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Queen Elizabeth Visits QE2

For the third time since Queen Elizabeth II’s maiden voyage, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the ship for the last time prior to the ship’s final departure from Southampton, England. The QE2 will make its final voyage in October, after which it will become a floating resort in Dubai. As part of the visit, a private reception of 300 guests was held. Also, the ship’s newest crewmember, Jennifer Haynes, was present to sound the ship’s whistle. This was done to salute the Queen Mary 2, which was also in port at the time.

While I’ve never sailed on Cunard, it’s sad to see such a famous ship nearing its end. It was very fitting, however, for The Queen to visit her before her final voyage. Her Majesty was also present before the QE2’s maiden voyage as well. So it seems it has come full-circle.

Carnival Dream – First Renderings

The first renderings of Carnival’s future Fun Ship, the Carnival Dream, have been released. It takes the same basic look of the Destiny & Conquest classes, but with a few changes. Probably the most noticable change is the front of the ship. I’m not really sure how to describe it, but it’s different than before. The only way I can describe it, is that the new front make it look like a big speedboat. (That could also be due to the fact that the water seems to be quickly displaced in the image.) Another change which isn’t quite as obvious is the funnel, which has been streamlined, looking more fluid than the previous clunky funnels. It still retains the basic shape though. Finally, there are a few more decks, so it is taller than previous ships. Overall, I like the new outer design. If you click on the image, you can see a full-size image of the Dream. I’m looking forward to see some “inside” pictures or even some deck plans so we can see all the amenities that will be available. Carnival has said to expect a “unique interior design” as well as “a host of innovative facilities and features.” This should definitely be interesting.

Also announced was that Carnival Dream will be based at Ft. Lauderdale when it debuts in Fall 2009. There are no details yet on its itinerary. Its sister ship, Carnival Magic, will debut two years later, in June 2011. Unfortunately, these will probably be the last new Carnival ships for a while, including the new Carnival Splendor. A couple weeks ago, Carnival said that, due to rising costs, there will be no more new ships being ordered for a little while.

Where Are the Cameras?

The cruise is getting closer, so I’ve gotten back into the mood of writing about cruising. I wish I could cruise more often. All my family is going on cruises and I’m only going on one a year. Granted I’m not old enough to go alone and I don’t pay for the ones I do go on, but I’d gladly pay my own way if I could go on more. When I turn 21, I will start to do this.

Anyway, one thing I was thinking about was things we have done on our past cruises. On our last cruise (or was it the one before that?), we went to the front of the ship to try to get on camera. You know, the camera view that they show on the cabin TVs. What we did was, we would look on TV to see where the cameras were shooting, and then we’d stand in that spot and wave to the camera. The only problem was, we weren’t seen on TV. My mom and sister stayed in the cabin to watch for us, but they never saw us. There’s a deck right below that bridge that can be seen on the camera, and we walked the length of that deck, and they never saw us. Looking on the TV, it seemed like we should have been seen. They said they would see our head pop out and then disappear. It was really quite strange.

And when we were on the deck, we’d look into the bridge to see if we could see the camera(s). We thought we saw them, but I guess not. I thought I saw what looked like a camera pointing right at me, but I was never seen on TV. Perhaps the images are delayed? I guess that’s a possibility we never thought of. Well, on our next cruise maybe we’ll try again.

Oasis of the Seas

It’s official, Royal Caribbean has named their two “Genesis” ships. They will be named Oasis of the Seas, which will be the namesake of the class, and Allure of the Seas. Given the amenities that have been presented thus far, including parks with real trees and grass, the names seem to fit quite well. When I think of an “oasis”, I usually think of a green island in the middle of the sea. That is essentially what these two ships will be: floating islands in the middle of the sea. Who’s looking forward to going on these two mammoth ships?

NCL Fined $1 Million

As I’m sure you might have seen in the news, Norwegian Cruise Line has been fined by the US government $1 million for an explosion that took place in Miami on their now-defunct Norway ship. The explosion killed eight crew members and injured 10 more. No passengers were hurt. NCL pleaded guilty to gross negligence. $13.75 million has also been paid to the victims’ families.

Crystal Cracks Down on Smoking

Crystal Cruises is implementing a new smoking ban that prohibits smoking on private balconies. However, unlike the RCI smoking ban which takes effect this month, guests can still smoke in their cabins. This ban will start taking effect in May.

I think this is a great move. It seems the cruise lines are all starting to ban smoking in more places. Most cruise lines ban smoking in most public places, but they’re beginning to crack down even more. I hope Carnival starts implementing more bans as well. Smoking has no positive effects at all, so by banning it in more and more places, hopefully it will eventually fade out of style. I’m sure that’s one reason all these bans (not just on cruise lines, but everywhere) are taking place. It would be pretty nice to live in a smoke-free world.

Well I’m rambling, so I’ll stop now.

Medevac Teen Thanks Captains

This was from the Princess website:

SAN DIEGO – (January 6, 2008) — Just released from the hospital, 14-year-old Laura Montero (C), the teenager who was successfully airlifted off Dawn Princess for an emergency appendectomy last month, greets the Captains and Crews of Dawn Princess and the USS Ronald Reagan who helped save her life. Above, she presents Dawn Princess Captain Marco Fortezze (L) and USS Ronald Reagan Captain Terry Kraft (R) thank-you notes she wrote while recovering in the hospital. In a special ceremony hosted onboard Dawn Princess, Captain Fortezze was honored to welcome Montero back on board and meet in person for the first time the Captain and crew of the USS Ronald Reagan who came to her aid when she required emergency surgery.

Source: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na926

That’s a really great story. It’s really reassuring to know that, if the need arises, it is possible to be taken off the ship for medical emergencies. If you’re close enough to shore, a Coast Guard boat will rescue you, as was the case here. If you’re far out to see, a helicopter will come out for you. So no matter where you are, it’s possible to be saved. For anyone nervous of getting sick at sea, this should be reassuring.

Not to mention, the pretty good facilities onboard the ship. My uncle had a heart attack on his cruise the day before the ship returned to New York (home port). The doctors onboard were able to take care of him until they docked in port.

So whether you’re having a heart attack or a bout of sea sickness, the doctors onboard (and if need be, the Coast Guard) are there to help you!

Bon Voyage!

So my sister left with her boyfriend for Florida today. They’re spending the day in Miami today. Tomorrow they leave on a three-night cruise that goes to Key West and Nassau. They’ll be sailing on the Carnival Fascination. This will be her boyfriend’s first cruise. We’ve been trying to get him to come with us the past few years but he hasn’t wanted to. This cruise will give him a taste of what it’s like.

I always have mixed feelings when people I know go on cruises. I’m excited for them, because I know of how great of an experience it will be. But at the same time, I’m also jealous. Yeah, you might say I’m selfish or greedy. I’m not. It’s just I wish I could go on a cruise every month! I can never get enough of it.

Anyway, they’ll be home next week. I’m anxious to hear how it went, and I really can’t wait to hear how he liked it.