Enjoy Free Taste of Holland America

A complimentary three-course lunch and free reign to explore one of Holland America Line’s luxury cruise ships is being offered by silvertraveladvisor.com, the new `over 50s’ travel review and advice website.

Regular cruisers and first timers alike can choose from nine dates and visit one of three of the line’s ships, Eurodam (May 22, June 3, July 9 and August 12), Ryndam (May 21, July 24 and August 7) and Rotterdam (May 31 and September 20).

The day also includes free parking at the port of Dover, with embarkation at 9.30am, a morning spent exploring the ship and a special three-course lunch on board, followed by a presentation before disembarkation at 2pm.

The offer is open to all Silver Travel Advisor members. To join this growing travel forum for over 50s, simply visit www.silvertraveladvisor.com and register, then e-mail service@silvertraveladvisor.com, stating which date and ship visit you are interested in, and the number of places required.

For more info, www.silvertraveladvisor.com or, for Holland America cruises, check with specialist cruise agents the Cruise Line Ltd.

World of Cruising - Winter edition now out!

The Winter edition of World of Cruising magazine is now out, and is chock-full of great feature, reviews and news on our favourite subject.

The headline story takes us to the Canadian Arctic with Inuit Indian operation Cruise North Expeditions, while we also visit the Falklands, South Africa, the wonderful Danube - and the Trans-Siberia Railroad!

Among our ship features are the new Queen Elizabeth and Le Boreal, the classic Athena and Sea Cloud and the modern cuisine style of Holland America's Noordam, plus a look at wine-themed cruising and Winter fashion. We also have our essential and original (often imitated but never equalled) Cruise Planner - a gazetteer of all the main cruise liens and their ships.

It all adds up to the best read on the wide world of cruising anywhere, with the best writers, the most eye-catching design and the most accurate and up-to-date info. Happy reading!

Oh, and a very Merry Christmas to all Time Spent at Sea readers - you are a growing bunch these days, and we look forward to seeing even more of you in 2011!!

- Simon Veness, Editor

Spectacular Anchorage

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Well, the Gold Rush may be long over, but there is another stampede starting to happen as more and more dedicated cruisers discover the natural wonders of Alaska.

Imagine standing on your private veranda watching humpbacked whales breaching, eagles soaring above you and then being one of the privileged few on Earth to spend a whole day in Glacier Bay National Park.

All of these - and much more - are now available from Holland America's 2011 Alaska cruise programme. The company have been cruising to Alaska longer than anyone else and also take tours into Canada's Yukon territory.

But it's the way that these comfortable mid-size ships seem dwarfed by snow-capped mountains that literally sit on the shoreline that stays longest in your memory here.

There are a wide range of cruises on offer in this marvellous area of the world, where names like Seattle, Anchorage, British Columbia and Vancouver are all steeped in Northwest history, to become vivid memories along with many of the smaller coastal places such as Kodiak, Skagway and Homer, still clinging to their pioneer heritage.

The scenery on this tour is simply breathtaking, from the stunning glaciers to the sheer beauty of sailing through the Inside Passage - a collection of islands and channels running along the coast (see above).

And, if you want to do your bit for the environment, Holland America have an excellent online check-in system as well to cut out on all that unnecessary paper.

Celebrity Push Boat Out For Pre-Packaged Drinks

Celebrity Cruises are busy patting themselves on the back with their latest initiative under the rather cumbersome 'Designed for You' marketing platform, but they may well have something.

Several operators (Royal Caribbean for soft drinks, Holland America with their Signature Cocktails Card) have already dabbled in the pre-packaged drinks option, but no-one seems to have done it with such a key eye as Celebrity, who released a big press announcement about it earlier today.

If you can filter out the self-congratulatory tone, it read:

MIAMI, May 3, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --Discerning cruisers have long applauded Celebrity Cruises for its award-winning ships' ability to deliver outstanding service, world-class cuisine and enriching activities in a stylish atmosphere. Now, inspired by its "Designed for you" brand platform and guests' positive response to being able to pre-book aspects of their cruise vacation such as shore excursions and specialty dining reservations, Celebrity has created a way for guests to purchase a variety of beverage packages before their cruise.

"We took our guests' favorite beverages and bundled them into packages that are simple to order from home," said Jacques Van Staden, Vice President, Culinary Operations. "By the time guests board the ship, they can relax knowing that their favorite drinks are arranged for; they can then focus on enjoying themselves in the spa, exploring destinations through shore excursions, or simply lounging by the pool."

What it all means in real terms is as follows. Celebrity has created 4 beverage packages - two 'classic' options and two 'premium' options.

The "Classic Non-Alcoholic Package" features soft drinks, bottled and fresh-squeezed juices, premium coffee and bottled water, and is available at $14.95/person, per day.

The "Premium Non-Alcoholic Package" includes everything in the classic non-alcoholic package but adds speciality non-alcoholic coffee drinks, name-brand bottled water, canned energy drinks and flavoured bottled water, smoothies and frozen non-alcoholic drinks, at $18.40/person, per day.

Celebrity's "Classic Package" features everything in the classic non-alcoholic package, plus beers with a value of up to $5 per serving and spirits, cocktails and wines by the glass with a value of up to $8 per serving. It costs $44.85/person, per day.

The "Premium Package" features all the beverages in the non-alcoholic package plus all beers, spirits, cocktails and wines by the glass with a value of up to $12 per serving, and costs $56.35/person, per day. All prices include a standard 15% service charge.

My only question would be: Would people really spend $57/day under normal circumstances (making sure they have at least 5 drinks a day)? Alternatively, would it encourage more people to drink WAY too much?

Of more interest, perhaps are Celebrity's wine packages, which can also be pre-booked. These include the "Sommelier's Package," the choice of a 3, 5 or 7-bottle lineup of premium wines; a wider variety in a "Captain's Package"; or a "Build Your Own" package designed for those who want to maximize their taste in wine while enjoying a discount (at $114, $148.50 and $225 per package).

The "Build Your Own" package allows connoisseurs to select three upper-range bottles of wine that each cost at least $75 and enjoy a 15% discount. Bottles of wine in any of Celebrity's wine packages can be uncorked in one onboard venue, then recorked and stored until the guest is ready to reopen them.

Celebrity's beverage packages, which are sold on a per-person basis, can be purchased up to 4 days before sailing, via the line's website, www.celebritycruises.com/beveragepackages.

Guests also can access the ordering system via a link in Celebrity's electronic pre-cruise documents, which also provide links to facilitate pre-cruise booking of other offerings such as shore excursions, speciality dining reservations and main dining room preferences. However, guests can also purchase the beverage packages onboard after sailing.

When a guest pre-purchases a beverage package, it will flag the check-in system to add corresponding graphic icons per package to the guest's SeaPass card. A guest will simply need to present his or her SeaPass card in bars, restaurants or by the pool, to enjoy the pre-purchased package.

The packages will become available between May 14 and 21, as ships have different launch dates for the new packages. Celebrity Xpedition, the 92-passenger vessel sailing year-round in the Galapagos Islands, already offers complimentary alcoholic beverages and soft drinks as part of the all-inclusive fare. The wine packages are not available on Celebrity's Solstice-class ships.

Europe Or Bust!

The charge is on - and European waters may never be the same again!

That is to say, there will be more ships in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas than ever before, and the cruise menu will be bulging at the rivets with possibilities for April-October 2011.

For reasons that even the cruise industry seems to be struggling to explain (although it may have something to do with lower port duties and fees in many of the ports, as opposed to Alaska), there will be an absolute plethora of maritime options throughout Europe next year.

As if the high numbers and record-breaking volume of the cruise capacity in 2010 isn't enough, many lines are going a step further in 12 months' time. And it is not just the mass-market operators - everyone is at it, including upmarket companies like Oceania Cruises and the Yachts of Seabourn.

One by one, from Princess to NCL to Holland America to Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, the lines have announced increased capacity, more ports of call and enhanced itineraries. It is not so much a rush as an ocean-going stampede - and the cruise customer stands to benefit enormously.

There are already some handsomely attractive advance deals (like Oceania offering two-for-one pricing), and they could well become the norm in the coming months as this year fills up and people start to look at 2011.

Here's how the 'big boys' of the cruise business are shaping up:

Princess Cruises: 7 ships, with 106 itineraries, 42 of which are brand new.

Celebrity Cruises: 3 of their Solstice-class vessels will be in Europe for the first time

NCL: 3 ships, based uniquely in Copenhagen (Norwegian Sun), Barcelona (the new Norwegian Epic) and Venice (Norwegian Jade).

Royal Caribbean: a stunning 10 ships, visiting 78 ports on 109 different itineraries.

Holland America: 7 ships - including 2 of their largest Signature-class - offering 15 maiden ports of call and 16 overnight ports.

And that is before you consider the 'resident' European specialists like P&O, Fred. Olsen, Costa, MSC Cruises and Thomson.

It is an amazing line-up of cruise-going hardware - in excess of 60 vessels all featuring European itineraries - and it all serves to underline, yet again, that the best holiday choice remains a cruise choice.

Or, in the words of a famous politician, You've never had it so good. Or so varied!

Great choice for 2010

We're accustomed to a wonderful variety of new ships to look forward to each year, but 2010 promises to deliver an absolutely bumper crop of newbuilds, as much for their variety as anything else.

From the 150,000-ton Norwegian Epic (above, with its Aqua Park) and the 220,000-ton Allure of the Seas (sister to the recent Oasis), to the boutique little Independence of American Cruise Lines (3,000 tons) and the chic Le Boreal of Compagnie du Ponant (10,600 tons), this is a line-up that truly offers something for everyone.

The year starts with the latest vessel for Costa Cruises, the Costa Deliziosa, a sister to the Luminosa and the second in this intermediate class of ship for the Italian-based line. MSC Cruises then add the MSC Magnifica, the fourth in their Musica-class vessel, and their 10th ship in all. Quite an upgrade on their traditional, three-ship fleet of just nine years ago!

Celebrity follow up with Celebrity Eclipse in April, the third in their growing and impressive Solstice-class, and, in the same month, P&O Cruises add their biggest ship to date, the 116,000-ton Azura.

May should be a big month for small-ship lovers, with the arrival of the Independence to boost their unique style of American river and coastal cruising. This will be the third vessel of this style and it is obviously proving a big successful with those who enjoy their cruising small-scale.

Le Boreal is the other attractive smaller option, with a truly sumptuous new look for this chic French line. Well worth considering in 2010.

The pace doesn't slow down in June, though, as we welcome the huge Epic of NCL (their biggest-ever ship) and the Seabourn Sojourn of the Yachts of Seabourn, who made a huge splash (ho, ho!) in 2009 with their Odyssey, a ship hailed as a real 'game-changer' in the deluxe end of the cruise market.

Holland America join the newbuild party in July with their Nieuw Amsterdam, an old name for their latest and possibly their smartest (and the fourth ship actually to bear that name) to date. A sister to the Eurodam, this will be the 81st vessel to enter HAL service. Quite a run!

The autumn sees the arrival of Allure of the Seas, and the second of the mind-boggling Project Genesis series of Royal Caribbean. Our World of Cruising magazine hailed Oasis as 'the world's first space ship' recently, as a tribute to both the space-age look and huge amount of space involved in this vessel, and Allure should provide more of the same. Or, as I said last month - It's a cruise ship, Jim, but not as we know it!

One ship which I will be eagerly awaiting is the new Marina of Oceania Cruises in October, with this smart, upmarket line promising to deliver a mid-range ship full of innovation and style and providing a real challenge to the ultra-deluxe lines but with a slightly lower price tag. Definitely one to watch.

Finally, venerable Cunard will debut their latest offering the new Queen Elizabeth toward the end of the year, a 92,000-ton vessel that will maintain the line's great tradition but build on the modern styling that the Queen Victoria showed us last year, or 'the gracious new Cunarder,' as they like to say.

So, if that little lot isn't enough to get everyone excited about the possibilities for cruising in 2010, I don't know what will.

Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy Cruise New Year!

From Shining Century to Admirable Equinox

Southampton has played host all week to the new Celebrity Equinox, the second of the cruise line's Solstice-class ships and the first to be named in the UK.

And the initial review, feedback and gossip all suggest one thing - this is a HUGE success for Celebrity that brings them firmly back into the front rank of cruise ship hierarchy once again. Back in the limelight, and loving it!

I vividly remember all the hype and hoopla around their Century class ships back in 1995/96, when then Celebrity chief John Chandris led various press trips to the superb Meyer Werft shipyard at Papenburg, Germany.

The Century itself, quickly followed by the slightly larger Mercury and Galaxy (the latter of which is now sailing for TUI Cruises as Mein Schiff), proved to be something of a revolutionary vessel, breaking the existing mould of other new-builds at that time which were either horribly traditional and dull (P&O, NCL) or outrageously garish (Carnival).

For the first time, here was a new, European-styled cruise ship which was completely modern and stylish but also kept things in perspective, maintaining a solid cruise tradition with some revolutionary touches like their AquaSpa, expansive Sky Suites and a grand, two-level main Dining Room that offered a truly classic touch.

The Century was a beautiful ship to sail on, big enough to provide a choice in almost evertything you did but small enough to be comfortable and highly quality-conscious. You never felt you were on a vessel of 70,000-plus tons, and her two sisters were equally impressive.

The follow-up Millennium-class quartet slightly lost the plot, however. They weren't massively bigger at 91,000 tons compared to 71,000/77,000 but there was something horribly bulky and blockish about their design. The smooth, refined service which was a notable feature of the Century-class vessels wasn't quite so smooth and the standout feature of their main dining and alternative dining didn't measure up the line's Chandris-era standards.

Celebrity needed a game-changer to put them back at the forefront of the current welter of new-builds (greater quality from Carnival; more glitz from Costa; huge diversity from NCL; extra glamour from Holland America; and more of everything from Princess) and they opted to go for the bigger-still policy.

November 2008 saw the advent of the 122,000-ton Celebrity Solstice, a kind of combination of the original Century series and Royal Caribbean's massive Voyager-class. But this time, instead of just enlarging the blueprint and losing the focus, Celebrity kept things sharply in line, adding new features like their AquaClass staterooms and manicured Lawn Club (a surprisingly attractive novelty) and a truly indulgent alternative dining line-up.

Now, without allowing any grass (ho, ho) to grow under their feet, the line has made sure their new series is showcased firmly for the UK audience, hence the 7-day Southampton prelude to her first full inaugural sailing.

And it really looks like they have a massive hit on their hands. The travel trade has been suitably wowed, the grand Southampton naming ceremony was a complete headline-grabber and a 'taster' cruise for an assemblage of cruise and travel writers also seems to have been wamly received.

There is a good reason for this, of course. In April 2010 the third of these glamorous new-builds, Celebrity Eclipse, will hove into view and take up semi-permanent residence in Southampton for a seven-month season, becoming a 'British' ship in all but name (Equinox is off for a summer season in the Med shortly).

Celebrity badly needed Equinox to blaze an impressive trail for Solstice to follow. And, by the look of the past 7 days, they have achieved all that, and more besides.

An admirable Equinox indeed.