It’s safe to assume that when Queen Elizabeth christened the P&O Oriana in 1995, when she was a mere child of 69, that nobody imagined two decades later she’d be christening another P&O ship, the Britannia. It happens tomorrow. This is the biggest ship ever built for Brits. It weighs 141,000 tons, carries 3,647… Continue reading Britannia To Rule The Waves
Category: Ships
Vroom! Grand Prix On The Diadema
ON THE COSTA DIADEMA — Several years ago, we spent almost three weeks driving around Italy. From Tuscany to Turin and back. From Tuscany to Naples to Venice and back to Rome. About 3,000 kilometers in 19 days. By the time it ended, Bob had turned into Roberto. If you’ve ever driven a car in… Continue reading Vroom! Grand Prix On The Diadema
Costa’s ’Tiara’ Jewel Of The Fleet
ON THE COSTA DIADEMA — The first thing you should know about Costa Cruises, if you don’t already, is that this is not some obscure cruise line that nobody ever heard of before one of its ships — the Concordia — became a graveyard for 32 of its passengers. Costa is big. So big that… Continue reading Costa’s ’Tiara’ Jewel Of The Fleet
Norwegian Gratuities On the Rise
If you’re booked to take a Norwegian cruise on a ship that leaves after Saturday, prepare for a little inflation. Starting Sunday on all sailings, Norwegian’s daily gratuity charges are going up to $12.95 per person ($14.95 if you’re cruising in a suite) and applies even if your cruise is already booked. The increase… Continue reading Norwegian Gratuities On the Rise
One Deck Chair…Why Not Four?
There’s an old joke about a man who’s sprawled across three loungers on the deck of a cruise ship. He is warned by the crew that he must move or risk being “arrested” by the cruise cops. The man lays there looking up in silence. Finally. the removal squad is called. Again, the man is… Continue reading One Deck Chair…Why Not Four?