February 14, 2010
By ELAINE GLUSAC
DESPITE rough economic seas, the cruise industry is staying the course this year with new destinations far and near, activities for young and old and amenities that seem to appeal to every niche.
Want to jam with Kid Rock or scream with fellow “Twilight” fans? There’s a cruise for that. Traveling alone on a budget? There’s a cruise for that, too. Or how about acupuncture for weight loss while sailing to Phuket. There are at least a dozen cruises for that.
From a boom in European cruises to a rediscovery of America’s rivers, cruises are trying to appeal to an increasingly fragmented clientele. After all, as cruise experts like to point out, just shy of 20 percent of Americans have been on a cruise — which means the remaining 80 percent are potential first-time passengers.
Return to America’s Rivers
Not since Lewis and Clark, perhaps, have America’s rivers seen so much cruising action. Spurred partly by the recession, which put more-extravagant cruises out of reach for many, river cruises are staging a steady comeback.
American Cruise Lines, a river cruise company based in Connecticut, is adding two vessels and three itineraries. The 104-passenger Independence, with a glassed-in dining room and staterooms with private balconies, is scheduled to launch in June. It will spend the summer sailing along the Maine coast before heading to the Hudson River for the October foliage season, with six-night fares starting at $2,820 (all prices quoted are based on double occupancy).
The Queen of the West, a paddle-wheeler, will make its American Cruise Lines debut, with seven-night cruises along the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the Northwest, with stops in Portland, Ore.; Clarkston, Wash., and elsewhere starting at $3,395. American will also introduce a route along the Potomac and Delaware Rivers, with stops along the way in Philadelphia, Washington, Mount Vernon and Annapolis aboard the 100-passenger American Spirit. The eight-day cruises start at $3,295.
Elsewhere in the Americas, the Caribbean remains popular, but the newest routes belong to the Atlantic. In May, Carnival Cruise Lines is stationing the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy in Charleston, S.C., with five-day departures to the Bahamas starting at $269.
Bermuda is seeing more action, too. Revisiting a route it hasn’t sailed for more than 15 years, Holland America returns to New York City, offering 24 trips to Bermuda beginning in April. The 1,350-passenger Veendam will depart from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, with weeklong cruises from $699.
Also newly bound for Bermuda is the Celebrity Summit, a 2,034-passenger ship that departs from Bayonne, N.J., to spend three nights in King’s Wharf. Fares start at $549, with optional excursions to swim with dolphins or snorkel to a shipwreck, plus cruise-by sightings of the Statue of Liberty.
Europe by Water
European cruises are growing, allowing cruisers to hopscotch the Continent with ease, while also helping Americans avoid high exchange rates by locking in fares in dollars.
“Europe is today where we were 15, 20 years ago,” said Bob Sharak, vice president of Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 25 major cruise lines that serve North America. “New ships used to debut here, but now we’re seeing them debuted and deployed in Europe.”
And it’s not just Americans who are onboard. In 2000, less than 10 percent of passengers on the cruise association’s member ships were not citizens of the United States. Today that figure is nearly 25 percent.
Though it has run Mediterranean cruises in the past, Disney Cruise Line, based in Florida, will expand its European offerings with four trips that sail from Dover, England. The 12-night Northern European Capitals Cruise takes place June and July onboard the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic, with fares from $3,649.
Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Lines, which is based in Miami and has run intermittent cruises in Europe, will post a ship in Venice for the first time this year. The 2,400-passenger Norwegian Gem will run seven-day cruises to Greece and Turkey with departures from April 24 to Oct. 23, priced from $719.
The growth in European cruises isn’t limited to big ships. Princess Cruises is introducing a series of seven-day Interlude itineraries in Europe aboard the 680-passenger Ocean Princess. The cruises, which start at $1,299, will sail from Rome to the Greek Isles, and from Dover to Scandinavia.
Variety Cruises, a five-year-old yacht line based in Athens, is offering its first Adriatic trips this summer, with seven-night cruises that include stops at the island of Hvar and the cities of Zadar and Venice aboard the 46-guest Pegasus. Fares start at $2,690.
The rivers of Europe are bustling, too. Avalon Waterways, a river cruise line based in Colorado, will launch two 138-passenger ships this year — the Avalon Felicity and the Avalon Luminary — that will sail the Rhine, including an eight-day cruise from Zurich to Amsterdam from $2,099.
AMAWaterways, a river cruise operator based in California, is offering five new European cruises including a 22-day excursion along the Douro River in Portugal and the Rhone in France, from $7,677. Viking River Cruises in California has a new eight-day sail down the Danube from Germany to Hungary from $1,456. And Seattle’s Cruise West launches two river cruises aboard the 148-guest MS Amadeus Diamond that goes down the Danube and the Rhine, from $4,999 for 11 nights.
Even landlocked Europe is seeing a spillover effect. Among the excursions highlighted by Cruise West, Princess and Viking this summer is the once-a-decade Passion Play. It takes place in the German village of Oberammergau.
Getting Shipshape
Gaining weight is one of the perils on the high seas, with the average cruiser said to put on several pounds on a weeklong cruise. To help passengers get shipshape and resist the buffet, cruise ships are offering everything from beefed-up gyms to macrobiotic menus.
Crystal Cruises’ 922-passenger Crystal Symphony, one of two ships run by the Los Angeles-based luxury line, recently opened a feng-shui-inspired fitness center with a walking program, indoor cycling and acupuncture treatments. In June, the three sailing yachts of Windstar Cruises, which is based in Seattle, will introduce Technogym-brand treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers and weight machines onboard.
Wellness packages that bundle fitness classes and healthy menus are expanding. Holland America’s well-being package includes fitness classes, a 50-minute spa treatment, access to the whirlpool and steam room and daily fruit deliveries for a premium of $299 a person on seven-day cruises. Specialized tour companies like A Taste of Health offer cruises with vegan chefs and macrobiotic menus. Its Holistic Caribbean Cruise, for example, sets sail from Fort Lauderdale for a seven-night cruise to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico and elsewhere, with passengers learning to make dishes like seitan paella. Rates from $1,199.
Spas have had makeovers themselves. Regent Seven Seas Cruises recently added Canyon Ranch spas on its three high-end ships. And Paul Gauguin Cruises, which plies the South Pacific, just opened a thalasso spa onboard its namesake vessel.
A few spas are even beginning to resemble health clinics. In December, the 540-passenger Silver Spirit from Silversea Cruises introduced a spa that offers acupuncture for weight loss and stress management, as well as Botox injections and Restylane facial filler. Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess also offer Botox and tooth bleaching, so you’ll look good even if you put on a few extra pounds.
Floating Red Carpet
Celebrity cruises are not new, but the Q rating of headlining guests seems to be rising. “Theme cruises have always been a way to get new-to-cruise people aboard,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, the editor in chief of Cruisecritic.com, an online cruise magazine. “Now they’re becoming more sort of glitzy.”
John Mayer sold out a four-night Carnival cruise from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas last year. And James Taylor was the star attraction on Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 bound from New York to Southampton, treating guests to concerts, interviews and autograph signings.
This year will see more stars. Kid Rock already sold out the five-day Carnival Inspiration cruise from Tampa to Grand Cayman starting in late April. Before that, in mid-April, the same ship and route will feature the pop bands 3 Doors Down, Lifehouse and Shinedown as part of a VH1 cruise (from $799). The Zac Brown Band headlines over Labor Day weekend (from $699).
The teenage heartthrobs Alex Meraz and Michael Welch, who star in the vampire movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” will join the four-day Twilight Cruise from Seattle to Alaska onboard Holland America’s Oosterdam. Prices start at $1,049, not including an optional off-shore excursion to Forks, Wash., where the vampire drama is set.
And if your idea of celebrity runs to radio stars, you can join Garrison Keillor and the cast of “A Prairie Home Companion” March 14 on Holland America’s Ryndam for a seven-night Tampa-to-Belize immersion in all things Minnesotan (fares from $1,700).
Far-Flung Ports of Call
Cruises are venturing into uncharted waters and docking at more far-flung ports of call in Asia, the Middle East and even the North Pole.
Asia, in particular, is seeing a wave of new ships. Yachts of Seabourn, a small-ships specialist based in Miami, is posting its first ship in Asia. The 208-passenger Seabourn Pride sails a variety of Asian itineraries out of Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kobe, Japan, with fares starting at $4,050 for 12 days.
The Ocean Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, will spend this spring hopping between Singapore and Shanghai, Shanghai and Bangkok, and Shanghai and Tokyo, before heading for Europe. Fares start at $2,299 for a 14-day cruise.
River cruises in Asia are growing, too. Viking River Cruises will offer a two-day stop in Shanghai for Expo 2010 on many of its China cruises. In Vietnam and Cambodia, AMAWaterways is offering cruises along the Mekong between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the 92-passenger La Marguerite. Fares start at $1,499 a person for seven nights.
The Middle East continues to welcome more ships. Costa Cruises is docking its newest ship, the Deliziosa, in Dubai. The 2,260-passenger ship includes a roller skating track, a 4-D cinema — think 3-D with physical effects like wind — and a golf simulator with 37 courses. Seven-night cruises to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain start at $899.
The 2,501-capacity Brilliance of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International will return to Dubai for a second season, with seven-night sailings from $699. And the 1,070-passenger Crystal Serenity will sail two Middle Eastern routes in March including the line’s first stops in Kuwait City; Bandar Abbas, Iran; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (13-day fares start at $8,855).
Cruises are shifting from the South to the North Pole. With Antarctica possibly closing to big cruise ships because of new environmental regulations, cruises to Arctic waters are on the rise. New this year is a 24-day Northwest Passage cruise from Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The 184-guest Hanseatic sails from Greenland to Nome, Alaska, with polar bear sightseeing in between. Norway-based Hurtigruten will offer an 11-day Climate Pilgrimage along the Arctic Circle north of Norway onboard the 318-passenger Fram. The cruise, which starts at $4,100, passes by glaciers and features talks with climate scientists.
Tauck, a small-ship operator based in Connecticut, has sold out its eight-day Iceland cruises aboard the new 264-passenger Le Boreal. Literary cruisers can still join the author Margaret Atwood aboard a 16-day Northwest Passage cruise with Adventure Canada, one of five new itineraries aboard the 118-passenger Clipper Adventurer. The Aug. 28 departure, from $5,995, includes readings and lectures by Ms. Atwood as well as tundra golf and iceberg ogling.
Virgin Voyages
In the wake of last year’s Oasis of the Seas, billed as the world’s largest ship, the class of 2010 might look small, but it isn’t. For starters, in December Royal Caribbean is planning to launch a sister ship, Allure of the Seas, that shares many of the same superlatives as the Oasis. Both share the title of world’s largest — 1,181 feet long with room for 5,400 passengers.
The next largest is the Norwegian Epic, a 4,200-passenger vessel that has a Vegas-style lineup of shows including Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams, Second City and Legends in Concert. The ship also features a lavish water park, a rappelling wall (a first for the industry) and an ice bar. After its inaugural trans-Atlantic cruise scheduled in July, the ship will be based in Miami and offer seven-night cruises to the Caribbean with summer fares from $889.
A smaller but perhaps more stately christening is set for October, when the new Queen Elizabeth from Cunard makes its maiden voyage from Southampton to the Mediterranean. The 2,092-passenger ship features lush Art Deco-style interiors that pay homage to the original 1938 ship. The new QE also features a glass-vaulted lounge inspired by Kew Gardens and filled with potted palms, and a game deck with paddle tennis, croquet and British bowls. The inaugural cruise sold out in 29 minutes last April, but fares for subsequent cruises to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean start at $1,195 for five days.
Kiddie Cruises
Cruise lines have long appealed to parents. Now, they are catering more aggressively to children. In April, Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce a children’s program in partnership with Nickelodeon that includes live versions of the “SlimeTime” game show and breakfasts with SpongeBob SquarePants and other characters. The Nickelodeon tie-in will be offered on the Norwegian Jewel, on its weeklong cruises from New York City to the Bahamas, starting at $499. It will also be offered on the new Epic.
With all those kids onboard, keeping track of them can be a full-time job. To help, Royal Caribbean gives children ages 3 to 11 an electronic wristband onboard the Oasis of the Seas, so that the crew can find them. Parents can also keep an electronic eye on their children’s whereabouts by renting an optional locator for $17.50.
But maybe what parents need are full-blown GPS devices. Child-friendly cruises are crossing the Atlantic to Europe. Disney’s new cruises to the Baltics include stops at historic sites like Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, where characters like Snow White and Cinderella will greet passengers. The Crystal Symphony will make two seven-day trips in Europe — from London to Ireland and back, and Copenhagen to Stockholm — with those 17 and under staying free. And Tauck is offering family-only cruises along the Danube between Budapest and Regensburg, Germany.
Not everyone, of course, wants to be surrounded by screaming kids, especially parents seeking a vacation. Child-free zones, which were introduced over a decade ago, are expanding. The Carnival Dream reserves an 11,250-square-foot “serenity” area for grown-ups with sun beds, a bar and whirlpools. On the Oasis of the Seas, a two-deck adult section near the bow includes two whirlpools cantilevered over the side of the ship. And the coming Norwegian Epic has an adults-only beach club that offers bottle service in poolside cabanas, just like South Beach.
Boutique Hotels at Sea
The captain’s quarters don’t cut it anymore. Cruise liners are continuing to carve out luxury staterooms that feel like mini-boutique hotels with special perks for those willing to pay.
Royal Caribbean is taking the lead with the Oasis of the Seas and its forthcoming sister ship, Allure of the Seas. Instead of windowless staterooms, the interior cabins have been reworked to offer views of soaring atriums inside the ship. The Central Park balcony staterooms, for example, overlook a common area, a 12,000-plant garden and the 150 Central Park restaurant.
When it sails in July, the Norwegian Epic will banish the boxy room. Its New Wave cabins have curved walls and domed ceilings. The ship also features 100-square-foot podlike studios designed for solo passengers. A communal lounge encourages socializing. Prices are from $799 (single occupancy) for seven-day sailings.
Private villas and suites that function like gated V.I.P. communities continue to proliferate. Norwegian’s four Jewel-class ships have courtyard and garden villas that offer quiet pools, sundecks, fitness rooms and concierges that are available only to villa guests. Victoria Cruises, which specializes in Yangtze River cruises in China, has new suites that offer a private lounge and restaurant. And in May Windstar Cruises will introduce spa suites on the 312-passenger Wind Surf.
IF YOU SAIL
Adventure Canada, (800) 363-7566; adventurecanada.com.
AMAWaterways, (800) 626-0126; amawaterways.com.
American Cruise Lines, (800) 814-6880; americancruiselines.com.
Avalon Waterways, (877) 797-8791; avalonwaterways.com.
Carnival Cruise Lines, (888) 227-6482; carnival.com.
Celebrity Cruises, (800) 647-2251; celebritycruises.com.
Cruise West, (888) 851-8133; cruisewest.com.
Costa Cruises, (877) 882-6782; www.costacruise.com.
Cunard Line, (800) 728-6273; cunard.com.
Crystal Cruises, (888) 722-0021; crystalcruises.com.
Disney Cruise Line, (800) 951-3532; disneycruise.com.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, (49-40) 3001-4580; hl-cruises.com.
Holland America Line, (877) 932-4259; hollandamerica.com.
Hurtigruten, (866) 552-0371; hurtigruten.us.
Norwegian Cruise Line, (866) 234-7350; ncl.com.
Paul Gauguin Cruises, (800) 848-6172; pgcruises.com.
Princess Cruises, (800) 774-6237; princess.com.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, (877) 505-5370; rssc.com.
Royal Caribbean International, (866) 562-7625; royalcaribbean.com.
Silversea Cruises, (800) 722-9955; silversea.com.
A Taste of Health, (828) 749-9537; atasteofhealth.org.
Tauck, (800) 788-7885; tauck.com.
Twilight Cruises, (800) 745-7545; www.twilightfanscruise.com.
Variety Cruises, (800) 319-7776; varietycruises.com.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever, (877) 749-8462; vh1bestcruiseever.com.
Victoria Cruises, (800) 348-8084; victoriacruises.com.
Viking River Cruises, (800) 304-9616; vikingrivercruises.com.
Windstar Cruises, (800) 258-7245; windstarcruises.com.
Yachts of Seabourn, (800) 929-9391; seabourn.com.
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