Destination Tips

Liisi Kütt won this year’s Bacardi Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year award with her innovative apple-and-melon drink, Summer Fair Cocktail. The expert mixologist from the Estonian ferry service Tallink and Silja Lines beat out a field of tough competitors from much larger cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line.

The victory is a first for Tallink and Silja Line, a relatively small ferry company operating mainly in the Baltic Sea in Europe. According to representatives of the company, a ferry trip is often much like a “mini-cruise holiday,” complete with a range of spa, fine dining, and shopping experiences. And now, Ms. Kütt’s recent award has shown the ferry line to be staffed with truly expert-level crew, as well.

Of course, the bigger cruise lines also made an excellent showing, with Carnival and Norwegian dominating the awards. Both companies have been widely recognized for their highly skilled bartenders. In fact, the past two years’ Bartender of the Year awards were both won by Adri Ford, a top mixologist with Carnival Cruises.

This year, the second-place Bacardi Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year award went to Ionna Luncean on the Carnival Sunshine. Rounding out the top five this year were Brian Bent from the Carnival Liberty, Allan Garcia of the NCL Star, and Joeped Garrido of the NCL Getaway. In addition, the first-ever People’s Choice Winner award went to Vera Restarovic of the Carnival Conquest.

This is the ninth year that a Bacardi Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year award has been bestowed. This year saw hundreds of entries from bartenders working for 14 different cruise and ferry companies. These were narrowed down to 25 semi-finalists, each with a signature recipe using Bacardi branded ingredients. Their recipes were featured on the popular CruiseCritic website in the early summer. Judges from Bacardi chose the five winners, while a sixth – the People’s Choice Winner – was determined by a public vote.

Several days after being struck by Hurricane Odile, the resort town of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was still reeling from the aftermath. With significant damage to the local airport and accommodations throughout the city, it took a week to rescue most of the tourists who found themselves stranded with little food, shelter, or electricity. Now that most vacationers have been transported to safety, Mexican army troops are helping to secure the town and begin the rebuilding process.

Affectionately called “Cabo” by vacationers who return to it year after year, Cabo San Lucas is a favorite destination for a variety of resort travelers. It is located at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, south of California, and sports a wide array of amenities for the many tourists who enjoy the area’s sun, surf, and mountains. The resort has earned a reputation for exciting nightlife, excellent fishing, many top restaurants, and its most striking landmark, Land’s End, an arch of stone than juts out over the beach and into the sea.

Hurricane Odile, however, has put a stop to the fun-in-the-sun, at least for the time being. Practically all the hotels and shops in town suffered damage in the storm, and many of them experienced looting. Ground and air transportation into and out of the area remains largely shut down. While no cruise ships were directly impacted by the storm, the damage to the port city has led cruise lines like Princess and Disney Cruises to avoid the port of call, opting instead to stop in Puerto Vallarta.

Fortunately, Cabo is well on its way to recovery. Reports state that area airports should be operational by the end of September, and most utilities have already been restored. In addition, hotels in the city expect to re-open in the first half of October. When residents and businesses have had time to recover from the destruction of Hurricane Odile, cruise lines will start bringing cruisers back to Cabo to enjoy everything the beautiful resort area has to offer.

In honor of its golden anniversary next year, Princess Cruises has planned a year of celebrations. The first event involves a group of familiar faces: the cast of the hit television series, The Love Boat.

Princess Cruises will christen its newest ship, the Regal Princess, this November 5th, with actors from The Love Boat serving as the flagship’s godparents. Participating in the naming ceremony will be all six of the show’s original cast members: Fred Gandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan, and of course, Gavin Macleod, who played the memorable Captain Stubing.

For both the cruise line and the cast members, this affair will be something of a reunion. The pilot episode of The Love Boat was filmed on board the original Sun Princess in 1977. Portraying stories of romance set at sea the television series enjoyed 10 highly successful seasons, thus making it one of the longest-running shows ever. Perhaps more importantly, the program introduced the elegant and relaxing world of cruising to a wider audience.

The Regal Princess is a fitting vessel to lead Princess Cruises into the future. The ship boasts the cruise line’s signature SeaWalk; an expanded central Piazza; a new aft-facing Terrace Pool; and a variety of other accommodation and entertainment features. Launched in May, the Regal Princess will homeport in Fort Lauderdale and sail Caribbean itineraries.

According to company spokespersons, the Regal Princess will host a spectacular array of events in celebration of Princess’ 50th birthday. In fact, cruisers sailing aboard any of Princess Cruises’ 18 vessels can look forward to a variety of special anniversary activities throughout all of 2015.

A true highlight of countless cruisers’ Western Caribbean vacations is a visit to one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s majestic Mayan ruins. There are hundreds of significant archeological sites throughout the region, and more than 4,000 smaller sites. Fortunately, some of the best Mayan ruins lie just a short distance from several of the Western Caribbean’s most visited cruise ports, thus making shore excursions to these haunting and historic sites as easy as chatting with a booking agent. Read on to learn about just a few of the sites cruisers enjoy visiting.

Port of Call – Cozumel

Several Mayan ruins grace the Mexican coast near the popular island destination of Cozumel. The most famous complex of ruins is Chichen Itza. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this large, well-developed site offers some of the most iconic views of Mayan temples anywhere in the region. The ancient city of Coba is nestled deep in the jungle, and its great temple— the tallest in Yucatan at nearly 140 feet high—offers amazing panoramic views of neighboring buildings peeking above the treetops. An ancient coastal site, Tulum, sits right on the beach, thereby allowing visitors to take a dip in the turquoise waters after exploring the ruins.

Port of Call – Costa Maya

Mysterious Cacchoben is a pleasant, hour-long bus ride from the port of Costa Maya, Mexico. These ruins are relatively undeveloped, so visitors to the site get a glimpse of how the temple buildings appeared when they were discovered: overgrown with lush vegetation and surrounded by jungle wildlife.

Port of Call – Belize City

The country of Belize also hosts a number of famous Mayan archeological sites. Lamanai is one of the few ancient cities in the region that has retained its original Mayan name, which means “submerged crocodile.” Its largest structures have been restored, though countless others remain hidden in the surrounding jungle foliage. A relatively small site, Altun Ha is very well developed and convenient to Belize City. The site is especially notable for a beautiful Sun God head carved of jade.

In recent years, several cruise lines have put significant effort into building new vessels, and upgrading existing ones—a trend that looks set to continue for the next several years. However, rather than just creating more and bigger ships, all this construction is geared toward building better ships. Cruise lines are installing an amazing array of cutting-edge technologies to make passengers’ vacations easier and more fun.

Keeping in Touch

Cruisers commonly complain that onboard internet and cell phone use is painfully slow and expensive. Fortunately, several cruise lines are offering innovative new ways to let their passengers communicate with loved ones back home. MTN Communications’ Connect@Sea program—first implemented by Disney Cruise Line this year—changes the way companies charge for internet access. Instead of the standard, per-minute, time-based system, the new allotment scheme uses a cheaper, more efficient, data-based, per-megabyte system. Along similar lines, both Princess and Royal Caribbean are significantly improving their internet offerings, through partnerships that will both speed up connections while reducing passenger costs.

Hi-Tech Customer Service

While internet access is important for customers, it’s not the only item that the industry is changing to improve the cruise experience. For example, Royal Caribbean’s brand-new ship, Quantum of the Seas, offers a range of technology-enhanced services, including an enhanced computerized check-in system that will streamline boarding and luggage handling. The company has also designed new apps that enable families and friends on the same ship to stay in touch through the day and coordinate their activities. In addition, Royal Caribbean is distributing tablet computers to crew members throughout its fleet to improve customer service. It is even adding a novel robot bartender to the mix!

Because passengers share their cruise experiences through social media, companies have a clear interest in providing their passengers with affordable communications and tech-enhanced services. As long as cruisers continue to enjoy and promote the cruise industry, cruise lines will strive to provide latest technologies to keep them connected and happy.

With summer drawing to a close, vacation time is over for most people, and many cruisers are heading back to work and school. For those who can spare the time, though, autumn presents plenty of excellent reasons to cruise.

Ever Take a Long Cruise?

In the cruise industry, fall is a popular time for major repositioning cruises, when companies move ships to new homeports. These one-way cruises tend to be fairly long—often two weeks or more—but also cheaper per day than during high season. However, because these voyages are one way, cruisers will need to arrange travel to and from each end of the trip. For a trans-oceanic voyage, that can mean a hefty expense—or it can be a perfect excuse to spend a few months on another continent until a repositioning cruise in the other direction comes along.

Fall Trees and Bright Leaves

In North America, many people take a driving tour of the northeast to view the gorgeous fall foliage. Cruisers can be “leaf peepers” too, with unique sea perspectives. This time of year, many cruise ships sail the eastern coast of the US and Canada, stopping in New England and other choice ports to experience the flaming autumn colors and fun fall festivals.

Autumn Holidays

Some years, cruising families will opt to spend a fall holiday on board a cruise ship. The cruise lines work hard to provide a festive atmosphere, with all the right trappings: decorations, music, and food. Many ships offer cruisers a chance to dress up at Halloween parties. In addition, practically all ships serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on the big day—and you don’t have to wash a single dish afterward!

Almost everyone who has taken a cruise with an Eastern Caribbean itinerary has explored the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The vast majority of these port calls are at the island of St. Thomas, one of the most-visited cruise ports in the world. However, even long-time cruisers might be surprised to discover just how much there is to do and see in the USVI when you wander a bit further afield.

St. Thomas

The pretty island town of Charlotte Amalie is easily one of the top ports of call in the world. With its strong Dutch influence and extremely well-developed infrastructure, there really is something here for anyone. The island’s extremely favorable duty-free shopping, famous Magens Bay Beach, and countless other attractions also mean that there is a constant stream of cruise ships. In fact, on some days as many as six ships can be harbored there—which means more than 20,000 tourists on an island with only around 50,000 residents!

Water Island

Located in the main harbor of St. Thomas, this is sometimes considered “the fourth Virgin Island.” No cruise ships port here, but a ferry makes it easy enough to enjoy a day on this laid-back little island’s quiet beaches.

St. John

Only a few cruise ships make port calls to St. John, and when they do, they remain at anchorage well offshore. That’s just as well, because the big draw to St. John is its pristine wilderness. The island is dominated by the Virgin Islands National Park, which is laced with trails connecting beautiful hilltop views, historical sites, and secluded beaches. Cruz Bay, the only real town on the island, offers plenty of amenities, as well as local handicrafts, which make perfect souvenirs.

St. Croix

The biggest island of the bunch, St. Croix is located a bit off the main ship thoroughfare. As a result, cruise ships only rarely stop here. For this reason, the island has fewer tourist-oriented amenities than St. Thomas does. However, it still sports many unique attractions, including excellent diving and restaurants, several historic sights, rum distillery tours, and countless cultural offerings—including famous beer-drinking pigs!

One of the most important events in maritime history was remembered this year at a gala marking the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal.

A grand ceremony at the Canal’s Miraflores lock commemorated the passing of the steamer Ancón through the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914. Kicking off the centenary celebration, the Greek vessel Galini led the several dozen ships that passed through the busy canal during the first day of the canal’s second century. Dignitaries and guests enjoyed a 13-foot-long chocolate cake shaped to resemble the complex lock system, while performers of all sorts provided entertainment, including traditional Panamanian dances and a theatrical production depicting the waterway’s turbulent history.

Several other events have taken place throughout Panama to recognize the influential canal’s 100th birthday. A number of commemorative books were published, and a traveling interactive exhibit entitled “Centennial Experience of the Canal” visited nine provinces in the country. The three-day Ocean to Ocean race saw competitors paddle their way through the 49-mile canal from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Even a new, limited-edition fragrance was released: “Canal,” the first-ever Panamanian brand of perfume, is said to evoke the entrepreneurial character of the canal’s long history.

The importance of the Panama Canal cannot be overstated. A true marvel of engineering at the time it was built, it dramatically decreased the time, fuel, and risk required for ships to take cargo and passengers between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As other canals have opened elsewhere in the world over the last century, the Panama Canal’s influence has declined somewhat. Nonetheless, roughly five percent of the world’s maritime trade still passes through it, and that number is set to grow in coming decades as Panama works to add a new set of modernized locks. The expansion will triple the waterway’s capacity, and allow super-sized “Post-Panamax” ships to use the Panama Canal. The expansion will ensure that the historic waterway continues to remain relevant throughout the 21st century.

Over the last few years, the number of cruise ships serving the Caribbean has steadily grown. In 2011, 212 ships sailed the region, whereas today there are 235. That number is likely to rise again for the 2015 cruising season, as four more ships are scheduled to cruise Caribbean itineraries.

The Caribbean has long been an incredibly popular cruise destination—number one in the world, in fact! This is largely because of its proximity to the huge North American market, as well as its year-round itineraries. Having such a large selection of ships and specific itineraries to choose from has kept prices down for passengers. Of course, this is fantastic news for cruisers seeking bargains. There are a great number of cruises currently available for less than $100 per night on many cruise lines throughout the Caribbean.

On the other hand, low prices pose special challenges for the companies that provide them. According to Cruise Critic, competing cruise lines universally agree that low rates are an unfortunate part of doing business in the Caribbean, especially during low season. Cruise companies are attempting to balance out pricing by situating ships to more effectively serve markets farther from the southeastern US ports in Florida. Several vessels will be relocated to homeports in Texas and California so that more cruise enthusiasts in the American West and Midwest can enjoy an ocean vacation without buying an expensive flight to get there. Other ships will be moved even farther in order to service growing markets in Asia.

Despite industry corrections, however, the Caribbean will remain an extremely popular destination for the foreseeable future—and that means it will stay an affordable cruise option for years to come.

In mid-August, the world’s newest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) acclaimed Quantum of the Seas, entered the water for the first time. The brand-new liner left the German shipyard Meyer Werft to start testing of critical systems, including thrusters and stabilizers. Until she finally arrives in the North Atlantic in mid-September, Quantum will undergo a variety of trials to verify her seaworthiness.

She is scheduled to sail to Southampton, England, on October 31, and then set off for Cape Bayonne, New Jersey. Although her first few cruises will be in North America, Quantum will relocate to Shanghai in May 2015 to serve the booming cruise market in Asia.

With the room for 4,180 passengers, Quantum is third-largest cruise ship in the world after her big sisters, RCI’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. As the first of her class, Quantum of the Seas brings several new features to cruising. The Seaplex—which will include a roller rink, carnival-style rides, and a circus school—will be the most expansive outdoor sport and entertainment facility on the high seas. There ship will also have a skydiving simulator and a special elevated capsule called North Star, which will rise 30 stories above the waves to offer incredible, 360-degree panoramic views.

Quantum also introduces a new, more flexible form of dining experience. No longer constrained by main dining rooms and set dining times, guests will be able to enjoy meals on their own schedule at 18 different restaurants. A handful of new cabin categories are also available, with staterooms that are nearly 10 percent larger on average than those on Oasis-class ships. Of course, a slate of new shopping outlets, shows, and venues will be added to the marquee, as well.

RCI has announced plans to launch two more Quantum-class vessels in coming years. Anthem of the Seas will be delivered in spring of next year, while a third yet unnamed sister ship will sail sometime in mid-2016.