THE RIGHT PRICE…………………….$299
November 14, 2010: 7 days, Eastern Caribbean, Fort Lauderdale round-trip
Per night: Inside $43, Oceanview $61, Balcony $86, Suite $171
Ports: Virgin Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas
Ship: MSC Poesia Contact: Travelocity
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Slowly, ports and cruise lines are getting into the Century of Ecology, No. 21. More ports and more ships all the time are capable of providing/drawing electrical power from the shore instead of leaving the engines running, damaging the environmental footprint with emissions. This week was San Francisco’s turn.
The California port became the fourth in the world capable of providing power to ships in port, following Juneau, Seattle and Vancouver (Canada). The Island Princess was the first ship to plug into the Bay Area and is the ninth ship of the Princess fleet to have the capability.
The cost to convert each ship is estimated at $7 million, and the saving for the cruise line is approximately $2,000 per stop, so it’s going to take a while to balance those books. Most importantly, of course, is the pollution that isn’t pumped into the waterfront.
Also committed to providing power are the ports in Los Angeles and San Diego. Hmm, is this just a New World commitment?
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The technology industry likes what it sees of the Oasis of the Seas. At the InformationWeek 500 Conference in Miami last week, Royal Caribbean was ranked 41st of 500 companies for its innovative technology and earned a spot on the “20 Great Ideas to Steal” list. Specifically, the cruise line was recognized for its innovative use of digital signage.
The Oasis, still the largest cruise ship anywhere — until its sibling the Allure arrives next month — has a network of 300 screens (46 inches) that provide information and enhance the passengers’ experience. Some screens are interactive, some are not, and they can be utilized in at least six languages.
So, which cruise line is first going to “steal” this “great idea?”
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Ten down, three to go. That’s what is left of the hurricane season, if you hold the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to its (revised) projections. But who ever does that with the weather people anyway?
The hurricane season, which ends November 30 — try holding them to that, too!, was originally threatening to produce as many as 14 hurricanes, and as many as 23 named storms. When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, NOAA downgraded its estimates to 10 and 18, respectively. Fortunately, there have been seven.
Any day down, the Big H’s focus is supposed to shift from the Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico. If it gets active in the last six weeks, passengers cruising the Western Caribbean may need rain gear.
Once again, by the way, cruise ships travel faster than hurricanes.
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Travelzoo has announced its annual award finalists, which follows the evaluation of 80,000 deals, and two of them belong in the cruise category…
Most outstanding provider of cruise deals by an agency: CruCon Cruise Outlet, CruiseDeals.com, CruiseNow.com, Cruises-N-More, Travelocity
Best overall provider of cruise deals by a cruise line: Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean
The winners will be announced November 16 at the luxurious Westin Kierland in Phoenix.
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That’s it, we’re done.