Sue Bryant's Blog
Posted by Sue Bryant
Who goes on a transatlantic cruise? The answer is, absolutely anybody. The day's programme is packed with activity from step aerobics to acting classes but to me, the most fascinating pastime is without doubt people-watching.
Queen Mary 2 is a complete city at sea, a society in microcosm. Most passengers are American or British but in less than 24 hours I've heard Spanish, Italian, German and French spoken as well and that excludes the crew, whose nationalities range from South African to Indian to Filipino. It's true that the majority of people here are of a certain age but there are young couples as well, and families with small children (the ship has an excellent and little-publicised children's club). There are multi-generational groups with grannies and babies, and parties of friends, as well as several very glamorous looking gay couples, one pair with a spectacular giant poodle sporting a Harley Davidson denim doggie outfit. The poodle is currently ensconced in the kennels on Deck 12.
And just when you think you've seen it all... at lifeboat drill, one couple turned up in swimwear and towelling robes (there is a force 7 wind blowing outside) and another lady in a floor-length mink. There are women whose hair and faces don't move, even on the gusty open decks, couples in matching his 'n' hers velour tracksuits and an entire family with multiple facial piercings, teenagers included. Then there are the gym babes who practically live in the massive Canyon Ranch Spa, sporting toned muscles and skinny Canyon Ranch T shirts with diamante logos.
Sartorially speaking, daytimes may not be a parade of style and beauty, especially on a stormy day like this with heavy seas, when it's all you can do to stay upright moving around the ship, let alone worry about wearing heels. But on the three formal nights of a transatlantic cruise, the tracky pants are exchanged for tuxedos, glittering evening dresses, serious bling and big hair.
It's the glamour of nights like these that unite everybody on board with a sense of occasion - the very reason many people choose this most elegant and traditional way to travel.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Jewel River Cruise Line, a new, luxury, river cruise brand, will debut in 2008 with its first ship, Jewel Imperial Blue. The vessel will depart Paris on April 5 and sail along the Seine. The new company, founded by former Silversea Cruises CEO Albert Peter, also incorporates Emerald River Journeys, a premium line; and, the contemporary Princess River Journeys.
There are several exciting features about the new, all-suites vessel, which accommodates just 90 passengers. According to Peter, some of its distinguishing characteristics will include "a superior dining experience, intriguing and engaging shore experiences providing an exceptional level of exclusivity and access, a dedicated wellness spa, unrivalled hospitality and service and co-branding with internationally renowned luxury partners offering unique opportunities for guests." In other words, a river-going version of Silversea, which will no doubt delight the high-spending river cruise passenger.
Peter is aiming high with the new company and aims to become a 'dominant force' in river cruising. The first vessel, currently in service for another operator, is being converted into a luxurious floating hotel at a cost of $3.5 million. Typical clients are expected to be affluent, active, aged 45-60 (so considerably younger than most river cruise passengers) and in search of cultural 'experiences' rather than ordinary shore excursions.
Bookings for the new venture open on January 1, 2008.
Posted by Sue Bryant
The sinking of the Explorer expedition vessel in Antarctica has raised some scathing comments about the excesses of tourism in the region.
Although the Antarctic peninsula is enormous, expedition vessels tend to focus on a few 'hotspots' where they can land passengers by Zodiac inflatable. Environmentalists are concerned that the constant landing of sightseers between November and March is chipping away at this pristine region's integrity. Although most cruise operators behave responsibly and don't leave anything behind, some pollution is inevitable. By bringing in larger and larger vessels, the greater number of tourists is inevitably going to affect the wildlife and with the best will in the world, cruise operators cannot control the ignorant behaviour of visitors who pursue penguins and seals in the hope of getting the best shot for their photo album.
What's worse is that some enormous ships are now sailing in the region. These vessels cannot land passengers as the numbers are too great to make it feasible. But would you even want to be on one? Huge ships do not have ice-strengthened hulls like true expedition vessels. If one were to scrape an iceberg and start leaking fuel, the environmental impact would be unthinkable. Mounting a rescue operation for 3,000 passengers and up to 2,000 crew would be practically impossible. Ships sailing in Antarctica are supposed to be self-sufficient but there are no rules as such, merely guidelines.
It is not our automatic right to visit places like this. An expedition cruise to Antarctica is a special event and should be treated as such. It is expensive for a reason. While cruising may be making the world a smaller place, there are some areas that we must accept are only ever going to be appropriate for small ships and small numbers of visitors, however elitist that may seem.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Do you want to know how to lay a table in rough weather, or how to get a glass sparkling clean? Then the Ship Steward’s Handbook by E. C. Plumb and J. J. Traynor could be for you.
This charming little book, recently reissued by Conway, a division of Anova Books, was first published in the 1950s as an aid to ship stewards in the British Merchant Navy. With an emphasis on pride in one’s work, and a thoroughness and dedication to the highest level of service, it sets out precise instructions on a steward’s duties from table etiquette to cabin service and is packed with all sorts of fascinating facts, tips and hints.
Evoking the heyday of the passenger liner and the emerging cruise industry, there are authentic examples of breakfast and dinner menus from first class and tourist class, definitions of French culinary terms, sauces to accompany meat dishes, basic cocktails and lots of homilies. In Personal Appearance and Behaviour, for example, wannabe stewards are advised: Remember, tattoos do not make you a sailor!
Some of the household tips are useful still today. Glasses should be washed in warm water, rinsed and dried with a linen cloth, as linen does not leave fluff on the glass. If water jugs have a ‘waterline’, clean it off with potato peelings.
What’s interesting about this book is that the foreword is written by the Right Hon John Prescott MP, Britain’s former transport secretary under Tony Blair. Yes, Mr Prescott started life as... a ship’s steward.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I thought my lucky day had come yesterday when a van arrived with a huge bunch of red roses and a card sticking out of the top saying 'Marry me'. Sadly (or happily, as the roses are beautiful), it was a promotion from Princess Cruises advertising the company's new wedding brochure.
Tie the Knot with Princess Cruises is actually a handy little guide, with prices for the various wedding packages on board and a countdown from 12 months to the actual day, as well as a chart of the many ports the cruise line visits, detailing the wedding options, prices, legalities and locations. I was especially taken with the idea of a glacier in Alaska or a winery in Santorini.
What really caught my eye, though, was the idea of a sole charter of a Princess ship. For around £10 million ($20 million), you can have the whole vessel, just you, your beloved and 3,000 of your closest friends, attended by 1,200 staff. As this many wouldn't fit into the intimate wedding chapel that's a feature of Princess ships, the ceremony, which is conducted by the Captain, can be broadcast on the giant Movies Under the Stars screen by the ship's pool on six of the vessels in the fleet.
It's a nice idea, particularly if you want to avoid paparazzi, although personally I wouldn't fancy having 3,000 people who knew me tagging along on my honeymoon.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to announce a new generation of mega-ships with its ambitious Project Genesis, already under construction at the Aker Yard in Finland. Genesis will launch in 2009 and will carry a whopping total of 5,400 guests.
Others were quick to follow. Carnival Cruise Line, then MSC, with two ships, each measuring 133,500 tons with a passenger capacity of 3,900.
Now NCL has joined the fray with its own announcement of two new megaships with the working title of F3. The steel cutting has already taken place. Each F3 will measure 150,000 tons and will carry 4,200 passengers.
The argument for this enormous size is that it presents more choice on board for passengers. NCL says that 100% of outside cabins will have a private balcony, although it is keeping F3's other features under wraps. Similarly, Royal Caribbean is yet to release much detail about what will be on Project Genesis, although some elements have been revealed, including a surf simulator, climbing wall and the ice rink.
The question is, how much is too much? These giant ships can without doubt absorb the number of passengers; you can be sailing on a big Royal Caribbean or NCL ship now at 100% capacity and not feel especially crowded. The biggest logistical problem is likely to be in port. NCL has already said that its F3 class ships will not be able to use tender ports as it's too difficult to tender that many passengers ashore. Who knows the impact a couple of these massive vessels arriving simultaneously will have on small ports in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean?
Until more detail is revealed, the cruising public is likely to remain only cautiously excited about these giant ships.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Last week I was cruising on the very fine Emerald Princess to research a feature for a newspaper on staying fit during a cruise.
The spa on board is spectacular and the gym enormous. The menus are enticing and varied, with a lotus flower image by each dish that is considered extra healthy. The salad bar groans with 30 different types of vegetable.
Yet one thing had diminished noticeably: the exercise classes. Every day, there was just one free class and you could pay extra for yoga, pilates and spinning. I noticed at the beginning of the week that the lists for these were full, but when I joined a spinning class, there were only seven of us.
I asked Peter Shine, one of the ship's personal fitness trainers what was going on and his simple answer was that there are so few classes now because nobody comes to them, not even to the ones they've paid for. I pointed out that there were 3,000 people on board so surely the classes ought to be fuller? What are all these people doing? Peter's answer was one word: Eating. And how people ate! Huge mounds of fries for lunch and burgers as hors d'oeuvres before a five-course dinner, followed by a hefty midnight snack of pizza and cakes.
The next day, Peter held a seminar in the gym, promoted as The Faster Way to a Flatter Stomach. There must have been 70 people there, with standing room only. Even Peter looked amazed. He later told me he had taken about 16 appointments from the seminar for nutrition advice. I couldn't help thinking, though, that a fairly obvious way to a flatter stomach on a food-filled cruise would be to eat a little less and exercise a little more - no seminar required.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Cunard Line has announced that Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, will attend the naming ceremony in Southampton on December 10, 2007, to mark the introduction of Cunard's new 90,000-ton liner Queen Victoria.
At this ceremony, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) will perform the naming of the ship. Let’s hope it’s as magical as the naming of Queen Mary 2 was in 2004, when the ship was dramatically unveiled in a hugely patriotic moment and named by the Queen, with rousing music, fireworks and a spectacular party to follow, despite the cold, dark British January.
This naming, Cunard says, will be a milestone in both Cunard and British maritime history, and will be a major event of worldwide interest, with over 2,000 VIP guests from around the globe in attendance at the ceremony.
Every one of the Cunard Queens has been named by a member of the Royal Family and this particular ceremony will mark the beginning of what the line calls ‘a new era’, as it will be the first time in its 168-year history that three Cunard Queens will be in service at the same time.
This era is short-lived, though, as the Queen Elizabeth 2 only has a year of service left before it is retired to Dubai.
If you want to get a look at Queen Victoria, the ship will be in Southampton for four days, during which time over 7,000 guests from around the world will visit. It will depart on its maiden voyage on Tuesday 11 December, 2007.
Posted by Sue Bryant
The chances of spotting a Yangtze river dolphin on a cruise of the Yangtze Gorges was always extremely slim, but now it’s thought to be gone forever. Although a sighting was practically unheard of, it added to the exoticism of the Yangtze river, knowing that somewhere in the swirling depths was thriving a species of eight-foot, freshwater dolphin.
Sadly, the most recent acoustic surveys of the river, conducted late in 2006, have failed to find a single animal and the river dolphin, locally known as a baiji, has been declared ‘probably extinct’. In the late 1970s there were around 400 dolphins in the river and its channels, but numbers have declined depressingly fast. The last individual in captivity died in 2002.
Cruising has contributed to the dolphin’s demise, although only in a minor way, collisions with boats being one factor in the animal's extinction. Massive over-fishing of the baiji’s food source, poaching, accidental catching of the dolphins in nets, the construction of the gorges and pollution have all played their part. The river is dense with fishing boats, trying to feed the 10% of the world’s population that lives in the region, and these have posed far greater a threat than the cruise ships.
An ambitious plan was hatched a couple of years ago to capture some baiji and raise them in a well-stocked lake, reintroducing them to the river in years to come, but this has been abandoned. Scientists now fear for the future of a rare subspecies of finless porpoise that also lives in the river.
So if your cruise travels take you to China and you’re gazing at the river from the comfort of your private balcony, do keep an eye out for these incredibly rare creatures. You never know, you might spot one, and play your part in bringing the dolphin back from the brink of extinction.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Cruising as a single parent should, in theory, be stress-free. There are kids’ clubs on board ships, you don’t have to shop, cook or do the washing up and you can see a string of exciting new places without having to drive anywhere or unpack more than once. A cruise ship is an easy environment in which to sit on your own with a cocktail, too, without attracting unwanted attention.
Ocean Village, part of Carnival Corporation, is one of the few cruise lines to promote itself to single parent families. A number of cabins have three berths and are sold to lone parent families, representing good savings over a land-based holiday.
There are, however, still challenges that you just don’t anticipate. This is no reflection on the cruise line, particularly – just the hassles faced by a single parent generally. I found meal times particularly stressful as Ocean Village’s two main restaurants are buffets. Balancing three full plates on a small tray with two children in tow, battling through a crowd of hungry Brits whose only thought is getting to the bacon, and then finding there’s nowhere to sit is not my idea of a good start to the day.
I ended up finding a seat first and then running backwards and forwards like a waiter for the entire meal. We got around this in the evenings by paying a supplement to eat in La Luna, a very pleasant waiter service restaurant with outdoor seating.
There were obviously other lone parents on board but it would have been nice to have some kind of social event to break the ice. I was quite happy in the company of my children, who are old enough to stay up to see the ship’s excellent shows, but I spoke to one mother whose teenage daughter had quickly become immersed in the ship’s social scene, which is great, but leaves you a bit lonely if you’re travelling alone.
The other problem for single parents on vacation anywhere is keeping both children happy. If one wants to do one thing and the other doesn’t, you have to bribe, lay down the law or compromise. I ended up doing all the scary rides in the French and Italian water parks we visited (and loving it, or course) but had to lure my kids round Portofino with chocolate chip ice cream. It’s when you’re sitting on the dock playing Harry Potter Top Trumps instead of browsing the port’s designer boutiques that an adult travelling companion would come in handy!
Posted by Sue Bryant
Cunard regulars are getting used to the idea that their beloved Queen Elizabeth 2 will see out its days tethered to a pier in Dubai. The announcement a week ago provoked outrage and dismay - there are even online petitions against the sale, which is a bit futile as it's a done deal. The new owners, however, are promising to maintain the integrity of the great ocean liner and will spend money fitting it out as a luxury hotel while reflecting its former glory in the interiors.
The ship will no doubt attract a lot of visitors, although whether holidaymakers in Dubai will want to stay in a rather cramped ship's cabin with no balcony or a luxury resort with a sandy beach is questionable. The new owners, Dubai World, reckon that QE2 will appeal to the many British visitors to the Emirate, possibly as a short break or even a one-night stay. The Queen Mary, another great Cunarder, is tethered at Long Beach, California, and is highly successful as a floating hotel and function venue. Dubai World is no doubt taking inspiration from this model.
It'll certainly be a case of old meets new. The Palm Jumeirah is one of two palm tree-shaped developments of man-made islands, its 'fronds' lined with luxury homes and beaches. Both palms are visible from space and are considered by their developer as wonders of the modern world. In addition to this, Dubai has its own real ski slope with proper snow, adding to the cash-rich Emirate's 'anything is possible' attitude. It's easy to see the appeal of adding the world's most famous ocean liner to the mix.
If you are planning to sail on the ship one last time, the smart money is on the two final transatlantic cruises next October. A lot of people will book the Southampton to Dubai sailing for purely sentimental reasons (and because it's a good itinerary including a transit of the Suez Canal) but the real farewells are likely to be said in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the setting which will always be associated with this iconic ship.
Posted by Sue Bryant
According to a report in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, popular line P&O Cruises is planning to start selling items for its ships through its website.
So many people are asking to buy crockery, cutlery, sheets and even mattresses that the cruise line will start online sales of these and other items from next spring.
Even more interest is expected next April when the new ship, Ventura, is launched, as the British designer Nick Munro is creating a string of bespoke items for the ship. The website will offer crockery, cutlery, glassware, waste bins, soap dispensers and bud vases from the new flagship as well as mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets and Molton Brown toiletries.
Cruise ship memorabilia has long since been a popular collector’s item and some of it is worth a lot of money. Offering items for sale is one way of encouraging passengers to buy, rather than steal the items; luxury hotel group Westin, for example, started selling its ‘Heavenly Beds’ after increased interest in them from guests, and has now expanded into an entire home range including goodies for dogs and bathroom luxuries.
But there will always be a culture of collecting ‘souvenirs’. My top five, if my suitcase were big enough and if I were dishonestly inclined (which I’m not, incidentally), would be:
- The furry white chairs from the Martini bar on Celebrity’s Century – retro, stylish and fun
- The mattresses from Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas – so comfortable you want to stay in bed all day
- The entire range of crockery from Crystal Symphony, with its beautiful, contemporary designs and colours, not forgetting the colourful coffee cups from the Bistro
- The door handles from Costa Serena, modelled like miniature yellow Costa funnels…
- …And pretty well anything with a Queen Mary 2 logo on it. No excuses for stealing here as the shop in board is packed with logo-ed material. I had to content myself with a $20 black-and-gold china bowl for my dog.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I've just been on a cruise with some first-time cruisers and it was interesting to see what they liked and what they didn't like. They all loved the ship (the occasion was the launch of Princess Cruises' Emerald Princess) but what they agreed on was that they felt there was a system they had to crack.
The first surprise was cashless cruising. Some of the first-timers couldn't get round the fact that once their credit card had been swiped and a cruise card issued, absolutely everything has to be signed for, including items in the onboard shops, and no cash exchanged hands. Strangely, we were given some onboard credit by the cruise line and several of the first-timers didn't spend it!
The shops were another area of confusion. One member of the party needed some essentials but hadn't realised the shops couldn't open until the ship had sailed into international waters, which was frustrating to her.
All of the first timers found the ship enormous, but understanding how it's laid out helps to get over this. Simply learning the difference between port, starboard, forward and aft helps! Also look out for things on board like colour-coded stairwells. Most ships have two or three stairwells and sets of lifts, and often the carpets on each stairwell will be a different colour, so you know if you're forward or aft or midships.
Another thing first-timers often struggle with is the idea of having to plan ahead. If you want spa treatments, book them when you board the ship, or beforehand online. The same goes for excursions. If you want to dine in the speciality restaurants, book those as soon as you board.
Of course, sometimes slip-ups by new cruisers do raise a smile. I saw one lady trying to board the ship after an excursion and being politely asked to wait on one side by the security staff. She'd taken her friend's cruise card by mistake, not understanding that when you swipe the card to board the ship, it shows the security guard a digital photo of you and is effectively a passport. The friend had gone off on a 10-hour day trip - and needless to say, the two women looked completely different...
Posted by Sue Bryant
You can fly across the Atlantic in six hours but crossing it by sea takes six days. This is a chance to contemplate the vastness of the ocean as Queen Mary 2 steams along what's called a Great Circle track, sailing east-northeast from south of Cape Race, Newfoundland to the Bishop Rock lighthouse at Land's End, the entrance to the English Channel.
April is early in the season for transatlantic crossings and there's not a lot to see out here as the swell is very high and the wind strong. When the sea is flatter, passengers on a transatlantic crossing can expect to spot blue whales and sperm whales and closer to New York, humpback whales which migrate from the Caribbean along the east coast to Greenland in early summer and back again in autumn. There's also a good chance of seeing dolphins riding the bow wave of the ship, although Queen Mary 2 is so fast that is usually outruns them. Tomorrow we can expect seabirds for company as we approach the Irish coast.
We've passed a few container ships but apart from those, we're alone. Commodore Bernard Warner nevertheless regales the passengers with stories and fascinating facts. Two days out of New York, we sailed close to the Grand Banks, where the seabed suddenly shallows from tens of thousands of feet to just 120 feet and a persistent sea fog hangs in the air. The following day, we sailed just 40 nautical miles north of the wreck of the Titanic, which is slightly alarming, given that Titanic sank on April 14, this very time of year, after colliding with an iceberg. Commodore Warner told us that this is indeed still the ice season, but nowadays, the US Coast Guard puts out regular ice reports and the nearest iceberg is 200 nautical miles to the north.
When he tells us the ship's position on a daily basis, it gives some perspective to the sheer size of the North Atlantic. This morning, we were 720 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland whereas yesterday, the Azores archipelago was the nearest land, some 500 nautical miles away. Tonight, we will pass within 150 nautical miles of Queen Elizabeth 2, which is headed westbound for New York, in the opposite direction to us, and trying to dodge a bad storm. We're sailing through gale force winds ourselves, but the ship is so stable it's hardly noticeable. "This is the best ocean liner in the world for withstanding weather," says Commodore Warner reassuringly.
Queen Mary 2 has a viewing gallery behind the navigation bridge where passengers can watch the action but to be truthful, there isn't much, as we are sailing on autopilot and the radar is completely clear. The officers of the watch still manage to look busy, though. Do they get bored? "No. I never get tired of the sea," says Commodore Warner. "It has tremendous force and wonderful moods."
Posted by Sue Bryant
What could be better than a relaxing river cruise through the heartland of Europe to romantic places like Prague, the Rhine Gorge, Carcassonne and St Petersburg? Here are my top tips for river cruises in Europe this summer:
Rhine
Most river cruises last a week or more but this year, Viking River Cruises is offering three night ‘Taste of the Rhine’ voyages from Basle to Cologne, stopping en route at Strasbourg, Speyer and Konigswinter and passing through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, where ruined castles perch on top of sheer-sided cliffs and mile after mile of vineyards cling to impossibly steep slopes. Visit www.vikingrivercruises.com
Elbe
Sail all the way from Berlin to gorgeous Prague on the MV Frederic Chopin, which makes its way slowly down the Oder-Havel Canal and the scenic Elbe, through landscapes ranging from acid-green river meadows to sheer, rocky cliffs. This cruise passes through the ancient kingdom of Saxony, taking in the legacy of the Reformation at Wittenberg, the famous Meissen porcelain, beautiful palaces and gardens and Dresden, with its rich collections of old masters and the treasures of the Saxon kings. Visit www.deilmann.co.uk or www.deilmann-cruises.com.
Russia
A cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg is like two comprehensive city breaks with none of the hassle and a whole lot more in between. The luxurious Viking Kirov spends two nights in Moscow before wending its way north and west through Russia’s complex Volga-Baltic Waterway, past rustic villages and ancient cities like Uglich and Yaroslavl, visiting monasteries, kremlins and elaborate orthodox churches. The boat crosses Lake Onega to the beautiful wooden village-museum of Kizhi and arrives in St Petersburg with three days to see the palaces and the fabulous Hermitage art collection. Visit www.vikingrivercruises.com.
Barging
Cruise the Canal du Midi in the south of France on the beautiful wooden hotel-barge, Athos. Gourmet meals are prepared on board by the resident chef, with food from local markets, and all drinks and excursions are included. Guests are picked up in Montpellier and the barge spends a week pottering along the canal at a wonderfully soporific pace, with visits to Carcassonne, Argeliers, the hilltop village of Minerve, Capestang, Narbonne market, Agde and the Etang de Thau, which contains Europe's largest mussel and oyster park. Various decadent side-trips include wine-tasting, olive-oil tasting and a visit to the Noillly Prat Vermouth distillery. Visit www.gobarging.com.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Gentlemen who can dance, are sociable, community-minded and aged between 40 and 70 are in big demand on cruise ships, where there are always more single ladies than men. For this reason, a lot of cruise lines offer gentleman dance hosts, which for many single men of a certain age, could be the dream job.
Chicago-based company The Working Vacation, owned by Lauretta Blake, is the leading recruitment agency for gentleman hosts on cruise ships worldwide and is always looking for new recruits.
Hosts sign up for individual cruises through The Working Vacation, although many will spend several months a year at sea. The trip isn’t free – hosts pay a small daily fee of $25 to $28 on premium cruise lines like Silversea Cruises, but this represents an enormous discount on the brochure price. And although the criteria for gentlemen hosts are very strict, there are plenty of vacancies.
But, as the name suggests, this is a working vacation, not a freebie. “You must really like people,” says Lauretta Blake. “You have to be absolutely sincere and you must be able to dance socially.”
Gentlemen hosts are single gentlemen aged 40 to 70, gay or straight. Familiarity with dances like the waltz, quickstep and rumba is essential and you have to be comfortable walking up to complete strangers and making conversation. In addition to dancing in the evenings, joining in with shipboard activities and going on the shore excursions is essential. Needless to say, getting ‘involved’ with passengers is strictly forbidden!
Benefits vary from cruise line to cruise line but for the daily fee, hosts receive accommodation (sharing with another host, except on world cruises), meals on board the ship, a drinks and laundry allowance, air fares (in some cases) and shore excursions.
“Many of our hosts have backgrounds in the areas of business, law, finance, travel, medicine, education and military,” says Blake. “Most of them are retired or semi-retired. We ensure that our hosts meet the highest standards through referral interviews, personal meetings and dance reviews with professional dance instructors.
“This level of quality and integrity allows us to provide the cruise lines with hosts who are caring, outgoing, and excellent social dancers.”
Cruise lines offering gentleman host programmes include Delta Queen Steamboat Company, American West Steamboat Company, Silversea Cruises and NYK Cruises (through The Working Vacation, www.theworkingvacation.com). Others include Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Holland America Line, Crystal Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruises.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Cruisers have some pretty strange ideas, according to a survey of 1,700 cruise vacationers by search website kayak.com. For some reason, a zip line (on board a moving ship?) tops the wish-list of cruise passengers in the survey, while others dreamed about adults-only pools, parasailing, waterskiing and private hot tubs (which are actually already available if you choose the right ship and in the case of the private hot tubs, pay enough money).
Meanwhile, 52% of those questioned said they would hit the buffet immediately on boarding, although only 12% were prepared to admit that their clothes didn't usually fit when the cruise was over. Thirteen percent played safe and started their voyage with a motion sickness pill, while 23% picked 65-year-old Charo as The Love Boat guest they would most like to party with.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Royal Caribbean's new Freedom-class ships (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas) measure more than 160,000 gross registered tonnes - in other words, more than 80,000 cars each, or 32,000 adult elephants. (Incidentally, ships always 'measure' rather than 'weigh', if you want to sound knowledgeable!)
Each ship is 1,112 feet long - more than 37 double decker buses, five Boeing 747s or three football pitches.
The theatre on each ship seats 1,292 guests, the equivalent of three full Boeing 747 aircraft.
On Independence of the Seas, the Royal Promenade, an entertainment boulevard on Deck Five, is longer than a football field, with shopping, dining, bars and lounges.
Got a head for heights? Relax in one of the two giant whirlpoools, cantilevered 12 feet out from the side of the ship, 112 feet above the ocean.
3,600 guests will be looked after by 1,360 crew.
Royal Caribbean International carries more than three million guests annually.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I was hoping to post daily blogs from Ocean Odyssey while I was on board last week but the internet connection hadn't been made and the wires were dangling loose in the library. The ship was on its second cruise, a fortnight round-trip from Goa, calling at ports in Southern India, the beautiful and uninhabited Lakshadweep Islands and at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This is an ambitious venture and if you enter it in the right spirit, you'll love it. I'd never been to India and this cruise was a great way to see several places without too much planning ahead. The tours were good; the backwaters of Kerala were beautiful and the buzzing city of Trivandrum was an assault on the senses in every way - but not an unwelcome one. We explored the interior of luscious Sri Lanka, visited a Buddhist temple, indulged in ayurvedic massages, shopped till we dropped and feasted on fabulous curries at every possible opportunity. The Lakshadweep Islands were the pristine castaway paradise that had been promised.
Sadly, the same could not be said about the poor old ship, a 30-year old vessel formerly owned by Royal Olympic Cruises and despite a recent paint job, really showing its age. The bigger exterior-view cabins are fine and the food and bar/dining room service were good, but the pool was dirty, the hot tubs unappealing, deck furniture lacking and the 'spa' just a single, unlovely treatment room. The biggest problem was the inadequate air conditioning, which the crew say is going to be fixed - an absolute essential in such hot temperatures. A lot of disgruntled passengers were sleeping on deck to get some air, which is all very well but not when you've paid around £1,000 ($1,800) for the privilege.
The cruise director and captain had a firm 'can't do' attitude (passengers weren't even offered free bottled water in compensation for the stifling heat) and blamed everything either on India, where it's difficult to get spare parts, the passengers themselves or 'the management.' They showed no enthusiasm for the ports we visited and information on what to do was sorely lacking. Luckily, most of us were adventurous enough to do our own thing, using cheap Indian or Sri Lankan taxis and local buses.
A better customer service and they could have saved themselves a lot of complaints, as people genuinely did love the itinerary - and any experienced traveller is sympathetic to the challenges of operating in a developing country.
This season is apparently a trial run. If there's a market for India, the owner will acquire a better ship. I wish them well - it's always good to see a new cruise area opening up, especially when the operation is of a size to make minimal environmental impact. But service from the senior crew with a bit more of a smile wouldn't go amiss - and would cost nothing.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea is experimenting with a new, more casual kind of cruise this summer, called Privileged Passage.
Silver Cloud will leave Athens on July 13, 2007 and sail via Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Patmos and Kusadasi before finishing in Istanbul. This unique seven-day cruise is a brand new initiative for Silversea designed to attract first-time cruisers by dispensing with formal nights and receptions and offering guests the freedom to dress more casually throughout the cruise. Other benefits exclusive to Privileged Passage include longer opening hours for the fitness centre and spa, early embarkation and late debarkation without additional cost, and an itinerary which includes three complimentary shore excursions.
On-board entertainment will also be different to other Silversea cruises in that the resident DJ of the ultra-hip Buddha Bar in Paris, DJ Ravin, will be mixing the music in the evenings, giving a fresh and ecelectic style of entertainment. Another attraction will be celebrated resident chef of Thailand’s famous spa, Chiva-Som, Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat, sharing his culinary approach to well-being through demonstrations, cooking classes and special menu selections.
This is a fantastic opportunity to sail on one of the world's most luxurious ships with the on-board lifestyle and entertainment aimed at younger, hipper types than might traditionally book a Silversea cruise. If you're the type of person who enjoys world-class service, gourmet food, all-inclusive drinks, sumptuous accommodation, a great range of spa treatments and cool music but you'd prefer smart casual to black tie in the Greek islands, you can't go wrong with this. For details, visit www.silversea.com.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Vegetable oils that have undergone hydrogenation result in a type of fat that doctors have linked to serious health risks including diabetes, high blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels. Royal Caribbean has vowed to replace the old pour-and-fry oil traditionally used in cruise line galleys with trans-fat-free oil, which will go hand-in-hand with entire trans-fat-free menus on board.
The trans-fat-free oil was put to the test onboard Navigator of the Seas last November. The conclusion was that not only is the trans-fat-free oil healthier for guests, but it provides a better tasting product.
Royal Caribbean is working jointly with all onboard food and beverage partners as well as suppliers to ensure that a full transition to a trans-fat-free menu will take place fleetwide by the end of this year.
While any move by a cruise line towards providing healthier food should be applauded, perhaps portion sizes would be the next thing to address? Even the plates in most cruise ships' buffet restaurants are the size of trays. And cruise passengers aren't looking any slimmer nowadays. Let's hope Royal Caribbean's initiative isn't simply a case of moving the deckchairs on the Titanic.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Indian Ocean Cruises’ 250-passenger Ocean Odyssey sets sail on its maiden voyage this weekend, calling at Mangalore, three of the remote Lakshadweep Islands, Cochin, Colombo, Tuticorin and Trivandrum. At a special inauguration ceremony, a coconut instead of a bottle of champagne will be smashed on the ship's bow, in the Indian tradition.
Ocean Odyssey is not a new ship; it was built in 1965 but underwent a $5m refit last summer. The capacity is 250 but the cruise line expects to carry around 200 passengers on each cruise. Special permission was required from the Indian government to visit Lakshadweep, so pristine and ecologically unique are the islands, and a special clean-up operation will take place after every call to ensure that passengers leave nothing but footprints.
I'm sailing on this ship in three weeks, so will report back in this blog, but for lovers of islands, adventure and exotic culture, it sounds unmissable. For more information, visit www.indianoceancruises.net.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Such is the popularity of world cruising nowadays that cruise lines are launching their 2008 voyages before the 2007 cruises have even departed. Having just enjoyed a thoroughly decadent week of spectacular food and wine and impeccable service on Silversea’s Silver Cloud, I must say that the prospect of a full 110 nights on Silver Shadow, its larger sister, is highly appealing!
The ultra-luxurious Silver Shadow is to circle the globe in 2008, starting and finishing in Fort Lauderdale. The cruise is themed ‘The Rhythms of the World’ and sets sail carrying 382 privileged and pampered guests on January 16, 2008 on a 110-day voyage to 50 ports of call in more than 25 countries.
Silver Shadow will sail through the Panama Canal and along the Mexican Riviera, to four tropical Hawaiian hideaways and intriguing island destinations like Majuro in the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei in Micronesia, Apra Harbour on the island of Guam, and historic Iwo Jima, all previously unexplored by Silversea.
Other highlights will include extended overnight calls in Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Mumbai and Barcelona.
Guests who book the full 110-day cruise will enjoy exclusive shoreside events, including a hosted event on the eve of departure with hotel accommodation and private transfer and baggage handling between airport, hotel and ship; onboard
spending credit; escorted shore excursions to exotic sites in select ports of call; a gala farewell event; and special commemorative gifts. For more information, visit www.silversea.com.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I'm in the middle of updating a book I wrote two years ago, the Insight Guide to Great River Cruises, which has got me daydreaming about life in the slow lane, drifting along Europe’s waterways, pottering around picturesque towns and villages, or lazing on deck watching the scenery drift by. My three hot tips for 2007 follow!
Short break cruising: Most river cruises last a week or more but for next year, Viking River Cruises is offering three night ‘Taste of the Rhine’ voyages from Basle to Cologne, stopping en route at Strasbourg, Speyer and Konigswinter and passing through the dramatic Rhine Gorge, where ruined castles perch on top of sheer-sided cliffs and mile after mile of vineyards cling to impossibly steep slopes. These cruises are on board Viking Helvetia II, Europe’s longest river vessel, launched in 2006. www.vikingrivercruises.com
Russia: A cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg is like two comprehensive city breaks with none of the hassle and a whole lot more in between. The luxurious Viking Kirov spends two nights in Moscow before wending its way north and west through Russia’s complex Volga-Baltic Waterway, past rustic villages and ancient cities like Uglich and Yaroslavl, visiting monasteries, kremlins and elaborate orthodox churches. The boat crosses Lake Onega to the beautiful wooden village-museum of Kizhi and arrives in St Petersburg with three days to see the palaces and the fabulous Hermitage art collection. Cruises operate from May to October; www.vikingrivercruises.com.
Barging: Cruise the Canal du Midi in the south of France on the beautiful wooden hotel-barge, Athos, with just six double cabins, new for barge specialist European Waterways. Gourmet meals are prepared on board by the resident chef, with food from local markets, and all drinks and excursions are included. Guests are picked up in Montpellier and the barge spends a week pottering along the canal at a wonderfully soporific pace, with visits to Carcassonne, Argeliers, the hilltop village of Minerve, Capestang, Narbonne market, Agde and the Etang de Thau, which contains Europe's largest mussel and oyster park. Various decadent side-trips include wine-tasting, olive-oil tasting and a visit to the Noillly Prat Vermouth distillery. www.gobarging.com.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural celebrations in the UK this weekend for NCL's latest 'Freestyle Cruising' ship, Norwegian Pearl. The ship is spectacular, and a genuinely positive sign that cruise lines really are waking up to what younger cruisers want.
The decor is lighthearted and funky - my mini-suite was in bright pinks and turquoises - and there's a huge choice of restaurants and bars. I sampled the fantastic teppanyaki room in the Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant, complete with knife-throwing and egg-juggling chefs, and later, Cagney's Steakhouse, where my dining companions tucked into huge steaks. There's also a tapas restaurant, a French bistro, the modern European Indigo, burgers and fast-wok dishes... no wonder cruisers pile on the pounds. I loved the high-tech gym and the fitness studio is of a decent size and offers classes either free or at token prices. The spa is gorgeous, with fantastic thermal suites for men and women which you can use for $15 a day. Bliss Ultra Lounge is by far the best nightclub I've seen on a cruise ship - really stylish, with huge, decadent day beds draped in gauze and plush velvet lounging areas, not to mention four ten-pin bowling lanes.
I'd certainly recommend this ship to families, couples and groups of friends who like to do their own thing, aren't bothered about a formal, regimented lifestyle and enjoy eating somewhere different every night. It's a big ship, but not so big you feel lost and there's so much to do on board that getting bored isn't an option!
Posted by Sue Bryant
For those of you who have shown an interest in Peace Oil culinarytravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/peace_oil, but missed the discussion below, I have been corrected by the Seattle-based supplier of the gourmet olive oil to the US and Canadian markets. You can buy Peace Oil from http://www.peaceoil.biz/ at $12.50 for a 500ml bottle, with shipping throughout the USA and Canada and free shipping if you happen to live in Seattle. This version of the oil is produced by Israelis and Palestinians and the proceeds help Palestinian farmers on the West Bank, an area where they need all the support they can get. It's a worthy cause and I'm assured that the oil is delicious.
Posted by Sue Bryant
The ski season in Europe has begun and already attracting a lot of attention is the brand new Top Mountain Star restaurant, high above the resort of Obergurgl, 3,080m (10,100 feet) above sea level in the beautiful Austrian Tyrol.
With 360 degree views across the Austrian Alps, as far as the Italian Dolomites, the all-glass restaurant is dazzling, with its futuristic, crystal-like design designed to blend in with the snowy peaks that surround it. Without doubt, it will offer one of the most romantic and breathtaking locations in the Alps, and its association with Swarovski (also based in Austria) can only add further sparkle; the bar, in fact, is adorned with signs of the zodiac, picked out in Swarovski crystal.
As well as being a mountaintop lunch venue for skiers, the restaurant can be hired for exclusive private parties, with travel there and back by snow cat.
The menu offers Austrian gourmet specialities – and when Austrians do gourmet food, they do it brilliantly. Needless to say, lunch will need to be washed down with champagne served in a crystal glass!
Visit www.obergurgl.com for more information about the resort and its fabulous skiing.
Posted by Sue Bryant
Isn't it a great feeling when you find a fantastic restaurant where you not only eat well but feel you had incredible value for money? Of course, it's always someone else who finds the place! My parents have just returned from Spain's sunshine coast, the Costa del Sol, which is traditionally pretty glitzy and expensive. They 'discovered' D'Herminia at Estepona, an upscale resort along the coast from jetset Marbella. My dad, Peter Bryant, says: "The restaurant offers an extensive a la carte menu but above all a marvellous value-for-money three-course table d'hote menu at the attractive price of 15 Euros per head." (That's $19 US, $21 Canadian.) He continues: "The half-dozen or so starters included a very tasty spinach pancake and a vegetable tartelette. This was followed by a significant fish selection - sea bream, sea bass, monkfish, prawn skewers, or an excellent entrecote steak, with a good selection of vegetables. For dessert, there was home-made tiramisu, profiteroles, various ice-creams or the un-Spanish bread and butter pudding. There's a long wine list but you need look no further than the house wine at about 7 Euro a bottle.
"But it's the additional dishes that make this place such good value. On arrival, we were greeted with a glass of pink cava (Spanish sparkling wine), olives and crudites, followed by a hot, mini-vegetable risotto, and smoked salmon and cheese canapes. After dessert, chocolate arrived - a white crisp and a dark square. To finish, we were offered a glass of fruit schnapps on ice. All this without any addition to the bill!"
I would challenge anybody to come up with such an impressive range of extras! If you've got a recommendation, email me! D'Herminia lies between Estepona and San Pedro de Alcantara at Centro Comercial Costasol, tel. +34 952 88 76 73. It's closed Sundays.
Posted by Sue Bryant
I'd like to see this section as being a mixtures of foodie travel ideas and experiences, and entries based on one unusual or exciting ingredient, with the stories around it and ideas of what to do with it, whether it's sampling gold leaf martinis in a hip bar, or discovering purple vinegar for the first time (thanks to the wonderful Patrice Martineau, head chef at The Savoy in London, to whom I shall be eternally grateful). I'll also be reviewing books, raising travel and food issues and passing on fun anecdotes. I feel very strongly about the use of seasonal, local ingredients and the Fair Trade movement in farming, so these will certainly come into it as well. Can't stand convenience food and fast food (unless from an Asian street stall) so probably won't touch on these!
