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Editor: Daniel A. Hoffman, MCC  

This newsletter contains current news and information on the "Cruise" industry. It will also contain the "Views" of the editor on different issues within the industry. The editor owns and operates a cruise oriented travel agency located in Pennsylvania. This newsletter's main purpose IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE for the purpose of selling cruises. It will at times contain ads from different sources. All ads will be cruise or travel related. It will list cruise specials from time to time in the ad section, but as stated, this is not the primary purpose of this newsletter.

In This Issue

Special Report Part 2
Live From Ft. Lauderdale

PLUS
-"Off The Track Fact"-
-Additional QM2 Stats-
-New York City Ports-
Too Little, Too Late?
-Ad Free Edition-

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Still live but wet this time, it’s Capt. Lou reporting after the Queen Mary 2 has wowed the locals and media from around the world for a week. On Saturday evening January 31st, she left the channel under heavy rain, scattered fog and a rather wet display of fireworks. This is her first money producing cruise from her winter port, Ft Lauderdale.

She’s headed for the Caribbean. The only stars visible on this rainy nights exit will be viewed from the Queen Mary 2’s Planetarium, the first ever on a cruise ship.

It has been a week of constant and changing activities for VIP’s, travel agents, news media, port personnel and of course, Homeland Security. A very successful and enjoyable week, I might add. Now the QM 2 is in her real element, AT SEA.

This cruise is a sell out. In case you are wondering, the passengers may dine in any of 10 venues ranging from the more formal to the innovative Chef’s Galley, a 35 seat space. Here the Chef, in person and via TV monitors, demonstrates step by step how the meal is prepared. It is the only restaurant where an extra charge, $35 per person applies, but includes champagne, red and white wine. Now talking about eating, take a look at what was loaded aboard in Southampton for her maiden voyage: 168,000 eggs, 14,000 pounds of potatoes, 8,500 pounds of shrimp, 7,000 pounds of watermelon, 6,000 bottles of champagne, 5,000 pounds of lobster, 120 bottles of Chevas Regal, and 69 bottles of Johnny Walker Gold. No information on Capt. Lou’s favorite single malt or preferred cigars have been provided. The QM 2 isn’t cheap, but offers a lot. If money is not an object, you can enjoy a 2,249 square foot grand deluxe apartment with two marble baths and an oversized balcony. If you are in one of these units you dine with butler service in The Queen’s Grill, which is off limits to most of your shipmates. Guests in the 75 junior suites dine in the exclusive Princess Grill. Everyone else eats in the three-deck Britannia Restaurant or an alternate choice. If not eating, check out some of the ship’s 8,000 books, enjoy viewing some of her $5 million art exhibit, play her 115 slot machines, 11 gaming tables, swim in one of her 5 pools, or visit the aforementioned Planetarium. Not interested, try relaxing in the only onboard Canyon Ranch Spa in the world. Hoping to report live from aboard the QM 2 and sampling all she has to offer, Capt Lou is still waiting for your Editor to come up with the ticket.

Bon Voyage to all.

The preceding article was written and contributed by:
Capt. Lou Hoffman

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF QM 2

From the archives, as stated last week, the original Queen Mary has been tied up in Long Beach, CA as a resort hotel and luxurious restaurant since 1967. This is a photo of the Queen Mary leaving Port of New York on September 22, 1967 as she made her last transatlantic voyage.

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ADDITIONAL QUEEN MARY 2 INFORMATION:

Queen Mary 2 boasts a space ratio of 57.25 making her one of the most spacious passenger ships in the world. If you remember back in an earlier newsletter edition, we explained space ratio and said that ships with space ratios of 30 to 50 are considered very spacious and any ship with a space ratio over 50 is considered to be "the ultimate in space". Queen Mary 2 has it all!

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NEW YORK CITY PORTS
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

As you read here earlier, cruise lines and passengers have been complaining about the passenger terminal ports in New York City.

These complaints have covered everything from: traffic flow problems, dirty terminals, lack of organized public transportation, outdated and non functional terminal facilities, lack of public parking, and even down to rude or non existent public safety coverage.

After two to three years of complaints, amazingly within the past two weeks, the New York Economic Development Corporation has made an announcement that they will invest $50 million in upgrades to start to correct these problems.

They have promised within two years that cruise passengers will see less congestion as the city redesigns the traffic flow around the West Side Terminals. They will also see more user friendly directional signs as well as renovated terminal facilities.

But is it too little, too late? New York City saw 887,000 passengers pass through the terminals in 2003. This number of passengers contributed about $800 million to the economy of New York City and also provided over 3,300 local jobs!

After taking years to even agree they had a problem, the level of upgrades announced amounts to pennies! It seems New York City has again dropped the ball when it comes to the cruise industry.

Several cruise lines announced major disappointment and concern over the lack of any reference to dock and pier growth. As the ships continue to grow both in size and number, the amount of space available for docking is not changing. The ability to handle several mega ships at one time is non existent, and apparently will remain so!

Since New York does not want to handle the problem efficiently and quickly, the cruise lines are handling the problems themselves, as they always do!

Royal Caribbean Int. announced last month they have signed an agreement with Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority to construct and operate a brand new cruise port facility in New Jersey. RCI's main concern was the inability to get commitments on pier availability on days when their ships are scheduled into New York. Solve the problem, go somewhere else, BETTER!

One key issue with people sailing into and out of the New York Harbor, is they want to see the Statue of Liberty. Guess what? The new RCI pier, The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, is a 430 acre peninsula that extends out into the New York Harbor! Passengers will see the exact same view of the Statue of Liberty from the new port, BUT, it will be easier to get to, have unlimited parking for drive in traffic, is close to Newark airport providing cheaper connections for air passengers, is just off the New Jersey turnpike, and wait, I am trying to think of the negative points........oh yeah, there are none!!!! Guess Royal Caribbean showed New York what sitting on their hands will do. That will help New York's traffic flow problem, allow well over 100,000 passengers to use a new modern port facility across the river looking at New York!

On top of that, seven other cruise lines, all under the Carnival family are banded together and are looking at cruise terminal facilities in Brooklyn. Even though Brooklyn is still part of New York City, it will result in significantly lower cash being spent by cruise passengers. It simply does not have the fascination and glamour of Manhattan.

Obviously the Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to provide the transatlantic cruises out of New York City to England. There is concern on the part of Carnival CEO Micky Arison that the piers at the west side terminals may not be able to properly handle the largest passenger ship in the world on a long term basis.

Obviously New York City, or should I say Manhattan, does not want to lose the prestige that goes with handling and servicing a transatlantic ship of that magnitude.

They have received their wake up call, let's see what they do now?

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