Gay cruises sailing into mainstream
Next Memorial Day weekend, Cunard's behemoth liner the Queen Mary 2 will depart for a routine six- day Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England, with the usual white-glove service, decadent cuisine and formal evening wear after sundown. The difference this time: Practically all the guests aboard the 2,592-passenger cruise will be gay.
It's a first for Cunard. The line signed a deal earlier this year with RSVP Vacations, a gay travel company that has chartered the ship. The agreement is one sign among many of gay cruises' progression into the mainstream of cruise travel.
Most gay-cruise operators run charter businesses, paying cruise lines to use their ships and crews. In the early days of gay cruises, about 20 years ago, that often meant working with little-known lines or securing second-tier ships.
Itineraries often included just a handful of gay-friendly destinations. But as the overall rate in the growth of passengers and spending has slowed in recent years, the cruise industry has become keenly aware of the gay travel market, estimated at $55 billion and growing.
Big spenders
Gay travelers tend to take trips more often, stay longer and spend more than other travelers, according to a survey by Community Marketing Inc., a research firm specializing in the gay travel market. Gay travelers took a median of five overnight trips in the last 12 months ended in August 2006, compared with four trips for Americans in general, and spent a median of $6,273 in travel expenses, compared with roughly $3,000 for all travelers.
To get a piece of that lucrative market, cruise companies that "really hadn't thought much about the gay and lesbian market" are now "actively recruiting and soliciting our business," said Jeff Soukup, chief executive of RSVP Vacations.
It's now common for all-gay cruises to sail to the same ports popular with most cruisers, often on the same popular ships. For the coming season, RSVP (which was acquired in March by PlanetOut Inc., a media and entertainment company that caters to gay audiences) has chartered major cruise companies' flagship vessels, including the Amsterdam of the Holland America Line and the Caribbean Princess of Princess Cruises, as well as the Queen Mary 2.
Atlantis Events, which operates tours for gay travelers, has charted Royal Caribbean's newest vessel, Freedom of the Seas - at a capacity of 3,634 passengers it is even bigger than the Queen Mary 2 - for a week-long Caribbean sailing in January; it is already sold out. And Olivia, a lesbian travel company, is offering cruise itineraries this winter to a range of destinations, both common and exotic, including the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Tahiti, Alaska and Amsterdam.
All of this means more options for travelers. Pat Funk, 53, a real estate broker from Cannon Beach, Ore., has been going on Olivia cruises ever since she met her partner, Dale Shafer, on one 10 years ago. Back then, she said, the ships were older and there weren't as many offerings, but each year since, "they do more exotic or upscale trips." This season, the couple plans to go the Galapagos, Antarctica and Amsterdam.
Gay travelers are interested in the same destinations as any others, said Amy Errett, the chief executive of Olivia, but they want to see those places "in community and in sort of a safe environment." Olivia inspects each ship and itinerary, sending staff members to visit ports and try out land excursions before booking any charter. It briefs crews on what to expect of a ship full of women - they tend to use lots of towels, for instance - and often takes aboard entertainers who appeal to lesbian audiences. This March, Melissa Etheridge will join Olivia's week-long Caribbean sailing.
Entertainment budget
Extra onboard parties and entertainers tend to push the price of all-gay cruises slightly above other cruise prices. For example, starting prices for indoor cabins on Princess Cruises' week-long October Mexican Riviera cruise recently were listed from $649 on princess.com. RSVP Vacations was offering a similar October Mexican Riviera cruise on the same ship, but with a host of singers, DJs and comedians, starting at $795 for early bookers.
There are still destinations that gay cruises avoid; one is Jamaica, where two gay-rights activists have been murdered in the past two years. But other destinations are becoming more welcoming.
In 2004, Sandals Resorts rescinded its ban on gay couples at its all-inclusive properties. And while a gay cruise charted by Atlantis Events was turned away from the Cayman Islands in 1997, this year 3,200 passengers on a similar cruise by the same company were greeted in the Caymans with rainbow-patterned welcome signs in some shop windows.
A larger, more open presence of gay passengers is also showing itself on cruises not pitched to gay travelers. The New York-based Pied Piper Travel, which caters to gay groups, booked about 430 gay passengers to the Caribbean the week after Thanksgiving last year - the company's most popular trip. This year, 600 gay travelers have already signed up for the same cruise, filling nearly a quarter of the ship, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas.
And conventional cruise lines have begun to offer welcome parties for gay travelers, dubbed Friends of Dorothy - a slang term used among some gays to describe themselves.
Fellow passengers aren't always as friendly. Online postings in the Gay and Lesbian Cruisers forum at Cruise critic.com describe experiences ranging from easy mixing with other passengers to homophobic incidents. A Seabourn passenger using the screen name "inthesurf" said in a February 2006 posting that at an on-deck barbecue, a passenger hurled anti-gay slurs and a glass of water at her and her partner. "We were horrified, and reduced to tears in front of Seabourn staff and passengers," she wrote.
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The Queen Mary 2 makes six-day trans-Atlantic crossings to and from New York from May to November (Note: The seas tend to be rougher toward the end of the season). Rates are from $1,419 to $4,459 for Britannia cabins, $4,999 to $7,309 for Princess Suites and $7,379 to $37,159 for Queen Suites. The ship also sails in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America, and will make her first World Cruise in 2007.
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Cruise lines and gay travelers alike, however, say incidents like this are rare. And as gay cruises continue to join the mainstream, more mixing leads to even more openness.
In fact, gay cruises have become so popular that a reverse phenomenon is starting to emerge. "We're finding a lot of gay travelers have straight friends who want to be a part of this," said Tom de Rose, owner of Friends of Dorothy Travel in San Francisco.
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Berlitz Announces Top Five-Star Cruise Ships In Complete Guide To Cruising & Cruise Ships 2007
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- For the seventh consecutive year, Europa, the luxury Hapag-Lloyd Cruises flagship, attained the highest scores in the most categories to top the list in Berlitz Publishing's annual cruising guide: Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2007, due in bookstores this month.
Europa earned 1,858 points this year out of 2,000 to match last year's total. The winning ship is so high-scoring in all areas that author Douglas Ward, renowned authority on cruise ships, created a new class for the ship in an earlier edition: Five Stars Plus.
Seventeen luxury ships in addition to Europa scored high enough for the prestigious Five Stars Club. Membership remains unchanged from last year; only a few ships received varying scores from 2006. In numerical order, this year's Five Stars Club members are:
1. Europa 10. Silver Cloud 2. SeaDream II 11. Silver Wind 3. SeaDream I 12. Queen Mary 2 (Grill Class) 4. Seabourn Legend 13. Sea Cloud II 5. Seabourn Pride 14. Sea Cloud 6. Seabourn Spirit 15. Crystal Serenity 7. Silver Shadow 16. Crystal Symphony 8. Silver Whisper 17. Seven Seas Mariner 9. Hanseatic 18. Seven Seas Voyager
"Even though a cruise ship may claim to be a luxury vessel, most of the time it actually isn't. Cruise goers should realize the differences between luxury cruises and other ships," Ward says. "On true luxury sailings, passengers are provided with the finest services by a staff that knows each guest by name. Menus typically contain items like caviar and foie gras; bathrooms are constructed of elegant marble; and crowds in common areas like the pool deck are virtually nonexistent."
In each edition of Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, Ward emphasizes that there is no best cruise line; different lines are appropriate for different people depending on what they are looking for in a vacation: luxury, romance, adventure, teen fun, etc.
Ward urges readers to not only look at star ratings but to also consider ship's numbers, which are exceptionally precise. He prides himself on his highly objective rating system, which he has used for the past 22 years. "These numbers reflect my evaluations in the most unbiased way."
Berlitz Publishing
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Sunday, November 05, 2006
The QE2's still sailing into the sunset -- every day
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/travel/15908428.htm
The QE2's still sailing into the sunset -- every day
With the Queen Mary 2 in the spotlight, and the Queen Victoria on the horizon, some wonder about the Queen Elizabeth 2's future.
BY MIM SWARTZ
Special to The Miami Herald
In 2004, the dowager liner of the ocean, Queen Elizabeth 2, was dethroned by her ingenue sister, Queen Mary 2, which took over regularly scheduled trans-Atlantic crossings between England and New York and became Cunard Line's flagship. What ever happened to the QE2? (Please answer true or false.)
1. The QE2 was sold to the Japanese.
2. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum bought the QE2 to become a floating hotel in Dubai.
3. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II requisitioned the QE2 as the British royal yacht.
4. Steve Wynn purchased the QE2 and floated it up the Colorado River to Las Vegas, where it will become his latest eye-popping casino resort.
5. None of the above.
If you chose No. 5, you are correct.
Although the 1,791-passenger QE2 has remained in the shadows of the glitzier 2,620-passenger cruise ship QM2 -- at least in the U.S. cruise market -- the legendary luxury liner still sails the seven seas, calling this year at 96 ports.
The last great British-built ocean liner, the QE2 has garnered a following of passengers who love the classy ship for what she represents: the nostalgic, glamorous golden age of travel when a ship was used as transportation, the only way to cross the ocean between Europe and America.
On a crossing, passengers can relish six days at sea without stopping. The ship itself is the destination. During nearly four decades of sailing, the QE2 has almost 800 trans-Atlantic crossings under her hull.
But when the $800 million QM2 jumped into the sea more than two years ago, making a bigger splash than a pod of breaching whales, the QE2 sailed out of the spotlight.
The ornate silver Boston Cup was transferred with a lot of hoopla from the QE2 to the QM2. Presented by the residents of Boston in 1840 to company founder Samuel Cunard, the cup commemorates the maiden trans-Atlantic crossing from Liverpool to Boston by Cunard's first ship, the Britannia. It traditionally sails in a glass showcase of honor on Cunard Line's flagship.
The QE2's nearly two dozen scheduled trans- Atlantic crossings annually were taken over by the QM2, and the QE2 went to Southampton, England, to cruise in Europe for a mostly British market, in addition to her annual three-month world cruise. This may account for obscurity among a multitude of Americans because they no longer see the QE2 regularly at her trans-Atlantic berth in New York and think she no longer is operating.
RECAPTURING THE SHIP
''Locals (the Brits) have recaptured the ship from the rest of the world,'' says Diane Porter of Brooklyn, N.Y., who was on the QE2's Iceland and Norway cruise in July, when the passenger list included 1,198 from the United Kingdom and only 189 from the United States.
More U.S. residents seem to sail on the QE2's annual world cruise. Of 825 passengers who did this year's entire world cruise -- passengers can opt to take one of five shorter segments, from six to 31 days -- 517 were North Americans.
The 2007 world cruise -- 108 days on five continents beginning Jan. 8 -- will mark the QE2's 25th anniversary world cruise.
''She is doing extremely well on the world cruise,'' says Carol Marlow, Cunard Line president and managing director, based in Southampton. ``For the last two years there have been a record-breaking number of passengers going on the entire world cruise. For 2007 it looks like we will beat that again.''
The QE2, which has traveled more than 5 million nautical miles and has carried some 2 million passengers, will celebrate another anniversary in September 2007 -- 40 years since Queen Elizabeth II launched the $69.8 million liner on Sept. 20, 1967, at the John Brown and Co. Shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, near Glasgow. An eight-day England/Scotland cruise Sept. 15 will include special receptions, dining menus and entertainment, plus military bands, fireworks and flotillas.
BRITISH ICON
''She is a real icon of British history and heritage,'' Marlow boasts of the old grand dame of the sea.
But with Cunard's new 2,000-passenger Queen Victoria making a grand entrance in December 2007, everyone is wondering about the QE2.
In addition, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea has adopted certain fire-protection requirements, to go into effect in 2010, which ban the use of combustible materials in cruise ships. This could mean costly renovations, if not the graveyard, for many older ships, but Marlow said the requirements shouldn't prove a major problem for the QE2.
``She doesn't have that much wood. There's wood, and then there's wood paneling. We don't think it will be too onerous.''
As for the Queen Victoria, Marlow believes the new ship will enable Cunard to broaden its worldwide itineraries. ``It gives our guests more choice.''
So, what is the future of the QE2, on which Cunard has spent more than $675 million throughout the years for refits and refurbishments?
''At the point in time where our guests no longer want to sail on her and pay a sensible price, or whenever we can't maintain her from a cost-effective standpoint, then we will say goodbye,'' Marlow says. ``Neither is the case now. She is doing extremely well. There is no other ship like her.''
Porter agrees. She has sailed on the QE2 more than 30 times since the 1980s.
What is it about the ship for her?
``It's the warmth of the staff. You take it for the history and the bar staff and the maitre d's. They recognize me. That keeps you coming back. It's not the management. They have done things to discourage Americans. The UK gets different pricing and brochures. It is quite frustrating. I get a brochure a week for the Queen Mary 2. Nothing on the QE2.''
Porter, 64, was on the QM2's inaugural trans-Atlantic sailing in January 2004. ''It's improving, in my eyes, but it's not this,'' she says. ``You never have a sense you're on a ship. It's a hotel.''
Lisa Campbell, 53, of Palm Beach Gardens, also sails frequently on the QE2. She first went with her father in 1975 and, after his death in 1994, waited five years to sail on the ship again. ''It was something that Dad and I did. I was afraid it would be too emotional. But there was only one way to find out,'' she says.
Campbell notices subtle differences on the QE2 since Carnival Corp. bought Cunard Line in 1998, such as salt and pepper packets instead of shakers in the Lido informal buffet dining room. ''That's not Cunard. That's Carnival,'' she says.
And although the QE2 has one of the dressiest dress codes of any cruise ship -- even ''informal'' nights mean coat and tie for men and cocktail dress or suit for women -- Campbell notices passengers aren't dressing as elegantly as they used to.
''It's come down a peg or two. But it's still a wonderful ship or I wouldn't keep coming back,'' she says.
FASTEST SHIP AFLOAT
Constructed for the unpredictable North Atlantic weather conditions with a sturdier hull and sleeker bow to break through the waves, the QE2 is still the fastest passenger ship afloat -- 28.5 knots average, 32.5 knots maximum. She was the first ship built specifically for both cruising and trans-Atlantic service.
The QE2 is different from the latest mega-ships seeking to appeal to younger, more active vacationers. It has no five-story atrium with glass elevators and blinking neon, and its staterooms have no balconies, except for a handful. It has no ice-skating rink, no climbing wall, no surfing pool, no miniature golf course.
The QE2, however, has two things not found on many ships -- an honest-to-goodness movie theater, where first-run flicks are shown, and a synagogue.
Michael Leonard of McAllen, Texas, and his wife, Renee, both 50, are younger than most QE2 passengers. And while they enjoy a mix of ages, they would prefer to be with more people their own age.
''I'll say this,'' Michael Leonard says. ``Unlike other ships that I've been on, people continue to keep going on this one over and over again.''
''There's some kind of attachment to this ship itself,'' Renee adds. Michael interjects: ``I'm not real sure what the attachment is.''
Renee jumps back quickly: ``It's a historical ship. Down the road we're going to be really glad we can look back on this and say we did the QE2.''
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Saturday, November 04, 2006
World's most expensive cruise accomodations
World's most expensive cruise accomodations
World's most expensive cruise accomodations
By Heidi Sarna
Forbes Traveler.com
Updated: 3:54 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2006
Cruising without a butler and a private hot tub is like flying first class without Dom Perignon and a flat-bed seat. Sure, you can snag a cruise to the islands for a song try $100 a day or less for a basic cabin on the Vegas-style mega ships but the best rooms go for a whole lot more. The most expensive penthouse suites at sea routinely go north of $1,000 per person per day, and often more than twice that.
The QM2, lavishly christened by the Queen herself in 2004, has a pair of 2,249-square-foot Grand Duplex Suites that include exclusive access to a private sundeck, restaurant and lounge. The price for the royal treatment? Try $3,900 per person per day for a six-night transatlantic crossing.
Since cruise ships may have hundreds and often thousands of cabins, but only a handful of penthouse suites, it's not surprising the top digs get snapped up first.
"We book from top to bottom, with penthouse accommodations being the first to go," says Bill Smith, Crystal Cruises' senior vice president of sales and marketing.
And don't expect a discount at the top of the food chain.
"The best suites sell and are not normally subject to the pricing carnage seen in lower category accommodations, or at least the extent is less," says Charlie Funk, co-owner of Just Cruisin Plus in Nashville, Tenn.
They sell fast, because they're luxurious and because of where they go. The most expensive penthouse fares tend to be for the more exotic locations. On the Crystal Serenity and Seabourn Pride, it's an 18-night cruise around Cape Horn to Antarctica, while the top on the Silver Shadow is a week sailing between Stockholm and Copenhagen.
"Penthouse prices are going up in the Mediterranean and Alaska," says Michael Driscoll, editor of industry bible Cruise Week, adding "but like everything else in the Caribbean, penthouse rates are flat or down in that market due to overcapacity."
Who can't overlook a been-there-done-that Caribbean itinerary when there's 5,750 square feet of living space to explore? That's the size of the pricey three-bedroom Garden Villas on the new Norwegian Pearl, which run $2,000-plus per person per day.
For some, size is all that matters.
"Our clients want the space, and in most cases also want the two bathrooms that the largest suites can provide," says Mary Jean Tully, Chairman and CEO of Toronto-based Cruise Professionals.
Of course, "big" is a relative term. The owner's suite aboard the SeaDream I is just 450 square feet, but on a yacht-like vessel that only carries 110 passengers, this is exceedingly generous.
Size aside, luxury is all about the right amenities. Walk-in closets, stocked mini bars, Internet access and flat-screen televisions with CD/DVD players are penthouse basics. The top cabins on Mariner of the Seas, for instance, have an iPod player with Bose or Logitech speakers. Like the best hotels, fuzzy robes, pillow menus and 24-hour room service, including ordering off the restaurant menus during meal times, are the norm at the high end.
So are the services of a butler and concierge who have chilled champagne ready when you arrive, deliver canapés before dinner, unpack suitcases and make spa or shore excursion reservations.
For some, the hook is a bit more esoteric. To the tune $1,295 per person per day, the amenities in the huge Penthouse Suite on Celebrity's 1,950-passenger Millennium include a baby grand piano.
"Our suites are on par with the best accommodations and amenities of the luxury lines, but Celebrity ships also have the additional space to offer guests that much more variety in venues, dining options, entertainment options and more," says Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruises.
Big ship or small, cruise fares always include three-plus meals a day, along with entertainment and a variety of activities. Smaller, more luxurious ships are typically more inclusive, with open bar and gratuities also built into the price.
"If you compare our cruises fares to the cost of a comparable luxury hotel and resort vacation, our prices are still very competitive and in many cases probably the best value for the money spent," says Mark Conroy, president of Regent.
To come up with our list of most expensive cruise ship penthouses, we looked at worldwide itineraries without regard to high or low season, which varies depending in different parts of the world (summer in Europe, winter in the Caribbean and so forth). For the penthouses listed, count on even the least expensive itineraries still running at least $1,000 per person per night. We did not include condo cruise ships like Residensea or yachts geared only to full charters, since they are not cruise ships in the traditional sense. All rates are per person per day and based on double occupancy.
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Sunday, October 08, 2006
Cunard appoints captain for its newest liner Queen Victoria
Captain Paul Wright, a 26 year veteran of Cunard Line, has been appointed master of Queen Victoria, the company`s newest ocean liner currently under construction in Venice that will enter service in December 2007.
Captain Wright first went to sea in 1965 as a cadet with Shell Tankers, and quickly progressed to passenger ships in 1969 when he joined Canadian Pacific. His first appointment with Cunard was to Cunard Countess in 1980 and since then he has served on Cunard Princess, Sagafjord and Cunard Dynasty. In 1999, Captain Wright was promoted to Captain of Cunard`s flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 where he served until construction began on Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built. He oversaw construction of QM2 in St. Nazaire prior to commission, and in 2004 was appointed Master of Queen Mary 2, rotating with the recently retired Commodore Ronald Warwick.
Having sailed to all seven continents, when asked what his most memorable moments at sea have been, Captain Wright cites two: meeting Astronaut Neil Armstrong who was lecturing onboard in the early 1990`s and sailing Queen Mary 2 into Hamburg on her maiden call when half a million people lined the shore to greet her.
In commenting on his appointment, Captain Wright says: "I fully expect that sailing Queen Victoria into Southampton for the first time will give me a third most memorable event - and I have no doubt it will be equally memorable for those who turn out to greet us; nothing stirs the imagination quite as much as a new Cunarder arriving in port for the first time. She will be a magnificent vessel built in true Cunard style."
Captain Wright first went to sea in 1965 as a cadet with Shell Tankers, and quickly progressed to passenger ships in 1969 when he joined Canadian Pacific. His first appointment with Cunard was to Cunard Countess in 1980 and since then he has served on Cunard Princess, Sagafjord and Cunard Dynasty. In 1999, Captain Wright was promoted to Captain of Cunard`s flagship Queen Elizabeth 2 where he served until construction began on Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built. He oversaw construction of QM2 in St. Nazaire prior to commission, and in 2004 was appointed Master of Queen Mary 2, rotating with the recently retired Commodore Ronald Warwick.
Having sailed to all seven continents, when asked what his most memorable moments at sea have been, Captain Wright cites two: meeting Astronaut Neil Armstrong who was lecturing onboard in the early 1990`s and sailing Queen Mary 2 into Hamburg on her maiden call when half a million people lined the shore to greet her.
In commenting on his appointment, Captain Wright says: "I fully expect that sailing Queen Victoria into Southampton for the first time will give me a third most memorable event - and I have no doubt it will be equally memorable for those who turn out to greet us; nothing stirs the imagination quite as much as a new Cunarder arriving in port for the first time. She will be a magnificent vessel built in true Cunard style."
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Monday, September 25, 2006
From `Dallas' to war to daughter's wedding, commodore has seen plenty aboard ships
From `Dallas' to war to daughter's wedding, commodore has seen plenty aboard ships
Sunday, September 24, 2006
ABOARD THE QUEEN MARY 2 -- Arguably, no one knows more about transatlantic cruising than Cunard Line Commodore Ronald Warwick, who retired after 36 years at sea, including serving as Master of the Queen Mary 2. Warwick made history when he reached the position of Captain of the Queen Elizabeth 2, because in doing so he followed the footsteps of his father, who also captained that ship. The Commodore sat down for a chat with writer Fran Golden aboard the QM2.
GOLDEN: What are the most common misconceptions for first-time passengers about doing a transatlantic crossing?
WARWICK: I think the most common one is that people think they are going to be bored. And if you sort of define that more by saying whether it's the males or females who think they are going to be bored, it's probably the males. Typically the man is dragged aboard by his wife and then effectively dragged ashore by her at the other end because he's enjoyed it so much. That's happened time and time again.
GOLDEN: What are some of the challenges you've encountered on your hundreds of transatlantic crossings?
WARWICK: We do have the challenges of the weather. The weather in the Atlantic can be horrendous at times but other times it can be just like it is today, like a pond.
GOLDEN: Have you seen icebergs? Rogue waves?
WARWICK: Well, we had a rogue wave several years ago on the QE2, a 90-foot wave. We knew it was going to be very bad weather because we were crossing the path of a hurricane. We had expected 40- to 50-foot waves and everyone was told that. And we got this rogue wave. But the ship was built very strongly so there was only superficial damage to the vessel and no one was injured. And most people slept through it as it occurred at 2 in the morning. As far as ice is concerned it has always been my policy to plot a course around 20 to 25 miles south of any known ice (we get the ice forecasts from the International Ice Patrol and several weather stations). I can't recollect ever seeing any icebergs.
GOLDEN: What has surprised you in terms of how ships have changed over the years?
WARWICK: I have to say I was very surprised when Carnival Corp. took over this company in '98 and announced they were going to build another transatlantic liner, because if you had asked me prior to that time I would have said the QE2 was the last of the ocean liners. But obviously Carnival realized that by building a bigger ship (QM2) and using economies of scale and introducing all the new technology, they can run a very, very efficient operation. So I am very pleased to have been proven wrong.
GOLDEN: You've had a lot of celebrity passengers over the years. Do you have a favorite?
WARWICK: There's one man who sticks out in my mind more than the others and that was a chap called J.R., remember him? J.R. Ewing. Larry Hagman. This is going back a few years but he was the man women loved to hate in that `Dallas' thing. But he came on board QE2 with his wife and daughter and in real life he is totally the opposite. He was so generous with his time. He stopped and had millions of photos taken with strange females on his arm and it was really nice to see.
GOLDEN: What was the hardest part about being a captain?
WARWICK: The hardest part was remembering names with thousands of passengers a week. Otherwise, there's nothing really hard.
CC: What are some of your most memorable experiences as a captain?
WARWICK: I was chief officer of the QE2 when we went to the Falkland Campaign in 1982 and that was a fascinating experience -- not withstanding the reason for going -- to go from being a passenger ship to a troop carrier. The amount of work that took place to convert it was incredible -- to see this magnificent ocean liner converted to a different role working with the Royal Navy. And then there is actually, being appointed Captain of the QE2, which was my burning ambition once I joined the Cunard Line. To have actually achieved that in 1990 was very, very special. And officiating at the marriage of my daughter (on the ship) in Boston. Also being in the shipyard for the construction of this ship, and the keel-laying, and taking this ship out for the first time and the naming ceremony with the Queen of England. It's all been very special.
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Crossing the Atlantic in a variety of styles
Crossing the Atlantic in a variety of styles
Sunday, September 24, 2006
By Fran Golden
ABOARD THE QUEEN MARY 2 -- My relatives came over in steerage generations ago, but for my first trans-Atlantic voyage I packed my fanciest clothes and headed to London and then south to Southampton, U.K., to cross the Atlantic on this hugely fabulous Cunard Line ship to New York. I felt downright royal.
There is something about a crossing: a tradition to uphold, conquering the Atlantic. And it just has to be on every experienced traveler's must-do list.
Yet I boarded the Queen Mary 2 with some trepidation. Would I be bored with six days at sea? Would I get seasick? Would we encounter icebergs or rogue waves?
Still, I decided to go for it.
The Queen Mary 2, as befits her ocean liner status, is not your typical cruise ship.
For one, the $800 million vessel, owned by Carnival Corp., is really, really big, one of the largest ships in the world at 151,400 gross tons, nearly four football fields in length and with a passenger capacity that tops 3,000. She has a hard hull to deal with the sometimes-rough Atlantic (she is the only cruise ship to cross it on a regular schedule) and offers more activities than anyone could possibly imagine doing in six days -- including lectures hosted by Oxford University, acting classes with graduates of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and shows in the ship's planetarium.
But the biggest difference is her old-fashioned ocean liner class system. Guests are assigned dining rooms based on their cabin status.
My friend Kim and I were in a Princess Suite, which meant a nice-sized cabin with private balcony and chilled champagne awaiting our arrival. It also meant we dined in the Princess Grill, a nice restaurant where the waitstaff was perfectly versed in pampering (including finishing some dishes like excellent steaks and lamb chops tableside).
In fact, our entire experience on the Queen Mary 2 involved fine service and pampering.
Above us were Queens Suites, with Queens guests dining in the Queens Grill, similar to our Princess venue but with the added advantage of hot and cold running luxuries, including caviar.
Below us were the normal passengers, dining in Britannia, a perfectly nice, large, two-story dining room with a Titanic ambiance.
We decided it was worth it to upgrade to Princess if you can, if for no other reason than to feel a tad superior to the masses.
Given the sense of history that a crossing inspires, Kim and I were a little surprised to hear a Caribbean band playing "Hot, Hot, Hot" at the sailaway. And that the crowd, the vast majority British and American (the Brits outnumbering Americans by a few hundred) was, well, a little cruise ship-y.
We wanted Elizabeth Taylor dressed in a little black dress and pearls, holding a white poodle (there is such a photo on display on the ship), not people in shorts and jeans doing a conga line. We did spy one person at the sailaway in a cocktail dress; we weren't, however, sure whether it was a man or woman.
It did in fact turn out that the overall atmosphere on the Queen Mary 2 was not as formal as we had anticipated. And this was something some passengers complained about and others seemed to rejoice in (like the folks in the pub who showed up in casual attire even on the three formal nights).
The reality is you could find fancy if you wanted it, especially in the Queen's Room, the ship's ballroom, where ballgowns and tuxes were on full display -- and man, could these people dance. The ship's big band playing, we even observed a pair of kids, the young man in a white tux, his tiny partner in a long black dress with black gloves, impressively waltzing across the dance floor.
At the captain's cocktail party for Princess and Queen guests, one well-dressed couple (from England but transplanted to the United States) complained to Kim and me that the shipboard ambiance was not as luxurious as they anticipated. Sipping on free champagne, they then went on to complain how Americans are butchering the English language. OK, whatever.
Kim and I quickly established our favorite shipboard spots from the long list of lounges and bars and entertainment venues.
Topping the list was the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, where (for a fee) guests can soak in the warm bubbling waters of the Thalassotherapy Pool. So relaxing was the experience, I was practically hallucinating (or maybe it was all the Dramamine I took as protection against slightly rocky seas; although for all but one day of the trip the Atlantic was pretty darn smooth).
The spa also has a whirlpool, fantastic aroma steamroom and herbal sauna. And in between visits to these, you can scoop ice from a fountain and -- if you are like me -- when no one else is looking, pretend to be Kim Bassinger in "9 1/2 Weeks."
Another favorite spot was the Golden Lion pub, where you can chow down on excellent fish and chips washed down with beer on tap while you watch sporting events on the TV screens or passengers playing darts. We happened to be onboard during the World Cup and moaned and groaned with a sizable crowd when England lost its final match. One man sat at the bar, tears rolling down his cheeks.
The pub is also the ship's nighttime karaoke venue, where Ken from the U.K. did a decent "Summertime Blues" with a strong British accent, and one girl butchered Roberta Flack so badly she was "killing us softly" with her voice.
The G32 disco, where one "Graham Cracker" was the not-very-exciting DJ, attracted the vessel's small late-night party crowd. The casino -- with its Monte Carlo-ish card room and Carnival Cruise-ish slots area, also had attendees in the wee hours.
The top dining venue, the Queens Grill not withstanding, is celebrity chef Todd English's self-named restaurant, Moroccan-inspired in decor and serving such Todd treats as "potato love letters" (creamy potato and truffle-filled ravioli: scrumptious) and a warm, melting chocolate cake. (There is a $30 per person charge for dining here at dinner, $20 at lunch).
Rather than stay inside and do the machines in the well-equipped gym, I decided to walk off calories on the Promenade Deck, where one lap around the ship equals a third of a mile. On several days I braved winds and ocean spray, but I set my goal at 2.2 miles a day and stuck to it (on the one day when rain and winds closed the deck, I devised a route inside the ship).
On one of my walks, I kept passing a man with binoculars looking out to sea and finally asked what he was looking at. "Anything," he replied. And then he pointed to a cargo ship in the distance. We had not seen land for five days. And we were somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland. It was not until later that I realized our conversation took place near the site of the Titantic's sinking.
The last day of our trans-Atlantic cruise was truly memorable. Folks got up at 4:15 a.m. (or just stayed up all night) to see the ship enter the waters of New York. At about 4:30 a.m., the ship sailed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, so close that those on top felt they could practically jump up and touch it. Then Manhattan came into view. And there she was: Lady Liberty standing proudly before us just as the sun began to rise.
My grandparents or their parents saw this view. I felt lucky to be seeing it while wearing a plush bathrobe provided by this luxury liner, on which I was treated like a princess.
%%bodyend%%The Queen Mary 2 makes six-day trans-Atlantic crossings to and from New York from May to November (Note: The seas tend to be rougher toward the end of the season). Rates are from $1,419 to $4,459 for Britannia cabins, $4,999 to $7,309 for Princess Suites and $7,379 to $37,159 for Queen Suites. The ship also sails in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America, and will make her first World Cruise in 2007.
The Queen Mary 2 makes six-day trans-Atlantic crossings to and from New York from May to November (Note: The seas tend to be rougher toward the end of the season). Rates are from $1,419 to $4,459 for Britannia cabins, $4,999 to $7,309 for Princess Suites and $7,379 to $37,159 for Queen Suites. The ship also sails in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America, and will make her first World Cruise in 2007.
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Friday, September 01, 2006
Historic Tandem Transatlantic Crossing And 'First Ever Meeting Of Three Queens' Herald Cunard's 2008 World Cruises
LONDON, ENGLAND -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 31, 2006 -- Bookings for the first-ever westbound tandem crossing of two Cunard Queens are now being taken as Cunard launches its much anticipated main 2008 World Cruise brochure - on sale 1 September 2006. And not only will the crossing be historic, but their arrival in New York will be unparalleled, as they are greeted in the harbour by their flagship sister Queen Mary 2 - the first-ever meeting of three Cunard Queens.
The new brochure also details new World Cruise segments from GBP1,899 per person and exclusive new Cunard tours in the Far East and Australia from GBP1,450 per person.
Amidst a great fanfare, the world's newest Cunarder, Queen Victoria, and the world's most famous ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, will leave their homeport of Southampton on Sunday 6 January 2008 and head for New York at the start of their 2008 World Cruises. QE2, making her 804th Atlantic crossing, will escort Queen Victoria, making her first, to New York where they will arrive a week later on 13 January to meet up with Queen Mary 2. Cunard's 168-year reign on the Atlantic has produced countless memories and historic occasions but none will have a finale like this.
The Cunard flagship and the largest liner in the world, Queen Mary 2, will greet her sisters with a host of photo opportunities, and special events will mark the event - a first in maritime history.
Fares for the tandem crossing on Queen Victoria range from GBP999 to GBP15,849 per person while for QE2 they range from GBP899 to GBP13,799.
QE2 will then escort Queen Victoria to Fort Lauderdale where they will arrive two days later. There the ships will bid farewell to each other and will set off on different journeys to the other side of the world where they will see each other again in a further spectacular 'Meeting of the Queens' in Sydney on Sunday 24 February.
The tandem crossing and 'Meeting of the Queens' in Southampton, New York, Fort Lauderdale and Sydney are just part of Cunard's historic 2008 World Cruise story - full details of which can be found in the new brochure, along with itineraries and prices for longer and shorter segments of these momentous voyages. Guests can choose to travel on just one Queen, or combine sectors on QE2 and Queen Victoria.
Cunard Line invented World Cruising in 1922 and will take this tradition to new heights in 2008 with its brand-new 90,000-ton liner Queen Victoria offering its 106-night 'Maiden World Cruise' as well as the world's most famous ocean liner, QE2, offering a 103-night 'South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey'. These epic voyages follow just a year after the 'Maiden World Cruise' of Queen Mary 2 and the 25th World Cruise of QE2 in 2007.
Carol Marlow, Cunard's President and Managing Director, says:
"Cunard's famous, historic, World Cruises have always set the benchmark for round-the-world voyaging and 2008 will take that tradition to a new height with the introduction of a new Queen to the world, the first ever westbound tandem crossing and the spectacular meetings we have planned for our ships around the world - starting with all three Queens in New York. The company has never before issued its full World Cruise brochure so early but as 2008 promises to be such a landmark year we have published it now to give our past guests and Cunard newcomers ample opportunity to secure their place in history".
Queen Victoria 'Maiden World Cruise'
The world's newest ocean liner will depart Southampton on 6 January 2008 on her 106-night 'Maiden World Cruise' which will call at 37 cities in 23 countries. Every call, with the exception of Lisbon, will be a maiden call for Cunard's new Queen. Queen Victoria will circumnavigate the globe in a westbound direction and, after calling in New York and Florida, she will make her first transit of the Panama Canal before making maiden calls at some of the world's most famous cities including Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Dubai, Athens and Barcelona. En route, Queen Victoria will also transit the Suez Canal, before returning to her homeport of Southampton on 22 April. Early Booking Fares for the complete voyage range from GBP10,999 per person for double occupancy of a D8 inside cabin to GBP115,869 per person for double occupancy of a Q1 Queens Grill Grand Suite.
Shorter 'Liner Voyages' are also available and include Southampton to Sydney (48-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP5,799 to GBP53,379) and Singapore to Southampton (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP4,199 to GBP38,849).
The new brochure details the new sectors now available including Southampton to Los Angeles (25-nights including the historic tandem crossing and ports in the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and California; fares range from GBP2,899 to GBP26,659 per person) and Sydney to Singapore (24-nights around Australia and up through the Far East; fares range from GBP3,699 to GBP25,469 per person).
QE2 'South America, Pacific and Orient Odyssey'
QE2 is the most experienced world voyager afloat and, for the first time in over a decade, her 2008 voyage will see her concentrate on South America and the Pacific in a 103-night odyssey that will leave Southampton on 6 January and call at 30 places in 17 countries - a mix of exciting cities and interesting ports. After leaving New York QE2 will head around South America calling at Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands and Valparaiso. Cruising into the Pacific she will then circle the world's largest ocean before arriving at Los Angeles on 30 March. Port calls will include Easter Island, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Honolulu. After transiting the Panama Canal, QE2 will return home to Southampton on 18 April. Early Booking Fares for Southampton to Southampton range from GBP8,999 per person for double occupancy of an M6 inside cabin to GBP114,919 per person for double occupancy of a Q1 Grand Suite.
Shorter 'Liner Voyages' are also available and include Southampton to Singapore (64-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP6,249 to GBP76,579) and Sydney to Los Angeles (35-nights with Early Booking Fares ranging from GBP4,319 to GBP43,269).
The new brochure also details QE2's sectors for 2008 including Southampton to Valparaiso (32-nights including the tandem crossing and around South America; fares range from GBP3,599 to GBP38,079 per person) and Singapore to Los Angeles (21-nights across the Pacific including Hawaii; fares range from GBP2,699 to GBP26,079 per person).
'One Voyage, Two Ships'
In Sydney, guests who wish to can enjoy a 'One Voyage, Two Ships' adventure by swapping from ship to the other. This combination voyage (also offered in the new 2008 World Cruise brochure) involves sailing from Southampton to Sydney on QE2 (48-nights) before transferring to Queen Victoria for 58-nights on 24 February and returning home on 22 April after a 106-night journey; fares range from GBP10,098 to GBP122,288 per person.
Early Booking Benefits
Savings of up to 50% (QE2) and up to 45% (Queen Victoria) are available for bookings made by 31 January 2007, subject to availability. For bookings made by this date there is also a range of additional benefits including upgraded air, complimentary gratuities, generous onboard credits and past passenger savings, also subject to availability. These are applicable depending on the voyage selected and grade of accommodation.
By BETH J. HARPAZ
Associated Press Travel Editor
July 30, 2006, 2:04 PM EDT
NEW YORK -- Ten years ago, tourists visiting Brooklyn saw it as nothing more than a side trip from Manhattan. Maybe they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge or took the subway out to Coney Island, but few had dinner here or stayed the night.
These days, however, Brooklyn is a destination unto itself.
Now visitors to Brooklyn "stay here and go into Manhattan for the day _ or they don't go to Manhattan at all," said Monique Greenwood, who runs the Akwaaba Mansion, a B&B in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. "Most of my European guests have already done Manhattan. Now they want to see Brooklyn. They're going to the Brooklyn Museum, the Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Or they're just hanging out in Brooklyn. They like the idea that it's more of a neighborhood here. They believe that Brooklyn is the hip borough."
The evidence that Brooklyn tourism has come of age is everywhere. The Queen Mary 2 is home-porting in the new cruise terminal in the borough's Red Hook neighborhood. A survey of visitors to the Brooklyn Museum found that 25 percent are from outside the region _ compared to 5 percent in 1995. The exalted Michelin guide to fine dining in New York lists 25 Brooklyn restaurants. And drop-ins at Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center have nearly doubled in the past year.
When the Brooklyn Marriott opened in 1998, it was the first new hotel to be built in the borough in 68 years. It's been so successful that an additional 280-room tower is being built. Other new hotels are also going up in Brooklyn _ including a Holiday Inn Express opening Aug. 7.
Because large numbers of 20-somethings have settled in trendy neighborhoods like Park Slope, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Red Hook and Carroll Gardens, many tourists initially come to visit family and friends. But what's remarkable is how much sightseeing they do without leaving Brooklyn.
Amy O'Leary, who lives in Carroll Gardens, recently hosted her parents from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Their itinerary included Coney Island, a brick-oven pizzeria (Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton St.), and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, a waterfront walkway with stunning views of Lower Manhattan.
"What's so neat about Brooklyn is it's so diverse, so eclectic _ it's just enjoyable," said Amy's dad Larry. "I sat out on her front stoop this morning and just watched the people going by."
Sitting on the steps of a Brooklyn brownstone is, in fact, a time-honored local pastime. You haven't experienced the borough until you've hung out long enough to admire someone's dog or tossed a wayward ball back to a kid playing in the street.
And yet there's so much more to Brooklyn, from the Russian community in Brighton Beach to the massive West Indian-American Day parade every Labor Day in Crown Heights.
___
Here are some other suggestions for enjoying the borough _ from chocolate and bagels to arts and music.
CHOCOLATE: In Park Slope, the Chocolate Room has chocolate fondue, 86 Fifth Ave., 718-783-2900, or try Cocoa Bar's wine-and-chocolate pairings, 228 Seventh Ave., 718-499-4080. Renowned chocolatier Jacques Torres sells confections at 66 Water St. in DUMBO _ http://www.mrchocolate.com, 718-875-9772.
DINING: Brooklynites have long been entitled to three things: the right to feel bitter about the Dodgers' departure nearly 50 years ago, and perfect pizza and hand-rolled bagels on every other corner.
But these days, culinary entitlements don't end with a slice and a schmear. Smith Street in Boerum Hill is foodie heaven, from the BarTabac bistro _ 128 Smith St., 718-923-0918 _ to Saul, which earned a coveted star from the Michelin guide, 140 Smith St., 718-935-9844.
In Park Slope, $10 gets you fish-and-chips or shepherd's pie at the Chip Shop, 383 Fifth Ave., 718-832-7701, or tofu basil (you won't believe it's not beef) at Rice Thai Kitchen, 311 Seventh Ave., 718-832-9512. Big spenders can indulge at Applewood, 501 11th St., 718-768-2044. After dinner, join the crowds at The Gate for a drink, 321 Fifth Ave., 718-768-4329. For music, head to Southpaw (bands and DJs), 125 Fifth Ave., 718-230-0236, or Puppets (jazz), 294 Fifth Ave., 718-499-2627.
WILLIAMSBURG: The L train to Bedford Avenue lands you in the epicenter of hipster Williamsburg, with cafes, galleries and boutiques. At the Bagel Store (247 Bedford, 718-218-7244), have a classic bagel, cream cheese and lox, or a uniquely amazing French toast bagel with syrup. Nearby, Pema New York (225 Bedford, 718-388-8814) sells ecologically correct clothes, woven in Nepal from hemp, $25-55. And Real Form Girdle (218 Bedford) houses not an undergarment factory but a mini-mall with a bookstore, Internet cafe and the Hello Beautiful hair salon.
For nightlife, Galapagos has bands, DJs and other performers _ 70 N. Sixth St., 718-782-5188 _ while Monkey Town shows videos while serving dinner _ 58 N. Third St., 718-384-1369. Also in Williamsburg: Peter Luger Steak House, the granddaddy of Brooklyn fine dining, 178 Broadway, 718-387-7400.
RED HOOK: This gritty waterfront neighborhood has turned suddenly trendy. Luxury ships dock here at the new cruise terminal. There's always a buzz about shows from the Brooklyn Waterfront Arts Coalition _ 499 Van Brunt St., 718-596-2507, http://www.bwac.org/. And for what is arguably the city's best view of the Statue of Liberty, visit Red Hook's small waterfront parks, or sit at a picnic table on the pier behind the gourmet Fairway Market, 480-500 Van Brunt St., where you can buy lunch.
The F train to Smith/9th is the closest stop to Red Hook, but city buses (B77 and B61) run along Van Brunt, the main drag. Street parking is plentiful.
Dinner at the recently opened Good Fork _ 391 Van Brunt St., 718-643-6636 _ is worth the trip. Try the crab cake entree ($18), with a Red Hook Cooler (gin and mint), and don't miss the divine chocolate dessert.
It's not uncommon to hear French, Spanish or German among Good Fork's guests, but "New York is such a melting pot, it's hard to tell who's here to visit, and who's here to live," says owner Ben Schneider, whose wife Sohui Kim is the chef.
CONEY ISLAND: Rattle your teeth on the Cyclone roller coaster or catch the view 150 feet up on the Wonder Wheel. Rides are open daily Memorial Day-Labor Day, then weekends through September. Year-round, dip your toes in the Atlantic, eat hot dogs at Nathan's Famous or visit the penguins at the New York Aquarium. By subway, D, Q, N or F to Stillwell Avenue; http://www.coneyisland.com/tourism.shtml.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN: A cherry blossom festival takes place each spring, and the Cranford Rose Garden blooms through September. But the garden is worth visiting any time, from the serene Japanese garden and pond, to the orchids and bonsai trees at the Steinhardt Conservatory greenhouse. Open Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closes at 4:30 p.m. October-March. By subway, 2/3 to Eastern Parkway; 1000 Washington Ave., http://www.bbg.org, 718-623-7200. Admission, $5; free Tuesdays and Saturday mornings.
BROOKLYN MUSEUM: Popular "First Saturday" parties offer free art and entertainment, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. the first Saturday of each month (but not Sept. 2). Fall shows include an exhibit of Annie Leibovitz photos opening Oct. 20; http://www.brooklynmuseum.org, 200 Eastern Pkwy., 718-638-5000. Open weekends, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Suggested admission, $8. By subway, 2/3 to Eastern Parkway.
BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC: BAM presents indie films, concerts and performance art. The annual Next Wave festival, October-December, ranges from Shakespeare to contemporary dance; http://www.bam.org, 30 Lafayette Ave., 718-636-4100. Take the 2/3, 4/5, B or Q to Atlantic Avenue.
BUS TOURS: Gray Line sightseeing buses with a Brooklyn loop depart from South Street Seaport in Manhattan; http://www.newyorksightseeing.com, 212-445-0848, tickets $39. "A Slice Of Brooklyn Pizza Tour" departs from Manhattan's Union Square for a tour of pizza places, movie locations and landmarks; http://www.bknypizza.com/, 212-209-3370, tickets $55. Cultural destination tours, http://heartofbrooklyn.org, 718-638-7700.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel and B&B listings at http://www.visitbrooklyn.org/lodging.html.
_Akwaaba Mansion: http://www.akwaaba.com, 347 MacDonough, Bed-Stuy, 718-455-5958, $150-165.
_Holiday Inn Express: 625 Union St., Park Slope, 718-797-1133, $134 starting Aug. 7 and $179 up starting September.
_Brooklyn Marriott: http://www.brooklynmarriott.com, 333 Adams St., downtown Brooklyn, 800-228-9290, $299 up.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center, http://www.visitbrooklyn.org, 209 Joralemon St., 718-802-3846.
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Promotional fares range from GBP10,098 to GBP122,288 per person for the 'One Voyage, Two Ships' combination.
In addition, for passengers in Grills Accommodation (Princess and Queens Grills), the additional benefit of exclusive shore events are offered if the booking is made before 31 January, again subject to availability.
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Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" The Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Brooklyn: A destination, not a side trip
Brooklyn: A destination, not a side trip
| |
Associated Press Travel Editor
July 30, 2006, 2:04 PM EDT
NEW YORK -- Ten years ago, tourists visiting Brooklyn saw it as nothing more than a side trip from Manhattan. Maybe they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge or took the subway out to Coney Island, but few had dinner here or stayed the night.
These days, however, Brooklyn is a destination unto itself.
Now visitors to Brooklyn "stay here and go into Manhattan for the day _ or they don't go to Manhattan at all," said Monique Greenwood, who runs the Akwaaba Mansion, a B&B in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. "Most of my European guests have already done Manhattan. Now they want to see Brooklyn. They're going to the Brooklyn Museum, the Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Or they're just hanging out in Brooklyn. They like the idea that it's more of a neighborhood here. They believe that Brooklyn is the hip borough."
The evidence that Brooklyn tourism has come of age is everywhere. The Queen Mary 2 is home-porting in the new cruise terminal in the borough's Red Hook neighborhood. A survey of visitors to the Brooklyn Museum found that 25 percent are from outside the region _ compared to 5 percent in 1995. The exalted Michelin guide to fine dining in New York lists 25 Brooklyn restaurants. And drop-ins at Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center have nearly doubled in the past year.
When the Brooklyn Marriott opened in 1998, it was the first new hotel to be built in the borough in 68 years. It's been so successful that an additional 280-room tower is being built. Other new hotels are also going up in Brooklyn _ including a Holiday Inn Express opening Aug. 7.
Because large numbers of 20-somethings have settled in trendy neighborhoods like Park Slope, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Red Hook and Carroll Gardens, many tourists initially come to visit family and friends. But what's remarkable is how much sightseeing they do without leaving Brooklyn.
Amy O'Leary, who lives in Carroll Gardens, recently hosted her parents from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Their itinerary included Coney Island, a brick-oven pizzeria (Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton St.), and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, a waterfront walkway with stunning views of Lower Manhattan.
"What's so neat about Brooklyn is it's so diverse, so eclectic _ it's just enjoyable," said Amy's dad Larry. "I sat out on her front stoop this morning and just watched the people going by."
Sitting on the steps of a Brooklyn brownstone is, in fact, a time-honored local pastime. You haven't experienced the borough until you've hung out long enough to admire someone's dog or tossed a wayward ball back to a kid playing in the street.
And yet there's so much more to Brooklyn, from the Russian community in Brighton Beach to the massive West Indian-American Day parade every Labor Day in Crown Heights.
___
Here are some other suggestions for enjoying the borough _ from chocolate and bagels to arts and music.
CHOCOLATE: In Park Slope, the Chocolate Room has chocolate fondue, 86 Fifth Ave., 718-783-2900, or try Cocoa Bar's wine-and-chocolate pairings, 228 Seventh Ave., 718-499-4080. Renowned chocolatier Jacques Torres sells confections at 66 Water St. in DUMBO _ http://www.mrchocolate.com, 718-875-9772.
DINING: Brooklynites have long been entitled to three things: the right to feel bitter about the Dodgers' departure nearly 50 years ago, and perfect pizza and hand-rolled bagels on every other corner.
But these days, culinary entitlements don't end with a slice and a schmear. Smith Street in Boerum Hill is foodie heaven, from the BarTabac bistro _ 128 Smith St., 718-923-0918 _ to Saul, which earned a coveted star from the Michelin guide, 140 Smith St., 718-935-9844.
In Park Slope, $10 gets you fish-and-chips or shepherd's pie at the Chip Shop, 383 Fifth Ave., 718-832-7701, or tofu basil (you won't believe it's not beef) at Rice Thai Kitchen, 311 Seventh Ave., 718-832-9512. Big spenders can indulge at Applewood, 501 11th St., 718-768-2044. After dinner, join the crowds at The Gate for a drink, 321 Fifth Ave., 718-768-4329. For music, head to Southpaw (bands and DJs), 125 Fifth Ave., 718-230-0236, or Puppets (jazz), 294 Fifth Ave., 718-499-2627.
WILLIAMSBURG: The L train to Bedford Avenue lands you in the epicenter of hipster Williamsburg, with cafes, galleries and boutiques. At the Bagel Store (247 Bedford, 718-218-7244), have a classic bagel, cream cheese and lox, or a uniquely amazing French toast bagel with syrup. Nearby, Pema New York (225 Bedford, 718-388-8814) sells ecologically correct clothes, woven in Nepal from hemp, $25-55. And Real Form Girdle (218 Bedford) houses not an undergarment factory but a mini-mall with a bookstore, Internet cafe and the Hello Beautiful hair salon.
For nightlife, Galapagos has bands, DJs and other performers _ 70 N. Sixth St., 718-782-5188 _ while Monkey Town shows videos while serving dinner _ 58 N. Third St., 718-384-1369. Also in Williamsburg: Peter Luger Steak House, the granddaddy of Brooklyn fine dining, 178 Broadway, 718-387-7400.
RED HOOK: This gritty waterfront neighborhood has turned suddenly trendy. Luxury ships dock here at the new cruise terminal. There's always a buzz about shows from the Brooklyn Waterfront Arts Coalition _ 499 Van Brunt St., 718-596-2507, http://www.bwac.org/. And for what is arguably the city's best view of the Statue of Liberty, visit Red Hook's small waterfront parks, or sit at a picnic table on the pier behind the gourmet Fairway Market, 480-500 Van Brunt St., where you can buy lunch.
The F train to Smith/9th is the closest stop to Red Hook, but city buses (B77 and B61) run along Van Brunt, the main drag. Street parking is plentiful.
Dinner at the recently opened Good Fork _ 391 Van Brunt St., 718-643-6636 _ is worth the trip. Try the crab cake entree ($18), with a Red Hook Cooler (gin and mint), and don't miss the divine chocolate dessert.
It's not uncommon to hear French, Spanish or German among Good Fork's guests, but "New York is such a melting pot, it's hard to tell who's here to visit, and who's here to live," says owner Ben Schneider, whose wife Sohui Kim is the chef.
CONEY ISLAND: Rattle your teeth on the Cyclone roller coaster or catch the view 150 feet up on the Wonder Wheel. Rides are open daily Memorial Day-Labor Day, then weekends through September. Year-round, dip your toes in the Atlantic, eat hot dogs at Nathan's Famous or visit the penguins at the New York Aquarium. By subway, D, Q, N or F to Stillwell Avenue; http://www.coneyisland.com/tourism.shtml.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN: A cherry blossom festival takes place each spring, and the Cranford Rose Garden blooms through September. But the garden is worth visiting any time, from the serene Japanese garden and pond, to the orchids and bonsai trees at the Steinhardt Conservatory greenhouse. Open Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closes at 4:30 p.m. October-March. By subway, 2/3 to Eastern Parkway; 1000 Washington Ave., http://www.bbg.org, 718-623-7200. Admission, $5; free Tuesdays and Saturday mornings.
BROOKLYN MUSEUM: Popular "First Saturday" parties offer free art and entertainment, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. the first Saturday of each month (but not Sept. 2). Fall shows include an exhibit of Annie Leibovitz photos opening Oct. 20; http://www.brooklynmuseum.org, 200 Eastern Pkwy., 718-638-5000. Open weekends, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Suggested admission, $8. By subway, 2/3 to Eastern Parkway.
BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC: BAM presents indie films, concerts and performance art. The annual Next Wave festival, October-December, ranges from Shakespeare to contemporary dance; http://www.bam.org, 30 Lafayette Ave., 718-636-4100. Take the 2/3, 4/5, B or Q to Atlantic Avenue.
BUS TOURS: Gray Line sightseeing buses with a Brooklyn loop depart from South Street Seaport in Manhattan; http://www.newyorksightseeing.com, 212-445-0848, tickets $39. "A Slice Of Brooklyn Pizza Tour" departs from Manhattan's Union Square for a tour of pizza places, movie locations and landmarks; http://www.bknypizza.com/, 212-209-3370, tickets $55. Cultural destination tours, http://heartofbrooklyn.org, 718-638-7700.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel and B&B listings at http://www.visitbrooklyn.org/lodging.html.
_Akwaaba Mansion: http://www.akwaaba.com, 347 MacDonough, Bed-Stuy, 718-455-5958, $150-165.
_Holiday Inn Express: 625 Union St., Park Slope, 718-797-1133, $134 starting Aug. 7 and $179 up starting September.
_Brooklyn Marriott: http://www.brooklynmarriott.com, 333 Adams St., downtown Brooklyn, 800-228-9290, $299 up.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center, http://www.visitbrooklyn.org, 209 Joralemon St., 718-802-3846.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
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Cunard Honors Retiring Commodore Warwick Onboard QM2
| July 27, 2006 | |
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| Cunard Honors Retiring Commodore Warwick Onboard QM2 | |
 Read our Q&A with Commodore WarwickCunard's Commodore Ronald Warwick retires this month after 36 years with the line -- a milestone that was celebrated at a luncheon onboard Queen Mary 2 this past Monday at the new cruise terminal in Brooklyn. Cruise Critic contributor Doug Newman attended the event along with journalists, dignitaries and friends Warwick has made during his tenure. Indeed he's a familiar face to many Cunard fans: He joined the company in 1970 as a third officer, and climbed the ranks to make captain of Cunard Princess (now MSC's Rhapsody) in 1986. In 1990, he made history -- he was promoted Master of the Queen Elizabeth 2, following in the footsteps of his father, who had been the first Master of that ship; eventually, Warwick was named Commodore of the entire fleet. Newman reports that "the event began in QM2's grand ballroom, the Queens Room, with a reception line where guests had the opportunity to shake the Commodore's hand and wish him well in his retirement. Inside the room, stewards circulated with Champagne and hors d'oeuvres. "After a short while, the Master of Ceremonies, the inimitable maritime historian Bill Miller, took the microphone to welcome the guests to the event before handing it over to John Langley of Halifax, Nova Scotia, President of the Cunard Steamship Society. Cunard's founder, Sir Samuel Cunard, hailed from Halifax -- and with the help of Commodore Warwick, Mr. Langley has led the effort in Halifax to remember this eminent Nova Scotian. One of the fruits of his labors will be a statue of Sir Samuel in Halifax, to be unveiled later this year with Commodore Warwick attending." Other speakers included John Maxtone-Graham, maritime author; Chris Dougherty, vice president of the Steamship Historical Society of America; and Tom Cassidy, a long-time friend of Warwick and chairman of the SHSA's Long Island chapter, which he announced would make a donation of $1,000 in Warwick's name to the charity of his choice. Yvonne Graham, the deputy borough president of Brooklyn, was also on hand to deliver a proclamation from Borough President Marty Markowitz naming July 24 Commodore Warwick Day in Brooklyn. Warwick thanked his friends and colleagues, and when asked the question "Will you miss your job?" admitted that while he'll miss the passengers and crew, he won't miss the responsibility. What's next for the Commodore? Warwick said he and his wife Kim will retreat to a cottage in Somerset, England. Cunard President Carol Marlow, however, assured guests they hadn't "seen the last of him," and that he will continue to be involved in the company. "Lunch consisted of shrimp cocktail; pasta with lobster; a choice of fish, chicken or veal main course; and tiramisu or fruit and sorbet for dessert," Newman tells us. "However, the highlight of the lunch was not the food -- not that it wasn't good -- but the company of friends old and new who had come aboard to wish the Commodore farewell. I wish the best of luck to the Commodore in his retirement and hope to see him soon -- as a passenger!" QM2 set sail for Warwick's farewell voyage after the luncheon; his official retirement date is July 30, when QM2 arrives in Southampton, and a final tribute luncheon will be held there. |
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Thursday, July 13, 2006
Cunard to bid icon Warwick a fond farewell
| Cunard to bid icon Warwick a fond farewell | ||||||||||||
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1970 was a year full of promise, and a time when a young seaman joined the Cunard Line. My, how times flies... even on the high seas! Later this month, Commodore Ronald Warwick will retire from arguably the most famous cruise line in the world after 36 years of service. He will step down on July 31 after his final transatlantic crossing, from New York to Southampton. The Commodore and his wife, Kim, will host a variety of functions onboard Queen Mary 2 during the six-day voyage, departing July 24. Special lunches will be held in the Commodore's honor in both New York and Southampton and passengers will take part in a "Commodore's Dinner" during the voyage, complete with a commemorative menu. Captaining Cunard Queens is something of a Warwick family tradition. Commodore Warwick holds the unique distinction in Cunard Line's long history of notable captains by following in the footsteps of his late father, Commodore William Warwick, who sailed as Master of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, was the first Master appointed to Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1968, and was also promoted to Commodore of the fleet in 1970. Commodore Ronald Warwick joined Cunard Line as a Third Officer in 1970. Frequent Marco Island cruisers have no doubt shared a table with the bearded icon, much less an onboard photo opportunity, while plying the global seas in luxury. He first sailed as Captain in 1986 onboard Cunard Princess and also sailed in command of the Cunard Countess and Cunard Crown Dynasty before his appointment as Master of Queen Elizabeth 2 in July of 1990. From April of 1996, he sailed permanently as Senior Master on board Queen Elizabeth 2 until his appointment as Master-designate of Queen Mary 2 in 2002. At the time it was the biggest (151,400 tons), longest (1,132 feet), tallest (236 feet), widest (135 feet) and most expensive passenger liner ($800 million) ever built.
In June of 2005, Commodore Warwick's service to the Merchant Navy was recognized. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. Commodore Warwick also holds the rank of Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve and is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute. Cunard Line ships have crossed the Atlantic every year since 1840. Even onboard the Queen Mary 2 today, the past comes to life through the Maritime Quest exhibition, the first permanent exhibition on an ocean liner where deck upon deck and corridor upon corridor trace Cunard's proud history since its founding in 1839. Cruise Guide columnist Michael Coleman, a former newspaper editor, was a public relations executive for major cruise lines in Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. He welcomes your feedback at cruiseguide@hotmail.com. | ||||||||||||
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Thursday, July 06, 2006
'I Dos' won't be don'ts aboard Queen Mary - Some couples fear ship won't be around for their weddings.
| LONG BEACH -- Some couples with nuptials planned aboard the Queen Mary are experiencing wedding-day jitters of a different sort: Wondering whether the venue will still be around when they take their vows. Operators of the historic ship say the jitters are a result of recent media attention focused on the impending auction of Queen's Seaport Development Inc., which leases the city-owned ocean liner. And officials want to assure wedding parties that the auction is expected to have little or no effect on the attraction's day-to-day activities. It's just a change of operator, says Howard Ehrenberg, who took over as trustee for the bankrupt QSDI in April. We all know the ship is not going anywhere. Joseph Prevratil, the company's former CEO who still runs the nonprofit RMS Foundation, said special events account for 40 percent of QSDI's profits, so it's important that the confusion be cleared up quickly. He said any buyer would likely want a fluid transition, so that weddings, trade shows and the like would experience as few interruptions as possible. There would be no reason for (the ship) to close, Prevratil said, even temporarily. The Queen Mary's event staff began fielding calls from concerned individuals two weeks ago after Ehrenberg filed a status report with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles that announced his decision to put QSDI up for an auction-style sale. Any buyer, he said, would be expected to offer a sum large enough to pay off all of the estate's debts estimated at some $42 million. But, in the end, the buyer would simply own the lease to the ship and the land surrounding it; the city owns the ship and has no plans to move or sell it. Ehrenberg also provided an update on his negotiations
The one exception, he said, involved the Las Vegas-based Bandero a company that owns a 24 percent interest in QSDI and claims to own development rights to the land adjacent to the ship. He called that case a mess. Ehrenberg said part of his job, as QSDI's interim CEO, is to help build the ship's revenue. That's one reason he became particularly concerned about the potential dip in event bookings caused by general confusion over the ship's future. It's hard to know the negative it has already caused, Ehrenberg said. It's not the first time that QSDI's behind-the-scenes legal problems have directly threatened the ship's business. When the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2005, it caused a flurry of angst among some marriage-bound couples who worried they would be left without an altar. As it turned out, the ship stayed put, the altars remained, and dozens of weddings went off without a hitch. Wendy Thomas Russell can be reached at wendy.russell@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1272. | |||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Queen Victoria finally makes it into Cunard fleet
By BASIL DEAKIN
I DONT know how things are managed in the hereafter, should such an ethereal region exist. But I like to think that in the past few weeks, the spirits of the gentlemen who managed the board of Cunard Steamship Company back in 1934 were chuckling and back-slapping. They may even have chortled, "And about time, too!" as they looked down on the keel of the new Cunard liner Queen Victoria being laid down at Fincantieri shipyard, near Venice, Italy.
They had tried to get an earlier Cunarder named Victoria. Work on Hull 534 stopped at John Browns shipyard at Clydebank, Scotland, in December 1931 because of the Great Depression. Three years later, work on the massive ship was restarted with financial aid from the British government. The story goes that the Cunard chairman asked King George V for permission to name the new vessel after "Englands most illustrious Queen," meaning Queen Victoria. The bluff, bearded sailor king replied, "My wife will be delighted!"
Thus, Hull 534 became RMS Queen Mary, arguably the 20th centurys most famous ocean liner. She was Atlantic Blue Riband speed record holder, wartime troop carrier par excellence, and a post-war war-bride transporter. Then, before the jet age killed regular transatlantic surface travel, with her 80,000-ton sister Queen Elizabeth, she plied the North Atlantic route profitably for two decades.
Our spectral pre-war Cunard executives may have been puzzled, of course, as to why a new Cunarder was being built in Italy, just as they may have expressed frustration that the Queen Mary 2 at 150,000 tons, the worlds largest liner when built and now second largest was the product of a French shipyard. Then again, these shadowy characters could be aware that the Cunard line, founded in the 1840s by Halifax-born Sir Samuel Cunard, has ceased to be a British mercantile entity.
The QE2 and the QM2 still fly the Red Duster and are registered at Southampton. Presumably the same will apply to the Queen Victoria, whose maiden voyage, from that port, is scheduled for December 2007. However, Cunard is now American owned, part of Carnival Cruise Lines. So is another great, historic, formerly British shipping line, P&O.
At least the old Queen Mary avoided the scrapyard or the dreadful fate of the Queen Elizabeth, which sank as a blazing hulk in Hong Kong harbour as she was being converted into a floating academy. George Vs consorts maritime namesake has been a floating hotel and museum at Long Beach, Calif., since 1971. I recall visiting her there in 1980 and feeling a little sad that such an ocean monarch, although physically well-preserved, should spend her retirement regarded as an antique curiosity.
Its interesting to note that both the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the QM2 which has already visited Halifax and is scheduled to arrive on a "Labour Day getaway" from New York at the end of August 2007 are classed as ocean liners, despite their cruising activities. Not so the Queen Victoria.
If keen ship-spotters note a similarity in the design and shape of the Queen Victoria to the large new Vista-class cruise ships of Holland America (yet another corporate structure within the Carnival behemoth), they will have hit the spot. Indeed, according to the Wikipedia website, the existing Victoria hull, now a-building, was at one time intended for a new P&O Vista-type ship, Arcadia.
Since, unlike both the QE2 and QM2, the Victoria will not be used for scheduled transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York, her top speed will be 24 knots, still quite high for a cruise liner. In contrast, the QM2s top speed exceeds 30 knots, as does that of the QE2.
Top speed of the old Queen Mary was 29 knots. Its interesting to note that one of the conditions laid down in 1934 for British government financial backing of Cunard another was merging with White Star, then also in dire financial straits was that the Mary and her sister Elizabeth should be available as fast troop transports in the event of war. In that they excelled, their speed the guarantor of survival in a U-boat infested sea. Decades later, the Queen Elizabeth 2 did her war service when, in 1982, she (along with the then P&O flagship Canberra) was requisitioned by Margaret Thatchers government to take troops south 8,000 miles to the Falklands to dislodge invading Argentine forces from those South Atlantic islands.
Now, neither the QE2 nor the QM2 is British-owned, or requisitionable. And with quicker modes of strategic military travel available, the troop ship must be a thing of the past. As a former reluctant participant in this mode of transportation, I cant say Im sorry.
bdeakin
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Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Cunard's Commodore Warwick to Host Final Voyage After 36 Years of Service
Cunard's Commodore Warwick to Host Final Voyage After 36 Years of Service
Monday July 3, 8:00 am ET
Monday July 3, 8:00 am ET
VALENCIA, Calif., July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Commodore Ronald Warwick OBE, LLD, FNI will retire on July 31, 2006 with 36 years of company service after hosting his final transatlantic crossing on the Cunard flagship, Queen Mary 2, from New York on July 24.
The Commodore and his wife, Kim, will host a variety of functions during the six-day voyage. Special lunches will be held in the Commodore's honour in both New York and Southampton and all passengers will take part in a 'Commodore's Dinner' during the voyage complete with commemorative menu.
Captaining Cunard Queens is something of a Warwick family tradition. Commodore Warwick holds the unique distinction in Cunard Line's long history of notable Captains by following in the footsteps of his late father, Commodore William Warwick CBE, who sailed as Master of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, was the first Master appointed to Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1968, and was also promoted to Commodore of the fleet, in 1970.
Commodore Ronald Warwick joined Cunard Line as a Third Officer in 1970. He first sailed as Captain in 1986 on board Cunard Princess, and also sailed in command of the Cunard Countess and Cunard Crown Dynasty before his appointment as Master of Queen Elizabeth 2 in July 1990.
From April 1996 he sailed permanently as Senior Master on board Queen Elizabeth 2 until his appointment as Master-designate of Queen Mary 2 in 2002. In December 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Commodore of the Cunard Line fleet.
In June 2005 Commodore Ronald Warwick's service to the Merchant Navy was recognized by his being awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for that year.
Commodore Warwick also holds the rank of Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve, and is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute.
Cunard Line has operated the most famous ocean liners in the world since 1840. Cunard vessels have a classic British heritage and include the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2. Queen Victoria joins the fleet in 2007.
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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Dubai bid to save historic cruise liner
Comment: They got this oen worng as they talk about the QE" but mean the NORWAY!
28 June 2006
A GROUP of Dubai investors have launched an ambitious plan to save the ssNorway, considered along with the QE2 to be the last of the great cruise liners, from Indian breakers who plan to scrap the vessel within the next two weeks.
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Project Dubai', as it has been dubbed, is a $100-120 million plan that would see the liner snatched from the breakers and transformed into a luxury floating hotel and conference center moored in the city's harbour.
A joint UAE/US venture company called Gulf Desert LLC/Bleu Ribband has been established to negotiate with the liner's current owners and operators, who are towing the 1,000 foot-long passenger vessel to Alang, India, home of the world's largest ship-breaking yard.
John Voet, one of the U.S. partners, says the Dubai group had high hopes of buying the ship before wreaking crews start to tear her apart. Voet said the ship would be a 'fantastic commercial venture' for Dubai, that would eventually provide hundreds of new, much-needed hotel rooms as well as adding a significant cultural and historical asset to the city.
Marine historian Rueben Goossens, who started an online campaign to save the liner, said Project Dubai' would add 'yet another structure of great prestige to one of the great cities of the world.' Goossens said he had received 3,000 emails from people supporting the plan. 80 per cent of the people who have written to me say they will visit Dubai and stay on the ssNorway," Goossens added.
The fate of the ssNorway has been at the center of a growing controversy that has seen environmental groups and marine preservation organizations at war with the ship's owners, Malaysian-based Star Cruises.
Originally launched in May1960 as the French 'national vessel', the then named ssFrance was the longest transatlantic passenger ship in the world and arguably the most luxurious. The ship featured 1,200 cabins, two 800 and 900 seat restaurants, two swimming pools and a two-tier, 748 seat theatre. Move star Cary Grant and painter Salvador Dali often
vacationed on the ship. Even the Mona Lisa has been a passenger: the great painting was transported on the liner when France briefly lent Da Vinci's masterpiece to a US exhibition.
The liner was sold in 1979 to Norwegian Cruise Lines, who renamed her the ssNorway. She then spent the next 25 years cruising the Caribbean. But in 2003 a devastating boiler room explosion killed eight crew members while the ssNorway was docked in Miami.
After being towed to Germany for repairs, NCL's chief executive appeared to do a U-turn announcing the ssNorway would never sail again. The ship was towed to Malaysia where she floated until she was bought for scrapping in Bangladesh.
But, after a vociferous campaign by the environmental group Greenpeace, which branded the ssNorway as one of the world's 50 most 'toxic' ships, this February the Bangladeshi government refused to let the liner enter its waters. Greenpeace says the 1,000 tons of asbestos used as fire retardant in the ship make her an environmental hazard.
However, the Project Dubai team say the asbestos is only a hazard if the ship is broken up. Under their plans, the liner would be professional decontaminated by asbestos experts who would either seal the asbestos safely inside a rubberized 'case' or where it must be removed, have it dealt with using the 'highest international standards for decontamination'. The boat would then be completely refitted and then towed to a permanent mooring in Dubai to start its new life as a hotel, conference center and tourist attraction.
Project Dubai investors have persuaded the new owners of the ssNorway, a Liberian shell company called Bridgend Shipping and a consortium of Indian breakers called Haryana Steel, to meet with them to discuss selling the liner and saving her from the scrapheap.
In the meantime, the Norway has been renamed the 'Blue Lady' for her last voyage, which began on June 14 in Fujairah, where she apparently took on new crew and supplies before setting off for India.
The ssNorway/Blue Lady will not be allowed to dock in India until a government inspection has been carried out to assess the extent of the asbestos in the ship. In the meantime, the liner is sitting approximately 100 miles off the coast waiting to hear if she will be scrapped or saved.
Project Dubai investors are now urgently trying to conclude a rescue deal. The Khaleej Times understands Project Dubai offers would give the Indian breakers around a $3 million profit for not scrapping the vessel.
The Project Dubai goal is to meet a favorable price and terms and conditions that leave everyone happy," said Voet. We are optimistic of reaching an agreement that leaves everyone happy."
Voet said in selecting and drafting the business plan for Project Dubai, the investors had followed Vice President and Prime Minister Muhammad bin Rashid al-Maktum's vision for creating quality venues and attractions in Dubai to attract high quality, international visitors.
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Friday, June 16, 2006
First All-Gay QM2 Atlantic Crossing
http://www.nysun.com/article/34520
LONDON - Queen Mary 2, the flagship of the Cunard fleet, has been chartered to make the first gays-only trans-Atlantic cruise. The liner will carry 2,600 gay and lesbian holidaymakers on a six-day crossing to Southampton, England, from New York.
The cruise was booked in America to show support for Britain's decision to allow civil partnerships for homosexual couples. Cunard refused to comment on the charter of its luxury liner, named by Queen Elizabeth two years ago and, until recently, the largest liner afloat.
LONDON - Queen Mary 2, the flagship of the Cunard fleet, has been chartered to make the first gays-only trans-Atlantic cruise. The liner will carry 2,600 gay and lesbian holidaymakers on a six-day crossing to Southampton, England, from New York.
The cruise was booked in America to show support for Britain's decision to allow civil partnerships for homosexual couples. Cunard refused to comment on the charter of its luxury liner, named by Queen Elizabeth two years ago and, until recently, the largest liner afloat.