Travel Maven Blog ...... David Molyneaux posts from TheTravelMavens.com

Packing cruise fun into the new Carnival Dream

If you have sailed before on Carnival Cruises, you know what to expect on the line’s newest ship, the Carnival Dream. The food’s good, the cabins roomy, the dress very casual, the casino chinging, the alcohol flowing at an upbeat, rather high decibel party at sea.

You may tire of hearing the word “fun” on Carnival ships.

But energetic fun is the agenda --  around the pools, on the dance floors, in the bars, and in the dining rooms, where waiters sing for and dance with passengers in a conga line that snakes around the tables (and the wackiness continues in port, such as in Cozumel, Mexico, above).

The Dream is less flashy than the neon of Carnival’s older ships -- designer Joe Farkas said he didn’t really have a theme for the Dream –- but frequent cruisers will recognize the bold design and colors (main dining rooms are named Scarlett and Crimson).

The new ship, Carnival’s biggest at 130,000 tons as compared to 113,000 tons on the Splendor of 2008, offers bigger and better waterslides, a laser show, an impressive lanai on Deck 5, cove balcony cabins only three decks above the water, a snazzy enlarged Serenity sunning area for adults only (at no extra charge on Carnival), a new comedy club that is packed for every adult show, and a lunch buffet with the most choices at sea.

CLICK for more on the Carnival Dream on TheTravelMavens.com

CLICK for photos from Carnival Dream

Specialty restaurants at sea to spice up your cruise

Every new cruise ship is equipped with at least one specialty restaurant. For a fee, these alternative evening dining rooms serve anything from top steaks or sushi to an elegant presentation of regional fare. 

But are they worth the price?

The basic answer is: Yes, at least most of them. Cruise lines generally don't make a profit from your trip to the specialty restaurants. Chances are you'll get more than your money's worth, and a table for two can be a special romantic occasion.

Still, if your vacation budget is tight, there's no need to lay out an extra $10-$30 per person for dinner when food flows freely elsewhere on the ship.

Besides, cruise lines say that fees charged in specialty restaurants are primarily to control the crowds, to restrain, for instance, half the ship from heading to the steakhouse every night -- such as Chef's Art, above, on the new Carnival Dream.

On most ships, you can order a steak every night in the main dining rooms, without a fee.

CLICK for more on cruising's specialty restaurants at TheTravelMavens.com

Cruising on Celebrity Eclipse, backwards on the river Ems

The Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises newest ship, has passed its first test.

While still a month away from an inaugural cruise in Europe with paying passengers, the Celebrity Eclipse was cheered by thousands of well wishers and curious onlookers as she slowly made her way on Thursday along 20 miles of the river Ems from shipyard to sea.

Celebrity Eclipse, moving backwards on the river Ems, Germany March 11, 2010

In groups of several hundred to a single woman walking her tiny dog, locals lined the riverbank to stare, wave and marvel that a structure so large as a modern cruise ship – 1,040 feet long and 121 feet wide -- could navigate their meandering, muddy river.

On land, we were quite a sight, a striking white 15-story building floating lazily through the flat farmland of northern Germany.

Onboard, our river adventure was far from lazy.

CLICK for the rest of the story, on TheTravelMavens.com

 

Cruising with norovirus, elbowing instead of shaking hands

I just spent a dozen days on a cruise ship that had an outbreak of norovirus. That’s the virus that causes much of the short-term intestinal illnesses around the world in closed communities such as dorms, prisons, hospitals and cruise ships. It is extremely infectious.

Lucky for me, I missed the virus by one cruise. Which means that whatever the passengers left behind on the Norwegian Jade when they disembarked in Barcelona the morning of Feb. 14, 2010, did not infect the 2,000 or so passengers on my trip.

For that I am grateful and impressed

I watched a huge cruise ship mobilize against the virus. And win.

Norwegian Jade is based in Barcelona year round. The ship is alternating winter cruises of 12 days and 9 days in the Mediterranean. When my son, his family and I arrived at the ship Feb. 14, we were met with a letter from the captain, who warned us that norovirus infected more than 40 people on the previous voyage. He offered a credit for a future cruise if we wanted to call the whole thing off.

Following a housecleaning that kept us from our cabins until about 3 p.m. that Sunday, we left Barcelona in the evening with a full ship.