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Cruising the Mediterranean: A Guide to the Ships & Ports of Call

Larry Ludmer

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Acknowledgments

The seemingly simple task of compiling the facts about cruise lines, their ships, and destinations for presentation to the reader has become more and more difficult because of the sheer volume of choices. Any travel writer who wants to do the best for his readers must seek out the assistance of others to help amass this information. Ship facts and information on which ships have been assigned to cruising Mediterranean routes were provided by the media relations staff of the cruise lines. It is important to note, however, that their role in providing information and/or services to me in no way affects what I have to say about a particular cruise line or ship. Having said that I am still especially grateful to and would like to acknowledge the special help and consideration that has been provided to me by Karen Tetherow and Susanne Ferrull of Princess Cruises; Michelle McCarthy of Holland America; Jaye Hilton of Royal Caribbean; Elizabeth Jakeway of Celebrity Cruises; Heather Krasnow of Norwegian Cruise Line; Irene Lui of Carnival Cruises, Cheryl Fenske of DMOA Public Relations for MSC Cruises; and Darren Osta of Costa Cruises. All opinions expressed here are based on information gathered from a variety of objective sources and, most importantly, by firsthand experience.

Preface

There are two reasons why this was a good time to introduce a new edition of Cruising the Mediterranean. To begin with, the constantly evolving cruise industry means new ships with an ever-increasing array of new amenities, new ports of call and new itineraries. In the case of the Mediterranean market, the changes are even more pronounced than in other popular cruising areas. That's because when the first edition was released, it was soon followed by significant events of a geopolitical nature. First came the intifada. It didn't take long for most cruise lines to start eliminating Middle Eastern ports from their itineraries and those that didn't (at least among lines catering to American visitors) followed suit after the terrible events of 9/11. Although travel to Europe by Americans has rebounded nicely, the cruise lines have shown a great hesitancy to return to the Middle East.

The other reason for a new edition is that, as I write new cruise guides or revised guides for other cruising markets, I am always tinkering with format, style and content changes. I like to think that each edition becomes better for you, the reader and user. This edition reflects many of those changes and I hope that you find them useful.

The World of Mediterranean Cruising

Cruise Popularity

A Survey of the Mediterranean

Geographically Speaking

Man & the Mediterranean

The Way to See the Mediterranean

Advantages of Mediterranean Cruising

Disadvantages of Mediterranean Cruising

Cruise Lines & Their Ships

Types of Cruises

Destination

Duration

Type of Ship

Style of Cruise & Level of Luxury

Cruise Lines

Ship-by-Ship & Line-By-Line Evaluations

Mass Market Lines

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES

Celebrity Cruises

Holland America Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

Princess Cruises

Royal Caribbean International

Costa Cruises

MSC Cruises

P & O Cruises

Non-Mass Market Lines

Setting Priorities

Selecting Your Dream Cruise

Evaluation of Ship Itineraries

Onboard Activities

Options in Port

Practical Information

Accommodations on Land

Climate & When to Go

Costs

Dining

Disabled Travelers

Dress (On & Off Ship)

Driving/Rental Cars 

Electrical Appliances & Other Technical Tidbits 

Financial Matters 

Formalities, Documents & Paperwork 

Gaming 

Home-to-Ship Transportation 

Health & Safety Concerns 

THOSE NASTY LITTLE VIRUSES

Payments, Cancellations & Refunds 

Recreation in Port 

Shopping 

Staying in Touch 

Time Zones 

Traveling with Children 

Zo, It's Your First Time Cruising... 

Ports of Call & Cruise Sightseeing

Gateways to the Cruise

Major Ports of Embarkation

Lesser Ports of Embarkation

Onboard Sightseeing

Which Ports Are Included?

Tourism Information

How I Present Port Information

The Major Ports

Ajaccio (Corsica), France

Alexandria, Egypt

Alicante/Cartagena, Spain

Antalya, Turkey

Athens/Piraeus, Greece

Barcelona, Spain

Bodrum, Turkey

Cádiz/Seville, Spain

Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy

Cannes, France

Casablanca, Morocco

Catania/Syracuse (Sicily), Italy

Corfu (Ionian Islands), Greece

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Genoa, Italy

Gibraltar

Heraklion (Crete), Greece

Hvar/Korcula, Croatia

Istanbul, Turkey

Katákalon, Greece

Kusadasi/Ephesus, Turkey

La Goulette/Tunis, Tunisia

Livorno/Pisa/Florence, Italy

Malaga, Spain

Marseille, France

Messina/Taormina (Sicily), Italy

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Mykonos/Delos, Greece

Naples/Capri, Italy

Návplion, Greece

Nessebur, Bulgaria

Nice/Villefranche, France

Odesa, Ukraine

Palermo (Sicily), Italy

Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands), Spain

Portimão/Praia da Rocha, Portugal

Portimão

Portoferraio (Elba Island), Italy

Portofino, Italy

Rhodes, Greece

Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy

St-Tropez, France

Salerno/Sorrento & The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Santorini, Greece

Sète, France

Sevastopol/Yalta, Ukraine

Valencia, Spain

Valletta, Malta

Venice, Italy

Vigo, Spain

Less Visited Ports

Agadir, Morocco

Aghios Nikolaos (Crete), Greece

Alanya, Turkey

Alghero (Sardinia), Italy

Almeria, Spain

Amorgos, Greece

Ancona, Italy

Bari, Italy

Beirut, Lebanon

Benghazi, Libya

Bonifacio/Bastia/Porto-Vecchio (Corsica), France

Calvi (Corsica), France

Çanakkale (Troy), Turkey

Cap Creus (Cabo de Creus), Spain

Cassis/Sanary-Sur Mer, France

Cephalonia, Greece

Ceuta (North African enclave), Spain

Constanta, Romania

Dikili, Turkey

Ermoupolis, Greece

Fethiye, Turkey

Gabes, Tunisia

Gaeta/Ponza, Italy

Gallipoli, Italy

Güllük, Turkey

Gythion, Greece

Hydra, Greece

Hyères/La Lavandrou, France

Ibiza (Balearic Islands), Spain

Ischia, Italy

Itea, Greece

Kalamata, Greece

Kéa, Greece

Khíos, Greece

Kos, Greece

Kotori, Montenegro

Limassol/Lanarca/Lefkosia, Cyprus

Máhon (Balearic Islands), Spain

Marbella, Spain

Marmaris, Turkey

Melilla (North African enclave), Spain

Mitilíni, Greece

Monemvasia, Greece

Motril, Spain

Oporto, Portugal

Palamos, Spain

Paros, Greece

Patmos, Greece

Portovenere, Italy

Port Said, Egypt

Port Vendres, France

Propriano (Corsica), France

Rab, Croatia

Rabat, Morocco

Samos, Greece

Savona, Italy

Serifos, Greece

Sifnos, Greece

Skiathos, Greece

Sochi, Russia

Split, Croatia

Tangier, Morocco

Tarragona, Spain

Tartous, Syria

Thessaloniki, Greece

Toulon, France

Tripoli, Libya

Varna, Bulgaria

Volos, Greece

Zadar, Croatia

Zakinthos, Greece

National Tourist Offices in the US

Cruise Lines

Car Rental Companies

International Ferry Lines

Major Hotel Chains

Hotel Booking Services

The World of Mediterranean Cruising

Cruise Popularity

It wasn't very long ago that cruising was an activity almost exclusively limited to people with lots of money to spend on their leisure time. While the number of people taking cruises has seen growth that is nothing short of spectacular over the past decade, a lot of people still think cruising is for the rich and famous. Studies done by the cruise industry indicate that only about three percent of Americans have ever taken a cruise. If, after reading this book, you become one of the travelers who starts working that figure towards four percent or higher, then my objective will have been fulfilled.

Cruising represents one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, a trend that has continued to gain momentum in recent years. Preliminary figures show that during 2004 about 11 million people worldwide took a cruise. By far the largest segment of the cruising public resides in the United States. The total number of cruisers is expected to continue taking huge leaps - to almost 14 million in 2006. In fact, annual increases in the range of 15-20% are anticipated over the next few years. Although the Caribbean market simply dwarfs all other cruise market segments (in 2004 it represented more than 40% of all North American cruise passengers), cruising to the Mediterranean has certainly become a significant chunk of the market, representing almost 13% of the total and putting it in second place after the Caribbean. During this period, a total of more than 1.25 million people embarked on one of more than 250 cruises in the Mediterranean offered by Cruise Line International Association Members. That figure does not count passengers on trans-Atlantic itineraries nor a sizable number of passengers cruising to other parts of Europe whose ship visited one or more Mediterranean ports of call. The passenger count in the Mediterranean alone represented an increase of nearly 18% over 2003. Given the continued increases in both the number and size of ships on Mediterranean routes in 2005 (and planned for in future years), it wouldn't be surprising for double-digit increases to remain the norm over the next several years.

There are many reasons why cruising has become so popular. Certainly one of the biggest factors is that today's cruise ships offer excellent value for whatever level of luxury your budget will bear. Cost factors will be explored in more detail later, but suffice to say for now that a typical week-long cruise in the Mediterranean should cost you considerably less than the same period of time at good land-based hotels when all of the costs are calculated. Air, of course, will be about the same whether you cruise in the Mediterranean or fly to Europe for a land tour. Other things that attract people to cruising are the variety of activities available on these floating resorts; the fact that it is a comprehensive vacation; and the romanticism and luxury associated with the cruising experience. The ability to see several different and often exotic ports of call in a single vacation is also, no doubt, an important factor. This becomes even more important in locations such as Europe since some Americans feel uncomfortable touring the region on their own because of language and cultural differences. If you let the cruise line handle all or most of your shore time activities, that removes much of the hassle and uncertainty that can often accompany foreign travel.

A Survey of the Mediterranean

A trip to any foreign country will be enhanced if you have some knowledge of that nation's history, land and people. This section will provide a general introduction to these topics. It is not intended to be comprehensive and interested potential cruisers to the Mediterranean are strongly encouraged to do further reading.

Geographically Speaking

The region of Europe and North Africa referred to as the Mediterranean encompasses the Mediterranean Sea and the land areas immediately surrounding it. This includes all or part of almost 20 nations on three continents. The Mediterranean Sea stretches for nearly 2,400 miles from the ancient Pillars of Hercules between modern day Gibraltar and Morocco in the west to the shores of Israel in the east. At its widest point, it measures about 1,000 miles, although it is more commonly just 400 to 600 miles across. Covering approximately 970,000 square miles, the Mediterranean is the seventh-largest body of water in the world. The only bigger ponds are the four oceans, the South China Sea and the Caribbean Sea, which is only about 2,300 square miles larger than the Mediterranean. The name Mediterranean comes from Latin and means the middle land. Given its location between Europe, Africa and Asia that is, indeed, a most appropriate title.

The Mediterranean is almost entirely landlocked. The narrow 40-mile-long Strait of Gibraltar, a mere nine to 24 miles across, defines its westernmost limits, allowing access to the Atlantic Ocean. At the other end, the Mediterranean is connected to the Black Sea by the nearly 200-mile-long waterway through Turkey comprised of the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus. Geographically, the Black and MediterraneanSeas are hard to separate. Many people, including some scholars, consider the Black Sea to be a part of the Mediterranean. But true geographers scoff at that view. Besides the Strait of Gibraltar there is only one other outlet to the ocean: the man-made Suez Canal, which crosses the Isthmus of Suez and provides access to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea.

The Mediterranean has several arms that go by other names and are often large enough to be called seas in their own right. These are the TyrrhennianSea, the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Seaand the Ionian Sea. Two other seas in the region are the LigurianSea (bordered by the French and Italian Rivieras) and the BalearicSea (between Spain and its Balearic Islands). Amid these seas are hundreds of islands of all sizes - Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Cyprus are the four largest.

The Mediterranean has an average depth of just 4,900 feet. However, off the coast of Greece is an area that is 16,000 feet deep. Interestingly, the Mediterranean is notably saltier than the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. This is due mainly to the warm and relatively dry climate, which causes accelerated evaporation.

The Mediterranean Sea was created by the action of plate tectonics - specifically, the movement of the adjacent Eurasian and African plates. To this day, it is still a hotbed of geological activity and earthquakes are a constant potential threat. In addition, there are quite a few active or dormant volcanos, the greatest concentration of which are found in southern Italy and on the island of Sicily.

Man & the Mediterranean

The history of this region is, in many ways, the history of Western civilization. Successive powerful empires and states rose and fell here, shaping the destiny of the world as we know it. The four most important were Egypt, Greece, Phoenicia and Rome. The Roman name for the Mediterranean was Mare Nostrum, meaning our sea, and the entire region was under their rule for centuries. Indeed, historians refer to the Mediterranean as a Roman lake, implying total control. Since the fall of the Roman Empire the region has been comprised of many different nations, some world (or at least regional) powers of considerable importance, while others have been mere pawns in the chess game of world diplomacy and conflict.

The 21st-century map is far more complicated with, as mentioned, about 20 different nations calling the region their own. And that figure doesn't even include countries bordering the Black Sea or Portugal, which, although outside the Mediterranean is definitely a part of its history and culture. Here's the line-up working in a clockwise direction from the Atlantic side (but you might want to follow along with a map to get a better feel for the geographic layout): The northern shoreline (Europe) has Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro, Albania and Greece. In Asia are Turkey (a small section is in Europe), Syria, Lebanon and Israel; the North African states are Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. Independent island nations in the Mediterranean are tiny Malta and much larger Cyprus. Fortunately, most of the Mediterranean is more peaceful at this time than it has been since the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) of ancient times, but one look at the Middle East and you quickly realize that the Mediterranean still has its danger zones.

The Mediterranean has been fought over by nations for thousands of years. There are more native ethnic groups in the region than there are nations. Ethnic and religious differences are only part of the story. Since ancient times, the sea has been a vital lifeline for trade and commerce, and whoever dominated the sea links through the Mediterranean was a world power to be reckoned with. Although the consequences of the ongoing battle were often tragic, it makes a visit to today's Mediterranean a living history lesson.

The Way to See the Mediterranean

U nless you have a year to roam about, it's impossible to fully explore the wonders of the Mediterranean nations on one trip. Wise travelers pick what interests them most and figure out the best way to see those sights. The Mediterranean Sea provides access to much of the region, so a cruise vacation is a wonderful way to explore, even if the cruise experience per se is not what you're looking for. Of course, you can enjoy the ship and its luxuries too.

I don't work for the cruise lines so, while their brochures present an idyllic look at the world of Mediterranean cruising, I'll present you with a more objective and balanced picture. There are advantages and disadvantages, and I will help you determine what kind of Mediterranean trip best meets your needs.

Advantages of Mediterranean Cruising

A cruise is essentially a complete package vacation, with an allowance for you to do your own thing at ports of call, as well as before and after the cruise. It's great if you don't like to plan all the details of a comprehensive vacation, especially one overseas, which generally requires more work than a US destination. As long as you sail with a cruise line catering primarily to Americans (or at least English-speaking travelers, which is what this book will focus on), then you needn't worry about language problems, foreign food that might not agree with you, or having to get around on your own in strange surroundings. Of course, you will encounter some of those issues while in port, but the potential pitfalls will be minimized. By opting for the cruise lines' pre-arranged shore excursions, your trip should be free of such uncomfortable situations. Then, of course, there are the joys of the cruise itself. Few land-based resorts can offer the variety of activities and facilities of a large cruise ship. And those that can would be far more costly, especially in Europe.

Cruise lines like to boast that they actually save you money over land vacations because you don't have separate additional costs for hotels, food and so on. This is true in many cases. If you like to stay at expensive hotels and dine in fine restaurants, then you might well consider a cruise to be an absolute bargain! On the other hand, those who watch their expenses might find cruising to be more expensive than what they're used to. Even so, with all the extras just about everyone, including the budget travel set, will usually admit that most cruises represent a good value. Be forewarned, however: cruise prices in Europe aren't as low on a per-night basis as they are in the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera or even Alaska. Although there are a variety of cruise price categories (by line as well as by stateroom category on almost any ship), there aren't any real budget cruise operators catering to the American traveler.

Disadvantages of Mediterranean Cruising

I may not work for the cruise industry, but I love cruising so much that finding a disadvantage isn't easy. But there are some shortcomings to seeing the Mediterranean by ship. Cruising is slow (even though cruise ships have the advantage of usually traveling during the night), and a two-week cruise, for example, simply cannot cover as much ground as if you were always on the ground! This restriction will be acceptable for most people, especially if you want to see only a few places during your trip. However, if you like the whirlwind bus tour with a if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium-type experience, then cruising may not be for you.

Cruise ships generally stay at ports of call between six and 12 hours, although you will find a number of itineraries with overnight port stays. This limited time allotment in port is fine for small towns and other specialized ports of call, such as ancient historic sites or resort islands, but it can present a problem when visiting larger cities. A pet peeve of mine, for example, is the cruise that has Rome as a day port of call. How can anyone do justice to Rome in a single day? Again, how much of a problem this is depends upon your expectations. One solution to this potential disadvantage is to select a cruise that begins and/or ends in a large city - and this is the majority of Mediterranean cruises. You can then add days at either or both ends of your cruise to allow more time for in-depth sightseeing.

Cruise Lines & Their Ships

Types of Cruises

W hile the number of American-oriented cruise ships sailing the Mediterranean is less than you'll find in the Caribbean, the choice is still extensive and is growing each year. If you factor in European lines, the choice of lines and ships is just as great or even greater. This seemingly ever-increasing capacity is likely to mean heavy competition and good prices for the consumer for several years to come, although 2005 saw the cruise industry respond to increased demand with some price increases. For those who prefer the smaller and more traditional vessels, they can still be found on many Mediterranean itineraries.

While all cruises, obviously, have many things in common, if you have never cruised then you are probably in for a surprise at the variety of options that are available. This is certainly the case in the large Mediterranean market. While there are many ways to segment cruises into different categories, I find it useful to do so by looking at the following differentiating factors: destination, duration, type of ship and style of cruise.

Destination

The variety of destinations in the Mediterranean is so great that you can't lump all itineraries together. The typical Mediterranean cruise, if there is such a thing, will usually have either an Eastern or Western Mediterranean flavor. The western trips will have their ports of call in Spain, the French Riviera, the east coast of Italy and the larger Mediterranean islands. They might go as far as Venice. Eastern trips concentrate on the Greek Isles, Turkey, the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) and Venice. Either type might also visit some North African ports that are within their reach. Cruises that are specifically eastern or western Mediterranean itineraries often begin and end in the same port although there are many one-way itineraries as well. Many cruises, especially longer ones, combine both eastern and western ports. These more frequently begin and end at different ports. Because they travel greater distances than east or west area cruises, these grand Mediterranean itineraries often have more days at sea per week than cruises covering a smaller area. Depending upon your outlook, this might be an advantage or disadvantage, or it may not matter to you at all.

In addition to cruises that confine themselves solely to the Mediterranean, you will find a large number of itineraries that begin or end elsewhere in western Europe and include both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean ports of call. These are generally longer cruises. Both Mediterranean-only and western Europe itineraries rarely call on the Atlantic islands such as the Canaries and Azores. These, however, will often be included in trans-Atlantic itineraries - that is, you sail either to or from the Mediterranean from the east coast of the United States (mostly New York or Florida). These are great for people who like to spend long lazy days at sea, and they avoid the hassle of flying in one direction. Although there are some cruise ships that regularly sail across the Atlantic on such itineraries, most of the available itineraries are what are termed repositioning cruises. That is, they are only done at the beginning and end of the Mediterranean cruise season when ships are being redeployed either from or to another route (most often the Caribbean). Thus, in the late spring you will find trans-Atlantic itineraries going to Europe, and returning from Europe in October or early November. Because the cruise lines need to move the ships at these times, repositioning cruises often represent an especially good value on a per-night basis.

Duration

In the Caribbean, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera, the typical cruise lasts seven nights, although you can easily find longer and shorter itineraries. There are many Mediterranean itineraries of about a week, but the average cruise length here is somewhat longer, about 10 days. Even longer trips are certainly available. Cruises of less than a week in the Mediterranean are hard to come by if you are looking only at the major American-oriented lines. You'll generally have to go with a European operator or one of the luxury lines that often offer niche cruises of less than a week.

Type of Ship

Just as there are many variations in destinations, there is great variety in the types of ships serving the Mediterranean. It has become increasingly common for the major lines to deploy their most modern and largest ships in this market. These vessels offer the greatest array of facilities and amenities and have become the standard for cruising world-wide. Even the European lines, which until recently had smaller and more traditional cruise ships, have been upgrading their fleets with the new mega-ships. On the other hand, if the traditional vessel is more to your liking, you can certainly find that without too much difficulty in the Mediterranean. Smaller ships run the gamut from the most inexpensive cruise lines to the most expensive. The luxury yacht type of cruise ship is in abundance in the Mediterranean. And if you want to go on a sailing ship, that can also be found without difficulty.

Style of Cruise & Level of Luxury

These factors are dependent on one another to a degree, and are also influenced by the type of ship. Styles range from largely informal (usually more so on the less expensive lines) to a more formal experience. This can be stated in other terms - namely, is the cruise designed for a party experience or is it the type of cruise where onboard activities are geared more towards cultural enrichment? These days, most big cruise ships offer a measure of both. As already alluded to, cruise lines in the Mediterranean offer every imaginable level of luxury. It is, of course, related to how much you pay. The higher the cost, the more you'll be pampered. For most people, however, the level of luxury even on the lower priced mass-market lines will be more than they're used to and more than you would expect. Choice is increasingly important and, regardless of style or luxury level, this is a feature that more and more cruise lines are actively promoting.

Cruise Lines

More than 30 companies operate various types of Mediterranean cruises, the vast majority of which are traditional cruise lines that feature motorized cruise ships, but you can also cruise the Mediterranean on a real sailing ship.

YACHTING

A number of tour operators can book you onto a luxurious yacht, perhaps with several other passengers, or maybe just you. This type of travel is particularly common on trips confined to the GreekAegeanIslands or along Turkey's TurquoiseCoast. Rentals are also an option if you know how to handle one of these babies. While some travel agents know how to connect with yacht tour operators, most will not. Two good places to start looking are the International Yacht Charter Group, tel. (866) 492-4768, www.internationalyachtchartergroup.com or A Yacht Charter, www.a-yachtcharter.com.

Ship-by-Ship & Line-By-Line Evaluations

Before getting into specific ships and cruise lines, a few words on how this compilation is arranged. There are two basic categories: the mass market lines and the non-mass market lines. Within each of these two categories the lines will be broken down further by whether they are American or European. What all of this means will be explained in each section.

Mass Market Lines

The first thing that must be emphasized is that the term mass market isn't meant to be derogatory in any sense. It simply means that these cruise lines appeal to the broadest section of the traveling public because they offer choice and luxury at an affordable price. They are also the lines with the most (and generally the biggest) ships in service on Mediterranean routes. A majority of readers who take a Mediterranean cruise (or a cruise anywhere in the world, for that matter) are likely to sail on one of the lines I place in this category. Another feature of the largest cruise lines is their innovative approach to creating an ever-increasing array of onboard activities and services. They provide a true resort experience in addition to taking you to exotic ports of call. Each of the major lines will be profiled in depth prior to a ship-by-ship description of their vessels. Only those ships serving the Mediterranean market will be fully described. Some things apply to all ships of a given cruise line. For example, cuisine and entertainment policy won't vary much at all from one ship to another on the same line. Thus, general information that is given in the cruise line profile won't be repeated in the individual ship descriptions unless it significantly differs in some way.

Statistical information for the cruise lines and individual ships is mostly self-explanatory. However, a few items are worthy of clarification.

The number of ships shown under the Fleet heading is the total number of vessels in service or scheduled to have been placed in service as of January, 2006. This includes all of the ships of that line and isn't limited to the number serving the Mediterranean.

The figure for Under Construction includes projects currently in the shipyards and firm order commitments.

Year Built: The year of the ship's maiden voyage. The year of the most recent major refurbishment, if applicable, will be indicated in brackets for any ship built prior to 2000.

Passengers: Indicates the number of passengers the ship will carry based on double occupancy of all staterooms. You might well see other numbers given in various sources of information on a particular ship. Because of additional persons in any number of rooms, a ship that is fully booked will almost certainly be carrying far more people than the double occupancy figure. However, I use this basis because it is the most commonly accepted method in the cruise industry and various measurements of ships use this basis in their calculations.

Passenger/Crew Ratio: The number of passengers divided by the number of crew members, expressed as a ratio, such as 2.4:1. In theory, the lower the number, the better the service. This is logical since you can assume that if there are three passengers to be taken care of by each crew member, that would not be as good if that same crew member only had to serve two passengers. While the luxury lines are the only ones where you'll frequently see ratios of less than 2:1, I have yet to find any reliable correlation to minor variances in the ratio. I have been on ships with a 2.7:1 ratio where the service was better than on a ship with a 2.2:1 ratio. Again, it is only a general indication of service.

Stateroom Size: Rooms on ships are a lot smaller than what you will find in a hotel, or even in most inexpensive motels. This is important to keep in mind if you have never sailed before. The measurements are in square feet and the range shows the smallest to the largest accommodation, including suites. Room sizes for standard cabins (excludes suites and mini-suites) are most often in the range of 140 to 220 square feet. The majority of today's vessels are being built with minimum room sizes of 160 square feet or more. Experience tells me that if the room is smaller than 150 square feet, you're going to have a space problem.

Space Ratio: A measure of how roomy the ship is. It is calculated by dividing the Gross Registered Tonnage by the number of passengers. The higher the number, the more space you have per passenger, at least in theory. Some cruise experts consider this figure almost as gospel. While I agree that this ratio does provide some indication of available space, there is no way to mathematically account for the feel the ship has. That is, the design of the ship (including traffic flow) is a more important indicator of how much space you have than a simple number. It should, like the Passenger/Crew Ratio, be used with a grain of salt. Extremely low space ratios, however, should be a warning to expect a crowded feeling.

One fact that I've deliberately omitted for each ship or line is the nationality of the crew (that is, non-officers). Although in the past it was the norm for each line to draw its crew from mainly one national or ethnic group, this is no longer the standard practice. It is not uncommon for crew members who directly serve passengers to encompass 40 or more different nationalities. In effect, every ship is a United Nations and that adds a lot of flavor to your experience. A few lines still emphasize one or two nationalities. HollandAmerica crews, for instance, are dominated by Indonesian or Filipino men and women.

You will find useful definitions of some terms in the ship listings in the sidebar A Nautical Primer.

American Cruise Lines

Don't start writing the publisher that these cruise lines aren't really American because they all have ships registered outside the United States. Although that is true, the companies themselves are primarily American- or British-owned and, more importantly, cater their operations to mostly American guests. So I am using American in a larger sense than simply where a ship is registered and what nationality the crew is.

WHO'S WHO IN THE CRUISE BUSINESS

There are literally dozens of cruise lines throughout the world, many of which are completely unknown to the American traveler because they don't cater to this market. But even if you limit yourself to the North American cruise market, there are more than a dozen major lines. At least in name. Consolidation, so common in every industry, is also a trend in the cruising business. There are relatively few cruise companies if you consolidate brands by their corporate banner. Here's the lineup:

Carnival: Besides Carnival, this industry behemoth owns Costa, Cunard, HollandAmerica, Princess, Seabourn and Windstar. They also have several other European brands besides Costa, including P&O and some smaller subsidiaries. In fact, if you count all subsidiaries of subsidiaries both large and small, the Carnival Group operates ships under 12 different brand names. 

The Winstar visits an idyllic spot in the Mediterranean

Royal Caribbean: The Royal Caribbean brand is, by itself, the second-largest cruise line after Carnival. That goes for the group as well because RC also owns Celebrity Cruises in addition to some smaller operators in Europe. It is the practice of Carnival and Royal Caribbean to let each line operate independently, thereby allowing for more variation in cruise style. Despite the consolidation there has yet to be any significant upward trend in prices as a result, although now that Carnival has acquired Princess (in 2003) there is some concern that this could happen. Recent price increases are being driven by demand, not lack of competition. On the positive side, the cruise lines will (with lots of restrictions) give you credit for traveling on a sister line. For instance, you can get past-guest treatment and prices on a Carnival Cruise if you sailed in Europe on Costa or Cunard.

As far as the rest of the industry is concerned, most of the remaining lines are independent. Norwegian Cruise Line is owned by a large Asian-based cruise company called Star Cruises. But NCL also largely operates according to its own style on a day-to-day basis.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES

tel.  227-6482

www.carnival.com

Officers: Bridge officers are Italian, but others on some ships may be international.

Ships' Registry: The Bahamas for most of the fleet, with a few ships registered in Panama.

Fleet: 21 ships; 1 under construction.

The world's largest cruise line has played a major role in providing affordable cruising to the public. While Princess' Love Boats caught the imagination of the public on television back in the 1960s, it was the newly established Carnival line that introduced more new ships and more ideas back then. Then and now they offer excellent value and a casual, mostly informal experience on their self-proclaimed fun ships. The entire Carnival fleet features a striking all-white exterior, except for the mostly red-and-blue Carnival logo and their distinctive funnel, which is shaped more like the tail of a jet airplane than a ship's smokestack. This may not seem very important when you read it, but it's a feature that definitely adds a graceful flair to all of Carnival's ships. One of the most notable features of any Carnival ship is its large main showroom, which puts an emphasis on lavish Vegas-style entertainment. Glitz is in evidence in more than just the production shows. Interior décor places an emphasis on eye-popping features and tries to dazzle you with the wow factor. This is especially true in Carnival's famous large atriums and the public areas surrounding them. Those who prefer a more refined appearance may need sunglasses! Activities are geared much more toward fun than cultural enrichment. In fact, entertainment is so important at Carnival that towards the end of dinner in the main dining room your wait staff will put on a brief song and dance act that differs each night of the cruise. It's definitely a lot of fun and many passengers get involved by twirling their napkins in the air as the crew parades around the tables.

Speaking of dinner, Carnival vessels offer a wide variety of dining choices and their newest ships even have an elegant supper club. Although Carnival doesn't break much culinary ground, they always provide excellent meals that are colorfully presented by a friendly wait staff and that get high marks from most of the cruising public. You won't, however, get the white glove treatment. The buffets are excellent and feature many stations, including an excellent deli on their larger and newer vessels. Midnight buffets are big at Carnival, but their once-per-cruise Midnight Gala Buffet is an experience to remember. Concentrating on sweets, it's such a visual spectacle that guests are invited to view it an hour earlier just to take photos!

Carnival's handling of the Captain's cocktail reception is also something special as practically an entire deck becomes a walk-through feast of hors d'oeuvres and colorful exotic drinks. A 24-hour pizzeria and ice-cream bar are other popular features with ever-hungry cruise passengers. Children's activities and facilities are always extensive but the bigger the ship, the more they have. In general, Carnival provides a cruising experience that is equally good for couples and families with children. Carnival is one of the great innovators in the world of cruising. They were pioneers in the mega-ship category for contemporary cruising. They also offer a great deal of flexibility.

Until a few years ago Carnival didn't offer European cruises except for an occasional week or two when some of their new ships, which are built in Europe, took a spin before coming across the Atlantic to operate in the Caribbean or elsewhere. That began to change in 2005 when the line had a ship doing 12-day itineraries in the Mediterranean for most of the season. It was such a success that they decided to return that ship for the entire summer 2006 season. It is expected that this service will continue and might even be expanded. This is great news for Carnival lovers who have been waiting for the opportunity to take a Carnival cruise in previously unavailable destinations.

Carnival Liberty

Year Built: 2005 Gross Tonnage: 110,000

Length: 952 feet Beam: 116 feet

Passengers: 2,974 Passenger Decks: 13

Crew Size: 1,150 Passenger/Crew Ratio: 2.6:1

Stateroom Size: 185-430 sq ft Space Ratio: 37.0

The Carnival Liberty is the fourth ship in the line's mega-ship Conquest class, the largest in the fleet. The smooth, straight lines of the exterior are matched by a generally straight and easy-to-navigate deck plan. Any curves in the route are intentionally there to break up overly long views that could give you tunnel vision and to add visual style. Most of the public decks (other than the usual Lido and sports-related