Colin Veitch Las Vegas NCL F3 Reveal

See NCL movie here:

http://164.109.173.40/F3_test/F3_FlashMovie_Nightlife.html

Below: Halo: The Uber Bar

On the Subject of Oasis and F3: Are Cruise Ships Getting Too Big?

(Below: Celebrity Mercury and Galaxy, in Skagway: two medium sized ships by today’s standards bringing 4000+ passnegers to a small remote port in Alaska.)

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Are Cruise Ships getting too Big?In the summer of 2006 Royal Caribbean International (RCI) introduced the first of three ‘Freedom’ class vessels (158,000 gt and 3,600 guests). Since then, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)has announced orders for two 150,000-ton, 4,200-passenger cruise ships, with deliveries scheduled for 2009 and 2010. Not to be outdone, RCI responded by announcing that the first of two ‘Genesis’ vessels (220,000 gt, 5,400 guests, 45% bigger than ‘Freedom’) will enter service in 2009. Carnival Cruises has their own plan for a giant ship, called project ‘Pinnacle’. In response to this explosion of tonnage, we must ask the question: “Are cruise ships getting too big”.

One of the biggest concerns about these leviathans is just how well they will be able to accommodate the number of guests that they will carry. Just imagine the opportunities to join a line for the elevator or for the buffet and the possibilities of getting lost in the endless corridors and decks. More seriously, there are concerns about the embarkation, disembarkation and the effect all those people will have on ports in the Caribbean where these big ships will most likely be deployed.

How do you get 5000+ plus people on and off a ship without unparallel hassle? Already ports like Southampton UK, which is a city and not a small island, struggle when two or three big ships are in port. The existing cruise terminal buildings are no longer big enough for the mega-ships, the number of check-in desks becomes inadequate, the baggage handling staffs are overworked, the car parking spaces become insufficient and the roads become grid-locked.

It is hard to imagine how one of the popular Caribbean islands will be able to cope with 5000+ tourists from one ship, let alone other ships that may arrive simultaneously. Even if you built a suitable infrastructure to cope, would it not spoil these island paradises and turn them into mini-Manhattans.? Some people feel this is already happening.

For those that have not cruised on a mega-ship, it takes 5 hours or so to disembark all of the passengers and about the same time to embark the new compliment when the ship is docked. If the ship is too large to tie up at a berth, passengers must be “tendered” ashore in small boat. A leviathan such as RCI’s ‘Genesis’ is likely to be too big to berth in many of the world’s smaller ports, so tendering passengers ashore will be very common. From personal experience I can tell you that tendering ashore from a 2000 passenger ship can be a slow and painful process that can take half a day. How can this possibly be done in an efficient manner for a ship as large as the Genesis-class vessels?

Then there is the question of shore excursions. One of our CruiseTalk members put it concisely: “…it is going to make it twice as long to get on and off the ship reducing time people have in ports. Can you imagine all 5000 people getting off in a port and demanding taxis where the locals only have a small amount of public transport”?

However, with all of this talk about ‘too big’, how do we decide when ‘big’ become ‘too big?’ The ships that we considered too big ten years ago (Carnival Destiny, Grand Princess etc.) are now looking medium sized and seem to have been generally accepted. As another CruiseTalker put it recently: “It seems that with each new major increase in ship size there are people who say it won’t work. Yet magically, these ships are somehow able to handle the crowds and the crowds seem to love being on the ships”.

To be fair though, we should probably take a look at the positive aspects of these large ships. A number of factors drive the apparent demand for ships of ever increasing size. The cruising masses certainly love them. According to NCL’s CEO Colin Veitch, “The thing that’s attractive about bigger ships is you have more choice and variety onboard,” he said. “We make a lot more money on them. Ticket revenue and onboard revenue is dramatically higher on larger ships than on smaller, older ships.”

The global cruise market is continuing to grow, so the cruise lines are simply responding to the old adage; “if you build it, they will come”. These big ships almost market themselves; ‘The Biggest’ always generates headlines. Let’s not forget that it is big ships that have enabled the American masses to cruise in the first place, by offering affordable fares.

Big ships are not new; many of the most popular ships in service today exceed 100,000 gross tons. On any given day, it is not unusual to find half a dozen big ships, or more, berthed at a port of call. Although it is not necessarily an ideal situation – most of the Caribbean ports are certainly more crowded than they used to be – somehow it still all seems to work. This is due to the excellent onboard organization of the cruise lines in disembarking people on shore tours etc. I’ve seen it run like clockwork. The Caribbean is still the world’s biggest cruise destination and that does not look set to change. If it was so unbearable due to crowding, I think people would simply stop cruising there, yet they keep on coming.

Most cruise lines today, have their own private island such as Disney’s, ‘Castaway Cay’. This helps reduces the congestion at some the more popular ports. Some new ports of call in the Caribbean are also emerging, such as ‘Grand Turk’. Personally I think the ports of the Mediterranean, which are mostly cities, rather than islands, are better placed to absorb the increasing passenger numbers. However, who knows, perhaps the ports of call will become less important in the future as these ‘floating resorts’ become the destination and not just the means of travel. Mega-ships are making way for ultra-ships. Even the term ’ship’ is increasingly becoming inadequate to describe these giant floating vacation-machines.

Despite the scepticism in some quarters, I do think it will be possible to embark, disembark and tender 5000+ people efficiently, if the supporting infrastructure is in place. This means bigger tenders, better terminals and adequate roads. I see no reason why a mega ship cannot have ten gangways, after all security is largely done by swipe-card and is computer controlled. We have been filling and emptying 100,000 seat sports arenas for quite some time. Although I agree than hundreds of buses taking passengers on excursions in not a pretty sight or very environmentally friendly, once again thorough careful planning the negative impact can be minimized.

So when will the race to build bigger and bigger ships end? Personally I believe that the limiting factor for ships size is not necessarily a technical one, it will be when the cruise markets growth slows and eventually levels out. However all predictions indicate that we have not reached the ‘Pinnacle’ yet and will not do for some years.

He’s one final thought; within a few years 555 guests at a time will be able to fly on a giant ‘Airbus A380′ to their giant cruise ship. In the future, it looks like we will never be lonely on a vacation again.

Malcolm Oliver

 

 

 

 

 

.(Comments welcome, no need to join to comment!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Oasis of the Seas Images – Boardwalk, Aquatheatre and Rising Tide Bar

Royal Caribbean have finally released some excellent renderings of the Oasis class.

A natural evolution of the signature Royal Promenade featured on Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, the new design found on Oasis of the Seas will allow guests to have a physical connection with the neighbourhood above – Central Park – as natural light cascades down from the sky. Giant glass-arched skylights, the Crystal Canopies, form a sculptured roof that will look up into Central Park and the sky beyond.

Above: A thrilling new feature, a zip line will be suspended nine decks above Boardwalk, giving adventurers a birds-eye view of the action below, as the rider speeds diagonally across the open air atrium – a distance of more than 82 feet (25 meters).

Above:The AquaTheatre wih fountains (Not unlike NCL’s F3 Spice H20)

In its latest innovation, the progressive cruise line introduces AquaTheater, an impressive outdoor venue at the stern of the world’s largest ship, Oasis of the Seas. Located off the ship’s Boardwalk neighborhood, this amphitheater-style space will celebrate water with a full spectrum of activities and performances throughout the day and into the night with a backdrop of the ocean across the horizon.

Created to offer two unique environments, guests will be able to swim in the theater’s magnificent kidney-shaped pool, relax on sun loungers located on tiered platforms surrounding the pool, and even participate in SCUBA lessons in the afternoon. At night, audience members witness the venue come alive with heart-pounding performances which feature dramatic acrobatics, synchronized swimming, water ballet, and high-diving performances, as well as fountain shows synchronized to music and lights.

Above: The Boardwalk

This breathtaking space was inspired by both the seaside piers that dot the coast of England and the nostalgic boardwalks such as Coney Island. Boardwalk will be an area for the entire family to enjoy together, whether young or just young at heart. The elements of the Boardwalk will be a dynamic way to engage families in classic fun with a colourful original carousel as well as eateries, retail outlets and carnival games.

Above:Not a UFO, but ‘The Rising Tide Bar’ ascending to Central Park (with fountains)

The unique Rising Tide bar – the first moving bar at sea – is an engineering feat that will span three decks and allow cruisers to enjoy a cocktail as they slowly descend from Central Park and arrive into the Royal Promenade. (Malcolm’s Note: It’s not the first moving bar, RCI’s Radiance have a rotating bar, for example).

The centrepiece of Boardwalk will be a one-of-a-kind carousel – the first-ever at sea. Hand-crafted from poplar wood especially for Royal Caribbean International, the full-sized, traditional carousel will take six to eight months to complete. It will feature 21 figures suspended from stainless steel poles showcasing a time-honoured menagerie of animals such as zebras, giraffes and lions, alongside a variety of hand-painted horses including a princess horse and a crowned frog prince. (See the zip line again over the top of the carousel).

See this great slide show:

http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/gallery.php

(Images and text from RCI)

Norwegain Cruise Line (NCL) F3’s Las Vegas Reveal – Ice Bar

The F3’s will have a real Ice Bar - see the NCL image below:

 

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) took their “Freestyle Cruising” to a whole new level — a nightclub level that is.

“World hold on, F3 is coming your way,” boasted Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO. The line showcased five distinct nighttime experiences specifically designed for NCL’s new F3 ships, the first to be launched in 2010. “There is nothing ordinary about these ships. The F3s are unconventionally extraordinary,” said Veitch. He added that the F3 won’t have massive void spaces and rooms only used for one thing. Each nightclub space will have multiple uses – sunning, bowling, dining and, of course, hip night club atmosphere. Here’s what NCL has in store:

NCL’s Ice Bar — a chill out chat up venue that is inspired by the original ice bars and ice hotels in Scandinavia. “This will be the industry’s first true ice bar,” said Veitch. The area on Deck 7 is a frozen chamber of iced vodka where the centerpiece is a giant ice cube that glows and changes colors. Ice Bar will accommodate 25 guests who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats since the rooms temperature will not rise above 17 degrees Fahrenheit. To enter, guests will pay a cover charge — NCL says it has not yet determined the price.

POSH Beach Club – With a South Beach vibe by day and night the venue will change to encompass four unique cover charge experiences:

POSH Vive – From 6 to 9 am can partake in yoga classes and treatments in private cabanas.
POSH Rehab – From 9 am till noon, guests can relax and recover from a hard night of partying with specialty drinks and chill out tunes
POSH Sol – From noon till 6 pm, guests can lounge on day beds and enjoy a beach-themed atmosphere.
Pure POSH – Echoing the famous Las Vegas nightclub at Caesar’s Palace this venue will have a Vegas vibe where guests and drink and dance under the stars.
Halo, the Uber Bar — Garden and Courtyard Villa guests have exclusive VIP access to this venue, other guests will pay a cover charge. This venue sets atop the ship on Deck 16 and will showcase the ship’s best art and jewelry (modeled by servers) that can be purchased.
Bliss Ultra Lounge and Nightclub – Already popular on the Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Pearl, this bowling club by day hot bed club by night will also be onboard the new F3 ships.

Spice H2O  — Is an aft-pool area like none other (but not unlike Oasis’s Aquatheatre:-) – Malcolm). Like the POSH club Spice will feature four unique experiences. Inspired by Latin and Asian flare the adults-only area will encompass a huge LED screen with various themes:

Sunny Spice — 8 am to 11 am — Spicy drinks and breakfast.
Aqua Spice — Sun and fun and a little Chinese take out.
Sunset Spice — Guarantees a perfect sunset everyday rain or shine.
All Spice — Offering a show of aqua ballet and dancing.
Again, NCL has not determined the pricing for each venue; however, the company says it will offer a “Beyond the Velvet Rope” package for all clubs. (Text and images courtesey of NCL)

Malcolm says: The Ice Bar will be a very small facility (25 guests) for what will be a big high density ship. Never the less, gimmicks sell cruises and it sounds like fun to me. NCL are of course masters of choice, flexibility and the surcharge.:-)

Hey, those slim, attractive and well dressed people look exactly the same crowd that are currently onboard Oasis of the Seas.:-)

Celebrity Solstice Takes Shape

Below: A recent image from the Meyer-Werft shipyard. 

 

Below: A comparison of three different Celebrity ship classes.

 

Below: Celebrity Solstice and her sister, Equinox will feature the’Lawn Club’.  (Image courtsey of Celebrity)

The half-acre Lawn Club on Celebrity Solstice will invite guests to enjoy bocce ball and croquet, practice their putting, picnic with a basket of wine and cheese, or simply feel the grass between their toes, while sailing the oceans of the world. The area also will feature the Hot Glass Show, another first in the industry, developed in collaboration with The Corning Museum of Glass; the Patio on the Lawn; the Lawn Club Shop, and the Sunset Bar.

Achieving that reality was no easy task. Celebrity worked with design firm Wilson Butler Architects to design the entire club area, then engaged a team of landscape architects and irrigation specialists along with turf and soil scientists at the University of Florida. Together, they conducted extensive research and tested a variety of grasses to determine which can withstand the winds, sun, shade and temperature variations that will affect the grass and soil as the ship sails in the Caribbean this winter. Other considerations included the ability of the grass to tolerate foot traffic, irrigation and day-to-day care and maintenance of the grass. Even the weight of the grass and soil had to be considered, as well as the water they absorb from the atmosphere and from irrigation.

Just Back From Norwegian Jade

I am just back from a two week Mediterranean Cruise on NLC’s ‘Norwegian Jade’, which earlier this year was NCLA’s ‘Pride of Hawaii. 

This cruise was a round trip from Southampton, visiting many of Europe’s most fascinating cities, such as Barcelona, Rome, Gibraltar and Lisbon. 

So does ‘Freestyle’ actually work? I will be writing a full (long) review as soon as I get the time. In the meantime, if you have any questions please post a message

Above: The ex- ‘Pride of Hawaii’ in Barcelona, now re-flagged as ‘Norwegian Jade’ and redeployed in Europe summer 08 and 09.

MSC Joins the big players with Fantasia and Serenata

 

 

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are set to join the big league when they take delivery of two ultra-ships, Fantasia and Serenata,  in 2008 and 2010 respectively. 

Fantasia will enter service on the 18th  December 2009 in Naples. At around 130,000 gross tons, they will be the biggest ships ever built for a European owner and two of the worlds biggest cruise ships.  They certainly look sleek for there size, from the rendering.

Fantasia, the new flagship of the MSC Crociere fleet, will have 27,000 sq m of public areas, which will include 5 restaurants, 4 swimming pools, 12 hydro-massage pools, a Formula 1 simulator and 4D Cinema (whatever that is) .  She will also have an exclusive VIP Area called the ‘ MSC Yacht Club’ with 99 spacious suites and a reserved observation lounge with a private bar.  Guests will  be to walk on a Swarvski crystal floor. A transparent ceiling will also allow guests to gaze at the starlit skies.