Photo by Jean-Philippe Boulet
When you take something and give it an authentic Australian flavor, are you “Aussifying” it…or “Australizing” it…or just putting it on the barbie?
Whatever it is, that’s what Carnival is doing to the good ship Spirit, in preparation for its winter Down Under in 2012.
So what exactly is Aussifying?
In the world of cruise ships, it’s banning tipping, which might be enough to lure all of us who love to cruise to do it in Australia. It’s improving the quality of coffee, which means changing the coffee machines and re-training the baristas. Again, a tactic worth spreading. And it’s about serving beer on tap instead of the American way, in bottles. Now this may sound a little chauvinistic, but is there anything more disagreeable than seeing a woman drink beer out of a bottle?
So, no tipping, better coffee, no beer bottles.
Those are the changes that don’t require a contractor. The ones that do are making more rooms connect, because Aussies have bigger families than Americans (it’s in the water), and installing slot machines, ATMs and laundry machines that are compatible with Australian coins. Tweaking the slots so that you win more would also keep the cruisers happy, but nobody mentioned anything about that.
And yes, mate, the Spirit will have a barbie. No mention of Ken.
DAILY DEAL:
Seabourn Odyssey
10 nights
November 29, 2011
Rome to Malaga (seven stops)
Balcony $2,299 (regular $19,425)
www.seabourn.com