With reviews of 285 ships, the “Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships - 2011” by Douglas Ward (www.berlitzbooks.com — 688 pp., £16.99 [near $29]) compares lines’ cabin facilities, food and service; reveals common ripoffs (such as hidden gratuities and overpriced bridge tours); offers tips on value; covers specialty cruises, and more.
Cruise West (Seattle, WA), a USTOA member, ceased operations on Sept. 18, canceling all cruises in 2010 and beyond. Their partner, Canodros (www.canodros.com), which operates the Galapagos Explorer II, is working on alternatives for passengers booked in the Galápagos in 2011.
For passengers booked on Cruise West cruises who have not yet traveled, steps to take are shown at www.cruisewest.com.
(First of three parts)
And a time of peace and plenty prevailed over the realm. . . .
(First of two parts, go to part 2)
by Lynn Remly; Hudson, OH
Koper, Slovenia, was one of our last ports on a May-June ’11 cruise aboard the Nautica of Oceania Cruises (800/531-5619). Most of our shipmates who stayed in town or went on the ship’s tours were disappointed in this port of call, but our group of seven had a wonderful day. I would say it was one of my favorite ports, but, with an itinerary that included Istanbul, Kus¸adası, Kotor, Dubrovnik and Venice, that would be a stretch.
My wife and I decided to try the pre-cruise package offered by Princess Cruises (800/774-6237) before our “Top of the World” cruise from Dover, England, to Brooklyn, New York, July 20-Aug. 7, 2011.
For $579 per person, we would be met at Heathrow Airport, transferred to London’s Chancery Court Hotel and, after two nights, transferred by van to the ship in Dover. For an additional $189 per person per night, we could book additional nights through Princess at the same hotel. Was this a good deal?
A friend and I had single cabins on Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas for the “12-Night Scandinavia and Russia Cruise” round trip from Harwich, England, to Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia, May 18-30, 2011.
Jewel of the Seas is a beautiful ship. The staff was wonderful, and everyone connected with passenger service was outstanding, but there are a couple of things I would point out.
Costa Cruises’ Costa Allegra experienced a fire in the engine room on Feb. 27 that disabled the main power supply and left the ship floating adrift in the Indian Ocean near Seychelles. There were no injuries to the 636 passengers and 413 crew.
The ship had emergency power to run lights but not for navigation, air-conditioning or cooking. After considering evacuating passengers to a nearby island by lifeboats, it was decided to tow the ship to Mahe. Supplies were airlifted to the ship by helicopter.
The “Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2012” (Berlitz. 688 pp. $24.99 paperback) has route maps, details on 285 cruise ships and info on cruise trends, specialized cruises and getting the best cruise bargains. The ship data is also available for $9.99 as an app for Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch; look for “Berlitz Cruise Ships” in the app store.