Although I don't want to keep dwelling on this but my clients would have known this...
This article was written by Anita Dunham-Potter, a travel journalist whose articles have appeared in national newspapers, magazines and the internet and she is a contributor to Fodors "Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruising 2006".
This appeared on an internet website designed as a travel agent forum.
"Hey, kids! No birth certificate, no cruise »
September 24, 2007
The Mueller family, of Phoenix, was looking forward to a May cruise in Alaska aboard the Norwegian Star. Sue Mueller made a great booking for her family through Hotwire -- or so she thought.
Before the cruise, Mueller checked with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to make sure she had all the travel documents her family would need for the trip. She knew that passport rules were changing, but like many Americans, she was unsure exactly what paperwork she would need to cruise from Seattle to Alaska.
"I contacted NCL customer service the day before the cruise to verify that we had acceptable documents," recalls Mueller. She says the agent verified that the family's documents -- birth certificates and photo IDs -- were sufficient for the cruise; the agent went on to explain that new passport requirements, which have sent U.S. travelers scrambling over the past year, would not affect cruise passengers until 2008.
Cruiseless in Seattle
But the next day, when the Muellers tried to board the ship in Seattle, they got a terrible shock. Sue and her husband had their birth certificates, as required, but their 16- and 17-year-old sons did not, and the cruise line would not let them board. A staff member said that the cruise line required proof of citizenship for all U.S. citizens; justifying the application of that rule to minors, the agent said that without the birth certificates, "you could be kidnapping them."
Stunned by the development, the Muellers pleaded with the NCL staff and presented their sons' high school photo IDs, explaining that the boys had needed their birth certificates to get them. No go.
The Muellers were escorted to a waiting area, where they found 20 other passengers with similar documentation issues, including some who had also booked their cruise through Hotwire. The Muellers called home and tried to have a neighbor fax the birth certificates to the pier, but the neighbor could not find them. The Muellers' cruise was dead in the water.
The family was now stranded in Seattle, Mueller says, and no one from NCL offered assistance. "We were crushed," she says. "This was to be our last family vacation before the boys went off to college, and it was especially meaningful because my husband's health is not good."
Instead of vacationing in Alaska, the Muellers spent the week at home. Mueller contacted NCL several times, but the cruise line refused to offer the family a refund or a credit to use toward another cruise. After getting nowhere, Mueller contacted Tripso for help.
A documented mess
I contacted NCL to see what the cruise line could do. AnneMarie Mathews, director of public relations for NCL, said she was sorry to hear about the family's trouble, but pointed out that the Muellers did receive information from the cruise line specifying what documentation they needed to bring.
"The cruise documents that the Muellers received from us had a link to our "Welcome Aboard" booklet that includes a paragraph on necessary documentation," Matthews says. "The requirements state that valid birth certificates are required for all U.S. citizens traveling on Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, and Canada & New England cruises. We also suggest that travelers visit the U.S. State Department Web site for the latest requirements and overseas information before they sail."
NCL declined to give the Muellers any compensation, arguing that proper documentation is the passenger's responsibility. (All cruise lines take this position.) Furthermore, NCL says, if travelers show up at the pier without proper documentation, they are not entitled to a refund. Hotwire includes the same documentation information on its Web site.
Mueller did buy travel insurance through Travel Guard and she made a claim, but it was denied. None of the three big travel insurance companies (Travel Guard, Access America and CSA Travel) covers such claims. NCL's own travel insurance contains a cancel-for-any-reason clause, which would have resulted in a credit of 75 percent to 90 percent of the Muellers' cruise fare, but the Muellers did not purchase that NCL policy.
I've received many letters and phone calls from cruise travelers with documentation problems like the Muellers'. Every one of these cases came from travelers who had booked their own cruises. While doing it yourself can sometimes save you money, you can also lose all your vacation money if you do not have the right information about documentation.
My advice for travelers booking cruises over the next year is to work with a travel agent who can advise you on up-to-date documentation requirements.
As for Sue Mueller, she's learned her lesson. "Hindsight!" she sighs. "Now I wish I had done more. I hope no one else ever has a similar situation."
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Celebrity Solstice- cabins designed with women in mind!
Celebrity Releases First Details of Solstice Class Ships
Celebrity Cruises has unveiled details of its new Solstice class ships, the first of which, the Celebrity Solstice, will make its maiden voyage in the Caribbean in December 2008. Last night in New York Celebrity made the first of a half-dozen announcements that the it plans about the new class of ships; the event focused specifically on the ship's staterooms. Dan Hanrahan, Celebrity's president and CEO, said research for the stateroom design began even before the cruise line cut steel for the ships. Recognizing that women are the decision-makers when it comes to cruising, Celebrity put together a panel of five women -- a frequent cruiser, a travel agent, a non-cruiser, a hotelier and a travel writer-to get their input on staterooms -- that spent four months helping Celebrity design the staterooms. The result: staterooms that are 15 percent larger than those in Celebrity's Millennium ships, and bathrooms that are 24 percent larger and have touches such as fog free mirrors and bars for women to rest their feet upon while shaving their legs. "The showers are the biggest you'll find at sea," said Hanrahan.
To better accommodate luggage, beds are higher, so bags fit underneath, and there are additional nooks and crannies for storage. The ships have interconnecting stateroom, but since space that connects also conducts sound, each has a vestibule with a double set of doors to muffle sound. Triple and quad rooms all have trundle beds that extend from couches as well as Pullman beds, meaning parents can put smaller children in the lower trundles. Staterooms are roughly 295 to 300 square feet, not including balconies. The ship has WiFi, staterooms have 32-inch flat screen TVs, while suites have larger flat-screen TVs. There is also the new AquaClass, which is tied into the ship's spa. It includes 130 of the ship's 1,425 staterooms. Celebrity Solstice is the line's first in a class for four 2,850-passenger vessels. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, which constructed the line's Century-class fleet, is building the 122,000-GRT ship. For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com or www.cruisecelebritysolstice.com
Celebrity Cruises has unveiled details of its new Solstice class ships, the first of which, the Celebrity Solstice, will make its maiden voyage in the Caribbean in December 2008. Last night in New York Celebrity made the first of a half-dozen announcements that the it plans about the new class of ships; the event focused specifically on the ship's staterooms. Dan Hanrahan, Celebrity's president and CEO, said research for the stateroom design began even before the cruise line cut steel for the ships. Recognizing that women are the decision-makers when it comes to cruising, Celebrity put together a panel of five women -- a frequent cruiser, a travel agent, a non-cruiser, a hotelier and a travel writer-to get their input on staterooms -- that spent four months helping Celebrity design the staterooms. The result: staterooms that are 15 percent larger than those in Celebrity's Millennium ships, and bathrooms that are 24 percent larger and have touches such as fog free mirrors and bars for women to rest their feet upon while shaving their legs. "The showers are the biggest you'll find at sea," said Hanrahan.
To better accommodate luggage, beds are higher, so bags fit underneath, and there are additional nooks and crannies for storage. The ships have interconnecting stateroom, but since space that connects also conducts sound, each has a vestibule with a double set of doors to muffle sound. Triple and quad rooms all have trundle beds that extend from couches as well as Pullman beds, meaning parents can put smaller children in the lower trundles. Staterooms are roughly 295 to 300 square feet, not including balconies. The ship has WiFi, staterooms have 32-inch flat screen TVs, while suites have larger flat-screen TVs. There is also the new AquaClass, which is tied into the ship's spa. It includes 130 of the ship's 1,425 staterooms. Celebrity Solstice is the line's first in a class for four 2,850-passenger vessels. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, which constructed the line's Century-class fleet, is building the 122,000-GRT ship. For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.com or www.cruisecelebritysolstice.com
Monday, September 17, 2007
Azamara Journey Review from clients
Debbie and Ron are seasoned cruisers and have sailed everything from Carnival to Princess to Cunard but really took to the Voyager class ships from Royal Caribbean. They sailed to Bermuda last summer on the Explorer of the Seas to celebrate Debbie's parent's 50th wedding anniversary and sailed last week on the new Azamara Journey. Here is their review:
We’re back “safe and sound” and had a very enjoyable cruise. As I mentioned, had just finished putting together a review, my session timed out and I lost it all… So here goes it from what I remember…
Embarkation– Went very smoothly. They changed the parking facilities at Port Bayonne and moved them away from the dry docks and construction of the new pier. Ron also heard that they were going to construct an indoor parking facility. I hope it’s in place for our February cruise! We arrived at 1:00, dropped off our luggage and utilized the handicapped parking section. We got one of the few spots left in that section. We went through security and made our way over to the counter. There were no lines and we breezed through registration since we had done the online check in. We had our picture taken and walked onto the ship. The staff greeted us with a choice of mimosa or a glass of champagne and we were in our cabin by 1:15! The muster drill was different than any other we’ve ever been through. Our muster station was the dining room. We went down there, listened to the instructions and were then led to the life boats.
Buffet Dining – The buffet area is small and congested. We generally had trouble finding a place to sit. We used the buffet for lunch the days we were in port and for breakfast the last morning. It was very crowded and we generally had a hard time finding a place to sit and eat. The buffet consisted of a salad bar and freshly made Caesar salads, a sandwich station, cold side dish station, a carving station (one item and it changed day to day), hot prepared main dishes and side dishes, dessert, fresh fruit and ice cream station. For breakfast, there was a station that had French toast, pancakes and waffles, and station for freshly made omelets, hot sides (bacon, sausage, blintzes, etc), cereal, pastry and fresh fruit. I mostly had Caesar salad and cheese and crackers for lunch. They were very good. Ron said most of the hot foods were always cold. This is why I don’t like buffets!
Discoveries Dining Room – Breakfast was mediocre and the service wasn’t that great. I asked for Iced Tea one morning, never got it and when I asked one of the waiters about it, I was told “Ask your waiter”. I made the mistake of asking for scrambled eggs one morning and was very disappointed. I think they were made with powdered eggs; they had no taste. They also ran out of tomato juice by the end of the cruise. Lunch was better. I had seared tuna for lunch one day and it was fabulous! The lunch and dinner meals were generally very good. One of the assistant head waiters was very friendly. We were talking to him one day and I told him how much I had enjoyed the Goat Cheese and Potato Tart and he offered to have the chef make it for me another night. I took him up on it and he did! It was FABULOUS!!!
Specialty Dining – We went up to “Prime C” for reservations on Saturday after checking out the ship (3:00). We were able to get a reservation for Wednesday night at 6:00. Earlier nights we would have had to taken a 9:30 reservation and that was too late for us. My observation… it seems that the Captains Club members get two complementary evenings, they were able to make reservations earlier than the cruise and they took up most of the reservations. Our dinner and the service were both INCREDIBLE. We really enjoyed it overlooking Front Street in Hamilton. (Suite guests get 2 free dinners at the specialty restaurants so that may have been the reason the time slots booked up so quickly)
Excursions – Since we’ve been to Bermuda several times and since my knees aren’t quite what they should be these days, we opted not to use any of the excursions. We asked about a taxi tour and rejected it when we were told it would be $108.00. Instead what we did was get a two day transportation pass and tour the island by bus and ferry following the maps. We were able to see most of the sites and talk to some of the Bermudians. One of them was telling us that there is an average of one fatality each month on the scooters. While walking down Front Street, we passed by the scooter rentals and noticed most them had bald tires. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.
Entertainment – The Cabaret singers performed twice during the cruise. They had okay voices on their own, but had very good harmony and sounded good when they sang together. This is a good example of “the sum of the parts being greater than the parts themselves”. The magician/musician (Bob Brizendine) was hysterical and we enjoyed his shows the most. The lounge singer (Geoffrey Tozer) was mediocre. It was like watching karaoke. The last performer was a comedian/musician (Bill Mulligan) who took peoples names and made up songs about where they were from and what they did. He was quite good.
Cruise Director – Andrea is from Italy and was a Chemical Engineer before getting his MBA from a California university. How he ended up as a cruise director is still a question, but I’m glad he did. He was delightful and was the most approachable cruise director we’ve ever run into. His passion is astronomy and he gave a lecture on it during the cruise. He also did three “star gazing” sessions and they were great. We went up to deck 11, the lights were turned off and he pointed out the stars, planets and constellations by laser pointer. He was actually at the end of ramp when we got off the ship shaking hands and saying goodbye to everyone.
Enrichment Series – Dr. Joel Klass (physician and psychotherapist) gave three lectures during the week on Hired Guns (How experts can influence juries), Stress (How to eliminate it from your life) and Dreams (How to interpret them). He was very informative and easy to listen to. He has a very dry sense of humor and it was peppered throughout his lectures and the conversations we had with him. He sat with us at dinner one night and I laughed throughout dinner.
Aquaspa – This was one of the highlights of my cruise. I ended up having three massages and a facial. Long story, short… but one of the massage therapists was the best I ever used. I had two deep tissue massages and she was extremely thorough and used techniques other than traditional massage. (I offered to bring her home.) The aesthetician who did my facial was very friendly and very gentle. I felt great when it was over. As usual, there is always a hard sell for products at the end of each session, but I’ve been able to fend them off by saying I have tons of product (which I do). Ron took advantage of the Thalassotherapy pool every day and enjoyed it.
Cabin – The cabin was a bit smaller than what we’re used to. We had a queen sized bed (no rounded corners as on the RCL beds), down comforter and pillows. The bathroom was much smaller than I expected. The shower was TINY!!! However, the Elemis products (soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion) were a welcome addition.
We asked the “butler”/cabin steward to remove the contents of the mini fridge and replace it with Diet Coke. On past cruises, at the end of the cruise, they counted up how many were consumed and charged us based on that. On Azamara, they charged the full amount to our bill right away. It wasn’t until we questioned an item on our statement that we found out that we prepaid for all of it.
There was fresh fruit in our cabin every day and the fresh flowers in our cabin lasted all week. One of the nicer attributes of the cabin was the balcony. It had a dining table and two chairs. We took advantage of it and had breakfast on our balcony the mornings we were in port. Breakfast was delivered on time, was hot and they called right before delivery. We did order canapés one day and they were good. Instead of the traditional piece of chocolate on our pillow each night we received a variety of treats (a miniature rose, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, cookies, etc.).
General Comments – We were probably some of the youngest couples on the ship. Many of the passengers were 70+. We enjoyed being on a smaller ship. It’s very tastefully decorated; lots of wood paneling and moulding. I don’t recall seeing any handicapped bathrooms. Everyone we met was very friendly. There was no problem getting lounge chairs at any time and they were very comfortable. Many of the public areas are much smaller than on the other ships we’ve been on (elevators, hallways, stairwells, etc.). However, we missed the walk-around promenade. The cabaret lounge furniture was not the most comfortable.
We’ve heard lots of rumors about them not allowing cruise ships in to Hamilton next year. Not sure if it’s true or not. If true, it will be a shame. We also heard that most of the Celebrity crew will be leaving before the ship goes to Orient. They will be filling the staff with their own staff. If I think of anything else, I’ll send it along.
Regards,
Debbie
When I followed up with Debbie on how she would compare her cruise experience on the Journey to the experience on the Explorer of the Seas, this was her response:
It's hard to compare them; they're both so different. It’s going to depend on what the person is looking for. The Journey is a much more intimate experience while the Explorer is a bigger, WOW kind of ship.
The biggest advantage of the Journey is that it gets into Hamilton and St. George. We were on deck when we were going through the cut into St. George and saw the cannon fired and heard the town crier. Being in town definitely has its advantages. Going from the dockyard to Hamilton takes about 45 minutes by ferry or bus and you have to wait for them. While we were in Hamilton, we sat out on the promenade and watched and listened to the street festival. I also loved the fact that we got to see so much of the cruise director and crew. On the Explorer, we rarely got to see any of the crew, let alone talk to them. The food might have been a tad better on Journey over the Explorer; but not significantly. As I mentioned earlier, we really liked having the table on the balcony for breakfasts in the cabin. The Explorer doesn't have this. I think the shows on the Explorer were better. The theatre on the Explorer class of ships is much more comfortable (seats and views). Big, extravagant stage shows vs. small, intimate, cabaret style shows. If you arrive late, you'll have a hard time finding a seat let alone seeing the show.
If someone is looking for more athletic activities, then the Explorer is the better way to go. There aren't many on Journey (shuffleboard, jogging track and gym) vs. Explorer (rock climbing wall, skating, miniature golf, in line skating, basketball, shuffleboard, jogging, gym). If you're looking for more group activities, I think the Explorer is better. There were lots of trivia contests on Journey; none of the hairy chest, Quest, etc. The Journey appears to be geared toward more mature adults (lecture series, computer classes, cooking demonstration, etc.). Since the Journey isn't geared toward children, there are no children's activities. Obviously, Explorer has Ocean Adventure Club.
We’re back “safe and sound” and had a very enjoyable cruise. As I mentioned, had just finished putting together a review, my session timed out and I lost it all… So here goes it from what I remember…
Embarkation– Went very smoothly. They changed the parking facilities at Port Bayonne and moved them away from the dry docks and construction of the new pier. Ron also heard that they were going to construct an indoor parking facility. I hope it’s in place for our February cruise! We arrived at 1:00, dropped off our luggage and utilized the handicapped parking section. We got one of the few spots left in that section. We went through security and made our way over to the counter. There were no lines and we breezed through registration since we had done the online check in. We had our picture taken and walked onto the ship. The staff greeted us with a choice of mimosa or a glass of champagne and we were in our cabin by 1:15! The muster drill was different than any other we’ve ever been through. Our muster station was the dining room. We went down there, listened to the instructions and were then led to the life boats.
Buffet Dining – The buffet area is small and congested. We generally had trouble finding a place to sit. We used the buffet for lunch the days we were in port and for breakfast the last morning. It was very crowded and we generally had a hard time finding a place to sit and eat. The buffet consisted of a salad bar and freshly made Caesar salads, a sandwich station, cold side dish station, a carving station (one item and it changed day to day), hot prepared main dishes and side dishes, dessert, fresh fruit and ice cream station. For breakfast, there was a station that had French toast, pancakes and waffles, and station for freshly made omelets, hot sides (bacon, sausage, blintzes, etc), cereal, pastry and fresh fruit. I mostly had Caesar salad and cheese and crackers for lunch. They were very good. Ron said most of the hot foods were always cold. This is why I don’t like buffets!
Discoveries Dining Room – Breakfast was mediocre and the service wasn’t that great. I asked for Iced Tea one morning, never got it and when I asked one of the waiters about it, I was told “Ask your waiter”. I made the mistake of asking for scrambled eggs one morning and was very disappointed. I think they were made with powdered eggs; they had no taste. They also ran out of tomato juice by the end of the cruise. Lunch was better. I had seared tuna for lunch one day and it was fabulous! The lunch and dinner meals were generally very good. One of the assistant head waiters was very friendly. We were talking to him one day and I told him how much I had enjoyed the Goat Cheese and Potato Tart and he offered to have the chef make it for me another night. I took him up on it and he did! It was FABULOUS!!!
Specialty Dining – We went up to “Prime C” for reservations on Saturday after checking out the ship (3:00). We were able to get a reservation for Wednesday night at 6:00. Earlier nights we would have had to taken a 9:30 reservation and that was too late for us. My observation… it seems that the Captains Club members get two complementary evenings, they were able to make reservations earlier than the cruise and they took up most of the reservations. Our dinner and the service were both INCREDIBLE. We really enjoyed it overlooking Front Street in Hamilton. (Suite guests get 2 free dinners at the specialty restaurants so that may have been the reason the time slots booked up so quickly)
Excursions – Since we’ve been to Bermuda several times and since my knees aren’t quite what they should be these days, we opted not to use any of the excursions. We asked about a taxi tour and rejected it when we were told it would be $108.00. Instead what we did was get a two day transportation pass and tour the island by bus and ferry following the maps. We were able to see most of the sites and talk to some of the Bermudians. One of them was telling us that there is an average of one fatality each month on the scooters. While walking down Front Street, we passed by the scooter rentals and noticed most them had bald tires. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.
Entertainment – The Cabaret singers performed twice during the cruise. They had okay voices on their own, but had very good harmony and sounded good when they sang together. This is a good example of “the sum of the parts being greater than the parts themselves”. The magician/musician (Bob Brizendine) was hysterical and we enjoyed his shows the most. The lounge singer (Geoffrey Tozer) was mediocre. It was like watching karaoke. The last performer was a comedian/musician (Bill Mulligan) who took peoples names and made up songs about where they were from and what they did. He was quite good.
Cruise Director – Andrea is from Italy and was a Chemical Engineer before getting his MBA from a California university. How he ended up as a cruise director is still a question, but I’m glad he did. He was delightful and was the most approachable cruise director we’ve ever run into. His passion is astronomy and he gave a lecture on it during the cruise. He also did three “star gazing” sessions and they were great. We went up to deck 11, the lights were turned off and he pointed out the stars, planets and constellations by laser pointer. He was actually at the end of ramp when we got off the ship shaking hands and saying goodbye to everyone.
Enrichment Series – Dr. Joel Klass (physician and psychotherapist) gave three lectures during the week on Hired Guns (How experts can influence juries), Stress (How to eliminate it from your life) and Dreams (How to interpret them). He was very informative and easy to listen to. He has a very dry sense of humor and it was peppered throughout his lectures and the conversations we had with him. He sat with us at dinner one night and I laughed throughout dinner.
Aquaspa – This was one of the highlights of my cruise. I ended up having three massages and a facial. Long story, short… but one of the massage therapists was the best I ever used. I had two deep tissue massages and she was extremely thorough and used techniques other than traditional massage. (I offered to bring her home.) The aesthetician who did my facial was very friendly and very gentle. I felt great when it was over. As usual, there is always a hard sell for products at the end of each session, but I’ve been able to fend them off by saying I have tons of product (which I do). Ron took advantage of the Thalassotherapy pool every day and enjoyed it.
Cabin – The cabin was a bit smaller than what we’re used to. We had a queen sized bed (no rounded corners as on the RCL beds), down comforter and pillows. The bathroom was much smaller than I expected. The shower was TINY!!! However, the Elemis products (soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion) were a welcome addition.
We asked the “butler”/cabin steward to remove the contents of the mini fridge and replace it with Diet Coke. On past cruises, at the end of the cruise, they counted up how many were consumed and charged us based on that. On Azamara, they charged the full amount to our bill right away. It wasn’t until we questioned an item on our statement that we found out that we prepaid for all of it.
There was fresh fruit in our cabin every day and the fresh flowers in our cabin lasted all week. One of the nicer attributes of the cabin was the balcony. It had a dining table and two chairs. We took advantage of it and had breakfast on our balcony the mornings we were in port. Breakfast was delivered on time, was hot and they called right before delivery. We did order canapés one day and they were good. Instead of the traditional piece of chocolate on our pillow each night we received a variety of treats (a miniature rose, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates, cookies, etc.).
General Comments – We were probably some of the youngest couples on the ship. Many of the passengers were 70+. We enjoyed being on a smaller ship. It’s very tastefully decorated; lots of wood paneling and moulding. I don’t recall seeing any handicapped bathrooms. Everyone we met was very friendly. There was no problem getting lounge chairs at any time and they were very comfortable. Many of the public areas are much smaller than on the other ships we’ve been on (elevators, hallways, stairwells, etc.). However, we missed the walk-around promenade. The cabaret lounge furniture was not the most comfortable.
We’ve heard lots of rumors about them not allowing cruise ships in to Hamilton next year. Not sure if it’s true or not. If true, it will be a shame. We also heard that most of the Celebrity crew will be leaving before the ship goes to Orient. They will be filling the staff with their own staff. If I think of anything else, I’ll send it along.
Regards,
Debbie
When I followed up with Debbie on how she would compare her cruise experience on the Journey to the experience on the Explorer of the Seas, this was her response:
It's hard to compare them; they're both so different. It’s going to depend on what the person is looking for. The Journey is a much more intimate experience while the Explorer is a bigger, WOW kind of ship.
The biggest advantage of the Journey is that it gets into Hamilton and St. George. We were on deck when we were going through the cut into St. George and saw the cannon fired and heard the town crier. Being in town definitely has its advantages. Going from the dockyard to Hamilton takes about 45 minutes by ferry or bus and you have to wait for them. While we were in Hamilton, we sat out on the promenade and watched and listened to the street festival. I also loved the fact that we got to see so much of the cruise director and crew. On the Explorer, we rarely got to see any of the crew, let alone talk to them. The food might have been a tad better on Journey over the Explorer; but not significantly. As I mentioned earlier, we really liked having the table on the balcony for breakfasts in the cabin. The Explorer doesn't have this. I think the shows on the Explorer were better. The theatre on the Explorer class of ships is much more comfortable (seats and views). Big, extravagant stage shows vs. small, intimate, cabaret style shows. If you arrive late, you'll have a hard time finding a seat let alone seeing the show.
If someone is looking for more athletic activities, then the Explorer is the better way to go. There aren't many on Journey (shuffleboard, jogging track and gym) vs. Explorer (rock climbing wall, skating, miniature golf, in line skating, basketball, shuffleboard, jogging, gym). If you're looking for more group activities, I think the Explorer is better. There were lots of trivia contests on Journey; none of the hairy chest, Quest, etc. The Journey appears to be geared toward more mature adults (lecture series, computer classes, cooking demonstration, etc.). Since the Journey isn't geared toward children, there are no children's activities. Obviously, Explorer has Ocean Adventure Club.
The Azamara Journey and soon to be available, the Quest, are not going to be the perfect cruise ship for everyone. They are not going to cater to families. The age range of the guests may be older during off season (as Bermuda is in September) and since they are doing 12+ night itineraries in the winter. However, next summer in Europe, I would anticipate the 2 Azamara ships to have an upscale, more sophisticated, more middle aged client who wants to feel pampered in an elegant environment. They will be seasoned travelers, and might very likely have cruised with their families but the cruise to Europe will be just for them or possibly themselves and another couple or 2. The fact that the ships are smaller means they can get into more unique ports and avoid tendering (ferrying) guests to the dock. All in all, Azamara has started to attract the clients that it is looking for and, I feel, will continue to play a major role in the upscale cruise line market
Friday, September 7, 2007
DisneyWorld Vacation Review
Young Adult’s Review of Disney
The Magical Express upon arriving in Orlando was very efficient. After landing, it was easy to find where to go to get the transfers. The staff was friendly and it took less than 5 minutes to register and get right on the bus. The bus ride to Port Orleans Riverside took about 25 minutes. It was the 2nd stop of 3 stops. It was such a convenience not to have to deal with the luggage.
Check In
Since we arrived with the others from the Magical Express bus, there was about a 10 minute wait to check in. Otherwise, check in was efficient. If you made dinner reservations prior to arrival, you must go to the Dining Concierge to get your confirmation. CHECK ALL OF THE DATES AND TIMES OF THE RESERVATIONS- we had a major error on our dinner for the first night.
Room
We were in the Alligator Bayou section of the Riverside resort in building 24. It was just about the furthest you could be from the front lobby. Although we didn’t pay for a king bedded room, we were assigned a room with a king bed. We later realized that it was a handicapped room, which made the odd lay out and bathroom understandable. There is adequate storage, TV, small refrigerator and a very small wall safe. The safe will hold your wallets but not much else so if you need to lock larger items like a lap top, you might want to use the concierge for that.
The bathroom was large but didn’t have a lock on the door. There was a large sink/vanity top but no other storage.
Pools were nice and open late and the food court had great choices.
Mama Melrose and the Fantasmic Package
Food was decent, friendly waiters-although a bit slow. Bill for 2 came to $82.15- thank goodness for the free dining plan!
Fantasmic is a MUST SEE. Plan to get there early for a good seat. It is first come, first served (even with the entrance package from Mama Melrose). We got there 1 hour ahead and it was ¾ filled.
MGM
Get fast pass. Kiosks tended to close around 6:30PM. Most shows have their last showing around 5pm.
Indiana Jones Stunt show as cute.
Beauty and the Beast Live was very cute.
Tower of Terror- good
Rockin Roller Coaster- get fast pass.
The wait times are listed at the entrance to all attractions.
Bus transportation
Be prepared to wait for the buses. Plan about 1 hour to get to your destination although the actual time was closer to ½ hour.
Epcot
Get fast pass for your choice of ride and then go to the character greeting. Lines can get long very fast.
Many of the rides are inside (which is great when you are there the end of August)
Soaring- excellent
Honey I Shrunk the Audience- cute and you don’t need fast pass
Living with the Land- nice soft ride
Circle of Life- very environmental- It was OK. Made a good filler.
Nemo- cute- nice ride
Maelstrom- good but short
Lunch at the Electric Umbrella was decent- about $12 each
Dinner at Alfredo di Roma was good with prompt service but the restaurant was loud and crowded. Dinner ran $86.94 for 2.
Illuminations- great show with the best views from Italy.
Animal Kingdom
Get there when it first opens and go right to fast pass for Expedition Everest.
Next do the Kali River Rapids and then head to the Safari. You’ll be able to cover all of them in a relatively short time.
Expedition Everest- very good
Kali River Rapids- you will get wet. Great to cool down in the August heat
Safari- do it
Dinosaur- inside ride- cute.
The Animal Kingdom is hotter by a couple of degrees than the other parks because of all of the trees.
*most rides have pouches to hold your belongings (like back packs and bags).
Magic Kingdom
Do Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, It’s a Small World (good for pictures) and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Jungle Cruise isn’t great but it is only a short wait with fast pass. Hall of Presidents movie wasn’t great but the presentation was cute.
See the Dreams Come True Parade and the Electro Spectro Magic Parade.
Wishes- best view was from the train station
Lunch at Pinochios was good- still ran about $25 for 2.
Do the Characters in the early morning.
Dinner at the Grand Floridian Café was ok- not wonderful food but a nice atmosphere with the characters. Service was good and the bill came to about $75 for 2.
Blizzard beach and Typhoon Lagoon
Go early and rent a locker for $7 for a large locker with a $5 refundable deposit.
California Grill
Good service, good atmosphere. Good filet mignon.
Comedy Warehouse- Downtown Disney
Cute improv show.
Concourse Steakhouse- Excellent- Our Favorite.
In all, the dining plan is definitely worth while getting. We went during the free dining plan promotion (usually available in late August – September and again in May). Even at the current rates of $39.99 per adult per day, it is worthwhile.
You get 1 counter service meal (entrée, drink and dessert) which usually came to about $12 pp daily. We saved the dessert for later. You get a snack with a value of up to $4 daily. One day, I had soup and breadsticks in the food court of the hotel.
The dinner includes appetizer or soup, entrée, non alcoholic beverage and dessert. They also include the tip. The average price for dinner daily was $40 per person which is the price of the meal plan. There are some signature restaurants like the California Grill and the Dinner shows which take 2 sit down dinner coupons.
Stef and Dave
August 2007
The Magical Express upon arriving in Orlando was very efficient. After landing, it was easy to find where to go to get the transfers. The staff was friendly and it took less than 5 minutes to register and get right on the bus. The bus ride to Port Orleans Riverside took about 25 minutes. It was the 2nd stop of 3 stops. It was such a convenience not to have to deal with the luggage.
Check In
Since we arrived with the others from the Magical Express bus, there was about a 10 minute wait to check in. Otherwise, check in was efficient. If you made dinner reservations prior to arrival, you must go to the Dining Concierge to get your confirmation. CHECK ALL OF THE DATES AND TIMES OF THE RESERVATIONS- we had a major error on our dinner for the first night.
Room
We were in the Alligator Bayou section of the Riverside resort in building 24. It was just about the furthest you could be from the front lobby. Although we didn’t pay for a king bedded room, we were assigned a room with a king bed. We later realized that it was a handicapped room, which made the odd lay out and bathroom understandable. There is adequate storage, TV, small refrigerator and a very small wall safe. The safe will hold your wallets but not much else so if you need to lock larger items like a lap top, you might want to use the concierge for that.
The bathroom was large but didn’t have a lock on the door. There was a large sink/vanity top but no other storage.
Pools were nice and open late and the food court had great choices.
Mama Melrose and the Fantasmic Package
Food was decent, friendly waiters-although a bit slow. Bill for 2 came to $82.15- thank goodness for the free dining plan!
Fantasmic is a MUST SEE. Plan to get there early for a good seat. It is first come, first served (even with the entrance package from Mama Melrose). We got there 1 hour ahead and it was ¾ filled.
MGM
Get fast pass. Kiosks tended to close around 6:30PM. Most shows have their last showing around 5pm.
Indiana Jones Stunt show as cute.
Beauty and the Beast Live was very cute.
Tower of Terror- good
Rockin Roller Coaster- get fast pass.
The wait times are listed at the entrance to all attractions.
Bus transportation
Be prepared to wait for the buses. Plan about 1 hour to get to your destination although the actual time was closer to ½ hour.
Epcot
Get fast pass for your choice of ride and then go to the character greeting. Lines can get long very fast.
Many of the rides are inside (which is great when you are there the end of August)
Soaring- excellent
Honey I Shrunk the Audience- cute and you don’t need fast pass
Living with the Land- nice soft ride
Circle of Life- very environmental- It was OK. Made a good filler.
Nemo- cute- nice ride
Maelstrom- good but short
Lunch at the Electric Umbrella was decent- about $12 each
Dinner at Alfredo di Roma was good with prompt service but the restaurant was loud and crowded. Dinner ran $86.94 for 2.
Illuminations- great show with the best views from Italy.
Animal Kingdom
Get there when it first opens and go right to fast pass for Expedition Everest.
Next do the Kali River Rapids and then head to the Safari. You’ll be able to cover all of them in a relatively short time.
Expedition Everest- very good
Kali River Rapids- you will get wet. Great to cool down in the August heat
Safari- do it
Dinosaur- inside ride- cute.
The Animal Kingdom is hotter by a couple of degrees than the other parks because of all of the trees.
*most rides have pouches to hold your belongings (like back packs and bags).
Magic Kingdom
Do Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, It’s a Small World (good for pictures) and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Jungle Cruise isn’t great but it is only a short wait with fast pass. Hall of Presidents movie wasn’t great but the presentation was cute.
See the Dreams Come True Parade and the Electro Spectro Magic Parade.
Wishes- best view was from the train station
Lunch at Pinochios was good- still ran about $25 for 2.
Do the Characters in the early morning.
Dinner at the Grand Floridian Café was ok- not wonderful food but a nice atmosphere with the characters. Service was good and the bill came to about $75 for 2.
Blizzard beach and Typhoon Lagoon
Go early and rent a locker for $7 for a large locker with a $5 refundable deposit.
California Grill
Good service, good atmosphere. Good filet mignon.
Comedy Warehouse- Downtown Disney
Cute improv show.
Concourse Steakhouse- Excellent- Our Favorite.
In all, the dining plan is definitely worth while getting. We went during the free dining plan promotion (usually available in late August – September and again in May). Even at the current rates of $39.99 per adult per day, it is worthwhile.
You get 1 counter service meal (entrée, drink and dessert) which usually came to about $12 pp daily. We saved the dessert for later. You get a snack with a value of up to $4 daily. One day, I had soup and breadsticks in the food court of the hotel.
The dinner includes appetizer or soup, entrée, non alcoholic beverage and dessert. They also include the tip. The average price for dinner daily was $40 per person which is the price of the meal plan. There are some signature restaurants like the California Grill and the Dinner shows which take 2 sit down dinner coupons.
Stef and Dave
August 2007
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