A complete list of every cruise review on CruiseReport.com.
Silversea Silver Moon Review
We spend ten nights aboard Silversea Cruises brand new Silver Moon.
Carnival Panorama Review
We spend seven nights exploring Carnival’s newest Fun Ship. This cruise line just keeps getting better.
Carnival is never satisfied with the status quo. They just seem to delight in exceeding customer expectations. Our recent sailing aboard Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Panorama, was our 131st cruise, and our eighth with Carnival. A Carnival cruise is a true value proposition, with competitive cruise fares bringing a cruise vacation into the budgets of just about any household. But, while a Carnival cruise can be a real bargain financially, it would be a mistake to assume that you have to compromise on quality or service.
The Itinerary
Embarkation (Long Beach), At Sea, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, At Sea, At Sea, Disembarkation (Long Beach)
The Ship
The latest in the Vista-Class ship series, Carnival Panorama can carry 4,008 guests cared for by an international crew of 1,450. The 133,000-ton vessel has all of the latest technology to keep guests comfortable and safe. There are eight forward elevators, four midship and four aft, each with its own set of stairs. The new style elevators took a little getting used to. No longer do you get into the elevator before choosing your desired deck. You select your destination from an electronic panel in the elevator lobby, then you will be instructed as to which elevator to occupy. There are no deck buttons inside the elevator. It is hard to say whether this new system works better than the previous, but it does seem to work.
Like other Vista-Class ships, shipboard activities take place primarily on Decks 4, 5, 6 and 10. Muster stations are located on Deck 4.
Accommodations
We occupied one of the 753 balcony cabins (#6392) with ours being located on Deck 6 aft. Our stateroom was nothing out of the ordinary and comparable, if not an exact match, to the balcony cabin we had on Carnival Vista in 2017. At 185 sq. ft., the cabin is small, but very well designed and has plenty of storage space. The large sofa is comfortable and, in some cabins, will convert into a bed. The stateroom bed can be configured as two twin beds or a king-size and we chose the latter. We found the bed to be quite comfortable. The nightstands have built-in lamps, but no USB charging ports.
Balcony Stateroom
The small desk does have two USB charging ports, two 120v US-style outlets and a single 220v European-style outlet. A small desk drawer holds a captive hair dryer. There are spacious shelves over the desk, great for holding camera gear or other devices. A small padded cube serves as a seat and is stowed under the desk.
There are three closets, two for hanging clothes and a third with shelves and drawers. A small electronic safe can be used to protect jewelry or cell phones, but is not large enough to hold a laptop, or even a large iPad. One of the closet doors has a full-length mirror. Kudos to Carnival for offering real wooden hangers as opposed to the cheap, plastic “captive” hangers used on NCL and some other lines.
The bathroom is small, but functional, with a shower stall utilizing a shower curtain rather than glass door. There are six glass shelves (3 on each side of the vanity) providing enough room to store all of your lotions and potions. We found the hand towels and face towels to be a little thin and cheap feeling, but the bath towels were thick and fluffy. Only conditioning shampoo and body wash are provided (in canisters inside the shower) along with a small bar of soap at the sink. If you require body lotion or hair conditioner, you will need to bring your own.
There is a large, flat-screen HD television on the wall opposite the bed with a fair amount of programming. The only news channel was CBSN, no Fox News or CNN. There were a couple of Discovery-network channels and on demand movies (some free, some at a fee). Most of the TV programming was CCTV Carnival-oriented programming.
Our balcony was small and equipped with two chairs and a small table. The balcony door is the hinged variety, meaning it will rattle the walls of your cabin when your neighbor allows their door to slam shut, as our neighbors did repeatedly. A sliding glass door is preferred, in our opinion.
Everything in our cabin worked as expected. HVAC was excellent. The only obtrusive noise came from the neighbor’s balcony door, and noisy kids running and screaming through the hallways. There was no noise from the public spaces located on Deck 5 just below us. Overall, our cabin was quite comfortable.
Food and Dining
This is one area where Carnival really does exceed expectations. We have noticed steady improvement in food quality and overall dining experience over the years. Carnival has expanded its specialty dining offerings on Panorama to include a new Teppanyaki grill and the new Carnival Kitchen experience.
Carnival guests can enjoy a variety of delicious dining options without spending any extra money on food. The Vista and Horizon restaurants are the large, traditional dining venues on board and offer early, late or Anytime Dining times. Lunch and dinner menus change in these restaurants each day. You can eat very well on Carnival without spending an extra dime on food. In addition to the main restaurants, you can enjoy the best cheeseburgers at sea (or on land, for that matter) at Guy’s Burger Joint on Deck 10 midship. Carnival’s pizza is legendary in the cruise industry and is available 24-hours-a-day at Pizzeria del Capitano (Deck 10 aft). We agree, it is among the best we have had on a cruise ship. And, for $5, you can have your pie delivered to you anywhere on the ship!
Pizza at Pizzeria del Capitano available 24 hours a day
There is a nice room service menu with a few complimentary items, and some that carry a small charge.
Bonsai Sushi (Deck 5 midship) is one of the best spots to stop in for a light lunch or dinner. This á la carte restaurant is a great value with an eight-piece Spicy Tuna Roll offered for only $5. Make sure to try one of the noodle bowls for a real treat.
Spicy Tuna Roll at Bonsai Sushi
A new must-try venue is the adjoining Bonsai Teppenyaki. The two teppenyaki-style cooking tables fill up fast, so make sure you get reservations in advance. Dinner is $32/pp and it is a bargain for the massive amount of food, and the great show. This might be the best teppenyaki dinner we have had… anywhere.
The Menu at Bonsai Teppanyaki
Even though we did not dine here on this sailing, we have enjoyed JiJi’s Asian Kitchen on Carnival Vista. We did get a chance to re-visit Cucina del Capitano Italian restaurant on Panorama and were pleased to find the food and atmosphere to be as good as we remembered. JiJi’s and Cucina del Capitano are located on Deck 11 aft.
We enjoyed a special Valentine’s Day lunch at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (Deck 5 midship). The $38/pp dinner menu here is another one of Carnival’s great dining values.
Our only real disappointment was with the lunch and dinner offerings at The Lido Marketplace buffet. The breakfast buffet, however, is quite extensive and good. The best offering at lunch is the Marketplace Deli where they make sandwiches to order. However, the French fries here were cold and stale. You are better off going to Guy’s Burger Joint for your fries.
Neither Rickee nor I are big on seafood, so we did not try the Seafood Shack (Deck 10 aft), but the lobster rolls served here did look quite good, I must admit. Another venue we did not try was Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ. At lunch, the BBQ here is free, but there are different á la carte offerings at dinner time and we heard nothing but good things about the BBQ.
If you enjoy cooking and want to combine a learning experience along with dinner, check out Carnival Kitchen. This new concept allows you to cook right alongside Carnival’s chefs in a special kitchen outfitted with individual cooking stations. After preparing a few dishes under the watchful eyes of the chefs, you will enjoy a sit-down dinner prepared for you by the chefs. There are several different ethnic-themed dinner and lunches offered here. Make sure you book in advance, because space is limited to 14 people per session.
The ultimate dining experience on Carnival is the Chef’s Table ($95/pp). The Chef’s Table is restricted to 14 guests per evening, so space is very limited. Reservations in advance are highly recommended. Chef’s Table guests are asked to meet on Deck 3 where a Sous Chef meets and greets them. Then, guests are led through the dining room and into the main galley. After everyone thoroughly washes their hands, the show begins.
Amazing Technique and Presentation at Chef’s Table
Guests stand around a prep table where Sous Chefs prepare a variety of Amuse Bouche treats. A bottle of Möet Champagne circulates around the room filling guest’s glasses as we watch the incredible culinary techniques used in making these delicious tastings.
After champagne and a few small tastings, we are moved into a very nice dining room just off the main galley. Then the multi-course meal begins. There were eleven courses in all, and all of the dishes were beautiful, delicious and meticulously presented.
You can read our full Chef’s Table review here.
Bars and Lounges
As with most new cruise ships, there’s no shortage of bars and lounges aboard Carnival Panorama. Drink prices are in line with other mainstream cruise lines. A Crown Royal will cost you about $8, fancy drinks are about $11. Carnival offers their Cheers! drink package which basically gives you unlimited drinks for $51.95/per person/per day (if you purchase prior to sailing). Of course, every adult staying in your stateroom is required to purchase the Cheers! package, and, there’s no sharing of drinks.
For The Best Martini Cocktails, Go To Alchemy Bar
Rickee and I simply don’t drink enough to justify the Cheers! package, but a lot of Carnival guests take advantage of this program. And, Carnival’s Cheers! package is about half the price of some other cruise line drink packages.
We found the service and drinks in all of the bars to be good, with only once exception. We waited for over an hour to order a drink in Piano Bar 88 one evening, and nobody ever came to wait on us. And, the place was nearly empty! Other than that one experience, bar service was excellent. Our favorite bar was Alchemy Bar on Deck 5 midship. The Cucumber Sunrise is our new favorite cocktail!
Entertainment
This is where we felt Carnival has undergone the most improvement. In the past, Carnival’s production shows have always left us wanting for more. They seemed to be plagued with poor audio, lackluster choreography and average overall performances. We were very pleasantly surprised by two of the production shows on Panorama: Celestial Strings and Rock Revolution were both excellent shows.
The main floor (Deck 4) of the Liquid Lounge now features a center section made up of padded chairs that can be rearranged so that the performers can move about in the audience. This is where you will find your best seating and sight lines, but you have to get in line early for a good seat.
Celestial Strings features the most elaborate costumes and the taped music is backed up by the ship’s own trio of violinists.
Rock Revolution is a celebration of the biggest hits from 1969. Once again, Carnival musicians back up the taped music and computer controlled drones dance overhead during “Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds”.
The acoustics and/or sound system has been vastly improved over what we remembered on Carnival Vista. We enjoyed both shows immensely.
One of our favorite entertainment venues on Carnival is the Punchliner Comedy Club, held in the Limelight Lounge on Deck 4 aft. During a seven-night cruise, guests will enjoy four different top-level comedians and we have yet to see a bad one. Carnival does comedy better than any other cruise line, period. Each comedian performs a PG-rated show in addition to an adult (no kids allowed) show. And, in the adult shows, there’s no holds barred.
Activities
There is no shortage of activities going on all over the ship on sea days or port days. Under the energetic leadership of Cruise Director, Emma Nixon, the crew does its best to keep everyone having loads of fun. While on the subject of cruise directors, Emma Nixon has to be one of the most visible and energetic ones with whom we have ever sailed. She is literally a bundle of energy, and her enthusiasm is infectious.
If you enjoy trivia contests, as we do, there are multiple ones going on all over the ship at various times throughout the day. There’s bean bag toss, hairy chest contests poolside, and dozens of other off-the-wall activities. If you are cruising with your kids, Camp Carnival staff will keep them occupied throughout the day with a variety of fun activities.
To stay in shape, there is a huge fitness center with all of the latest cardio equipment and weight machines, as well as free weights. An adjacent fully-equipped Serenity Spa and Salon can deliver any massage treatment you may desire, or hair and nail treatments.
The two swimming pools are always popular on sea days, especially when the skies are clear and the weather is warm. The Beach Pool (Deck 10 midship) is the larger of the two and has movies playing throughout the day on a huge video screen. The Tides Pool (Deck 10 aft) is smaller, but is quieter and more relaxing. There are plenty of loungers at both pools and the upper decks surrounding the pool. The best place we found for quiet lounging in the sun (or shade) was The Lanai on Deck 5 forward. This little known spot goes virtually unnoticed and has the only padded sun loungers we found on the ship.
For adults wanting an escape, check out Serenity on Deck 15 forward. On sea days, Serenity can get very crowded, so it is best to get there early. If you shell out for one of Carnival’s adult-only Havana staterooms/suites, you have semi-private access to the Havana Pool on Deck 5 aft. The Havana Pool is much less crowded than either of the two other pools and features two large hot tubs on either side of a beautiful infinity-edge pool overlooking the back of the ship. On sea days, however, the Havana Pool loungers can fill up, too. There is a Havana Bar serving guests in this area as well.
Carnival Waterworks is popular with kids of all ages. The main attraction here are the two water slides. The Red Slide is a more sedate, leisurely trip down a slide as you sit comfortably in an inner tube. The Blue Slide is a bit more intense where it is just you and the slide. Neither slide is super aggressive, like some we saw on NCL Encore, but they are both fun.
The SkyRide is located on Deck 12 midship and is one of the most fun things you will ever do on a cruise ship. After you get strapped into one of the little Sky Bikes, you begin pedaling your way around the track that suspends you more than 100 feet above the ocean. The bikes are very easy to pedal and there are some unexpected dips and turns along the way to make the ride quite exciting. Here’s a tip: to avoid long lines, go to SkyRide on a port day when most people are off the ship.
Right across from SkyRide is the Ropes Course. This was the first cruise where we have tried the Ropes Course and I am really glad we did. This was quite challenging at first. It is a little unsettling when you step out onto a rope that is only 1” in diameter, especially when you are 25 feet above the deck! Of course, you are wearing a safety harness that would prevent any injury should you slip off one of the obstacles.
Carnival’s new Sky Zone also looks like a ton of fun if you love jumping on trampolines. We did not check it out on this cruise, but certainly will the next time.
If you are in the mood to do some shopping, you will find a lot of Fun Shops on Decks 4 and 5 forward surrounding the Panorama Atrium. You can find everything from liquor to candy to jewelry to sundries and logo gear in the Fun Shops.
Ship’s photographers are all over the ship to take photos in the evenings and photos can be purchased through a unique digital ordering system at Pixels on Deck 4. No more hunting through hundreds of thousands of printed photos. Walk up to one of the iPads at Pixels, enter your stateroom info, and you can see all of your photos. You can even purchase digital versions of your photos (thank you Carnival).
Itinerary
This Mexican Riviera itinerary has only three ports of call. Cabo San Lucas is the first port and is an excellent spot to take a whale watching excursion. Of course, there are many resorts where you can spend the day lounging at the beach, or poolside. Or, take the tender into the marina and just walk around the seaside shops, bars and restaurants.
Puerto Vallarta is one of our favorite ports where you can hop in a taxi just outside of the port security area and go to Malecon, a pedestrian walkway with tons of shops, restaurants and bars lining the ocean front.
In Mazatlan, there are dozens of shore excursions offered. If you go on your own, you can grab a taxi into the Old Town to do a little shopping, or, there is a sizable shopping market right at the port cruise terminal.
Service
We found every crew member to be pleasant and willing to serve, with only one small exception. One evening, before dinner, we sat in Piano Bar 88 for nearly an hour and nobody ever came over to take a drink order. We noticed several other guests having the same issue. There was a bartender, and there was a waitress, but nobody ever approached us. Other than that one small incident, everyone one else was super nice, pleasant and willing to go out of their way to serve.
Summary
Carnival knows exactly what they are doing. They understand their customers and continue to deliver a product that keeps people coming back year after year. Our first Carnival cruise was in 2002 and we have seen steady improvement with each subsequent cruise. Yes, Carnival is getting better. The entertainment is better than it was in 2017. The food quality and variety is as good or better than it was in 2017. The activities are as good or better than in 2017. Should I continue? Carnival just keeps getting better and better. And, all of this at very competitive prices that make Carnival one of the best values in the cruise industry. I look forward to our next Carnival cruise, hopefully on the new Mardis Gras.
Video Review
Sea Cloud, History and Tradition in the Caribbean
According to the Berlitz Cruise Guide, Sea Cloud is “the most beautiful cruise-sail ship in the world…and one of the world’s best travel experiences.”
By John and Sandra Nowlan
Sea Cloud Under Full Sail
According to the Berlitz Cruise Guide, Sea Cloud is “the most beautiful cruise-sail ship in the world…and one of the world’s best travel experiences.”
What makes this 60 passenger square-rigger, now almost 90 years old, even more interesting is when the cruise starts and ends in Barbados. This tropical paradise, very popular with Americans and Canadians, is the ideal location to begin one of Sea Cloud’s regular Caribbean itineraries. The friendly, former British colony is blessed with some fine beach hotels and excellent restaurants. We stayed at a resort that combines both. The Fairmont Royal Pavilion is located on a superb stretch of sand with every room overlooking the turquoise Caribbean. Fairmont’s enhanced culinary focus has made it even more attractive, especially the new steakhouse, Palm Terrace, with some of the best beef we’ve ever enjoyed.
The Beach at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion
It’s a 20 minute taxi ride to the busy Barbados cruise port in Bridgetown, the capital. Three big cruise ships were tied up but the vessel that stood out was our sleek windjammer, Sea Cloud. The tallest of its four masts rises 184 feet above the waterline. The sails were tied up, of course, but the eight miles of hemp ropes and rigging evoked another era.
Marjorie Merriweather Post's Bedroom on Sea Cloud.
Sea Cloud was built in Germany in 1931, a gift from U.S. financier Edward F. Hutton to his wife, cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, the richest women in America. At the time it was the largest private yacht ever built with no expense spared for teak decks, burnished brass and furnishings in mahogany and elaborately carved oak. The two master bedrooms, filled with Chippendale furniture, were huge with marble fireplaces and ornate gold faucets in the bathroom.
Sea Cloud has gone through many changes over the years including time as a weather observation ship in World War II. In 1979 a group of German investors bought the ship, spent $7.5 million refurbishing it and making it available for charters and scheduled itneraries. Further enhancements added more cabins and modern safety features.
The Nowlan's modest room. Small, but comfortable. Two large windows.
Sea Cloud can now accommodate 64 guests in a wide variety of cabins. The eight ultra-luxury suites are on the first deck with the remainder on decks two and three being modest in size (our room had narrow, twin beds) but with quality furnishings and excellent L’Occitane toiletries in the generously sized bathroom. There are no televisions but internet is available and each day a newspaper summary is delivered to staterooms.
Many of the efficient and friendly crew of sixty are used for constant maintenance and for setting the 29 sails. It’s a stunning spectacle to see the young men and women climbing up the rope ladders to the topmost sails where they untie the lines, then return to deck to wrestle and tug on the coils of rope which unfurl the vast expanse of billowing sheets. Several times each voyage, guests are invited to .help with these latter stages (guests are not allowed to climb the masts).
Crewmembers climb the masts to set the sails.
Outstanding cuisine is a highlight of every Sea Cloud cruise. Buffet lunch, often with fresh fish or lobster brought aboard at various ports, is carved, grilled and served on the Lido deck. There’s an adjacent bar with an excellent array of complimentary spirits, wine and beer. There were at least ten Scotch choices including high end single malts like Talisker, Dalwhinnie and Oban.
The chef brings fresh fish aboard for lunch.
In the evening, elegant meals are served in the original lounge (one wall is a fine library) and adjacent dining room where the rich and famous dined and were entertained in the 1930s and 40s. Surrounded by dark woods, hand carved mahogany and oak plus nautical oil paintings, guests are pampered with fine wines and extraordinary cuisine like duck breast, rack of lamb, tender filet of veal or black halibut. We counted more than 20 different cheese choices during the cruise. The galley is small but the quality of the output is remarkable.
The ornate Sea Cloud Dining Room.
Lunch Buffet, overseen by the genial Hotel Manager.
Entertainment on Sea Cloud is minimal (no one missed the big production shows) but a pianist plays each day, a knowledgeable historian gave lectures about the islands we were visiting, an officer talked about star gazing (visibility at night is excellent, of course), a local band was brought aboard one evening and, as a highlight, the crew assembled in traditional sailor’s outfits to sing sea shanties.
Local Entertainers are invited on board Sea Cloud.
Our Barbados round trip itinerary was a treat. It included Bequia in the Grenadines where we boarded safari trucks to tour the island and visit a sea turtle rehabilitation centre. After a relaxing sea day we docked in Dominica by Cabrits National Park where local historian Dr. Lennox Honeychurch showed us nearby Fort Shirley and the work he’s done to restore the British garrison, built in 1765 to deter the French.
A short visit to St. Barths with its fancy yachts and high end shops was followed by a fascinating tour of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The highlight was “The Baths”, a series of huge, volcanic seaside boulders with small, pristine beaches. Unfortunately the surf was too high for safe swimming. We were able to swim the next day at Iles de Saintes in Guadeloupe. The lovely beach alongside the village is filled with fishing boats and we could see the fishermen unloading their catch surrounded by hungry pelicans.
The Baths. Volcanic Rock Formations in Virgin Gorda.
Our last stop, Saint Lucia, was a particular delight. After anchoring in Soufriere Harbour close to the famous Twin Pitons, most guests took the complimentary tour which included the lush Diamond Botanical Garden and Waterfall plus the world’s only drive-in volcano (still bubbling and steaming, it was formed by a collapsed crater more than 400,000 years ago).
St. Lucia's Drive In Volcano. Always steaming.
We were reluctant to leave this remarkable and historic vessel once we returned to Barbados but we had booked a half day Lickrish Food Tour through the UNESCO listed center of Bridgetown. We’ve been on food tours in other cities but this was by far the most complete. Our entertaining guide was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the city and took us to seven restaurants and food stands specializing in local Bajan cuisine like barbequed pig tails and spicy fish cakes. Generous portions for all.
The Twin Pitons and local St. Lucia Beer.
After the extraordinary food on Sea Cloud we really didn’t need more temptations but the Lickrish tour was a delightful addition to our unique Caribbean land and sea adventure.
John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax.
Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan
Holland America - Nieuw Statendam Review
I spend a week aboard Holland America’s newest ship in the Caribbean
The Itinerary
Embarkation (Port Everglades), Half Moon Cay, At Sea, Grand Turk, Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), At Sea, Key West, Disembarkation (Port Everglades)
The Ship
The newest Pinnacle-class ship from Holland America makes a great first impression. These Pinnacle-class ships are beautiful ships and they are well-designed. Public spaces are found on Decks 2, 3, 9, 10, 11 and 12. There are elevators and stairs forward, midship and aft. The ship’s two Azipod engines pull the ship along smoothly and quietly.
Accommodations - Veranda Stateroom
Click to expand
My Veranda Stateroom (5 074) was located on Gershwin Deck (Deck 5) just forward of midship. Staterooms in this category range from 228 to 405 sq ft. My stateroom was definitely in the 228 sq. ft. category. This is fairly typical of balcony or veranda staterooms on newer ships.
The layout and design of the stateroom, however, has been very well thought out and executed. It is about as comfortable as you can make 228 sq. ft.
The closet area is large enough to hold hanging clothes for a 14-day cruise for two people. There are plenty of shelves and drawers for smaller or folded items. Storage space should not be an issue in this stateroom. There is a refrigerator/mini-bar stocked with soft drinks, and a few not-so-soft drinks. A menu is provided with the pricing of the items.
The king-sized bed (or, two twins) is very comfortable. It is a little on the firm side, which I prefer. Bedding is top quality. There are two nightstands, each with drawers and a shelf for additional storage.
There is a small desk with drawers and plenty of power outlets. The balcony is large enough for two people to enjoy days at sea, or early morning coffee. There are two chairs with foot rests and a small table.
The bathroom is compact, but has a very nice, large walk-in glass shower that is the full width of the bathroom. I love the glass door on the shower as opposed to a shower curtain that tends to chase you around the shower and stick to you. There are three small shelves for storage, as well as the sink surround. A shelf under the sink can also be used for storage. The toilet seat and lid are soft close so as to not slam down in the middle of the night and wake a neighbor.
Overall, this is one of the most comfortable Veranda Staterooms I have occupied. There’s plenty of storage, good lighting, a huge flat-screen television with excellent programming, and I really like the light wood tones. The only improvements I would request might be better insulation from noise in the hallway, and a small coffeemaker might be a nice touch. But, overall, Holland America did a great job designing this stateroom.
Food and Dining
Food is the most subjective topic to cover because everyone has different tastes. Overall, the food on Nieuw Statendam is good. There are some exceptional meals that stick out in my mind, and some that were less impressive.
Lido Market (included)
Lido Market is the ship’s buffet located on Deck 9. There is a wide selection served here at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I should preface my comments with letting you know that I am generally not fond of buffets, and try to avoid them if possible. The Lido Market has identical serving lines on the port and starboard sides of the ship, each with multiple themed stations: “breads”, “sandwiches”, “desserts”, etc. On the port side, you will find an Asian station serving different Asian dishes each day.
The food I tried here was pretty typical buffet fare. I did not find anything unusually good or bad. The Asian station had the most interesting items, in my opinion.
One thing I did like about Lido Market is that the food is served by crew members behind the serving line as opposed to guests grabbing utensils and serving themselves. This is a much more sanitary system.
The Dining Room (included)
The Dining Room
The Dining Room is the ship’s main “traditional” restaurant. Breakfast and dinner are served here each day and the dinner menu changes each evening. I only dined in The Dining Room a couple of times during this cruise, once for breakfast and once for dinner.
My breakfast was good, but my poached eggs were overcooked (read my Day Two blog). My dinner meal here was the Gala Night dinner which featured Surf and Turf. Of course, I ordered the Surf and Turf (Tenderloin and Lobster). My Shrimp Cocktail starter was excellent, as was the Chicken Orzo soup. The Lobster was very good, but the beef was not as tender as I expected. Overall, I enjoyed The Dining Room. Service on both occasions was excellent.
Dive In (included)
This is the ship’s burger joint located on Deck 9 poolside. Here you can get hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, etc. The burgers are served fresh, made-to-order and are okay. The French fries are some of the best you will find, served hot and very crispy.
Pizza at New York Deli & Pizza
New York Deli and Pizza (included)
If you are in the mood for a morning bagel or afternoon pizza, this is the spot. From 7:00am until 11:00am, you can get bagels, cream cheese and a variety of other breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Starting at 11:30am, you can get made-to-order pizzas, sandwiches and salads. There is no ‘pizza-by-the-slice’.
I found the Caesar salad here to be good, but the pizza was somewhat lacking. The crust tasted like it was undercooked and a little “doughy” (is that a word?). The Meatball Sub sandwich was quite good, but could have used more marinara sauce. This is a popular place at lunch, so get here early.
Canaletto ($19 pp)
Canaletto is the ship’s evening Italian-themed bistro dining located on Deck 9 starboard. Actually, Canaletto is a section of Lido Market that is transformed into the bistro dining each evening. Caneletto is only open for dinner and reservations are required.
The menu is different than my last visit to Caneletto (on Nieuw Amsterdam). Sadly, the Braised Beef Short Ribs have been moved from the regular menu to a daily special, and I am not there on that day.
For a complete review of Canaletto, read my post in the Cruise Ship Dining blog click here.
Tamarind ($30 pp)
Panang Red Curry
Tamarind is the Asian-fusion restaurant found on all Pinnacle-class ships. Tamarind is located on Deck 10 aft. I dined here my first evening on board and the meal was excellent. Tamarind remains one of my favorite restaurants on Holland America ships.
You can read my full review of Tamarind here.
Nami Sushi (a la carte)
Nami Sushi is located in the same space as Tamarind on Deck 10 aft. Nami Sushi is a new restaurant serving sushi, sashimi, sushi rolls and a variety of main courses, starters and desserts. I dined here one time and loved it.
You can read my full review of Nami Sushi here.
Rudi’s Sel de Mer (a la carte)
Rudi’s Sel de Mer is an intimate, very upscale French seafood restaurant located on Deck 2 midship. I dined here one evening and enjoyed the meal. However, I did not order a seafood dish, which was a mistake. The bread served here is to die for.
You can read more about my meal at Rudi’s Sel de Mer in my Day Two blog.
Pinnacle Grill (Lunch $15, Dinner$39 pp)
This is the first Holland America cruise in recent history where I did not dine in Pinnacle Grill, other than for lunch one day. I did have reservations to dine at Pinnacle one evening, but I somehow screwed them up when I got on board the ship. My bad.
I did, however, have lunch at Pinnacle Grill one day and it was AMAZING. You can read all about my experience in my Day Three blog.
A Taste of De Librije ($49 pp)
De Librije is the only three-Michelin-star restaurant in the Netherlands. The restaurant has teamed up with Holland America to deliver a unique dining experience on Pinnacle-class ships. One evening per cruise, the Pinnacle Grill is transformed into “A Taste of DeLibrije”. To read all about my incredible dining experience here, click here.
Ham and Cheese Omelette
Room Service (included and a la carte)
Room service is available 24 hours a day and there are items throughout the day that are offered at no charge. There are, however, some room service items for which you pay. For example, you can order a Ham and Cheese Omelette for breakfast at no charge. If you want Steak and Eggs, it will cost you $9.50 (US). I had room service breakfast on the day of disembarkation and it was delivered to my stateroom on schedule and my omelette and coffee were hot. The toast, however, was ice cold. I did not order the toast, so it did not matter. Even the best room service has difficulty keeping toast warm without it getting soggy. I also had coffee delivered to the stateroom one morning, which was hot and quite good.
Club Orange
There is a private dining room on Nieuw Statendam for guests who have upgraded to the Club Orange VIP experience.
Bars and Lounges
You will not have a problem finding a place to quench your thirst aboard Nieuw Statendam. Drink prices have increased since the last time we sailed with Holland America. Soft drinks have gone from $2.00 to $2.50, a 25% increase. A glass of sparkling wine is now $9.50, a Crown Royal is $8.50, beers range from $7 to $9. And, all drinks come with a 15% gratuity add-on.
Bar service is the one area where the ship felt understaffed. I was on the Lido deck, poolside during sail away from Port Everglades and I never saw a waiter taking drink orders. I was there for more than an hour. The bar, however, was very busy with guests crowding around to order and receive drinks.
On the Lido Deck, they have placed little electronic buttons to request drink service, but I cannot tell if they work or not. I pressed one several times at the pool and no waiter ever arrived.
Beverage service in the Lido Market was very good. I visited the Lido Market three times, and within just a couple of minutes, a waiter or waitress arrived asking for a drink order. This was true of every dining venue. Only in the bars did I find slow or non-existent service.
Happy Hour has also changed on Holland America. As I recall, there used to be Happy Hour in all bars and lounges at the same time each day, and waiters would circulate through the lounges (or at least a couple of the lounges) with trays of complimentary canapés. Happy Hour is now offered in the Ocean Bar (Deck 2) from 4pm to 5pm and in the Boardwalk Bar from 6pm to 7pm. The Happy Hour special is “buy a drink and get the second for only $2.” Oh, and the canapés are no longer offered.
Happy Hour Example - Crown Royal Double
1st Crown Royal - $8.50
2nd Crown Royal - $2.00
15% gratuitiy - $1.58
Total: $12.07
By having Happy Hour at only one bar at a time, it creates huge crowds and puts the bartenders and waiters under extreme pressure to deliver drinks to all the guests in attendance. A better system, in my opinion, would be to have Happy Hour at the same time (4pm to 5pm, or 5pm to 6pm) in at least two lounges to spread the crowd out a bit. On one afternoon at the Ocean Bar, I waited 20 minutes for my drink to arrive, and an additional 30 minutes to get my key card back from the bar waiter.
Entertainment and Activities
The variety of entertainment aboard Holland America’s Pinnacle-class ships is unmatched for ships of this size. The World Stage is the ship’s main theater, and it is the most innovative theater we have seen on any cruise ship. Guests are not only seated in front of the stage, but around it as well creating sort of a “theater-in-the-round”.
The World Stage on Nieuw Statendam
The seating is not the only innovative part of World Stage. The lighting and wrap-around LED screens literally surround the audience with images and sound. And, the sound system is one of the best I have heard on any cruise ship. However, what was interesting on my seven-night sailing was that there were no vocalists performing in either of the production shows. The cast from StepONE Dance Company consisted of six dancers, all of whom were quite good. Other performances in World Stage included Wayne Hoffman (magician); Doug Funk, comedian;and singer/impersonator, Karen Grainger.
The World Stage is on Deck 2 Forward and as you exit, you walk through a literal corridor of entertainment venues that make up the forward half of Deck 2. The Rolling Stone Rock Room was packed with guests every night jamming to the THE ROCK ROOM BAND. It was one of the most popular entertainment venues on the ship. Just across from Rolling Stone Rock Room is Billboard Onboard with dual pianos facing each other where musicians play popular music.
Shows are staggered at various times throughout the evening between the various venues, making it easier for guests to hop from one venue to another, so as not to miss any of the fun.
B.B. Kings Blues Club and Lincoln Center Stage share the same venue midship. If you love heart-pounding jazz, you will love B.B. Kings. And for those who prefer the more sedate tones of classical music, the ship’s quintet performs at various times throughout the day at Lincoln Center Stage. I cannot think of any cruise ship that offers as much variety of entertainment as Holland America does on its Pinnacle-Class ships.*
*They may offer this entertainment on other ships, but we have not sailed on any non-Pinnacle-class ships in many years.
Swimming Pools
There are two swimming pools on Nieuw Statendam. The Lido Pool is located midship on Deck 9. There are three hot tubs at one end of the pool, and a large TV screen at the other end with programming throughout the day. In the evenings, movies are shown on this screen so guests can enjoy “movies under the stars”. Colorful loungers surround the pool and towels are complimentary and readily available.
Lido Pool
Nearby, you will find the Lido Bar, Gelato (ice cream), Dive In (burgers), New York Deli and Pizza and the Lido Marketplace (buffet) is just aft of the Lido Pool. This seemed to be the pool where most families would congregate. The Lido Pool’s exposure to the sun can be somewhat hindered by the large sliding glass roof which can be closed during rain or cold weather. However, the roof remained open during our entire cruise.
Sea View Pool
The Sea View Pool is located aft on Deck 9 and offers the best exposure to the sun of the two pools, since there is no roof overhead. There are plenty of loungers here as well as on Deck 10 just above and overlooking the Sea View Pool.
The Sea View Pool is served by the Sea View Bar and the Lido Marketplace is just steps away, should you get hungry while soaking up the sun.
Fitness Center/Spa
Nieuw Statendam has a very large and well-equipped fitness center located on Deck 9 forward. Those who use treadmills will have one of the best ocean views on the ship as they face a wall of glass. Excellent weight training machines from Precor can be found here as well as free weights.
Precor Weight Machines
The Greenhouse Spa and Salon is just aft of the Fitness Center and offers every possible massage treatment as well as hair and nail services. If you choose to partake of the beautiful Hydro Pool, sauna, steam and other spa area goodies, plan on spending $40 per day/per person. They do offer a discounted weekly plan, which is a good value if you plan to visit more than twice per cruise.
Itinerary - 7-Day Tropical Caribbean
My seven-day itinerary included port calls in Half Moon Cay (Holland America’s Private Island), Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Key West. There were two days at sea. Our first stop was on day two at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. This is Holland' America’s private island and a highlight of any HAL Caribbean cruise. The island is spotlessly clean and has a beautiful white sand beach for those who want to take in some sun, or some snorkeling in the clear blue Caribbean waters.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
In addition to plenty of complimentary loungers to enjoy, there are other beach activities available. Bar service is also available and you can use your shipboard account to purchase drinks. An Island BBQ (complimentary) is offered for lunch with burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and a variety of salads and desserts.
After a day at sea, we made a stop in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. There are many excursions offered by Holland America in Grand Turk, or you may just want to walk to the cruise shopping area, just a five-minute stroll from the ship. There is also a public beach in Grand Turk visible from the ship and you can rent two loungers and an umbrella for $25 a day. There is also a large swimming pool next to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant that is free to use, as are the loungers! So, you don’t have to spend money on a ship’s excursion unless you just want to.
Beautiful Pool in Grand Turk
Our next stop was Amber Cove, a relatively new cruise port in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. This was my first time to visit Amber Cove, and I was quite impressed. The cruise terminal/shopping plaza is similar to the one in Grand Turk, but without a beach. However, what they do have is an even bigger and nicer swimming pool, free for cruise guests to use, a zip line that you can enjoy all day long, as many times as you like, for only $20! There are also private cabanas for rent as well as a variety of water toys (kayaks, peddle boats, etc.). Coco Caña restaurant and bar is located poolside for those who don’t want to walk back to the ship for lunch. I heard from some guests who ate there that the food was very good.
Swimming Pool at Amber Cove
In Amber Cove, you will also find plenty of shops and local vendors selling tours. I found a vendor selling a 2.5 hour, air-conditioned motor coach tour of the island for $29 per person. Of course, many will feel more comfortable booking their excursions through the Shore Excursions desk onboard, but the options are available for those who prefer to go it on their own. I should also mention that the entire shopping plaza area was spotlessly clean. This is a place I would like to visit again.
3D Mini-Me
After another day at sea, our final stop was at Key West, Florida. Key West has become a popular cruise destination over the past few years. It is always fun just to walk around town, see the sights, or stop in for some Key Lime Pie at one of the many pie shops. Our favorite is Key Lime Pie Company on Greene St.
During this visit to Key West, I was able to re-visit 3D Mini-Me, a small business that I found a few years back. They make 3D figurines after taking a 3D scan/photo of you. I think the coolest thing you can do in Key West is to get your own “Mini Me” made using their 3D printer. It only takes a few minutes for them to shoot the photo and they ship the Mini-Me to you in two to four weeks. I had one made a few years ago and loved it. So, I am getting another one made. I think the technology has improved since I got mine, so I can’t wait to see it when it gets here!
The Holland America Experience
Everyone invariably asks, “so, what does Holland America compare to?” In the Carnival family of cruise brands I would say the HAL experience is pretty close to that of Princess Cruises, with each brand having some unique features not found on the other. HAL’s Pinnacle-class ships definitely have nicer Veranda staterooms than Princess, but Princess’ newest ships have that amazing Sanctuary (private cabana experience), which tops HAL’s “The Retreat”. Holland America is still a more adult-focused product compared to Princess or Carnival for sure, but that is changing. Where Holland America has really distinguished itself is with lounge entertainment. No other cruise line comes close.
When comparing to non-Carnival brands, anyone considering a Celebrity cruise should give these new Holland America ships a closer look. And, don’t forget, Holland America is a leader when it comes to Alaska cruises.
Summary
It is clear that Holland America has radically changed its target audience with this new series of Pinnacle-Class ships. It is not uncommon to find families with young children onboard these new ships, something that was almost non-existent 20 years ago. You may pay a little more for Holland America than you would on a “budget” or “mass-market” cruise line, but what you will get in return is some excellent dining options, unmatched entertainment choices, excellent itineraries and perhaps nicest Veranda staterooms in the industry.
Have a question about my Holland America experiences? Post your comment or question below.
Eurodam. Sailing south from Vancouver with great entertainment and excellent food.
“I guarantee you, we have the best live music at sea.”
By John and Sandra Nowlan
A possible exaggeration from Rubin Kooiman, the genial Hotel Director of Holland America’s 2100 passenger cruise ship, Eurodam. But with 11 days ahead of us, we were looking forward to seeing if his boast was valid.
In recent years, Holland America has evolved its live music program on several older ships and on its newest vessels, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. The Music Walk is a series of Deck Two venues added to Eurodam in 2015 that run the gamut from hard rock to blues, from Top 40 to classical.
Eurodam Docked in Puerto Vallarta.
As on all large cruise ships, Eurodam, launched in 2008, has a main theatre where a team of talented dancers present several different Broadway-style productions each cruise with dazzling special effects from the background light curtains. On our cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, with three stops in Mexico, we also had main stage solo acts, usually from singers and pianists, accompanied by a live band.
Twin Pianos at Billboard Onboard.
But the Music Walk is what sets Holland America apart. Every evening there were several choices for live music, always with a large, appreciative audience. The loudest was the BB King’s Blues Club with a full band and soloists belting standards from the Blues repertoire. Next door was Billboard Onboard, twin pianos played by a pair of singers who know the Billboard charts through the decades and can handle almost any request. On the two newest, slightly bigger HAL ships there’s an additional venue for the high volume Rolling Stone Rock Room.
Stunning Special Effects in Eurodam Theatre.
Our favorite Music Walk venue was the Lincoln Center Stage, located towards the stern of the ship, with two or more concerts each day featuring a pianist and an exquisite string quartet – cello, viola and two violinists. Each player, a recent graduate of a top American music school, was obviously a skilled professional with a wide repertoire ranging from the classical standards – Bach, Schuman, Beethoven – to Leonard Bernstein, the Beatles and Freddy Mercury. Judging by the enthusiastic overflow crowds for each Lincoln Center performance, the smallish room used by the quintet needs to be expanded in the future.
A dynamic quintet perform at Lincoln Center Stage.
No expansion is needed in the Eurodam’s generous dining areas. The ship may be American-owned and registered in the Netherlands but the Asian food, in particular, has to be among the tastiest and most creative of any cruise line. The Lido Buffet, on Deck 9, always has a good selection of Thai, Indian or Japanese food at lunch or dinner but the best venue is Tamarind on Deck 11. This extra cost ($25 per person) restaurant in a quiet, secluded section of the ship, has charming Indonesian servers and a menu filled with visual and tasty delights - Shrimp Tempura, Shanghai Ribs, a spicy Satay Sampler, and for mains, Lime Glazed Sea Bass or Wasabi and Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin.
Satay Sampler at Tamarind.
Tamarind was also the location of a special Asian dinner, prepared by Japanese Sushi Master Chef Andy Matsuda from Holland America’s Culinary Council. It was a five course feast, imaginative sushi of course but also included a delectable Sashimi Style Tuna Trio and Grilled Scallops Dengaku. Each course was accompanied by high end wines.
Grilled Scallops Dengaku, from Chef Andy's Special Asian Dinner.
The two other extra cost dining rooms are Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s top quality steakhouse and Canaletto, an Italian specialty restaurant.
Along with the rarely crowded Lido Buffet, the cost-included main dining room covers two floors at the rear of the ship and, on our 11 day cruise, had varied and interesting fare each evening. We were impressed. Covered with white cloths, the tables for two, four, six or eight guests have well trained, friendly waiters who presented menus with selections like Surf & Turf (tender and delicious lobster and beef), BBQ ribs, veal cutlet or chicken parmigiana The fish, especially the fresh wahoo the chef picked up in San Diego, was particularly good. Of course, vegetarian options were always available. Our only disappointment in the main dining room was with the Mexican food, offered for a couple of evenings while we were cruising along the Mexican Riviera. Very bland compared with the real thing.
Tender Surf and Turf. Main Dining Room.
With very few miscues, cuisine is obviously very important on Eurodam. During the day, the BB King’s Blues Club is converted into America’s Test Kitchen where chefs prepare special dishes before an appreciative audience and answer questions about their techniques. Master Chef Andy showed off his sushi skills with a whimsical Panda Face roll.
Panda Sushi. Created by Chef Andy.
Our itinerary included five sea days giving us the opportunity to fully explore the ship. From pickleball and shuffleboard courts on the top deck to the two swimming pools, observation lounges with a library, computer center, lecture rooms and a smoke-free casino, there was always something to do.
Pickleball Court on Sports Deck.
We boarded Eurodam in Vancouver, one of the most livable, picturesque cities in North America. It has an excellent cruise port facility at Canada Place and. as expected, boarding the ship was easy and efficient.
After two busy sea days we anchored off the charming California city of Santa Barbara where Eurodam’s lifeboat tenders were used to take guests ashore. This was the first of two tendering stops, both of which seemed to have delays and logistical problems.
Next day, on the pier in San Diego, we found a nearby hop-on, hop-off trolley which gave us an excellent overview of this attractive city with its palm lined boulevards. A highlight was crossing the two mile long Coronado Bridge. We can only be envious of San Diego’s semi-tropical, year-round sunny weather.
In the San Diego Trolley. Crossing the Coronado Bridge.
The Mexican Riviera offered guests a trio of fascinating cities, each with its own special attributes. Cabo San Lucas is a resort destination at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It was another port requiring a tender (with delays). The city of 80,000, one of the Top Five Mexican tourist destinations, is in a beautiful Pacific setting with pristine beaches alternating with rugged cliffs.
Mazatlan, population 500,000, is slightly off the Mexican tourist radar and thus more authentic with many colonial buildings. Its colorful waterfront walk is filled with sculptures and souvenir shops. As a thrill for tourists, daring young men dive into shallow water from a 50 foot high rock.
Colorful Souvenir Shops in all Mexican towns.
Our last Mexican port, the tourist hot spot of Puerto Vallarta. has a magnificent beach setting flanked by lush, palm-covered mountains. We chose a spirit and food tour where the chefs made us complex cocktails using raicilla, a cousin of tequila, also made from agave. This was followed by some authentic Mexican food – spicy and tasty. .
Mixing a Raicilla Cocktail in Puerto Vallarta.
As we sailed north towards San Diego and disembarkation we were glad we splurged for a Signature Suite, the lowest of three suite categories. We had a large room with plenty of storage space, a generous balcony, a huge 50 inch flat screen TV with plenty of channel and movie choices (including MSNBC, Fox News and BBC News) and, best of all, a large bathroom with twin sinks, a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. We were spoiled and would probably upgrade again.
At the start of the cruise, the Eurodam Hotel Director told us he’d guarantee the best live music at sea. He was right. But with the ship emerging from dry dock in 2015 and with continuing improvements since then, we’d say his prideful boast could be accurate about several other areas of this sophisticated vessel.
John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax.
Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan
Queen Victoria. A Cunard European Wine Cruise. Tasteful Elegance.
Our fourteen day “Voyage du Vin” on Cunard’s Queen Victoria left Southampton and headed south towards some of the prime grape growing areas in Spain, Italy and France.
By John and Sandra Nowlan
Samuel Cunard would be very pleased with a cruise that focused on vineyards and wine. According to Cunard historian John Langley, the Canadian-born founder of the famous shipping and cruise line was probably a teetotaler. But the steamship pioneer saw the virtue (and profit potential) of stocking even his early paddle wheelers with fine wines from Europe.
Queen Victoria Docked in Gibraltar
Our fourteen day “Voyage du Vin” on Cunard’s Queen Victoria left Southampton and headed south towards some of the prime grape growing areas in Spain, Italy and France. Ahead of us were tours of some outstanding European vineyards, guest speakers with broad knowledge of wines, elaborate dinners with matching wines for each course and onboard tasting sessions featuring many of the best of the more than 400 wines from the Queen Victoria’s extensive cellars.
Arriving in England a day in advance we stayed at a Cunard-recommended hotel, Chewton Glen, a magnificent Relais and Chateaux historic inn adjacent to the New Forest and close to the port of Southampton. With sumptuous surroundings and some of the best seafood we’ve ever enjoyed, we felt totally pampered.
Chewton Glen
Boarding the Queen Victoria the next day was quick and efficient. The elegant grand lobby led to many spacious public rooms designed for comfort and convenience. The centerpiece is the huge Queens Room, used for big band dancing, afternoon teas, concerts with the resident string trio or guests like the outstanding classical guitarist, Carlos Bonell, daily exercise classes (like line dancing and aerobics) and formal receptions on gala nights.
Queen Victoria Grand Lobby
Fencing Class
The 730 seat Royal Court Theatre is designed to look like a large, historic London West End playhouse with comfortable, red velvet seats, great sight lines and even 16 private boxes along the sides. Unlike many cruise lines, Cunard emphasizes live music and employs two orchestras (one in the theatre and one in the Queens Room) along with a talented ensemble of ten dancers and four vocalists who present six different, complex song and dance shows over the course of the cruise plus a full length play (in our case, it was Neil Simon’s witty California Suite). The musical highlight was a brand new staging of the award-winning West End tap dancing musical, Top Hat, based on the 1935 movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Marvelous entertainment with familiar Irving Berlin tunes.
Theatre. 16 Boxes
Every day, in addition to the wine themes, there were dozens of choices of things to do (from sporting challenges like darts, ping pong, shuffleboard and fencing to trivia, art and bridge classes to guest speakers on a wide variety of subjects like astronomy, climate change and the Royal Family). If guests prefered to read and relax, the 6,000 volume library (covering two decks via a spiral staircase) is one of the best at sea.
Top Hat. Exciting new production
Big Bands in two venues
On most cruise ships, the main buffet restaurant is usually crowded and unappealing. On Queen Victoria, the Lido (covering the back half of Deck 9) was never crowded and offered a wide variety of British and international dishes. In fact some guests told us they preferred to dine each day in the Lido rather than the more formal Britannia dining room on decks two and three. As most cruise lines become more casual, Cunard alone retains the tradition of requiring men to wear a jacket (tie optional) each night at dinner and, for several formal nights each cruise, a dark suit, tuxedo or dinner jacket. Clearly, Cunard guests love to dress up. One guest from Wales told us the formal nights were great because they reflected the ship’s opulence and style.
Lido Buffet. Large and usually uncrowded
After a day at sea, our Voyage du Vin began in earnest. The Queen Victoria docked in Vigo, Northern Spain, and we chose a tour to the Galician wine region. The normally damp, cool climate produces some wonderful white grape varieties, especially the Albarino. To avoid rotting on the wet ground, grape vines are supported by wooden or cement pilings, sometimes a couple of yards high.
Vineyard in Galician Region of Spain. High enough to provide shade
Over the course of the cruise, several wine experts gave talks and hosted opulent dinners in the Verandah Restaurant. One evening we chose a Bordeaux theme dinner with Wall Street Journal and Sunday Times wine writer Will Lyons. At a “nominal” extra cost of $US 230, the chef went all out with his cuisine (Gin & Tonic Smoked Salmon, Tea-smoked Duck Breast, Dry Aged Black Angus Beef Fillet and a decadent Strawberry Pavlova dessert) while Will Lyons introduced our seven Bordeaux classic wines including Chateau La Fleur des Graves Blanc, Chateau l’Evangile Pomerol, Chateau Magdelaine Grand Cru Classé and, for dessert, Chateau d’Yquem, 1996. Excellent food and high end wines
Will Lyons at Bordeaux Dinner
Our next stop was in Mallorca, Spain, where our tour took us to small, rural winery run by a family proud of its botanical garden (exotic cactus) and historic farm implements. Seated in the garden along two long tables, we were served several excellent Mallorcan white and red wines along with an outstanding sweet wine.
Spanish Wine Tasting near Mallorca
Following another activity-filled day at sea we docked in La Spezia, Italy (unremarkable since it was reconstructed after heavy bombing in World War Two) but, like many tourists, headed for nearby Pisa and its famous Leaning Tower (now leaning less, thanks to clever engineering). But Italian wine beckoned as our tour then proceeded to a 17th Century farmhouse in Tuscany where the wine maker provided generous samples of his excellent vintages along with snacks and cheese.
Italian Wine Samples in 17th Century Farmhouse
In Cannes, France, we had to anchor the Queen Victoria and use lifeboat tenders to reach the port. We’d seen the glamorous film city before and opted for a tour to Old Antibes, an ancient town dating back to the Iron Age. The town has an excellent Picasso Museum and includes the largest yachting harbour in Europe. We enjoyed the lively provincial market, including colourful spice shops, reminiscent of Istanbul.
Spice Market
After docking in Barcelona, another non-wine tour took us to the old Roman city of Terragona. Its amphitheatre dates from the second century while the impressive town cathedral was begun in 1154. There are lots of tourists in Terragona…and lots of pickpockets.
Back on board Queen Victoria, we chose another opulent, extra cost dinner, this time focusing on Italian wines. Our host and wine guide was Canadian Master of Wine, David Gleave. For our “nominal” $US 130 we had another superb dinner featuring Herb Gnocchi, Smoked Venison Carpaccio and Chateaubriand. Our favourite wines among the eight served were a dry, well-balanced La Rocca Pieropan, a 2016 Fontodi Chianti Classico and a 2014 Barolo Aldo Conterno.
Smoked Venison Carpaccio. Italian Dinner
Our final Cunard tour, before sailing back to Southampton, was from the fascinating port of Gibraltar We left the British Territory, crossed the airport runway (traffic stops when planes come and go) and entered Spain again. Our destination was a cork and cattle ranch where the friendly owner showed us how cork is stripped from the trees every nine years and then regenerates. The main use is for wine stoppers but purses, hats and toys can also be made from the material. With screw caps becoming more common, the cork farm owner is trying to diversify and use his acreage as a wedding venue and a kind of cork theme park with animals and educational exhibits.
Arriving back in Southampton was as seamless and efficient as embarkation. This Voyage du Vin was an excellent way to combine traditional Cunard hospitality with increased knowledge of and enjoyment of wines. Next year Cunard is planning its “Food and Wine” event aboard the Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 as it crosses from Southampton to New York in June. Like this year, the crossing will feature many wine-focused events and expert speakers. Samuel Cunard would be delighted.
Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan
Chicago to Toronto – Cruising the Inland Sea on Victory I
“The Great Lakes – Unsalted and Shark Free”. It was an effective bumper sticker but the publisher could have added, “Wonderful Cruising”.
By John and Sandra Nowlan
“The Great Lakes – Unsalted and Shark Free”. It was an effective bumper sticker but the publisher could have added, “Wonderful Cruising”.
The Great Lakes contain fully a fifth of all the standing fresh water in the world. With 10,000 miles of shoreline, the five lakes, in many ways, dominate the geography, culture and history of North America. The region has never had the profile of ocean or European river cruising…but it should.
Chicago, with its grand buildings, many museums and outstanding cuisine was an ideal city from which to begin our cruise to Toronto.
Our ship was Victory I, a comfortable 200 passenger vessel built in 2001 and owned by Victory Cruise Lines, now part of the American Queen Steamboat Company. Its registered tonnage is just 5,000 and it’s 300 feel long. Its unusual bow is vertical rather than slanted.
Finding Victory I was a challenge. We gave our taxi driver, a 30 year veteran, a street address and told him it was at the “Chicago Dock”. “Never heard of it”, he said. After consulting his GPS with a long ride south (almost to the Indiana border), the handsome ship was finally spotted in a gritty, very unattractive industrial area. Chicago, if it wants to be a major cruise player, has to find a better port facility closer to downtown.
Once aboard the Victory I the atmosphere improved rapidly. A welcome drink and smiling crew members made registration simple and we were escorted to our room. It was small with muted, attractive colors but cleverly laid out with a surprising amount of storage space. Two large picture windows offered great views. The bathroom was tiny but quite functional with luxury touches like L’Occitane toiletries.
Before sailing, a quick tour of Victory I showed off its passenger-friendly attributes. On Deck two a comfortable Compass Lounge had enough room for all passengers and became the center for entertainment and lectures. A small library on either side of the lounge led to the “Tavern” with its bar and complimentary beer, wine, spirits and cocktails. Good complimentary wine was also available with meals in the two dining areas, the large Coastal Dining Room on Deck one and the more intimate one, The Grill, with excellent views, at the rear of Deck four. All meals were surprisingly good with our German chef and his team producing imaginative dishes like Beef Steak Tartar, Colcanon Soup, Venison Toutiere and Planko Crusted Atlantic Cod. The fish, mostly pre-frozen, was of a high quality with the very fresh Ontario trout a highlight one evening. Service from the well-trained Indonesian, Filipino and Indian waiters was very professional.
While food, service and comfort were excellent, it’s the Great Lakes itinerary that really shone. With outstanding guides, we visited both small, intimate communities and major North American cities.
Our first stop was new to most of the ship’s American, Canadian and Australian guests. On the east side of Lake Michigan, the largest city is Muskegon (population: 38,000). It boasts two fascinating World War 2 vessels that are now floating museums. The USS Silversides was the most decorated surviving submarine from the war. Visitors can walk through the claustrophobic interior and see the small galley and the crew’s bunk beds adjacent to the torpedo tubes. Nearby, visitors can also enjoy a tour through the cavernous interior and huge front unloading ramp of USS LST 393, one of only two remaining tank landing craft that were used to bring Sherman tanks and troops to the shores of Normandy 75 years ago during D-Day. More than a thousand of these versatile craft, each more than 300 feet long, were built for use in World War II.
In the afternoon another complimentary tour took us to the charming town of Holland, Michigan. As expected, the community was filled with tulips (luckily, it was tulip season) but the most interesting sight was the only authentic Dutch windmill in the US. The De Zwaan windmill was built in the Netherlands in 1761, then moved piece by piece to Holland, Michigan in 1964. Visitors can take a tour inside this working wind machine.
After a relaxing day on Lake Michigan (including elegant Afternoon Tea) we arrived at Mackinac Island, a unique US destination where cars have been banned since 1898. All transportation is by bicycle and horse drawn carriages, through the village with its 17 fudge shops and on to the historic Grand Hotel (built in 1887) with its 397 rooms and world’s longest porch. Victory Cruise Lines reserved a section of the Hotel’s huge restaurant for the extravagant Grand Luncheon Buffet.
Our first Canadian destination was Little Current, Ontario, a village on Manitoulin, the world’s largest freshwater island. It’s home to the Ojibwe People, part of the largest First Nation population in North America. All guests were invited to the nearby cultural center for a welcoming smudging ceremony and a Pow Wow, a lively exhibit of native drumming, singing and dancing.
After we re-boarded Victory I we went though the Little Current Swing Bridge dating from 1913 and past the Strawberry Island Lighthouse in Georgian Bay. Built in 1881 it’s one of the most photographed in North America.
The 1913 Little Current Swing Bridge.
Strawberry Island Lighthouse.
After small, rural communities it was fascinating to dock beside the downtowns of two major US cities, Detroit and Cleveland. It was an easy walk from the ship to the central cores. Both offer a multitude of tourist attractions so, with just a day in each port, our tour organizers chose well. In Detroit the highlight was the Henry Ford Museum, second only to the Smithsonian in Washington for cultural significance. Among the exhibits in its huge, one level gallery are the limousine that carried President Kennedy on that fateful 1963 day in Dallas, the Alabama bus in which Rosa Parks defied seat segregation laws and the actual chair from the Ford Theatre occupied by President Lincoln when he was shot in 1865. Of course there are several exhibits showing early airplanes and locomotives along with Model A and Model T Fords where Henry Ford pioneered vehicle assembly lines.
In Cleveland, Victory guests were taken on an extensive Trolley Tour of the impressive city including a drive through the 170 acre medical campus of the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic and a stop at the outstanding Cleveland Museum of Art. But next door to the ship was an architectural masterpiece, the I.M. Pei designed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, paying homage to the greats of rock music history, from Buddy Holly to Elvis and the Beatles to the Rolling Stones and Prince. Great fun for music nostalgia fans.
Wet fun and fine wine were in store for our final day of the cruise as Victory I entered the eight locks of the Welland Canal, avoiding Niagara Falls and lowering ships 326 feet between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. All guests were given a picturesque bus ride along the Niagara Parkway and then invited aboard one of the Hornblower Niagara Falls ships. Outfitted with red ponchos, guests sailed past the American Falls to the base of the dramatic Horseshoe Falls where wind, spray and towering cascades of water made an unforgettable impression.
Fully dried, we boarded our buses to Chateau des Charmes, one of the many fine wineries in the Niagara region where we enjoyed lunch and samples of excellent Ontario vintages. We then had free time in Niagara-on-the Lake, a charming community renowned as the home of the Shaw Summer Festival.
The next morning we woke up in Toronto in an industrial part of Lake Ontario but facing the extraordinary skyline of Ontario’s capital. It was certainly a prettier sight than the depressing view from the Chicago cruise port. The good news is that Victory Cruise Lines has promised that future Great Lakes sailings between Chicago and Toronto will use a much more convenient port, closer to downtown Chicago. A great start for a wonderful cruise experience.
Regent Seven Seas Explorer: The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built?
Our cruise review of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Explorer
Itinerary: Miami, At Sea, At Sea, Bermuda, Bermuda, At Sea, At Sea, At Sea, At Sea, Horta (Azores), Ponta Delgada (Azores), At Sea, Funchal, At Sea, Lisbon (Disembark).
April 28, 2019 - It's a bold claim, for sure. Regent Seven Seas Cruises declares quite vehemently that Seven Seas Explorer is "The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built." But, is it? It's a claim we decided to put to the test during our 14-night transatlantic sailing from Miami to Lisbon.
The Ship
We embark on Deck 5, just above the grand staircase. One glance at this lobby and you immediately get a sense of style and elegance.
Visually, there is no question that Seven Seas Explorer's designers hit all the right marks when it comes to creating a luxurious environment. The ship is one of the most beautiful and tastefully decorated on which we have had the privilege to sail.
The public spaces are filled with beautiful works of art and clad in expensive marble, leather and coordinated fabrics. Function follows form throughout the ship, making it one of the easiest to find your way around. The Constellation Theater (Deck 4/5 forward) is spacious, has good sight lines and excellent acoustics
Constellation Theater
Deck 11 is the Lido Deck with a large pool flanked by two large hot tubs, the Pool Bar and the Pool Grill. Aft on 11 is La Veranda, the ship's Lido Buffet.
Deck 12 features the ship's jogging track, a very nice mini-golf course, a golf driving net, pickle ball court, Bocce court, and of course, shuffleboard.
Top quality wicker loungers surround the pool on Deck 11. Each is covered with terry cloth, and plush towels are provided.
Accommodations
A chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses have been placed in each suite to greet guests when they arrive.
Our Superior Suite was 332 sq. ft. with an additional 115 sq. ft. of balcony. The king-sized bed faces the balcony, and is one of the most comfortable beds you will find on a cruise ship. Each night stand has USB ports, electrical outlets and there is a clock on one of the nightstands.
Next to the bed is a long desk/dresser with a marble top. The desk has electrical outlets and is a comfortable workstation if you travel with a laptop. The desk becomes a vanity with a lighted makeup mirror (something that every cruise line should provide) and drawers to hold all of the potions and lotions that women require.
The bathroom is huge and is one of the nicest we have seen in a suite/stateroom this size on any ship. There is a full-sized bathtub with its own shower head and a separate shower stall,too. This makes it very easy for two people to shower at the same time.
The large vanity has two sinks and lots of storage in the form of shelves and drawers. Top-quality L'Occitane amenities are provided and replenished as needed. Large, plush towels are as nice as you will find in any five-star hotel. And, the toilet flush is very quiet for a cruise ship toilet.
The walk-in closet is not only large, but houses another dresser with tons of drawer storage. One of our favorite features of the closet are the hooks provided for hanging jackets, caps, pajamas, or whatever you desire.
The balcony is wide and deep with two padded lounge chairs that can recline to become mini-loungers.
The large wicker and glass table is perfect for al fresco dining. We enjoyed a beautiful room-service breakfast on the balcony on the morning we arrived in Bermuda.
The large flat-screen television is mounted in the sitting room, but is hinged so that it can swing into view of the bedroom. There is excellent programming with a variety of news channels, closed-circuit programming and movie channels. There is also a nice selection of movies on demand (complimentary).
The sitting room has a small sofa and glass coffee table on one end and the mini-fridge/bar, television and even more storage drawers at the opposite end of the room. The space can be segregated somewhat from the bedroom by pulling the curtain provided between the spaces.
It should be noted that our suite was whisper quiet throughout the entire 14-night cruise. We never heard our neighbors. As far as comfort goes, we would rate the Superior Suite a 5 out of 5. It is simply one of the very best stateroom/suites we have had the pleasure of occupying.
Food and Dining
Seven Seas Explorer offers guests a wide variety of dining options. La Veranda is the ship's lido buffet on Deck 11 aft. La Veranda is open for breakfast and lunch, offering a variety of choices. Seating is very elegant for a buffet with linen tablecloths, napkins and nice table settings. Waiters are on hand for drink orders and a selection of complimentary wines is offered at lunch.
One of our favorite features of La Veranda is the endless supply of fresh boiled shrimp each day. And, the spicy cocktail sauce is quite good.
The Pool Grill is located just forward of La Veranda on Deck 11. A smaller buffet is offered here and is the perfect lunch spot for those lounging poolside. On the port side, there is a covered dining space with great ocean views and table service. The Pool Grill menu offers a choice of sandwiches, hot dogs, panini, and burgers.
The burgers served at the Pool Grill are quite good, as are the French fries (when served hot). We were served cold fries a couple of times and had to ask the waiter to bring a fresh batch, which they always were happy to do.
Cheeseburger and Fries at the Pool Grill
Our only disappointment at the Pool Grill was with the pizza. It sort of tasted like a frozen pizza and was not up to the standard of Regent's other food offerings.
Pizza at Pool Grill
Extensive Room Service Breakfast Menu
Room Service was excellent on our sailing. We had breakfast in our suite three different times and, each time, the food arrived on time and warm. A Room Service breakfast menu is placed on the bed each evening. The menu is extensive. Just fill out the menu before going to bed, hang it outside on your doorknob, and the food arrives the next morning at the requested time.
Eggs Benedict
When the food arrives, the server prepares the coffee table (or balcony table, if you choose to dine al fresco) with a linen tablecloth, napkins and every other amenity you would expect if you were dining in Compass Rose. It is five-star room service, for sure. Our Eggs Benedict arrived warm, with perfectly poached eggs and topped with delicious Hollandaise.
The 24-hour room service menu is quite extensive and, during dinner hours, you can order from the Compass Rose menu.
Compass Rose is the ship's main restaurant (Deck 4 midship).
Compass Rose
Compass Rose is open for breakfast and dinner each day. This the place to come if you want full service with a menu that changes each evening. Compass Rose has the most elegant charger plates and table settings we have seen to date.
Compass Rose also has the largest "always available" menu selection we have ever seen on a cruise ship. The entire left side of the menu (and, it is a very large menu) lists items that are always available.
Lobster Bisque at Compass Rose
Prime 7 (Deck 10 aft) is Regent's steak house and it quickly became one of our favorites on board Seven Seas Explorer. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and reservations are required for dinner. There is also a small bar at Prime 7 where you can enjoy a cocktail while waiting for your table.
Prime 7 is deceptively large. If you arrive early for lunch, you should be able to find a nice table for two with an ocean view. Rickee enjoyed the BBQ pulled pork sliders on more than one occasion.
BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
The best part of lunch at Prime 7 is the dessert carousel containing six different delicious treats that are the perfect size for two to share.
Dessert Carousel at Prime 7
Dinner at Prime 7 is very elegant and service is top notch. The menu features many prime beef offerings, but there are other options for those who enjoy seafood. Rickee's Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious, as was my Rib Eye.
Chartreuse is the ship's French-themed restaurant, also located on Deck 10 aft (port side). Like Prime 7, Chartreuse is open for lunch and dinner each day. We had lunch and dinner here only once. The restaurant is beautiful, however, we felt like the service was slower here than any of the other restaurants.
French Onion Soup at Chartreuse
Lamb Chops
Our dinner here was somewhat disappointing. My lamb chops were well seasoned, but very tough. And again, service was slow. In their defense, the restaurant was full. But, Prime 7 was full when we dined there, and service was crisp.
Beautiful bread basket at Sette Mari
In the evenings, the port side of La Veranda becomes Sette Mari, an Italian-themed bistro. Sette Mari is sort of a hybrid between a buffet and table service restaurant, which is a little confusing at first. The menu is quite large, and changes every couple of days.
Soups and main courses are ordered from the menu while salads, antipasti and desserts are self-serve from the buffet area. However, several antipasti selections are also placed on the table by the waiter.
Bruschetta selections are brought to the table
Sette Mari quickly became another one of our favorite 'go-to' restaurants because reservations are not required here. The service was excellent from our three-time waiter, Armando. And, you can watch your meal being prepared in the open kitchen there.
Open Kitchen at Sette Mari
One of my personal favorite dining venues is Pacific Rim, the Asian-fusion restaurant on Deck 5 aft which is only open for dinner.
The menu here offers a variety of Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese-inpsired dishes. The Peking Duck Salad was one of our favorites.
Peking Duck Salad
Shu Mei dumplings
The atmosphere, service and food at Pacific Rim were among the best we found on Seven Seas Explorer. All restaurants on board are complimentary and complimentary wine is offered at lunch and dinner. The complimentary wine selection was as good as any we have found on any luxury ship, and better than most. Overall, food quality was very good and service was what you would expect from a five-star cruise line.
Entertainment
We were extremely pleased with the quality and variety of entertainment on board Seven Seas Explorer. The production shows (3 on our cruise) were as good as we have seen on any ship, of any size. We counted twelve singers and dancers, which is unheard of on a ship this size.
Seven Seas Explorer Production Cast
The vocalists were extremely talented, as were the dancers. Costumes, and lighting were also very well done. The Constellation Theater adds to the experience with excellent acoustics, a great sound system and good sight lines.
Janneke displays her amazing vocals
In addition to excellent production shows, the guest entertainers were the best we have ever seen on any cruise ship. (Remember, we have been on more than 135 cruises, so when we say they were that good, it should not be taken lightly). Jenene Caramiello was quite simply one of the best female vocalists we have ever seen in person.
Janene Caramiello
Juliette Primrose
We were equally impressed with violinist, Juliette Primrose. Between 2003 and 2011, Ms. Primrose toured the globe as lead fiddle-player for Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.
There were other excellent entertainers throughout the cruise that we missed due to late dining. However, we heard nothing but praise from other guests for these acts, which included, among others, a magician, a comedian, a classical pianist, and vocalists. Veteran Cruise Director, Lorraine Weimerskirch, knows how to entertain guests and is quite a performer herself.
Cruise Director, Lorraine Weimerskirch
Rickee, knocking down bowling pins
Throughout our many cruises, there are only a handful of cruise directors that we remember and are anxious to meet again. Lorraine is now a member of that small group. On transatlantic cruises, Regent often puts on a County Fair on one of the sea days. Typically, the County Fair is held on the pool deck, but with the cool and windy weather we had, the activities were moved into the main lobby. Each department comes up with their own game for guests to play and raffle tickets are handed out for points scored. Nice prizes are raffled off at the end of the fair to those holding the winning tickets.
Everyone had a great time at the County Fair, and it is something unique to a Regent cruise. At one point, a huge group of guests broke into a Mama Mia flash mob.
Mama Mia Flash Mob at County Fair
There were also a whole host of games and other activities offered throughout the cruise. Team Trivia was held each afternoon and was so popular it had to be held in the Constellation Theater on sea days to accommodate everyone. Guests can earn Regent Reward points for playing trivia, or completing the daily Mensa Quiz, or with other activities around the ship.
Regent Rewards
The Regent Rewards can be redeemed on the last day of the cruise for some very nice logo items.
Some of the Regent Reward logo items
Another very popular activity is the Culinary Arts Kitchen (Deck 11 forward). This full-blown training kitchen allows guests to learn various cooking techniques and knife skills from a professional chef. Each guest has a cooking station with two induction cooktops, cookware, tools, knives, cutting boards, aprons and towels.
The chef introduces each course to be prepared and demonstrates the technique before students return to their stations to replicate what the chef has shown. In my class, we created a delicious roasted vegetable bruschetta, seared scallops, and a grilled flank steak.
Chef Celms demonstrates techniques for the class
The Culinary Arts Kitchen is one of the best activities I have enjoyed on any cruise. It is well worth the $89 per person fee. The classes fill up quickly, with many guests taking several during the cruise. The best part of the class is, at the end, you get to eat what you have prepared!
My grilled flank steak
If staying in shape is important to you, you are in luck. An outdoor jogging/walking track on Deck 12 is the perfect place for a few laps around the ship while enjoying a view of the ocean. A fully-equipped fitness center offers every conceivable cardio machine as well as TehnoGym weight machines.
TechnoGym weight machines
The Canyon Ranch Spa offers a wide variety of massages as well as full salon services, just in case your hair and nails require some attention. The Casino on Deck 4 midship has a variety of table games including Blackjack and Roulette and quite a few "one-arm bandits." You can also see a magic act here. Right before your eyes, the slot machines can turn a $20 bill into a 15-cent voucher!
And, of course, sea days were filled with a host of other activities, too many to list here. Enrichment lectures, an Iron Chef-style cooking competition, and Bingo are just a few of the many things going on around the ship.
Shore Excursions
Perhaps the greatest value of a Regent Seven Seas cruise is the unlimited free shore excursions. Of course, they are not really free (since you pay for them as part of your cruise), but they are included in the cruise fare, which is rather unique in the luxury cruise market. However, because the excursions are free, they can fill up very quickly. When we tried to pre-book excursions through the website more than 30 days in advance, many excursions were already fully booked and unavailable. Lesson learned: book your cruise well in advance, and book your excursions as soon as you receive your confirmation.
When you pre-book your excursions online, your excursion tickets will be waiting for you in your suite upon embarkation. If you wish to change an excursion to a different choice, you can request a change up to 48 hours before the date of the excursion. You can also request to be placed on a waiting list if an any spots open up on a fully-booked excursion in which you are interested. We found the folks at the Destination Services desk to be very nice and helpful, even though our one request to change an excursion did not materialize. If you wish to explore a port on your own, Regent often provides a complimentary shuttle service from the port into town. This is a very nice service, and a great benefit.
There were not many ports on our 14-day transatlantic sailing so we only ended up taking two excursions. Both excursions were very well managed, and they could easily cost $100 per person or more on any other cruise line. On a port-intensive sailing, the complimentary excursions would become a huge value proposition that any luxury cruise enthusiast should take into consideration.
Bars and Lounges
There are several bars/lounges on Seven Seas Explorer. The Pool Bar is obviously located on the Pool Deck, 11 midship. Explorer's Lounge (our second favorite) is on Deck 4 midship, just outside of Compass Rose. Meridian Lounge is on Deck 5 midship. Our favorite lounge was Observation Lounge on Deck 11 forward. There are also small bars at Prime 7 and Chartreuse. Cocktails are served in the Constellation Theater before shows. You could also get a drink at The Cafe on Deck 5 and in the Connoisseur Club on Deck 11.
Regardless of where you choose to quench your thirst, bar service is excellent and bartenders are generous with their pours. We frequented Observation Lounge enough that, by the third visit, our waiter knew my drink preference. All cocktails, beer and wine (except for some premium wines), bottled water and soft drinks are complimentary. At 6:00pm each evening in the bars and lounges, trays of canapés are offered.
The Coffee Connection on Deck 5 midship is a popular place to meet for a Cappuccino or Double Latte. A Barista is on hand starting at 6:30am to prepare your favorite coffee drink. In the mornings, an extensive continental breakfast buffet is available here including cold cuts, pastries, donuts, cookies, fruit, cereal and yogurt. There is also an automated coffee machine available which is available around the clock.
Summary
In order to be accurate in my assessment of the 'luxuriousness' of Seven Seas Explorer, I thought it appropriate to Google the definition of 'luxury', and here's what I found:
“A condition of abundance or great ease and comfort; sumptuous environment lived in luxury; something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary; an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease”
In trying to determine whether or not Seven Seas Explorer is, in fact, 'The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built', why not rely on Merriam Webster to make the call? Our experience on the ship was such that every word in italics in the definition above applies to Seven Seas Explorer. She could, indeed, be the most luxurious ship ever built.
Nieuw Statendam. New Ship. Brilliant Entertainment and Dining.
A review of Holland America Nieuw Statendam by Canadian journalists, John and Sandra Nowlan.
Cruise line entertainment has just taken a giant step forward. All the major cruise ships have theatres for evening production shows and most include a few other small venues for specialty acts. But Holland America Line, on its Pinnacle Class ships, has upped the ante.
Six Dancers. Amazing Special Effects.
We’ve just returned from a week-long cruise aboard the newest ship to sail the Caribbean, HAL’s Nieuw Statendam. This 2600 passenger vessel features the World Stage, the most innovative main theatre we’ve ever seen. On decks two and three, at the bow of the ship, World Stage is almost Theatre in the Round, with seats surrounding the performance area. The backdrop is a two story, 270 degree LED high definition screen with sophisticated special effects and superb sound quality. The two 45 minute shows we saw in the theatre, “Humanity” and “Stages”, from the Step One Dance Company, featured six very talented performers and dazzling, interactive use of light, sounds and action. It was brilliant.
Dazzling Dancing and Special Effects in Main Theatre.
Also brilliant on Nieuw Statendam are the ship’s four other entertainment venues. Called the “Music Walk”, the mid ship area has something for every musical taste. We particularly loved the Lincoln Center Stage and its group of five remarkable classical musicians – a pianist and a string quartet. In addition to traditional favorites (Bach, Schumann) the quintet performed music from the movies – Star Wars, Psycho and many others. Lincoln Center shares its stage with BB King’s Blues Club, eight talented musicians who bring the crowd alive with southern blues and classic soul.
Lincoln Center Stage.
Classic rock is not forgotten. Five young rockers perform three shows daily in the Rolling Stone Rock Room, a partnership with Rolling Stone Magazine. Across the corridor, two singer/pianists alternate performance times with the rock group and honor all time Billboard Magazine hits. It’s very interactive with lots of stories and requests from the audience.
Rolling Stone Rock Room. Loud, but Fun.
In addition to entertainment, a priority for most cruise ship passengers is the dining. Like its sister ship, Koningsdam, the Nieuw Statendam has a bright, two story, main dining room with red and clear glass chandeliers. The innovative design reminded us of giant whale bones. It’s open only in the evening but there are plenty of other dining choices. The Lido Market on deck 9 is the main buffet venue and is cleverly divided into various food islands so crowding is minimized. Food choices are excellent, especially at breakfast. The coffee is not great but better than on most cruise ships. Other areas for complimentary food include the New York Deli and Pizza (very good pizza) and the Dive-In for excellent hamburgers and hot dogs. The hamburgers at Guy Fieri’s Joint on Carnival ships are still a bit better.
Main Dining Room. Like being inside a whale.
New York Pizza. Excellent.
Nieuw Statendam includes several extra-cost dining areas. We were able to sample four of them. Rudi’s Sel de Mer (named for Holland America’s Master Chef, Rudi Sodamin) is a French-Mediterranean brasserie. One recent survey claimed it had the best seafood at sea. We agree. From the massive Fruits de Mer appetizer (King crab legs, langoustine, crab claws, jumbo shrimp, mussels and clams) to marinated lobster, Dover sole, scallops, sea bass and salmon, we were impressed by the fish quality and innovative presentation. We also has an excellent meal at Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s US Northwest inspired steakhouse. It’s hard to beat a great steak, perfectly cooked. Tamarind is the ship’s 140 seat restaurant that features cuisine from Southeast Asia, China and Japan. We enjoyed giant Indochine tempura shrimp and Mongolian lamb chops. Every evening a portion of the Lido Market becomes Canaletto, an excellent Italian restaurant that’s now part of almost all Holland America ships.
Seafood Appetizer at Sel de Mer.
Mongolian Lamb Chops in Tamarind.
Food is taken very seriously at Holland America so we weren’t surprised at the popularity of America’s Test Kitchen (cooking demonstrations in the main theatre) or the tour of the sparkling, stainless steel galley and its 200 chefs and cooks.
Test Kitchen.
Because of its Dutch heritage, large elegant floral arrangements are scattered throughout the ship. Another delight is the creative artwork on every staircase and in most public areas. We love quirky and the 3D artwork and unusual sculptures delivered many smiles. On Deck Nine there’s even a six foot glass reproduction, anatomically correct, of Michelangelo’s “David”. For fun, he’s holding a smart phone for a selfie.
Michelangelo's "David". Taking a selfie.
Fort Lauderdale, with easy access from the nearby airport, is the current base for Nieuw Statendam. Our Eastern Caribbean itinerary took us first to Nassau, Bahamas, a very popular cruise destination (when we were there, five large ships were docked next to each other). We took the boat tour to nearby Blue Lagoon Island with some quiet beaches and the well-known Dolphin Encounters. Close interaction with these marine mammals is very popular and they seemed to be well cared for.
After a welcome day at sea we arrived at the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Territory of the United States. It was a delight seeing the 16th Century landmark fortifications and the Spanish Colonial buildings in the Old Town, now a UNESCO Heritage Site. We joined a Spoon Food Tour led by Pablo, an entertaining guide, who knew the history of every nook and cranny and who introduced us to some unique Puerto Rican cuisine – Mofongo (the national dish of fried plantain with chicken and sauce) and Pernil (marinated roast pork with beans, rice, ceviche and churros).
Mofongo. National Dish.
That fascinating city was followed by another sea day and two beach days, first at Trunk Bay Beach on the island of St. John, a half hour boat ride from our landing in St. Thomas. The beach was wonderful (great snorkeling) but we passed evidence of much destruction from recent hurricanes. The last beach day and our last onboard (we love Caribbean beaches, especially during our winter) was on Holland America’s private Bahamas Island, Half Moon Cay. Reached by large, efficient tenders, the white sand beach is superb with the clearest ocean water we’ve ever seen. Some guests chose optional horseback riding, kayaking or Sea-Dooing. There were plenty of beach chairs available. Back on board the ship offered its guests cold towels and drinks. Even some ultra-luxury lines don’t do that anymore.
Private Island Beach. Crystal Clear Water.
We were sad to leave Nieuw Statendam and head for home (disembarkation was remarkably fast and efficient). This was the sixth Holland American ship, dating back to 1898, with the proud Statendam name. Earlier travellers on its namesake would have been astonished by the dramatic, positive changes in comfort, cuisine and entertainment.
John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax.
Silversea Silver Spirit - Longer and Better Than Ever
A 49-foot section has been added to Silver Spirit to bring it up to Silver Muse standards. This remains one of our all-time favorite luxury vessels.
Itinerary: Port Everglades, At Sea, Grand Turk, San Juan, San Juan, St. Kitts, Roseau, St. John's, Gustavia, Road Town, Semana, At Sea, Key West, Port Everglades
Silversea is a cruise line with which we are very familiar, having sailed on nearly every ship in the fleet to many exotic parts of the world. In addition, Silver Spirit is a ship with which we are also very familiar. This was our third sailing aboard Silver Spirit. So one must wonder, what more could we possibly have to say about this cruise line and/or this particular ship?
A lot has changed since the last time we sailed on Silver Spirit. For one thing, she is now 49 feet longer after having been cut in half and a new section inserted. The objective for this stretch was to bring Silver Spirit closer in design and function to Silversea's newest ship, Silver Muse (and the next ship, Silver Moon). And, since our last Silversea cruise, Silversea has become part of the Royal Caribbean family of cruise lines (along with Azamara Club Cruises and Celebrity Cruises). So, we were very curious to see not only what has changed on Silver Spirit, but if we could detect any changes to the Silversea product under the auspices of big brother, Royal Caribbean.
I am pleased to report that, for all of you who have emailed me with concerns about the Royal Caribbean acquisition, you can rest easy. Silversea is still "Silversea." As a matter of fact, all indications are that Silversea will be even better (if that is possible) as a result of the Royal Caribbean deal. Big Brother has deep pockets and can fund things like new ship builds, many of which have already been announced. We could see a luxury segment war with the big players all trying to one-up each other by offering more amenities and services to attract the profitable luxury-seeking cruise enthusiast. Wouldn't that be cool?
So, this media assignment was to see what changes have taken place with Silver Spirit, one of our all-time favorite small luxury ships. In fact, we have already done thorough reviews of Silver Spirit, which you can read if you want all the detals:
14-Night South America Cruise (2010): Read Here
14-Night Transatlantic Cruise (2012): Read Here
So, rather than saying what has already been said, we want to focus on what's new and what's changed with Silver Spirit.
Restaurants and Lounges
The "Muse-ification" of Silver Spirit meant the addition of new dining spaces. Gone are the days of a single restaurant where everybody congregates at tables for four, six or eight people. Silver Spirit guests can now enjoy a wide variety of dining venues, menus and flavors. And, there is a greater emphasis on intimate dining with a large number of two-top tables in every venue.
The Arts Cafe
One of our favorite additions to Silver Spirit is Arts Cafe (Deck 8 aft). The quirky, colorful decor is sort of out of character for Silversea, which tends to lean more towards an understated elegance theme. We enjoyed Arts Cafe on Silver Muse in 2017 and we love that it has been added to Silver Spirit.
In addition to having a full-service bar, Arts Cafe features canapés, sandwiches and snacks throughout the day. In the mornings, you can find pastries here and, at lunchtime, there is a delicious selection of sandwiches (Rickee's favorite was the tomato, cheese and cucumber), and these cool little jars filled with all sorts of salads.
Jars contain creative salads
Glass mugs are used to serve a variety of hot soups. The Chicken Noodle was delicious.
A delicious jug of chicken noodle soup
At teatime, Arts Cafe offers a multi-tiered tray with a selection of sweet treats and finger sandwiches to enjoy with your choice of tea. And, you can enjoy your visit to Arts Cafe inside or out on the shaded terrace.
Spaccanapoli
Spaccanapoli (pronounced 'spack-uh-nop-oly'), located on Deck 10 midship (overlooking the pool deck) is Silversea's new pizza concept and it, too, is a winner in our opinion. It is open from 11am to 11pm every day and is always casual. Outdoor dining only here.
You would expect an Italian-based cruise line to have good pizza, and you won't be disappointed with the pies served here. If you like thin-crust Neopolitan-style pizza, you are going to make a few visits to Spaccanapoli.
The crust is crunchy, and chewy, with just enough burned bubbles around the edge to make it authentic. San Marzano tomatoes are used for a rich sauce along with excellent Italian cheeses.
The menu here has something for every pizza lover. They also have a Calzone which we did not try, but saw one being delivered to a nearby table. It was large enough for two people!
Indochine
Indochine is Silversea's Asian restaurant located on Deck 4 midship. Indochine occupies roughly one-third of the space from what used to be The Restaurant (my estimate, not Silversea's) with Atlantide occupying the other two-thirds. Indochine is open from 7:00pm until 9:30pm. The Indochine Bar is open at 6:00pm.
There are two different menus at Indochine, the second of which comes into play about half-way through the cruise. This gives guests an opportunity to make two visits, and have two different food experiences.
We dined here twice and I enjoyed both menus. I am more into spicy food than Rickee is, but she was able to find items that she could enjoy. The Egg Drop Noodle soup is one of the best you will find anywhere.
If you like spicy, then Indochine is your kind of place. Put your tolerance to the test with the Lamb Rogan Josh. It is the hottest, spiciest dish I have ever had on a cruise ship, and comparable to what you would find in an authentic Indian restaurant.
Lamb Rogan Josh
Read more about Indochine here.
Atlantide
Located next door to Indochine, Atlantide is the closest dining venue to what used to be The Restaurant (pre-renovation). Atlantide is open for dinner from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. The Atlantide Bar opens at 6:00pm.
Atlantide is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Lunch menus change daily, but breakfast and dinner menus are fixed.The dinner menu, however, is extensive enough that you could easily dine here several times and never eat the same thing twice.
We had dinner in Atlantide on our first night and it was very good. Rickee had a massive caviar starter and a Lemon Meringue Tart that she claimed was one of the best desserts she has ever eaten.
La Terrazza
While not a new restaurant, La Terrazza on Silver Spirit has been completely renovated. Everything here is brand new, and beautiful. At breakfast and lunch, La Terrazza is Silver Spirit's buffet restaurant. In the evenings, La Terrazza becomes a romantic Italian bistro. The restaurant serves breakfast each day from 00:30am to 00:30am, buffet lunch from 12:00 noon until 2:00pm. Dinner is served from 7:00pm until 9:30pm and reservations are recommended.
At breakfast and lunch, La Terrazza has one of the best buffets you will find on any ship.
Fresh sushi and cocktail shrimp appear on the buffet each day at lunch
The terrace behind La Terrazza is the nicest al fresco venue you will find anywhere.
We had lunch at La Terrazza several times, and were always pleased with the selection. I especially like the fresh pasta and Asian stir-fry station where dishes are prepared when you place your order
Dinner at La Terrazza is a special event with a beautiful multi-course Italian menu. The new decor really takes on a dressy, elegant feel in the evening when the lights go down and candles are placed on the tables. Reservations are recommended here, but if you show up without one, there is a good chance they will be able to find you a table.
The Caprese Salad was a softball-sized chunk of fresh mozzarella atop slices of juicy red tomatoes and drizzled with a fragrant pesto.
The pasta dishes all feature fresh, handmade pasta, and you can tell the difference. The pastas are as good as you will find in any Italian restaurant. They are good enough to be enjoyed as a main course, which I did on our second visit. The Bigoli al Cacio 'Podolico' e Pepe was my favorite. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the simple cheese and pepper sauce was sublime.
Bigoli al Cacio 'Podolico' e Pepe
No meal at La Terrazza is complete without a traditional Limoncello to cap off the meal.
Read more about our experience at La Terrazza here.
Silver Note
Silver Note (formerly Stars Supper Club) is certainly the most unique dining concept on Silver Spirit. There is only one seating for dinner here each evening: 8:00pm.
There are a few tables for four or six, but the most common seating here is two-top tables all in a row. It is one of the only things we did not care for about Silver Note. There's only about 10 inches between tables, so even though you are technically at a table for two, it feels more like you are at one huge table for 18. We prefer the seating arrangement in Silver Note on Silver Muse.
The menu is quirky, as we remembered from our Silver Muse experience, maybe even a little over the top. Rickee's ceviche starter was a work of art, albeit a little difficult to negotiate when eating.
Ceviche appetizer at Silver Note
Guests enjoy live entertainment during dinner at Silver Note.
Reservations are required at Silver Note, and seating is very limited, so reserve early.
Panorama Lounge
We had never been huge fans of Panorama Lounge on Spirit, that is, until now. The lounge has been completely renovated with new colors, furnishings and surfaces. It is a little smaller than Panorama on Muse, and that is one of the things we like about it. And, it is more intimate than Dolce Vita (formerly The Bar) on Deck 5.
In the evenings, guests enjoy live music from the Silver Spirit Trio. The bar service in Panorama was the best we found on Silver Spirit. By the third visit, our waiter knew my drink of choice.
Silversea still has the best bar service of any cruise line. Even though all cocktails, wine and beer (except for some Premium wines) are complimentary, they are very generous with each pour. My Crown Royal pour on SIlversea would be considered a double on any other cruise line.
Crown Royal (left), Glenlivet on the rocks (right)
A snack tray is offered at each table with nuts, trail mix and potato chips. At 6:30pm, waiters begin offering plates of creative and delicious canapés.
Canapés at Panorama Lounge
Dolce Vita
Formerly The Bar, Dolce Vita, located on Deck 5 midship, is the largest bar/lounge on Silver Spirit.
New furnishings make this a more comfortable space than what The Bar was. The space is larger and more open than before. There is a small dance floor and piano for entertainment in the evenings. Of course, bar service here is virtually the same as in Panorama; however, because Dolce Vita is a much larger lounge, it may take a little longer to get your favorite beverage here. On our voyage, Dolce Vita guests were entertained in the evenings by resident vocal pianist, Snizhana, and vocal guitarist, Daniel.
Anywhere/Anytime Dining
Now on Silversea, you can order anything from the room service menu and have it delivered to you anywhere on the ship. I have used this in the mornings when working on my blog at Panorama Lounge. I call Room Service at 5am and order a pot of coffee, and they deliver it to me at Panorama!
Chris Dikmen in dolce vita lounge
Or, let's say you might enjoy a cheese plate delivered to Dolce Vita. No problem. The only suggestion we would make would be for the ship to have one of the room service menus available in each pubic space, maybe next to the phone.
New Suites
Twenty-six new Veranda suites have been added to Silver Spirit, along with six Silver Suites and two Panorama Suites. Every suite on Silver Spirit has been touched up with a new look and feel to match the design of the suites on Silver Muse. For the first two evenings on board, we stayed in a Superior Veranda (808) on deck 8 and it looked brand new.
Superior Veranda
All furnishings are new. The new color scheme is lighter and much more contemporary than before. If you did not know better, you would swear you were on Silver Muse. Big improvements have been made to the suite's technology. The interactive HD television has been moved from behind the mirror(s) so, now there is one large television mounted in the living room, but visible from the bed.
The suite now features more power outlets and (finally) USB charging ports! An alarm clock with charging plate on top is a welcome addition.
On day three of our sailing, we were moved into one of the new Silver Suites on Deck 10 (1015). There were two Silver Suites added to Deck 10, two on Deck 11 and two on Deck 8. The Deck 8 suites also have the option of converting to a two-bedroom suite by opening up to an adjoining Veranda Suite. The six new suites that were added to Silver Spirit reflect the same color scheme as those on Silver Muse, with the light grey color scheme giving these suites a more contemporary, fashion-forward look.
Suite 1015 Living Room
The new luxury mattress is very comfortable, and all bedding is top quality. The desk is large enough to hold a laptop (by relocating the books and folders) and now offers more than enough in the way of electrical and USB outlets.
A nicely equipped desk
Your favorite adult beverage delivered to your suite.
The bathroom is the crown jewel of the Silver Suite with a dual-sink vanity, tons of storage space and top quality Bvlgari amenities.
The shower stall is as good as you will find on any cruise ship, or hotel for that matter.
Excellent shower in Silver Suite 1015-Silver Spirit
Silver Suite guests also benefit from additional perks, such as complimentary laundry, wet cleaning and pressing throughout the cruise (a really nice benefit on a longer cruise). You also get bumped up to Premium Internet service when in a Silver Suite.
We did notice quite a bit of mechanical noise in suite 1015, likely due to its location. Just behind the bedroom wall of the suite is the Spaccanapoli kitchen, which is basically open to the pool deck. When there is a band playing at the pool, you will hear it clearly in 1015. We have stayed in other Silver Suites on Silver Spirit and never experienced any noise issues, so we are sure it has to do with this specific suite. Perhaps some additional soundproofing is in order?
The improvements to all of the suites on board Silver Spirit elevate the accommodations to the top of any in the industry. The Silver Suite remains our all time favorite cruise ship accommodation. If we were doing a world cruise on Silversea, we would choose the Silver Suite.
Pool Deck
The pool deck is larger after the lengthening with a much larger Grill dining area. There are three hot tubs at one end of the rather large pool. There are plenty of comfortable loungers on Decks 9 and 10.
Entertainment
Silversea appears to be putting an increased emphasis on quality entertainment. They recently announced six new theatrical performances in conjunction with Luna Ross Productions. On our sailing, we enjoyed some excellent vocal performances by the Voices of Silversea.
Aimee Lake performs on Silver Spirit
In addition to the troupe of resident performers, we were also treated to excellent guest performers, like Flemenco guitarist, Adam Westcott.
And of course, Silversea continues to provide some of the best enrichment lectures of any cruise line. On our cruise, all of this entertainment was being capably delivered under the auspices of veteran Cruise Director, Jimmy Kovel, and his excellent cruise staff.
Jimmy Kovel, Cruise Director
We sailed with Mr. Kovel on Silver Muse in 2017 and were pleased to see he still has his sharp wit in tact, most noticeable during Silversea's legendary Team Trivia sessions. One evening, the cruise staff invited everyone out on the pool deck for Death By Chocolate, a massive chocolate-lover's buffet complete with singing and dancing.
Guests dance the night away after enjoying Death by Chocolate
Silversea Shore Concierge
We booked four excursions for this cruise. Three were booked through the MySilversea website a few weeks prior to embarkation, and one was booked directly with the Silversea Shore Concierge desk (Deck 5 midship). When we arrived at our suite on the day of embarkation, all of the tickets for pre-booked excursions were waiting for us on the desk.
We enjoyed all of the excursions and felt like all were a good value. The Culinary Walking Tour of San Juan was one of the best we have ever enjoyed on a cruise. And, when we decided at the last minute to do a kayak excursion in Semana, Dominican Republic, the Shore Concierge Desk was more than willing to accommodate us.
Complimentary Internet
Since our last Silversea cruise, the company now offers guests in all suites complimentary unlimited "standard" WiFi Internet access. This is a very nice perk that we are starting to see on more and more luxury and premium cruise lines. Guests staying in Silver Suites and above benefit from complimentary Premium Internet, which claims to have higher speeds. We had the opportunity to try both standard and premium during our 13-night sailing. With Standard Internet, sites like YouTube, Vimeo or any sites that stream video are blocked. You can access YouTube and others with the Premium Internet, but the speeds are still too slow to really utilize them. The Premium Internet package was selling for $244 on our 13- night cruise, or $29/day. If you only want to check/send email and maybe look at your stock portfolio, standard Internet should work fine.
Summary
When you step aboard a Silversea ship, you feel like you have arrived. It's like riding in a Rolls-Royce, flying First Class on Singapore Airlines, or staying in a suite at The Peninsula Hong Kong. It's just a feeling, there's no other way to describe it. We have been sailing with Silversea since 2002, and have watched the company grow and continue to improve. We enjoy, and appreciate, quality and good service. When only the best will do, Silversea always delivers.
Rickee Richardson and Chris Dikmen are travel journalists from Dallas, Texas
Parting Shots
Scenic Portugal. Five star service, accommodation and cuisine
Scenic Portugal. Five star service, accommodation and cuisine on the Douro River in Portugal.
By John and Sandra Nowlan
Portugal’s Douro River, winding 130 miles from the city of Porto on the Atlantic coast to the border of Spain, is a remarkable stretch of water. The former rapids have been tamed by a series of five giant dams and the topography is ever-changing. Between the various green hues of olive and almond trees, the views range from pastoral sheep and cattle farms to massive, colorful vineyards climbing in neat rows from the waterline to hundreds of yards high to narrow passages with giant boulders and steep, rocky cliffs on either side.
Scenic Azure in Porto.
Currently there are 22 river cruise ships from several companies that ply the tranquil waters of the Douro from Porto. No one does it better than Scenic, the Australian-owned river cruise company that’s active on all the major European waterways. Our ship, the Scenic Azure, held just 96 guests, at least a dozen fewer than the competition. The ship’s General Manager, Jean-Paul Oliveira, said that Scenic always tries to set the standard for quality. “Our rooms are bigger,” he told us “and we can pay more attention to the needs of our guests. There are no extra costs. Everything is done for them.” Included in the fare are all airport transfers, meals, snacks, wine, bar drinks, tours, laundry and gratuities. For a luxury touch, every suite has the services of a butler.
The butlers are introduced.
All suites, except six on the lower deck, have full length, full width picture windows that lower at the touch of a button. The innovative balcony is actually part of the room, making the area seem more spacious. At night, another button lowers the room-darkening shade. The king size bed is totally adjustable with electric switches to move the mattress up and down. The bathroom includes a large shower enclosure with a half dozen nozzle choices and locations. High end L’Occitane soap, lotion, shampoo and conditioner are standard.
The clever balcony and huge windows.
Dining was a special treat on Scenic Azure. Crystal, the main dining room, has open seating with tables for two to eight guests. Breakfast and lunch were buffet-style (with some specialty items available at lunch, including fresh grilled sardines) but dinner was full service with an extensive menu of Continental and Portuguese dishes. The beef, lamb and pork dishes were superb. Early in the cruise, the fish was not as good as it should have been but, towards the end of the week, the chef told us he changed his supplier. Major improvement!
Imaginative dessert at Table D’Or.
The wines at lunch and dinner were especially good. Seeing all the vineyards along the Douro made us crave local vintages…and the ship delivered. Every evening the sommelier on board chose some wonderful white, red and rosé vintages, all very tasty and ideal for the cuisine. As expected, the selection of Port Wine was extensive with ruby, tawny and late bottles vintage all available. One afternoon the chefs offered a tasting combo of port wine and chocolate truffles. Decadent!
Port wine and chocolate truffles.
Every guest could book an evening at Portobello’s, where the front of the main lounge was turned into an excellent specialty restaurant with unique Portuguese fare and appropriate wines. For Diamond Level guests (Deck 3) an even fancier dinner, called Table D’Or, was offered. Limited to ten guests at a time, two chefs created an exquisite tasting menu with some of the best Douro wines and port. White glove service was provided by the three staff butlers. The Port highlight was a 2010 Ferreira Late Bottled Vintage. Rich, ultra-smooth and fragrant.
The outstanding onboard experience was matched by the scenery and by the excellent tours. Going through the five locks was a unique experience for many guests. One of the dams we traversed had a 115 feet water difference, the highest in Europe.
Approaching the first lock.
Onboard activities included Portuguese tile painting (the fired tiles were returned at the end of the cruise) and the pastry chef demonstrated how to make the unique and decadent Portuguese Custard Tarts. But the main attraction was the Douro River Valley itself (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the art, history and culture of its communities.
Like a painting. Scenery along the Douro.
First stop was Regua, a lively riverside town of 17,000, and its excellent Douro Museum, focusing mainly on the historic Port wine trade. Wine production in the region goes back 2000 years but the name “Port” was not recognized until the late 1600s.
The Wall of Port at the Douro Museum.
The next day a trio of Scenic buses took guests to the early 18th Century Baroque masterpiece, Mateus Palace. The famous rosé wine, no longer made there, is named for this opulent property with its intricately carved wood ceilings and beautifully sculptured gardens.
The Mateus Palace.
The gardens at Mateus Palace.
The last Portuguese village on the Douro is Barca D’Alva where the Scenic Azure had to dock because the Spanish portion of the river lacks locks on its hydro dams. Again, the comfortable Scenic buses took us for an almost two hour ride to the remarkable Spanish city of Salamanca, population 150,000, dating back to the pre-ancient Rome period (Hannibal laid siege to the city in 220 BC). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city centre boasts Spain’s oldest university and iconic buildings like its 12th Century Romanesque-style Old Cathedral, the 16th Century Casa de las Conchas (covered in symbolic seashells) and the Baroque style City Hall in the largest public square, La Plaza Mayor. Lunch and a Spanish Flamenco Dance show were provided at the nearby Hacienda Zorita, a 700 year old former monastery, now a five star resort. Its wine cellar holds almost 1500 barrels.
Lunchtime entertainment. Flamenco Dancers.
Heading downriver again towards Porto, we stopped at the Portuguese village of Pocinho where three tours were offered – the Coa Valley Museum, a kayak adventure or, our choice, a gourmet almond experience at the Casa Palnova Estate, a 1652 manor house that also produces olive oil and port wine. We were shown how local almonds are opened with small hammers, then how they are roasted in sugar syrup and covered with cinnamon, orange or ginger flavour. Lots of samples!
Cracking almonds the traditional way.
The next day we all took the Scenic buses for a hair-raising climb along narrow, switchback roads to the village of Provesende, a tiny town with stone houses, narrow streets and cobblestone roads. In its heyday it was filled with opulent manor houses, many of which have fallen into ruin, It’s quiet, almost ghostly (a 1573 pillory stands in the town square) but there’s activity at the Paderia Fatima bakery where 200 round loaves are produced daily in an ancient looking, wood-fired oven. In the barn-like basement of a 1680 manor house we were treated to port wine and bolo fresh bread (filled with meat) while surrounded by wine barrels, two of which were car size. It truly was a step back in time.
Back in Porto, our Scenic guides took us to the 14th Century Sao Francisco Church with its glowing altar covered with 600 kilograms of gold, for a special evening concert of traditional Fado. Called “The Soul of Portuguese Music”, Fado is haunting and melodic, often mournful. We were treated to Fado by both a female and a male singer, accompanied by two guitars.
The brilliant fado singer.
The highlight of our final day in Porto was the remarkable Sao Bento railway station. The vestibule is covered with more that 20,000 blue and white Azulejo tiles, depicting scenes of Portuguese history and transportation.
Porto railway station.
With fewer than 100 guests on the Scenic Azure (a friendly mix of Brits, Australians, Canadians and Americans), it was easy to get to know fellow travelers. Karen Maher of Scottsdale, Arizona, was on her first ever cruise with her sister. “Portugal kind of spoke to us,” she said. “I loved the activities but wish I’d done even more research on the towns and villages we visited. This was a great starter cruise for me.”
At the other end of the travel spectrum we met Mike and Margaret Metcalfe of Yorkshire, England. They have now completed 90 ocean and 21 river cruises! They travel this way because, “We unpack once and see lots of different places. This Douro cruise is by far the best way to see the scenery of Portugal.” They added that too many people have opinions about cruising without trying it. “There’s something for everyone on ocean and river cruises. But frankly, we prefer smaller ships like this one.”
Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan
10 Night Panama Canal on Island Princess
Island Princess is one of the cruise lines’ older, smaller ships, but still shines with a lot of character and an amazing staff.
Itinerary: Ft. Lauderdale, At Sea, Falmouth, At Sea, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Limón, At Sea, Grand Cayman, At Sea, Ft. Lauderdale - Read Cruise Blog
When Island Princess was inaugurated in 2003, her 92,822 tons would have classified her as a large ship. Princess' newest ship, Majestic Princess, is 143,000 tons and can carry 3,500+ guests. Our concern going into this project was that our previous experience aboard Royal Princess would leave us wanting more from the smaller, older Island Princess. As we would soon learn, youth and size are not everything.
Cruise Personalizer Website
Princess' website allows you to pre-book shore excursions in each port, make restaurant reservations (at alternate restaurants), book spa treatments and more. Pre-booking these items does require that you pay using a credit card prior to the cruise. If you have shipboard credit, those charges will be reversed and refunded to you after you board the ship. You can also print all of your cruise documents right from the website. More info here.
Embarkation
We arrived at Port Everglades Terminal 2 at 12:15, just as embarkation was getting underway. We were shocked when we breezed through security and document check. We were issued our stateroom key cards (which also serve as charge cards and ID cards when disembarking the ship in port).
Our stateroom was ready as soon as we boarded. When we arrived, our excellent room steward, Dario, greeted us in the hallway.
Rickee with Dario
The Ship
Like all Princess ships, Island Princess features an impressive multi-deck, centrally-located atrium.
Shops can be found on Deck 6 and Deck 7 in the Atrium and offered many opportunities to grab a bargain on a wide variety of goods including jewelry, liquor, clothing, sundries and Princess logo items. Main dining venues and several lounges are either in the Atrium or close by. The Promenade Deck (7) has an outdoor teak promenade, but it does not wrap around the aft section of the ship.
Promenade Deck
There are two swimming pools on the Lido Deck (14). The Lido Pool is the larger of the two and is completely exposed to the elements. This is the pool where you will find the most sun.
Lido Pool
There are three hot tubs at corners of the pool and the sun loungers here are your basic mesh style.
There is a big-screen television at one end of the Lido Pool deck with programming throughout the day, and Movies Under the Stars in the evening.
There are more sun loungers located on Deck 15, above and looking down on the Lido Pool.
For families with little ones who want to get wet, there is a Splash Pool on Deck 16 forward.
For those who enjoy a quieter poolside experience, the Lotus Pool is located forward of the Lido Pool and is covered with a glass roof.
The loungers in Lotus Pool are cushioned, making them a more comfortable alternative to the Lido Pool loungers.
Swirls, Island Princess' ice cream dispensary is located in this area.
The Sanctuary, located on Deck 15 aft, is the ultimate sun-lover's retreat. This adult-only space is available by reservation only. The Sanctuary offers two levels of comfort. Sun loungers are available for a half-day or full-day at $20/$40 respectively. The loungers are super plush and very comfortable. Upgraded towels are provided.
Private cabanas are available for half-/full-day as well at $140/$220 respectively.
Cabanas are furnished with a large sectional sofa, wicker chair and coffee table, flat-screen TV, mini-fridge, and two sun loungers. A ceiling fan helps keep air flowing through the cabana on warm Caribbean days.
Sanctuary guests are served complimentary cold cucumber-infused or orange-infused water throughout the day.
A team of Sanctuary crew members provided excellent service throughout our cruise.
At lunchtime, guests at The Sanctuary don't have to interrupt their sun-soaking. A crew member will come to your lounger with a lunch menu to take your order and deliver your meal right to your lounger (there is a modest $3 service charge for food orders).
In our opinion, The Sanctuary is one of the best features of a Princess Cruise. You get five-star resort service and amenities for a very reasonable price. We visited The Sanctuary several times during this cruise and loved the uncrowded, peaceful environment.
We observed some areas of the ship that look a little tired and in need of a refresh. The Explorer's Lounge, Wheelhouse Bar, and Atrium on Decks 6 and 8 could benefit from new carpet and furnishings. Carpet on Deck 7 in the Atrium looks new and modern, as does Crooner's Bar. Carpet in the staterooms looks new, as well.
Accommodations
Our Balcony Stateroom (E211) was located on Deck 8 Forward. The layout of the stateroom was similar to our Balcony Stateroom on Royal Princess in 2014. The large flat-screen television was mounted in the corner over the mini-bar rather than on the wall facing the bed. The desk on Island Princess is wider and has two drawers and a small shelf that provide some additional storage.
There are only two electrical outlets in the entire stateroom. And, they are right next to each other, making it hard for some battery chargers to fit with other plug-in items. To further complicate matters, a light switch is very close to one of the plugs.
There is a desk chair (shown above) and another chair paired with a small round coffee table of sorts. The small table remained up against the wall next to the mini-bar/fridge the entire cruise. A cube-style table with storage inside might be a better choice.
Storage space is at a premium in this stateroom. Our advice: pack light. The only drawers are in the small nightstands and the two in the desk. The closet has a cabinet with a series of relatively narrow shelves (although wider than the ones on Royal Princess) for storage.
The bathroom is quite small and dimly lit and has one of the smallest shower stalls we have seen on a modern ship. Pump bottles mounted to the shower wall contain shampoo and body wash.
The bottle of conditioner you see is one we brought with us from our hotel. No conditioner is provided nor is body lotion. By the end of the cruise, you will have an intimate relationship with the shower curtain, especially if you bend over in the shower. Gone is the handheld shower wand. It has been replaced with a fixed shower head, which can be moved only slightly on its base from left to right.
There are three shelves mounted to the back wall of the bathroom, and a long shelf under the sink. There are no cabinets or drawers.
The balcony is modest, but very usable. The decking is covered in a blue non-skid plastic material. There are two chairs and a small table (sorry, no photo). The sliding balcony door was easy to open and close. The stateroom door, left unattended, would slam shut with a wall-shaking intensity.
The Princess Luxury Bed was designed and created in conjunction with sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus and HGTV design star, Candice Olsen. Princess has installed 44,000 of these beds fleet-wide in an effort to provide their guests with a better sleep experience. After spending 10 nights on this bed, we have to admit, it is one of the most comfortable beds on which we have slept.
The Balcony Stateroom is compact, but comfortable enough for a 10-day Panama Canal cruise. Princess should consider adding additional electrical outlets, USB charging ports, a better hair dryer and a lighted makeup mirror in the bathroom.
Food and Dining
Island Princess has a variety of dining options available for guests. Bordeaux Restaurant (Deck 5 midship) is designated for guests with Anytime Dining from 5:15pm to 9:30pm. The Provence Restaurant (Deck 6 midship) is for those who prefer Traditional Dining (early or late seating at assigned tables). Breakfast and lunch are offered in the restaurants on sea days and dinner is served every evening. Evening menus offer an Always Available selection as well as items that change every day.
We ordered the Prime Rib in Provence Restaurant one evening, which was very good and cooked perfectly.
Princess now features a main course each evening designed by celebrity chef, Curtis Stone. On our second visit, I tried Chef Stone's Roasted Pork Belly and found it to be delicious.
On one visit to Provence, I ordered the New York Strip with Green Peppercorn Sauce. Unfortunately, it arrived seriously undercooked. I ordered Medium, and the steak served to me was extremely rare. Also, I never did receive the Green Peppercorn Sauce.
Our waiter quickly replaced my undercooked steak with a new one which, too, was blood rare. At this point, I asked the waiter to change my order to the Roasted Pork Belly from Chef Stone's menu (for some reason, it was on the menu again that night). No problem.
Horizon Court is Princess' Lido buffet restaurant and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Horizon Court is a cafeteria-style buffet with long serving lines on port and starboard side, each serving identical fare.
Horizon Court is very popular for breakfast and lunch, and also attracts a crowd at dinner.
Breakfast pastries at Horizon Court
Self-serve coffee, decaf, and hot water are available here. The coffee is actually drinkable, high praise coming from someone who travels with his own French Press and ground coffee.
The food served at Horizon Court is pretty standard cruise ship buffet fare. There are lots of choices, but rarely do any of them rise to the level of stand-out cuisine. As is the case with most buffets, food that should be served hot was usually lukewarm.
The Grill on Deck 15 midship serves burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. The Grill is open from 11am until 10pm and, after 6pm, also offers Smokehouse BBQ items, which change each evening. We did not try the Smokehouse items, but the burgers were better than what I remembered from Royal Princess in 2014. They have improved the bun and the meat is juicier. Fries are good when they are fresh and hot.
Pizza is also available at the Pizzeria on Deck 14 midship. We have decided that the pizza may be the best pizza on any cruise ship.
Is this the best pizza at sea?
Sabatini's is Princess' Italian-themed alternate restaurant and Bayou Cafe and Steakhouse is a New Orleans/Cajun-themed venue. Both restaurants have a $29/per person cover charge.
Sabatini's Deck 7 aft
Of the two, Sabatini's was our favorite. The atmosphere is more romantic and the menu more 'mainstream', while still being innovative. We consider Sabatini's to be well worth the $29 cover charge. You can read our full Sabatini's review here.
Bayou Café, on the other hand, is a toss-up. It is much more casual and a concept we have a hard time understanding. How many people are really into Cajun cuisine?
The food at Bayou Café was good, just not as impressive as Sabatini's. Bottom line, while we would return to Sabatini's, we would probably skip a return visit to Bayou Café.
The ultimate dining experience on Island Princess is The Chef's Table. This 'once-per-cruise' event is limited to a maximum of 12 guests. After a five-course appetizer tasting in the galley, guests then enjoy a multi-course feast prepared by the Executive Chef. Foodies will have no problem with the $95/pp cover charge (which includes premium wine pairings). This was perhaps, one of the best meals we have ever had on a cruise ship.
Guests are served appetizers in the galley at The Chef's Table
For more information on The Chef's Table, click here.
Service in every restaurant on board was excellent. A choice of very nice wines is available in every restaurant but wine choices vary from one restaurant to the next.
Entertainment and Activities
The Princess Patter (daily newsletter) is filled with all sorts of activities going on during the daytime. Trivia is one of our favorite daytime activities, and there were several trivia games offered throughout the day.
Asst. Cruise Director, Jade, is about to start morning trivia
All entertainment and activities onboard Island Princess are under the auspices of Cruise Director, Kevin Tugwell, who is from Canada. Kevin could be seen around the ship and was very approachable and always willing to converse.
Kevin Tugwell, Cruise Director
Evening entertainment includes musical performances in the various lounges onboard, and typically two shows (early and late) in the Princess Theater. The Princess Theater has an excellent sound system, great sight lines and the latest tech. The highlight of the cruise's production show series was The Secret Silk, produced by Stephen Schwartz, the producer and composer of the Broadway play, WICKED. It was one of the best shows we have seen on any ship. Read more about The Secret Silk here.
The cast of The Secret Silk
In addition to production shows, a variety of comedians, magicians and musical acts were presented throughout the cruise. It is clear that Princess is stepping up its game in the area of entertainment.
There is a very well-equipped fitness center with all of the latest cardio equipment and weight machines. The Lotus Spa occupies Deck 14 aft and offers every possible spa treatment you could ever want. A very nice beauty salon is on hand for tending to hair and nails.
If, like us, you have to stay in touch with your business or friends back home, you will be pleased to know that whatever Princess did to the Internet/WiFi on board during the last refurbishment of Island Princess worked. Not only is the Internet service reliable (I did not lose my connection one time in 10 days), but the interface is one of the best you will find on a cruise ship.
Once you CONFIRM your intent to connect to the Internet (above), CONNECTED screen appears in your web browser that allows you to log out, and shows a running total of your minutes remaining.
You can keep this window open in a separate browser tab or window so you always know how much time you have remaining. Princess offers several Internet plans starting with 100 minutes for $69 all the way up to 600 minutes for $199. If you pre-purchase your Internet through Cruise Personlizer before your cruise, you can get bonus minutes added to your plan. I got 80 bonus minutes on the 600-minute plan.
I would have to say that the Internet/WiFi on Island Princess was the best we have experienced on a ship this size. Sure, it is not the blazing fast Internet we get at home, but for a cruise ship it was impressive. I was able to post my daily blog which requires uploading of several fairly large photos to our server in Dallas. And, the WiFi was available from everywhere on the ship that I tried, even The Sanctuary!
Itinerary and Excursions
The highlight of this 10-Day Panama Canal sailing is definitely the transiting of the canal locks from the Caribbean into Gatun Lake.
Going through the locks at Gatun Lake
Princess does offer a lot of shore excursion opportunities in each port. We had a good experience with the shore excursions and felt like they were a good value.
Tour Desk staff do a good job of organizing disembarkation for the various excursions. Even with relatively mundane ports such as Limón, Falmouth and even Cartagena, Princess does a great job of bringing out the best of each port with an excellent choice of interesting excursions.
Service
We were very pleased with the service of the entire crew and staff throughout the ship. Guest Services Manager, Christine, was extremely helpful. We have already mentioned the great service we received from our room steward, Dario. The team at The Sanctuary was nothing short of amazing. And, we cannot forget Maitre'd Hotel, Silvio Zampieri. Silvio has been with Princess for more than 30 years and his level of service and personal attention harkens back to the early days of cruising.
Silvio Zampieri and Rickee at The Chef's Table galley tour
Summary
The bigger ships may have newer facilities, more restaurants, etc. But, ships like Island Princess have the charm and small-ship feel that you just cannot get on the larger vessels. We were impressed with how the staff and crew made it feel like a much smaller, more personal ship. Island Princess delivers the traditional cruise experience that we have come to expect from Princess Cruises. As for the Panama Canal, it is a destination that every cruise enthusiast should have on their bucket list. And, there is no better way to see the canal than onboard a Princess ship!
For more information on Princess Cruises, visit their website at www.Princess.com
GALLERY
Big City. Small Ship...
Big City. Small Ship. Lots of Public Television. Cruising on Regent Seven Seas Navigator.
By John and Sandra Nowlan
It’s hard to dislike New York City. The Big Apple, in spite of its crowds and controlled chaos, is especially appealing as the starting and ending city for a ten day cruise on one of the few ultra-luxury, all-inclusive lines. And when the cruise line is Regent Seven Seas with its “Spotlight on Public Broadcasting” theme, you know the level of service, cuisine, entertainment and information will be difficult to match.
Also hard to match was our pre-cruise hotel choice. The Four Seasons on East 57th Street was designed by IM Pei and is close to Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and Times Square. The rooms are very large by New York standards and the well-trained staff has a ‘can-do’ attitude, even extending to a wide choice of slipper sizes and complimentary additional toiletries if needed – combs, razors, toothbrushes.
A friendly greeting at Four Seasons Hotel, New York
Our dinner choice was also ideal. Del Frisco’s Grille at nearby Rockefeller Center has a comfortable ambience (leather chairs), an excellent wait staff and an imaginative menu. We enjoyed Cheese Steak Egg Rolls, Ahi Tacos, Prime Short Rib Stroganoff and the Catch of the Day – Fresh Halibut.
Del Frisco's Ahi Tuna Appetizer
Boarding the 500 passenger Seven Seas Navigator at the Manhattan Cruise Port was, as expected, fairly quick and very well organized. Launched in 1999, the ship does show some signs of wear but has aged quite well. At noon our rooms weren’t yet ready so, after a welcoming glass of champagne, we enjoyed an excellent light lunch by the pool and explored the ship. Particularly impressive were the well stocked library, the card room (already busy with bridge keeners), several comfortable lounges with well stocked bars (all wine, beer and spirits are complimentary) and the large main theatre. The tiered seating had the best sight lines we’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. We went to a show most evenings and were dazzled by the 12 member ensemble of singers and dancers. All talented pros. The accompanying Regent orchestra was small – just five members with a piano, drums, two guitars and an overworked saxophone player. An extra brass or woodwind instrument would have been welcome.
Seven Seas Navigator
Our recently refurbished suite, like all basic rooms, was a very generous 300 square feet plus a balcony. There’s a curtain divider between the bed and the sitting area. The king size bed (excellent reading lights) had a black cushioned headboard and there was an amazing amount of storage space including a very welcome walk in closet. The marble bathroom included both a bathtub and a separate shower. The large screen TV had a wide variety of American and British channels plus movie and information channels. But no CNN.
On a ship of this size, we didn’t expect an extensive menu in the main dining room. We were wrong. The Compass Rose on Deck 5 (anytime dining) has large, ocean view windows and, as we were told by the Food and Beverage Manager, a menu identical to Regent’s larger ships. It was impressive with an “always” menu on the left hand side (including shrimp, steak and foie gras) and daily selections on the right. Unlike many cruise ships, the Executive Chef visits fish markets in some ports and brings aboard fresh fish for the dining venues. Very impressive.
Crab Salad Appetizer Compass Rose
La Veranda, the buffet restaurant on Deck 10 turns into an excellent Italian restaurant in the evening and the Poolside Grill always had a wide selection of salads, burgers, hot dogs and fish burgers. The only “Reservation Required” restaurant (no extra cost) was the 70 seat Prime 7 on Deck 10. Great beef cuts, lobster and fresh fish highlighted the creative menu.
The quality cuisine matched the outstanding theme of this cruise – Spotlight on Public Broadcasting. Since 2004, an organization called Artful Travelers has partnered with Regent and PBS/NPR outlets in the US to bring top journalists, filmmakers and producers aboard Regent ships to discuss public radio and television and show examples of their craft. The Artful Travelers President, Kevin Corcoran, told us that famed broadcaster Jim Lehrer was the first PBS guest speaker 14 years ago and now, 30 cruises later, the concept is working better than ever.
Kevin Corcoran, President of Artful Travelers
On our cruise we were fortunate to meet and enjoy presentations by Sam Paul (“Live from the Met”, “Bernstein in Berlin”), Justin Weinstein (“Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey” and “An Honest Liar”, about James ‘The Amazing’ Randi), Alison Chernick (“ITZHAK”, a profile of violinist Itzhak Perlman) and Hari Sreenivasan, the host of PBS Newshour Weekend. All guests were invited to share a dinner table in Compass Rose with these broadcast personalities.
With Sam Paul’s connection to Leonard Bernstein, America’s first classical music superstar, he was able to help arrange a tour in Boston of the travelling exhibit, “Leonard Bernstein at 100”. Commemorating the 100th birthday (in August) of the famed composer, conductor and social activist, the remarkable display with many personal artifacts covers the broad spectrum of Bernstein’s remarkable career.
Bernstein’s piano. Part of Leonard Bernstein at 100 exhibit in Boston.
On the same day, we visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, overlooking Boston and Dorchester Bay. It offers a retrospective of the president’s Massachusetts heritage, spectacular rise to prominence and untimely death in Dallas.
Kennedy Library and Museum Boston
Unlike most cruise lines, the majority of tours on Regent are complimentary and we were given many choices at each port. In Newport, Rhode Island, we joined a walking tour of this colonbial New England town. We admired its strict rules about preserving historic buildings.
Walking tour of historic Newport RI
Because of bad weather we couldn’t stop in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a bit surreal the next day as Navigator visited our home port of Halifax. But, even in the rain, fellow guests loved it. We played tourist and joined a Duck Boat tour (the Harbour Hopper) since we’d always seen it around town but never experienced the fun of a land and water tour. We learned several new facts about the Nova Scotia capital.
Harbour Hopper Duckboat
Our final stop (before a return to New York) was Bermuda on a “Bermudaful Day” as the locals like to call it. It was a delight seeing all the white roofed houses of St. George’s Parish as well as the many beaches and historic buildings of this British colony. Most exciting was a tour of the Crystal Caves, natural limestone caverns discovered over a century ago by boys searching for their cricket ball. Excellent lighting and walkways over the underground pools made for a memorable, if spooky, attraction.
Inside Bermuda's Crystal Caves
Back on board we arrived just in time for an excellent dinner and the Krew Kapers, a talent show by members of the crew. We’ve seen crew shows on other ships but this one was very special, including sophisticated technical effects. “The Incinerator Man” (his job is to feed the ship’s incinerator) was a marvelous crooner. One of the modest and polite wait staff named Ola changed her personality entirely with a scintillating belly dance. We did a double take.
Lively Crew Show
Back in New York, disembarkation was smooth and effortless. It made us appreciate even more the value of an all-inclusive cruise with a staff dedicated to our comfort and pleasure.
Into The Midnight Sun on Viking Sky
We spend 14 nights sailing the fjords of Norway on Viking Ocean’s new Viking Sky
Itinerary: Bergen, Bergen, Geiranger, Molde, At Sea, Tromsø, Honningsvag, Lofoten, At Sea, Lerwick, Kirkwall, Edinburgh, At Sea (Owner's Suite), Greenwich, Disembark
Cruising is kind of like dating. You don't really know the other person until the second or third date. Along those same lines, we don't feel like we really know a cruise line until the second or third cruise. Our first date with Viking Ocean was in 2017 on Viking Sea, and it was a good experience, a very good experience. So, when we had the opportunity to sail on sister ship, Viking Sky, we were anxious to discover if our impression of Viking Sea was justified. It was.
The Ship
When you step aboard a Viking Ocean ship, there is a unique sense of familiarity. That is because every Viking Ocean ship is virtually identical. Other than tweaks and improvements that are integrated into each iteration, the five (soon to be six) Viking ships are indistinguishable from each other. The staterooms are the same, the lounges are the same, the furnishings are the same, the color palette is the same...get the idea? The last cruise line that attempted a "cookie-cutter" strategy was the now defunct Renaissance Cruises back in the late 80s. Remember the R ships?
Explorers' Lounge - Deck 7 Forward
Repeat Viking guests (and, there are many) immediately feel like they are "coming home," regardless of which Viking Ocean ship they choose. The anxiety of getting lost for the first two or three days of the cruise is gone. Everything is exactly where it is supposed to be. And, the back of house benefits, too. Crew members can easily be moved between vessels without a learning curve.
Internet cafe is located on Deck 1 midship (next to Guest Services)
If you plan to build a fleet of identical ships, you have to get the first one right or any problems or shortcoming will be duplicated in subsequent ships. Since the 1980s, Viking Founder and CEO, Torstein Hagen, has been revolutionizing the cruise industry. His leadership made Royal Viking Line one of the most respected upscale cruise lines in history. And, we all know how Viking River Cruises created a paradigm shift in European river cruising. You only have to walk through a Viking Ocean ship once to realize the designers knew exactly what they were doing. The Viking Ocean ships are some of the most logically and elegantly designed ships on which we have sailed.
As with true Scandinavian design, form follows function. So, while the ship is beautiful, it employs many innovations that cannot go unmentioned. The use of technology throughout the ship is impressive. Interactive touchscreen monitors deliver information to guests in a user-friendly and intuitive manner.
Interactive touch screens
We found ourselves asking the question repeatedly, "Why doesn't every cruise line do this?" One example is the display of the disembarkation deck on the monitors near the elevators and stairs. Another monitor outside the theater displays scheduled activities and times for entertainment for that day.
We found ourselves asking the question repeatedly, "Why doesn't every cruise line do this?" One example is the display of the disembarkation deck on the monitors near the elevators and stairs. Another monitor outside the theater displays scheduled activities and times for entertainment for that day.
Embarkation
Embarkation times on Viking Ocean vessels are staggered based upon stateroom/suite categories. Guests occupying higher (meaning more expensive) stateroom categories can embark and occupy their staterooms earlier. Our Deluxe Veranda suite had an embarkation time of noon with the ability to occupy our stateroom at 2:00pm. This was not an issue since our flight from Helsinki to Bergen did not arrive until after 5pm. Nevertheless, Viking personnel were at the airport to greet us as soon as we exited Customs. Porters grabbed our luggage and escorted us to a waiting motorcoach for the transfer to Viking Sky.
Rickee checks in before boarding the motorcoach
When we arrived at the Bergen Cruise Terminal, the check-in and embarkation process was very smooth and efficient. As soon as we boarded the ship, we were greeted by General Manager, Sujith Mohan, who welcomed us back to Viking. We sailed with Sujith last year on Viking Sea. We thought it was very special for him to take the time to personally welcome us back. Glasses of champagne are being handed to guests as they step aboard Viking Sky. With champagne in hand, we make our way to Deck 6 and our Deluxe Veranda Stateroom. You can read more about our embarkation here.
The Itinerary - Into the Midnight Sun
Our 14-night cruise started in Bergen, Norway, and ended in Greenwich, England. This is the second time we have cruised in Norway and we found this itinerary to be superior to our previous visit. Viking offers this itinerary on five dates in 2019 and five in 2020. Our July 20th sailing was the last of the season, and, as such, much of the snow had already melted on the mountains so the waterfalls in the fjords were not as impressive as they might have been earlier in the season. On the other hand, the temperatures on our cruise were much warmer than we were expecting and the weather was actually quite pleasant. You can expect beautiful sailing through the Norwegian fjords and the Orkneys. You can read our day-by-day cruise blog here. If you want more information on this itinerary from Viking Cruises, click here.
Accommodations
There are five categories of staterooms on Viking Cruises' vessels, six if you include the Owner's Suite on Deck 7. The base category is the Veranda, which is a generous (by cruise ship standards) 270 sq. ft. The Deluxe Veranda, which we occupied, is essentially the same stateroom as the Veranda, but with a few extra perks. The other categories range from 338 sq. ft. up to 757 sq. ft. for the Explorer Suite. Since we occupied the Deluxe Veranda for twelve of the fourteen nights onboard, that is what we feel most qualified to talk about. That said, we did have an opportunity to spend two nights in the Owner's Suite on Deck 7 Forward.
Our Deluxe Veranda Stateroom (6068) was located aft on Deck 6. The layout of the stateroom is straightforward. As you enter from the hallway, you walk past the bathroom to the bedroom. At the entrance to the bedroom, you will find a wall unit with several dresser drawers, an electronic safe and an espresso/coffee machine.
The overall decor of the ship is carried through to the stateroom with the use of light tones in the woods, furnishings and carpeting. The king-sized bed is comfortable enough, but not the most comfortable we have slept on. Linens and pillowcases are very high quality. The bed frame is high enough off the floor so that even the largest pieces of luggage can fit underneath. The "living room" has two chairs and a small coffee table.
The coffee table is covered in fabric and leather which looks very elegant, but is not impervious to spilled ketchup stains. Perhaps Viking considers it better to replace leather/cloth than it is to refinish or replace a wooden or marble tabletop? Regardless of the reason why that surface was chosen, it is very nice. There is a small desk/vanity on the opposite wall from the bed and chairs. The desk has a desk lamp that, upon closer inspection, contains five, yes FIVE, USB charging ports on its base! There are two US-style 110 outlets at the desk and a pair of Quietvox receivers in a charging base.
A pitcher of water with two glasses sits on the desk and is replenished daily. A large pull-out refrigerator drawer is stocked with soft drinks which are also replenished daily. The most innovative feature of the desk/vanity is the flip up, lighted vanity mirror with makeup storage area. It is a great idea, but when opened, the mirror part was positioned so low that Rickee had to bend over uncomfortably to see herself. This could be rectified with a lower desk chair perhaps? In addition, the lighted mirror was a little too far away to be practical for anyone whose vision is less than optimal. Nevertheless, this was a very unique and welcomed addition to the stateroom!
Lighted makeup mirror integrated into the desk
Each of the two nightstands also has US-style 110 outlets and two USB charging ports. Thank you, Viking! Finally, I can keep my cell phone or iPad charged on my nightstand!
Electrical outlets and USB charging ports
Above each nightstand are light switches. One controls the bedside lamp while the smaller switch controls a convenient nightlight feature. If one person gets up in the middle of the night to say, go to the bathroom, the nightlight provides a soft floor light in the hallway between the bedroom and bathroom, and a soft light in the bathroom as well. There is no need to disturb your sleeping partner in the middle of the night with a harsh light.
Closet lighting is automatically turned on/off when doors open/close
The closet is next to the bed and becomes part of the wall between the bedroom and bathroom, providing a small degree of sound insulation. The sliding doors on the closet employ a soft-closing mechanism to eliminate the annoyance of slamming closet doors. All drawers in the stateroom utilize similar technology to dampen sound. The bathroom is a nice size for a 270 sq. ft. stateroom and has a large sink, a very nice glass-enclosed shower stall and quality amenities.
All Viking ships now provide their own brand (Freyja) of soaps, lotions and shampoos. We found the quality to be very good.
There is ample storage space in the bathroom with two large drawers, three shelves on each end of the vanity and open cabinet space below the sink. A unique feature of the Viking bathroom is the heated floor, which is warm enough to heat the entire bathroom. You never have to step out of a warm shower into a cold bathroom again! However, a temperature control dial would be a nice feature. Currently, if the floor heat needs adjustment, you have to request it from your room steward.
The veranda is smallish, but very usable with two chairs and a nice-sized table large enough for an al fresco breakfast.
The stateroom also has a large flat-screen HD television mounted to the wall directly across from the bed with excellent programming choices. However, we did notice intermittent interruptions in the TV signal during our cruise, a pretty common issue with satellite communications on a ship.
Overall, we would rate the Deluxe Veranda Stateroom a 4.5 out of 5 as it is definitely one of the most comfortable staterooms, for its size, of any ship afloat.
Food and Dining
When it comes time to eat on Viking Sky (or any Viking Ocean ship), there are a lot of choices. And, all of them are good. The Restaurant on Deck 2 aft is Viking Sky's traditional cruise ship dining venue with a la carté menu service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Restaurant is a full menu-service restaurant with lunch and dinner offerings that change daily.
We never failed to get a table for two in The Restaurant. We found that if you arrive early, you have a better chance of getting a window seat. In the evening, The Restaurant can fill up quickly, so it is a good idea to arrive a few minutes before the posted opening time.
Tables set for two and four in The Restaurant
Service was very good in The Restaurant and we found the food to also be good. The evening menu offers a lot of variety and there is a nice "always available" selection. One standout dish was the excellent traditional Beef Wellington, but there were other exceptional dishes as well.
Beef Wellington
Complimentary red and white wines are offered at lunch and dinner in The Restaurant, and in all dining venues for that matter. We tend to like sweeter wines than are offered, so we preferred their house red wines, which were all good. Typically, The Restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch on sea days.
The World Cafe is Viking Sky's Lido buffet.
Hand-washing station at World Cafe entrance
Neither Rickee nor I are big fans of cruise ship buffets. They tend to be overcrowded, and the food is usually bland, cold or both. But World Cafe is different. First, there are a lot of tables for two, with a lot of seating outdoors on the aft deck. And, in good weather, a large sliding glass door/wall can be opened to make the entire restaurant feel like a patio dining experience.
As for food, there is a nice selection of salads, hot entrees, and sandwiches. You can opt for a choice of á la minute dishes prepared in an open-kitchen. On the port side of World Cafe, you will find the nicest selection of cold seafood (boiled shrimp, king crab legs, etc.) and fresh sushi and sashimi of any restaurant at sea. There were evenings when we just wanted a light dinner and would go to World Cafe for sushi and shrimp cocktail.
Fresh sushi is handmade every night at World Cafe
On starboard side aft, you will find freshly-made pizza at lunch and dinner. The pizza is quite good, especially when it is fresh out of the oven. Back on the port side aft is the location of the very popular ice cream bar featuring at least five flavors, some of which change each day.
Very good pizza at World Cafe
The Chef's Table on Deck 1 aft, port side is one of two reservation required alternate restaurants. The Chef's Table offers a variety of fixed "tasting" menus, each with a different ethnic or regional theme. The five-course menus change every two or three days. We visited the Chef's Table twice on this cruise, trying two different menus. You can read a full review of The Chef's Table here.
If you walk directly from The Chef's Table to the other side of Viking Sky (starboard) you will find Manfredi's, Viking Sky's Italian restaurant. Unlike The Chef's Table, Manfredi's is an á la carte restaurant with a very extensive menu. On our last Viking cruise, we made the mistake of only dining in Manfredi's once. We rectified that mistake by dining here three times on this sailing! Make sure you read our full review of Manfredi's on our Cruise Ship Dining Reviews blog.
Bistecca Fiorintina (spice rubbed Rib Eye) at Manfredi's is the best steak at sea
A popular lunch spot on Viking Sky is The Pool Grill on Deck 7 amidship. The Pool Grill is your basic burger, hot dog, sandwich grill. I found the burgers to be better than I remembered on our last Viking cruise. In fact, the burger is quite good. However, the Pool Grill concept could use some tweaking.
Guests line up at the serving line to place orders, and the line eventually backs up into the salad bar area creating a real traffic jam. Mustard, ketchup and mayo are in small bowls at the end of the serving line where you pick up your order. On one visit, they ran out of ketchup and it took several minutes to get someone to fill the bowl causing a "pile up" of guests who had received their burger and fries, but were waiting for ketchup. It is the only place on the ship where I saw any traffic issues. On sea days, it was easier to just go to The Restaurant and order a burger, which was just as good as the one at the Pool Grill.
Waitstaff circulate through the pool area taking drink orders. Soft drinks, wine and beer are complimentary at lunchtime throughout the ship. There are lots of tables set up on the pool deck for dining, some of which are protected from the sun and elements.
Viking Sky also offers guests 24-hour complimentary room service. We had room service a couple of times and everything we ordered was delivered in a timely manner, and arrived hot.
Another interesting dining option on Viking Sky is Mamsen's located in the Explorers' Lounge on Deck 7 forward, starboard. Mamsen's is sort of like a snack bar and is open at various times throughout the day. In the morning, guests wait in line for one of the fresh, made-to-order waffles. At lunchtime, you will find a variety of Norwegian specialties including sandwiches, smoked salmon and beef tartare.
Viking Cruises has revived the traditional Afternoon Tea with one of the nicest presentations you will find anywhere. Most afternoons at 4:00pm, The Wintergarden (Deck 7) is the venue for a quite formal tea service, even though the dress code remains casual. A tiered tray of sweet and savory goodies is brought to each table along with warm scones with traditional toppings. A wide variety of teas is offered.
Bars & Lounges
The Viking Bar on Deck 1
As with most cruise ships, there is no shortage of places on Viking Sky where guests can quench their thirst. In the Atrium (Decks 1, 2 and 3), you can enjoy your favorite beverage from The Viking Bar while admiring the art displayed on the huge screen at the top of the grand staircase. The Pool Bar on Deck 7 amidship is the go-to spot for your favorite beverage when lounging poolside.
The most popular spot in the evenings is Explorers' Lounge on Deck 7 forward. Not only was it a great place for a pre-dinner cocktail, it was my early morning blog and coffee spot. The Aquavit Bar is located behind World Cafe on Deck 7 aft, and is a great place for a cocktail al fresco. Torshavn, located on Deck 2, is open from 9:00pm until whenever and is the place for late night dancing, entertainment and cocktails.
Drink prices are comparable to prices on other cruise lines. The Viking Sparkling Wine is one of our favorite sparkling wines, and is a good value at $5.50. A finger of Crown Royal will set you back $8, and it is a small finger. Viking Cruises has a very good Silver Spirits package that gives you unlimited cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks for about $30 per day/per person. So, in my case, three Crown Royals per day would make it a good value. A comparable beverage package on Princess Cruises is $69 per person/per day!
Silver Spirits beverage package is a good value
Entertainment & Activities
We were completely blown away with the entertainment on our last Viking cruise. And, Cruise Director, Aaron Syfert, did not disappoint on this cruise.
Cruise Director, Aaron Syfert
The three male and three female singers were all very talented. And, the production shows integrated technology in some unique and interesting ways. However, we did recognize some of the productions as being the same as we saw on last year's Viking Sea cruise.
In addition to production shows in The Star Theater, we really enjoyed the singing duo, Vincent and Jennifer, who performed in Torshavn.
Vincent and Jennifer
In addition to the cast of singers and dancers, musicians performed throughout the ship. At various times throughout the day, The Atrium would be filled with the sounds of Laslo playing the classical guitar, or the Viking Classical Trio.
Viking Classical Trio performs in The Atrium
We continue to be impressed with the quality and variety of entertainment provided by Viking.
The Spa
The spa, located on Deck 1 Forward, is one of the nicest spas you will find on any cruise ship. Use of the spa facilities and adjacent fitness center is complimentary for all guests. The fitness center is very well equipped with the latest cardio equipment and weight training machines.
You don't need to "check in" to use the spa, simply go to the locker room and use your stateroom key to obtain a locker for your valuables and/or clothing. Spa slippers, towels and a bathrobe are all provided. There is a dry sauna in the locker room and an adjacent cold plunge pool. The coed "wet area" consists of a large thallasotherapy pool with warm, soothing jets. A more aggressive hot tub has more powerful water jets and 102 degree water.
Luxurious cushioned loungers surround the pools and are a great place to relax and cool down. A powerful steam room is just steps from the pool area. No visit to the steam room is complete without a stop in the snow grotto. That's right, a small room filled with snow! No pun intended, it is very cool.
Snow Grotto
If the snow is too cold for you, you can always cool off with a bucket of cold water being dumped on your head. Just pull the rope! The Spa on Viking Ocean ships has everything you could want. It is the nicest spa I have seen on a cruise ship, and nicer than most you will find on land.
The LivNordic Spa and the adjacent salon offer a full range of services (additional costs apply), including various types of massages, manicure/pedicure, waxing, body scrubs, facials, hair-cutting and styling services. There is a small barber shop where men can get a haircut.
Shore Excursions
We expected the shore excursions on Viking Sky to be good. This is one area where all Viking's experience as the largest river cruise company in the world can be easily leveraged. Every guest is offered an included excursion in every port. Of course, there are optional excursions available at additional cost, but the included excursion feature of Viking Cruises is a huge value. Included and optional excursions can be booked in advance through the MyVikingJourney website. Upon embarkation, you find your excursion tickets waiting in your stateroom.
Excursions can be pre-booked online
We found the included excursions to be quite good, with competent local guides. The two optional excursions we experienced were also very well executed, and actually, a good value. My favorite was the "Hike the Arctic Hills with Huskies".
Viking provides each stateroom with Quietvox audio systems for use on local excursions. We have been singing the praises of these little transceivers for years and can't believe that every cruise line has not adopted them.
Another huge benefit of a Viking shore excursion operation is the ability to book your excursions to depart at various times of the day. Many excursions are offered both in the morning and the afternoon which is great for those of us who like to sleep in, have lunch, then go on excursion. Of course, this also allows you to enjoy multiple excursions in each port, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
Viking also provided complimentary local shuttle service to town in many of the ports we visited.
Staff and Crew
We said it last year on Viking Sea, and our opinion has not changed. Quite simply, this is one of the best crews with which we have ever sailed. It does not take long to realize that everyone working on the ship loves their job and really loves working for Viking Cruises. Sujith Mohan, the Hotel General Manager, is the most visible hotel manager we have ever seen on a ship. Sujith is just one example of how Viking has managed to assemble the very best people in the cruise industry to make the Viking experience a memorable one.
Sujith Mohan, Hotel General Manager
We cannot fail to mention our excellent stateroom attendants, Arvin and Kevin. They never failed to greet us in the hallway and always asked if there was anything we needed. Our stateroom was maintained perfectly. When we were offered the opportunity to spend two nights in the Owner's Suite, Arvin even called the Owner's Suite stateroom attendant to inform her that we preferred a top sheet on the bed!
Kevin and Arvin, our stateroom attendants
All of the restaurant waiters and waitresses we encountered were friendly and delivered excellent service. We dined in Manfredi's on three different occasions, and each evening were taken care of by Hector, our new favorite waiter.
The Viking Sky Experience
A cruise aboard Viking Sky is a casual experience. Gentlemen, leave your tuxedos at home. You can bring a sport coat if you wish, but you probably won't even need that. The entire ship is very relaxed and casual. A collared shirt and a nice pair of slacks will get you by after 6pm anywhere on the ship. As for demographics, on our cruise the average age was in the 50-60 range.
This is a cruise line for adults. If you want to take the kiddos on a cruise, look elsewhere.
Gratuities will be added to your shipboard account at the end of the cruise ($12 pp/pd), but can be adjusted with a trip to Guest Services. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included at lunch and dinner. Even the soft drinks in the mini-bar in your stateroom are complimentary and replenished once each day.
Complimentary shuttle service and included excursions make a Viking Cruise a considerable value.
Summary
If cruising truly is like dating, it is no wonder why so many Viking faithful are now in a committed relationship with this rapidly expanding cruise line. Viking claims that 80% of its guests are repeat guests, a number that any cruise line would be proud of. State-of-the-hardware, a happy and enthusiastic crew, and, destination experiences that are second-to-none combine to make this one of the very best cruise lines operating today.
Treasures of the British Isles with Tauck on Le Soleal
Tauck Small Ship Cruising delivers a unique and excellent British Isles experience.
May 10, 2018 - Having sailed on a few Tauck river cruises in Europe, we were already familiar with the company's focus on providing its guests with an unparalleled destination experience. Tauck's approach is to partner with a reputable cruise line, allowing them to handle virtually all of the onboard experience (dining, staterooms, onboard entertainment, etc.). This allows Tauck to focus on providing guests with Tauck‑exclusive shore excursions, planned and operated by Tauck, with either a Tauck Director, expert local guide, or both.
Tauck Directors Dale and Stacie
This seemingly subtle distinction really does impact the small ship cruising experience, and distinguishes a Tauck Small Ship Cruise from a "typical" cruise. All shore excursions are included in the price of a Tauck Small Ship Cruise, and each benefits from 93 years of Tauck's experience in delivering high-quality land tours. Experienced travelers will immediately notice the difference.
Most Tauck Small Ship Cruises feature a two or three-night pre-cruise or post-cruise hotel stay in the city of embarkation (or disembarkation), with guided Tauck sightseeing included. On our Treasures of the British Isles cruise, we enjoyed two evenings (pre-cruise) at The Conrad Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, and two nights (post-cruise) at the Churchill Hyatt in London.
Both hotels would easily fall in the 4 to 5-star rating category. Tauck also arranged for its guests to enjoy complimentary breakfast each day. In Europe, that translated to a $25-$30 value per person/per day! In Dublin, we were treated to an excellent city tour including a stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral and at Trinity College to view the historic Book of Kells.
We visit St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin
Unlike with most cruise line excursions, or those go-it-on-your-own excursions, Tauck arranges for its guests to go to the front of the line when visiting popular attractions like the Book of Kells in Dublin or the Crown Jewels in London. Tauck obtains VIP passes for guests so there is no waiting in long lines. Yes, you WILL notice a difference on a Tauck Small Ship Cruise!
In London, we enjoyed a tour of The Tower of London early in the morning before the hordes of tourists arrived. We had our own Yeoman Warder to guide us without the crowds, without the pushing and shoving. You get the idea.
Our floating home for the seven-night cruise portion of the trip was Ponant's Le Soléal. The ship has been in service for five years, but it looks as though it was just floated out of dry dock. The interior spaces were in immaculate condition and looked brand new. Le Soléal can carry up to 234 guests, but there are only 185 on our cruise, all of whom were Tauck guests. Ponant operates a fleet of small cruise ships and Tauck is Ponant's largest customer.
Le Soléal (and her sister ships, Le Boreal, Le Lyrial and L'Austral) are perfectly designed and outfitted for small ship cruising. The ship is small enough to feel intimate, but large enough to have all of the facilities and amenities of larger ships. There is a small fitness center, a full-service spa, swimming pool, two bars/lounges, two dining venues, 24-hour room service, and a theater for lectures and evening entertainment.
It was a little too cool to use the pool on our cruise
My balcony stateroom (507) was quite roomy with plenty of storage, an electronic safe, a large flat-screen HD television, large desk/vanity, small table and chair for in-room dining. A narrow balcony has two chairs (facing each other) and a small table. It is not large enough to really enjoy breakfast on the balcony, but great for taking in the passing oceanscape.
The bathroom is split into two sections with a dedicated "water closet" and a separate shower/sink/vanity room. This layout provides more privacy should one guest require use of the toilet at the same time their companion is taking a shower. There is a curious window from the shower/sink side of the bathroom open to the bedroom. While this window can be closed off via a sliding door for maximum privacy, the door is controlled from the bedroom and not the bathroom. Interesting design. Bathroom amenities are from Hermes and are top quality.
Ladies will appreciate the hinged makeup mirror in the bathroom.
My stateroom was very comfortable and one of the quietest staterooms I have ever experienced. I never heard a sound from the hallway or my neighbors. Stateroom doors also close quietly. The ship is very well engineered for comfort.
All meals onboard the ship are included in the cruise fare, and Tauck guests enjoy complimentary beverages, including alcoholic beverages, throughout the cruise. Even the mini-bar in the stateroom is stocked with complimentary spirits, bottled water, soft drinks and beer. However, the selection of complimentary cocktails was more limited than we have experienced on Tauck's river cruises, where Scylla is the ship operator. For example, Crown Royal is considered a "premium" whisky on Ponant and comes with a hefty $10 charge. Nevertheless, bar service was very good. In fact, service throughout the ship was very good.
There are two dining venues on Le Soléal. The main restaurant, L'Eclipse, is located on Deck 2 aft and serves à la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner. A buffet with breads, cereals, meats and cheeses is available at breakfast and lunch, while dinner is a full menu-service affair.
Elegant evening dining in L'Eclipse
Evening menus offer a choice of starter, main course, and dessert. There is always a fish choice, a vegetarian option and another meat dish. A selection of "always available" items includes steak, chicken, pasta, Caesar salad, etc.
A less formal option for dining is Restaurant Pythéas on Deck 6 aft. Most would consider this a Lido buffet restaurant since the swimming pool is just aft of the restaurant, and there is indoor and al fresco dining here. This restaurant offers extensive buffet offerings at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to buffet selections, there are a few à la carte items that can be prepared to order such as egg dishes at breakfast, burgers at lunch, or steak and salmon at dinner. Guests are requested to make reservations for evening dining at Pythéas.
Less formal dining in Pythéas on Deck 6
I found the service in both restaurants to be very good. Food quality was much improved over our last cruise on Ponant in 2012. I am not a fish eater, but everyone raved about the seafood dishes. All of the breads were incredible. Get a fresh baguette, some French butter and a glass of wine, and you can make a nice lunch. A selection of red and white wines are offered at lunch and dinner in both venues. Every wine I tried was good. A selection of premium wines is available at additional cost. The ice cream selections available at lunch and dinner in Pythéas were also excellent.
When guests return to their staterooms each evening, they will find the next day's itinerary in the daily newsletter, Journal De Bord. The newsletter is very well laid out and easy to read with a summary of the destination, weather forecast and disembarkation times for the various shore excursions the following day.
In each port-of-call, Tauck offers a variety of shore excursions with varied activity levels. Guests with physical limitations, or those who simply wish to take a slower pace, will appreciate the leisurely option excursions. When motor coaches are used, they are always new, clean and very comfortable.
Shore excursions and destination immersion is where Tauck's experience really shows. They have spent decades developing relationships with local tour operators and venues around the world. That translates into the very best local guides, excellent motor coaches, and often exclusive access to interesting attractions and venues.
Excellent local guides, like Linda in London, really make shore excursions special
For guests who want a higher activity level, Tauck has that covered as well. In Guernsey, the Cliff Top Hike and Gin Tasting took guests on an invigorating, and challenging hike with some of the most beautiful views of the entire trip. Read our daily cruise blog
Enjoying a pint of Guinness in Dublin
In London, on the last day of our Tauck journey, they treated us to an incredible flight on the London Eye. That was completely unexpected! And, in true Tauck fashion, they reserved two capsules just for their guests and we zipped past the huge lines of tourists thanks to our VIP passes.
The London Eye
No matter where you are on a Tauck Small Ship Cruise, a Tauck Director is never far away if you have a question or a problem. There were six Tauck Directors and a Tauck Cruise Director on our cruise. When off the ship on a shore excursion, Tauck Directors can often be found assisting the local guides. It is comforting knowing that a knowledgeable advocate is always close by when you need information in an unfamiliar place.
A Tauck Small Ship Cruise is far more inclusive than typical cruise lines. Included in Tauck’s cruise prices are all shore excursions, all gratuities, all onboard beverages (adult and otherwise, with the exception of the Galapagos cruises where they have nightly complimentary happy hours and complimentary wine and beer with dinners), airport transfers, port charges and other fees, luggage handling and more. Tauck really does take the hassle out of travel so that all you have to do is show up and enjoy the journey.
This was our first experience on a Tauck Small Ship Cruise and we were very impressed with how Tauck has taken small ship cruising to a new level. We have always been fans of small ship cruising and we are huge fans of Tauck river cruises. Small ships can take you places that you cannot get to on a river cruise and larger cruise ships have to sail past the smaller, more interesting ports because of the size of the ship. Sophisticated travelers have already discovered the small ship allure and are making this one of the fastest growing segments in the cruise industry. The combination of small ship cruising and Tauck expertise is formidable.
Tauck's small ship cruises are always the first segment of their business to sell out each year, so plan ahead. Perhaps that is why Tauck recently announced that they will be doubling their ship capacity over the next several years with a 40% increase in 2019 alone! Tauck partners with Silversea, Ponant, Windstar and Metropolitan Touring.
If you are considering a small ship cruise, we highly recommend that you put Tauck at the top of your list. For more information on Tauck Small Ship Cruising, click here.