Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

Marlene Dietrich would have agreed with Conte and Ross. Here's a photograph of her on deck with a typical amount of luggage. She probably had a few maids to help with the packing and unpacking.

 

Donald.

Celebrity has ordered its fifth Solstice-class ship, to be in service in 2012. When these ships start service over the next four years, the C-class ships - Century, Galaxy and Mercury - will be retired. Since the Mercury is my favourite ship, I hope to be on her final cruise whenever and wherever it is, as my nostalgia cruise. I suppose that eventually I will have to cruise on the 92,000-ton M-class ships, if I am to stick with Celebrity. Apartment barges such as Solstice class are simply too big for me.

 

Donald.

The C class ships of Celebrity are fuel guzzlers. They are wonderful ships but I doubt they will be used for any long range cruising and probably will be retired unless they can figure out a way to employ them on short range cruises. The SOLSTICE ships will actually use less fuel but who knows what the product will look like after RCI gets done with Celebrity. They seem to be melting it down so it resembles every other cruise line...OH WELL.

 

Ross

I also share your concern about traveling on Celebrity Solstice with its 3000+ passengers, however, I am intrigued by elements of its interior designs. I think Celebrity has done a great job giving their ships contemporary and elegant designs although the exteriors are clumsy looking. Solstice's main dining room is designed by Adam Tihany who is well known for decorating some high end land restaurants here in New York. The previews of what he is doing for Celebrity look great, IMO. Their website features computerized renderings. Who knows what the rest of the product will be like?

Since the Mercury is my favourite ship, I hope to be on her final cruise whenever and wherever it is, as my nostalgia cruise. I suppose that eventually I will have to cruise on the 92,000-ton M-class ships, if I am to stick with Celebrity. Apartment barges such as Solstice class are simply too big for me.Donald.

 

Somewhere in CCritic is an article about the C-class ships going out of RCI service and I seem to remember a comment about Mercury being the first to go. You might want to check it out if you want to take a nostalgia cruise like Fran will be doing on Marco Polo in just a few days.

 

On the Home page of CCritic, the photo of the week is Emerald Princess. I was stunned when I saw that photo because I rarely see those apartment barges - um, behemoths. The photo shocked me out of my shoes to think that this picture is showing the future of cruise ships. I invite you to take a gander.

 

Ruby

When I'm on the Galaxy in a couple of weeks, I'll try to ferret out information about the phasing out of Celebrity's three C-class ships.

 

I'm sure that in fifteen years the Emerald Princess will actually become a medium-size cruise ship. Surely, the way that things are going, 250,000-ton, 7,000 passenger liners will become standard in the cruise industry. Hello, Monolith of the Ocean!

 

Donald.

I don't think I will be getting too concerned about the size of ships 15 years from now. I think my cruising days will be over by then!

 

For the present, I am very happy to find myself (and Virginia of couse) on ships the size of Oceania's ships, 30,277GRT, although I might give one of their newbuilds a try when they come out.

I also think that my cruising days will be over in 15 years, which is why I am enjoying doing it now.

 

Someone posted elsewhere on this board that he fretted about having nothing to do on the cruise that he is booked on. I feel sorry for people who have lost the pleasure of simply relaxing for a week or so in this fast-paced world.

 

Donald.

On the Home page of CCritic, the photo of the week is Emerald Princess. I was stunned when I saw that photo because I rarely see those apartment barges - um, behemoths. The photo shocked me out of my shoes to think that this picture is showing the future of cruise ships. I invite you to take a gander. Ruby

 

 

HI RUBY!!!

 

If you look carefully at EMERALD PRINCESS you will see why we call the GRAND class ships "shopping carriages"...lol.

 

HI DONALD!!!

 

I agree...whatever happened to the art of relaxation. It bothers me when I here some green-horn talk about how they are afraid they are going to be bored onboard a ship. I always tell them...not to worry...there is plenty of occupational therapy...LOL.

 

Ross

Besides my other reasons for disliking the larger ships is the separation of passengers. It seems a bit daft to me that a concept of a classless society is marred by having "private courtyard area with pool, hot tub and sundeck". For others it is the "absolutely necessary balconies". More separation.

 

I think that many of the new innovations create more areas of separation according to fiscal outlay. My choice tends to be meeting new people and sharing cruise experience not as a monologue but a genuine conversation and helpfulness to and with our cruising brethren.

 

I have been extremely fortunate to meet people onboard who make my experience infinitely better.

Fran

In 2002 when I joined these boards there was a very knowledgeable gentleman posting on the Orient Lines board. His name was Peter and he lived in the Vancouver area.

I miss Peter :( . He was a wonderful man. In his later years he was quite ill, as you might remember, but he still did a 14-night round trip to Alaska from Vancouver at least once a year.

 

It seemed like Peter had been everywhere, and he could tell you anything about anyplace he'd ever been!

 

I am sorry I didn't sail in MARCO POLO until after he passed on, as he was so eager for me to try her! He was sure I'd love her, and he was right.

 

Celebrity has ordered its fifth Solstice-class ship, to be in service in 2012. When these ships start service over the next four years, the C-class ships - Century, Galaxy and Mercury - will be retired.

Is that official, now?

 

I have suspected they will go to another 'brand' in the family - TUI Cruises seems to be an obvious choice for one of them when it starts up at the end of the decade.

 

I have yet to sail in one of these, though I always have wanted to as they look like great ships. I was looking at GALAXY's cruises this summer...

 

The C class ships of Celebrity are fuel guzzlers. They are wonderful ships but I doubt they will be used for any long range cruising and probably will be retired unless they can figure out a way to employ them on short range cruises. The SOLSTICE ships will actually use less fuel but who knows what the product will look like after RCI gets done with Celebrity. They seem to be melting it down so it resembles every other cruise line...OH WELL.

This may be why CENTURY does all those 4- and 5-night cruises in the winter now. Seemed like a waste of a nice ship to me, but I guess if it saves on the fuel costs...

 

Anyhow, surely their fuel costs must pale in comparison to the MILLENNIUM-class ships? Their gas turbines must be painfully expensive to run, though I understand the diesels now being added will help significantly.

 

I imagine the SOLSTICE-class will be a huge improvement on all of them - amazingly, Celebrity's very first diesel-electric ships.

 

As for Celebrity seeming like every other cruise line, I agree. As a friend of mine said to me recently, "Celebrity still doesn't seem to know what it wants to be when it grows up." Really, what she should have said is that RCCL still doesn't seem to know what it wants Celebrity to be when it grows up. After all, Celebrity only existed in its pre-RCCL form in its very infancy, from 1990 to 1997 - not very long. It accomplished a lot in that time period and then seems to have been more or less lost ever since. RCCL has thrown a lot of money at it, but what has it actually accomplished? Lots of very nice, expensive new ships and not a whole lot else.

 

Of course, Celebrity was never RCCL's first choice anyway... It really wanted Costa, and when it didn't get that, it had all this money lined up and felt like it had to buy something, so Celebrity it was. I suspect that RCCL didn't even know what it wanted Celebrity to be when it bought it, and eleven years later, is still trying to figure it out.

 

That said, the SOLSTICE-class ships look very interesting. Very big, mind you, but the interiors are at least modern and imaginative, which is more than one can say for e.g. the new Princess ships. I am actually looking forward to the SOLSTICE-class, though I'm yet to try a CENTURY-class or MILLENNIUM-class ship! (I'm very intimately familiar with HORIZON and ZENITH, but those days are over. I was on one of ZENITH's last Bermuda cruises in 2006 - my most recent Celebrity cruise and, in a way, my own 'nostalgia cruise'. It was rather sad - the ship seemed very tired, considering she was still only 14 years old. A pale imitation of her former self, I'm afraid.)

 

On the Home page of CCritic, the photo of the week is Emerald Princess. I was stunned when I saw that photo because I rarely see those apartment barges - um, behemoths. The photo shocked me out of my shoes to think that this picture is showing the future of cruise ships. I invite you to take a gander.

I think she and her sisters must be quite simply the ugliest cruise ships at sea. One cannot help but wonder what on earth they could have been thinking when they designed that! Just dreadful.

 

But not all modern ships are ugly. For example, while they are very big, I think the VOYAGER-class and FREEDOM-class ships of Royal Caribbean are actually rather handsomely designed. They are also quite amazing on board, though most definitely not my taste.

 

I suspect the upcoming SOLSTICE-class ships will be the nicest of the 100,000 GT-plus cruise ships though. (I am not including QM2 here, as she is not really a cruise ship and thus very different.) Of course, their gross tonnage of 122,000 is not so huge now that we have Royal Caribbean building 220,000 GT ships for delivery in 2009...

 

I'm sure that in fifteen years the Emerald Princess will actually become a medium-size cruise ship. Surely, the way that things are going, 250,000-ton, 7,000 passenger liners will become standard in the cruise industry. Hello, Monolith of the Ocean!

Ships like that won't be the standard until Carnival either changes its mind or is superseded by someone else as the 800-pound gorilla of the cruise industry. Carnival decided that at least for the foreseeable future, such ships are simply too large to make sense.

 

Obviously, Royal Caribbean decided differently... But my suspicion is that its Genesis-class ships will remain in a class of their own for a long time yet. Most other cruise lines don't seem too eager to build anything even as large as the nine-year-old VOYAGER OF THE SEAS, let alone much bigger as RCCL will do.

 

In fact, with all of its current and projected ships except QM2 under 130,000 GT, Carnival could practically sell itself as 'the small ship company' ;) . Within a few years, QM2 will be the only Carnival-owned ship bigger than the biggest from NCL or MSC, and she'll be a toy compared to RCCL's biggest.

HI DOUG!!!

 

Your friend was right...RCI/Celebrity does not know what it wants to be...and hasn't for a long time. The Chandris family built Celebrity out of Chandris and Fantasy Cruises. They always gave a good cruise for a reasonable amount of money...it was always quality and value. Their concept to create a better product in Celebrity got sidetracked when RCI bought them. RCI did not seem to have a plan...and treated X like a poor relative in the process. While RCI built a super fleet...they allowed X to languish. The Millennium Class ships would have been nearly perfect if it hadn't of been for the pod problems. Although the cabin design on the M class ships leaves a bit to be desired...I like RCI better...the ships are subtly beautiful and should last a long time. The Solstice class ships will enable Celebrity to expand and profit...but I have yet to figure out the theme. You cannot claim to be a premium line and then continue to cut back on all the goodies. I think that X will become a quieter version of RCI...a bit more upscale and subdued. This would be a parallel to Carnival and Princess. Carnival has successfully sold Princess as the upscale version of Carnival. Carnival has managed to keep the bulk of their customers in their stable by transitioning them from C to P.

 

Ross

Is that official, now?

 

I have suspected they will go to another 'brand' in the family - TUI Cruises seems to be an obvious choice for one of them when it starts up at the end of the decade.

 

I don't remember where I read that the C-class ships will be retired when the Solstice-class ships are in service. I expect that the Century, Galaxy and Mercury will likely end up as European cruise liners on family-oriented discount voyages.

 

Donald.

Besides my other reasons for disliking the larger ships is the separation of passengers. It seems a bit daft to me that a concept of a classless society is marred by having "private courtyard area with pool, hot tub and sundeck". For others it is the "absolutely necessary balconies". More separation.

 

I think that many of the new innovations create more areas of separation according to fiscal outlay. My choice tends to be meeting new people and sharing cruise experience not as a monologue but a genuine conversation and helpfulness to and with our cruising brethren.

 

I have been extremely fortunate to meet people onboard who make my experience infinitely better.

Fran

 

Fran, I agree about the separation of passengers by fiscal identity on the barges. It is subtle but it is definitely there, which can be proven by the Grills Syndrome on the Queens. If there were only open dining available on the Queens, I believe an outcry of Greek proportions would ensue. By the bye, aren’t you rounding the final eighth pole for your departure for Rio?

 

I also am happy to sail as a solo passenger because of all the nice people I meet. And many times on land during my travels, I’ve smiled and asked if I could peek into a temple, or art-museum exhibit being assembled, or observe gloves being made, and I’m invited in.

 

Conversely, as a solo passenger on the Lake Tahoe tourist boat, you can take it to the bank that lunch will be served first to the teeming masses of demanding tour bus people by a frantic crew before you ever get a hot dog.

 

Enjoy your "Farewell My Lovely" voyage. We'll look forward to having you back "on board."

 

Ruby

 

Ruby

Fran, these "absolutely necessary balconies" may explain why on the final disembarkation day of each cruise I usually notice several passengers whom I never saw during the entire voyage.

 

Have a fabulous time on the Marco Polo and do tell us the highlights after your return, as I also will about next month's cruise on the Galaxy.

 

Donald.

My countdown clock is now reading 2 days 13 hours and 2 minutes until I leave for the airport. I am actually landing in Rio at 7AM which probably means that we will be in the buses around 9am. This will be too early for embarkation so I expect that we will have a sightseeing trip on the way to the ship. Having been there prior, I hope we get some clear views of the sights without the fog. Unfortunately I see that the weather forecast for Sunday is mixed with probable thunderstorms.

 

I will not allow it to rain on my parade regardless of the weather. Thanks for all the good wishes.

 

BTW my suitcases are a little light so there is room for memorabilia.

 

Darlings, it's all about fashion! Who cares how many bags it takes to ensure that we look absolutely marvelous whether it's one's first appearance for a late breakfast in the lido, lounging on the deck in the afternoon or appearing for pre-dinner cocktails in the observation lounge? A cruise is an opportunity for packing to the max. I can't think of how many times my luggage is specially tagged as "Extra Heavy". I have been known to send check-in clerks to rehab facilities. Long live the tradition of the grand tour!

 

Lots of clothes for any occasion from swim to formal. Unfortunately the airlines do not look very kindly on fashion if it exceeds their baggage. As I am going to Rio the baggage limit is 70 lbs per bag but I wish it were that coming home.

 

Donald have a great trip on the Galaxy.

Fran

BON VOYAGE FRAN!!!

 

We hope you have a great voyage...and have plenty of stories for us upon your return!!!

 

Ross

Cunard recently announced that they were introducing fencing on board Queen Victoria. Touted as a "first" onboard ship, like many such claims a little research proves this to be erroneous. I recently came across this picture of a fencing lesson being given aboard the Italian Line's Roma, sometime in the 1920's or 30's. The picture was rather large and also showed that the lessons were co-ed.

I guess there is nothing new under the cruising sun. Except ice skating rinks and rock walls!!

 

Bon Voyage Franu and be careful in Rio!

Oh Conte! Have your thought about roller blading, skate boarding or horse back riding and for the less active set maybe quilting! The new cruising concept is "all things for all people". Maybe the head of Royal Caribbean is listening to the conversation?

Well RCI does have their FlowRider which simulates surfing and Celebrity will have a putting green on real grass (good luck on trying to get grass to grow onboard). I think I'll keep my sporting events limited to having a good massage followed by a martini!

Conte, I tried rock-wall climbing for my first time on the Vision of the Seas last December. I managed to go effortlessly all the way up, but on the second attempt I went up only half-way before quitting, because clinging to the tiny outcroppings stiffened my wrists. Spectators applauded my effort, maybe because of my age (early 60s)! Will I try it again? Probably not. But then, when I think of cruises, it is usually about deck lounge chairs and martinis.

 

Donald.

BRAVO CONTE!!! I think we should email Cunard and let them know that they are about 70 years too late...LOL. Over the years we have come up with some sensational ideas for pax entertainment. Surf boarding or water skiing behind a moving ship were good ones. I believe zip lining from smoke stack to lower decks was another. Celebrity is adding in real grass to their golf course on the SOLSTICE...so we thought of croquet...why not???...LOL. I also like the idea of the automatic self leveling pool tables on RCI...LOL.

 

Ross

I believe that the only thing not tried on cruise ships is colour coordinated toilet tissue. It should match the shower curtains.

 

I think that all of the changes and activities are meant to take the feeling that you may be on a ship away.

 

I shall think of you all and pop in to visit when we stop near an internet cafe as the computer on board will not allow one to access this site. Heaven only knows why.

 

Thanks for all of the good wishes.

Fran

Yes, do "pop in", and have a grand trip.

Bon voyage Fran!