Archive for April, 2009

Cruise Industry Responds to Swine Flu Concerns

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

The cruise industry has wasted no time in working with U.S. Health officials to come up with a plan to manage the potential outbreak of swine flu onboard ships by ramping up onboard santitation and “screening” for potentially infected passengers. No stranger to viral infections, the cruise industry was hit by the norwalk virus a few seasons back. Having learned well from that experience industry officials are implementing additional cleaning and santitation efforts. World Health Orgnization spokespeople have advised that transmission of this virus is primarily through coughing and sneezing which means, stricter controls on admitting guests who may be sick.

The first response by the industry was to cancel calls on ports in Mexico. Itineraries have been easily rerouted and most passengers appreciate the change.

What can you do to stay healthy? The CDC advises the following:
“First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.”

Seattle - Once again the “Gateway to Alaska!”

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

As the city of Seattle is now garnering the majority portion of cruise ship departures to Alaska; hopefully - said as an original Seattleite - hopefully, guests embarking and disembarking will want to spend a little bit of time exploring this beautiful city. Because of the increase emphasis, I edited the third edition of, “The Cruiser Friendly Guide to Alaska’s Inside Passage” with more information on what to see and do pre and post cruise. Here’s a sample!Seattle has always had an inextricable tie to Alaska dating back to July 17, 1897, when the steamship Portland sailed into Elliott Bay with two tons of Klondike gold. It was on that day that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran the headline, GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! Men and women flocked to Seattle in preparation for their trips north to Alaska. Prospectors bought provisions from Seattle merchants in what is now Pioneer Square. To commemorate this historic relationship, many buildings in Pioneer Square are included as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Monument. Tours are available.

Seattle’s Underground: Did you know that looming under the streets of historic Pioneer Square is the remnant of another city? No? Well up until 1954, most Seattleites didn’t either - not until Bill Speidel wrote a letter to The Seattle Times asking about the authenticity of rumors that the present day city had been built upon the ruins of what was left after The Great Fire of 1889. The response that followed prompted lawmakers to designate the area a historic site which started the process of preserving the oldest part of the city. What Speidel found continues to fascinate locals and visitors to this day; a series of tunnels that take you past what were the store fronts, hotel lobbies and saloons of Old Seattle. The 1890 fire destroyed 25 blocks of buildings constructed almost entirely of wood. It was vowed that in the future all new structures would be built of stone or brick. Though the buildings were now safer the city’s was still plagued by poor roads; seepage from Puget Sound and poor drainage from the rain created muddy roads that were reported to have swallowed dogs and children. Eight foot retaining walls were built along the sides of the mucky roads; the old streets were then filled in and paved over creating new eight foot tall roads. A gap up to 35′ wide was created between the raised road and the buildings. Ground level front doors and display windows were in the shadow of the eight foot wall. From the new roads pedestrians crossed the chasm by way of bridges that entered on the second floor making the original first floor obsolete except for use as a basement. Eventually sidewalks straddled the gap and second floors became first floors hiding the original storefronts and doorways until their rediscovery in 1954. Today you can explore the original store fronts and buildings of Old Seattle on the Underground Tour. Tickets and tours start at 608 First Avenue in Pioneer Square.

Seattle is still the primary port for provisioning the state of Alaska. Goods are sent up by barge or cargo plane. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system starts just a few miles north in Bellingham. Like Alaska, Seattle’s economy has been predicated on fishing and timber with its own unique periods of boom and bust. Aircraft manufacturer and long-time Seattle family, Boeing was responsible for much of the city’s growth during the mid-twentieth century. Today, Microsoft and other high tech industries have taken the economic lead however Boeing remains a strong influence. The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in south Seattle is a must-see for any aviation enthusiast as is the Future of Flight Aviation Center at Paine Field in South Everett where you can also tour the largest building in the world (by volume) and see the production lines for the Boeing 747, 767, 777, and soon the 787.

Cruise Seattle - Still the Gateway to Alaska Just as in 1898, visitors are lining the piers of Seattle eager to board ships bound for Alaska. These days a few things have changed; the ships are little more comfortable and the voyage is now the destination but the sentiment remains the same - North to Alaska! In recent years, Seattle has responded to the growing interest in Alaska cruises by building new cruise terminals. Hoping passengers will take advantage of the convenience of travel and the discounts afforded by round-trip domestic airfare; the Port of Seattle has aggressively sought to lure ships to its shores. Located at Pier 66 on Alaskan Way, the Bell Street Terminal was the first to open. With a sweeping view of downtown Seattle and the Olympic Mountains the terminal is easy walking distance to the city’s most popular attractions. Located at the north end of the waterfront, Terminal 91 at Smith Cove is the newest facility; this state of the art cruise terminal located at the base of Magnolia Hill offers new passenger terminal with comfortable check-in area; parking and taxi vouchers for those departing from Pier 66. What can you see in a few hours? Depending on where your ship is docked along Alaskan Way, the Seattle Aquarium and pier side shops and restaurants are not far. The aquarium contains exhibits featuring the undersea world of Puget Sound including a working salmon ladder. The free vintage trolley run that used to service Pier 54 to Pioneer Square has been replaced indefinitely by a free bus run, Route 99. Look for the buses painted green and yellow to look like the old trolleys with the words “Waterfront Streetcar Line.” Seattle Metro also offers free bus service between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily in Downtown Seattle except for Metro routes 116, 118, and 119. The Ride Free Area (RFA) extends from the north at Battery St. to S. Jackson St. on the south, and east at 6th Avenue to the waterfront on the west.

Carnival makes Seattle its homeport

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

It is official that like Holland-America, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity and Princess; Carnival will now use the Port of Seattle as its home base for cruises to Alaska. In response to the ever increasing number of departures from the Emerald City, the Port of Seattle has accommodated the cruise lines with not one but two new cruise terminals. NCL and Celebrity will use the downtown Bell Street Terminal at Pier 66; and the larger mega-ships of Holland-America, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Carnival will be leaving from the brand new Terminal 91 at Smith Cove. The new terminal promises to offer ease of access for embarking and disembarking passengers with a new passenger check-in area, express baggage handling and ample parking.

Magical Easter Island

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Easter Island with Seven Seas MarinerI love Easter Island. It is one of the most beautiful and provocative places I have ever been. It is charged with an energy that can only be described as magical. The first time I stayed on the island I did not bring a camera. Feeling the need to somehow capture what I was seeing I bought a children’s sketch pad and a box of colored pencils. No sooner had I opened the pencils a picture started to emerge from the page. I watched as my hand drew anything and everything - flowers, boats, moais - as though it were detached from my body. It was surreal. But more amazing is the drawings were good ! I was possessed by the spirit of the island and have been in awe with the place ever since.The Seven Seas Mariner had a very lucky day; we called on the island under blue skies and calm seas. Our tenders were able to come ashore though they had to detour quite a ways to avoid the huge waves breaking off the rocks. It was a gorgeous day; the sun was bright, the skies were clear, the temperature was mild and the air had a crispness that made everything look vivid and bright. It has been about five years since my last visit and much has changed in the town of Hanga Roa. There are several new cafes, restaurants, shops and rental agencies for cars, motor bikes, and bicycles. The road from the tender pier passes in front of the Hanga Roa Hotel which is under construction for a complete renovation including 75 new rooms. There is a large, new Santander Bank with Rapa Nui designs on the façade and several ATMs. The town was a-buzz with visitors who arrived via the daily flight from Santiago on LanChile. But most impressive to me was the new infrastructure put in place by the Chilean National Park system to guard and protect the ahus and moais. Ahus are the platforms upon which the moai or carved statue of a revered ancestor was placed. The ahus and moais are located along the perimeter of the island; they were raised to look inland to protect the land for their descendants.

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, was designated a UNESCO patrimonial center in 1995 and the Chilean government is dedicated to conserving its heritage. In the area of the quarry at Rano Raraku where the moais were carved from the volcanic stone, the park service has constructed a fence enclosing the outer most moias. There are over 400 in various stages of completion on the flanks of the volcano. Years of people threading irresponsibly on them have damaged several.

Today there are now marked trails with park service “rangers” making sure no one goes astary. The Park Service charges a $10 entrance fee at Rano Raraku. The ticket is also good for entrance to Orongo - site of the Bird Man petroglyphs. Money from the fees has gone toward the building of a small visitors center, restrooms and interpretative signs. Faced with the fact that hundreds if not thousands of people arrive on the island each year via cruise ship island officials are considering implementing a head tax for cruise ship visitors like the head tax collected in Alaska. Since they eat and sleep aboard ship and rarely have time for souvenir shopping the head tax will help generate needed revenue to continue island efforts to protect this historically rich and magical island.

And now for something completely different - Robinson Crusoe Island

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Just 414 miles from mainland Chile - a short 2 ½ hour flight on turbo prop plane - Robinson Crusoe Island is an adventure lovers dream! Part of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago it is the largest of three islands along with Alexander Selkirk and Santa Maria Islands. Back in the 16th century when the islands were first discovered by Juan Fernandez, a Portuguese mariner sailing for the Spanish, the islands were originally called Isla Mas Atierra and Isla Mas Afuera - Island Closest to Land and Island Furthest From Land. As that has no sex appeal, the Chilean government decided to change the name in the 1960’s to reflect the island’s famous inhabitant - Alexander Selkirk aka “Robinson Crusoe.” Selkirk, not wanting to continue on his badly damaged ship The Cinque Ports, asked the crew to remain with him on the island. No one took him up on his offer and the ship sailed without him. He stayed on the island - entirely alone - for 4 years and 4 months until he was rescued by the English ship The Duke. It was from the true story of Selkirk that Daniel Defoe conceived of the fictional Robinson Crusoe.The mountainous island is home to 101 endemic species of plants, 3 endemic species of birds, and the Juan Fernandez sea lion. It was named a UNESCO International Biosphere in 1977. Outside of the tiny town of San Juan Bautista, population 791, there are miles of trails through three different kinds of ecosystems. There is a new “hotel” on the island that sleeps 30 people; most of its guests come for the exquisite nature the island supports and diving off Cumberland Bay where the scuttled hull of the German cruiser the Dresden went down in WWI. Few cruise ships call on Robinson Crusoe Island. Those that do are usually smaller expeditionary ships with a clientèle interested in nature. The community is in the process of expanding its tender pier to accommodate a wider range of passengers. There are many building projects underway and it is sure that you will be hearing more about this island in the future!<

SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER IN DRYDOCK

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

As many of you already know, off the coast of Singapore the Seven Seas Voyager snagged a fishing net that damaged an azipod. As the pods are external propulsion systems they are vulnerable to damage. The fishing net caused extensive damage and the pod effected was forced to shut down. Using only the one remaining the ship limped into Cochin where divers were sent down to assess the damage. Unlike the old shaft and screw propulsion system where damaged screws could be repaired almost anywhere, the sophisticated pod system is more specific and delicate. It was decided she needed to go into drydock. As this was still at the beginning of the Voyager’s Grand World Cruse, guests were given many choices and ample compensation. Some chose to go to Mariner; some stayed on as the ship slowly headed for drydock in Civitavecchia; and others went home. It was very unfortunate however I am happy to report that guests effected were understanding and they are looking forward to the ship’s rapid return to service.