Two years ago in the Mediterranean, we were fortunate to be on the Oceania Riviera for one of its first cruises, with a stop in Barcelona for the christening and official naming ceremony. This is a smallish ship by ocean-going standards — just 1,250 passengers — and, by any objective cruiser's estimation, the Riviera is… Continue reading Oceania Ships Have The Same Look Now
Tag: Ship refurbishing
Polishing Up A 9-year-old Cruise Ship
Cruise lines are always striving to make ships the same but different. Adding the best of a new ship to an existing ship makes the old gal unique. Okay, the older gal…since ships always go by "she." That brings up the Norwegian Jewel. The Jewel is nine years old, probably about halftime in the game… Continue reading Polishing Up A 9-year-old Cruise Ship
Princess a Diamond Experience in Japan
The Diamond Princess is going back to Japan. Again. Maybe it's just time to make this a permanent posting, or as permanent as anything can be in the world of cruise ships. Consider the history. A decade ago last month, the Diamond Princess emerged from a shipyard for her maiden voyage. A fire would have… Continue reading Princess a Diamond Experience in Japan
Carnival Freedom's Return To Include A 'Doctor'
So, if somebody suggested you go on a cruise because a man named Ted Geisel was going to be on the ship, you'd rush off to the nearest cruise travel agent, right? Oh, you wouldn't. Okay, how about Dr. Seuss? That's what Carnival has been telling everybody for a while, and now we know it's… Continue reading Carnival Freedom's Return To Include A 'Doctor'
A Grand Ship Navigates An Upgrade
A dozen years ago she was the world's biggest cruise ship and yesterday the Navigator of the Seas emerged officially from dry dock, where the experts spent a month trying to make her look like the biggest ships of today. They gave the Navigator a touch of Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the… Continue reading A Grand Ship Navigates An Upgrade