Many of you already know that in September, longtime Cruise Director Barry Hopkins left Regent Seven Seas Cruises to join Seabourn. Barry will be on the Seabourn Spirit beginning November. Barry was hired to take out the company’s three new ships and has been busy in the Miami headquarters assisting with the onboard plans. I can’t think of anyone better than Barry to design the entertainment venues on a new ship. The Odyssey will be the first new Seabourn ship in the series and is scheduled to be launched in June 2009.

Taking his place at Regent is Ray Solaire. Ray has been with SilverSea for many years and took the reigns on the Mariner this fall with the Grand Asia-Pacific cruise. In addition to his work as Cruise Director, Ray is quite the entrepreneur with a beautiful stately home in England’s Lake District that he runs as a bed & breakfast with his brother along with a vegetarian restaurant, a jazz club and a bowling alley!

John Barron will be back on the Mariner in January for the Ring of Fire. I am excited to join John on the first portion of this cruise. No promises but we will see if we can get Lynsay and Luke on for a while - wouldn’t that be great!

And at the end of the Alaska season Bryan Townsend was talking about future projects in his home state of Texas. Located on what T. Boone Pickens calls the “Wind Corridor”, Bryan’s hometown of Amarillo will be at the heart of the development of alternative energy – and he wants to help lead the way. Don’t know what that will mean - if he’ll be trading the waves of the deep blue sea for the amber waves of Texas grain - but its a great cause and I support him in whatever he does. Go Bryan!

As the temperatures drop up north, bookings to southerly cruise destinations go up. Whether you are yearning for the brilliant beaches of the Caribbean or the glow of the Mediterranean sun, travelers fleeing winter’s cold are sure to find the perfect getaway on one of the many ships serving warm weather destinations. However, with so many of us feeling the pinch of the economic meltdown you may be wondering if you can afford a cruise this winter.

Knowing that everyone is watching their money this season, many cruise lines are offering great deals from US ports. Expect to see real bargains on cruises to the Mexican Riviera and the Western Caribbean. Be sure to look into the available air-sea packages and don’t be afraid to compare prices with discount air carriers. If you can book far enough in advance you might be able to get lower fares especially if you book online.

Another cost saving consideration – examine your priorities. If you choose to cruise because you’re in love with your favorite ship and its crew; you’re a wine connoisseur and partake of the included spirits; and you believe nothing can replace that onboard experience – then you know what you want. However, if for you the ship is just a convenient means of transportation to access several sun-filled destinations then perhaps this year you might consider a different cruise line. The least expensive cabin on a luxury cruise line can easily buy you the most expensive suite on a more commercially priced ship.

Finally, don’t dismiss the value of a mini-vacation. Even a three day cruise can be just what you need for a satisfying change of scenery that will reward and refresh.

There once was a time when only the most fearless and intrepid sailors braved the dreaded waters of Cape Horn. They marked their passage with tattoos and gold earrings. Today, dozens of cruise ships, “Round The Horn” though it still takes a certain someone to book the trip. Ships may be more stable but the sea is still as unpredictable as ever in this area of oceanic convergence. If you made the crossing yourself, then perhaps you sailed around The Horn with me on one of my 35 trips. As this is a note worthy number, Captain Philippe Fichet Delavault nominated me for admission into the Société Cap Hornier – an organization of captains who successfully sailed around Cape Horn. Originally started in Captain Delavault’s home city of San Malo, the organization is now headquartered in Valparaiso, Chile. For consideration into the Société, Captain Delavault had to document from the ship’s log the eight times I have sailed around The Horn on the Mariner. After review by the Société’s committee, I was granted admission as the first Sister of the Brotherhood of Cap Horniers. Pretty cool, eh?

Whenever a guest comes onboard in a wheelchair I am always interested in knowing about their cruise experience. Recently, I had someone tell me about “Special Needs at Sea.com”. Not only do they provide assistance with everything from wheelchairs to oxygen they also offer another service – travel counseling based upon need. You can contact SpecialNeedsatSea.com and they can tell you more about shore excursions that are right for your particular challenge as well as information about the logistics and preparation needed for your upcoming cruise. I hope that anyone with special needs who is planning a cruise will take a look.

Juneau, AK – Eleven guests from the Seven Seas Mariner participating on a dog sledding shore excursion were stranded overnight on a glacier when their return helicopter was unable to take off from Juneau due to foul weather. The group spent the night of August 16, in tents provided for the dog sled camp employees. According to an ERA Helicopters employee, this was the first time such a thing had happened in twenty-two years of operation.

Prior to leaving Juneau guests on the tour were given thick jackets and snow boots so during the long wait on the glacier everyone remained warm and dry. As evening approached and the clouds grew thicker, the camp employees started to make arrangements for the eventuality of overnight visitors. Communication from the heliport in Juneau confirmed that no more helicopters would go out that night. Tents were prepared while a hot dinner of meatloaf with spinach and green beans was served. There was even chocolate cake for dessert. The camp has a generator that pumps water through an on-demand heater for hot water which is used for dishes and basic hygiene and there is an eco-friendly chemical toilet. After word came through that all the guests’ family and friends back onboard had been advised that they were safe and comfortable, everyone settled in for an evening of what they described as “simple pleasures” - cards, chess, board games and real conversation. At ten o’clock they retired to their heavy canvas tents which had elevated wooden plank floors, raised cots with ample sleeping bags and small gas stoves – reminiscent of the same tents used by Alaska’s earliest prospectors and pioneers. As the dogs were fed and put down for the night, one of the guests reported that they howled in a progressive chorus that according to one of the handlers was a sign of appreciation; the dogs’ way of saying thank you and good-night.

The next day the clouds were still low, no helicopters flying. A hot “stick to your ribs” breakfast of baked oatmeal and fruit was served with piping hot coffee. The eleven guests used the time to get to know the dogs and take another whack at mushing while others hiked with the camp employees to look at the spot where water is collected from the glacier ice. By late afternoon concerns were rising that the eleven would have to spend another night on the glacier. From the standpoint of the ship this was getting problematic; the Mariner had already left Juneau and was now getting ready to leave Skagway. Were the guests not able to join the ship they would have to fly to our next port in Canada. Without passports this could be tricky.

Upon our departure from Skagway, Capt. Fichet-Delavault made an announcement that we would be proceeding to Auk Bay north of Juneau. There we would either pick-up our guests were they able to get off the glacier in time or leave their passports and personal belongings so that they could comfortably make their way to Vancouver the next day. Two hours before we arrived we heard that the group had been taken off the glacier but they were being waylaid at Taku Lodge. Just one hour before dark, to the relief of all, we received news that they were now in Juneau and on their way to the ship. Once onboard we learned that the pilot who picked-up the group from the dog sled camp was young and did not feel comfortable going beyond Taku Lodge. Knowing the situation ERA sent up a forty year veteran pilot to complete the transfer. He expertly surveyed the cloud cover and found a way to take everyone safely back to Juneau. Upon their arrival the group unanimously agreed that this was one of the best experiences they had ever had in their lives; they didn’t want to leave and they would pay to do it again. One of the young women was so moved by her experience she applied to work for the camp next year! What could have been a terrible disaster ended up being a wonderful experience that no one will ever forget.

The following observation was submitted by a reader. Your comments are always welcome as this site does get read by the cruise lines!

My husband and I have enjoyed your talks on several Regent trips.  Many of the Regent passengers seem to enjoy extended cruises.  With your very insightful comments regarding fuel usage, perhaps you might comment on my idea of having consecutive segments in loops over shorter distances.  For example, in Europe, part 1 might go from Southampton down the coast of France, Portugal, and Spain in a leisurely manner with many ports, ending in a Spanish port.  Part 2 would continue with Spain, and continue say along France and western Italy to perhaps Rome.  Part 3 would continue to southern Italy and thence to the Adriatic and Athens.  Part 4 could do the Greek Isles, Turkey, etc.  If possible, a continuation could go along the northern coast of Africa.  This same sort of option would, of course, work in the Baltic/Scandinavia/Northern Europe/Iceland routes as well as South America or any other destination.

Folks would be able to choose a long or short journey depending on the number of segments, and the cruise line would be doing the more intensive treatment to which you referred.  Many folks, especially Regent’s clientele, do not care for a 10 or 12 day cruise far away with the air travel – the experience as well as the expense and carbon footprint.  Giving them options to lengthen their vacation might work.

A guest forwarded this New York Times article to me regarding art purchased onboard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/design/16crui.html?_r=1&ex=1216872000&en=1ebd6efdc22b4087&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Think about what it would be like if you were filling up your tank with 110 tons of fuel a day! Yup, that’s how much a 48 ton cruise ship carrying 700 guests consumes in one day at sea. On a seven day Alaskan itinerary with four port stops that translates to about $1 million dollars a month in fuel costs. Short of passing on those charges to the consumer in surcharges and taxes, what can be done if anything to keep ships afloat and people cruising?

I asked that question to senior deck and engine officers; the answers I received were very interesting. We all remember (well, most of us that is) the gas crisis of the 1970’s when the United States interstate speed limit was reduced to 55 mph. It drove many of us crazy having to inch along the freeway after years of flying by at break-neck speeds but the fact remains; reducing your speed by 20% saves up to 40% of fuel. Same is true for a cruise ship. Reducing the ship’s speed from 21 knots to 17 knots saves $200,000 off that $1 million dollar a month bill. Over one year that equals $2.4 million dollars saved; in a company with five ships that is $12 million dollars! Reducing the speed also means that not all three engines need to run; another cost saving as they can be rotated less frequently thereby extending the period in which they must undergo mandatory overhaul for maintenance.

To realize the savings available by reducing speed, itineraries must be better planned. As a consumer how might this affect your cruise? Answer: smarter, greener itineraries – that means shorter distances and courses set with rather than against strong currents. Developing marketable itineraries using reduced sailing speeds will require research and creativity but there are plenty of destinations and regions that could be cultivated – including right here in Alaska where places like Prince William Sound offer a myriad of attractions from small towns with deep water ports to beautiful shipboard scenery without days at sea pushing full speed. Another added bonus of shorter runs is reducing the chance for late arrivals that result in tour cancellations or missed flights.

If you enjoy cruising let your favorite cruise line know that you want to see these fuel savings measures put into place. Planning and pricing departments along with sales and marketing teams need to know that you are willing to explore new destinations and can adjust to changes in published itineraries if it means saving costs and saving the planet. This is a simply solution to a big problem but we need to hear from you.

The blue boat floating around south of Skagway is the EPA Bold; a research vessel that is testing waste water from a group of selected cruise ships. The study that hopes to determine the dispersal levels of waste in open sea. The tests are being done in the sheltered water of the upper reaches of Lynn Canal in the area known as Taiya Inlet south of the popular cruise destination of Skagway, Alaska. For more information please read the follow-up article from the Juneau Empire. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/070308/loc_299385263.shtml

One of the biggest complaints by local officials in communities affected by cruise ships is that the whole proposition is an economic bust for the local economy. With the exception of paying port fees the presence of cruise ships generates very little revenue for local business. Passengers sleep onboard thereby avoiding a lodging bed-tax; most meals are taken onboard thereby avoiding food sales tax; and most shopping is done in stores that are only open seasonally and employee workers from outside the local community. All the while life is disrupted as the city or town is inundated with hundreds of thousands of people every day. Officials go on to cite that waterways and wilderness areas are adversely affected as well; increased marine traffic means more air, water and noise pollution with an increased chance of accident. Pristine parks and wilderness areas host a continuous parade of mega-ships belching smoke and non-stop chatter that echoes for miles. It’s no wonder locals in Southeast Alaska do not look forward to the cruise ship season.

Worldwide many areas are facing the same dilemma; well, Alaska has done something about it. A few years ago the city of Juneau was the first to restrict what ships could and could not do within the city limits including no broadcasts to the outside decks and use of no horns, whistles or bells. This was prompted by a call-in survey asking residents if cruise ships disrupt their daily routine and if so, how? Reaction of the community of 30,000 residents caused the restrictions to be put in place along with a $7 per person head tax to compensate for lost revenue. The new tax of $50 is to go to all communities that host cruise ships for the building and repair of dock facilities and other community related projects. (Please see USAToday article http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2006-08-31-tourist-taxes_x.htm)

Though this seems fair and equitable, I am confused. It is my understanding that most of the new docks in Alaska were built and are maintained at great cost by the cruise lines. If that is true, where is the money going? I have no doubt there are plenty of projects from which the communities could benefit; I think cruise ship guests paying this tax would feel better about helping the State of Alaska if they knew how their money was being spent. In my opinion, it could be very good for public relations for the state, the cruise industry and the travelling public to get this information out. What do you think?