Words and Pictures by John Pond, Editor at Sea. Deciding what to choose from all the different cruise ship dining options can be quite daunting, especially for first time cruisers.  Early dining, late dining, table for two, six or eight.  Choosing to dine in the buffet or in the alternate restaurants, decisions, decisions, decisions.

Most of the newer cruise ships offer “any time dining” under a plethora of different names.  Basically they have set hours for dinner, say between 6 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. and you may choose to dine at any time.  On some lines you just turn up, others request that you book a time each night.  I have always just turned up at whatever time suits me and have never had a problem being seated.   Another plus for this option is that you get to sit with different people each evening or you can choose a table for two.

On ships with set dinner times such as early or late, usually 6 p.m. or 8.15 p.m., we prefer the later sitting.  Young couples with children usually prefer the earlier sitting as do older passengers.  On many cruises I have seen some ignore the dining room completely and opt to dine in the buffet that has no set dress code at any time.  Believe it or not, some passengers have only packed shorts and T-Shirts, they of course choose the buffet at all times.  I feel these people are missing out on a wonderful dining experience.

To further confuse new cruisers, there are the optional dining rooms for which there is an additional charge on most ships, that can be up to about $30 per person and will give them a meal that could have cost them $100 or mor on shore.  Most cruisers opt to dine in these venues at least once per cruise.  The more popular venues, such as Salt on P&O’s Pacific Jewel, fill up quickly and it is recommended that you book your dinner the first day of the cruise to be sure of a place.

The main dining room attracts most people for dinner, it is also open for lunch and breakfast.  My partner and I usually choose to have most of our meals in this venue.  We like the crisp linen tablecloths and serviettes and the extra degree of service usually found there.  Menus change daily and it’s never hard to find a great dining selection.

In the end it’s all up to you.  It’s your holiday, do whatever makes you feel comfortable, but we feel it’s nice to mix with other passengers and enjoy fine dining at no extra cost.

By the way, there is always room service if you are not feeing well or are completely anti-social.  Some shipping lines are now placing a small surcharge for this option.  On some 5 star ships each course is delivered separately so you will never again put up with cold food or melted ice cream when dining in your cabin. On a recent cruise, (Pacific Jewel) the ship offered a half day EXPO that highlighted the different services offered throughout the ship including the optional restaurants. (an excellent idea)

Whatever dining experience you choose, I am sure you will enjoy.

John.

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Words and Pictures by John Pond, Editor at Sea. A couple of days ago I was giving a lecture on cruising to a group of self-funded retirees, most of whom were avid cruisers.  My talk which was supposed to last 20 minutes went on for an hour at the audience’s request.  No problem, I can talk about cruise ships all day.

When it came to question time I was amazed that the first question was about Dianne Brimble.  “Was it still safe to sail and what about the yahoo element on board?”.  Let me say, security on board cruise ships has been greatly enhanced. We no longer have the tired and cheap ships sailing from our ports that we did several years ago.  A downmarket group were attracted to these  by very cheap fares.  Their expectation of cruising was to drink as much as possible and enjoy “the good life”.  This is no longer the case.

I cruise many times a year with most being in Australian waters and I have yet to see any problems.  Don’t forget a ship is a small community and things happen on ships as they do in any community, it’s just that they attract greater publicity.  I feel very very safe on board every ship sailing from Australia.  I reiterate my mantra “make sure you purchase your ticket from a qualified cruise specialist and ask them for their advice”.  They will give you some of the subtle differences between ships.  If you check into a Four Seasons or an InterContinental Hotel, you would expect superior service and an upmarket clientele.  If you were to book into a cheap fleabag or a $20 per night backpacker hostel, your fellow guests may not be to your liking.

John.

PS: I believe you are safer on a ship than on dry land.

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Words by John Pond, Editor at Sea. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd announced this week that it is bringing a third super liner to Australia and New Zealand for the 2011/12 summer cruise season.  Sandra and I some years ago, found ourselves with a week to spare in New York. I accidentally found a cruise designed just for us on the internet (this was before my days with Cruise Passenger Magazine).  The cruise was for seven days on the Celebrity Horizon, New York/Bermuda/New York and was very reasonably priced.  A short taxi ride from our hotel in Midtown and we were soon aboard.

Although not a 5 star ship the service and dining options were as good as I have experienced on any 5 star ship.  We wanted to take our waiter home and overall the sailing experience was outstanding.  I can’t wait for next year’s cruise season.

Celebrity Century will make her debut in Australasian waters in November 2011.  She will also be joined by two Royal Caribbean International super liners – Rhapsody of the Seas (returning for her fifth season down under) and Radiance of the Seas (her maiden Australasian deployment) – effectively tripling Royal Caribbean’s capacity in the region.

Gavin Smith, Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Cruises Australia, said the addition of a third ship is largely in response to Australians’  increasing appetite for cruising.  Celebrity Cruises consistently wins multiple awards and accolades for its contemporary design, personal service and incredible dining options.

At a meeting I had with Gavin Smith and some Royal Caribbean honchos from the US, I broached the subject of when they might place a Celebrity ship in our waters, their reaction was a faint smile.  I look forward to sailing on the Celebrity Century next year and bringing you a full report.

John..

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Words and pictures, John Pond, Editor at Sea. Although my knee replacement is weeks behind me, I am still experiencing great mobility problems and pain.  Nevertheless I dragged myself out to a couple of functions during the week.

One was at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney and was a function raising money for indigenous Australians wishing to become doctors.  As usual, the table conversation invariably turned to “are you retired?” or “are you still working?” as soon as I mentioned I write for Cruise Passenger Magazine and do cruise ship reviews, I was inundated with questions about cruising, Helen sitting opposite me said she had only done one cruise and loved it but was not 100% happy with some of her fellow cruise passengers.  I asked her did she go to her travel agent with a ship in mind or did she go by the agent’s recommendation.  Helen confirmed the latter.

If you are a regular reader of mine you will notice that I constantly reiterate that one should only book through a qualified “cruise specialist”.  The average travel agency staff  do not have a good working knowledge of cruising and matching ships to people.  A good cruise specialist would sum their client up and within minutes match them to the right sort of ship.  There are ships for all tastes.  It’s not always the so called “best ship” is right for the client, some people find it intimidating to have butlers and waiters hovering, offering huge selections.

Helen left with a little more knowledge and several people at our table of ten, confirmed that they would be going on a cruise soon.

John.

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Words by John Pond, Editor at Sea. Next week, as I often do, I will be lecturing about cruising to a group of seniors at Rose Bay.  I look forward to these chats and learn a lot from them, sometimes I forget I am a senior myself.

One of the most often asked questions is about single supplements.  This is a real thorny issue for those on limited incomes including self-funded retirees.

Singles can now sail on the new Norwegian Epic, which has a “singles cruise” built into every sailing — a revolutionary concept in the industry.  Although these cabins were originally designed to attract the single youth market, they are being snapped up by seniors.  Other shipping lines would do well to copy this innovation, less rock climbing walls and more single cabins!

The 128 small Studio Staterooms are connected by a corridor that leads to a shared common space called the Studio Lounge. These small rooms are quite comfortable for one person, and that is how they are sold: one price for one person in the room, with no “singles supplement” surcharge.

John.

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Words by John Pond, Editor at Sea. Last week saw a momentous occasion, at least as far as I am concerned when Emirates Airlines launched their Dubai to Prague direct service.  Up until now getting to Prague, a popular destination for river cruising passengers, proved difficult.  I look forward to our next river cruise through Europe using Emirates that will give me an extra day with a lot less hassle.

The airline is providing the only daily, non-stop passenger service to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and site of the famous Charles Bridge, straddling the Vltava River.

The first Emirates flight arrived at Ruzyne International Airport in Prague, and received a water cannon welcome, while a traditional Rosenka dance group performed on the tarmac.

Emirates EK 139 leaves Dubai daily at 1030hrs and arrives in Prague at 1450hrs. EK 140 departs from Prague at 1620hrs and gets into Dubai at 0010hrs the following day.  An Airbus A330-200 aircraft is being deployed for the service, offering up to 278 seats across Business and Economy.

If you haven’t flown Emirates and haven’t been river cruising, I suggest you have a long look at all the options.  It’s a great way to see Europe and with all the new river ships you will be hard pressed to find more luxury, even on a five star liner.

John.

Emirates inaugural flight to Prague receives a water-cannon welcome upon arrival at Prague Ruznye Airport.

Tim Clark (left), President Emirates Airline and Richard Vaughan (right), Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide arriving at Prague airport on the first Emirates passenger flight from Dubai on 1st July 2010. They were greeted with a traditional Czech welcome: bread and a sprinkling of salt.

Prague Town Square (Photo John Pond)

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On board Nieuw Amsterdam, en route to Venice

Yesterday’s Dubrovnik Riviera bus tour was interesting – however, a quick visit to the old city was enough at this time of year. At the height of the season the beautiful old buildings are overrun by badly dressed tourists and the shops stocked with disappointing, tacky souvenirs. A major bonus on returning to the ship was discovering we had a table for four at  the Pinnacle Grill, after all. We had a memorable evening and if we’d had more time would like to have sampled Silk Den and Tamarind as well …

Today we’ve been part of maritime history: most notably, the blessing of the bell ceremony, which started at 9am and finished at 5pm. It involved everyone on the ship tipping a glass of champagne over the ship’s bell (which will now be stationed on the bow) and signing their names on a wall which will be installed in the atrium. The proceedings culminated with a prayer from the padre and final champagne dousing by the ship’s captain, Peter Zaane.

A special fundraising walk the decks exercise for the US breast cancer Susan G. Komen campaign raised $39,000 this morning – an extraordinary achievement, and very emotionally moving.

I took a tour to the bowels of the ship to inspect waste disposal systems, which was totally fascinating. I had met Bill Morani, HAL’s VP of Safety and Environment Management Systems, when we were boarding the ship in Venice, and said I would love to see how rubbish is disposed of in a modern cruise ship, and hey presto – a tour was organised!  We donned hard hats and earplugs and Bill and the ship’s Safety, Environment and Health officer, Keiron Connelly, took us through processes for the treatment of sewage (black water), grey water, bilge water and ballast seawater; food waste; and recycling procedures. The aspect that most amazed me was that all rubbish from the staterooms, public areas and crew rooms is dumped on a table and hand-sorted by eight crew members before being dispatched to the various disposal departments.

Nieuw Amsterdam’s inaugural cruise comes to an end tomorrow in Venice, where we will disembark early in the morning. It has been a fascinating experience and I will be reviewing the ship in the next issue of Cruise Passenger magazine. Meanwhile, to find out more about the ship, view photos and videos, check out the website, www.hollandamerica.com

Words by John Pond, Editor at Sea

Our story commences as our reader has just gone from his hotel to the local hospital.

“The foyer of the hospital was littered with sleeping bodies. We threaded our way through them into the Accident and Emergency Department where a young doctor was less than enthusiastic in greeting me.

It had all started with a cold beer and some cashews after a day featuring a long delayed airline flight. After  three nuts and a couple of sips of Kingfisher beer, I couldn’t swallow food or water. Two  hours later and things were no better. I was also having a bit of trouble breathing. Mary called for the hotel doctor. A quick look down my throat and he said that my oesophagus was swollen and closed. “Off to the hospital immediately”, he ordered. So Mary and I piled into a taxi with a young manager from the hotel. No guest from the relatively new Radisson Hotel had ever been hospitalised and the young manager would be there to help  set up a system for future admissions.

What the young doctor lacked in personality he more than made up for in a tedious bureaucratic approach. He was adamant that my passport be turned over. We refused. He said I wouldn’t be admitted. We gave him the passport. It was now midnight and a chest X ray was done. The results were indeterminate. A senior doctor had been called in and he decided to do a CAT scan. The machine showed signs of use. The vinyl cover of the foam headrest was torn and worn. When the pictures were produced the senior doctor said that I would spend the night in a private room with a saline drip and a nebuliser. That would reduce the swelling.

The private room was spacious, with two single beds, but dated. I was alone but had lots of company during the night as the nebulizer was removed, the drip refilled twice and the cleaner whisked through the room 4 times.. And there were some friendly mossies and flies. There was a sheet on the bed, but no blanket or night clothes. Fortunately, Mary had brought a fluffy kimono from the hotel. The bathroom had no soap, towels or toilet paper.

During the night, my symptoms diminished. Around 9:30 in the morning I was brought into a large waiting room which was standing room only. I was given a seat at the head of a long queue. Dr. R… anaethesized my throat and probed. There was still some swelling and a 20% blockage. There was also some bleeding. She said she would operate in 2 days. I politely told her our ship was leaving in 24 hours and I would be on it.

Mary, the young manager from the hotel, and the hotel’s human resources manager arrived in time for a meeting with the ENT specialist, the radiologist, the senior doctor and one other doctor. Dr. R… opened the meeting by saying she would operate in 2 days. I politely declined stating that I had almost fully recovered. Each doctor commented on my case with the radiologist stating that I was allergic to the cashews and this had caused the inflammation. The swelling occurred very rapidly and this had trapped a piece of cashew and had probably caused the bleeding. The consensus of the four doctors was that my condition was improving, but to be on the safe side I should stay in the hospital and have the operation. I explained that I felt quite well and that our small ship was heading down the Ganges in 24 hours. I wanted to be on it. A “Discharge Summary” was typed up stating that I was partially recovered and that I was discharged on “personal request.” The four doctors were sympathetic and professional throughout the process.

The hospital superintendant wanted to see me before leaving. The four doctors, two Radisson managers, Mary and I, filled the tiny windowless office. The superintendant was very solidly built with dyed red hair. He spoke in a dominant, commanding and accusatory voice, “Mr Gates, what do you think of my hospital?” A loaded question! I smiled and slowly said, “Dr S…., I arrived at your hospital 12 hours ago and I was very sick. My ailment has been successfully treated by your staff and I am ready to leave. I have had a very successful stay in your hospital.” The thought crossed my mind that I should say something about the difficult working conditions that his doctors  had to put up with and the mass of humanity they had to serve. But I didn’t. Dr.S… was pleased. I learned later that he was a retired General in the Indian Army Medical Corp.

The young Radisson Manager then raised the issue of the young doctor in Accident and Emergency demanding my passport. Dr S…. said the doctor was wrong to do this. A photocopy of the key part of the passport was all that was required. “Why didn’t you phone me?”, Dr S…. asked. “Because it was one in the morning,” was the quick reply.

Our ship, the Bengal Pandaw, wanted to be assured that I was well enough to do the cruise. There was no doctor on board and we were sailing through an isolated area.

It took only 2 hours to complete the paper work, thanks to the two Radisson employees. Before coming to the hospital they had dug into the hotel safe for a small mountain of rupees. They knew that cash was the only way to expedite the process. The bill came to 36,000 rupees, about $US800. Key cost items were:

Private room      $US 133  Nursing    53     Medicine    71

Laringoscopy and       Doctors charges         387

I think the X ray and Cat scan are buried in the $387.

We left the hospital in a Radisson car with the 2 hotel staff who had played such a key role in the process. I had a great sense of relief that I had recovered so quickly. And a sense of gratitude that the hospital staff got the diagnosis right and instituted a treatment that worked so quickly.

Two days ago I had a cataract removed in a day surgery in Cairns. What a contrast with the Heritage Hospital in Varanasi! Still, the Heritage got it right! And Mary was pleased that she only had her brother’s ashes to scatter on the Ganges

THE VARANASI GHATS  An hour after returning to the hotel we were off on a  rickshaw dash to the Gange Ghats. The ghats are steps leading down to the river where people bathe, wash their clothes and perform Hindu religious rituals. Two of the ghats are used for burning the bodies of the dead.

Down the steps and into a large rowboat holding about 40 people. The sun had set and we could see a dozen fires burning a couple of hundred metres away, a burning ghat. Soon we tied up to other boats which had come to watch the spectacle. It takes about 4 hours to burn a corpse. Some fires had just started, others were about to burn out. Bodies that were next in the queue were brought down and placed beside a pile of wood. Groups of family and friends kept each corpse company on this final voyage. When a fire burns out the ashes of the deceased are cast on the holy Ganges.

The rowboats full of tourists are silent in the presence of this ghastly scene. It’s like a trailer for a movie on hell. Finally we leave this dismal scene and row back to our starting point. A clanging colourful noisy ritualistic Hindu event is taking place. More like a concert than a religious event.

Soon we are in our rickshaws avoiding cows, cars,people and trucks. We slow down in front of a very up market, well lit jewellery shop. Lying on the floor is a full size Brahmin bull.

India: Like no where else!”

I would particularly like to thank Bruce for this most interesting blow by blow description of his medical problems that fortunately turned out well.

John.

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Words: John Pond, Editor at Sea – Cruise Passenger Magazine. I have had quite a lot of comments relating to my ‘Last Word’ page in the just out issue of cruise Passenger Magazine.  I hope you will find this letter of interest.  My insider spies tell me that some insurance companies reject many claims as a matter of course, don’t take NO  for an answer if you feel you are in the right.

Thank you Milton for your fine example. (Milton’s letter follows).

Re your  ‘Last Word’ editorial in the Winter 2010 issue of Cruise passenger magazine with respect to travel disasters, I submit the following:

Two years ago my wife and I booked to travel on the Sun Princess around New Zealand and Australia on back-to-back cruises. Just 3 weeks before leaving my wife was rushed to hospital with a perforated bowel and had a major operation followed by 7 weeks in hospital, preventing us from traveling. When claiming against our travel insurance for full refund the claim was rejected on the basis that she had pre-existing diverticulitis, and that this caused the bowel illness. We were not prepared to accept this, and obtained written letters from her Colonoscopy surgeon, the specialist who carried out the bowel operation, and another surgeon who performed a subsequent reconstruction operation on the bowel. Each confirmed that almost half of all adults over 70 have diverticulitis, that it is no more serious than a normal ageing process like wrinkles, and had nothing to do with a bowel perforation, which could be caused by something as simple as a piece of chicken bone. They likened it to having to declare you still had your appendix, just in case you had appendicitis whilst traveling.

The result was we received a full refund for all our travel expenses, some $25,000. The moral of the story is that you do not accept the first rejection, but of course must back up any appeal with facts and/or professional support.

Regards

Milton S.  Sydney

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The ship is moored at Dubrovnik’s Gruz Harbour, about 15 minutes by coach or taxi from the old city; the port is lined by stone houses with terracotta roofs climbing up a steep hill – very picturesque and classically European.
I’ve spent the morning wandering around the ship, working my way up from Deck 1 to 11; she is now carrying many more passengers than when we boarded late on Saturday evening in Venice, but once away from the Lido breakfast buffet, you hardly see anyone. Last night we ate in the Canaletto restaurant on Deck 9, which offered a selection of Italian dishes served by waiters in gondolier-striped T-shirts – the antipasti were excellent and the mains all very acceptable. After dinner, I headed to the Explorations Cafe on Deck 11 to upload a blog; my guest, London interior designer Melanie Lindsay Brown, went to the casino on Deck 2 for a lesson in Texan Hold ‘em Poker. She enjoyed her post-prandial experience more than I did, but I  must say Explorations is a pleasant venue, relaxed and redolent with the aroma of fresh coffee.
Back to this morning: from the art-deco style atrium I checked out the Pinnacle Bar and Pinnacle Grill on Deck 2; both attractive, stylish venues decorated in shades of coffee, cream and slate. The Pinnacle Grill (where you pay extra for dinner) was fully booked for the next two nights we’re on the ship, which is a shame – the menu looks amazing and there’s also a new 18-person Master Chef dinner that guests can book, for $US89, with yet another menu and different wines.
Working my way up the aft staircases I saw some terrific artworks – screenprints by Andy Warhol; a series of lithographs by Christo of his Times Square wrapping in 1973; Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Shipboard Girl’ litho and ceramic plates; Tom Wewsselmann screenprints; everywhere there are references to New York and HAL’s Dutch heritage. There are sculptures in unexpected niches, 17th-century Delft porcelain pots – a fabulous collection.
The midship pool on Deck 9 hasn’t been too crowded, thankfully; we are leaving the ship at 1.30 for a tour, so we’re now sampling a room service lunch which was delivered promptly at 12.30 as ordered. More later …