2014 in Review

As the year draws to a close, we'll take a look at some of the headlines from the past year.  2013 had been a year marked by disasters and fortunately that wasn't the case in 2014.   The year wasn't completely without mechanical issues, but they were not like the previous year.

The cruise lines added capacity, especially in the Caribbean, driving prices down.  Passengers that took advantage of the low pricing still got the excellent value that cruising offers.

Norwegian Getaway Courtesy MEYER WERFT

 "First New Cruise Ship 

for 2014" 

Honors went to Norwegian Cruise Line as it took delivery of Norwegian Getaway from MEYER WERFT in Bremerhaven, Germany in January.  The 145,655 gross ton cruise ship, second in the Breakaway Class ships, took only 15 months to be built by the German shipbuilder.

"Most Anticipated New Ship for 2014"

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas took to the waters in Cape Liberty for a winter program in the Caribbean.  It will then transition to Europe for Spring before departing for its permanent home in Asia.  The ship has several new innovations including North Star where you can ride 300 feet above the sea, bumper cars, and sky-diving.  New dining experiences were also introduced.  Dynamic Dining is receiving mixed reviews.  Read more about the new concept:  Quantum Leap in Dining.

Quantum Changes for Cruisers
Prepare to be WOWED – The Quantum Class

Regal Princess Kicks off Princess Cruises 50th Anniversary Celebration

When the brand-new Regal Princess began its Caribbean sailings in November, we were onboard to enjoy the introduction of Chocolate Journeys which is part of the 50th Anniversary celebration that will be fleet-wide starting in January.   Princess Cruises teamed up with Norman Love to introduce this new culinary experience. You won't want to miss the anniversary celebration.

Circles of Regal Princess
4 Reasons to Sail the Love Boat in 2015

As these new ships entered service one ship that had been front and center in the industry news for more than 2 years, made its final voyage as it was towed to Genoa, Italy where it will be scrapped.

Costa Concordia Parbuckling (Salvage Operations)

Costa Concordia Parbuckling (read more)

This image extracted from a live video of Costa Concordia's Parbuckling Procedure, which began mid-September, 2013 in Giglio, showed how slow the process was to right the vessel.

The installation of 15 sponsons positioned on the starboard side (land side) and the remaining 4 on the right side (sea side) was completed in order to proceed with the refloating phase and have the wreck ready for towing by the end of June 2014.  The towing to Genoa, Italy actually began July 22, 2014.

As 2014 ends, Captain Schettino is still on trial,  Costa Concordia is being dismantled, and costs of the largest salvage operation in history continue to mount.

Costa Concordia Salvage Begins 
Costa Concordia the Final Journey


 

4 Reasons to Sail the Love Boat in 2015

Celebrate 50 Years of 

Princess Cruises

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Princess Cruises.   Step aboard the Love Boat for an amazing journey that you will remember for years.   Learn more about what lies ahead on your cruise by watching this short video.  We had an early taste of what's to come during our 2014 National Conference on Regal Princess.



Anticipating the Celebration

From the time you arrive at the pier you'll realize that you are about to be part of a historic milestone.   Signs hang overhead announcing the 50th Anniversary of Princess Cruises.   Once you get inside the waiting room, you'll find even more evidence of the historic event.

Once onboard the ship, explore the milestones since 1965 when it all began.  Who could forget the Love Boat?

A Special Meal

On formal night, the chefs will prepare a commemorative menu featuring some of the best dishes served over the past 50 years. 

Shown here is our dinner onboard Regal Princess during it's inaugural Eastern Caribbean sailing - another milestone to add to the pillars in the lobby.

(Click images to enlarge)

Chocolate Journeys

Princess has teamed up with Norman Love, well-known master pastry chef and chocolatier, to create unforgettable desserts and other creations just in time for the anniversary celebration.   Chocolate Journeys will be rolled out fleet-wide starting in January. 

The highlight of our anniversary meal was this Chocolate Raspberry Mousse with Vanilla Crème Brulee and Crunchy Shortbread.

Celebratory boutique items, keepsakes & more

Be sure to visit the logo shop onboard for once in a lifetime gift items for yourself, family, and friends. Select from commemorative clothing to magnets, ornaments, and coins.

There's plenty more in store for you during your cruise:

• Special onboard events including Love Boat® deck parties
• Onboard celebrations tied to regional and global festivities such as Mardi Gras and Carnival
• Musical performances from tribute bands, like The Beatlemaniacs, bringing the greatest hits over the decades to life
• Exclusive new Princess® Seawitch 50th Anniversary craft beer

Princess Cruises began in 1965 with just one ship, Princess Patricia®.  Today, you can choose from among 18 ships sailing to destinations like Alaska, Caribbean, Europe, the Panama Canal, and many more sought-after destinations. 

This is the time for you to "Escape Completely and Come Back New" on a Princess Cruise.

There is so much more that we can share with you from our preview of 2015 during our Regal Princess Cruise last month.   Contact us for all the details and to start planning your getaway.
Browse the 2015 Princess Cruise itineraries and current special offers.

Congratulations Princess Cruises on this achievement.  We look forward to the next 50 years.

Happy Thanksgiving 2014

Where is Chris?

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

Allure of the Seas & Regal Princess in St. Maarten

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here already. Where did 2014 go? As has become my tradition, I'd like to share with you some of the things that I'm thankful for and highlight some of my adventures this year.

I hope that you, your family, and friends have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. I know that I have plenty of things to be thankful for, including my health, family, and friends and the ability to share my love of cruising with all of you. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to explore new worlds with family and friends again this year.

While this has been another tough economic year, it appears that the cruise industry has weathered the storm once again.

The value of cruising has never been stronger. Even in these tough times, more and more families have taken to the seas.  Indications are that the record discounts offered the past two years will be coming to an end.  In the meantime those discounts have made cruising an even better value, and consequently we have seen a surge in first-time cruisers.

Thankful for ... 
Sailing on Brand New Ships

Cruises Inc. and Cruise One held the 2014 National Conference on Regal Princess  which just started its inaugural season sailing to the Eastern Caribbean. Regal Princess met up with Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas in St. Maarten. The two ships side by side make an amazing photo. We've been fortunate to sail on both of these ships during their inaugural years.

This year I was privileged to be recognized among the "Best of the Best" awards at the conference. I was presented with the Cruises Inc. Best of Overall Marketing Award. What that means to you is that I'm constantly bringing the best values to my guests via the various marketing programs. Sometimes offers that cross my desk are short-lived, so it is best to subscribe to my eNewsletter and various social media sites.

We wonder what the Pilgrims, who came to the New World in Tall Ships, would think about the Allure of the Seas.  Their ships measured 110 feet, held 150 passengers at most, and took months to cross the Atlantic.  The Allure is more than 10 times that length (1182 feet), holds almost 8000 passengers and crew, and took just a couple weeks to cross the Atlantic.

Thank you for making our blog column a part of your lives in 2014.   I hope that the information we share helps you to dream about future cruises of your own. I'd be honored to help you plan those trips. I have the best job in the world - helping make dreams come true. For that, I'm truly thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Circles of Regal Princess

Regal Princess

Not Your Typical

Cruise Ship Review

We've just concluded a 7 Night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the brand new Regal Princess.   It has been sailing since May over in Europe, but we were fortunate to be onboard her debut in the Caribbean.

We were part of a group of more than 900 people for the CruiseOne / Cruises Inc. 2014 National Conference.  Besides learning from some of the industry's leaders, we also had our own first-hand experiences on Regal Princess that we are anxious to share with our readers.  Join us in this photographic journey around Regal Princess.

Why Circles?

Photography is one of our passions, and sharing images with our readers brings us great joy.   When you cruise as much as we do to the same destinations, photography helps you focus on finding a unique perspective to the destination (including the ship).  Unique images are more interesting.

When the @FriFotos team announced this week's theme (you may have guessed it) #CIRCLES, we checked through our recently captured images for some contributions.  

Remember, we are constantly looking for different angles and interpretations for our photos, so even though we didn't have advance knowledge of the theme, we identified several examples that we could share.  You might be amazed at how many circles can be found on a cruise ship.  

Some Obvious Examples - Food

Those that have followed me for awhile know that we love sharing images of food.   Being able to sample fabulous food from around the globe is one of the best values of cruising.   Food is often a determining factor for our guests when they select a particular cruise itinerary.

Regal Princess had plenty of great food.  The Horizon Court buffet was truly amazing.   If you couldn't find something you liked to eat there, then you probably weren't hungry in the first place.   When we captured these images, the crew had put out their Chocolate Indulgence creations for our breakfast enjoyment, along with the normal breakfast items.   Donuts, cookies, waffles, pancakes (topped with chocolate of course) fit the #circle theme rather nicely.

On our first Formal night  we enjoyed this Chocolate Journeys creation by Norman Love.

First Impressions

When you board the ship, your first impression of the lobby will be one of your memorable moments.   Ship designers realize that and put a lot of consideration into creating an impressive atrium.

Regal Princess has beautiful circular staircases with concentric circles on the floor which helps draw you to this central meeting point on the ship.   Be sure to capture the atrium from several different vantage points.   Often the best shots are from higher decks.

Look Up

Most ships have exquisite light fixtures hanging from the ceiling in the atrium.  Regal Princess was no exception with this gorgeous piece with many circles in the design.

We actually captured several different angles which we'll share for #FriFotos.

Include Art Work 

Your ship portfolio should include images of the art work located around the ship.   Often you'll find art work in the stairways as well as corridors of the ship.   Regal Princess had original works taken by past guests lining the corridors.   We'll share more of those images another time.

 

Carpet / Wall Patterns

As you walk around the ship, pay attention to details.   Is there an interesting pattern on the floor,  walls, ceilings, etc.?   Maybe that could be used as a background for some other image at a later date.   Or perhaps, it just catches your eye and helps you identify with the ship and it's designers.   

Great Hangouts

Did you have a favorite location to hangout with your new or existing circle of friends?   What made you comfortable hanging out there?

Perhaps the #circles in this image bring back memories and become conversation starters. Odds are you won't find this same setting on another ship, so some day when you are searching through images, you'll immediately recall the time you spent on Royal Princess.

We have just scratched the surface on our #circle adventure around Royal Princess.  We invite you to  join us on Twitter this Friday for more images.   Also, if you are so inclined, search through your images and see if you have any to share from your trips.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas. 

 #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.  This Friday, guest host @spencerspellman joins the @FriFotos crew.

Natiional Conference 2014 in Review

Can You Find Me?

We've just returned from a very successful CruiseOne Cruises Inc. National Conference on board the new Regal Princess.  Our sailing was the inaugural North American sailing to the Eastern Caribbean.

This was our largest conference ever with more than 900 franchise owners, agents, and families attending.

Pre-Cruise (Ft. Lauderdale)

Water Taxi Tour

Shortly after arriving in Ft. Lauderdale, Saturday November 7th, we boarded a Water Taxi for a private tour of the yachts and mansions along the Ft. Lauderdale canal system.

Our guide provided background information about the properties and boats we saw along the way.   The tour is very informative and a good way to pass the time before your cruise.

Renaissance Hotel Ft. Lauderdale

Our pre-conference activities were based out of the Marriott Renaissance Hotel Cruise Port which was walking distance to the water taxi.

Following the water taxi tour, we had time to freshen up and then had a welcome cocktail party which was hosted by Crystal Cruises. 

Several of us went to dinner at Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill which was just across from the hotel.   Despite having tables empty, we had to wait to be seated.   The food was fantastic, but we weren't crazy about the wait since we were hungry after traveling earlier that day.  

Our day had actually begun at 4:00 AM so we were really starting to drag.  Following dinner, we went back to our hotel room and went to bed.

We had prearranged transfers from the hotel to the pier, so after some breakfast, we boarded a shuttle to the port.

Welcome to Port Everglades

The town rolled out the red carpet for us with this sign at the entrance to Port Everglades cruise terminal.  As you can see, there is a lot of traffic entering the port.  Make sure you allow enough time when embarking from here.

It wasn't long after this photo was taken that we got our first glimpse of Regal Princess which would be our home for the next 7 nights.

We will update this article with links to additional stories and photos about our National Conference Cruise on board the beautiful Regal Princess.  Be sure to visit again or better you follow us here and our other social media sites to stay up to date on the latest cruise industry news and reviews.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Count Down to National Conference 2014

Regal Princess
It is hard to believe that we are just one week away from our 2014 National Conference: GROWTH-Gaining Relationships and Opportunities Through World Travel Holdings. That means we are also one week away from seeing the brand new Princess Cruise's Regal Princess as she sails for the first time out of Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Join Us Live from Regal Princess

Our Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter followers will have the opportunity to join in the excitement as we bring you highlights from our National Conference onboard the brand new Regal Princess. If you don't already, please follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc.

We will be sharing content with you throughout the conference...

Making a Difference

In return, we have a favor to ask of you...

As many of you know, our Conference and Corporate charity is Make-A-Wish®. Together we have raised over $200,000 from our fund raising efforts at our National Conferences in the past. Last year alone, we surpassed the $100,000 mark and made history by having a Marathon@Sea run by Sean Tolkin, Director WTH. The National Conference is a great opportunity for us to see firsthand how we can come together and be part of something bigger.

Our goal is to continue our record breaking fundraising efforts and to surpass our goal of $75,000. There will be many opportunities during our conference to raise money for our cause, including a Zumba@Sea-Dance for Wishes. Each dollar we raise together will help kids like Bizzy, age 13, who wished to go on a Mediterranean cruise. You can learn more about Bizzy on the donation site below.


Celebrity Cruises has sponsored our Zumba@Sea efforts this year and will be helping us have some fun during the Zumba event, which will be held on Thursday morning on the ship. WTH/Celebrity will match dollar for dollar up to $5,000 in donations made from the Zumba event.

You Can Help Too

Many of you have asked how you can get your family and friends involved in our efforts to help grant the wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions – AND HERE’S YOUR CHANCE! We have a group donation page that you can access using the link below.

If you are interested in supporting this great cause please make a donation using the following link:   
      http://friends.wish.org/100-100/page/CruiseOne-CruisesInc./Zumba-Sea.htm 
Any amount will help us reach our group goal of $5,000 for the Zumba event.

Thank you to Celebrity Cruises & World Travel Holdings and all of YOU for helping to make kids like Bizzy a little happier.   Thanks to the Make-a-Wish foundation for all that they do for kids.

A Royal Godmother for New Ship

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge – Royal Princess^®

June 13, 2013 | Southampton, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine Elizabeth "Kate"; née Middleton), the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has graciously accepted Princess Cruises' invitation to become the Godmother of Royal Princess.

The Duchess is admired around the world for her style and grace, The Duchess has had a major impact on British fashion and was named on of "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time Magazine in 2012. She is a supporter of several British charities including The Art Room, Action on Addiction, East Anglia's Children's Hospice, the National Portrait Gallery and the Scout Association.

Tradition & Royalty

Like her namesake that debuted in 1984, the new Royal Princess is indeed a special ship, inspiring an equally special godmother. The ship will be officially named  in a spectacular ceremony on 13 June 2013 in the port of Southampton, that will combine some nautical traditions, special British elements and contemporary touches.

The ceremony will uphold British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, together with contemporary highlights.

Alan Buckelew, the line’s president and CEO said “It is a great honor for Princess Cruises that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has accepted our invitation to become the Godmother to Royal Princess. We are delighted that the Duchess will launch our new ship and can think of no better way to celebrate our company’s British heritage and our commitment to the country.”

Inaugural Year

Click to view PDF

Royal Princess will arrive at the Ocean Terminal in Southampton on Friday, June 7, where she will commence a series of events for customers and travel agents, including a special naming gala on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The ship’s inaugural celebrations will conclude with her maiden voyage on June 16.

Two preview cruises will take place (June 9 and June 14). The cruises will sail round-trip from Southampton on a two-night itinerary which calls in St. Peter Port, Guernsey.   Following the inaugural voyage, Royal Princess will sail 12-night cruises out of Barcelona and Venice throughout the summer. A sister ship, Regal Princess, will arrive in spring 2014. 

Related Posts:

Royal Princess Float Out
A New Princess is Born
Introducing Princess Cruises Newest Ship

Royal Princess Float Out

Welcome to the Sea

"Royal Princess"

 The largest ship ever built by the Italian group 

Earlier this month, Royal Princess completed its sea trials, a major milestone during the construction of a new ship.

The construction of "Royal Princess" consolidates Fincantieri’s primacy in building the largest passenger ships in Italian shipbuilding history. In fact, at 141,000 gross tons, 330 metres long and 38 metres wide, the new ship is the largest ship ever built by Fincantieri.

It has 1,780 cabins, of which 1,438 with balconies (81% of the total), and is able to accommodate 3,600 passengers, with total capacity for over 5,600 people including crew. 

Attending the ceremony for Princess Cruises were Alan Buckelew, President and CEO, Rai Caluori, Vice President Fleet Operations, and Stuart Hawkins, Vice President Newbuilding. 

Representing Fincantieri were, among others, Gabriele Cocco, Executive Senior Vice President Merchant Vessels, and Carlo De Marco, Shipyard Manager.

Godmother of the ceremony was Victoria Nash, Captain Nick Nash’s daughter, who was christened on board of the first Royal Princess.

As an innovative prototype for a new ground-breaking class of ship, "Royal Princess" stands out for its new "future-proof design", not only in terms of layout and state-of-the-art performance, but also because it complies with the most recent regulations in shipping.  

Among the keystones of this trend are the rational use of space, with the aim of avoiding any wasted tonnage that would otherwise increase operating costs, and energy saving to reduce emissions into the atmosphere and water. The ship will be able to adapt to every possible type of cruise, operating from Alaska to Australia, even in environmentally protected areas where navigation is restricted.

A New Princess is Born

WORK BEGINS ON "REGAL PRINCESS" 

New Flagship of 

Princess Cruises Fleet 

The start of construction of the new "Regal Princess" passenger ship was marked with the laying of its keel, weighing approximately 500 tons, during a ceremony held today at the  Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. .
 

Official Start of Construction

We've mentioned on several occasions that the official start of construction of a new ship begins when the first block of steel is laid.   It is known as the laying of the keel.   This tradition includes the laying of a ceremonial coin to bring good fortune.

Regal & Royal Princess

Princess Cruises ordered two ships from Fincantieri shipyard.  "Regal Princess" will be the second of two ships ordered from Fincantieri in 2010, both of which using the same prototype design. It will therefore have the same record-breaking vital statistics as "Royal Princess", the largest ship ever built in Italian shipbuilding history: 141,000 gross tons, with a capacity for 3,600 passengers.

These ships represent a new technological benchmark in Europe and worldwide for their innovative layout, and the outstanding performance and top quality of their state-of-the-art technology.

Regal Princess also takes a name from our past that we think is well suited for this spectacular ship,” said Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises. “Today’s keel laying is an exciting event as it marks a key milestone in our newbuilding program.”

Following a traditional blessing by a priest, the ship’s keel was moved into position by a huge crane onto the keel blocks. The computer-guided maneuver took only minutes, but is a major accomplishment for Princess Cruises and the shipyard.

Regal Princess will offer many of the same special features as Royal Princess, which debuts in June 2013. Among these are a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.