Blogging from Arles

We arrived in Arles yesterday morning.  We flew into Marseilles, and had private transfers from the airport to Arles, a ride that took about 50 minutes.

Arles has proved to be a wonderful Roman city.  We are staying at the 3 Star Le Calendal Hotel.  It is located directly in the heart of the city, right across the street from the Roman Theater and adjacent to the Roman Amphitheater.  The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful.  Though we arrived 2 hours before check-in, the hotel graciously offered to store our luggage.  We settled in the hotel's shaded courtyard for what turned out to be a delicious meal.  Mine was chicken tourenedo (?), consisting of rolled chicken breast with an olive paste, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a side of roasted vegetables.  As promised, the rooms were ready right at 2, and were furnished in typical Provence style.  Bright colors, spacious, and beautiful bathrooms made this hotel a real find, combined with its central location, make this hotel a real find.

Arles is a wonderful city.  After we finished our lunch, we set out to explore.  First stop was the Roman Theater.  Built in 90 A.D., it had a capacity of 20,000.  The Amphitheater is a remarkably-preserved ruin.  We also browsed the markets lining the streets.  Table linens, soaps, and pottery, standard and beautiful fare for Provence, were typical finds.  Later in the evening, we enjoyed a delightful meal at an outdoor cafe directly across from the Amphitheater, and then a late-night stroll down to the Rhone River.  We located our Uniworld ship which we are boarding today.

I will write more later.  In the meantime, follow my trip on Twitter, complete with pictures, at www.Twitter.com/CruisePallette.

Azamara Club Cruises' New Approach -- A Review

(By Jim Work) -- This post is long overdue.  In April, I had the pleasure of joining the top-producing Cruise Holidays stores on Cruise Holidays International’s 2010 President’s Circle cruise aboard the Azamara Club Journey.  This was my first experience aboard Azamara, and it was the debut cruise for Azamara’s more inclusive onboard amenities.

I sailed aboard Azamara with an admitted bias towards its top competitor, Oceania Cruises.  After all, I have experienced Oceania Cruises on three prior occasions, and I am a top 50 producer for Oceania.  Nevertheless, I was favorably impressed with Azamara.  I believe it is adequately distinguishing itself from Oceania, and serving a niche market in its own right.

To its credit, Azamara Club Cruises recognized it needed a make over.   Since its inception in 2006 by Royal Caribbean International as its upper premium brand, Azamara had struggled to define itself.  If foundered as an almost step-sister to Royal Caribbean’s already-established premium brand, Celebrity Cruises.  Mention Azamara, and people would say “hah?”

Royal Caribbean decided to shake things up.  It hired Larry Pimentel, a noted expert in the Cruise Industry.  Pimentel joined Azamara with 25 years of distinguished experience in the industry.  He served as CEO and co-owner of SeaDream Yacht Club, an intimate line catering to the high-end market.  Prior to that, Pimentel served as President and CEO of Cunard and Seabourn.  He had also been named as among the 25 most influential travel executives in America.  Azamara gave Pimentel wide latitude to recruit the industry’s top talent and make sweeping changes among the line’s small fleet consisting of just 2 ships.

Pimentel immediately recognized the need to separate the line in the market, creating a more upmarket experience.  The result – the first upper premium line to include complimentary wine at lunch and dinner, complimentary gratuities, and complimentary port-to-city-center transfers.  It also scrap many itineraries, and adopted a more port-intensive approach, giving its guests the luxury of more overnights and long port stays with fewer sea days.  These changes aimed squarely at attracting a more sophisticated cruiser, one seeking the cultural and educational aspects of travel.

I was aboard the Journey for 10 days.  I found the ship remarkably familiar from my experiences aboard Oceania.  In fact, the ships are nearly identical, as both Oceania and Azamara purchased their ships from the now defunct upscale Renaissance line.  Azamara has managed to squeeze a few more staterooms aboard, carrying a maximum of 694 guests, compared to Oceania 684 maximum capacity.  It also carries fewer staff, offering still an impressive guest-to-staff ratio of 2 to 1 compared to Oceania’s 1.75 to 1.  Nevertheless, I found the service to be above average, with only a few hiccups along the way.  For the most part, these occurred in the dining room.  For example, on occasion in the specialty dining restaurant, our water glasses remained empty for too long, and our meals at times were not prepared to our liking.  Despite these minor hiccups, the service far surpassed Royal Caribbean’s other two brands, and was better than most other premium lines.

My accommodation was a luxurious Sky Suite.  In addition to ample space of more than 300 square feet, the room also boasted true butler service.  Among other things, the butler provided service for 2 private parties I hosted in my room, and, had I asked him to, would have even unpacked my luggage.  The balcony was large, accommodating a full-size table for dining, 2 chairs, and 1 lounge chair.  The bathroom too was luxurious, consisting of a bathtub with shower.

The entertainment aboard was surprisingly good.  Unlike some other lines of this size, Azamara offers full production shows.  Of course, the ship also has a host of small venue entertainment to include piano, comedy, and even an opera singer.

Like Oceania Cruises and most lines in the luxury market, dining is open.  Guests dine where and with whom they like.  Azamara’s dining, however, is a bit different from Oceania Cruises.  The main dining room is complimentary of course.  Its two specialty restaurants – Prime C and Aqualina – are not.  Their fee is a nominal $15 per person for guests not booked in suites (suite guests may dine complimentary in the specialty restaurants with no limit).  The fee is similar to what is found on most other cruise lines for their specialty restaurants.  The quality of the food I found as a whole to be very good, and indeed the main dining room’s cuisine was consistently as good as the food served in the specialty dining restaurants.

What I like most about a line like Azamara and Oceania is the size.  With fewer than 700 guests aboard, it is simply an elevated experience over larger cruise lines.  I especially appreciated this when using the pool on hot days (we were in the Caribbean).   Never a wait for a lounge chair, and nowhere on the ship did it ever feel crowded.

I recommend Azamara Club Cruises for adults looking for an upscale but certainly not stuffy cruising experience.  It also is an excellent venue for groups, as it offers complimentary use of meeting rooms and equipment.  One cautionary note:  Azamara Club Cruises (like Oceania Cruises) has no children's programs aboard.  Children are permitted aboard, but bear in mind Azamara’s focus is on providing a upmarket experience focused on destination.

Oceania Cruises Releases 2011 Alaska Itineraries

For the first time ever, Oceania Cruises will be sailing Alaska in 2011.  Its Alaska season will featuring 10, 12, and 14 night cruises with departures from May 12 to August 26, 2011.  Itineraries will be port intensive, and will include 14-night San Francisco round trip; 12 night San Francisco to Vancouver and reverse; 12 night Vancouver to Anchorage and reverse; and 10-night Vancouver round trip cruises.  As always, Oceania's introductory rates are the lowest they will ever be, and are offered at 2-for-1 rates and free airfare from select gateway cities across the United States and Canada.

Preferred Oceania Cruises' travel agencies likely have enhanced amenity offers that include prepaid gratuities and shipboard credit.  Cruise Holidays Luxury Cruise Counselors is offering these, plus a complimentary shore excursion valued at up to $100 per person if booked by May 15, 2010.  Click here for details.

Rates are valid until August 31, 2010.  Given the anticipated heavy demand for these new itineraries, many expect these itineraries to sell out much sooner than August 31st.  Guests can book with a deposit of $750 per person.

Silver Spirit: Silversea's Newest (and largest) Ship.

The Silver Spirit debuted in 2010, completing a full World Cruise as its first voyage.  The World Cruise terminated in New York, New York, on Thursday, April 22, 2010.  I was fortunate enough to receive one of a very few number of coveted invitations for an overnight stay aboard the Silver Spirit before it sailed off on a 14-night Transatlantic to Southampton, England.

Though one night is not nearly enough to get a complete flavor for what sailing aboard the Silver Spirit would be like, it certainly provided me with an introduction to this newest of Silversea's fleet.  The ship holds a maximum of 540 guests, with a gross tonnage of 36,000 tons.  It is the largest ship in Silversea's 6-ship fleet.  With a space ratio of 67:1, it provides guests onboard one of the largest space ratios of any cruise ship.  It also offers a complement of 376 crew members, for a guest-to-staff ratio of just 1.4 to 1.

Unlike the other ships in the fleet, the Spirit boasts an art decor theme throughout, with rich woods, deep burgundy carpets, and inlaid brass.  It offers a total of 6 onboard dining venue.  Aside from the main restaurant, the ship offers unique alternative dining choices depending on what appeals to you on any given evening.  La Tarrazza is often the choice for breakfast and lunch.  Meals are served buffet, Silversea style.  In other words, while guests select their meal through a buffet line, Silversea's attentive staff escorts guests to their seats.  The dinner, too, is served buffet style but features gourmet Italian cuisine.  I dined in La Tarrazza for breakfast, and I would rate it among the highest in terms of quality of the breakfasts I've had on any cruise line on which I have sailed (and there have been many).  Fresh breads, cheeses, bacon, homemade omelettes, fresh fruits, and pastries all comprised the tempting choices.  La Tarrazza, positioned at the back of the ship, also offers panoramic views with no doubt amazing sunset viewing.  There is no fee to dine in La Tarrazza, but reservations are required for dinner.

Another alternative dining choice includes Stars.  Stars is a Supper Club-style restaurant that seats just 48 guests, requiring reservations.  Like La Tarrazza, however, there is no fee to dine here.  Guests arrive early for cocktails, dinner is served around 9, and the entertainment begins at 10.

Two specialy restaurants require a fee:  Seishin and Le Champagne.  Seishin serves up Sushi and Asian specialties.  Depending on the courses you select, the cost will range from $30 to $200 per person.  Le Champagne offers just 24 guests per night a set menu which varies daily paired with some of the world's finest wines hand selected for the meal.  This is where I was privileged to dine on Thursday evening.  The cost for Le Champagne is a steep $200 per person for the food and wine pairing dinner, which seemed a bit too high to me.  The food and wine were good, but for me they would not have been worth the added cost.  I'm not sure my judgment here, though, is accurate because the waiter did caution me and my table mates that the wine and dinner we were served were not the same as would be served to paying guests. 

The entertainment aboard Silversea is highly rated, and did not disappoint.  The show, titled The Age of Aquarius, I would rate as excellent, and certainly among the best of any shows I have seen on a ship.  The singers were talented, and played their roles well.  The show featured a broad selection of popular music from the 1960s, which squarely aimed at Silversea's Baby Boomer demographic.  It took place in Silversea's very comfortable theater, aptly named The Show Lounge.  Interestingly, The Show Lounge is pretty intimate for a theater, holding just 340 (or only 60% of the Spirit's total guest capacity). 

Nightly entertainment also is offered up in numerous other intimate venues throughout the ship, whether your taste is jazz, piano, or easy listening.  After the show, we made our way to the Panorama Lounge, so named because of its panoramic views off the back of the ship.  The Panorama Lounge converts to Silversea's nightly disco, with a DJ spinning tunes that ranged from rock from throughout the ages to true disco and country music.  The drinks flow liberally here, as even during regular cruises the alcohol is included.  The amazing Silversea crew members never allowed our glasses to be more than half empty before offering us another drink.  While certainly a great testament to Silversea's incomparable service levels, such free-flowing alcohol can be dangerous...be forewarned!!

The Spirit also includes an 8300 square foot spa and fitness center, making it the largest of the spas on Silversea's fleet.  It includes 9 treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms, and an outdoor hot tub off the back of the ship.

Finally, the staterooms on Silversea are luxurious and well appointed.  All staterooms aboard are considered suites, with the minimum square footage of 312 square feet.  They include a bathroom that is roughly twice the size or more of the average cruise ship bathroom.  All bathrooms include a large shower, separate soaking tub, stylish real marble and wood laminate floor, and attractive vessel sink.  Other luxurious appointments included a full walk-in closet, an iPod speaker, and two flat screen televisions integrated into floor-to-ceiling mirrors:  one in the separate sitting area, and the other directly in front of the bed.  The room includes ample storage space, constructed of tasteful inlaid wood. 

Some things to keep in mind about Silversea.  Silversea draws only about 50% of its guests on any given cruise from North America.  The others come from Europe, Australia, and across the globe.  For guests who desire a true international experience, this is a huge bonus.  The drawback:  Silversea's liberal smoking policy.  Bucking the trend of other cruise lines, many of whom have gone to complete bands or otherwise very restrictive smoking policies, Silversea does permit smoking in most bars and lounges. 

Overall, anyone who chooses to sail aboard the Silver Spirit will be rewarded with an extraordinary level of service, excellent cuisine, and a memorable vacation.  I do highly recommend it.

Volcano Reeks Havoc on Cruises Too

The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano has left millions of would-be passengers stranded for days at airports around the world, but the ripple effects have been enormous for cruise passengers too.  For North Americans, April typically marks the early season for European sailings.  The grounded flights have left cruise passengers already in Europe scrambling to find flights home, and others preparing to leave the States and Canada with no way to arrive at their embarkation ports.

Cruise lines consider the eruption, rightfully so, a force majeure or Act of God.  Even passengers who purchase insurance through the cruise lines are finding little comfort.  The cruise line's insurance, nearly universally, considers the eruption a non-covered event.  Here is what we have learned about some of the big cruise lines, and how they are responding to the travel disruptions:

Royal Caribbean is offering clients who purchased airfare through Royal Caribbean with assistance rerouting their flights, and, if not possible, will refund clients who are unable to make their cruise because of flight cancellations.  Alternatively, clients can elect a future cruise.  Clients who purchased insurance through Royal Caribbean, but not airfare, however, are not covered and stand to lose the full value of their cruise.

Princess Cruises has a statement on its website advising its clients to check with their air carriers on flights.  It provides that clients who are able to join their cruise mid-itinerary should notify Princess.  Princess is offering a per diem refund for the number of days missed for clients who join mid-cruise, which will be applied to the clients' shipboard account.  Please note that this concession applies only to those who are able to join their cruise mid-itinerary.  Those who miss their cruise are subject to normal cancellation penalties.

Silversea Cruises is imposing standard cancellation penalties regardless of whether clients are using airfare provided by Silversea, or arranged airfare independently.  Moreover, as with the other lines, insurance purchased through the cruise line does not cover disruptions and cancellations caused by the volcano.  Silversea, however, has advised us that they are reviewing each client on a case-by-case basis, so it is best to work with your travel professional to attempt to receive some concession from Silversea.

These cruise lines are representative of cruise line industry as a whole.  There are two lessons to be learned from this eruption:

    -First, buy independent travel insurance on every trip.  This event reveals big gaps in the insurance coverage offered by the cruise lines.  Clients who purchased insurance through Travel Guard, for example, are protected against flight disruptions and cancellations (provided they purchased the insurance before the disruptions occurred).  Travel Guard, as do some other independent travel insurers such as Access America, has a 24-hour dedicated flight desk to assist their customers with flight disruptions, and will refund the cost of the cruise if a customer is unable to make the cruise because of the volcano.

  -Second, this is one instance where having the cruise line's air is beneficial.  Cruise lines that are offering any protection at all are doing so only for clients who purchased airfare through the cruise lines.