Are all Balcony cabins the same or are some special?

So are all Balcony cabins the same or do some have that little bit extra that make them special so you want to book that cabin?

What about the Hump, twin or sweet 16? No, this is not risqué or anything to do with camels but nicknames and marketing speak for cruising's less common, but well-loved balcony cabins. So let me explain a bit and also add a few more to this little list.

The Hump

Can be found on many modern cruise ships that have undulating superstructures. The "wave" running port and starboard creates variation in balcony sizes, so those cruisers in the know can book a cabin that falls within a certain category, but has bonus balcony space.

 

The Twin

Found on some of the new Europe-based riverboats with AMAwaterways and Viking. Due to the constraints of the locks they tend to have balconies -- basically a glass door that opens to a railing. The newer ships have seen "Twin Balcony," which couples a French balcony with a demi-version of the real thing.

The Sweet Sixteen

Now this is a new one to me, some Celebrity aficionado’s know about the "Sweet Sixteen," eight port and eight starboard balcony cabins found on the Millennium-class ships. Though the balconies are much larger than the average, the Sweet Sixteen are priced as Category 2C cabins, the cheapest balcony cabins on ship.

And what about some of the others options:

The Aft

There are countless aft facing cabins on most ships, on some thee come at a premium on others they may have a restricted view. I have a great time in a Sunset Vista cabin on Celebrity Equinox with some stunning views.

The Exposed

On Princess' Grand-class ships and P&O's Azura & Ventura because part of the ship's superstructure the larger Mini Suite cabins or Superior Deluxe cabins are a little and have a slightly larger balcony. But you do get something else, because of the stepping of the decks you are overlooked from above! Picture taken on Ventura 

The Show Stopper

What about those AquaTheatre Suites on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, from the balcony, you have front row seats to watch gymnasts flipping around on trampolines, and high divers floating and twisting down from great heights.

This comes with a hefty price though, so why not watch from your balcony on the ship berthed next door as my photo shows!

These are only a couple of options I am sure that you have ideas of others out there, why not let me know.

River Cruise, how about sailing the Elbe.

Over the last few weeks I have spoken to a number of people about European River Cruises, most have some knowledge about the Rhine and the Danube, but less about the Elbe and Portugals Douro.

So I thought I'd do a little review on the Elbe, with your holiday starting in Berlin and ending in the Beautiful city of Prague.

You will discover the natural beauty of former East Germany’s dramatic landscape, tour the opulent palaces of Saxon monarchs and stroll through beautifully landscaped gardens; sail between the dramatic sandstone cliffs of Germany’s “Saxon Switzerland.” Marvel at the baroque splendour of Dresden and see how Meissenware porcelain is produced. Walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther in historic Wittenberg and learn about the Protestant Reformation.

 

This trip is a Viking River Cruises itinerary on Viking Schumann, and there are a number of sailings during the year. As with all river cruises some of them operate in the reverse direction.

Viking Schumann

Day 1 Berlin, enjoy free time to get acquainted with the city—or join an organised tour.

Brandenburg Gate Berlin

Day 2 Potsdam & Magdeburg, tour either Sanssouci Palace, a perfect example of German rococo architecture, or the nearby New Chambers—both built by Prussian King Frederick the Great in the 18th century. Later that day transfer to Magdeburg to embark your ship

Magdeburg Cathedral

Day 3 Dessau, visit Wörlitz Park, Germany’s first landscaped park with English-style gardens and tour the castle.

Day 4 Wittenberg & Torgau, follow in Martin Luther’s footsteps to view many of Wittenberg’s historic landmarks. Later that day have an evening stroll to see fortified Hartenfels Castle, Market Square and the riverside monument commemorating the historic 1945 meeting between Russian and American troops.

Day 5 Meissen, visit the Meissenware factory, which has produced fine porcelain since the early 1700s. Later enjoy a short cruise to a glorious evening arrival in Dresden.  

Albrechtsburg Castle, Meissen

Day 6 Dresden, nicknamed “Florence on the Elbe.” See the the 19th-century residential area to the Dresden Castle complex; enter the Green Vault to see a comprehensive collection of the Saxon monarchs’ crown jewels; and of course the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) with its distinctive bell-shaped dome, which survived the World War II bombings but collapsed the following day and was later rebuilt.

Day 7 Saxon Switzerland, stunning scenery from the ship as you cruise through the magnificent, soaring rock formations of the Saxon Switzerland region. You will also see  the famous rock tower known as the Bastei (bastion), formed by water a million years ago, to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Elbe. 

Saxon Switzerland from the Bastei

Day 8 Litomerice, one of the prettiest towns in the Czech Republic. See St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Jesuit Church, historic Market Square and many residential buildings from the baroque, Renaissance and Gothic periods.

Day 9 Melnik & Prague, disembark for transfer to Prague were you will have a guided walk through Old Town  and be able to take some free time to explore on your own. Then ride to Hradcany Castle for a tour through the castle’s interior, before heading to your overnight hotel.

Day 10 Prague, check out and proceed to the airport for your return flight.

As you may be aware I did a River Cruise on the Main/Danube Canal a couple of years ago, why not read my review. If you have never done a River cruise, they are great for seeing the scenery and travelling along at a leisurely pace, so why not give it a try and give me a call.

Oceania, 10 years on

On January 6, 2013, Oceania Cruises marked its 10th anniversary. The line was founded by  Frank Del Rio, Bob Binder and Joe Watters in 2003, with a mission to deliver destination-rich itineraries, “best in class” cuisine, an inviting country club atmosphere, and luxurious accommodations all at an extraordinary value. 

Oceania Riviera

Over the last few weeks I have had a number of discussions with customers about the benefits of the various luxury cruise lines, including the quality of service and food offered by Oceania. Now I have been on Regatta on a visit in Dover and have to say it was the best food I have had on any ship.

 

Oceania has a fleet of 4 ships, with the addition of Marina in 2011 and Riviera in 2012 to the fleet of Regatta (2003) and Nautica (2005), Oceania Cruises has built an entirely new segment of the industry with its elegant, award-winning, mid-size ships and exceptional personalized service.

Have a look at my photo gallery of pictures from my visit.

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com

 

As a special feature to celebrate the anniversary there are  4 Anniversary sailings with company founders and top executives and they have developed a special 10th Anniversary dessert called ZEN, a Manjari Chocolate Bar with Milky Gianduja-Yuzu and Hazelnut Croquant featured in the Grand Dining Room.

Sound delicious!

Now I'm waiting for the first photo of the dessert, and if I am lucky enough I hope to find a sailing for me later in the year to try out the offering.

Dreaming again.............

Want something to do on a sea day?

What do you want to do when you have a sea day on your cruise, sit by the pool, read a book or undertake a more stimulating activity. That's why more and more cruise lines are not only adding enrichment-oriented programs but also expanding those that already exist.

So what are enrichment programs? interactive workshops, lectures from experts, culinary demonstrations and presentations on a variety of topics, all with the intention of making cruising more interesting.
What can you learn onboard? Some programs focus on educational topics, the cosmos, history, art, photography and computers. There's plenty of personal enhancement, with health and wellness programs that focus on everything from medical lectures to stress management. You can also learn to play the piano or speak Spanish, enhance your acting skills or even paint with watercolors.

So just a few words on a few offerings:

Cunard Line, Cunard Insights

The Cunard Insights speaker series and Cunard Book Club literary discussions are offered on all three ships. In addition on QM2 they offer Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) acting workshops, Royal Astronomical Society astronomy and stargazing presentations, and the Juilliard Jazz series. Also offered on Queen Mary 2 since 2010 is a lecture series, dubbed "The Special Relationship," focusing on the close political, diplomatic, cultural and historical ties between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Celebrity Cruises, CelebrityLife

There are multiple options to Celebrity's enrichment programs, which balance educational experiences with others that are just plain fun. "Taste" programs include culinary tours and classes on food- and wine-pairing or molecular mixology. "Revive" seminars may focus on acupuncture, skin renewal or balancing one's metabolism. Activities in the "Learn" category include everything from stargazing sessions to self-guided Rosetta Stone language-learning workshops, dance lessons and hands-on art classes.

Celebrity iLounge staffers lead classes on digital photo enhancement, Web site creation and travel blogging, and environmental programs feature talks on energy generation and recycling by the ship's officers.

Oceania, Bon Appetit Culinary Center and Artist Loft

Oceania's main enrichment focus is on food. Both Riviera and Marina feature a Bon Appetit Culinary Center with convection ovens, two-person cooking stations and themed classes, ranging from basic knife skills to the art of fish cookery and trendsetting world cuisines. The classes are heavily hands-on, with all students participating, though a couple of hour long courses focus on lectures on popular culinary topics like cheese selection and food-and-wine pairings.

If cooking's not your thing, Marina and Riviera offer a hands-on program for budding artists, where artists-in-residence give step-by-step instruction in watercolours, needlepoint, and arts and crafts.

This little list is not exhaustive and of course there are many other options. You must remember that there may well be a cost for these courses, although some are offered free; the rub of course is that the free ones may not really go into any depth.

For me I look at what is on offer to see whether it interests me.

Days lay be the pool are not really my thing, I can get bored very quickly so I am always on the lookout for that different program. I did spend 45 minutes in a presentation on Celebrity Equinox given by a first officer on the environmental programs feature talks on energy generation and recycling, it was really interesting and I could have stayed longer!

So just remember to look at your daily program when on baord and go with the flow.

Expedition Cruises - Silver Galapagos

I have noticed recently that the number of people interested in expedition cruises has grown, with more people looking at Galapagos as an itinerary.

The 3 main reasons people want to visit are:-

1. Unparalleled wildlife viewing
2. It's a year-round destination
3. Unique landscape

So lets have a look at one of the alternatives.

Answers to my quiz at the end of this post.
The Galapagos National Park works to promote sustainable tourism in protedted areas of the Galapagos, ensuring the conservation of ecological integrity and biodiversity of the archipelago, as well as contribute to the local population.

Because of this the vessels which visit these beautiful islands are all very small from small yacts taking say 16 guests to 100 guests of some of the bigger ships, the newest being Silver Galapagos from Silversea taking 100 guests, which will start voyages in late September 2013.

So what are you going to get on this ship, well the expected 6 star Silversea service and hospitality for starters. Then on your 7 day cruise you will get the complimentary excursions and experts to give you all the advice and help that you need.

If you want to see animals like these penguins, then why not give it a go and call me.

Last night watched David Attenborough on Sky 1, all about Galapagos very interesting even more reason to want to go.

Now for the results of my little quiz,

1. Ship 1 - Azamara Journey (thought the blue hull might have confused!)
2. Ship 2 - Silver Explorer
3. Ship 3 - Celebrity Millenium ( Can't wait for my cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore on her in a couple of months!)
4. Ship 4 - MSC Poesia
5. Ship 5 - Norwegian Epic

How did you do?