January 2012 - Page 2 of 4 - Captain Greybeard

Cruise ship rescues 3 from trimaran

Ruby Princess rescues boat adrift at sea from Anton Anderssen on Vimeo. Passengers on a cruise ship in the Bahamas watched enthralled last night as a rescue boat was launched to aid three sailors on a trimaran in the Bahamas. Ruby Princess - one of seven cruise ships in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday as I disembarked from Allure of the Seas - was diverted to the French sailing craft's aid. The vessel was adrift without power near Samana Cay, the largest uninhabited island in the Bahamas and believed by some to have been the site of Christopher Columbus's first landfall [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 24 January 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments

Concordia: Time for some answers

As the confirmed death toll from the Costa Concordia tragedy reaches 16, and salvage experts begin the task of safely removing 2,400 tons of fuel oil from the ship, it's time to start looking for some answers from Costa and the cruise industry as a whole. Seemingly shocked by the scale of the disaster and the recklessness of Captain Schettino, they appear to have spent the past week avoiding some serious issues rather than confronting them. Where, for example, is Micky Arison, Chief Executive of the Carnival Corporation which owns Costa Crociere? With a personal fortune estimated at $5.9 billion [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 24 January 2012|Cruise News|4 Comments

Cruise ship caught up in latest tension over Falkland Islands

Surely it couldn't be the result of The Iron Lady reaching cinema screens, with Meryl Streep's uncanny portrayal of Margaret Thatcher reminding the world of the Prime Minister who took Britain to war against Argentina in defence of the Falkland Islands. And it is unlikely to be because Prince William will soon be on duty flying helicopters over the territory his uncle Andrew once fought for. For whatever reason tension in the region is rising again. With the 30th anniversary of the 1982 conflict approaching, London and Buenos Aires are engaged in increasingly bitter exchanges. Prime Minister David Cameron accused [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-01-19T23:14:14+00:00 19 January 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

In safe hands with Captain Zini

Although I am cruising in the Western Caribbean this week aboard Allure of the Seas, I'll save reports of my experiences on the ship and our ports of call until later. But in light of the Costa Concordia disaster, it has been interesting to listen to our captain explaining the safety procedures which Royal Caribbean has in force on its ships. I spent an hour on the bridge this afternoon with Captain Hernan Zini (left) at the controls as Allure left Royal's private resort of Labadee, on the north coast of Haiti. There were no other ships in sight, and [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 18 January 2012|Cruise News|1 Comment

Will Costa put cruising on the rocks?

Those TV pictures of Costa Concordia lying precariously on its side off the rocky coast of Giglio and the scenes of chaos now emerging in video footage from rescued passengers are enough to send a chill through the heart of anyone who has ever taken a holiday on a cruise ship. The fact that it was the reckless act of a macho captain which led to the disaster goes some way to restoring faith in the on-board systems and equipment which are designed to prevent tragedies such as this. But what about customer faith in cruising itself? What effect will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-01-16T23:22:56+00:00 16 January 2012|Cruise News|2 Comments

The lessons that must be learned from Costa Concordia disaster

It's no wonder so-called shipping "experts" profess to be puzzled by the Costa Concordia disaster. A modern, well-equipped ship packed with the latest technology should not have run aground or struck an underwater rock, whether or not that rock was marked on the charts. Part of that rock is clear to see, embedded in the capsized hull (below), snapped off as the 114,500-ton cruise ship struck it while travelling at 15 knots. A lengthy tear in the steel plates of the hull give a clue as to why the vessel took on so much water and began to list so [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 15 January 2012|Cruise News|7 Comments

How cruise ship Disney Fantasy will make a big splash in the Big Apple

My tour of Disney Fantasy allowed a peek behind closed doors and roped-off areas inside the ship, where contractors were hard at work applying the finishing touches. Outside, I saw evidence of some of the extra thought that had been put into planning the open deck space, because it wouldn't do to simply copy what had gone before. Fantasy is the fourth member of the Disney fleet, but the first to be built specifically with lazy days at sea in mind. Sister ship Disney Dream, launched last year, and the Magic and Wonder, completed in 1998 and 1989, frequently operate [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 14 January 2012|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

All set for a week on Allure

Frosty mornings and chilly days won't be worrying me next week - I'm flying to Florida today to spend a week cruising in the Caribbean. Virgin Atlantic will be whisking me to Miami, and after a night at the Sheraton Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale I'll be boarding the biggest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. I was on one of her short inaugural sailings in November 2010, but this is my first opportunity to see how the giant vessel copes with 6,000-plus passengers on board. The eastern Caribbean itinerary will take us to Royal's [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 14 January 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Iron Lady is pushing the boat out

The last time my path crossed with that of Maggie Thatcher was on board Cunard's QE2, when she attended a Royal reception to mark the ship's 40th birthday, and I'm not convinced she's the best marketing tool for cruises. Others may think differently, and both Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery are linking the release of the biopic The Iron Lady to their formidable line-up of guest speakers. Former Foreign Secretary Douglas (now Lord) Hurd, who served in Maggie's Cabinet, will be travelling on board the newly-refurbished Minerva for a 15-night cruise in the Adriatic. As he was in office [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 14 January 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Entertainment, Cruise News|0 Comments

Eight passengers dead, 4,200 take to lifeboats as cruise ship hits rocks

This dramatic picture shows cruise ship Costa Concordia aground on rocks off the Italian island of Giglio after almost ramming the lighthouse at the end of the pier. About 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew were evacuated by lifeboats, although local media reports said dozens of passengers jumped into the sea. Eight were reported dead, including a man in his 70s who suffered a heart attack in the water. Several people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously, and the local mayor said he feared further casualties as it was proving difficult to rescue the last passengers. Helicopters with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 14 January 2012|Cruise News|2 Comments