship in the world, it’s practically brand new (((the Disney Magic, by comparison, is around 13 years old))) and is itself, already more expensive than most other ships in the mass market. So basically, Disney is more expensive than a ship that is herself already more expensive than most. Also worth mentioning, is the fact that because of Oasis’ newness and amenities, she can more easily justify her prices as newer and bigger ships tend to be more expensive for the first few years of their operation. (Photo at right - "disney-dream-lobby hal" by flickr member Skimbaco )

The fact is, that Disney can charge for their name. Practically everyone has some sort of emotional attachment to Disney (including me) and will pay through the nose for them (and Disney knows it). However there is some justification to Disney’s prices...higher operating cost. The service level and attention to detail that Disney offers (arguably better than any of the other mass market lines), and the fact that their ships are always immaculate, is expensive for Disney; therefore, prices will be higher in order to recover expenses. Also worth noting is the fact that Disney includes some extra things in your fare (like soda I believe). All that considered, I still think that they charge a little too much…mostly because I really want to sail with them!! I will say though, that this does not apply to every cruise with them; some are available for a relatively good price.

Well, anyway all that said, if you are planning or thinking about a cruise, Disney Cruise Lines is not a bad choice. In fact, I would say they are a great choice whether you are a family, elderly, couple, or even single (apparently a lot of young singles and couple sail on Disney). I am sure you would have fun! I will also be incredibly jealous of you! Hopefully, I will sail with them soon, or maybe at least visit the Disney Wonder here in Los Angeles!

CHECK OUT OUR DISNEY WONDER IN LOS ANGELES ALBUM HERE : https://picasaweb.google.com/104983304629890664189/DisneyWonderInLosAngeles#

P.S. Have you sailed with Disney? If so, then we would love to hear your thoughts on them!

Fighting Cruise Misconceptions

It’s a sad thing, a really sad thing, but can you believe that some people don’t have any desire to cruise? In fact many people WILL NOT cruise. Why? Some had a bad cruise previously (I have heard some rumors, that this phenomenon, “bad cruises”, does actually exist…though I have my doubts), some people are afraid of stepping off land, and then there are even more who buy into the ridiculous misconceptions about cruising and the cruise industry. DON’T LISTEN TO THOSE MISCONCEPTIONS!! CRUISING IS GREAT!!!! GREAT I TELL YOU!!!! ……really I am not biased at all. ;)

This blog is here for one sole purpose, to express my love of the cruise industry, ships and cruising. I feel that because of this, I must fight this beast of wrong ideas and misconceptions. If someone sees this article, and decides after reading it, that they will forget about their baseless reservations, and cruise, well then, I will have made a difference in the world, and sent someone on a great vacation! However, that said, I always try and be honest with you, my readers, about the realities of ships and cruising…the good, the great, and the ugly (which I will admit…there is sometimes ugly in regards to cruising).

The funny thing about some of these misconceptions is that they, in fact, have historical basis. Ideas like structured schedules, tiny rooms, violent seasickness and nothing to do, all had some truth back in the olden days. Admittedly, though, there are still some small traces of this around. For example, structured schedules...they do still partially exist on some ships, but not in the way some people fear. On a cruise you can do what you want, when you want, but there still is a schedule in the sense that onboard activities, shows and sometimes dinner, happens at a set time. In the case of dinner, many cruise lines will assign you to either early, or late seating schedules, meaning you either eat at 7:00, or later at 8:30 (I made up those times by the way, the actual times vary), and this is only in the main dining room.

A few years back, NCL started a new concept in cruise ship dining that they called, “Freestyle Cruising”. With this new concept, NCL did away with the traditional big main dining room and seating times, opting instead, for many smaller restaurants. This in turn allows their passengers to eat where they want, when they want, and with who ever they want (I think I should point out that many, if not most cruise lines, may assign you to a table shared with other passengers, though you can opt out of this), much like land based restaurants.

There are a lot of difficulties with this concept (NCL found that out the hard way), like longer wait times to be seated, more restaurant staff, and other organizational problems that I won’t go into right now. That said, Freestyle Cruising has overall been successful with passengers, and NCL seems to have found its groove in regards to it. Though there were problems at first, NCL is now getting pretty good reviews, and people seem to like the Freestyle concept.
Now due to its success, other cruise lines have launched their own (but scaled down) version of it. Basically when you book your cruise, you can opt either for traditional seating arrangements, or you can opt for to eat when it suits you (as long as it’s during dinner hours). There are many people on both sides of the issue, who like it one way or the other. My point in telling you all this is to show you that while, yes, there is still a schedule onboard ships nowadays, there is also flexibility and choice.

On to my next misconception, tiny rooms, or cabins, as I call them (some say staterooms)... Cruise ship cabins can be small. The standard hotel room that most people are used to, are bigger (sometimes by a lot) then the standard cruise ship cabin. The reason for this is obvious…space on a ship is limited; therefore, cabins are made to be compact. This does not mean, however, that you will be cramped or uncomfortable in one. Actually quite the opposite is true. Cabins are designed to be compact, yet still feel roomy and bigger than they actually are, while being very comfortable. Some are small (and feel that way) but I think that is the exception. Also worth noting, unless you have an amazing suite, you really won’t be spending a lot of time in your cabin anyway.

(Above photo, Norwegain Epic's single person 'Studio Cabins' are small at only 100sq ft)

This tiny room misconception though, again has some historical basis. There are some old ocean liners, and even older cruise ships, that had/have cabins that are legendary for their small size. QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2) had rooms that accommodated 2 people, their stuff and a full bathroom all in just 100sq ft…that is pretty tiny. These tiny tiny rooms though are simply not the case in the modern cruise industry anymore (except for maybe the Norwegian Epic SEE HERE http://shipgeek.blogspot.com/2010/06/epic-update.html). Small and compact rooms, yes, but not tiny.

Ok next!!!! Seasickness...Once described as “not sick, but going to be”, seasickness is miserable and does still happen. The problem is that no matter how big a ship gets, if Mother Nature wants to throw that ship around, it can, and unless you have your sea legs and a strong stomach…you can definetely get seasick. But fear not, there is hope for those with a weak constitution!

For the most part, ships always try and avoid harsh weather, thereby keeping the ship on flat, calm waters. On top of this, ships are built today with advanced stabilization technology, such as stabilizers. These mechanisms are basically wings that jut out from the hull of the ship below the waterline, in rough weather. When the ship starts to roll, these wings (or fins as they are more usually called) pivot and move which forces the ship into a counter roll, cancelling out the ships rolling motion. Stabilizers are able to cut a ships roll by over 90%! After this, if you still find your self feeling queasy, there are several other ways to fix that…

All cruise ships have a hospital onboard and a doctor(s) to oversee it. In the event that someone gets seasick onboard, the doctor can give you a shot that will help you. The only negative side effect is that you might start to feel drowsy after awhile. Other than the doctor, there are several drugs on the market that will help, such as less drowsy-Dramamine, Bonine, or for some people, Benadryl. With these medicines, drowsiness can still be a side effect, which some people don’t mind, but there are also some other solutions. Seasickness patches work very well for some people and do not cause drowsiness. One woman I met recently down in San Pedro (she herself is prone to seasickness) swears by them. On top of that there is also ginger, or ginger pills, which I have heard is one of the most reliable solutions.

It should be noted that everyone is different and no one thing, or drug, works for everyone. You have to figure out which one works best for you. It's also important to note that most people (even those prone to it) never get seasick on a cruise. Cruise ships are extremely comfortable and steady nowadays.

There are many other misconceptions about cruising. I won’t write about them here, as I wrote about them in a previous article (SEE HERE http://shipgeek.blogspot.com/2011/01/man-goes-overboard-fire-norovirus.html).

Though I will mention a couple more I do hear a lot....inceberg and tidal waves...Some people are afraid of cruising because they have seen Titanic and the Poseidon movies, and are convinced that this could happen to them. First of all, the Titanic disaster happened almost 100 years ago (just over 99 years to be precise) and ship design and ship safety have come a long way since then. You will not crash into an iceberg and sink and die like the Titanic (on most cruises the only ice you will see is the ice in your ice cold fruity drink). Secondly, the Poseidon movies…please, take these movies with a grain of salt. Cruise ships have been hit by rouge waves before and have come out fine. Even little ships have been hit and survived. Rouge waves will not flip your ship like in the movies. It will list momentarily but flip it will not. Not to mention that the size of the wave in the movies is pretty much impossible (or at least a wave 200 ft tall has never been recorded).

Interesting fact is that the RMS Queen Mary was the ship used in the original Poseidon Adventure. In the movie the ship flips over but in reality this wouldn’t have happened. The Queen Mary while serving as a troop ship during WWII, and carrying thousands and thousands of soldiers, was broadsided by a huge 90ft rouge wave. The ship leaned over very close to the tipping point (about 52 degrees over…about 3 to 4 degrees from her estimated “point of no return”), but in the end was able to right herself, and continue on with her voyage with no fatalities (though there were a few injuries I believe).

And while there are a couple of cases of modern cruise ships getting hit by rouge waves, like the Bremen (which lost power and propulsion for 2 hours) or the small Caledonian start, (which was damaged but sailed on) this is really, really unlikely to ever happen on your cruise. In both these cases, both ships survived, no one was killed and both are still cruising successfully.

That’s it for right now. While I am not sure if my arguments here are enough to convince people that cruising is fun, and most of all safe, at least I have tried. And I hope that the people who see this blog, will consider a cruise vacation. Just go and relax. Be smart but don’t be worried that at any moment you might get killed by a 300ft wave. You won’t, I promise you. And if you are afraid of icebergs...cruise in the Caribbean. Problem solved (even though you are perfectly safe even in icy waters)!

I would suggest, though, that you don’t go to Hawaii for your vacation………you might get blown up by a volcano. ;) ;)

(One of Royal Caribbeans great Voyager Class ships anchored at RCI's privet resort, Labadee)

Rambling's New Facebook Page

Hello my dear readers!

In response to the blog's ever growing number of readers, I have decided to start a facebook page for it!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ShipGeeks-Unite/163786533672134#!/pages/ShipGeeks-Unite/163786533672134#!/CruiseCritic

By "liking' this page you will be able to stay current on all things to do with the blog, the cruise industry, Cruise news, and ships in general. You will also be able to interact with other ship and cruise geeks from all over the world.

Having this facebook page allows me to be more consistent in my updates to you. While I will still have the blog (which I promise I will try and update more frequently), you can always pop on over to our facebook page for the latest and most current industry news, and commentary, as I will be updating it everyday.

This also gives you, our readers, the chance to communicate with me and other shipgeeks....so don't be shy! On top of that you can use our facebook to connect to the cruise line's and other cruise and ship related entities' facebook pages.

Have fun and thank you for supporting my blog!

-Mark

California Cruising

With my recent article about Carnival and the exodus from Los Angeles and the rest of Southern California, I thought it might be interesting to talk a little bit about cruising out of California, and what I think should happen in the future as far as California cruising and destinations go.

First, why is California having these problems?

Cruising from California is failing for a number of reasons. First, there is the violence in Mexico. People are scared to travel there (at least this side of Mexico) even though Mexican officials and port officials, as well as the industry, point out that the touristy areas are not affected or dangerous. People don’t see it that way and the numbers reflect that (apparently).

Secondly, the infamous Swine Flu (da da da daaa!!) also bit into the Mexican Riviera cruise passenger numbers. When the outbreak first occurred, the cruise lines moved ships from the Riviera to California and Canadian coastal cruises that went up to Vancouver and Victoria, BC and San Francisco. This affected many passengers and the bottom line for the cruise lines, as some people just cancelled their cruise altogether. (Funnily enough some people actually really liked the altered itineraries).

Thirdly, Southern California’s economy is sluggish at the moment. With the recession hitting CA pretty hard (haha!! we are still richer then all you puny other states! Just playing!!!) and even if the ships are sailing full, this causes problems for the industry as the sluggish economy drives down cruise prices in the region, and subsequently, profits.

Fourthly, a problem that port officials here in California like to point out, is that Mexico has failed miserably to market and advertise its ports and the uniqueness of each one. Because of this many people are just not really interested in the ports on the Mexican Riviera because they know nothing about them or why they would be a good cruising destination.

Fifthly, I think there is a lack of choices on this side of the continent. Out here we have the big 3 mass market lines…Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and NCL. Other than that, lines usually only sail really short seasons here, or just stop in on their way to Alaska, Panama or Asia. Carnival, RCI and NCL are all great, but what if you want a Cunard or Celebrity Cruises experience? You’re out of luck.



The last problem I will list here today is destinations, and the things limiting them for the west coast. You see, one of the biggest problems facing the cruise industry in California is a lack of varied itineraries. On a 7 day cruise out of California, you have the Mexican Riviera and that’s pretty much it. You can go to Hawaii, Costa Rica, Panama or Canada but all those cruises take longer then a week, and in the case of Hawaii, you can’t even cruise from CA to Hawaii without first stopping in Mexico or Canada, according to federal law. That law is also the reason you don’t see cruises of the west coast.

Which brings me to what the future should hold for CA, in my opinion…

This law should be changed. California has many coastal cities like, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Pismo Beach, Monterey, Eureka, San Simeon or San Francisco that would benefit greatly from cruise business. The problem with this is the Jones Act; a federal law that requires that foreign flag ships stop at a foreign port between traveling from one US port to another. Back in the day of ships being the only way to get around, this was done as a way to give American Shipping companies an edge over foreign competition. Forcing foreign ships to first stop in a port out side the US meant that foreign ships could not keep the same schedules that American ships could, and it also meant that they could not service routes like New York to Florida, or California to Hawaii.

Back in the day this might have been a good idea, but now-a-days it’s a problem in some cases…this is one of them. Cruises from L.A. up the California Coast could be really popular and could generate millions and millions of dollars for the local economies of the cities cruises would go to. Not to mention it could help turn around the cruise industry on the west coast by giving more options to the cruising public and the industry. It could also open up cruising to Hawaii and give more options in Alaska, Washington and Oregon. Most cruise ships are flagged in foreign countries like the Bahamas or Panama or England so all these good ports are, for all intents and purposes, cut off.

Like I said in my last article though, I think the California based cruise industry will start to pick up again soon. Maybe in 2012! The port of Los Angeles is investing over one billion dollars into the surrounding area and into a new cruise terminal as a way to attract more ships and cruise lines. Southern California is a great place and it would be a real shame for cruise ships to keep leaving here. Also like I said, California is one of the largest cruise markets in the country, behind FL, and it would make little sense to leave CA.

We will have to see what the future hold for California. I think it’s going to be good! Maybe a Cunard ship will be based out here all year round!! AHHHH!!!! Dream come true!

P.S.- My Dearest and most beautiful Cunard,
Please let me visit next week!!!!! PLEASE!!!
I love you always and forever!
Yours forever…
- Mark

Carnival in Australia, Los Angeles in Decline...

Big news in the industry right now... The other day it was announced that Carnival is abandoning me for…for…Australia! The Carnival Spirit, which Carnival recently announced it would be sending here to L.A., has been assigned to Australia from October 2012, where according to rumor, she will be sailing on voyages of 8 to 12 days.

This is actually probably the biggest news of the past couple of weeks (OF COURSE I MEAN OTHER THEN CUNARD NEWS!!!) as this is a pretty big step for Carnival, and for the Australian based cruise industry as well. For Carnival as a company, it is a big step because it is the first time Carnival has permanently based a ship outside of North America, Carnival’s main market. It is also one of the first times Carnival has really really reached out to a demographic other than North Americans. Carnival has based ships (temporarily) in Europe for a few cruises, but even those were strongly targeted at Americans wanting to cruise the Mediterranean. This time is will be mostly Australians and New Zelanders.

For the Australian cruise market this move also represents a large leap. In recent years the Australian cruise market has been growing and growing fast. As a response to this growth, the cruise lines have been sending more and more capacity down to Australia, either to be based there for a season, or just to make a few calls. Bigger and newer ships, such as the Queen Mary 2, usually only call at Sydney (or other Australian ports) as a port-of-call, and until now have never really been based there permanently. Up until now, Australian cruisers have been left with older, hand-me-down ships that are too old for the American and European cruise market. The largest cruise line serving Australia, P&O Australia (a sub-brand of P&O, a subsidiary of Carnival), has a fleet totally made up of older hand-me-down tonnage from various lines under the Carnival Corp. umbrella. The leftovers if you will…

The Carnival Spirit, on the other hand, while not the newest or the biggest in Carnival’s fleet, it’s still modern and it certainly will be the largest, and newest, to serve Australia and it’s a big big step up from the current selection out there. This just goes to show how much the Australian market has been growing! Cruise lines don’t send their better ships to a small meaningless market; they are reserved for important markets and destinations where they can be supported.

The Carnival Spirit was built in 2001 as the first (second if you count Costa Cruises fleet) in Carnival’s new Spirit Class of ships. It has since become one of Carnival’s most popular and nicest ships. Australia has scored big with this one! (photo at left "CARNIVAL SPIRIT" by flickr member "steamboatsorg" - Franz Neumeier, www.cruisetricks.de )

How do I feel about this though…well…I am happy for Australia…but at the same time I hate it! This ship has been deployed in California (which for those of you who are just joining, is my home state) mostly, for a while now…oh, and in Alaska in the summer months. In a few months, Spirit will be starting a season based out of L.A. doing the Mexican Riviera. Lately though, Los Angeles, San Diego and Long Beach have fallen victim to a declining cruise market :( due to several things, including fear of drug violence in Mexico, the Jones Act and a lack of destinations. Several ships have already left (such as yesterday when Mariner of the Seas left - sniff, sniff ) and headed to other destinations like Europe. Soon Norwegian Star will be leaving as well, and now here goes the Spirit along with them.

So in that sense, I hate it. I hate to see another ship leaving Los Angeles. I want to see my homeport doing well in the cruise business (in cargo operations, L.A. is still one of the most powerful ports in the world). I do think within a few years the cruise industry in California will pick up again (California is one of the largest cruise markets in the USA), but in the mean time, it’s sad to watch the decline.

On a happier note for L.A., the Disney Wonder will be here (and stay here for a few months) on Friday, which I will be there at the port for. On top of that, the QV and QE will be out here next week! (PLEASE PLEASE ALLOW ME TO VISIT THEM, CUNARD!!!...I love you!) Los Angeles, as well as other ports in Southern California, are great ports in great cities! I think that this fact will eventually help turn the tide for L.A., and bring the ships back.

In the end, both Los Angeles and Australia are going to be important players in the future of the cruise industry…that’s what I think anyway.

(Above photo -"Los Angeles Maritime Museum" by flickr member "karenpeacock")

The Dream is here…the Disney Dream that is…

Well it is now January 6, 2011 and I think it is time to move on with what's new in the shipping and cruising world, besides there is not much more to say about the CUNARD!!!! Float in the Rose Parade….IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!....ok now I will stop. There is

nothing more to say ….See?...Nothing.

There is however some stuff to be said about Disney Cruise Line and even more so, the new Disney Dream…

The day before yesterday (January 4th for me) the newly completed and delivered Disney Dream, (we will call it DD for short…that way I don’t have to write out Disney Dream every time I want to make reference to the Disney Dream, because lets face it, even thought this article is about the Disney Dream, writing Disney Dream over and over again will probably get tedious and I don’t want to wear out the name Disney Dream by writing Disney Dream again and again so from now on Disney Dream will no longer be Disney Dream but will be (at least in this article) “DD”….I am rambling now aren’t I? Anyways, back to my rudely interrupted sentence…) arrived at Disney Cruise Lines (DCL) home port of Port Canaveral, Florida. And I must say….FINALLY!! (photo above- Disney Dream docked at DCL's cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, Fl)

It seems like (to me at least) that the cruising and shipgeek world have been waiting forever for this new ship to finally arrive. DCL announced their plans for 2 new ships back in February 2007 and didn’t even start construction until 2 years later in March 2009. Finally about a month ago the ship was delivered to DCL, that’s over 3 years that I have been waiting! (I guess it really isn’t that long in retrospect…but it seemed long).

(photo at right- early rendering of Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy along with Magic and Dream)

Anyways, let's talk about the ship. Disney Dre…..I mean, DD is the first in a new class of ship, of which there will be 2, DD and Disney Fantasy, being built for DCL. Disney’s last ship the Disney Wonder came out over 10 years ago in 1999, which itself was an identical twin (on the outside) to her sister ship the older, (by one year) Disney Magic (my favorite in DCL’s fleet). Those two ships were the first in Disney’s Cruise Line venture, and basically the first in the industry to be designed from the keel (bottom or back bone of a ship) as family oriented cruise ships.

Over the last 12 (almost 13) years of operation for the line, DCL has gained a reputation for a very high quality product with everything from their ship's food, to their service and even to their custom built terminal, receiving very high praise.

And despite what you might think, even though this is a Disney company and you would think that kids would be all over the place and out of control, this has never been the case for DCL. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. With the great design and amenities for different age groups, Disney has managed to keep kids controlled, well behaved and very entertained in their own dedicated areas. At the same time adults have many of their own spaces to relax and enjoy their cruise while still being able to have that Disney-ness in their cruise.

I hardly ever hear any major complaints about the line, in fact there is only one thing that I know has plagued (if that’s the right word) DCL, and the only thing that I know that has kept people away from the line…the prices. DCL is considered to be part of the mass market segment of the cruise industry, like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL, and you might think that their cruise fares would reflect that…not the case. Much like the Disney Parks, DCL is somewhat over priced which in my opinion is only partially justified. Why? I will tell you…there are 2 reasons for this expensiveness, 1) Disney can charge more just because they are Disney, people love and have an emotional attachment to the brand and will pay A LOT of money for it. 2) Disney really does offer a high quality product despite being mass market (that whole “Disney Detail” thing is true). Their ships are immaculate all the time (which is not an easy or cheap accomplishment), their design is great, their food is great (from what I have heard), their entertainment is some of the absolute best in the industry (not surprising when you consider what Disney is) and the product as a whole is good. But like I said, that all comes at quite a pretty penny (for a mass market line that is). Don’t get me wrong…I love to see a company that is popular and doing well…I just wish I could afford it. :o

Anyways, I am going on too long about DCL, this article is supposed to be about DD.

DD represents a large expansion both in size and capacity for Disney. The ship is over 40% larger than its older fleet mates, and can hold over 1600 more passengers (4000 which means on some cruises the ship might seem crowded). And while the ship has much of the same things the older Disney ships have it will be introducing several new things to DCL and to the industry as a whole.

For example…
-I’ll start with the biggest and most obvious, the “Aquaduck”, a water slide rollercoaster like thing that will take its riders (who sit in an inflatable inter-tube) from a starting platform high in the aft funnel, over the side of the ship, down the length of the pool deck, through the forward funnel and down to the end of the ride. In total it is over 760ft long. (photo below- "Aquaduck" rendering)

-Inside staterooms will have a large round LED ‘‘porthole’’ showing a high definition video feed from cameras located around the perimeter of the ship. It will be just like a real window (except its only 2D) showing what’s outside the ship, like weather conditions. Also at times you will see Disney characters float past, like the Starfish from “Finding Nemo” (who will stick to your ‘window’) or the house from “Up”.
-There are several new restaurants onboard. The most significant, in my opinion, is the upscale venue, “Remy”, a French cuisine restaurant decorated in beautiful Art Nouveau style and based off of Disney and Pixar’s hit movie, “Ratatouille”. (photo at right- rendering of Remy)
-And besides that, the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is a scavenger hunt thingy. Somehow using the art work around the ship Disney will send their passengers on scavenger hunts.

There is more but I just can’t remember off the top of my head and anyway, its not just about the new stuff. Its also about the tried and true.

A few of the things that will carry over from the older ships, Wonder and Magic, are…
-The restaurant “Animators Pallet” an eatery centered around Disney’s animation. On the original ships the room is covered in black and white animator cells, sketches and drawing that as the courses are served change to color (a very cool effect, actually). On Disney Dream, the room will have screens all over the wall, where diners will see Crush the turtle from “Finding Nemo” appear and interact (talk) with them. (Personally I prefer the original Animator’s Pallet over this new-fangled thing but it is still pretty cool.)
-Huge 18ft x 30ft LED screens over the family pool area.
-A family friendly design.
-Adult only spaces (which is nice for parents, couples and singles, with all of whom DCL is very popular).
-Rotational Dining. This is a dining concept Disney started with their older ships where passengers rotate between 3 different restaurants every night (including Animator’s Pallet).
-Three separate pool areas; one for Adults (Quiet Cove Pool), one for families (The Goofy Pool) and one for younger kids (The Mickey Pool) which features a water slide.
-Split bathrooms in the staterooms.
-A very Disney-esque style of design and cruising.

On the outside the ship is a gorgeous modern, kind of dumbed down, interpretation of old ocean liners. When I say ‘dumbed down’ I mean that her lines have been cleaned up and simplified so the ship resembles the sort of cliché ocean liner that you see in generic travel pictures (un-like Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 which is a real ocean liner and who’s looks reflect that fact), this isn’t a bad thing though because it really is a beautiful ship.
The Stern is a little odd from behind (not really very pretty like her older fleet mates that have some beautiful sterns) and her funnels could be a little bigger and the forward one should be taller (it is shorter so the air flow to the real working funnel, the after one, is undisturbed ) but other then that I can’t find much fault with the exterior of this ship. (photo below- early profile drawing of Disney Dream Class)

The inside is interesting to say the least. In general she is Art Deco on the inside with a Disney twist. Other spaces are a little more stylized but not in a tacky sort of way. My favorite room would have to be the Lobby for its Art Deco style. (photo at right- Dream's lobby)

The ship was built by Meyer-Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany and believe it or not was actually built inside a gigantic building called a building shed. She was built piece by piece by placing huge sections of the ship together in the dry dock and welding them together to form the ship (most people find this absolutely amazing). On October 30th, 2010 she was launched (meaning she was taken out of the building) to much praise and fanfare. The remaining work was carried out else where (like Hamburg) after her sea trials, which I hear went smoothly and she was finally handed over to DCL on December 9th 2010. (photo at left- Disney Dream being pulled out of the building shed, Oct 30th, 2010)

Now she’s here waiting to start her maiden voyage to the Caribbean on January 26th and a very, I am sure, successful and lucrative future beyond. I am very excited about her; yes I know…I am excited about every ship, along with the rest of the shipping, cruising, Disney and ShipGeek world. She will be a grand addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet and I can’t wait to see the reviews on her.

I will now finish this overly long (my longest so far I think) article by saying that my only wish in regard to this ship is, I wish Disney would lower the price, or at least allow me to do a visit so I could see the ship! Or if not that I wish they would let me at least visit the Disney Wonder when she is out here in Los Angeles in just a few days! PLEASE DISNEY?!!!....I am wishing upon a star!! PLEASE!...pretty please? :D

I will write more on Disney Dream as soon as there is more to report so stay tooned!

Carnival's New Breeze. Carnival Breeze

A few days ago the world witnessed the miracle of conception….the conception of a cruise ship that is! That’s because Carnival’s new baby, the Carnival Breeze has been put in the oven…in more technical terms the keel of Carnival Breeze has been laid in the dry dock at the Fincantieri Shipyards in Monfalcone, Italy.

Breeze will be the newest ship in Carnival’s Dream Class of ships being number 3 in the group and number 17 of the Destiny Class of ship, from which the Dream Class evolved. Sized at 130,000 grt (gross registered tons), the Breeze will be the largest ship ever built at Fincantieri and will feature all of the staple features of the Carnival Dream and the currently unfinished Carnival Magic as well as a few of her own features that Carnival has yet to release. (Picture below - Side view of Dream Class ship)

This is great news for Carnival and the industry as a whole. Why? Well, because its means even in our tough economic times the cruise industry continues to grow and that Carnival is strong enough to be able to support additional ships and passenger capacity. In the last year or so ship building has really slowed down so it is good to see at least some ships being built. Hopefully shipbuilding will pick back up to its pre recession glory!

Back to the Carnival Dream, I do have a few comments I would like to put out there. I will start with the negative ones, that way I can leave you on a good note. First of all, I have a problem with the way Carnival builds new ships because they repeat the same design over and over and over and over again (in the shipgeek world this is call cloning). For example, the Breeze is the newest in a long line of Destiny Class ships and their derivatives (Carnival Destiny was the first in the class FYI), Breeze is number 17 in fact. The reason for this repetition actually makes very sound economic sense. By not designing new ships all the time, Carnival is saving hundreds of millions of dollars because designing new ships is not cheap. One other benefit is that it gives Carnival a very consistent product. (Photos at above- Breeze's keel bing laid in dock)

I guess I really shouldn’t complain too much about that though. The Dream Class ships are very close to the Destiny Class in terms of design and layout but even so they are different enough that they can’t really be considered clones of the Destiny Class. They are quite a bit larger and have many things that the Destiny Class dose not, like wrap around promenade deck, “cove” balcony cabins, new public spaces and cantilevered whirlpools, just to name a few. Also the exterior appearance of the two classes is similar but also quite different. So basically, while I can’t complain I do kind of wish that Carnival would design something really new for itself.

Other then that there is really nothing to complain about. The ship will do very well for Carnival and many new cruisers and Carnival loyalist will love her. The Carnival Dream, Breeze’s older sister, already seems to be doing well so I imagine that this new ship will be just as popular.

One thing I haven’t decided if I like or not is her insides. Carnival hasn’t released pictures of what they will look like yet but they have said that the bulk of the interiors will not be designed by the legendary Joe Farcus, the man who has designed the interiors of all Carnival ships since Carnival’s first ship the Mardi Gras. His designs are colorful and whimsical and really are very Carnival Cruises-ish.

To be completely honest, I have never really been a fan of his design’s. I mean, I like them well enough, I am just not crazy about them though and I never really have been (actually there are a few spaces I do really like). But now with this new ship and its new designers I suddenly feel un-sure and surprisingly sentimental over Mr. Farcus. How can it be a Carnival ship without Joe Farcus?? Will it seem like a Carnival ship?? I don’t know. Now I kind of feel sad that old Joe seems to be on his way out from Carnival. My only consolation is that he will continue to design Costa Cruises new ships (Costa Cruises is a European line that Carnival owns).

(Photo at right- Joe Farcus)

Who knows, maybe this ship will turn out to be great! I hope so!

At the end of the day, despite the issues, though I am very excited about this new ship and her sister ship, the Carnival Magic, which will be out sailing this coming year (then again I am excited about every ship as I love them all!!). They are going to be very nice ships and will definitely provide the great cruise vacation experience that Carnival is known for.

A little late but....Royal Caribbean Launches Newest ship….Allure of the Seas!!

Earlier this month RCI (Royal Caribbean International) launched Allure of the Seas on her maiden voyage to the Caribbean. While I will try not to make this to long today, I will try and give some small tidbits of information and some commentary here. Allure is the largest passenger ship in history, even larger then her identical sister ship the Oasis of the Seas (but only by 50 millimeters I think it was LOL!) and 5 times the size of Titanic. She can carry over 6,000 passengers and over 2000 crew members on each cruise.

Above photo "Pictures of the Allure of the seas boat as she docked in Labadee, Haiti" by flickr member "Nathan & Raquel"

She has 7 “neighborhoods”, like her sister, Oasis.
They are…
---Central Park, with real plants and trees running down the center line of the ship, sporting shops and restaurants. Photo at left "Launch of Royal Caribbean International's newest ship Allure of the Seas. Central Park." by flickr member "new cruise ships"
---The Boardwalk, a large open outdoor space at the aft end of the ship, modeled after different ocean side boardwalks around the world like the famous Santa Monica pier here in California. It has several restaurants, stores, bars, and handmade wooden carousel, rock climbing walls and at the stern of the ship; an Aqua Theater with original diving and acrobat shows.
---The Royal Promenade, a large shopping and entertainment arcade that has become something of a staple on newer RCI ships, runs down the center of the ship below central park. It has restaurants, shops, bars (including one that acts as an elevator between The Royal Promenade and Central Park) and even a couple of parades that happen several times during the cruise.
---Entertainment Place, an area that includes Studio B, Allure’s ice rink which features ice shows, Comedy Club, Jazz lounge, The Casino and the Amber theater, Allures main theater with shows like Chicago and a RCI original “Blue Planet”.
--- The Pool and Sports Zone, with several different pools, including a beach like pool that gets gradually deeper as you walk, a zip line that zips you 9 stories high above the Boardwalk area and 2 Flowriders: Serf simulators. It also features an large adult only space at the front of the ship over the bridge which has a light buffet by day and a Brazilian Churrascaria restaurant by night, 2 levels of out door lounge space and 2 whirlpools that hang over the side of the ship.
---The Youth Zone featuring several different areas for different age groups including a nursery for babies, the theater and a science lad.
---The Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, which features a large fully equipped gym and a large luxurious spa.

Photo at right "Boardwalk 3" by flickr member "Gelinda"

The ship is beautiful and seems to be doing very well already. She’s identical in almost every way to her sister Oasis but does have some key difference, for example the Boardwalk on Oasis features a seafood restaurant, The Seafood Shack, where as on Allure there is a Mexican Restaurant, Rita’s Cantina, in its place. This was done to attract more people to the Boardwalk area which apparently was under-performing on Oasis. There are also some other small differences such as Oasis does not have the Brazilian restaurant mentioned above, Oasis features “Hairspray” as its headlining show where as Allure has “Chicago”, Allure has the first Starbucks at sea (STARBUCKS IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD I TELL YOU!), Allure has a hot dog eatery absent on Oasis, the look of the Boardwalk has been changed and there is one other difference on Allure that I am not so keen on.

A few months back, RCI teamed up with DreamWorks Animation Studios. Doesn’t sound too bad at first…you can have Shrek, Puss In Boots and Po play with the kids in the kid areas which they (the kids) will love. But it’s not like that here… and this is RCI’s one and only big fail with Allure so far, in my opinion. DreamWorks characters are everywhere. The Ice show is “How to Train Your Dragon on Ice” (Great movie BTW), the parade that goes down the Royal Promenade is DreamWorks filled (from what I have heard), DreamWorks movies are shown, the characters are walking around and the thing that bothered me the most was Princess Fiona as the Allures Godmother. Don’t get me wrong, The DreamWorks movies are good, I am just not crazy about them being all over this ship.

Disney Cruise Lines does the same thing on their ship but I don’t know…Shrek doesn’t seem quite as loved or as endearing as Mickey Mouse does he?

But besides that I have no major gripe with Allure of the Seas. She’s beautiful, great and I desperately want to sail on her!!! She and Oasis really are great ships and both together, in my opinion, offer a unique and great cruise experience.

I am hoping to write another article on the Oasis class ships, in which I will go into more detail about the ship, soon so keep reading!

Above photo "Sunrise at 6:45 am off the coast of Ft Lauderdale, Florida aboard Allure of the Seas." by flickr member "jazzybeatles- Joe DeRenzo "

Cunard’s Newest ship, The Queen Elizabeth…

Last month Cunard took delivery and put into service its newest ship the mv Queen Elizabeth, named after the original RMS Queen Elizabeth of 1940.

Before I go on, I actually all ready wrote an article on the subject, that I never got around to posting on here. Here it is….

“”Last week Cunard (hehe…..I love Cunard!!!) took delivery of their newest ship, the “Queen Elizabeth”. Now let me say here, right now before anything else is said, that I LOVE Cunard with passion! They are my favorite Line and are by far the greatest in the world with a history that spans over 170 glorious years! (If anyone says their line is better kick them in the shin…hard). My favorite ships in history are Cunard ships, like my all time favorite, The Glorious, The Beautiful, The Perfect, The Way Better Then The Normandie (though she was great too), The Incredible, The Sexy…The R.M.S. QUEEN MARY!!!! Cunard is great…I love them.

Ok now, that being said, I have to admit I am somewhat divided on this ship. First there is the part of me that loves all ships no matter what. They are all beautiful in their own way (yes….even Norwegian Epic). Looking at the current pictures of this ship’s interiors I have to say they look pretty nice and no doubt this ship will do well for Cunard and their parent company Carnival Corp. From a purely ship-critic stand point there is nothing really to complain about, but from a Shipgeek stand point and that of a die hard Cunard-geek I have to say I have some problems with this ship.

My problems are thus… First of all, the name, the name Queen Elizabeth is very significant and historical for Cunard. Two of their greatest ships (and two of the greatest ships in history) have held that name, the original Queen Elizabeth of 1940 (sister ship of the Queen Mary) and the very very famous QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2). That doesn’t seem like it should matter but it does. Those 2 ships were both unique and beautiful. They were important. This new ship on the other hand is not really on the same level, it is 11th in a long line of Carnival Corp. ships of the same design, the Vista Class (which includes the beautiful Queen Victoria), and is really just another cruise ship. Now there is no problem with that, I love even regular cruise ships, I also really like the Vista Class but considering the history behind the name and the company I would have hoped for something a bit more special then this. Above picture "Queen Elizabeth and Waverley" by flickr memeber "andywsx"

Another problem I have with it is the interiors. Like I said above they are actually pretty nice but there is still on problem I have with them….they are practically carbon copies of Queen Victoria’s interiors! Now, again, don’t get me wrong, I love QV (Queen Victoria) and her interiors however I do have a big problem with them being copied over to the QE. When QV came out, Cunard said her interiors recalled old ships like the Lusitania or the Mauretania and was “Edwardian” (like the Titanic for you non-shipgeeks) in her style. Now the QE on the other hand, Cunard says is styled in the same way the original Queen Elizabeth was,…as an art deco ship. But if the interiors are basically copies of QV’s Edwardian interiors (with really minor modifications) then how can the ship be art deco? Really, looking at the pictures there is only one room on the ship that stands out to me as art deco, the main dining room, but even there its really more of an 1980’s art deco then one meant to recall that of the 1940’s QE.

One other problem I have, and I admit this is more petty then anything, is I find her rather unattractive. The Vista Class is actually quite lovely; QV for example is very good looking. This new ship though has a large structure on top above the bridge and a built up stern (to allow for more cabins and therefore more revenue) which in my opinion gives her a resemblance to Norwegian Epic (poor Norwegian Epic has set the standard for ugly in the industry).

I think, had Cunard given this ship another name like Caronia, Mauretania, or any of the other names from Cunard’s past fleet, this ship wouldn’t bother me. I guess to put it simply I just don’t find it worthy of its name or the history behind it. If you’re not a shipgeek you probably would not understand. I know Cunard is a business and has to do what make the most sense for their guest and their business but still I can’t help but feel this way.

Cunard’s flag ship, the RMS Queen Mary 2 or 2004, holds one of the most important and historical names in Cunard history and indeed, maritime history as a whole and in my opinion she is totally worthy of it. She’s a beautiful and unique, one off design. She’s an actual Ocean Liner (as opposed to a cruise ship, depending on your definition of an ocean liner), she sail the historic transatlantic route between England and New York and she actually is Art Deco like her beautiful predecessor the Queen Mary. She’s proof that a new Queen Elizabeth could have been really special. The Picture above shows the difference between Queen Victoria's profile and Queen Elizabeth's

Well now that I have had my rant…I have to say that I do, in fact, like the QE. She’s a perfectly nice ship, one that I would not hesitate to sail on or hesitate to encourage others to sail on. I am sure Cunard will be very happy with her. I am also sure that many loyal Cunard passengers will enjoy her. Hopefully I will be able to get aboard her someday…maybe if I am lucky, when she comes out here to Los Angeles in a few months on her Inaugural World Cruise!! Wink wink Cunard!!””


….Ok there you have it but now that its been a month since I wrote this and a month since this all happened, I have new things to say about this ship.

First of all I have to admit that even though I stand by everything I said in my above article, this ship has started to grow on me (I have never been able to resist a ship in Cunard livery). The more I see of this ship the more I notice little things about her that I like, Little differences between her and her sister Queen Victoria and little details that Cunard has added or changed on her. I won’t go into detail but I will say that I really do hope to someday sail on this ship and I really really hope that I will somehow be able to visit this ship when she is here in Los Angeles and then write about that visit... *WINK WINK CUNARD!!

Here are some links for you….

http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Elizabeth/
http://www.cunard.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Queen_Elizabeth