November 2009 Archives

Zagat recently released the results of its first cruise line survey revealing that travelers named Crystal Cruises as their "favorite" among mid-sized ships. The ultra-luxury line was also the winner for Top Facilities and Top Activities.

The survey, conducted on ZAGAT.com, covers 22 major cruise lines as voted on by 2,379 regular cruisers.

The announcement comes less than a month after Conde Nast Traveler readers voted Crystal Cruises as the "Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" for a 16th year and, in August, Travel + Leisure readers voted the ultra-luxury line as the "World's Best" for a 14th consecutive year. Crystal Cruises has also recently been awarded Best Luxury Line by editors at Cruise Critic, trade magazines and leading travel agents.

"We are very pleased that experienced cruisers are rating Crystal as their favorite," says Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises. "The choices of sophisticated facilities and the array and quality of activities aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are resonating with guests who want their port experience embellished with an interesting and fulfilling shipboard experience."

Crystal Cruises' ultra-luxurious Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony are renowned for their service, space, quality and choices, as well as innovations and value. In 2010, Crystal Cruises celebrates its 20th anniversary with an array of value-added promotions, including two-for-one pricing, up to $1,000 per person All Inclusive - As You Wish spending credits, free airfare with most cruises and a price guarantee. The ships sail worldwide on itineraries through the Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand, Southeast Asia, India, Middle East, Baltic, British Isles, North Cape, Africa, South America, Panama Canal, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and New England/Canada. New seven-day cruises in 2010 complement a variety longer itineraries offer more choices to sample the line's lauded Crystal Experience.

SOURCE Crystal Cruises

Cunard, Regent and SeaDream Are Top Rated, Respectively, for Large, Mid-Size and Small Ships While Royal Caribbean, Crystal and Windstar are Most Popular in Each Size Category

Carnival Wins for Budget Travel and Singles; Disney for Families, Nightlife and Entertainment

When it Comes to Top Itinerary Choices, Romance, Shopping, Spas and Casinos, Cunard Sweeps

Zagat released the results of its first Cruise Line survey today. The survey, conducted on ZAGAT.com, covers 22 major cruise lines as voted on by 2,379 regular cruise-goers who had taken 9.5 trips, each averaging nine days. All told the surveyors had taken a total of 22,700 separate cruises.

"The survey reveals what the cruise line industry is doing plenty right, but that there's still room for improvement," said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey. "Hopefully, these new results will help consumers during a time when making informed decisions is more important than ever."

Background: The cruise lines in the survey were categorized as follows: Large Ships (1,500+ passengers), Mid-Size Ships (200 to 1,500) and Small Ships (less than 200), based on the average size of the ships in its fleet. Each line was then rated on Zagat's signature 30-point scale for five aspects of its performance: (1) Cabins, (2) Service, (3) Dining, (4) Facilities and (5) Shipboard Activities, with an "Overall Score" based on an average of the five separate ratings.

Smooth Sailing: The top cruise lines, based on their Overall Scores, are Cunard Line (Large), Regent Seven Seas (Mid-Size) and SeaDream Yacht Club (Small). Lines with mid-size ships tended to get the highest overall ratings. Thus, following Regent were Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea all with a score of 26 out of a possible 30. Following with overall rating of 25 are Cunard and Disney. Based on their ratings, the major category winners are as shown below:

                   Large (1,500+)  Mid-Size (200 to 1,500)  Small (<200)
                   -------------  ----------------------   -----------
    Top Rooms          Cunard              Regent            SeaDream
    ---------          ------              ------            --------
    Top Service        Cunard             Seabourn           SeaDream
    -----------        ------             --------           --------
    Top Dining         Cunard             Seabourn           SeaDream
    ----------         ------             --------           --------
    Top Facilities     Cunard              Crystal           SeaDream
    --------------     ------              -------           --------
    Top Activities     Disney              Crystal           Lindblad
    --------------     ------              -------           --------
    Top Overall        Cunard              Regent            SeaDream
    -----------        ------              ------            --------

When asked to name their personal favorites, the surveyors chose Royal Caribbean (Large), Crystal Cruises (Mid-Size) and Windstar Cruises (Small).

Setting Course: When choosing a cruise line, 88% of surveyors say that Ports of Call is their principal consideration, with Past Experience (81%) and Ticket Price (80%) following close behind. Other major issues are Cruise Duration (72%), Dates (69%) and Balcony/Deluxe Room Availability (64%). Departure Ports are cited by 61% of surveyors, with Ship Size and Activities tying at 58%.

Staying Afloat: As a result of the recession, many lines lowered their prices. The three named as "best for budget cruises" are Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in that order. When asked how the economy has affected their cruising, 47% say they're looking for better values, while 23% report cruising less. Surveyors report these alternate ways to be cost-conscious: 20% are limiting their excursions, 19% are choosing cruises that depart closer to home, 15% cut back on what's included in their packages, 10% choose less expensive rooms and 5% take shorter cruises. A lucky 18% say the recession hasn't affected their cruising habits, while an unlucky 19% say they "don't cruise enough to have habits yet."

Choppy Water: Although cruising is all about feeling good and relaxing, we asked surveyors about their top complaints: crowds/lines (23%), embarking/disembarking (15%), other passengers' behavior (12%), bad food (11%), poor service (11%), room sizes (5%), smoking (4%) and extra charges (3%). Surprisingly, bad weather, motion sickness, ship size and fixed dining times were not serious concerns.

More Winners: Other categories with smoother sailing are as follows:

    Top Fitness Centers              Top Live Entertainment

    1.  Celebrity Cruises            1.  Disney Cruise Line
    2.  Cunard Line                  2.  Cunard Line
    3.  Royal Caribbean              3.  Royal Caribbean


    Top Nightlife                    Top Spa Services

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Disney Cruise Line
    3.  Cunard Line                  3.  Celebrity Cruises


    Top Onboard Shopping             Top Casinos/Gambling

    1.  Cunard Line                  1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Disney Cruise Line           2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Royal Caribbean              3.  Celebrity Cruises


    Top Excursions                   Best for Singles

    1.  Princess Cruises             1.  Carnival Cruise Lines
    2.  Celebrity Cruises            2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Cunard Line                  3.  Norwegian Cruise Line


    Top Itinerary Choices            Best for Romantic/Honeymoon

    1.  Cunard Line                  1.  Cunard Line
    2.  Holland America Line         2.  Celebrity Cruises
    3.  Celebrity Cruises            3.  Princess Cruises


    Best for Kids                    Best for Weekend Getaways

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Disney Cruise Line
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Royal Caribbean
    3.  Carnival Cruise Lines        3.  Carnival Cruise Lines


    Best for Families                Best for Budget Cruises

    1.  Disney Cruise Line           1.  Carnival Cruise Lines
    2.  Royal Caribbean              2.  Costa Cruises
    3.  Carnival Cruise Lines        3.  Norwegian Cruise Line


    Best for Seniors                 Best for Expedition Cruises

    1.  Holland America Line         1.  Celebrity Cruises
    2.  Cunard Line                  2.  Princess Cruises
    3.  Celebrity Cruises            3.  Holland America Line

The Survey in Detail: Please visit (www.zagat.com/cruiselines) for the full survey results. Here's a sampling of outtakes from our surveyors, which were deemed 'not fit for print.'

"A conga line is not conducive to good digestion."

"No activities for anyone who isn't an alcoholic seeking random sex."

"They cater to the newly wed and nearly dead."

"Great if you like hairy chest contests."

"A rust bucket filled with rowdy people."

"The more you booze, the better you cruise."

"Bathrooms so small you have to sit on the toilet sideways."

"It does attract a crowd - it's called 'God's floating waiting room.'"

 

SOURCE Zagat Survey

Celebrity Cruises is toasting guests on every sailing with a seasonal expansion of the brand's new Celebrity Life "Savor" series of onboard food and beverage programming. From now through December 15, guests on every Celebrity ship can enjoy the line's Wine Harvest Celebration, a "full-bodied" program celebrating the global harvest of the grape through rich wine appreciation courses and tastings, aromatic food and wine pairings, "smoky" silent auctions, and "crisp" presentations by noted authorities on select sailings.

"Celebrity continues to offer one of the broadest and best wine selections in the industry, inspired by the high percentage of our guests who are wine enthusiasts," said Celebrity's Vice President of Culinary Operations, Chef Jacques Van Staden, who shaped the Savor series of Celebrity Life. "Our Wine Harvest Celebration presents a series of activities celebrating the Fall harvest and our guests' passion for wine."

Among the highlights of Celebrity's Wine Harvest Celebration will be an industry-first unveiling of Beaujolais Nouveau simultaneously across the fleet on November 19. Hosted by a guest speaker and one of Celebrity's own certified cellarmasters, the event will offer guests the opportunity to sip the eagerly-anticipated light wine from oak casks and commemorative bottles, while enjoying live music and dancing, canapes, a cheese carving station and a roast carving station.

Guests with a passion for cool music and rich chocolate are likely to be "seduced" by Celebrity's "Jazz, Port and Chocolate Tasting Seduction," with a complimentary glass of port wine and a deluxe chocolate buffet and fountain, all set against a backdrop of light jazz music.

At the "Grand Cru Dinner," following a sparkling wine reception, Celebrity's cellarmaster, guest speaker and chef will prepare a top-tier dinner comprised of food and wine reflective of the region in which each ship is sailing. Up to 40 guests can participate in each distinctive dinner in Celebrity's intimate specialty restaurants.

Through "Sabering at Sea," guests will observe the delicate, age-old art of sabering - uncorking a bottle with saber or knife - while participating in tastings and discussion of sparkling wines including Champagne, Cremants, Spumantes and California Methode Traditional wines.

Throughout the course of the celebration, a "Celebrity Wine Harvest Exposition" will be open to all guests on embarkation day. Hosted by Celebrity's certified cellarmasters and a variety of noted wine authorities from around the world, the event features a complimentary glass of house wine, canapes and hors d'oeuvres, and an overview of the varied wine experiences and packages available for guests, paired with the opportunity to make reservations for limited-capacity events.

Additionally, among the wine-focused experiences offered year-round through the Celebrity Life "Savor" series are:

• "Wine Appreciation 101" presents tastings of six different varietals and wine appreciation tips offered by Celebrity's certified cellarmasters.
• "The Art of Food and Wine Pairing" explores how certain flavor components, such as acids in food, can impact the flavor of wines.
• "Celebrity's World Wine Tasting and Silent Auction" allows guests to taste wines from each of the regions represented in Celebrity's global wine program, including Africa, France, Germany/Austria, Italy, Spain, the U.S. and South America. The tastings are paired with canapes, fruits and cheeses, and highlighted by a silent auction of premium wines packaged at special prices.
• "The Riedel Comparative Wine and Crystal Workshop" is a one-hour seminar Celebrity has offered since becoming the first cruise line endorsed by Riedel to offer it in 2007. Participants learn and experience how dramatically the shape of a wine glass can affect the outcome of flavors on the palate, and hear the interesting tale of how the Riedel family has influenced the crystal industry.
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SOURCE Celebrity Cruises

Windstar Cruises, which operates a three-ship fleet of luxury yachts that explore hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world's most treasured destinations, offers a special 8-day cruise from Rome, Italy to Nice, France aboard the elegant, 312-guest Wind Surf departing May 9, 2010. The sailing features the glamorous Cannes Film Festival and the thrilling Monaco Grand Prix race.

Guests will overnight in Cannes, France during the star-studded Cannes Film Festival and spend three nights in Monaco during the prestigious Formula One Grand Prix race. Other ports visited include Bastia, France and San Remo, Italy. Cruise rates begin at $2,999 per person, double occupancy.

Guests who wish to attend the Grand Prix may purchase the Monaco 68th Grand Prix Package Tour which begins on Friday, May 14 and ends on Sunday, May 16, 2010. The package includes a private transfer to the luxurious L'Hermitage for an exclusive cocktail party overlooking Monaco's Marina and Royal Palace with open bar, original Monegasque canapes and live music. A lavish dinner with wine pairings and live music follows. Guests also receive entrance to the renowned Grand Casino and an exclusive gift package of binoculars, official 68e Grand Prix de Monaco program, official club ticket holder, souvenir hat and jacket.

On Saturday, guests tender to the pier in Monaco to take their seats in Tribune K reserved section of the Formula One Grand Prix time trials. That evening, an exclusive private cocktail reception will be held followed by a private Grand Prix dinner on board Wind Surf.

Sunday morning guests enjoy a private Grand Prix brunch on board the ship followed by a thrilling day of viewing the final Grand Prix race from the same track-side reserved seats. Box lunches will also be available. Rates for the limited 3-day shore excursion package is $2,700 per person and must be pre-booked at www.windstarcruises.com.

Windstar recently announced the latest phase of its Degrees of Difference initiative featuring added amenities and enhancements to its luxurious ships in the areas of dining, accommodations, entertainment, spa, fitness and shore excursions. With this latest initiative, Windstar continues to raise the bar, delivering a vacation experience that is "180 Degrees from Ordinary."

SOURCE Windstar Cruises