Welcome to the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society’s “Ship of the Year” edition for 2013. Unlike the eleven other monthly issues of Ocean & Cruise News published each year, our “Ship of the Year” issue is one where the major content is based 100% on the input provided by our members, through the ratings and comments they provide to us using our paper and online cruise report cards. For the past three decades, beginning way before the massive growth in the cruise industry, the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society asked our members to complete a report card for every sailing they took during the calendar year. This became the lone basis for of our annual “Ship of the Year” award. The results gathered from this survey are then tabulated and our coveted “Ship of the Year” award is then presented to the statistical winner. The editors and writers of Ocean & Cruise News have no input into this award. This award is based simply on the ratings of the cruises taken by our members and reported to us. While there are many prestigious cruise awards handed our each year, over the past 33 years our “Ship of the Year” award remains the most unique and prestigious in the industry. It has earned this status because it is not a “reader’s choice” award but instead is based on actual passengers reporting on their personal cruise experience. This may not sound so unique, but truth be told, most other award surveys can be completed by anyone with an email address or submission form and requires no actual ship or sailing date. This year we received report cards on 119 different ships. Everything from small barges, riverboats and exploration vessels to the largest mass-market ships were all represented. Our survey asks members to rate each cruise experience they take during a year much like a hotel, resort or restaurant might ask you about your experience at their establishment. We then qualify that the respondent actually experienced the ship by requesting specific information, such as: the name of the ship, the ship’s itinerary, and the length and date of the cruise. We only include feedback from cruises taken during the calendar year in question to ensure that our survey reflects the most up-to-date information and because our award is an annual one. Our survey questions 14 key areas or categories that make up a cruise product. Members are asked to score each category on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating the least satisfaction and 5 indicting the greatest satisfaction. To truly understand the results of our survey you must first appreciate the audience which filled out these surveys. All respondants are members in good standing of The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society. They are a very diverse membership in age, earnings and cruise preferences. Our 2013 snapshot of the average member profile looks something like this. Our average member is an extremely experienced cruise passenger. Boasting an average of 28 cruises in total, and slightly over 2.7 cruises a year, our members represent a segment of the cruise market unmatched by other organizations. In this latest review, it was not uncommon to see a large number of members have attained the distinction of traveling on over 50 cruises, while some of our original members have attained a status of over 80 cruises. Our top cruiser had actually reported a total of 201 cruises. That is quite a feat!! SHIP OF THE YEAR: OCEANIA CRUISES’ RIVIERA Vol. 33, Issue 4 - February 15, 2014 “Our 33rd Year of Continuous Publication” Single issue price $2.50 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE WORLD OCEAN & CRUISE LINER SOCIETY (Continued on page 6)
Transcript
Welcome to the World Ocean & Cruise LinerSociety’s “Ship of the Year” edition for 2013.Unlike the eleven other monthly issues of Ocean &Cruise News published each year, our “Ship of theYear” issue is one where the major content is based100% on the input provided by our members,through the ratings and comments they provide tous using our paper and online cruise report cards.
For the past three decades, beginning waybefore the massive growth in the cruise industry,the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society asked ourmembers to complete a report card for every sailingthey took during the calendar year. This became thelone basis for of our annual “Ship of the Year”award. The results gathered from this survey arethen tabulated and our coveted “Ship of the Year”award is then presented to the statistical winner.The editors and writers of Ocean & Cruise Newshave no input into this award. This award is basedsimply on the ratings of the cruises taken by ourmembers and reported to us.
While there are many prestigious cruise awardshanded our each year, over the past 33 years our“Ship of the Year” award remains the most uniqueand prestigious in the industry. It has earned thisstatus because it is not a “reader’s choice” awardbut instead is based on actual passengers reportingon their personal cruise experience. This may notsound so unique, but truth be told, most other awardsurveys can be completed by anyone with an emailaddress or submission form and requires no actualship or sailing date.
This year we received report cards on 119different ships. Everything from small barges,riverboats and exploration vessels to the largestmass-market ships were all represented.
Our survey asks members to rate each cruiseexperience they take during a year much like ahotel, resort or restaurant might ask you about yourexperience at their establishment. We then qualifythat the respondent actually experienced the ship byrequesting specific information, such as: the nameof the ship, the ship’s itinerary, and the length anddate of the cruise. We only include feedback fromcruises taken during the calendar year in question toensure that our survey reflects the most up-to-dateinformation and because our award is an annualone. Our survey questions 14 key areas orcategories that make up a cruise product. Membersare asked to score each category on a scale of 1 to5, with 1 indicating the least satisfaction and 5indicting the greatest satisfaction.
To truly understand the results of our surveyyou must first appreciate the audience which filledout these surveys. All respondants are members ingood standing of The World Ocean & Cruise LinerSociety. They are a very diverse membership inage, earnings and cruise preferences. Our 2013snapshot of the average member profile lookssomething like this. Our average member is anextremely experienced cruise passenger. Boastingan average of 28 cruises in total, and slightly over2.7 cruises a year, our members represent a segmentof the cruise market unmatched by otherorganizations.
In this latest review, it was not uncommon tosee a large number of members have attained thedistinction of traveling on over 50 cruises, whilesome of our original members have attained a statusof over 80 cruises. Our top cruiser had actuallyreported a total of 201 cruises. That is quite a feat!!
SHIP OF THE YEAR:OCEANIA CRUISES’
RIVIERA
Vol. 33, Issue 4 - February 15, 2014 “Our 33rd Year of Continuous Publication” Single issue price $2.50
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE WORLD OCEAN & CRUISE LINER SOCIETY
(Continued on page 6)
EDITORIAL On December 7th, 2013 the 24,182-ton Saga
Ruby, one of our favorite ships of all time,departed the U.K. on a final month voyagecelebrating a magnificent 41-year career beforeretiring.
Built as the Vistafjord for Norwegian AmericaLine at the Swan Hunter & Tyne Shipbuilders,Ltd., at Wallsend on the Tyne, famed builders ofthe record breaking Mauretania of 1907, she waslaunched in May of 1972, and delivered toNorwegian America Line exactly one year later.
Over the next 41-years, a career longer thanthe more famous British built liners constructedaround the same time Queen Elizabeth 2,Canberra and Oriana, Vistafjord would sail intothe hearts of cruisers, under several names andowners, while also claiming her place in maritimehistory.
In 1983, when Norwegian America Line wassold to Cunard, Vistafjord became the last shipbuilt for Norwegian America Line. For the next16 years she would retain the name Vistafjordsailing for Cunard until a decision was made torename her Caronia in 1999. As such, she becamethe last Cunard ship, to date, to have thetraditional “ia” naming suffix that the majority ofCunard ships, with the exception of the greatQueens, had used throughout the company’shistory.
Her most significant entry into the historybooks, which no one would have guessed in1972, was that Vistafjord would become the finalpassenger ship to be built in Great Britain, oncethe greatest maritime nation in the world. Todaythe great British companies of Cunard and P&Ostill exist, yet their fleets no longer bear theUnited Kingdom registry, and their constructiontook place in foreign lands. The great QueenMary 2 was built across the channel in France,while others have been built in places such asItaly and even Japan.
Reportedly, Saga Ruby has been sold to Asianbuyers who plan to turn her into a floating hotel.If this materializes she will still live on, on theother side of the world, in a capacity notoriginally foreseen for her. Yet as she sailed out ofSouthampton for the last time in January headedfor the Far East maritime history was quietlymade and many traditions quietly ended.
Sincerely,
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- PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY -The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society
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The American Queen Steamboat Company,owner and operator of the largest riverboat in theworld, announces refurbishment details of the432-passenger paddle wheeler currentlyunderway at the New Orleans’ Boland MarineShipyards. As part of the American Queen’sscheduled annual layup, which includes therenovation of the steam plant, many of theengineering and cosmetic enhancements will beevident to past guests boarding for the launch ofher third season on February 21.
A team of local contractors and crew arededicated to preparing the American Queen foranother safe and enjoyable third season. Newpaint and coating systems are being incorporatedthroughout the vessel to improve her appearance.A major rehabilitation of the decks is beingcompleted. Guests will enjoy brand new showsin the Grand Saloon, which are being custommade for the American Queen along with newsound and lighting. An added digital contentmanagement system will also allow for in-houseprogramming in each hotel stateroom television.Additionally, a state-of-the-art combustioncontrol system will save fuel, reduce emissionsand exert less stress on the vessel’s steam plantwhile making the vessel more environmentallyfriendly.
For information and reservations, contact theAmerican Queen Steamboat Company at 888-749-5280, or call your travel agent. Visit usonline at www.AQSC.com to download your2014 brochure.
Oceania Cruises has announced details of thelargest refurbishment program in the company'shistory. The award-winning trio of R-Class ships,Regatta, Insignia, and Nautica will undergo acombined $50 million dollar transformationduring next year’s second quarter.
Retaining the warmth, intimacy and charmOceania Cruises’ guests have come to cherish, all
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LOOKING BACKA look at what was making news in Ocean &
Cruise News, Five, Ten, Fifteen and Twentyyears ago.
Five Years Ago – February 2009…RegentSeven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Voyager is votedShip of the Year . . . Celebrity Cruises announcesthat the pace of construction of Celebrity Equinoxsister ship to Celebrity Solstice, is ahead ofschedule . . . . Royal Caribbean's Mariner of theSeas, the biggest cruise ship to schedule regularsailings from Los Angeles to date begins 7-dayMexican Riviera cruises from LA. . . . CaribbeanPrincess emerges from drydock where many ofPrincess Cruises' signature features that haveproven so popular on its newest ships were added.
Ten Years Ago – February 2004…CrystalCruise Line’s Crystal Symphony is voted Ship ofthe Year . . . .NCL America’s Pride of America,currently under construction in Germany, sank upto deck three during a heavy storm at the shipyard. . . Holland America Line announces that it’sfourth Vista Class ship will be named Noordam. .. . . Royal Caribbean announces that it is namingits newly developed New Jersey port facilityCape Liberty. . . . Princess Cruise’s new DiamondPrincess is christened in Nagasaki, Japan
Fifteen Years Ago – February 1999…HollandAmerica Line’s new flagship Rotterdam VI isvoted Ship of the Year . . . . Carnival Cruise Lineschooses the names Carnival Conquest andCarnival Glory for their two new 102,000-tonvessels scheduled to enter service in 2002 and2003. . . Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.announces that it has exercised its option to builda second 85,000-ton Vantage Class vessel.
Twenty Years Ago – February 1994…Holland America Line’s flagship Rotterdam V isvoted Ship of the Year. . Cunard Line announcesan extensive $35 million refurbishment of theQE2’s public rooms and staterooms . . . SilverseaCruises announces orders for two 18,000-toncruise vessels for delivery in 1996 . . . . Rumorscontinue to circulate that the Walt DisneyCompany plans to enter the cruise market bybuilding two large cruise ships.
public rooms, suites, and staterooms will featureelegant new furnishings and décor. Many of theamenities and design elements that debuted onthe line’s newest ships - including Baristas,Oceania Cruises’ signature specialty coffee bar,and the state-of-the-art grill in the Terrace Café -are being added during the refits.
The transformed Insignia will debut on May8, 2014 in Barcelona for her 7-day “Jewels ofEurope” cruise. This will be Insignia's firstcruise after she returns from her two-yearcharter. Nautica will debut on May 16, 2014 inCivitavecchia for her 10-day “Cliffs & Coves”cruise and Regatta on June 7, 2014 in Vancouverfor her 10-day “Majesty of Alaska” cruise.
For more information on Oceania Cruises,visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 800-531-5658 orcontact your travel agent.
Discover the history and beauty of New Englandand its rugged coast line to New Brunswick, Canadaon two popular summer cruises!
Islands of New England, this exclusive cruiseoffers a focus on food and wine, with optionalexcursions specifically designed to introduce foodlovers to the masterpieces of New England’sepicurean establishments, wineries, and breweries.
Islands of New England (7 Days) Departing June 24, July 13 & 18, 2014
Save Up To $600 Per Person*
Delight in the quiet calm of New England andcoastal Canada on an exciting cruise adventure,Classical Maine and The Northeast: Rhode Island toNew Brunswick. This cruise will feature Rockland,ME native speaker Sam Ladley who will discuss thehistory and early development of the northeast.
Classical Maine and The Northeast: Rhode Island to New Brunswick (12 Days)
Departing July 1, 2014. Save Up To $1,410 Per Person*
Space is limited!Call 1-800-556-7450 – Space is Limited! Visit BlountSmallShipAdventures.com
There is still time to enter Cunard Line’sQueen Mary 2 10th Anniversary CelebrationSweepstakes, which ends March 31, 2014. OneGrand Prize winner and a guest will win a seven-day Transatlantic Crossing between New Yorkand Southampton, England, in Balconystateroom accommodations.
Entrants can enter Queen Mary 2’s 10thAnniversary Celebration Sweepstakes bycompleting the electronic entry form located atwww.CunardSweeps.com. The website can alsobe accessed by visiting Cunard Line’s Facebookpage at www.facebook.com/cunard, selecting theSweepstakes tab and accessing the URL fromthere. Up to one additional Sweepstakes entrycan be obtained by interacting with the QueenMary 2 10th Anniversary Timeline on theSweepstakes website by selecting and viewing atimeline story.
Limit one initial entry and one additionalentry per person, for a total of two possibleentries per person, for the entire Sweepstakesperiod. The full Rules and Regulations can befound at www.cunardsweeps.com.
For more information about Queen Mary 2 orto book a voyage, contact your Travel Agent, callCunard Line at 1-800-728-6273 or visitwww.cunard.com.
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*Discount is per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy. Valid onnew bookings only. Restrictions may apply. **Departure operates in reverse
direction Some variations of ports and activities may occur.
During the January 12th “Champion’sCruise” aboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam, HollandAmerica Line crowned guest Allyse Ishino ofSanta Ana, Calif. the line’s first “Dancing withthe Stars: At Sea” Champion. Ishino, whorepresented ms Westerdam, triumphed over 14other guest competitors to claim the title and takehome the coveted Holland America Line’s“Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Mirror BallTrophy.
Ishino danced in the ship’s main show loungein three elimination performances before makingit to the finals where she executed a passionateTango in front of a judging panel that included“Dancing with the Stars” professional dancersTristan MacManus, Kym Johnson and SharnaBurgess, dance troupe member Jaymz Tuailevaand Nieuw Amsterdam cruise director EricDowis.
The 2014 schedule also will include sixspecial “Dancing with the Stars” theme cruisesfeaturing the show’s professional dancers andcelebrities. Currently scheduled to sail on all sixtheme cruises in 2014 are professional dancersTristan MacManus and Kym Johnson, televisionpersonality Carson Kressley and actress SabrinaBryan.
For more information about the “Dancingwith the Stars: At Sea” theme cruises, consult aprofessional travel seller, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL(1-877-724-5425) or visitwww.hollandamerica.com
Encounter the lands of vikings, tsars andkings with Regent Seven Seas Cruises® on aNorthern Europe voyage this summer. WithFREE Unlimited Shore Excursions in every portof call, you can tour the glittering palaces of St.
Petersburg and the grand castles of Cork. Admirethe enchanting Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagenand the majestic Geiranger Fjord in Hellesylt. InDublin, enjoy a river cruise to view the citysights from a unique perspective. Sail in all-suite, all-balcony accommodations aboard the700 guest Seven Seas Voyager® from Junethrough September and enjoy FREE RoundtripAir, FREE Business Class Air in PenthouseSuites and Higher, FREE Unlimited Beveragesincluding Fine Wines and Premium Spirits,gourmet dining and more. Select voyages alsofeature FREE Unlimited WiFi and a shipboardcredit. Call 1.844.4REGENT (1.844.473.4368),visit www.RSSC.com or contact your travelagent.
Seabourn has introduced ExtendedExplorations, a novel way for travelers to enjoylonger cruises on the line’s award-winning ships,with the luxury of a wide range of choicesregarding where and when they sail.
For 2014 and 2015, the line has crafted new,linked itineraries allowing guests to explore moreextensive regions of the globe in depth, and atgreater savings, during voyages lasting from 28days to extended sailings of up to 116 days.
Extended Explorations are available in regionssuch as West and South Africa, Asia, the SouthPacific and South America and Antarctica indifferent seasons throughout the year. ExtendedExplorations voyages offer additional savings of10 percent for combining cruises, plus frequentovernight stays in ports, regionally-themed menusand wines on board, local folkloric entertainment,regionally-focused experts for SeabournConversations onboard enrichment and optional,escorted mid-cruise Seabourn Journeys to nearbycultural or historical highlights.
For reservations or details on Seabourn's 2014cruises, contact a professional travel agent, callSeabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visitwww.seabourn.com.
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When asked what their favorite line and shipare, most members do not limited their responseto one line or ship. Most have at least twofavorite cruise lines and many report three orfour favorite ships. Surprising, their favorites arevery diverse. It is not unusual to find a memberwho lists a long history of mass-market 7-daytrips who also displays a history of upscalelonger voyages. When projected over our totalmembership it is clear to see that our membersare all cruise experts of a sort and their annualcruise purchasing power represents tens ofthousands of annual berths and tens of millionsof dollars in annual cruise revenue.
In reading these survey results your firstreaction might be to place the most emphasis onthe ships with the highest scores, the fact is thatour survey clearly shows that there are a numberof ships, in all price ranges, that deliver anexceptionally high level of overall passengersatisfaction. In fact, in many cases the differencebetween the top five or ten finishers is based ona fraction of a point. The results are just thatclose!
Please keep in mind that our scoring systemis based on a scale of from 1 to 5. We believe thata middle score of 3 should be regarded as“performed as expected” meaning the cruise linedelivered the wonderful experience thepassenger left home expecting. A score of 4(better than expected) or 5 (excellent) shows thatthe line clearly has succeeded in providing thehighest level of personal satisfaction to theirguests. When you begin to plan which ship to sailon next, keep in mind that all ships have theirstrong points and weak points, and what isimportant is that you find those which best matchyour own personal preferences. Not all cruiseguests place emphasis on Bar Service, and manymembers having sailed the same Caribbeanitinerary so many times it is no longer a decidingfactor in their cruise purchase. They consider theship itself their destination.
Please do not assume that if your favoriteship is not listed, that it did not make the grade.In order to properly balance the survey, we are
required to limit the ships included within thesurvey to those with a minimum number ofreports. Some years, based purely on the reportcards received, some very wonderful ships areomitted because they did not have enough reportcards submitted for them to be fairly included.While some vessels may not be included in ourfinal tallies, all report cards received are equallyappreciated as they give us a valuable insightinto each ship’s performance and are invaluablein answering our members’ questions aboutwhich ship might be best for them, or how a shipis performing week to week.
In determining the Grand Winner category,all categories except for three, are given equalweight. Because of their much greaterimportance, and because they have the mostinfluence on passenger satisfaction, thecategories of FOOD, DINING SERVICE andOVERALL are given additional weighting. Our“Ship of the Year” is determined by the shipreceiving the highest score in the Grand Winnercategory. It is quite possible for a particular shipto place well in a number of categories, but failto place as well in the Grand Winner category.This can result when the ship has markedly lowerscores in one or two categories which, in turn,lowers the overall score when all are averaged.
We hope that you will find our results of thisyear’s “Ship of the Year” survey as interesting aswe did. We thoroughly enjoy reliving your cruiseexperiences while we tally each report card. Weappreciate the time you invest in filling our eachcard and forwarding them to us. Many of youtake extra time to include letters, reviews orextended comments, sometimes with pages offacts, and then apologize for the length. Pleaseknow we love to receive these as it lets us knowhow seriously you take your love of cruising andthis survey. It also shows us that you are not justchecking boxes and helps us to understand whatour members look for in a cruise. So pleasecontinue.
Each years thousands of World Ocean &Cruise Liner Society members take the time toshare countless reviews and stories with us thathave helped increase our knowledge of the cruiseindustry. Many have told us that they keep notes
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(Continued from page 1)
while onboard to help them decide their nextcruise purchase. All of your input over the yearsas made the writers at Ocean & Cruise Newsmore observant when we set sail to review avessel for an upcoming article. So for all yourhelp, we say “Thank you.”
Now for the results of this year’s “Ship of theYear” survey. They are as follows:
ITINERARY – Over the past 33 years the itinerarycategory in our Ship of the Year award has probablybeen the most challenging for the cruise lines. Themassive size of many of today’s largest ships limitthe ports into which they can dock, while thenumber of passengers on board, even whendisembarked quickly and effortlessly can at timesoverwhelm a port and thus spoil a magnificentexperience. As many World Ocean & Cruise LinerSociety members will attest, a visit to a Caribbeanor Alaskan port on a day when one ship is in, is avastly different experience than visiting the sameport when multiple ships or a new mega-liner is inport. Whether ports of call are exotic or standard,the secret of success for an itinerary is determinedby the proper planning of the cruise line. They mustnot only plan their time of arrival and departure atthe ports, but also be keenly aware of what the otherlines and ships are doing so as to not over burdernthe port’s infrastructure to a point where it weakensthe experience they offer their passengers. Theline’s choice of shore excursions and/or operators,the convenience of the port to the main attractionsand even the time of the year all factor into how theline’s passengers ultimately rate their itinerary. Thisyear Holland America Line’s Prinsendam, the“Elegant Explorer” placed first in this category.Scores for the 20 top ships in this category rangedfrom 4.87 to 4.04. The top 20 ships in this categoryare:
1 Prinsendam2 Seven Seas Voyager3 American Queen4 Oceania Riviera5 Crystal Serenity6 Paul Gauguin7 Queen Elizabeth8 Oceania Marina9 Crystal Symphony10 Seabourn Quest
11 Royal Princess12 Queen Mary 213 Celebrity Silhouette14 Queen Victoria15 Rotterdam16 Oceania Regatta17 Maasdam18 Amsterdam19 Azamara Quest20 Noordam
FOOD – From the dawn of the cruise industry foodhas been a focal point in drawing people to cruises.In the early days the endless supply of gourmetfoods, midnight buffets and room service all whetthe consumer’s appetite as to the pampering andluxuries they would find aboard a cruise.
Today, the category of “Food” is still one of themost important factors of a cruise in the eyes of theguest and therefore the lines invest extremelyheavily in this area. At no time in history has youraverage cruise passenger had the number ofamazing dining options they have today onboard acruise. Because of the added importance of thiscategory it carries twice the importance of most ofthe other categories when we compute our GrandWinner positions. Food is always subject to ones’personal tastes, but, in addition to each person’staste, other points that reflect on overall satisfactionin the food category include: variety of foodsoffered; visual presentation; temperature and thenumber choices that you had for each course. Otherfactors that influence people’s scoring of the foodcategory include the capability of the ship’s staff toprovide alternative foods such as vegetarian, low-fat, low sodium and kosher plus its willingness andability to offer substitutes if there is nothing toones’ liking on the menu. When personally scoringthis category, it is important that you keep in mindit is based upon what you like and not what othersmight be saying about the food. This year tophonors in this category go to Oceania Cruise’sRiviera Scores of the top 20 ships ranged from 4.88to 4.17. The top 20 ships in this category are:
6 American Queen7 Seven Seas Mariner 8 Nieuw Amsterdam9 Oceania Marina 10 Silver Whisper11 Celebrity Reflection12 Seven Seas Navigator13 Royal Princess14 Prinsendam15 Queen Elizabeth16 Celebrity Reflection17 Oceania Regatta18 Queen Mary 219 Noordam20 Crystal Symphony
ALTERNATIVE DINING (Breakfast & Lunch) –Alternative dining experiences on cruise ships havegrown significantly in importance over the years asfewer people choose to have their breakfast and/orlunch in the main dining room. Gone are the dayswhen everyone ate all of their meals in the ship’smain dining room. In measuring the level ofsatisfaction in this category, key areas that influencescoring include the facilities for offering thesemeals, whether items are prepared in that location orprepared somewhere else on the ship and only keptwarm in the serving area. Are there ample servinglines? Are the selections as extensive as in thedining room? Are they replenished in a timelymanner? Is there ample seating? Does thealternative area suggest a sense of quality and style,or does it instill more of a feeling of a mall foodcourt or fast food restaurant? This year’s winner inthis category is Oceania Cruises’ Riviera followedclosely by her fleet-mate Oceania Marina Scores ofthe top 20 ships ranged from 4.88 to 4.13. The top20 ships in this category are:
1 Oceania Riviera2 Oceania Marina3 Crystal Serenity4 Seven Seas Voyager5 Seabourn Quest6 Celebrity Silhouette7 Royal Princess8 Seven Seas Mariner9 Nieuw Amsterdam10 Crystal Symphony11 Oceania Regatta12 Queen Mary 2
ALTERNATE DINING (Dinner) – Year’s agodinner aboard most cruise ships was enjoyed inone, maybe two, main dining rooms with either asingle, open, or dual seating. Menu’s wereconstructed to offer something for everyone whilethe presentation and quality propelled the cruiseindustry into one known for amazing cuisine.Today, the industry has taken dinner-time aboardship to an all new level with their expansivealternative dining options. Alternative dining forthe evening can be either a casually relaxed option,a more upscale, almost supper club like setting, orsimply a specialty restaurant. In many instancessome of the alternative options require reservationsand additional cost. In all cases guests are asked torate whether their choices met their expectations inquality, number of menu selections and quality ofservice. If reservations were required was it easy tobook a table? Did the restaurant offer anatmosphere that was quiet and unrushed? Was therean extra fee to dine there and if so, was it a goodvalue? This year’s winner in this category isOceania Cruises’ Marina. Scores of the top 20 shipsranged from 4.84 to 4.25. The top 20 ships in thiscategory are:
1 Oceania Marina2 Seven Seas Voyager3 Crystal Serenity4 Oceania Riviera5 Seven Seas Mariner6 Celebrity Silhouette7 Queen Mary 28 Nieuw Amsterdam 9 Royal Princess10 Eurodam11 Seven Seas Navigator12 Crystal Symphony13 Noordam14 Queen Elizabeth15 Norwegian Breakaway16 Queen Victoria
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17 Allure of the Seas18 Celebrity Reflection 19 Oasis of the Seas20 Oceania Regatta
ENTERTAINMENT – Another constantchallenge aboard ship is how to keep passengersentertained on a daily and nightly basis. As shipshave grown larger more choices can be seen bothin outdoor daytime events, and in the variety ofchoices offered each evening This category coversentertainment inside and out. but does not includeshipboard activities. It includes outdoor music andentertainment, lectures onboard and the eveningshows and venues. The main criteria in scoring forthis category is simply “Did you enjoy theentertainment? Winning in this category once againis Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seasfollowed closely by her sister the Allure of the Seas.Scores of the top 20 ships ranged from 4.73 to 4.01.The top 20 ships in this category are:
1 Oasis of the Seas2 Allure of the Seas3 Queen Mary 24 Royal Princess5 Celebrity Silhouette6 Nieuw Amsterdam7 Explorer of the Seas8 Carnival Breeze9 American Queen10 Norwegian Breakaway11 Caribbean Princess12 Queen Elizabeth13 Crystal Serenity14 Seven Seas Voyager15 Carnival Dream16 Seven Seas Mariner17 Oceania Riviera18 Queen Victoria19 Oceania Marina20 Eurodam
STATEROOM COMFORT – Today’s standardstateroom on most ships is a far cry from what theyused to be. Many are much larger than theirpredecessors and all offer a wide range of standardamenities. Most newer ships feature a majority ofverandas staterooms. Your overall satisfaction withyour stateroom is dependent on many factorsincluding; the layout of the room, the amenities
offered, the amount of storage space for theitinerary you have chosen, the décor of the room,the general upkeep, and even the levelsoundproofing from outside noises. Even suchbasic things as the quality of the mattress and sizeof the towels in the bathroom can influence yourthinking. A room should have a proper balance offurniture to floor space to allow for ease of movingabout the room. One of the comments we often hearin this category is when a ship built for Caribbeancruising is moved to longer cooler destinations andunfortunately falls short on storage space. Thisyear’s winner in this category is Regent Seven SeasCruises Seven Seas Voyager . Scores of the top 20ships ranged from 4.94 to 4.17. The top 20 ships inthis category are:
1 Seven Seas Voyager2 Seabourn Quest3 Seven Seas Mariner4 Oceania Riviera5 Prinsendam6 Oceania Marina7 Crystal Serenity8 Nieuw Amsterdam9 Queen Mary 2 10 Silver Shadow11 Seven Seas Navigator12 Crystal Serenity13 American Queen14 Silver Whisper15 Celebrity Silhouette16 Carnival Breeze17 Eurodam18 Crystal Symphony19 Celebrity Reflection20 Oasis of the Seas
APPEARANCE: - The scoring in this category isinfluenced by a number of factors such as; thephysical “eye-appeal” of the ship, the décor, thearrangement of the public spaces and whether thefacilities of the ship are adequate in size for thenumber of passengers on-board. Perhaps mostimportant, whether the ship has all the features thatyou believe contribute to the overall enjoyment of acruise. Maintenance of the ship is anotherimportant aspect that can influence our opinion onappearance. This year’s winner in this category isCunard Lines Queen Mary 2. Scores of the top 20ships ranged from 4.86 to 4.31. The top 20 ships in
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this category are:
1 Queen Mary 22 Oceania Riviera3 Nieuw Amsterdam4 Seven Seas Voyager5 Allure of the Seas6 Oceania Marina7 Seven Seas Mariner8 Crystal Serenity9 Seabourn Quest10 Queen Elizabeth11 Oasis of the Seas12 Seven Seas Navigator13 Crystal Symphony14 Royal Princess15 Celebrity Silhouette16 Eurodam17 Paul Gauguin18 Noordam19 Carnival Breeze20 American Queen
HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES – This is onearea passengers want all ships to have high scoresin. If a ship is neat, clean and in order in apassenger’s view, then chances are that behind thescenes the ship will also have the same degree ofcleanliness. The category of housekeeping coverstwo basic areas of the ship; the staterooms and thepublic areas. If there is one unanimous demandfrom all passengers it is that a ship must besparkling clean at all times. The real mark, which isnoticeable on some ships, is the ability for someships to always look clean and proper even thoughyou rarely see people doing the cleaning. Thisyear’s winner in this category is once again HollandAmerica Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam. Scores of thetop 20 ships ranged from 4.92 to 4.17. The top 20ships in this category are:
11 Noordam12 American Queen13 Prinsendam14 Celebrity Silhouette15 Silver Shadow16 Queen Elizabeth17 Seven Seas Navigator18 Seabourn Sojourn19 Seven Seas Mariner20 Royal Princess
DINING ROOM SERVICE – This category isthe second of our “key” categories which carry ahigher degree of importance when we compute theaverage for our Grand Winner position. Thiscategory is not a judgment that ranks the shipaccording to overall elegance and style, but ratherhow well a ship is able to deliver the basicsaccording to the expectations of passengers.Regardless of the price point of a ship or sailingpassengers expect; ample staff to ensure that thereare no long delays in serving, an attentive staff toquickly respond to any requests they might have,the ability of the staff to communicate and toexplain the different foods, their ingredients andpreparation, the ability to remember your order andpreferences, the staff’s etiquette and service andthe general attitude and the friendliness of thedining staff. This included not only theperformance of you waiter and busboy but alsoyour experience with other dining room personnel,such as the head waiter, wine steward and maitre’d.This year’s winner in this category is Regent SevenSeas Cruises Seven Seas Voyager. Scores of the top20 ships ranged from 4.86 to 4.04. The top 20 shipsin this category are:
1 Seven Seas Voyager2 Oceania Riviera3 Seabourn Quest4 Crystal Serenity5 American Queen6 Oceania Marina7 Nieuw Amsterdam8 Celebrity Silhouette9 Queen Mary 210 Seven Seas Mariner11 Oceania Regatta12 Prinsendam13 Silver Shadow14 Seabourn Odyssey
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15 Crystal Symphony16 Royal Princess17 Noordam18 Queen Elizabeth19 Eurodam20 Seven Seas Navigator
BAR – This category is a reflection of the service,quality and value that you felt that you receivedfrom the ship’s bars and their personnel. Thecategory includes any beverage that is served at theships bars, in the lounges or on the pool and deckareas. It is not restricted to just alcoholic drinks.Some of the basics that result in a high level ofsatisfaction include prompt and efficient service,overall quality, proper presentation and thefriendliness of the staff who serve you. With barprices continually increasing onboard ship it is veryimportant that with that added cost you feel thelevel of service you received was in line with theprice for that drink. This year’s winner in thiscategory is Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.Scores of the top 20 ships ranged from 4.85 to 4.11.The top 20 ships in this category are:
1 Oasis of the Seas2 Crystal Serenity3 Celebrity Silhouette4 Allure of the Seas5 Royal Princess6 Oceania Riviera7 Carnival Breeze8 Crystal Serenity9 Oceania Marina 10 Seven Seas Mariner11 Crystal Symphony12 Seven Seas Voyager13 Queen Mary 214 Seabourn Quest15 Nieuw Amsterdam16 Queen Elizabeth17 Carnival Magic18 Noordam19 Explorer of the Seas20 Norwegian Breakaway
SHIP ACTIVITIES – In addition to the itemswhich fall under our ENTERTAINMENT category,there is a wide variety of of other activitiesavailable on-board. There are; movies in theatresor “Under the Stars”, in-stateroom television
programming, jogging tracks, rock climbing wallsand possibly group activities such as dance lessonsand yoga plus many types of sport activities. Thekey to the ship delivering a high degree ofsatisfaction in this category is to present a well-balanced program of activities that appeal to thedifferent passenger ages and tastes. In order to dothis, the range of activities must be varied andwould include activities such as organized “fun”activities, lectures, bridge tournaments, port talks,and enrichment lectures. Also to be considered iswhether any features and activities offered are thetype that really appeals to you, or whether they arejust activities that might tempt you to spend moremoney on the ship. A simple way to determine thatis to ask yourself if you were not on a cruise ship,would the activity be a type that you wouldparticipate in at home. This year’s winner in thiscategory is Royal Caribbean International’s Allureof the Seas Scores of the top 20 ships ranged from4.88 to 3.76. The top 20 ships in this category are:
1 Allure of the Seas2 Oasis of the Seas3 Carnival Breeze 4 Royal Princess5 Nieuw Amsterdam7 Queen Mary28 Carnival Sunshine9 Celebrity Silhouette10 Explorer of the Seas11 Crystal Serenity12 Queen Elizabeth13 American Queen14 Crystal Symphony15 Oceania Riviera16 Noordam17 Pride of America18 Oceania Marina19 Seven Seas Voyager20 Seabourn Quest
SPA & GYM FACILITIES – Once anafterthought in hotels and aboard ship, anincreasing number of people consider thesefacilities as a deciding factor in choosing a vacationso that they may continue the exercise regime theydo at home while away. Others might choose to usethe excitement and the facilities available on thecruise as the starting point to a healthier lifestyle.Some things to consider in this category include the
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physical layout of the area, the type and age of theequipment, the quality of supervision or training,and the availability of the equipment at the time youwant to use it. Spa treatments are also growingrapidly in popularity. Many new ships devote largeareas of premium space to create lavish spafacilities. A key point in judging a ship’s spatreatments is whether you were allowed tocompletely enjoy the treatment, or did it becomemore of a session to sell you high-priced products.This year’s winner in this category is CelebrityCruise Line’s Celebrity Silhouette Scores of the top20 ships ranged from 4.84 to 4.06. The top 20 shipsin this category are:
1 Celebrity Silhouette2 Allure of the Seas3 Royal Princess4 Celebrity Reflection5 Oasis of the Seas6 Queen Mary 27 Carnival Breeze8 Oceania Riviera9 Nieuw Amsterdam10 Seabourn Quest11 Oceania Marina12 Crystal Serenity13 Noordam14 Crystal Symphony15 Seven Seas Voyager16 Explorer of the Seas17 Carnival Sunshine18 Eurodam19 Seven Seas Mariner20 Caribbean Princess
SHORE EXCURSIONS – Shore excursions areone of the most difficult items for a cruise line tocontrol. The reason for this is pretty simple. Justabout everything that occurs during a cruisehappens in the controled contained environment ofthe ship, while these tours are generally run byindependent contractors and occur outside of thatcontrolled enviornment. An important aspect of theShore Excursion office is that they areknowledgeable about the area and the tours they areselling, and that they are upfront about the quality ofthe tours and have a steady line of communicationwith the operator. Some of the points influencingyour satisfaction include; did you spend most ofyour time riding in a vehicle getting to or from the
main part of the tour? Was there enough time to seethe main points that sold you on the tour, or wereyou hurried through the main parts so that there wasmore time for shopping? Additional considerationsinclude the service aspects of the ship’s ShoreExcursion office – how easy was it to book thetours, either on-board or prior to embarkation, andhow easy was it to cancel a tour and get a refund?This year American Queen Steamboat Company’sAmerican Queen placed first in this category. Scoresof the top 20 ships ranged from 4.85 to 3.90. The top20 ships in this category are:
1 American Queen2 Seven Seas Voyager3 Crystal Serenity4 Oceania Riviera5 Prinsendam6 Azamara Quest7 Nieuw Amsterdam8 Seven Seas Navigator9 Crystal Symphony10 Queen Mary 211 Oceania Riviera12 Queen Victoria13 Queen Elizabeth14 Royal Princess15 Seven Seas Mariner16 Paul Gauguin17 Noordam18 Pride of America19 Silver Whisper20 Azamara Journey
OVERALL – This category is a generalsummation of your cruise experience and is not anaveraging of the categories you were previouslyasked to grade. The purpose of this category is togive balance to those particular categories that aremore important to you. In other words, while it’spossible that you didn’t enjoy some aspects of thecruise, the ones you didn’t enjoy might not haveadversely affected your overall enjoyment of thecruise. By the same token, areas that are importantto you may have delivered such a wonderfulexperience that you felt this was one of yourfavorite cruises. It also allows for you to grade allthe intangibles that do not fit within our surveycategories but are so important in judging thequality of the overall experience. We have all seennews stories of less than perfect cruises where
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passengers praise the crew or certain positives theyremember. Here is your chance to reward that extrasmile or assistance with a grade.
Our ‘Overall” category asks the all importantquestion; “How well did you enjoy your overallcruise experience?” Because of this, it carries tripleweighting in averaging all the category scores todetermine our “Grand Winner” .
This year’s top ship in the category of “Overall”is Oceana Cruise’s Oceania Riviera. Scores of thetop 20 ships ranged from 4.91 to 4.05. The top 20ships in this category are:
1 Oceania Riviera2 Seven Seas Voyager3 Crystal Serenity4 Seabourn Quest5 American Queen6 Queen Mary 27 Nieuw Amsterdam8 Oceania Marina9 Celebrity Silhouette10 Royal Princess11 Allure of the Seas12 Oasis of the Seas13 Prinsendam14 Queen Elizabeth15 Eurodam16 Carnival Breeze17 Seven Seas Mariner18 Prinsendam19 Noordam20 Oceania Regatta
GRAND WINNER – Our Grand Winner categoryis not one of the categories we ask our readers tograde, nor do we have any input into. The GrandWinner category is simply the statistical averagingof the thirteen categories, plus Overall that ourmembers graded on the Cruise Report Card forms,taking into account the extra weighting given tothree categories, Food, Dining Service and Overall.The ship receiving the highest average score for allthirteen categories is awarded our “Ship of theYear” honor.
In order for a ship to become our “Ship of theYear” it takes an exceptional consistency of highmarks in each of the categories, because very often
the difference between the “top” and the “middle ofthe pack” is decided by mere fractions of a point. Aship need not place first in each category, butusually must place within the top five or ten, in atleast most of the weighted categories in order towin.
It is important to keep in mind that our “Ship ofthe Year” award is based on passenger satisfactionand is not the type of qualitative judgment which isoften the basis for other surveys or guidebooks.Because it is a measure of satisfaction rather than acooperative or qualitative judgment, any ship inany category has an equal chance to place high inour survey.
Each cruise line promotes its ships in its ownway and to a particular segment of the population.Passenger’s satisfaction is the pure assessment ofwhat an individual expected against what hereceived. Other surveys and guides that judge shipson a qualitative basis do not measure the individualaspects of the cruises that are so important tooverall passenger satisfaction.
The “Grand Winner” and our “Ship of theYear” honor is awarded to Oceania Cruise’s Rivieravoted “Ship of the Year” by our members fordelivering the highest degree of overall satisfactionto them during the 2013 cruise season.
Our congratulations to Oceania Cruises and thecrew of the Riviera for delivering the consistantlyhighest degree of passenger satisfaction to ourmembers.
As you will see from the following results ofour “Grand Winner” category, this year’s surveywas extremely close. Here are the top 20 ships thatour readers judged as the ones that gave them thehighest degree of passenger satisfaction in 2013.They are listed in order along with the averagedscores that each achieved.
1. Oceania Riviera .................................4.8385 2. Seven Seas Voyager............................4.79613. Crystal Serenity....................................4.7895 4. Seabourn Quest....................................4.7525 5. American Queen...................................4.7004 6. Celebrity Silhouette..............................4.6825 7. Queen Mary 2......................................4.6779
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8. Oceania Marina...................................4.5975 9. Nieuw Amsterdam................................4.5002 10. Seven Seas Mariner............................4.4560 11. Prinsendam.........................................4.4343 12. Celebrity Reflection...........................4.3987 13. Oasis of the Seas.................................4.312114. Allure of the Seas................................4.2764 15. Queen Elizabeth.................................4.226616. Royal Princess....................................4.218717. Eurodam.............................................4.212518. Seven Seas Navigator.........................4.199719. Noordam.............................................4.1769 20. Carnival Breeze..................................4.1559
CONCLUSION - Each year when we look atthe individual tallies by category while tabulatingthis survey, We often find ourselves asking “Howdid a four star mass-market ship outscore a 5 or 6-Star ship in this category”? It is then that weremind ourselves of the true uniqueness of our“Ship of the Year” survey. Every person departs fortheir cruise with their own expectation as to whatlies ahead. Not every cruiser wants ultra-luxury andsome may feel more comfortable in a less thanultra-luxury environment.
When a cruise line plans their product, part ofthat process is to choose a target audience they wishto attract. Once they have chosen their audiencethey can determine what the expectations of thataudience will be and then set their sight ondeveloping a product that will attract them andsurpass their expectations. If they do, they are asuccess. The overall success of the cruise industry,proves that the executive teams leading today’scruise lines are very well in-tune with theexpectations of their target audience. The constantimprovements they offer to their on-board productas they introduce new ships, is a direct result oftheir success and the subsequent need tocontinually raise the bar to stay ahead of guestsexpectations.
While our survey is designed to look at theperformance of an individual ship, the data itprovides paints an interesting picture of the cruiseindustry as a whole. In viewing this data there are aremarkable number of ships, lines and cruiseswhere members rates their overall experienceconsistently a 4 or better. This is a remarkableachievement for the cruise industry as a whole. Itindicates that the lines are in most cases meeting,
“Ship of the Year” - Oceania Riviera
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and often exceeding. the expectations of their guests.While there are lower scores which suggest room forimprovement, or at least more consistency, in someareas on some ships, the overall picture painted oftoday’s cruise industry is extremely positive.
We hope our members will continue to share theirvaluable insight with us as they set sail in 2014. Formembers that have internet access and have alreadycruised in 2014, you may begin filling out your 2014report cards in the member’s area of our website atwww.wocls.org. We look forward to receiving yourreport cards and hearing about all of your 2014 cruiseexperiences in the months to come.
VEENDAM TO BERMUDA 2015Last week came welcome news from Holland
America Line for the merchants of Front Street inBermuda, when it was revealed that the 57,092-tonVeendam will return to Bermuda in 2015.
Sailings have so far been scheduled for May 2, 9& 30, June 6 & 27 and July 4, 2015 although morecould follow for both 2015 and 2016. Unlike herprevious service to Bermuda these will be 7-nightSaturday sailings from Boston rather than from NewYork.
HAL STEEL CUTTINGHolland America Line celebrated a construction
milestone as the first steel was cut for the as-yet-unnamed Pinnacle Class ship that is due for deliveryin February 2016. Stein Kruse, the company’spresident and CEO, presided over the ceremony onFebruary 4th at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera,Italy, where the vessel is being built. AntonioQuintano, director of Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard,co-hosted the event.
The 99,500-ton ship is the first Pinnacle Classvessel for Holland America Line and the largest everbuilt for the line. The steel cutting follows a period ofdesign and development for the 2,648-passenger ship.This is the 15th ship built for Holland America Line byItalian shipyard Fincantieri, which most recentlyconstructed ms Nieuw Amsterdam that was deliveredin July 2010.
WORLD OCEAN & CRUISELINER SOCIETY
PAST “SHIP OF THE YEAR” WINNERS
Seven Seas Voyager.........................2013Oceania Marina.................................2012Nieuw Amsterdam ..............................2011Celebrity Solstice...............................2010Seven Seas Voyager ..........................2009Crystal Serenity ................................2008Seven Seas Voyager ..........................2007Rotterdam VI .....................................2006Seven Seas Voyager ..........................2005Crystal Symphony ..............................2004Seven Seas Mariner ...........................2003Amsterdam .........................................2002Crystal Symphony .............................2001Rotterdam VI .....................................2000Rotterdam VI......................................1999Veendam ............................................1998Crystal Harmony ...............................1997Ryndam ..............................................1996Statendam ..........................................1995Rotterdam V .......................................1994Noordam ............................................1993Song of America.................................1992Song of America.................................1991Song of Norway .................................1990Sagafjord ............................................1989Nordic Prince.....................................1988Royal Viking Sky ................................1987Song of Norway .................................1986Song of America.................................1985Sagafjord ............................................1984Sagafjord ...........................................1983Sun Viking .........................................1982
(Based on previous years voyages)
Don’t delay. Start submitting your reportcards on your 2014 voyages today online at
http://www.wocls.org
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced thatNorwegian Epic will home port year-round inBarcelona, Spain starting April 30, 2015. The4,100 passenger, Norwegian Epic will be thelargest Norwegian Cruise Line ship to ever homeport in Europe year-round.
Guests sailing on a Carnival cruise who book ashore excursion through the cruise line can becompletely confident they are getting the best priceand best value with the introduction of a new shoreexcursion best price guarantee. The only guaranteeof its kind in the cruise industry, the program isnow available fleet-wide for all Carnival CruiseLines shore tours on ships sailing from NorthAmerica. Under the best price guarantee, guestswho find the same tour offered by another operatorat a lower price than their booked excursion eitherbefore or during their cruise can complete a claimform to receive 110 percent of the difference in theform of a shipboard credit.
P&O’s new Britannia will feature a British flagon its hull similar to the hull art of NCL. The new-build is due out in March 2015 from Fincantieri, at141,000 tons and 3,611 passengers.
Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the145,655-ton Norwegian Getaway from MeyerWerft after a building period of only 15 months.The ship, the second of two Breakaway Classships, is being delivered just nine months after thelaunch of sister-ship Norwegian Breakaway.Following delivery, the ship sailed to Rotterdamfor the start of inaugural festivities whichcontinued in Southampton before the ship departedon her transatlantic cruise to New York. The shipwill home-port and be christened in Miami thismonth.
As of last month three of Disney Cruise Line’sships are homeporting in Port Canaveral for thefirst time in the history of the cruise line. TheDisney Magic returns to Port Canaveral to join theDisney Dream and the Disney Fantasy throughmid-May, which not only brings more options forguests but also brings a sizeable economic benefitto the entire Central Florida region.
Windstar Cruises takes delivery of Star Pride,currently Seabourn Pride on April 17, 2014, thefirst yacht of Windstar’s 2013 purchase of threeluxury cruise ships from Seabourn. The work totransform Star Pride into Windstar’s private yachtstyle will take place in Barcelona immediatelyfollowing handover. Star Pride’s inaugural voyageembarks May 5, 2014
Princess Cruises raised $600,000 during theline’s “Cruising for a Cause” fundraising cruise forveterans this past November. The funds have beendivided equally between Operation Homefront andthe Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
A press conference was recently held in Rome,Italy by Costa Crociere and the Protezione Civileto provide an update on the Costa ConcordiaParbuckling Project. It was announced at theconference that the ship wreck will be removed inJune and then taken to a port to be scrapped. Awinning bid will be announced in March regardingwhich port will get the ship.
Seabourn has announced the formal signing ofa contract for construction of a new all-suite vessel,continuing the fleet modernization that thecompany began in 2009 with the launch ofSeabourn Odyssey. The vessel will replacecapacity that will be reduced when the company'sSeabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, and SeabournLegend are transferred to new owners in April2014, April 2015, and May 2015, respectively.
Crystal Cruises announces the newest perk toits “All Inclusive” luxury cruise experience: FreeWi-Fi for Crystal Society members, the line's"club" of repeat guests, beginning Fall 2014.Crystal Society guests will receive 60 minutes ofcomplimentary internet access for every day of thecruise.
Carnival Cruise Lines and the Port ofBaltimore announced that the cruise line willresume year-round departures from Baltimore withthe 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride beginningseven-day cruises from the port in the spring of2015.
