Delta Park

Our trip to Delta Park at Veere, home of one of the engineering wonders of the world  that I had seen on the popular TV show Megastructures, was inspiring.  In 1953 after a combination of high winds and a hurricane there were over 100,000 acres of land flooded due to the breaching of the dykes. More than 1,800 lives were lost. Because of this the Delta Plan was devised, which involved shortening the coast line by about 450 miles with a gigantic tidal barrier to protect Zeeland from flooding.  Several dam-like structures were interlinked and are incredible to behold. We walked through the insides of some of the dam walls, with the sound of the sea pounding in our ears.

After lunch we arrived in Middelburg, where with a local guide, we walked around the town, finishing up in the beautiful Town Hall where we were given an official welcome and offered delicious Dutch specialty pastries.  After the walking I did not feel too guilty eating them.

As usual, before dinner, we went to the daily port talk which covered what we were to expect the next day.  Most on board had a few drinks before heading to the dining room, we enjoyed the sounds of the on board pianist, who entertained each evening.  On many nights we were treated to local entertainers who disembarked before the ship’s usual late night departure.

Middleburg

She’s officially retired, but what lies ahead for Cunard’s grand dame Queen Elizabeth 2?

When Queen Elizabeth 2 thundered down the slipway on September 20, 1967, having just been named by HM Queen Elizabeth II, the age of the transatlantic liner appeared all but over. Jet aircraft were dominating international travel and Cunard, once the most respected cruise line serving the transatlantic passage, was close to bankruptcy.

At the time, critics said QE2 was destined for failure. Despite being radically different from her predecessors, sporting a 1960s-inspired interior of chrome fittings, red and green leather, modular furniture, and the use of modern materials such as Plexiglass and fibreglass, it was felt by ‘those in the know’ that Cunard Line had built a £29-million white elephant.

This legendary liner went on to become the longest-serving passenger ship in Cunard’s impressive 171-year history, travelling more than 5.3 million nautical miles and carrying more than 2.5 million passengers – that’s more than any other ship, ever.

Ironically, QE2’s long and successful career is thanks, in part, to the era in which she was born. By the early 1960s, passenger shipping was on the brink of collapse. Shipping lines such as United States Lines, Italia Line and Cunard Line had slashed services, retired their fleets en masse and, in Cunard’s case, even tried to enter the aviation market (in a joint venture with BOAC).

To compete against jet aircraft, QE2 was built as a dual-purpose liner. Smaller than her predecessors, she was able to transit the Panama Canal as well as enter exotic ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. This enabled QE2 to cruise during the leaner winter months.

Cunard Line ensured that her cruising itineraries were varied and exciting: no two cruises were identical. QE2’s schedule was deliberately erratic, ensuring that she catered to a wide range of travellers and visited a wide range of destinations.

To the surprise of the critics, she proved immensely popular; everyone from honeymooners to couples celebrating their golden wedding anniversaries wanted to sail aboard this luxury resort at sea.

As the years progressed, the few remaining liners disappeared. Their design didn’t allow them to offer cruising – and there simply wasn’t enough demand for them to operate on the North Atlantic year-round. The last liner operating scheduled crossings, QE2 became a specialised transport experience comparable to travelling on the Orient-Express or Concorde.

QE2 maintained this vigorous schedule until the introduction of Queen Mary 2 to Cunard’s fleet in December 2003. After passing the transatlantic baton to her newer fleet-mate, she was employed mainly in cruising until her retirement.

A long career allowed QE2 to visit more ports than any of her predecessors. She commanded a loyal following worldwide, thanks to her annual world cruises, and maintained the standards of a bygone era right up until her last day of service.

It was a sad day in the maritime world when the Cunard house flag was lowered from QE2’s mast for the final time. November 27, 2008 saw her officially handed over to Istithmar (Dubai) for £50.5 million. Her new owners planned to put the ship into a three-year, multi-million-dollar refurbishment, to convert her into a floating hotel.

In the months following her handover, rumours circulated, and concepts such as replacing the funnel with a glass penthouse and building a world-class theatre in the space vacated by removing her engines were proposed. Weeks turned into months, however, and QE2 remained idle at Port Rashid in Dubai. Her engines running, her rooms and decks illuminated, she appeared ready to sail on another cruise. It seemed as if she had fallen victim to the global financial crisis, and many feared she would be sold for scrap. Then, in July 2009, it was announced that the ship would sail to Cape Town for use as a floating hotel during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In preparation for the voyage, she was crewed and her current master, Captain William Cooper, was given command of the ship. QE2 was moved to the nearby Dubai Dry Docks, where she was repainted and inspected in preparation for her new role. The ship was re-registered in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and the iconic homeport name ‘Southampton’ on her stern was painted out.

Sadly, the move to Cape Town did not go ahead and QE2 remains docked at Port Rashid, Dubai. Over the past year, rumours have circulated that the ship’s interior is in disrepair and that the great art collection housed aboard is being damaged by the heat.

It was therefore a welcome relief to QE2 fans around the world when, in April 2011, Robert Lightbody, QE2 enthusiast and founder of The QE2 Story Forum, was granted exclusive access to QE2. Not only was he able to go aboard QE2; he was allowed to photograph and film the interior of the ship.

Robert’s amazing footage can be viewed at www.youtube.com/theqe2story and shows the ship to be in excellent condition. Her live-aboard crew (of about 50 people) maintains her to the highest standard. Her public rooms, cabins and decks all appear ready for use, as if she is simply hibernating, awaiting her future. When speaking about his time aboard the grande dame of the cruise world, Robert said, “There was a lot of speculation out there that she was not in good condition inside and I wanted to correct that, because I knew it was untrue.

“It was a dream come true to step back aboard again, exactly 24 years to the day after I first did so. I never imagined I would see her again in such an intact state.”

When asked about QE2’s condition, Robert remarked, “I am glad to report that in general she is in a terrific condition. Her crew are doing a great job.” It is the hope of many that this iconic liner will be preserved and eventually turned into a floating hotel. The recent success of the SS Rotterdam hotel conversion [more to be revealed in a future Cruise Passenger] has given further hope to QE2 fans around the world that this beloved ship will find a place in our modern world.

Further details about QE2 can be found at www.chriscunard.com/qe2 or, to join the discussion and help save the ship, visit www.theqe2story.com/forum.

Australian billionaire to build a 21^st-century

Call it marketing genius, bad taste, or just another case of billionaire playboy lunacy; whatever your response, it’s happening: Australian billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer is planning to build a new Titanic!

Why? It’s hard to say. The uber-rich Palmer recently took a shine to tourism, bought himself a luxury resort on the Sunshine Coast and now plans to build a fleet of luxury liners, Titanic II being his first.

According to Palmer, the replica of the ill-fated luxury liner will have the exact size, dimensions and style of the original, but with all the nautical safety systems and technological innovations of the present.

Certainly a case of tempting fate, but really, will anyone pay to board such a thing, let alone set sail on it? Palmer, it seems, is hedging his bets that nostalgia and rationality will win over inescapable superstition:

“Hey, take a trip on a ship that replicates the vessel that sank in the most tragic maritime disaster in history. You’ll love it!”

“Well, I suppose. I’m a rational human being. Why shouldn’t I?”

Really?

Palmer says design work for Titanic II has started with the help of a historical research team. China’s state-owned CSC Jinling Shipyard will build the ship, and it’s estimated to set sail in 2016. The ship will have 840 rooms and nine decks, as per the original, with improvements including diesel rather than coal generation, an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for increased maneuverability, a bulbous bow for increased fuel efficiency and, most significantly for anyone with detailed knowledge of the Titanic’s demise, the hull will be constructed by means of welding rather riveting.

“Titanic II will be the ultimate in comfort and luxury, with onboard gymnasiums and swimming pools, libraries, high class restaurants and luxury cabins,” Palmer said.

The decision to build Titanic II, and to announce it only weeks after the centenary of the Titanic’s sinking, has been met with both high praise and impassioned criticism.

Comments from readers on news agency websites covering the story have been many and varied. Some see the billionaire’s move as symptomatic of Australia’s rapidly declining morality and ethics. Others consider it great PR.

In regards to the ship’s safety, Palmer said, “Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it.” To which he then added, “It is going to be designed so it won’t sink. It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

But… isn’t that what they said 100 years ago?

The good, the bad, and the ugly …

Olympic fervour is set to take over the world, but as for the world of cruising, its reception is likely to be mixed. Only a few cruise ships are visiting London during the Games and one ship has even been taken hostage for their duration!

The good

According to Celebrity Cruises, passengers on board its ships during the Games will receive, via satellite, live coverage of Olympic events along with a daily compilation of highlights from all 26 sports featured. The Games will be available for viewing in staterooms and suites or in bars and lounges on the ships. Passengers can also keep abreast of upcoming events through listings in the ships’ daily newspapers.

The bad

There aren’t many cruise lines providing itineraries for passengers who want to enjoy the Games. Silversea Cruises’ Silver Cloud, however, will be arriving in London on July 26, the day before the opening ceremony, on a journey from Copenhagen (departing July 10), with port stays including Helsinki, Finland; St Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; and Amsterdam, Netherlands. The same ship will be departing London the day after the closing ceremony, August 13, on a voyage to Monte Carlo, with port stays including Bordeaux, France; Bilbao, Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal.

The ugly

Several hundred passengers booked to sail with Fred.Olsen Cruises during the Games were dismayed to discover their voyages were cancelled or rescheduled earlier this year after the cruise line signed a deal to charter the 929-passenger Braemar to LOCOG, the games’ organiser, to house Olympic staff.

Accommodation is limited in London during the Olympics, so the ship will provide much-needed lodgings. Braemar will dock at either Royal Albert or King George V docks in East London, a nexus of Olympic action, serving as a floating hotel for 900 Olympic workers from July 12 to August 15.

Three Braemar sailings were cancelled and four others scheduled as a result. Guests affected have been offered alternative cruises with an undisclosed “goodwill gesture” for their trouble, or a full refund – an offer that renders the cancellations and reschedules legal.

A new report reveals the number of Australians taking to the seas is still on the up and up.

According to a recent report from the International Cruise Council Australia (ICCA), Australian cruise numbers reached a record high in 2011. A 34 per cent rise, in fact, with a total of 623, 294 people enjoying cruises locally and abroad.

All other major international markets floundered in comparison, with the US reporting a 4 per cent rise and the UK 5 per cent. And most Aussie cruisers are opting for local ocean stints, with Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific cruises accounting for 70 per cent of cruise passenger numbers.

And where are all these cruisers coming from? New South Wales is home to 40 per cent of the nation’s cruisers, while 24 per cent live in Queensland. Following on are Victoria with 16 per cent and Western Australia at 9 per cent.

Gavin Smith, chairman of the ICCA, said the figures establish the cruise industry’s status as the star performer of Australia’s tourism industry.

“While other industries have waivered in these tough economic times, cruising has continued to expand, with its popularity in Australia growing significantly year-on-year,” he said.

Smith said the increase is likely to be due to the broadening range of cruise ships available locally and overseas, as well as heightened awareness of the value of cruise holidays ­– such as all-inclusive fares covering transport, accommodation and meals.

“Every year we are seeing more cruise ships based in Australia and more ships visiting our shores, taking the profile of cruising to new heights and prompting an unprecedented number of Australians to take to the seas for their holidays,” he said.

According to the report, the number of Australians taking a cruise has almost tripled over the past five years.

Additional data revealed some interesting figures:

* 2.7 per cent of the nation took a cruise in 2011 (placing Australia second in the world in term of market penetration).

* Australians cruising to New Zealand increased by 80 per cent in 2011, reaching 84,013, a likely reflection of the increase in the number of trans-Tasman cruises.

* River cruising numbers also rose 22 per cent to 35,000, representing 6 per cent of Australian cruise passengers.

* The South Pacific lured 37 per cent, a total of 230,321 passengers, thereby continuing its reign as the most popular cruise destination for Australians.

The cruise industry announces three new safety policies.

Cruise Lines international Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) has made a third announcement on the introduction of new industry-wide safety policies since launching its Operational Review on January 27, 2012.

The review, prompted by the Concordia tragedy in early January, has already instigated a new Muster Drill Policy (February 9, 2012) and Enhanced Reporting Requirements to Ensure Consistency, Transparency of Marine Casualty Data (March 21, 2012).

The three new policies relate to personnel access to the bridge, passage planning and life jackets – all issues raised by Concordia.

Bridge Access

According to various accounts, the captain of Concordia, Francesco Schettino, was distracted by bridge guests when the ship hit a rock off the island of Giglio.

Under the new policy, bridge access will now be limited to those with operational functions during any period of restricted manoeuvring or when increased vigilance is required.

Increased vigilance is required, says CLIA spokesman David Peikin, “any time a vessel is constrained in its ability to freely navigate, such as in a restricted waterway/channel, entering a port, or an area where there is an unusually high volume or compression of vessel traffic”.

Life Jackets

Concordia passengers have reported that after the ship lost power many of them had to feel their way back to their cabins to access life jackets.

Consequently, while the current statutory requirement is for ships to carry life jackets for each person on board, the new policy requires ships to carry more. According to the CLIA, under the new policy “the number of additional adult life jackets to be provided must not be less than the total number of persons berthed within the ship’s most populated main vertical fire zone”.

Passage Planning

The sinking of Concordia occurred when Captain Schettino executed a ‘sail by’ of Giglio, a practice that involves sailing dangerously close to a coastal village to salute its residents (revealed through the course of the Concordia investigation to be alarmingly common). The stunt took Concordia on a dangerous unauthorised route, on which it ultimately hit a rock and sank.

While ships are required by law to create voyage plan before sailing, the new policy modifies this requirement, providing clarification and codification to ensure best practice.

In conclusion to his announcement of these policies, Manfredi Lefebvr, Chairman of the ECC and member of the CLIA Executive Committee, said, “We are convinced that this approach will achieve concrete, practical and significant safety dividends in the shortest possible time and fully reflects the measured and responsible progress on future safety initiatives by both the Commission and European Parliament following the Concordia tragedy.”

from left: Captain Schoustra of Avalon Vista; Avalon Vista godmother Vanessa Lee; and Avalon Waterways Managing Director Australasia Stewart Williams.

Avalon Waterways has launched its newest luxury river cruise ships, Avalon Vista and Avalon Visionary, at a double christening in the Netherlands, the latest stage in a major expansion of its successful Suite Ship concept.

The new ships – each with two entire decks of all-suite accommodation – were launched on Friday at a ceremony in the historic Dutch harbour town of Enkhuizen.

The 135m Avalon Vista, which has 83 cabins, is identical to Avalon Panorama while the 110m Avalon Visionary is slightly smaller at 64 cabins. Avalon Waterways Managing Director Australasia Stewart Williams said the Suite Ship concept had been an outstanding success, thanks largely to Australian travellers.

“Everything about the Suite Ships has been designed with Australians in mind, from the décor and fittings right through to the cuisine and the espresso coffee,” Mr Williams said.  “The response has been fantastic and Avalon Waterways has this year broken all previous sales records in Australia as a result.”

Next year, Avalon Waterways will introduce another two new Suite Ships, Avalon Artistry II and Avalon Expression. They will give Avalon a total of five Suite Ships when they enter service in April and May 2013, joining an overall European fleet of 12 luxury ships with an average age of less than three years.

To celebrate the release of its 2013 program, Avalon is offering savings of $1,000 per couple on select European river cruises, with more than a dozen different itineraries to choose from and more than 60 available departures. Savings of $500 per couple are available on all other European cruises in 2013. For details, see your travel agent.

The tulips were the real stars, all picture perfect and my camera was in overdrive.  There were several pavilions housing many different varieties.  Virtually every bloom was a masterpiece – no imperfect blooms to be seen anywhere. Our main reason for booking this cruise was to see Floriade and the tulips of Holland.

In some of the pavilions, local traditional dancers performed in national dress.  There were several spots to sit down and have coffee or hot chocolate served with delicious pastries, the local most popular treat was profitjes, served with a chocolate sauce.  At the end of the season, which runs from March to May each year, the whole park is mulched and newly designed plantings start for the following year.  This is definitely a not-to-be-missed attraction.

On boarding Avalon Luminary we were welcomed by the captain and crew then offered cocktails. After being shown to our staterooms and settling in to our very comfortable cabin, it was time for the mandatory evacuation drill held on the ship’s sundeck.

It was tulip season and all on board were looking forward to going to Floriade and seeing lots of tulips. The passenger mix was about 80 per cent North Americans with Australians making up most of the balance.

One of the beauties of river cruising is that total passenger numbers are usually about 120 and it does not take long to make many new friends.  The open seating at all meals means one usually dines with different people each day. Another added plus was that Avalon’s Ambassador, Steve Liebmann, and his wife were on board.  All the Australians were very thrilled to be travelling with Steve and I was especially pleased as Steve and I used to work together in the early days of television.

The second day saw us dock at Kinderdijk, famous for its many well-preserved windmills.  Although not used for their original purpose (which was to pump water from the low land), these are now a huge tourist attraction and everyone’s cameras were working overtime. 

We were looking forward to our afternoon (included) excursion to Keukenhof, famous for its acres of tulips.

More to come soon …

I have just returned from a seven-night Avalon Waterways river cruise on board Avalon Luminary through Holland at the start of the tulip season. I attempted to blog from the rivership, but although they had free wi-fi/internet, the reception was patchy and caused some frustration, so here is my report from dry land.  This will be an abbreviated report as I will be writing a full report in the next issue of Cruise Passenger magazine, illustrated with many colourful photos.

Getting to and returning from each destination can be an extremely pleasurable experience if planned properly.  On the other hand, lack of planning and not leaving enough time for potential mishaps can turn the event into a nightmare.

I always plan to arrive at the embarkation port at least two days ahead. With all the unforeseen mishaps that are possible, such as airlines experiencing delays, one certainly does not want to “miss the boat”.

After a faultless flight from Sydney via Dubai to Amsterdam on Emirates, we arrived in Amsterdam refreshed and ready to begin our exploration of this storybook city. We had booked into the Amstel InterContinental Hotel, a five-star property on the banks of the Amstel River, which certainly lived up to our expectations. One of their three restaurants had a Michelin star, however the other two were exceptional.  After two days of independent sightseeing, it was time to join our fellow passengers at a centrally located hotel, where after some light refreshments we were driven a short distance by luxury motor coach to board Avalon Luminary.

Watch this space…