When you see what's on the order books at the moment the tonnage and number of cabins under construction is staggering.

http://www.cybercruises.com/orderbook.htm

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 46): NCL's Pearl is their go-to charter ship--it gets booked up often (during low season especially) for Sixthman's slate of music cruises, as well as other organizations' theme cruises (including the aforementioned Star Trek: The Cruise, put on by Entertainment Cruise Productions).

I haven't done one of these sailings but they are becoming an increasingly important part of business for many cruise lines. Norwegian Pearl is probably the most "high-profile" ship in the fleet that is chartered regularly by Sixthman but many of the ships in the fleet get chartered out. Had a quick look at the Sixthman site and I noted that they're using Norwegian Jade for quite a few forthcoming full-ship charters. Norwegian Getaway is off to Rio this summer for the Olympics plus I get regular notification of various other ships in the fleet (both the big and small ships) getting taken out of regular service.

I'd like to do a group cruise - I think it would be fun. Considering an LGBT cruise in future although don't think a full-ship party cruise is "me" - a slightly smaller group would probably work better. Will be interested to hear your experiences onboard.

Quoting 2707200X (Reply 49): Quoting OA260 (Reply 47): Two new orders for Star cruises aimed for the Chinese market. Delivery in 2019/2020. That's quite a ship. The Wikipedia article says the ship weighs 201,000 tones, that's a real close second to the Oasis/Harmony Class ships.

Indeed. A very bold move. There's clearly a huge amount of confidence in the potential of the Chinese market.

In other news, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is rolling out hi-speed internet across Norwegian, Regent & Oceania brands.
Many ships have already been upgraded and work on all ships will be completed by July 2016.
http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=7004

Mark

QUEEN MARY 2 REFIT- THE LOWDOWN

It is now little under two weeks before Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 embarks on what is her most significant refurbishment since she entered service in January of 2004.

The last remaining ship offering a regular Transatlantic liner service, the QM2 will commence a three week long dry docking in Hamburg on May 27th, with work scheduled to be completed by June 21st.

In addition to giving the huge Cunarder an overall Art Deco feel and flavour redolent of the original Queen Mary of 1936, the marketability of the ship will be massively enhanced in two primary aspects of her hotel operation, namely the food and cabin services and choices offered on board. It all looks something like this;

-50%
read more here:
https://travelswithanthonytwo.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/queen-mary-2-refit-the-lowdown/

     

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 52): QUEEN MARY 2 REFIT- THE LOWDOWN

But of a self gloss, I sold all the new LED lighting that they will install in the crew accommodation and crew dining room.

Quoting jetwet1 (Reply 48): Just finished dinner with the in laws, they announced they want to take the family on an Antarctic cruise, anyone been on one or have any recommendations?

Yes, but in 1998.

Quoting DocLightning (Reply 54):

I will take any advice, we were looking at doing the great Austral Loop on Le Boreal.

HAL also came up, but i'm now finding a lot of smaller companies as well that I have no knowledge off.

Quoting jetwet1 (Reply 55): HAL also came up, but i'm now finding a lot of smaller companies as well that I have no knowledge off.

We were on a converted Russian science ship. She was the highest level of ice tolerance you can build a ship below "ice breaker." Only about 100 passengers. That's the way to do it.

That Drake Passage, though. I don't get seasick, but even some of the crew were not looking so good.

Sorry it's a little late, but I thought I'd add a photo I took recently. I realised that despite being in Southampton for 3 years I hadn't made an effort to have a look at any of the ships coming in or out. So when the 3 Cunard liners came in I had to. I didn't get a close look at the QM2 or QE, but the QV sailed past: a lovely sight. I'll make an effort to go and see Harmony of the Seas if it leaves after Friday.



This is the Queen Victoria as seen from Mayflower Park, Southampton.

Woohoo I'm booked on Allure of the Seas on a west Caribbean itinerary next year now.

A little over a year ago I was on Oasis of the seas on the east Caribbean itinerary.

I finished paying off my cruise for Thanksgiving on Norwegian Epic. Gonna try out their Studios which I've seen have gotten nothing but good reviews so far while sailing on a Western Caribbean itinerary.

Anyone else sailed on the Studio cabins that can offer more insight?

Quoting einsteinboricua (Reply 59):

I'm sailing on NCL Escape this August and will be in a Studio. I'll have to do a cruise trip report so you can see what my experience in the Studio is like.

My travel agent (who has been assisting me in organizing my craniofacial group cruise on Escape for August) went on the maiden sailing of Escape from Miami last fall (when Pit Bull christened it there). She toured the whole ship while on the 1-night special cruise for travel professionals. She told me all about the Studio cabins (and their efficient spacious design and groovy lighting) and the Studio Lounge, which is access-restricted by special keycard for Studio guests only. I'm excited about my upcoming cruise on Escape. It's my first cruise since my 2001 Carnival mother-son cruise.

SmithAir747

Some pics from onboard Harmony of The Seas. Have to say its a huge ship with lots of things to
do. Hard to believe its a ship when you are walking through Central Park.



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Quoting OA260 (Reply 61):

Wow nice. Lucky you. I agree. Those oasis class ships are so big that it's hard to comprehend that you are on a ship but that said, when I was on oasis of the seas, I could still feel the ship rocking in the waves more noticeably than I had expected when the ship was on the open ocean.

We are boarding Anthem tomorrow.  

Quoting einsteinboricua (Reply 59): I finished paying off my cruise for Thanksgiving on Norwegian Epic. Gonna try out their Studios which I've seen have gotten nothing but good reviews so far while sailing on a Western Caribbean itinerary. Anyone else sailed on the Studio cabins that can offer more insight?

Of all of the ships that have studios, I've sailed on all of them for inaugural events of 1-3nts (except Pride of America) as I'm staff and they put us in them and give the travel partners / guests the larger accomodations. I'm sailing the Med in July for a week in a studio and looking forward to it actually although the last sailing I did on Norwegian Epic was in a 2 Bed Family Villa in The Haven so I'm seeing both ends of the spectrum!!!

I'm quite partial to the studios. The beds are big and the rooms are very cleverly designed with lots of storage space. They're cosy but they can save a fortune - it's about half the price of a regular inside and 1/3 the price of a balcony.. too big a difference for me to pass. The kid in me loves the mood lighting and the studio lounge on the Norwegian Epic is the biggest in the fleet. It needs to be though as there are more studios on Norwegian Epic than any other ship.

The feedback we get from the guests in the studios regarding the social aspect of the lounge space is good. The social host will arrange optional group seating at the shows, dinners etc which you can take or leave and the relatively recent introduction of white boards has gone down really well; allowing you to leave a note seeing if anyone wants to share a cab into town at the next port, have a run-around on the basketball court or whatever makes social interaction easier if you want it but without the feeling of feeling coerced or shepherded.

I'll report back with first hand experience on my return.

Mark

The cruise season has started in the Black Sea, as the Royal Clipper arrives in Bulgaria's Varna port.
http://www.novinite.com/articles/174...Arrives+in+Bulgaria’s+Varna+Port

Next Saturday will be sailing on this ship out of Athens for the Greek Isle's and Black Sea...   

Quoting OA260 (Reply 61):

DAYUM!

I'll have to book with an Oasis class ship soon.

I don't remember if it was in this thread or one of the others with Cruise Ships as a subject, but someone mentioned some stupidly good deals to be had on trans Atlantic cruises with Pullmantur.

I brushed it off as I plan on doing a TA out of Southampton next year, but it kept bugging me and bugging me, so I ended up digging a little deeper, well it turns out, the deals are not stupid, they are totally insane, I ended up booking a suite for a 16 day TA (drum roll please) for a whole $850 inc taxes and fees per person, including all drinks.

So for basically $50 a day pp we get a suite, food and drinks.

Am I expecting the QM2, well of course not, but seriously, $1700 for 2 people in a suite, is a crazy deal.

Reading the cruise critic message boards, people are saying that they have been on these cruises with Pullmantur and there has been around 100 passengers on board, certainly makes for an easy cruise for the crew.

Quoting AirPacific747 (Reply 62):

Yes it was an excellent two nights. Being the trade partner, media event it was great fun. The cruise director was a gentleman and really pulled out all the stops . There was a street party on the last night at the promenade and he got the band to play well over their booked time such was the electric atmosphere. The crew could let their hair down too so they really enjoyed it.

Quoting DocLightning (Reply 63):

Safe travels Doc have a great time and be sure to visit the lovely bar tenders at 270

Quoting OA260 (Reply 68):

 

Have you been on Oasis or Allure? According to Wikipedia, Harmony is 5,5 meters wider. Did you notice the difference?

Quoting einsteinboricua (Reply 66):

For sure   I want to book one too.

Quoting AirPacific747 (Reply 69):

Never been this was my first it was wide though but I cant compare. Noted about movement though we were off the channel Islands and people commented on it but it didnt bother me .

For my August 6-14 cruise on NCL Escape, the group I'm hosting will be flying into FLL the day before and staying in a Fort Lauderdale hotel, then transferring to Miami to the ship, then back to FLL at the end. That's how my travel agent arranged it.

However, for my January 9-15, 2017, cruise (the Star Trek charter cruise) on NCL Pearl, I plan to fly down to MIA the day before and stay at the Miami International Airport Hotel (the hotel built right into the MIA terminal). From that hotel, what options are there for ground transport to the Port of Miami and back?

SmithAir747

Looking at some of those pics you forget that you are on a ship.

Anyone ever heard of "Project EDGE" for Celebrity Cruise Line? I just heard of it yesterday on my Yahoo news scroll but very little was discussed.

Quoting 2707200X (Reply 72): Anyone ever heard of "Project EDGE" for Celebrity Cruise Line? I just heard of it yesterday on my Yahoo news scroll but very little was discussed.

Yes heard about it a while ago in industry chat. Also see article below

----

A few complaints about bot being fully ready :


Harmony of the Seas 'construction site' complaints

The world's biggest cruise ship is a "construction site and a serious risk to all passengers" its first paying passengers have claimed.

Harmony of the Seas left Southampton for Rotterdam on a four-night cruise on 22 May, but customers complained about closed attractions and ongoing work.

Passenger Georgina Davie described "queues of complaining guests and distressed families".

Royal Caribbean Cruises admitted "final finishing touches" were being made.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-36389384

---


Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has revealed plans to build a fifth Oasis-class ship for Royal Caribbean International, less than a week after the line's 5,479-passenger Harmony of the Seas set sail on its inaugural cruise. The ship is scheduled for delivery 2021.

Additionally, the company said it would double Celebrity Cruises' new Edge Class with two ships slated for 2021 and 2022. The first two ships, which are scheduled to debut 2018 and 2020, represent a new class that touts "small-ship itineraries with large-ship amenities." Edge-class ships will be smaller than the line's Solstice Class but larger than the Millennial Class.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7043

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 71): For my August 6-14 cruise on NCL Escape, the group I'm hosting will be flying into

Will be heading out on the Norwegian Escape in two weeks. Looking forward to this new ship.

Have any of you ever cruised with the British line Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV)?

I've recently discovered CMV online.

CMV are a unique cruise line, offering the classic old school cruising experience on smaller, older ships, some of which are classic gems. No megaships, no flashy floating resorts, just classic British cruising.

CMV ships include Marco Polo (ex Soviet Baltic Line ocean liner Aleksandr Pushkin, built 1965), Magellan (an ex Carnival ship), and Astor. They operate from London Tilbury (and other ports).

If and when I do return to London someday (I lived and studied there before), I want to experience the old school style of voyages CMV offer.

If you have cruised with CMV, what are your impressions of them? Are they reasonably priced in comparison to typical mass market cruises?

SmithAir747

I've sailed on Marco Polo before (and visited it loads) when it was sailing under the Orient Lines brand and owned by NCL. I liked the ship and experience very much. Not fancy,glitzy or even particularly luxurious. It had a great crew, everywhere was close by as it's pretty small and it felt very comfortable..kinda like an old slipper. Very homely. Not sure I'd sail her again but definitely keen to see if I can get on board for a visit at least.

I was invited onto the Magellan last winter for an industry function. Was a former Carnival ship and they'd done a nice job with a refurb .Large cabins, nice wooden decking, reasonable food.

CMV aims for the older British client looking for a good value cruise. They are priced competitively and typically amongst the lowest on a pppn basis but there's always exceptions with this , particularly with the mass-market lines this summer.

Their closest competition would be Fred Olsen; P&O, whilst also aiming squarely at the British customer, are offering a comparatively more premium experience. The ships are older without the amenities you'd find on newer vessels, balcony cabins wil also be fewer in number and at a premium. However, for an Anglophile like yourself, you'll be sailing with an almost 100% UK group of passengers, can enjoy cheap drinks (almost pub prices!) at the bars, back bacon (not streaky) at breakfast and the option to have a proper cup of tea

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 75): Have any of you ever cruised with the British line Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV)? I've recently discovered CMV online.

Not cruised with them but would not rule it out. I have had friends on them and they said they were decent. Cant compare to the likes of the 4* lines but certainly they have a market. Slightly below Fred Olsen was the general view both in terms of decor and food.

Thomson Cruises have acquired their second Royal Caribbean ship.

Legend of the seas - Sister ship to Splendour of the seas. When she joins the fleet in 2017 she will be 22 years old.

At the end of 2017, Thomson Majesty and Thomson Spirit will leave.

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=7054

Well that will be a significant upgrade for the Thomson fleet, though she may be 22 years old, she just went through a refit, it will also give a huge boost to the number of balcony cabins available.

[Edited 2016-06-03 22:20:40]

Quoting jetwet1 (Reply 79):

I agree it's a significant upgrade. Now all they need to do is get rid of that floating rust bucket Thomson Dream.

Actually just reading an article on the TUI Discovery. They certainly are upping their game .



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Id love to do this HAL cruise :

Quoting OA260 (Reply 81):

Amazing how a little paint can make it look so much more attractive. Looks like a nice cruise ship in Thomson colours.

What are Thomson Cruises like?

Are they a budget UK cruise line, compared to the likes of P&O, Cunard, etc?

Are they associated with the Thomson/TUI charter airline and other Thomson/TUI holiday products?

SmithAir747

Yes they are a budget line, or maybe with the pick up of these two ships they will be able to move a little more upmarket.
The fall below P and O and Cunard, I guess if you think of Carnival 20 years ago they would be similar.

Yes, they are part of the TUI family.

http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Cru...n-during-high-winds-381850581.html

Seems that Celebrity Infinity crashed into a dock in KTN. Damage is estimated at US$2-3M. Press is saying that high winds might have been a factor.

Witness videos seem to show that the bow thrusters were pushing the ship away from the dock, but the ship kept coming.

Quoting DocLightning (Reply 85): Seems that Celebrity Infinity crashed into a dock in KTN.

Noise coming from this crash is quite horrifying (to me). Had it occurred further away from a shore, I would need to change my pants.   

gcaptain hosts a video as well:

http://gcaptain.com/watch-celebrity-...ams-into-pier-in-ketchikan-alaska/

Quoting andrej (Reply 86): Noise coming from this crash is quite horrifying (to me). Had it occurred further away from a shore, I would need to change my pants.

Yeah, it was more ugly than bad. But man was it ugly.

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 83): What are Thomson Cruises like?

Lower end of the market and package holiday type crowd. Entertainment a bit like Butlins if you know that brand !

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 83): What are Thomson Cruises like?

Absolute crap!

I posted a kind of mini review, but the short version is...

My partner and I have a severely disabled daughter, and when we get to go on holiday is limited by when specialist respite beds are available. We got given about 9 days notice that we could have 10 days in a row for respite. The only available cruise at that time was the Thomson Dream, sailing from Palma to Toulon, Ville Franche Sur Mer, Verona,Genoa and Barcelona

The food was poor, in the buffet area the Vegetables and desserts were frozen. Everything was very salty, and after a couple of mouthfuls of food, your lips went crinkly like they do after you over induldge on salted peanuts.

At the captains/gala dinner, believe it or not, seven course of food was served to me in under 40 minutes. As soon as I placed my cutlery on the plate, it was whipped away, followed nano seconds later by the next course.

Entertainment was Ok, the well known comedian was not well known, and probably away from the northern working mens clubs, he wouldnt fill a jock strap.

The all inclusive drinks package was anything but. If I wanted a rum and coke, I would get given a glass with the rum in and a can of coke. If I just wanted a can of coke, that wasn't included in the "all inclusive drinks package" and a charge was made.

Our cabin flooded, due to the toilet system not shutting off. So for 3 days we had an industrial fan in the cabin drying out the carpet.

We complained about our cruise, it took TUI/Thomsons 3 months to reply, and they only did after I took to twitter and had a moan. and every letter that followed from them was basically - "And, your point being?"

We were not after financial compensation, but just an apology that things were not as they should be.

If that was my first cruising experience, It would put me off cruising for life.

Just to add, looking back, We paid more for our Thomson Dream cruise, than we did for our Royal Caribbean Cruise.

[Edited 2016-06-05 03:32:30]

Hopefully that experience will be a thing of the past. Id quite like to get on the new ones to see what its like.

Crystal Cruises has axed their plans to use the B787. They say it is due to the fact they wanted 100 seats in their config and it would only fit 60 in the way they wanted it .

OA260 wrote:

Crystal Cruises has axed their plans to use the B787. They say it is due to the fact they wanted 100 seats in their config and it would only fit 60 in the way they wanted it .

So I suppose they could look into using a 77W

OA260 wrote:

Quoting SmithAir747 (Reply 83):What are Thomson Cruises like?
Lower end of the market and package holiday type crowd. Entertainment a bit like Butlins if you know that brand !

Thanks!

I had to look up what Butlins is in Wikipedia (since I was once an American expat living in London, yet I never knew about holiday camps or Butlins brand, nor did I ever take a holiday or cruise whilst I was living in London).

In the USA, is there anything equivalent to Butlins or holiday camps in general? I'm not familiar with the concept of "holiday camp", so what would be the equivalent in the US?

SmithAir747

Some say Carnival is a US equivalent.

Update from Celebrity re: Istanbul

After discussion with our Global Security team in Miami, we have decided to cancel all of Celebrity Cruises upcoming calls to Istanbul, Turkey, and replace them with Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

This decision was made in the interests of our guests' safety and we apologise for the impact on their cruise. Our guests' holiday time is precious and we did not take this decision lightly. The safety of our guests and crew is always our foremost concern.

Is the Carnival Vista the first of a new class? I couldn't find a class name for it on Wikipedia.

SmithAir747 wrote:

Is the Carnival Vista the first of a new class? I couldn't find a class name for it on Wikipedia.

Yes, which is confusing because there is already a Vista class. Except there was never a ship named Vista.

OA260 wrote:

Actually just reading an article on the TUI Discovery. They certainly are upping their game .

She is former Splendour of the Seas, a Vision-class ship. I sailed aboard her sister, Legend of the Seas in 1996. The ships are really great with a fantastic design and small enough to pass through the Panama Canal even prior to the recent upgrade. Handle rough seas well, too. Not a plethora of balcony cabins, though.

I have friends on the Thompson Majesty right now, they decided to do a family vacation and their mother booked everything before doing any research, so they were more than apprehensive about her choice.

They have been surprised at how nice the ship actually is and from the pictures they have been posting on Facebook I would have to agree, the ship looks good.