Celebrity Solstice debuted in November 2008 to virtually unanimous raves for its architecture, décor and design. Its nearly-identical-in-every-way sister, Celebrity Equinox, was launched the next summer.

With these ships, I wondered: Could Celebrity deliver its premium level of cruising on a 122,000 ton, 2,850 guest ship (space ratio: 43)? Would the cruise experience match the quality of the ship itself? I found the answers on my summer 2009 Mediterranean cruise on Solstice.

On that cruise, Solstice was sailing at more than 100 percent capacity. With nearly 500 kids under 18 on board, Solstice was carrying 3,047 guests.

About 80 percent were from the United States, with the next two largest groups coming from Canada and Britain. There was a nice mix of other Europeans as well. The guests were served by a crew complement of 1352 (2.3 guest/crew ratio; about average for the category). In all areas that I could tell, it seemed as though there was more than enough staff to take care of all guest needs.

In the casual restaurant, the Oceanview Café, I sat and watched as guests left their tables. Within seconds, plates and silverware were removed, and the table made ready for the next users. A couple of times, there were spills on the floor which were promptly taken care of.

Wherever I went to eat and drink, there was staff ready to make the experience delightful. And they weren’t just prompt, they were friendly and efficient. In many cases, they got to know me and what my personal requests would be. And, that’s no mean feat on a ship this size with so many guests as well as ten restaurants and over a dozen bars.

On the two pool days, with the pool area crowded, there were plenty of servers walking around, and the pool bar service was quite quick. Another nice touch took place the night I had dinner in Tuscan Grille (the Italian Steakhouse). After the first two courses, the headwaiter suggested I relax and take a a break before the main course in order to allow some digestion time. He knew the main course was a big one and the suggestion was perfect.

As were the dinners I had in all three alternative restaurants. Between Tuscan Grille, Murano for contemporary French cuisine and Silk Harvest for Asian food, I do not know if there is a finer triplet of alternative restaurants at sea. The décor and mood in each is perfect. The menu offerings (especially the escargot in Murano and the steak tartare in Tuscan) were sensational. And the service was of an exceptional high quality. At $30 for Murano, $25 for Tuscan and $20 for Silk Harvest, the surcharges are not cheap but they are a good value.

For a couple on a ten-night cruise such as the one I was on, eating in each of the three one time would cost $150, not unreasonable for the experience and the quality and quantity of food. And eating in the alternative restaurants is a nice change from the main restaurant. No matter how pretty the room and extensive the offerings, ten nights in the same restaurant at the same table can get a bit old. So, the alternative restaurants, or the casual nighttime buffet offered in Oceanview Café (maybe the most gorgeous and well laid-out casual restaurant outside of the luxury category) or even room service is a nice change.

Beyond these five places to eat, there are five more: Blu is the restaurant set up for AquaClass guests is gorgeous, and if the service at lunch in dinner is as good as what I experienced when I snuck in for breakfast one day, the folks that get to eat there are sure to enjoy it.

I pooh-poohed the idea of Bistro on Five, the creperie with fresh made food and a variety of salads. With a small surcharge ($5 for unlimited eats), I figured it was superfluous. Wrong! It was the perfect place for lunch on a sea day when the buffet area was crowded. I had the “Cowboy” crepe and Caesar salad – a delicious combo.

The Mast Grill is the small outside venue for hot dogs, burgers and salads. Joseph even made my hot dogs very well done and toasted the bun as well, just the way I like it.

For healthier food than dogs and burgers, there is also the AquaSpa Café for “healthy alternative” breakfasts and lunches. It’s a hidden gem with lovely-to-look-at food. I spent more time eating at the tenth spot, the Gelateria with yummy Italian ice cream (the small surcharge was worth it).

Also helping to make this a true premium experience was the ability to walk around the ship in the late afternoon, early evening before dinner or a show and late night as well and listen to live music. On any given night there were nine or so spots for listening to jazz, or piano, or classical guitar, or an accordionist, a dance band, a string quartet and even an a capella group. Of course there were activities and entertainment options galore, especially on sea days. There were lecturers whose topics included the areas in which we were cruising.

Celebrity has done a very good job of extending their audience. Even on this cruise in Europe, there were many multi-generational groups enjoying the experience. My one gripe would be that many among the nearly 500 under 18 could get a bit rambunctious, and often the parents were overly permissive, putting the cruise line in a tough spot when it came to behavior and appearance. One change I would make in favor of adults would be to limit the solarium pool area to 18 and older rather than the loosely followed 16 and older rule.

Beyond that, this was an exceptional cruise and proved that premium cruising can indeed come in a big package.

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En Route To Prague, The Czech Republic – Recapping events of our seven-day cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg, Cordula Deeken, Hotel Manager on AMA Waterways’ Amadagio, proudly proclaimed that we were close to breaking an all-time record: 279 bottles of wine consumed, only 23 bottles shy of a record set last summer. The audience applauded during the cocktail reception on the final night of our cruise. We were sure to surpass the standing record, because dinner and a New Year’s Eve ‘practice’ party still were ahead of us, and on Amadagio corks go popping with great frequency thanks to the ship’s policy of ‘wine and beer included’ with dinner.

Our cruise started in Budapest on Christmas Eve, sailed along the Danube River to visit the Austrian cities of Vienna, Melk, Ybbs, Linz, called on Germany’s Passau and Regensburg, transited the manmade Main-Danube Canal and crossed the Continental Divide (a feat that required locks to lift our ship approximately 1,400 feet above sea level) before ending in Nuremberg.

In each port of call, AMA Waterways included well-organized city tours as well as nominally priced optional tours. At least one tour in each port is included, because the company strives to be as all-inclusive as possible. Also free of charge: the use of bicycles carried on board, bottled water in staterooms, ‘infotainment’ systems in every stateroom equipped with a monitor and keyboard for internet access (wireless internet is available in the Verandah Lounge), TV, movies (approximately $5 per rental, with at least one feature movie free of charge each day), music playlists and a satellite phone with rates of about $1.25 per minute to call home.

Built in 2006, the 150-passenger Amadagio is a sister ship to the Amalegro. Standard staterooms measure 170 square feet, and all but a few feature French balconies, with floor-to-ceiling glass spanning the entire exterior wall. Beds rival those of the finest hotels, with plush European-style down pillows and down duvets. Also in staterooms: terrycloth bathrobes. The ships also feature four Junior Suites, measuring 255 square feet, with bathrooms that feature a bathtub and shower.

Catering primarily to North Americans and Australians, Amadagio has a nonsmoking policy, except on the exterior Sun Deck; presentations and announcements are in English only. The ship’s open-seating dining arrangement has many tables for two. Though meals are tailored toward Americans, regional specialties (and regional wines) are also served.

With four interior public decks, Amadagio also features an elevator and one of the most attractive public rooms we’ve seen on a river cruiser, the Verandah Lounge, situated Aft, with glass doors all around and comfortable furniture for lounging as the banks of the river float past (during drydock, the lounge will be converted to a library). Additionally, Amadagio features a small spa, whirlpool, beauty salon and fitness facility.

Our near-full sailing took place around the Christmas holidays. AMA Waterways, and a few other river cruisers, operate so-called ‘Christmas Markets’ cruises from late November through December. These cruises visit the traditional Christmas Markets in Hungary, Austria and Germany.

Almost all cities and towns on the itineraries have some sort of Christmas activities as well as market stalls set up in a central area. Also available is traditional food (such as Lebkuchen — or Gingerbread) and drink (such as Gluehwein — or mulled warm red wine).

Nuremberg boasts the world’s largest Christmas market, with more than 100 red and white canvas-topped stalls offering an assortment of children’s toys, tinsel angels, dolls, Nutcrackers, dollhouses and more. Our cruise took place the week after Christmas, however, and some of the markets were closed.

One of the highlights of our cruise would take place not on the ship but during the included post-cruise program: two nights in Prague. We were looking forward to spending New Year’s Eve in the city that the German poet Goethe called ‘the prettiest gem in the stone crown of the world.’ It seemed to be a perfect and appropriate way not only to end the year and begin a new one but also to conclude what had been a wonderful week floating past some of Europe’s grandest cities.

AMA Waterways’  ships will appeal to those who prefer familiar foods (but with opportunities to try regional wines and specialities), a familiar language and a near all-inclusive cruise experience.

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Round up granny, grandpa and the cousins and head for the Last Frontier, Princess Cruises has announced a 12-night cruisetour option geared to families (who don’t mind taking the kids out of school to do it!), with five departures offered in May, 2012. The cruisetours include family-fun stuff to do, from a sternwheeler boat ride to panning for gold.

“This is really the ultimate family vacation,” said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. “Alaska is a wonderful travel destination with kids, so we wanted to make it easy and affordable to plan the perfect Alaska experience for everyone in the family.”

The cruisetour includes a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour featuring one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, one night at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. On sea days, families can also take advantage of Princess’ onboard programs geared to children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park.

In addition, special tour extras included in the fare are daily breakfast, Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (from Fairbanks, travel on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try gold panning), ”Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service with Lunch” (gets families to wilderness lodge faster), Denali Natural History Tour (intimate tour of Denali National Park), and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Center.

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The 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas made waves as she entered US waters in 2009 as the newest and certainly the biggest cruise ship in the world. Families are a large market for Royal Caribbean and naturally this ship has some amazing stuff for children.

Now, where to start?

Let’s begin with size. The gigantic 28,000-square-foot Adventure Ocean complex is built around a main artery called Kids Avenue, a central boulevard connecting kids with Adventure Ocean spaces and various customized play areas geared to specific activities. It also harbors the cruise line’s first nursery for infants and toddlers (six months or older) as well as state-of-the-art teen areas.

Oasis of the Seas is divided into seven neighborhoods — from leafy Central Park to the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness zone — and two of them are especially geared to families: the Youth Zone and the Boardwalk.

The Youth Zone: Highlights

A Royal Caribbean first, Royal Babies and Tots nursery is a colorful fully-staffed nursery where children can be left in the care of Royal Caribbean’s trained professionals. The ship also offers the line’s popular interactive playgroups for parents and babies/tots created by Fisher-Price and Crayola. The nursery is open daily during the daytime and evening, maintaining an optimum staff to child ratio.

For the 3 to 11 age range, Kids Avenue is the Youth Zone’s answer to the Royal Promenade. It’s the main boulevard for young cruisers to access the various Adventure Ocean areas, where three age groupings each enjoy their own space: Aquanauts, ages 3 to 5; Explorers, ages 6 to 8; and Voyagers, ages 9 to 11. All the fun is supervised by a team of college-educated counselors.

New common play areas aboard Oasis include the Kid’s Arcade for video games; the Workshop, where families can learn scrap booking skills or create personalized jewelry; Imagination Studio where children can explore the world of color and imagination through Adventure Art by Crayola; a fully-equipped Adventure Science Lab, where Einsteins-in-the-making can expand their knowledge; Play, an indoor playground where children can run around and play games like nurfball and dodge ball; and the 100-seat Adventure Ocean Theater. This is the first-ever children’s theater at sea – complete with a stage and curtains, audience seating and state-of-the-art production equipment – where children of all ages can learn about theatrical productions, take part in talent shows, or sign up for hip hop dance classes.

For older kids, the tween and teen-only spaces are located one deck above the Adventure Ocean areas and adjacent to the ship’s Sports Deck, where kids can test their skills on one of the ship’s pair of FlowRider surf simulators; the miniature golf-course, Oasis Dunes; or the Sports Court for volleyball and basketball games. Teens of course will love having their space far far away from the younger Adventure Ocean kids. The two main areas for them are the Fuel disco and The Living Room, a hangout spot for milling around, making new friends and sipping on a non-alcoholic juice or soda from the “mocktail” bar. Teens can also learn to spin and mix music in Scratch DJ 101 classes or surf the Internet and keep in touch with friends via the bank of computer stations there. Fuel is a hip nightclub where teens can hang out with friends and show off their moves on the dance floor. A spacious outdoor deck adjacent to these venues gives teens even more opportunities to make new friends. There’s also a video arcade filled with the latest video games.

The Boardwalk

The nostalgic-y feeling Boardwalk has two main stars, the old time wooden carousel and the 600-seat AquaTheater for thrilling aquatic acrobatic, high-diving and synchronized swimming performances. A pair of rock-climbing walls measuring 43 feet high flanks the AquaTheater and provides multiple climbing routes. Each rock wall measures 43 feet tall and is open to passengers 6 and over. Even more thrilling for teens and adults is a go at the first zip line at sea stretching 82 feet in length and suspended nine decks above the bustling Boardwalk area.

Kids will also love Candy Beach, where they can buy M&Ms, jellybeans, Tootsie Rolls and other tasty treats. Kid-geared shops include the Star Pier for electronics and surf-inspired clothes for teens. The Pinwheels toy store targets younger kids and has a backdrop of plasma screens showing movie trailers and video games. Pets at Sea, a build-your-own stuffed toy shop, is also focused on the younger children. Another Boardwalk hit is the climbing and play space modeled after a 50′s-style gas station next to the popular Johnny Rockets diner-style restaurant. Other family-friendly noshing venues along the Boardwalk include an ice cream parlor, donut shop and casual seafood shack.

Other Great Stuff

In the Pool & Sports Zone, the H2O Zone aqua park has a great toddler pool as well as the first beach pool at sea, featuring a true-to-form sloped entry and colorful beach chairs and umbrellas.

In the dining department, families have the pick of 22 outlets throughout the ship, from burgers and shakes at the Johnny Rockets diner to individual cafes and restaurants specializing in cupcakes, pizza, sandwiches, ice-cream and more.

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Helsingwhat? That was the response from some cruise passengers who stepped ashore in the Swedish town of Helsingborg this morning. “It’s been a long time since school geography,” said one man from the United Kingdom. “I’m afraid my knowledge isn’t sufficient enough to have known about Helsingborg.”

But he and other passengers disembarking Grand Princess said they were impressed by the city in the south of Sweden.

“I’m very impressed,” said Jim Hough, from Banks, Oregon. “I’m a city manager, so when I come, I look to see how well-kept the town is, and Helsingborg is very well kept. Everyone is obviously very proud of what they have here. I’m so glad it was put on our itinerary, because now I believe I’ve seen the real Sweden as opposed to the metropolitan Sweden.”

“We’ve been to the major cities, which is great,” added another passenger, “but this is a small city and we feel closer to the local population and not swamped by long queues of tourists.”

A couple from Detroit remarked on the cleanliness of Helsingborg. “It’s very fresh and interesting,” they added.

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It’s big and boxy on the outside, busy and noisy on the inside. With 20 dining options and 20 bars and lounges, NCL Epic features industry-first solo traveler cabins and innovative balcony staterooms, plus a lot more. Will you love it or leave it?

As our motorcoach approached the Southampton docks, I braced myself. Before me was a vessel that looked nearly as much like a container ship as it did a cruise ship. In the glow of a Southampton sunset, Norwegian Epic’s towering exterior appeared odd, with a flat aft and a Lego-like forward section, unlike any ship I had ever seen.

As a reporter, I’ve covered NCL for nearly 20 years. During that time, the company has struggled with its brand identity. As NCL’s Sheehan noted, in the past several years NCL had complicated its product offering. “Every time Carnival or Royal Caribbean or Celebrity or Princess came out with something new, we would say, ‘Well we’ve got to do that too.’ What happened was that we were doing way too many things, and it made it very complicated. We were not doing a superb job on everything.”

My question before boarding Epic was whether the ship would, in fact, redefine NCL. I harbored hopes that it would.

At first glance, however, I had my doubts about Epic. Entering the ship did little to ease my doubts. Big and boxy on the outside, Epic was busy and noisy on the inside.

Epic’s Din & Decibels

Even with half of the full passenger complement, NCL’s public areas were densely peopled, the bars and restaurants crowded. There was no place devoid of decibels.

I was ready to give up hope. But hold on, I thought to myself, I am a professional. Make an objective assessment. I had just come off of Crystal Symphony, carrying slightly more than 900 passengers. Epic could top out at more than 4,600. I had to remember that I was going from a vessel in the luxury segment, with a much higher price point, to a vessel in the contemporary or mass market segment.

Three successive thoughts help me temper my initial culture-shock about Epic: 1) British travel agents on something like a holiday, 2) only two nights to party, 3) and this one is important, open bar. Oh, and England was competing in the World Cup on a large-screen television. You get the picture.

Several hours late boarding (due to Epic’s late arrival in Southampton), I was paraded directly to my stateroom to drop my luggage then to the Argentine-inspired Moderno Churrascaria, which shares space with Cagney’s Steakhouse. The presentation of meat carved at the table was well done, and the food was good.

After a quick dinner, our group proceeded to the Manhattan Room for entertainment by Madonna, Elvis and Tina Turner look-alikes, and desserts. Again, great entertainment; tasty sweets.

Marching again, we headed to the upper decks to Spice H2O for a FABBA performance, where high-energy performers entertained us with ABBA favorites.

Around midnight, we stopped in at Headliners, where dueling piano players performed a mostly comedic act in “Howl at the Moon.”

After four hours of nonstop entertainment, my ears were buzzing when I returned to my room after midnight.

Bath & Bed

I was unable to immediately assess whether I liked my stateroom or not. As has been widely publicized, Epic’s staterooms are more curvy than boxy. The bathroom configuration turned out to be a point of controversy. Some loved it; some hated it. The toilet is in an enclosed capsule on one side as you enter the room, the shower is in an enclosed capsule on the other side, and the sink is close enough to the bed that I could have brushed my teeth with my head on my pillow.

The bed, though wide enough, missed accommodating the length of my body by about half a foot, and thus, I slept sideways. I appreciated the large, flat-screen television, the coffee-maker and the roomy balcony. Also, in a nod to environmental conservation, the stateroom keycard must be inserted into a slot to activate the light switches in the room. Kudos to NCL for that.

The next morning, NCL’s publicist told me that tonight we would experience sensory overload. “I thought that was last night,” I jokingly replied.

The on-board ambience is intended to be busy and buzzing, NCL execs say. With 20 bars and lounges and an equal number (or possibly more – it’s difficult to keep count) dining options, Epic clearly follows in the wake of Oasis as an entertainment extravaganza.

On a weeklong cruise on either ship, I think I would miss the close connection with the sea. Epic is more like Vegas than it is a cruise ship. However, that said, Epic grew on me during the 36 hours I was on board.

The Blue Man Group put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, at sea or otherwise. And there is nothing at sea like the Cirque Dreams & Dinner, which featured a Broadway-style show and acrobatics. Cirque’s meat and potatoes dinner was a bit heavy, so I skipped it and hit the Wasabi sushi bar after the show.

NCL says that upscale cruisers would be happy in Epic’s Courtyard villas, which were not completed during our brief inspection. Perhaps, but it wouldn’t be my first choice as a luxury cruiser. Of course, I am one who is happier looking out at the sea than I am watching high-energy performances. With my children, however, there’s no doubt that Epic would be a hit.

What is certain is that the ship certainly represents an epic moment in NCL’s 40-year history.

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How do Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels compare to luxury cruise lines where the price point is at least twice as much? Read the Avid Cruiser’s report this week during a Caribbean voyage on Celebrity Solstice.

Previously, I wrote Celebrity’s Newest Ship Breaks The Mold. Clearly, Celebrity Solstice left a good impression on me and many others.

This week, I’m back on Celebrity Solstice, taking a second look at what a friend of mine calls, “Crystal Light.” She’s referring not to the powdered sugar-free beverage but rather to Celebrity’s competitive positioning against luxury operator Crystal Cruises.

She posits that Celebrity is a formidable contender to Crystal in some areas, namely staterooms, cuisine and other ship-board offerings. That’s quite a claim, especially considering that Celebrity’s price point is about half of Crystal’s.

Are Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels nipping at the heels of their luxury competitors? I don’t plan to a blow-by-blow comparison, but this week, I will take a look at some of the good — and not-so-good, if warranted — on Celebrity Solstice.

First impressions are the same as last time I was on board: Solstice is an exceptionally tasteful ship in both design and on-board offerings.

Public areas are gorgeous, restaurants are both numerous (with as many as 10 dining venues, depending on how you count – five have cover charges) and impressive. Staterooms are comfortable and well-designed. Mine, 8253, has a deep balcony, thanks to its positioning in the mid-ship curve.

How will Celebrity Solstice shake out by the end of the week? Of course, purists know that Celebrity can’t compete in several areas against the luxury players:

1. With a capacity of more than 2,800 guests, a single Solstice-class vessel has more capacity than the entire fleets of most, if not all, of the luxury players.
2. On the smaller luxury lines, staff frequently address guests by their names. Not so on larger vessels, such as those in the Solstice class.
3. With the exception of Crystal, luxury lines are all-inclusive, meaning that a check will not be shoved under your nose to sign for soft drinks, specialty coffees and alcoholic beverages. On Celebrity, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice your penmanship. Crystal skirts the all-inclusive issue by providing an As You Wish Credit.

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Given the skewed valuation between the U.S. dollar and the Euro, it’s unusual to hear the words “Europe” and “good value” mentioned in the same sentence. But those words were in frequent use on a recent 14-night Mediterranean cruise on Azamara Quest.

The reason was twofold: First, a cruise represents a bargain proposition when compared to other modes of travel and accommodations within Europe. The cruise lines’ oft-repeated mantra is that paying in U.S. dollars for goods and services onboard isolates travelers from the higher costs in Euros ashore.

Second, passengers on Azamara Quest paid considerably less than they would have paid for similar sailings on other cruise lines. The reason: As a relative newcomer in the business, Azamara Cruises faces the challenge of establishing its brand. Though under the corporate umbrella of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Azamara does not yet have the name recognition of its sister companies, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. One way to build the brand: Get people on board and send them home as ambassadors who will spread the word. How to get people on board? Give them a deal.

For now at least, Azamara provides exceptional value when compared to its competitors. And Azamara compares favorably to its most formidable competitor, Oceania Cruises. The two cruise lines operate nearly identical hardware: Oceania Cruises sails five vessels, once operated by now-defunct Renaissance Cruises; Azamara sails two, Quest and Journey. Essentially, Azamara is an Oceania wannabe, and although Azamara got off to a shaky start, the newcomer is proving to be quite adept at replicating Oceania’s successful model.

Four-time Azamara cruisers Steve Henderson and his wife Kate say they’ve cruised so often on Azamara because the deals have simply been too good to pass up. The Texas couple had only disembarked Quest a month before I met them in the Mediterranean. They had returned to Europe because of “irresistible offers.”

“When comparing us to Oceania, we are way lower price-wise,” says Niyazi Korkmaz, hotel director on Azamara Quest. “What we’re charging for the ticket price, it’s fantastic. The guests notice the value.”

Quest For Perfection

All staterooms on each of the 694-passenger ships feature butler service and upgraded amenities such as European bedding with duvet and pillow-top mattress; 100 percent Egyptian-cotton bathrobes; umbrella; binoculars; bottled Evian water; welcome fruit basket; fresh-cut flowers; pillow menu and more.

The cruise line spent $40 million modernizing the fleet. As part of the upgrade, some blocks of staterooms were reconfigured to suites. Azamara’s ships feature ten Penthouse Suites, four Royal Suites and 32 Sky Suites.

At 266 square feet, Sky Suites on deck 8 occupy the equivalent of a standard stateroom and a half (three staterooms were reconfigured into two suites).

Suites come with all that standard staterooms offer and more: priority check-in and departure; priority luggage delivery; complimentary garment pressing (two items); priority tender service; fragrant drawer liners upon request; silk-wrapped hangers; Hansgrohe showerhead; welcome bottle of champagne; daily fruit basket; daily hors d’oeuvres served in-suite between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and complimentary espresso/cappuccino, but oddly only when ordered in-suite. Soft drinks are also free of charge when taken from the suite mini-bar.

Like Oceania, Azamara features multiple dining venues: the main open-seating dining room Discoveries; the reservations-only Prime C and Aqualina; and Windows Cafe. The latter is remarkable in that during dinner, diners will often find sushi, sashimi, whole lobster and a carving station in what is essentially the lido buffet on other ships.

When in port, the aft section of Windows Cafe transforms into Brisas, an outdoor floating cafe overlooking exotic ports of call.

Breakfast in Windows Cafe features a juice bar, with complimentary fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies. For those who appreciate healthy dining options, the Pool Grill serves up turkey and veggie burgers, baked potatoes and kebabs in addition to the usual burgers and hot dogs.

Deluxe Cruise Line

Azamara defines itself as deluxe, positioned between premium cruise lines (like sister brand Celebrity) and luxury cruise lines (such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises). The smaller size of Azamara’s vessels, when compared to Celebrity, allows the two-ship fleet to visit small, unexplored ports. In 2008, Azamara charted 68 ports that were new to the Royal Caribbean family of cruise lines.

Quest and Journey sail in different directions: Journey crosses the Atlantic to operate a series of Panama Canal and Caribbean sailings through March, then returns to Europe; Quest heads east to sail a series of Asia voyages, with extended cruisetour packages available, before returning to Europe in the spring.

Few, however, expect Azamara’s competitive advantage to last for long. Fares will increase as Azamara gains name recognition. That’s only one good reason to cruise Azamara now. The other is that this is an up-and-coming cruise line that is sure to please, just as its competitor does.

Azamara’s Bumpy Journey

When launched in spring 2007, Azamara Cruises got off to a shaky start, largely because of logistical issues that delayed the refurbishment of the its first ship, Azamara Journey. The new cruise line was hammered, particularly in the online cruise chat rooms and forums. Azamara Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan admitted that his company made mistakes during its inaugural period, but he says that some of the harsh criticism seemed unfair.

Four-time Azamara cruiser Steve Henderson agrees. Scanning the boards on popular web sites, he noted many remarks that he says “simply were not true.” Henderson responded with posts that essentially said, “I was on that cruise, and what you wrote did not happen.”

What’s The Beef

Still, Azamara had plenty of kinks to iron out, and when Quest was introduced in October, the company was beginning to see improved comments from both cruise passengers and travel agents. Moreover, the company committed to responding quickly to passenger complaints. A $20 charge for dining in specialty restaurants Aqualina and Prime C was replaced with a $5 suggested gratuity.

In Prime C, one menu item that featured “Kobe-style beef” was removed, because it caused confusion among guests. The restaurant featured beef raised “Kobe style” in Idaho at a cost to the company of $30 to $40 a pound, compared to more than $100 a pound for true Kobe beef.

On Journey, open-seating dining also proved challenging for staff, many who came from sister company Celebrity Cruises, where staff was accustomed to two-seating dining. Service in Journey’s main dining room was often slow and not as personal as it was on Celebrity. But those challenges too have been ironed out.

There are still minor irritations and quirks. Specialty coffees, free on Azamara’s competitors, cost nearly $5 ($4 plus 18 percent gratuity) in the Mosaic Cafe. Sure, guests in suites receive complimentary specialty coffees, but only if ordered in their suites. And a can of Coke costs $4 from the stateroom fridge, and only $2 at food and beverage outlets outside the room.

And even with the significant investment in Quest and Journey, some things are not up to the Celebrity standard. Standard stateroom bathrooms, for example, are small. With the added room to stretch out, a large balcony and bathroom, Sky Suites represent perhaps the best value.

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In the battle to boast the biggest and best, Royal Caribbean International debuted Oasis of the Seas in 2009, which, along with sister ship Allure of the Seas, holds the title as the world’s largest cruise ship.

But Oasis of the Seas boasts much more than size. Making a huge media splash, the world’s largest cruise ship took the industry a step closer to fulfilling aspirations among lead designers: to incorporate theme park elements on the top decks of ships.

Clearly, the upper decks of cruise ships are getting more interesting, and while that may not please everyone, expect the innovations to continue.

“Yes,” chuckles Harri Kulovaara, Royal Caribbean’s executive vice president, maritime, “maybe we do like building big ships. The purpose, however, is not just to build the biggest ships. The purpose is to build outstanding vessels that provide great facilities for our guests. And we need a lot of real estate for that. That’s the reason we’ve constantly been growing the size of our ships. We have a lot of good ideas that we want to incorporate in the ships.”

Capable of carrying more than 6,000 passengers, Oasis of the Seas is 40 percent larger than the company’s Freedom-class vessels, which previously reigned  as the world’s largest cruise ships.

A Thrill A Minute
With more than 30 ships under his belt, Carnival’s chief designer Joe Farcus has expressed interest in the past to put a steel-structure roller coaster on a ship. “It would be a very sculptural thing,” he explains, noting that the roller coaster would be designed in a way so as not to disturb sunbathers.

If a roller coaster requires a leap of imagination, consider what Designteam wants to put on a cruise ship: an 825-foot ski slope wrapping around the ship’s funnel and sloping to the back of the top deck.

An “inflatable roof” would keep the manmade snow from melting in the Caribbean,” Designteam’s Frank Symeou says with the conviction of a man who expects to be taken seriously.

The roof would be removed when cruising cold-water destinations such as Alaska. “It’s perfectly feasible,” chimes in Symeou’s partner, Eric Mouzourides, “although the weight of the snow was one concern.” Not a safety hazard, he explains: The additional weight adds to fuel costs.

Whether these designs will see the light of day — or the upper decks of ships — remains to be seen, but what is certain is that cruise lines will continue to build ever-larger ships with features previously unthinkable. “There’s no question that big ships have a great public relations value,” says Carnival’s Farcus.

And while Oasis of the Seas may be the best indication of what to expect on big ships of the future, there is still much more on the drawing boards and in the minds of designers who increasingly are looking at successful entertainment venues outside the cruise industry for inspiration.

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Alesund is on the NW coast of Norway and doesn’t sound the way it looks. Try ew-le-sund. It was good old Rollo the Viking boss that built a castle here. Around the castle came a fishing village, then a township, then, in 1904 in the middle of winter, a fire. When the fire ebbed, 10,000 were homeless and in the dark. Kaiser Wihelm was furious. He had lost his vacation spot. Well, not entirely, the spot was still there, but no house. Not to worry, he led a rebuilding, melding Nordic styles with a bit of Art Nouveau. He was, after all, the Kaiser.

As I walked the streets of Alesund, my expectations were way off base; little traffic only one bike and only one blonde. She was on the bike. Actually, my favorites were an accordion player and a guy on a cornet; both playing jazz. Alesund is pleasant enough, but except for these two, it doesn’t swing.

This is the only city in all my travels that I was unable to elicit a smile; not even a slight grin. In the midst of all the space and beauty, the expressions of the passing people reminded me of commute time subway riders in NY.

Back on board Constellation, I realized that I was walking far more on this trip than at home. Beside the port perambulations, it’s about a 20 mile hike from my cabin to the San Marco restaurant. But…….well worth it.

Bye bye Alesund, the Arctic Circle is next.

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