Royal Clipper - want to see my picture?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that one of my interests is photography and when I am away I tend to take loads of pictures, sunsets, landscapes and even ships.

I have to be honest and say the picture above is one of my favourites of the pictures I have taken, (Just blowing my own trumpet!) and clearly isn't Royal Clipper.

Over the last few months I have found various websites that include photos of cruise ships, and the best for me is www.shipparade.com.

So having returned from the Queen Victoria, I have spent a little time sorting my pictures and deciding which ones I could upload onto their website. So, after a bit of research I decided on a picture of Star Clipper's Royal Clipper, so follow this link to see my picture.

Kung Fu Voyager

As my granddaughter is getting older, well she is nearly 14 months old now, I have been thinking about when we take her away on holiday. What have cruise ships got to keep children entertained?

Now I am not going to list all the feature, but I did notice this news article last week. Royal Caribbean International And Dreamworks Animation Expand Strategic Alliance To Voyager Of The Seas

Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have announced that they will extend the DreamWorks Experience to a fifth ship in 2012 - Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship sailing in Asia and Australia.

Po and Shrek will be among the “celebrity” characters that will engage guests of all ages, with exclusive special events and parades, interactive character breakfasts in the main dining room, and plenty of photo opportunities. The DreamWorks Experience will be in place and available to guests at the start of the summer 2012 Asia season.

First launched aboard Allure of the Seas in November 2010, the DreamWorks Experience is now available on board Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, and features some of the studio’s most popular animated films – “Kung Fu Panda,” “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Royal Caribbean International’s Adam Goldstein said:

“Expanding the DreamWorks Experience to Voyager of the Seas further illustrates our commitment to the China market, and the Asia and Australia region. This is really going to set us apart as an international cruise line that delivers the very best in family entertainment for guests around the world.”

DreamWorks Animation’s Lew Coleman added:

“At DreamWorks Animation we are always looking for new and expanded opportunities for our fans and for families in particular to interact with our characters and our brand. Royal Caribbean International offers a one-of-a-kind experience for their customers and we very much look forward to extending our entertainment offering in Asia.”

Now, there are a couple of points for me here, firstly I think I need a lesson on these children's characters as it is something I have little or no knowledge of. Secondly, I think Australia might be too far for her first cruise, I will need to look for something nearer home.

Another port of call - Santorini

So having made Santorini, some 30 years after I originally should have gone, I thought I'd write a port review.

Santorini Panorama - 12th September 2011

You can just see the donkeys in the bottom left corner starting their perilous journey back down to sea level!

Why read my review of the Queen Victoria cruise, with some more photo's of Santorini

Now the touristy bits...

SANTORINI, also called Thera or Thira, lies to the south of the central Cyclades group of Greek islands. It is considered the hottest holiday spot in the Cyclades in more ways than one. Born in a massive volcanic eruption, fumes still rise offshore.

Santorini satisfies the up-market end of the Greek island holidays market with many luxury hotels, and cruise ships bring holiday visitors ready to gasp at the romantic sunset skies, and turn on to the island's hot nightclubs.

Spectacular is a word that applies more to Santorini than most. Visitors sailing into the flooded caldera are greeted by dizzying cliffs with dazzling white villages plastered like dollops of cream on the sky-hugging rim. An island of extraordinary contrasts, Santorini can be both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply unattractive. The sheer cliffs of red and black can feel intimidating and the black volcanic sands hold the heat. White cube houses and blue dome churches tumble attractively down the cliffsides but streets are full of expensive cafes, trendy shops and near nightmare swarms of tourists.

There are a couple of ways to get to the village, either walk or take the donkey - not my idea of a good time; use the chair lift, queues permitting or take a cruise line excursion which take you to a low lying port and so missing out on the queues or hike!

As you can see from my photo, it is a tender from the ship to the land and these are run by the locals, so no need to lower the lifeboats. Later on that day an MSC ship also came into the bay, a very busy time!

Its a lovely place, and certainly lived up to my expectations but it does get very busy and smelly with all the donkeys going up or down the paths!

Restricted view, is it the same with each Cruise Line?

Having just got back from my cruise on Queen Victoria I was asked a question by a passenger about restricted view cabins and this made me think about any differences between the cruise lines.

 A restricted view cabin

I spoke about this when I came back from my ship visit to the Celebrity Eclipse in July, read my review here, so what is there a difference between Cunard and Celebrity in how the categorise restricted view cabins.

So on the Solstice Class ships with Celebrity, the 2D & 2C balcony cabins on Continental Deck (Deck 6) are sold with a restricted view, the system says about 30% restriction. As you can see from the picture, you are just over the lifeboats so your restriction is in your downwards view.

Celebrity Eclipse

Now on the QV, and also the QE , the A4 balcony cabins on deck 4 are sold as clear view, but if you look at the picture below of the QV, the A4's on Deck 4 are just above the lifeboats on the left of the picture.

Queen Victoria

Is this any different to the 2D & 2C's on the Eclipse? I don't think they are; yet the cruise lines have a different opinion as to what constitutes a restricted view.

If I did not know and took the A4 on Cunard I would be less than happy, especially as they cabins have a slight overhang! See the picture below.

A4 cabins deck 5

So the moral of the story is, always ask your cruise specialist because we can give you these bits of knowledge that others might not be able to.