What's this, a rusty steel version of Jaws? No, it's the 445-ton bow section of Norwegian Cruise Lines new mega-ship, Epic, being lowered into place at the shipyard in St Nazaire, France. It took 100 workers more than two hours to get it in place and - I hope - considerably longer to make sure the joints were securely welded. The 153,000-ton, 4,200-passenger ship should be finished by next May.
As P&O's Aurora arrived back in Britain today from its world cruise, some passengers were still moaning about missing five of the 32 planned stops during the 93-day voyage. Engine problems affected the vessel when it was sailing from Australia to New Zealand, forcing an extended six-day stay in Auckland for repairs to be carried out. Southampton's Daily Echo reports that passenger Jennifer Dunthorne, who formed an action group during the cruise, said as she arribved at the city's Mayflower Terminal: "There are some really upset people here, it's been a nightmare." If your idea of a nightmare is a [...]
It was Azura Experience day yesterday, and P&O took over the Belvedere restaurant in London's Holland Park for the event. Last time I was there was way back in the Seventies, when Island Records introduced me to Jim Capaldi over lunch before whisking us off to the BBC's Top of the Pops studios. Fellow cruise writer and music journalist Barry Cain had even more reason to remember the Belvedere - he proposed to his wife there, with the help of an engagement ring cunningly concealed by a co-operative waiter, a story also remembered in his entertaining book, 77 Sulphate Strip. [...]
Imitation is, as we all know, the sincerest form of flattery. Norwegian Cruise Lines have just been paid the compliment of having their freestyle dining concept copied by Carnival, and they are now returning the favour by announcing that there will be a huge water park at the top of their new super-liner, Epic. The gentlest of the Aqua Park's water slides will plunge through the ship's rock climbing wall. A second will twist and turn through three decks and the biggest, the Epic Plunge, is claimed to be the only tube slide at sea. Passengers will ride inner tubes [...]
Hard to believe it, but this building site will be sailing to the UK in three months' time. It's the Celebrity Equinox, under construction at a German shipyard where they build ships in a vast shed rather than out in the open. The Equinox is a sister for Celebrity Solstice, which entered service last December. A third ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, under construction at the right of the picture, will be based in the UK when it begins sailing in April 2010. Each ship is over 1,000 feet long, and carries 2,850 passengers. They are built at the Meyer-Werft works [...]
I shall be posting some pictures from my Eurodam cruise to the Caribbean when I get a chance to sort out the best. In the meantime, here's a picture of three other Holland America ships lined up at their berths at San Juan, Puerto Rico earlier this year. From left, they are Zuiderdam, Noordam and Westerdam. Doesn't look like the weather was any better than when I was there.
P&O were applauded when they announced that they were including single cabins for passengers travelling solo on their new ship, Azura. Now I've realised where they are, I'm not so sure. Looking at the deck plans in the inaugural brochure, released this week, I see that the 12 outside and six inside single cabins are right next to the casino. Which means two things. There's less space for the casino and adjoining Marquis bar than in the equivalent areas on the Ventura. And secondly, those cabins had better be well soundproofed to keep out the noise of the cheering (or [...]
It's been a momentous few days for announcements from cruise companies, probably because it's the SeaTrade convention in Florida this week. Today's big reveal came from Norwegian Cruise Lines, in a press conference which was broadcast live from Miami on the internet. And now we know what's going to be in that big bulge at the forward end of their new mega-liner, Norwegian Epic. It will contain 60 villas and suites, surrounding a private courtyard and pool, and with its own restaurants and lounge area for the exclusive use of guests paying top dollar. The 46 Courtyard Villas each have [...]
Here are a few more images of Queen Elizabeth's art deco interiors, officially released by Cunard today. The Grand Lobby is three decks high and in the centre of the curving staircase will be a large marquetry mural - one of the features to be revealed in detail at a later date. The Midships Bar, on the lower level of the lobby atrium, takes its name from a bar on the original RMS Queen Elizabeth and will, says Carol Marlow, be the venue for Ivor Novello-style musical evenings around the piano. The Royal Court Theatre, seating 832, is better equipped [...]
Images of Cunard's new liner have been leaked on the internet ahead of next week's official announcement. Queen Elizabeth will be presented to the media and travel trade by the company's president, Carol Marlow, on Tuesday. However, one travel agent jumped the gun and posted pictures on their website. They were swiftly removed, but not before an enterprising member of an online cruise community grabbed them, and presented them alongside similar views of sister ship Queen Victoria. I have borrowed an impression of Elizabeth's main dining room, shown above, and I will have more after the official announcement on Tuesday [...]