John Honeywell, Author at Captain Greybeard

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

Dinner show will be a big draw

Disney imagineer Bob Zalk with a cartoon character drawn by his wife, Diane One of the unique features of a Disney cruise is that there are three main dining rooms which families eat in each night - taking table companions and waiters with them. Like Disney Dream, the new ship Disney Fantasy has an Enchanted Garden restaurant, inspired by the palace of Versailles. The elegant Royal Court restaurant, with detailed design touches that incorporate Cinderella's glass slipper and Snow White's magic mirror, is the equivalent of the sister ship's Royal Palace. On both ships, the third selection is Animator's Palate, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 13 January 2012|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Welcome to the Fantasy

Disney Fantasy is a sister for cruise ship Disney Dream, and there's little more than a year between them, so it would be reasonable to assume they are almost identical, right? Wrong. Seen from quayside, they might be almost indistinguishable - apart from the gold-embossed name on the side and the figure of Dumbo at the stern instead of Sorcerer Mickey Mouse. But inside there's a host of differences. Some were born out of the experience of what worked best on Dream and what wasn't quite perfect; others have been made to adapt the ship for longer cruises. It may [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 13 January 2012|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

On board Disney’s newest ship

My report from Disney Fantasy will be available soon. There are far more differences from sister ship Disney Dream than I expected - some of them minor tweaks made with the benefit of experience of operating the earlier ship, some of them changes to take account of the fact Fantasy will be operating longer seven-day itineraries than Dream. In the meantime, here's a teaser picture taken up on Deck 12.

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 12 January 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments

Adonia back on course for S America

A rapidly-scheduled drydock for what P&O would only describe as "essential repairs" was completed a day early this week, allowing the ship an extra 24 hours preparation before setting off on an 87-night voyage around South America. The post-Christmas cruise from Naples for 700 passengers was cancelled in order for the work to be done. While P&O refused to go into detail, speculation ranged from faulty stabilisers to an oil leak, possibly caused by a rope getting wrapped around a propeller shaft. There were no signs of trouble when I was on board the 11-year-old ship in November, and whatever [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 12 January 2012|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|2 Comments

Fred bags bowls title on BBC

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines will be featuring regularly on BBC television in the next few days as the World Indoor Bowls Championships reach their final stages. The company has entered into a sponsorship deal with championship hosts Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk, which has committed more than £3 million in sponsorship and prize money since 1999. This year's event begins tomorrow, January 13, and live TV coverage will be broadcast by the BBC from January 23 to 29. The sponsorship deal is a partnership with Potters' new specialist company No Fly Cruising, which is working with Fred Olsen to provide [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-01-12T15:21:05+00:00 12 January 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments