1) Keep A Lid On It! – Basically, you would find out which ship I am on, where I am sailing to, and when once I board the ship on day 1.

2) Tell Us, Tell Us! – You would know which ship, which ports, and when at least a 2 weeks before sailing.

3) Challenge Me! – Every few days, I would release another clue on Cruise Currents, our Twitter, and Facebook that would eventually reveal all my cruise details.

So which would you prefer?  Let me know in the poll below! The poll will be open until midnight this Friday. Results will be announced on our blog this coming Monday.

Photo: Mike Faust

As the Explorer of the Seas leaves New Jersey to begin her Port Canaveral deployment, the Quantum of the Seas will begins sailing various itineraries from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Once the Explorer of the Seas arrives in Port Canaveral, Royal Caribbean’s ship count in the port will rise to three. The Explorer of the Seas will be joined by two ships sailing from the port year round, the Enchantment of the Seas and the Freedom of the Seas.

Once the Explorer of the Seas ends her short deployment to Port Canaveral, the ship will most likely be moved to another port for year round cruises. It is currently unknown where she will officially take up residence, but if Royal Caribbean decides to follow recent cruise industry trends, she may end up sailing either to Australia and New Zealand, or Asia.

Photo: Royal Caribbean.

Ocean Blue is Norwegian’s self described,  ”first-ever fine-dining seafood experience.” The restaurant can be found on the Breakaway’s unique exterior promenade – The Waterfront.

The price adjustment comes as a surprise considering the Norwegian Breakaway had only sailed one, full length cruise before raising the price. The $14 price increase makes Ocean Blue the second most expensive dining experience in the Norwegian fleet. The most expensive dining experience is the Chef’s Table, which will cost guests $89 per person.

What do you think of this price increase? Would you pay $49 for Ocean Blue? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line

Movies Under The Stars

Amenities,  Activities, and Entertainment

The Caribbean Princess is a ship designed for more sophisticated cruisers who tend to enjoy cooking classes, wine tastings, and port lectures versus rock climbing walls, water slides, and ropes courses. The Caribbean Princess hosts many small lounges, including the much larger Princess Theater, which are all used to hold special port lectures, karaoke, trivia games, as well as other fun activities throughout your cruise.

Up on the Lido deck, the Caribbean Princess features 4 pools, one of which features the infamous Movies Under The Stars, a poolside movie theater. Forward on the Lido deck is the Sanctuary, an adult only retreat area with a pool and private cabanas.

Also located near the Sanctuary (with very easy access) is the ship’s full spa and fitness center. The Sanctuary is the perfect place to quietly relax, go for a swim, work off the day’s buffet, and enjoy one of the latest massage remedies available at sea.

The Caribbean Princess is one of the most recognizable ships in the Princess fleet due to her unique Skywalker’s Lounge, located at the aft end of the ship. Skywalker’s is your place to dance the night away, enjoy a drink with new friends all with a bridge-like view of the ocean ahead.

Horizon Court

Dining Options & Food Quality

The Caribbean Princess is an excellent choice for a “culinary cruiser” Packed with specialty restaurants, cooking demonstrations, and wine seminars – this ship is a true culinary masterpiece. The Caribbean Princess features two specialty restaurants: Sabatini’s and the Crown Grill. Sabatini’s is the ship’s Italian specialty restaurant, serving delicious, traditional Italian dishes along with fresh seafood, all in a restaurant themed around the Tuscan countryside. The Crown Grill is the ship’s exclusive and high end steakhouse. The Crown Grill serves guests the finest cuts all in a classy, elegant atmosphere. Both Sabatini’s and the Crown Grill carry a nominal fee for dinner.

Island Dining Room

For cruisers who do not choose to eat in one of the ship’s specialty restaurants, the Caribbean Princess has three main dining rooms  (Palm, Coral, and Island) that operate on both scheduled dinner times and Anytime Dining. In the main ding rooms, cruisers can enjoy some of Princess’ finest culinary creations. From steak to tenderloin to the infamous lobster – you will be sure to leave the dining room with a satisfied palate.

For lunch, breakfast, and if you choose a casual dinner – the Horizon Court serves delicious dishes almost around the clock. From pancakes to waffles to sandwiches to a freshly roasted turkey – the Horizon Court is your stop for casual dining and a delicious bite of something before hitting the Lido deck. Also located on the Lido deck is the ship’s pizzeria, which serves one of the best tasting slices of pizza on the seven seas. Also found around the pools are various bars and an ice cream parlor.

Overall, the food served aboard was very good, rich in tastes, and finely prepared. My only complaint on the food was the taste of the fish served in the Horizon Court, it just wasn’t to my liking, but that is just me.

Atrium

Layout & Appearance

The layout of the Caribbean Princess is very logical and easy to navigate. Most lounges, bars, and restaurants are located off a main promenade located on deck seven, which makes it easy to move between your favorite bar and the main lounge to catch a show. Increasing the ease of access, almost all public rooms are located on deck five, six, and seven; creating a nice flow from deck to deck. The Lido deck is the other main area of the ship that is traveled frequently by guests. On the Lido deck, you will find that the journey between the five onboard pools is seamless and frankly a nice way to see the ship.

The appearance of the ship was very tasteful, utilizing soft colors to evoke the Caribbean vibes throughout the ship.

Staterooms

Verandah Stateroom

The Caribbean Princess’ staterooms are of typical size for a cruise ship. The layout is a bit more to my liking than some other cruise ships – the beds are located adjacent to the en-suite bathroom, while the desk and vanity area is adjacent to the balcony. Some of the verandah staterooms do feature a “larger than usual” balcony with four chairs and a table – the perfect place for  a meal with a view. Overall, the staterooms aboard the Caribbean Princess feature a smart and practical layout with plenty of space for storage and fine amenities.

Photos and video: Mike Faust. Thanks to Princess Cruises’ PR department who arranged this tour for me!

The unprecedented transformation added all of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 dining, bar and entertainment features, along with a host of unique and exciting innovations and an additional 182 staterooms. The latest voyage from Barcelona represents Carnival Sunshine’s first-ever departure from the Spanish port and continues the ship’s summer schedule of nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages that will run through October.

Watch the video above to discover the new spaces aboard the Carnival Sunshine and to see how they went from Destiny to Sunshine in only a few weeks.

Featured photo and press release: Carnival

MSC Poesia’s Shore Excursions desk

#4 – Book your shore excursion through the cruise line.

If you book your shore excursion through a cruise line, whether online or onboard, the cruise line will communicate and work with your excursion leaders to find out where you are and bring you back to the port so that you don’t miss the ship. Earlier this year on my Eurodam cruise, my excursion booked through Holland America Line returned late, but the ship knew we were going to be late and held the ship for us. Sure, it may be a bit more expensive to book through the cruise line, but it’s much less expensive than arranging transportation to your next port of call.

#3 – Bring some form of identification with you ashore. 

This is a tricky subject that has been debated across cruise boards everywhere: what form of identification should I bring ashore? At the bare minimum, you should bring a driver’s license or other photo ID. Some ports (Cozumel for me once) on occasion ask to see some form of identification. If you don’t produce a photo ID, they might give you a hard time, as in my case in Cozumel. Most cruisers agree that a passport is your safest bet, as it can help you get out of a country if you miss the ship, but it’s dependent on whether you feel safe to bring your passport ashore. My advice would be to bring a copy of your passport ashore, because it will most likely satisfy port security and depending on which country you are in, it might help you leave the country to catch your ship in the next port.

#2 – Don’t Leave your ship without money or a cell phone.

Unless you are walking within a few minutes of the ship, you should always carry some money on you while in port. Depending on the country and where you are going, if you suddenly find yourself stranded in a port – you don’t want to be left penniless. This is another tough item to give advice on, but I suggest that you only bring enough money for what you might spend in port and a little extra in case of an emergency. Secondly, make sure to bring some sort of way to communicate with either the ship, emergency services, or even relatives if you become stranded. Before leaving the ship, make sure to find out the port services number or even the number to dial the ship. Most cruise lines recommend you call either of these numbers if you find yourself running late or if you have missed the ship. The port and ship can then help coordinate either your return to the ship or an alternate way to catch up.

#1 – Stay on ship’s time.

Some cruise lines operate on a single time zone throughout the entire cruise. That could mean that you are in Bermuda, but still be on New York time. If this is the case, make it a priority to set your watch, cell phone, or whatever to the ship’s time. This is the number one reason cruisers miss the ship. If the posted departure time at the gangway says 5:00 pm, that means the ship departs at 5:00 pm ship’s time, even though it may be 6:00 pm in port. Some cruise lines do change ship’s time as you enter a new time zone, so similarly  make sure to adjust your watch or cell phone to the new time zone you have entered. Always watch the time and make sure you’re on time, if not, it will cost you time and money.

By following this advice and using your common sense, you will be able to save yourself from the horrible nightmares experienced by these cruisers:

Photos: Mike Faust

Disclaimer: These tips are my own opinion and should be taken at your discretion. I am not responsible for any incident or occasion that may arise from following these tips.

The new five-day itineraries include a western Caribbean route featuring Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman, and an eastern Caribbean/Bahamas option featuring Grand Turk, Nassau and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.  Departure dates for western Caribbean route are June 30, Aug. 11 and Sept. 22, 2014, while the eastern Caribbean/Bahamas cruises depart May 19, June 9, July 21, Sept. 1 and Oct. 13, 2014.

These new five-day itineraries complement Carnival Freedom’s popular year-round six- and eight-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale, providing consumers with a diverse array of destination and cruise duration choices from South Florida.

Photo: Mike Faust

Viking Cruise’s new ocean going venture is an expansion of Viking’s current river cruise program. With a new, custom built cruise ship, Viking will allow guests to reach more ports in traditional Viking style. The first ship to be launched for the new brand is the Viking Star, which will sail her maiden voyage in 2015. The Viking Star will carry around 900 guests in 465 staterooms with 15 finely appointed dining experiences as well as many other unique features to the Viking brand.

For a complete overview of the new Viking Star, make sure to watch the tour video above.

Photos and video: Viking Cruises

Tweets about “#VikingOceans”

An open nomination process was held on the NYTWS’ website beginning in February and ended this month. Cruise Currents was anonymously submitted by a reader, which then made it eligible to be considered for the category. The candidate websites then underwent a review by the NYTWS review board, and they have selected Cruise Currents as this year’s winner.

An awards ceremony will take place at this year’s NYTWS Award Gala in New York City on December 14th. “As the Editor of Cruise Currents, I am excited to take part in this year’s awards and to accept this great honor later this December,” said Mike Faust. Along with the crystal award that will be presented to Mike Faust in December, Mike will also have the opportunity to publish a few articles in the NYTWS’ own magazine,  Luxury Travel and Lifestyles Magazine. In addition, a full page ad for Cruise Currents will run in Luxury Travel and Lifestyles Magazine beginning in 2014.

Mike Faust continued his comment, “I am truly honored to be presented with this award, and am thankful to NYTWS and my readers who in part make Cruise Currents possible. Without the support of my readers, Cruise Currents would just be another unused domain name. I am excited that Cruise Currents has been recognized as a quality, professional website, and this award helps me see an even brighter future for Cruise Currents.”

Photo: Cruise Currents