Recommend December 2013 - (Page 17)

 Opposite page: SeaDream Yacht Club's Balinese beds are a signature amenity. Left: American Cruise Lines offers exemplary cuisine.  vivian holley The first time I was on a cruise ship-an unassuming vessel that could scarcely claim the same designation today-I ordered breakfast via room service and they brought the best they had: a cold pastry in plastic wrap and tepid coffee in a Styrofoam cup. My, how the galley has gussied up since then-only one chapter of a storied sea change in virtually every aspect of cruising. Throughout 2013, while the economy still struggled to pick up steam, the industry showed remarkable resilience and bold inventiveness, responding to increasingly demanding passengers and fast-changing trends with alacrity and innovation. In fact, at press time, CLIA held to its earlier estimate that 17.6 million passengers would cruise on North American lines (26) in 2013, up from about 17.2 million last year. newbuilds If the numbers of killer newbuilds were less than in times past and refurbs were often spotlighted instead, there were still enough debuts to gin up client excitement. With the big boys, eye-poppers remained rampant, the likes of four waterslides and a ropes course/ zipline Aqua Park atop Norwegian Cruise Line's (ncl.com) Norwegian Breakaway (sister ship Norwegian Getaway is set to bow in February), which Geri Bain highlighted in an onboard review in the September 2013 issue, noting that "it's the largest water park at sea.... And since the system is designed to handle more than 1,000 people an hour, there's rarely a wait." Over on Princess Cruises' Royal Princess (princess.com), the SeaWalk is a cantilevered, glassed-in walkway that reaches out 28 ft. above the waves 128 ft. below, considered by Fran Golden, who wrote the onboard review for the October 2013 issue, as one of the ship's "'wow' factors." Other sparkling newbies were shot out of the gate by Hapag- Lloyd, MSC, Ponant, AIDA, AmaWaterways and Avalon. Among smaller vessels, Scenic Cruises (scenictours.com) launched Scenic Jewel, while Uniworld's (uniworld.com) boutique collection added Century Legend, Century Paragon, River Orchid and Queen Isabel this year, with Catherine to follow in 2014. Un-Cruise Adventures (un-cruise.com) introduced not only the refurbished Safari Voyager but a new name, dropping its former brands, American Safari Cruises and InnerSea Discovery. (I rode the Columbia and Snake rivers this year via Un-Cruise's Legacy, a replica of a yesteryear coastal steamer, and found it friendly, informal and fun. Clients: pack your jeans.) Viking Cruises (vikingrivercruises.com) continues to lead the pack when it comes to explosive growth, launching 10 new ships this year-with 14 more to follow in 2014. As Fran Golden noted in the Viking Aegir onboard in the May 2013 issue, Viking chairman Torstein Hagen told the crowd that was gathered in Amsterdam for the christening of those 10 ships back in March that "he'd like to see 100 ships in the water by 2020." river cruising That brings us to river cruising-hot topic of the year in the waterworld. Travel agents tell me their clients relish the relaxed intimacy and the ease of getting up-close and personal with smaller ports. I would add to that the refreshing lack of security issues on smaller ships; they know who you are. Also popular is the growing availability of all-inclusive programs (as in, clients can put their wallets away and enjoy) that include air, gratuities, shore excursions, transfers, taxes and fees. All this comes with an A-ROSA river cruise (arosacruises.com)-plus an open bar throughout the ship including soft drinks, and tea and coffee specialties; beer, wine and spirits; and bottled water in staterooms. These were bonuses clearly appreciated by all cruisers when I joined travel journalists and travel agents late last year aboard the new A-ROSA Silva. In my onboard review in the January 2013 issue, I noted that the "ship's signature is a sensual, casual-but-high-voltage vibe. Backed by a chic, contemporary look and a European accent." In 2013, three of the brand's ships were devoted exclusively to the North American market, with David Morris International managing the product launch. (A-ROSA Flora, coming in 2014, will be the 11th entry in the Germany-based fleet.)  december 2013 17 http://www.un-cruise.com http://www.vikingrivercruises.com http://www.ncl.com http://www.princess.com http://www.scenictours.com http://www.uniworld.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Canyon Ranch
Tour Talk: Insight Vacations
17th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2013
Discovering North America
Caribbean Trends
Anguilla Travel Agent Specialist Program
Asia & The South Pacific in the Rearview Mirror
Mexico 2013
Latin America in 2013 and Beyond
Africa + The Middle East Continue to Make Stides
Nostalgic for Europe

Recommend December 2013

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/UndiscoveredFlorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2016deltaeuropemiddleeastandafricatravelguide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/deltacaribbeanguide2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/delateurope2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/colombia2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/martinique
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/theislandsoftahiti
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/greatbritain
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/ClubMed2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommend/december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/anguilla
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stlucia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/guadeloupeisland
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/hamburg2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2013DeltaTravelGuide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/VisitFlorida2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/panama2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/india2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorida_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/asia_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Delta_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/aruba_dec_11
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Thailand_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/stockholm
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Flanders
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/mex_may_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/prevue_fl_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/caribbean_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/2011guidetolatinamerica
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RECOMMEND_JAN_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Asia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Taiwan
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Israel
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/CA
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/RivieraNayarit
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/BRAZIL
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/MEXICO
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/India
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com