Let’s say you own a cruise line and the smallest ships in your fleet have become, in this age of giant cruise ships, just too small. So you’re faced with a competitive choice. You sell them and hope when the euros or dollars settle, there are enough of them to help finance four bigger ships.… Continue reading Making Ships Bigger: Hull Of A Job
Tag: Fincantieri shipyard
Oceania Ships Have The Same Look Now
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
In The Sunset Of A Celebrity's Life
When the end is near, as Frank Sinatra used to croon, how do you make sure you go out in style…with a flair? Maybe you get a facelift to capture (or try to) the days gone by. Maybe you put your best foot forward, for as long as you can take steps. Maybe you polish… Continue reading In The Sunset Of A Celebrity's Life
Royal Princess Preview for Writers
There are lots of times lots of us would like to be where Phil Reimer is, and this week is one of them. Phil is Canada's pre-eminent cruise writer and, after a short stop on the river in The Netherlands and on the edge of St. Mark's Square in Venice, he was off to see… Continue reading Royal Princess Preview for Writers
New Kind of Magic at Disney
While Mickey Mouse is the epitome of agelessness — he looks pretty much as he did in 1928 except for more color — even Disney can't prevent the aging process. At least, not with ships. The first Disney cruise ship ever built, the Magic, is going in for a little facelift. Now 14 years old,… Continue reading New Kind of Magic at Disney