The cruise lines have come a long way from the days when it was the passengers’ responsibility to entertain themselves.  The daily programs published by each ship have pages of information about what is going on around the ships and those are not even complete listings of all that one can do.

Celebrity Cruises has traditionally had a good program of onboard activities.  It is a premium line whose target market tends to be interested in more sophisticated activities.  They also are more demanding about cuisine, wine and the type of offerings in the ship’s spa.  The line has received good marks in the past for its efforts to fulfill these demands.

Nonetheless, Celebrity is revamping its onboard programming.   It is reorganizing its activities so that there are tracks of activities that are geared toward specific areas of passenger interest.  It is also establishing hosts for each area who will help to guide passengers.  The idea is to give the passenger a more valuable and meaningful experience at sea than he or she gets from having a cruise full of unrelated, albeit interesting, activities.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Ms. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises, about the new “Celebrity Life” program.  The interview is posted at: http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-art-Lutoff-Perlo.html.  It can also be accessed through Beyondships new Celebrity Cruises page. http://beyondships.com/Celebrity.html

   I spoke with Ms. Lutoff-Perlo onboard Celebrity Constellation, a ship that I have always found particularly photogenic.  She has nice exterior lines that give her a sleek look and the appearance of cutting through the water like an arrow, to use a mixed metaphor.  Inside, the ship has a splendid contemporary design with an interesting art collection woven into it.  Accordingly, I have updated and expanded the Celebrity Constellation section of Beyondships with quite a few new photos as well as with new menus, recipes and other information.  The profile page for Constellation is at http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-Profile.html and the photo tour begins at http://beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-Tour-1a.html

            Last month, I published an article about the revitalization of Caribbean Princess based in part upon my interviews with Captain Marco Fortezze.  During the voyage from which that article arose, I had several talks with Captain Fortezze in which we talked about his career, his style of command and what it is like to drive a ship like Caribbean Princess.   Since he is an articulate and intelligent man who has had an interesting career – - he was promoted to captain at the young age of 40 – - I thought I would do a second article specifically about Captain Fortezze.  This article should also be of interest to those of you who are interested in the way a ship likes Caribbean Princess operates.  It can be found at: http://beyondships.com/Princess-CB-art-Fortezze.html

Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

En su primera escala en el puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, el 12 de noviembre arribó el megacrucero Celebrity Equinox, abanderado en Bahamas, en el transcurso de su viaje de cruce del Atlántico, de dos semanas de duración, camino de Fort Lauderdale (EE.UU.), con 2.686 turistas y 1.242 tripulantes a bordo. Atracó en el muelle Sur, como se aprecia en la fotografía de Julio A. Rodríguez Hermosilla, en un día espléndido y con el puerto pintado de barcos, entre ellos otros dos cruceros de turismo: Navigator of the Seas y Saga Ruby.

Construcción número 676 de los astilleros Jos. L. Meyer, en Papenburg (Alemania), fue puesto a flote el 6 de agosto de 2008 y entregado a sus armadores, Celebrity Equinox Inc., una filial de Celebrity Cruises, el 17 de julio de 2009. El coste final asciende a la cifra de 750 millones de dólares. Es el segundo de una serie de cuatro buques, de los cuales el primero se llama Celebrity Solstice, entregado el 24 de octubre de 2008; el tercero, Celebrity Eclipse, previsto para junio de 2010 y el cuarto todavía no tiene nombre y se conoce como proyecto NB 679.

Es un buque de 121.878 toneladas de registro bruto (GT), 82.363 netas (NT) y 9.500 de peso muerto (TPM), siendo sus principales dimensiones 317,20 metros de eslora total, 36,90 de manga y 8,30 de calado. Está propulsado por cuatro motores Wärtsila 16V46, que desarrollan una potencia de 67.200 kilowatios y le permite alcanzar una velocidad de 24 nudos. Tiene capacidad máxima para 2.850 pasajeros. Código IMO 9372456.

El nuevo buque pertenece a la gama de gran lujo y combina un diseño vanguardista y ecológico. Entre sus novedades ofrece el primer “Lawn Club” del sector, formado por una parcela de más de césped natural; diez restaurantes con todo tipo de comidas y una gran luminosidad gracias a los amplios ventanales que permiten una amplísima visión del mar.

Los camarotes del buque Celebrity Equinox han sido diseñados con mayor amplitud y el 85% de ellos dispone de balcón al mar. Dispone, asimismo, de los denominados camarotes Aqua Class, inspirados en spas, que ofrecen un acceso exclusivo a un área dedicada actividades relajantes y donde se encuentra un restaurante exclusivo para estos clientes. Otra novedad consiste en un espectáculo de soplado de vidrio, mientras que el teatro tiene capacidad para 1.400 espectadores.

Otro de los aspectos que distingue al buque Celebrity Equinox es su carácter ecológico, debido a la utilización de energía solar. Está diseñado para disminuir el consumo de combustible y, con ello, reducir las emisiones de gases contaminantes. Además, el buque dispone de avanzados de purificación de aguas residuales y una planta de osmosis inversa de baja energía, entre otras soluciones ecológicas.

El megacrucero "Celebrity Equinox", en su primera escala en el puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Foto: Julio A. Rodríguez Hermosilla

Complimentary Wine Tasting!  Wine Pairing!  Jazz, Port, and Chocolate Tasting Seduction!  And, so much more!!!

I have exciting news for wine lovers – it’s the season to celebrate not only your fondness of wine, but also the seasonal harvesting of the grapes.  As such, Celebrity Cruises will be celebrating this year’s vintage with a variety of exclusive onboard events on select ships and sailings from November through mid-December, 2009.

Contact me today for booking details!

I think most of us know what PANAMA CANAL is. So no need for me to explain and elaborate into a discussion. Simply, PANAMA CANAL is located in PANAMA, hehehe. Anyway The following pictures i posted were taken during our transit in panama last November 2, 2009. I wanted to show you some glimpse if what sort of things happen while transiting in the canal.

Note: Click the Image to see the bigger picture.

Panama City - view from the sea

Vessels @ anchor

Pilot Boat getting alongside

Climbing the ladder

Entering the Panama canal Lock

Vessel inside the lock

Lock gate opening

Locomotive assisting the vessel inside the lock

Miraflores Lock

Old locomotive on display

Viewers area

Anchor as the background

Dock workers

Man on the Helm

The vessel inside the canal

Panama Canal

Luxury Vessel

Meeting Vessel

Don Carlos with Celebrity Mercury

That’s it, a wonderful voyage inside the PANAMA CANAL. Coming from Atlantic ocean, crossing towards Pacific ocean, It only takes us 8 hours. Saves  lot of bunker, time and money rather than going down the Magellan straight just to get to the other side of the world. A man made wonder that helps us a lot.

]]> http://cruisemaven.com/2009/10/22/dashing-and-darting-through-the-snow-quebec-city/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:07:40 +0000 cruisemaven http://cruisemaven.com/2009/10/22/dashing-and-darting-through-the-snow-quebec-city/

Crew member shoveling snow on pool deck of Constellation

Something you don’t experience on every cruise: crew member shoveling snow on the pool deck.  We awoke to horizontal sleet which soon turned to snow which, in 35mph winds, made traversing the gangway to go ashore, a challenge.  But being a Floridian, this was an opportunity not to be missed.

While in Portland, I was fortunate to have found a lovely consignment shop where I purchased a winter coat.  Hat and gloves were from Boston. Today all would be put to the test. Dressed in layers and looking like the Michelin (wo)man, using two hands on the railing and walking sideways down the icy gangway, I proceeded to follow the crew members to the terminal for the almost-free wifi.  After walking in the sleet and snow for what seemed like forever, but was actually only ten minutes, I looked up to realize that the Princess ship in port took the prime docking location; directly in front of the terminal.  We were forced to walk three blocks in the wintry weather to get to the terminal. I returned to the ship, offloaded my backpack, electronic gear and laptop and made my way back out into the weather. 

Celebrity "X" on funnel visible through the snow

Quebec City is a beautiful city best explored on foot…in the warmer months. There are two levels to Old Quebec, Lower and Upper. Looking up, way up, from the street at the historic Chateau Frontenac Hotel, my only choice to get to the upper level was to take the 130 year old funicular or walk.  Neither seemed appealing in the now blizzard conditions, so walking the lower level would be the plan.  Maybe I could find a water-repellent hat or warmer gloves.  Or hot soup. 

Funicular to Chateau Frontenac

 An hour of traipsing around in the cold and damp and I was ready for a nice hot lunch in a cozy French café.  Deciding between lapin or cochon (rabbit or pig) I opted for the pig.  At least that reminded me of a piggy bank and not some poor cute bunny on a plate.  Seated at a table for two with a prime window view of the snowy street, I felt as though I was in a movie scene.  When I looked to see what the woman at the next table was eating, all I could say to the waitress was, “I’ll have what she’s having” a la “When Sherry Met Sally.” 

Tourists  and locals were walking through the cobblestone streets while looking down at their shoes so as not to slip on the ice or step in a gray slush-puddle.  Apparently, Quebec City does not shovel the streets or sidewalks until November 1.  This being only October 22 brought out the shopkeepers to scrape away the early season snow and ice.  Halloween pumpkins, dressed in their finery, dotted the doorways of the stores, each looking more adorned than the ones before.

The Haute Couture Pumpkins of Quebec City

Fabulous lunch in Quebec City at Le Cochon Dingue

It was called a Seafood Pot Pie, but it was so much more.  Large pieces of lobster, scallops, salmon and potatoes in a fabulous cream sauce were topped with an oh-so-flaky puff pastry.  Not too salty, with a slight taste of tarragon and pepper.  A dark leafy salad with homemade vinaigrette and French fries complimented the already ample pot pie.  I asked the waitress to choose a Sauvignon Blanc for me. 

My first of two days in Quebec City was highlighted by an unexpected snow storm which I was able to observe from inside a warm and cozy French café sipping a crisp, chilled glass of wine.  How anyone could be grumpy to experience this weather anomaly was beyond my comprehension.

Restaurant that I did not choose for lunch - cute but no rabbit for me

Back on the ship, everyone was looked cold, wet and miserable.  Most of the tours went out despite the weather.  I was scheduled for a late afternoon shore tour to Montmorency Falls and St. Anne’s Winery.  Meet at the pier at three o’clock were the instructions on the tour ticket.  I arrived five minutes early and waited ten minutes past…no one in sight.  Not knowing if my tour had been canceled, I boarded the ship to inquire.  The tour was not canceled, but no one really knew where the meeting point had been.  By now I had missed the bus (not the boat, thankfully).  Surprisingly, when I asked the person at the shore excursion desk for a refund, she graciously credited my onboard account.  Due to the inclement weather and probably not wanting people to get sick or slip and fall,  no one argued if you wanted to refund a tour at the last minute. 

Here is a few excerpts from an email that we recently sent our clients.

I thought it may be helpful   Matt

Never Cruised Before?

You may have heard the great benefit of taking a cruise is that you unpack once in your room, and your whole room moves from destination to destination.  While that is REALLY convenient, there are some other benefits to cruising you may not know.

Ease.  Not having to pack and unpack is only part of it….It is fantastic to wake up every morning in an exciting new port without having to get on buses, planes or trains to get there.  Each day brings a new adventure. You can enjoy ship activities, dining, and spectacular views in transit to the next destination.

Value. Cruising is a great value. You pay one price and your room, dining and entertainment are included in that price. You will find cruise ships offer great cuisine as part of your cruise price.

Variety. There are so many new cruise ships with all different kind of activities and styles. Anyone can find a cruise that fits their dreams and their wallets. Cruise destinations vary from sun and fun, to educational, to wildlife and adventure and to everything in-between.

Entertainment. There is no end to the entertainment on cruise ships. You could keep yourself busy all day everyday with the different shows and activities. Families traveling together have all kinds of options. Many ships have children’s “camps” that entertain the kids and let parents enjoy some time on their own. Many of the ships also offer lecture series that allow passengers valuable insight and history about different destinations or other exciting topics.

Social. For outgoing people and even some shy people, cruising has an opportunity to meet some fascinating people. Many people have found great friends on board that they remain in touch with for years after. Some people have even been known to cruise again with their new friends they met on a cruise.

Whatever vacation and destination dreams you have, there is a cruise that will meet your needs.

Sincerely,

Matt Cervone
Chief Escape Officer
Just Cruises & Vacations

Hotel Director Robert Taggart

             Captain James MacDonald was Jewel of the Seas first captain and has spent most of the last five years with the ship.  Hotel Director Robert Taggart has only been with the ship for more than a year.  Still, talking to both men one quickly sees that they regard Jewel as a special ship.

            As a master mariner, Captain MacDonald’s focus was naturally on what makes Jewel special from a nautical perspective.  Amongst other things, he pointed out her unique environmentally-friendly power plant and talked about her state-of-the-art propulsion that gives the ship the ability to obtain speeds rare for a cruise ship.

            Mr. Taggart started his career on the Canadian Pacific liner Princess Patricia, which ship buffs will recall was the first ship sailed by Princess Cruises.  His prior experience also includes time with Carnival and on the big Royal Caribbean ships including Adventure of the Seas.  Thus, he has seen a great deal of the cruise industry.  Yet, he sees Jewel’s spacious and elegant style as something unusual.

            My interview with Captain McDonald appears at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-MacDonald.html while my talk with Mr. Taggart is at http://beyondships.com/RCI-JOS-Taggart.html

 Some items in the news that caught my eye which I thought I would pass on:

            Star Princess and Sun Princess delivered relief supplies to tsunami victims in Apia, Samoa and Pago Pago, American Samoa.  Princess Cruises Community Foundation is also donating $10,000 to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Samoa and American Samoa.  Captain Edward Perrin, who I interviewed when he was on Grand Princess http://beyondships.com/GrandPrincess-Perrin.html , was in command of the Star Princess’ efforts.  

            NCL has announced that Captain Trygve Vorren, currently of Norwegian Jade, and Captain Hakan Svedung, currently of Norwegian Dawn, will be the captains of the forthcoming 4,200 passenger Norwegian Epic.  In addition, the Hotel Directors will be Klaus Lugmaier and Sean Wurmhoeringer.  The ship is currently under construction in France and will be undergoing sea trials in January.  Her inaugural cruises are scheduled for June and July.

            NCL also took the opportunity to highlight some features of the new ship.  Among these will be performances by the Blue Man group and a restaurant where cirque acrobats will perform during dinner.  There will also be an ice bar where guests will don faux fur coats and drink at a bar made of ice.  Outside, the Aqua Park will feature a giant water slide in which guests will slide down a tube into a basin, whirl around and then drop through another tube.  It is a long way from the days when shuffleboard was the main outdoor entertainment on ships.   

            Speaking of innovation, Celebrity Cruises hosted an event this week to highlight its new Celebrity Life program.  Traditionally, onboard activities have been an array of offerings each of which bore only a slight relation to the other.  Under Celebrity Life, the onboard activities are grouped into unified concepts.  In addition, there are members of the activities staff with specific responsibilities for the discovery (i.e. enrichment) activities, savor (culinary-related) activities and renew (spa and health-related) activities.  Activities relating to each program are indicated by icons on the daily program and guests can choose to participate in as many or as few as they want.  I’ll be having more on this in November, when Beyondships presents an interview with Celebrity Senior VP for Hotel Operations Lisa Lutoff-Perlo along with an update of the Celebrity Constellation section of the site.

            Costa Cruises was in New York showcasing its new Canada-New England cruises with Costa Atlantica.  We’ll be adding a section to Beyondships dedicated to Costa Atlantica soon.

            Also in New York recently was Cunard’s Queen Victoria.  The ship was doing a New York-New England-Canada cruise from the U.K. and did an overnight in New York.  This gave me the opportunity to do an interview with my old friend Captain Ian McNaught while the ship was here.   Cunard used Queen Victoria’s calls in the U.S. and Canada to emphasize how important it regards this market.  QV will return in 2011 with a series of U.S. cruises, mostly on the west coast. 

Captain James MacDonald

Inside Stateroom on Celebrity Constellation Room 7059

If you’ve ever booked an inside stateroom, you know that it is similar to living in a walk-in closet, with a few conveniences.  For this cruise, I will experience fourteen days in a windowless room.  Some people actually say that they prefer an inside stateroom. Their sentiments range from, “I’m never in the room anyway,” to “Nothing like an inside stateroom for a great afternoon nap.”  If someone were to give them a balcony stateroom, I wonder if they would refuse it, saying that it would interfere with their daily naptime.  Hm….

Luckily, the TVs on almost every cruise ship have at least one channel devoted to a live camera broadcasting 24/7 with a view to the outside.  On this ship, it is a Bridge Cam.  I deal with not having a window by keeping my TV turned on to the Bridge Cam overnight, without the sound.  Then, as dawn approached, the horizon is visible on the screen.  I have a virtual window.  This morning, my “window” foretold of a beautiful fall day in the Northeast.  The sun was shining, and although the temperature was hovering around forty-five degrees, with a bit of skillful layering of clothes, it was sure to be a perfect fall afternoon. 

Downtown Portland; a few blocks from the harbor.

Downtown Portland is steps from the port.  There are wonderful shore excursions into the countryside, but I like to get familiar with the city centers that I visit.  Exiting the security area, turn left and just start walking.  My biggest decision for the day would be where to sample the local lobster and chowder.

 One of the best ways to find good eats is to ask a local.  I make a point of buying something at a local store and then at check-out, ask for a suggestion for lunch.  This time, I was directed to Gilbert’s, a small hole-in-the-wall on Commercial St. just a couple of blocks from the port.  As I suspected, everyone sounded like the Gorton’s fisherman and I knew I was in the right place. 

Counter-food in Maine is a different experience!

As you can see, the lobster roll ($13.95) was piled high with fresh lobster and my seafood chowder ($4.50) was overloaded with shrimp, scallops, white fish and more lobster. 

Sittting at the counter and striking up a conversation with a couple of customers and the counter-waiter, I spent an hour listening to local banter (…dog needed an MRI, someone just finished boot camp,) and shared my cruise itinerary to those who were in disbelief that we were headed to Quebec City (did you bring your Wellies?) 

Seafood chowder at Gilbert's - THE BEST!

After you have accumulated ten points in Celebrity’s past passenger reward program (Captain’s Club) you are considered an Elite Member. Those of us “Elite-ists” received an invitation for a special sailaway event; a chance to view Portland Harbor from the restricted helipad area at the bow of the ship.  

Captain's Sailaway Party on the Helipad Deck

Casco Bay, Portland, Maine

 With the sun on our faces and the wind at our backs, we cruised through scenic Casco Bay, past tiny islands dotted with white clapboard houses and the old lighthouse in the middle. 

Back onboard and time for dinner.  Celebrity will, if you request, allow you to pre-order the next evening’s entrée prepared to your liking, i.e. without salt.  The night before, I ordered a salt-free filet of sole, simply sautéed in butter and lemon.  It was the best piece of fish I’ve ever tasted on a cruise ship.  So remember, if salt isn’t your thing, tell your Celebrity waiter.

Another stroll after dinner to the casino but as there were not any open chairs at the Blackjack tables, I kept on strolling right up to my room.  A James Bond movie was scheduled for midnight and that sounded good.  Tomorrow would be Halifax and another day of walking up and down through the harbor area. Hopefully, as in Portland, there will be some muted, if not vibrant fall foliage. 

Tonight’s entertainment was a pianist, Antonio Salci, accompanied by the Celebrity Orchestra.  Playing a range of Broadway tunes and standards, he knew how to effectively play to his audience and received a standing ovation at the conclusion.  Celebrity has always had very good evening entertainment, and tonight’s show did not lack for talent. 

Tomorrow: Halifax, Nova Scotia

After nearly twenty-four hours going northbound into two southbound nor’easters, we docked in wet and windy Boston Harbor. The prevailing weather has affected almost everyone’s demeanor; grumpy was the mood of the day amongst disappointed passengers whose shore excursions had been canceled due to the weather. My only plans were to try meet up with a high school friend that I hadn’t seen in 40 years, who was now living about thirty-five minutes outside of Boston. Mobile phones are notorious for losing their signal once inside the body of a ship. I forgot this fact and was quite surprised when at almost 10am my friend called to say that she was parked at the port. Quickly I grabbed my gear and headed downstairs towards the gangway. We had a wonderful reunion breakfast at a local hotel, caught up in one hour what had taken us four decades to accomplish and said our good-byes with promises to keep in touch.

Ian makes a great burger outdoors at the Seaside Grill

Soon after, I was back on the ship’s shuttle bus with thoughts of hot chocolate enticing me to an earlier return to the Constellation. Once aboard, we were greeted with hot hand towels and even hotter beverages. I made my way back to my cozy, warm cabin, dropped off my backpack and umbrella and decided to sample the afternoon delights at Cova Café. 

All of these are complimentary; the only fee is for a specialty coffee.

Afternoon delights

 People were coming back to the ship early due to the inclement weather. A few hearty souls must have made it to Boston’s North End and back because I noticed several people carrying bakery bags, evidence of a journey in search of the best Italian bakeries. I had my tiny tiramisu and was quite happy.

Tiny Tiramisu at Cova Cafe

 Tonight’s entertainment was a comedian named Fred Klett. The Celebrity Theater is enormous and Fred had most of the seats filled. His shtick was mainly about the foibles of married life. Since most of the audience looked to be close to or surpassed at least thirty of marital bliss, everyone was laughing up a storm. I decided to call it an early night. Early is a relative term when dinner begins at 8:30pm and ends close to 10:30pm. Oh…one stop at the casino …I played the penny slots and won $10. Too much excitement so I headed back to my room to count my winnings.

Tomorrow is Portland, Maine.  Weather is supposed to be sunny and warmer.

*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

http://ia311004.us.archive.org/1/items/Theyhighly-synchronizedstylingsofTheJonHammondShowDancersdancingtoJon_sthemesong_La/LateRentDancers.m4v

http://www.vimeo.com/groups/18494/videos/946591

Jon Hammond Show Dancers aboard Horizon Celebrity Cruise Ship from Jon Hammond on Vimeo.

The highly-synchronized stylings of The Jon Hammond Show Dancers dancing to Jon’s theme song “Late Rent” aboard m.v. HORIZON Celebrity Cruises ship on maiden voyage to Bermuda with Jon Hammond & Joe Berger directing. Then on to Hamburg Germany years later, same song, same guys, but sadly we couldn’t take our dancers to Hamburg. In VILLON Club by Hauptbahnhof. Special thanks to Amy Curtis of Hill & Knowlton Celebrity Cruises and Henry of Villon, ILLUSTRATORP, Jennifer & Knut Benzner. Musicians: Gabriel Coburger, Heinz Lichius, Joe Berger & Jon at the organ as seen on The Jon Hammond Show ©2009 http://www.HammondCast.com

Special Thanks for Hammond’s Bolero record:

Gary Peterson, Bob Brumbeloe, Bernard Purdie, Todd Anderson, Bill Graham, Mick Brigden, Bob Barsotti, Dharma Barsotti, Kris Hosack, Tim Anderson, Chris Powers, Nigel James, Jerry Pompili, Rita Gentry, David Mayeri Clear Channel Entertainment/BGP, Steve “Killer” Kahn, Armando Peraza, Davey Crockett, Raul Rekow, Steve Thornton, Mark Hale, Tommy Costa, Heda fam, Jerry Figone, David Kapralik, Rickie Lee Jones, Francis Ford Coppola, Matt Dillon, Zak Starkey, Maggie Bell, Dan Leventhal, Cliff Houston, Harry Murphy, Paul Shaffer, John Hammond Sr.-CBS, John Bishop, Kenny King, Earl Palmer, Kenny Burrell, Zsusannah Petrof, Lenka Czerna, Richard Kubat, Buddy Rich, Lenny Nelson, Howard Plotkin, Hank Crawford, Harvey Waisbard, Dennis Finnegan, Mark Thompson, Bob Weckel-Horizons Restaurant Sausalito, Louis Nanassy, Jane Dornacker, Edward “Black Kojak” Jaynes, Michael Bloomfield, Steve Smith-AMPEX, Aline Claude, Lionel Hampton, Victoria Hawkes, Andy Warhol, Bob Moog, Bill Armstrong, Andy Christo, Bill Wurtzel-Royal Olympic Cruises, Joe Rodriguez, Maria Tschirgi-Local 6, Genevieve Frizzell & fam, Tracey Baumler, Cortt Dunlap, Marcy Drexler ASCAP, Louis Baldonieri Dream Street team, Kim Freeman, Bob Scott, Marc Baum, Victor Owens, Jim Thorsen, Steve Wright, John Hunt, Scott Cooper & fam, Al and Leslie Wilcox, George Carlin, Sam Wilcox, Marshall & Krisanne Olson, Saul Salsakovitch, Terri Price, Terence and Matthew Hallinan, Able & Mario Bally Hallinan Prop., S.F. Sheriff’s Dept.-Leslie Levitas, Rodney Choy, Teresa Nelson, Clayton Smith, Lutz Buchner, Knut Benzner, Tobias Hartmann, Stephan Meir NDR Radio, Heinz Lichius, Robert and Otmar Hutya, Heinz von Hermann, Joachim Tucksen, Wolfram Knauer Jazz Institute Darmstadt, Joe Bawelino, Ryan Gioia, John Lee Hooker, Alex Ligertwood, Tarek Omran, Wild Bill Davis, Milt Hinton, Frank Biner, Fang “Barbara” Lin & family, Kate Newman, Judy Chueng, Betty Heywood, Eva Tam, Cordelia von Gymnich, Christine Kern, Wilhelm P. “Charly” Hosenseidl-Frankfurt Messe, Captain Paul Bailey-United Airlines, Pamela Sylvain, Veronica Valencia, Ana Maria Pena-United Airlines SFOEX, Barbara Stokes UAL, Lainie Hafer, Yvette Julien, April Para UAL, Janet Berka UAL AFA Council 5 Rep., United Twins May & Kay, Dr. Vartan Ghugasian, Dr. Charles Allison, Dr. Daniel Davidson, Dr. Samuel Gelbart, Marcie Zellner, John Taber Guitar Center, Waichiro Tachikawa Suzuki Corporation, Michael Maier Falkenstein & Maier family Hammond Suzuki Germany, Igor Flach, Inge Benchakroun-Stadt Hamburg, Laurence Cottle, Paul Rachman, Francoise Pujol, Osamu Yamamoto, Midori Ono, Hidefumi Nose, Kengo Komae, Zeng Jin, Michael Rinta, Yutaka Hada Mr. Tanka Taku Yamamoto-CASIO, Leo Fender, Leo/Leo’s Music, S.F. Twins Marian & Vivian Brown, Pete Fallico, Igor and Ilonka Kissil, Yuri Goloubev, James Brown-Tower Records, Pat Klock, Jim Thorsen, Gideon Schier, Alex Foster, Lori Friedman, Nat Friedman, Judit Halmi, Mustafa & Maralyn Jammal, Pete Escovedo, Bettina Goersch, Evelyn Weiss, Fee, Matthias, Sigrid Koehl & Peter Tangermann, Johannes Koppen, Kristine Kresge-Hamburg Polizeiorchester, Joachim & Rosi Griebe, Lou & Mimi Holzman, Robert Ross, Emile van der Zee, Andreas Neubauer, Yuecel “Ali” Atiker, Frank Poehl, Tino Pavlis, Fabian Hildebrand, Heiko Himmighoffen, Anselm Wild, Victoria Jackson, Herbert Berger, Sabina Hank, Uly Grunwad, Spencer MacLeish, George Greif/Sid Garris, Billy Rayford, Oscar Meyer, Jon Herington, Joe Aloia, Frank Vavosa, Marco Galeazzi Excelsior CEMEX Accordions, Christine Adams, Kevin Friedrich, Holda Paoletti-Kampl accordions.com Renzo Ruggeri, Luca Serenelli, Alex Accordions Guitars, Maria Pragrova, Bruce Hatch & family, Percy Sledge, Paul Marx & Lynne Bertrand- KBON.com , Herbert Zorn Groove City Record Shop, Oliver Groenewald, Christian Schoenfeld, Kevin & Sonja Mauder, Tony Lakatos, Harry Petersen, Dale Meyer, Angelo DePippo, Marty Napoleon, Charlene Berger, Cab Calloway, David “Fathead” & Karen Newman, Antje von Rein, Olivier Hutman, George Brown, Oliver Keller, Bruce A. Douglas, Ulrich Tukor, Bert Gerecht, Ulrich Vormehr, Norbert Hilbich, Andreas Sennheiser, Susan Bernstein, Jim Kelly, Bruce Harrison, Marisa Redanty, Bill Cobham, Robert Doehring, Sandra Hempel, Pascal “Gallo” Hahn, Al “Jazzbeaux” Collins, Christian Zurwellen, Lars Karstensen, Cornell Dupree, Eddie Money, Andre Thus, Ulrich Olshausen Jazz HR Radio, Rossa & Morritz Peters, Ray Tubberville AFN Radio, Rudy Hurwich, Martin Scheffler, Andre Francis Radio France Inter, Nils Gessinger, Bernie Fichtner, Faramarz Kheradmand, Christian Munchner, Charles “Chuck” Flores-UAL, Jenny & Nico Goan Fann Co., LTD.-Superlux Microphones, Tomoyuk Oda & Sunny Francis Radio Co Co Lo 76.5FM Osaka Hawaii, Li Ping Shi Jiyangyin Jiyang Instrument Co., Jane Dong, Rick Enders, Peter Pan, Janine Roemer Renaissance Yangtze Shanghi Hotel, Sandro Fontanella Ketron, Hal Petcher Guitronics, Joe Franklin, Kuni Mikami, Craig Gower, Wanda Sanchez, Percy France, Torsten De Winkel, Thomsas Sylvia van Riesen Hotel Pacific Hamburg, Klaus Rothoff Musik Rothoff St. Pauli, Doris & Thomas Linecker DoKa Restaurant, Glenn Derringer, Scott Rootenberg, Les Paul, Dr. Joan Garfinkle, Prof. Renee Moreno, Prof. Terry Corby, Prof. Bruce Lilienthal CCSF, Pete Fogel, Chuck Colin, Kim Delevett SouthWest Airlines, Tripp, Alan Hall, John Mader, Larry Schneider, Bill Bell, Chester Thompson, Larry Bradford, Art Van Damme, Dick Contino, Joris Dudli, Harvey Wainapel, Steve Campos, Michelle Webb, Keith West, Lee Oskar, Dennis Hoffman, Tyrone Starks, Tommy Schneider, Linda Schmidt, Jo & Mirko Mikovic, Bill Cosby, Barbara K. Starner Kart-A-Bag, Ray Grappone, Ken Hayes Jr., Steve Copeman, Boris Blanchet, Amaury Blanchard, Ron Eckstein, Carol Kaye, Erik Hopfinger, Burdette Becks, Saul & Goldie Levin, Dr. Hal & Eva Eisenberg, Sylvia Donnie Barbara Simon, Howard Johnson Hammond Suzuki UK, Stephen Ferrone, Bennett Friedman, Barry Finnerty, James Preston, Dick Mithun, Tim Cain, Joan Baez, Dennis Hoffman, Lazy Larry Fredson, Louie Peterson, Tony Germain, Ralf Hoffmann, Uwe Petersen, Don Dean Smiley’s Saloon Bolinas, Terry Haggerty, Sandy Leon, Don Wehr, John Entwistle, Tony Rossell, Desiree Erasmus, Martha Henry, Chet Helms, Erik Hargrove, Ingo Sens, Charlotte Aphibal Lufthansa, Thomas Reimer, Little Henry, Daniel McKinnon, Pakistan Intl. Airlines, Amy Curtis, Joan Brower & Joan Bloom-M. Booth Assoc., Giovanni Gulino, David Haynes, Neil Witchard, Graham Hawthorne, Chuggy Carter, Sandy & Pat Moriarty, Richard Sharpe, Jeff Samaha-NBC, Dieter Schnapka, Alf Schneider, Beatrix Rief, Hans Romanov, Stefan Klemm, Alain Nau, Derrick James, Uwe Gehring, George Naha, John & Teresa Nash, Dean Kamei, John Hart, Lou Colombo, Tippecanoe Tip O’Neill, Jack & Paul Pena, Francois Chassagnite, Oliver Johnson, Jack Gregg, Ron Sr. & Ron Jr. Carter, Joe Locke, Michael Kersting, Gunther & Krystyna Tietze Polka Bar Reeperbahn Hamburg, Tom Plate-Pipa Art Project, Tobias Schmidt-Relenberg, Captain Korres, Captain George Apistolas, Jaco Pastorius, Dave Danza, R. A. Cohen & Assoc., Peter Shearer-accordion-o-rama, John Mollinari, Daniel Haaksman, Stefan Hantel Shantel, Dieter & Ralph Reichert Birdland Hamburg, Dr. Rudi Petroll, Lothar & Elke Krell, Godawari Poehl, Cindy Blackman, Wallace Roney, Tom Edmonds, Gary Bartz, Joe Aloia, Sgt. Al Wittig, Dr. Jack Adler & fam, Dan & Roberta Mockensturm, Al DiMeola, Ron Polte, Deszon X. Claibourne, Tom Sarig, Danny “California” Woody, Jeff Hess, Vladislov Sendecki, Lucas Lindholm, Sheldon Sweeper, Steve Luongo, Gordy Singer, Bobby Forrester, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, John O’Donnell, Joachim Neuerburg, Clifton Buck Kaufman, Jack Wilkins, Dieter Lubke, Sourdough Slim, Juergen M. Bahr, Commodore Hotel SF team-Joseph, Bina, Scott, Gitanjali, Melanie, Jeff-Joie de Vivre Hotels, Reinhard Werthner, Carla Caccavale, Teresa Martinez-Westin Rio Mar Beach Ocean Villas Puerto Rico

SPECIAL THANKS from JON HAMMOND
Amy Curtis, Bermuda Tourism, Celebrity Cruises, HammondCast, Hill and Knowlton, Joan Brower, Jon Hammond, Joy Sticca, Knut Benzner, KYOURADIO, m.v. Horizon, XK-3c

*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

http://ia311004.us.archive.org/1/items/Theyhighly-synchronizedstylingsofTheJonHammondShowDancersdancingtoJon_sthemesong_La/LateRentDancers.m4v

http://www.vimeo.com/groups/18494/videos/946591

Jon Hammond Show Dancers aboard Horizon Celebrity Cruise Ship from Jon Hammond on Vimeo.

The highly-synchronized stylings of The Jon Hammond Show Dancers dancing to Jon’s theme song “Late Rent” aboard m.v. HORIZON Celebrity Cruises ship on maiden voyage to Bermuda with Jon Hammond & Joe Berger directing. Then on to Hamburg Germany years later, same song, same guys, but sadly we couldn’t take our dancers to Hamburg. In VILLON Club by Hauptbahnhof. Special thanks to Amy Curtis of Hill & Knowlton Celebrity Cruises and Henry of Villon, ILLUSTRATORP, Jennifer & Knut Benzner. Musicians: Gabriel Coburger, Heinz Lichius, Joe Berger & Jon at the organ as seen on The Jon Hammond Show ©2009 http://www.HammondCast.com

Special Thanks for Hammond’s Bolero record:

Gary Peterson, Bob Brumbeloe, Bernard Purdie, Todd Anderson, Bill Graham, Mick Brigden, Bob Barsotti, Dharma Barsotti, Kris Hosack, Tim Anderson, Chris Powers, Nigel James, Jerry Pompili, Rita Gentry, David Mayeri Clear Channel Entertainment/BGP, Steve “Killer” Kahn, Armando Peraza, Davey Crockett, Raul Rekow, Steve Thornton, Mark Hale, Tommy Costa, Heda fam, Jerry Figone, David Kapralik, Rickie Lee Jones, Francis Ford Coppola, Matt Dillon, Zak Starkey, Maggie Bell, Dan Leventhal, Cliff Houston, Harry Murphy, Paul Shaffer, John Hammond Sr.-CBS, John Bishop, Kenny King, Earl Palmer, Kenny Burrell, Zsusannah Petrof, Lenka Czerna, Richard Kubat, Buddy Rich, Lenny Nelson, Howard Plotkin, Hank Crawford, Harvey Waisbard, Dennis Finnegan, Mark Thompson, Bob Weckel-Horizons Restaurant Sausalito, Louis Nanassy, Jane Dornacker, Edward “Black Kojak” Jaynes, Michael Bloomfield, Steve Smith-AMPEX, Aline Claude, Lionel Hampton, Victoria Hawkes, Andy Warhol, Bob Moog, Bill Armstrong, Andy Christo, Bill Wurtzel-Royal Olympic Cruises, Joe Rodriguez, Maria Tschirgi-Local 6, Genevieve Frizzell & fam, Tracey Baumler, Cortt Dunlap, Marcy Drexler ASCAP, Louis Baldonieri Dream Street team, Kim Freeman, Bob Scott, Marc Baum, Victor Owens, Jim Thorsen, Steve Wright, John Hunt, Scott Cooper & fam, Al and Leslie Wilcox, George Carlin, Sam Wilcox, Marshall & Krisanne Olson, Saul Salsakovitch, Terri Price, Terence and Matthew Hallinan, Able & Mario Bally Hallinan Prop., S.F. Sheriff’s Dept.-Leslie Levitas, Rodney Choy, Teresa Nelson, Clayton Smith, Lutz Buchner, Knut Benzner, Tobias Hartmann, Stephan Meir NDR Radio, Heinz Lichius, Robert and Otmar Hutya, Heinz von Hermann, Joachim Tucksen, Wolfram Knauer Jazz Institute Darmstadt, Joe Bawelino, Ryan Gioia, John Lee Hooker, Alex Ligertwood, Tarek Omran, Wild Bill Davis, Milt Hinton, Frank Biner, Fang “Barbara” Lin & family, Kate Newman, Judy Chueng, Betty Heywood, Eva Tam, Cordelia von Gymnich, Christine Kern, Wilhelm P. “Charly” Hosenseidl-Frankfurt Messe, Captain Paul Bailey-United Airlines, Pamela Sylvain, Veronica Valencia, Ana Maria Pena-United Airlines SFOEX, Barbara Stokes UAL, Lainie Hafer, Yvette Julien, April Para UAL, Janet Berka UAL AFA Council 5 Rep., United Twins May & Kay, Dr. Vartan Ghugasian, Dr. Charles Allison, Dr. Daniel Davidson, Dr. Samuel Gelbart, Marcie Zellner, John Taber Guitar Center, Waichiro Tachikawa Suzuki Corporation, Michael Maier Falkenstein & Maier family Hammond Suzuki Germany, Igor Flach, Inge Benchakroun-Stadt Hamburg, Laurence Cottle, Paul Rachman, Francoise Pujol, Osamu Yamamoto, Midori Ono, Hidefumi Nose, Kengo Komae, Zeng Jin, Michael Rinta, Yutaka Hada Mr. Tanka Taku Yamamoto-CASIO, Leo Fender, Leo/Leo’s Music, S.F. Twins Marian & Vivian Brown, Pete Fallico, Igor and Ilonka Kissil, Yuri Goloubev, James Brown-Tower Records, Pat Klock, Jim Thorsen, Gideon Schier, Alex Foster, Lori Friedman, Nat Friedman, Judit Halmi, Mustafa & Maralyn Jammal, Pete Escovedo, Bettina Goersch, Evelyn Weiss, Fee, Matthias, Sigrid Koehl & Peter Tangermann, Johannes Koppen, Kristine Kresge-Hamburg Polizeiorchester, Joachim & Rosi Griebe, Lou & Mimi Holzman, Robert Ross, Emile van der Zee, Andreas Neubauer, Yuecel “Ali” Atiker, Frank Poehl, Tino Pavlis, Fabian Hildebrand, Heiko Himmighoffen, Anselm Wild, Victoria Jackson, Herbert Berger, Sabina Hank, Uly Grunwad, Spencer MacLeish, George Greif/Sid Garris, Billy Rayford, Oscar Meyer, Jon Herington, Joe Aloia, Frank Vavosa, Marco Galeazzi Excelsior CEMEX Accordions, Christine Adams, Kevin Friedrich, Holda Paoletti-Kampl accordions.com Renzo Ruggeri, Luca Serenelli, Alex Accordions Guitars, Maria Pragrova, Bruce Hatch & family, Percy Sledge, Paul Marx & Lynne Bertrand- KBON.com , Herbert Zorn Groove City Record Shop, Oliver Groenewald, Christian Schoenfeld, Kevin & Sonja Mauder, Tony Lakatos, Harry Petersen, Dale Meyer, Angelo DePippo, Marty Napoleon, Charlene Berger, Cab Calloway, David “Fathead” & Karen Newman, Antje von Rein, Olivier Hutman, George Brown, Oliver Keller, Bruce A. Douglas, Ulrich Tukor, Bert Gerecht, Ulrich Vormehr, Norbert Hilbich, Andreas Sennheiser, Susan Bernstein, Jim Kelly, Bruce Harrison, Marisa Redanty, Bill Cobham, Robert Doehring, Sandra Hempel, Pascal “Gallo” Hahn, Al “Jazzbeaux” Collins, Christian Zurwellen, Lars Karstensen, Cornell Dupree, Eddie Money, Andre Thus, Ulrich Olshausen Jazz HR Radio, Rossa & Morritz Peters, Ray Tubberville AFN Radio, Rudy Hurwich, Martin Scheffler, Andre Francis Radio France Inter, Nils Gessinger, Bernie Fichtner, Faramarz Kheradmand, Christian Munchner, Charles “Chuck” Flores-UAL, Jenny & Nico Goan Fann Co., LTD.-Superlux Microphones, Tomoyuk Oda & Sunny Francis Radio Co Co Lo 76.5FM Osaka Hawaii, Li Ping Shi Jiyangyin Jiyang Instrument Co., Jane Dong, Rick Enders, Peter Pan, Janine Roemer Renaissance Yangtze Shanghi Hotel, Sandro Fontanella Ketron, Hal Petcher Guitronics, Joe Franklin, Kuni Mikami, Craig Gower, Wanda Sanchez, Percy France, Torsten De Winkel, Thomsas Sylvia van Riesen Hotel Pacific Hamburg, Klaus Rothoff Musik Rothoff St. Pauli, Doris & Thomas Linecker DoKa Restaurant, Glenn Derringer, Scott Rootenberg, Les Paul, Dr. Joan Garfinkle, Prof. Renee Moreno, Prof. Terry Corby, Prof. Bruce Lilienthal CCSF, Pete Fogel, Chuck Colin, Kim Delevett SouthWest Airlines, Tripp, Alan Hall, John Mader, Larry Schneider, Bill Bell, Chester Thompson, Larry Bradford, Art Van Damme, Dick Contino, Joris Dudli, Harvey Wainapel, Steve Campos, Michelle Webb, Keith West, Lee Oskar, Dennis Hoffman, Tyrone Starks, Tommy Schneider, Linda Schmidt, Jo & Mirko Mikovic, Bill Cosby, Barbara K. Starner Kart-A-Bag, Ray Grappone, Ken Hayes Jr., Steve Copeman, Boris Blanchet, Amaury Blanchard, Ron Eckstein, Carol Kaye, Erik Hopfinger, Burdette Becks, Saul & Goldie Levin, Dr. Hal & Eva Eisenberg, Sylvia Donnie Barbara Simon, Howard Johnson Hammond Suzuki UK, Stephen Ferrone, Bennett Friedman, Barry Finnerty, James Preston, Dick Mithun, Tim Cain, Joan Baez, Dennis Hoffman, Lazy Larry Fredson, Louie Peterson, Tony Germain, Ralf Hoffmann, Uwe Petersen, Don Dean Smiley’s Saloon Bolinas, Terry Haggerty, Sandy Leon, Don Wehr, John Entwistle, Tony Rossell, Desiree Erasmus, Martha Henry, Chet Helms, Erik Hargrove, Ingo Sens, Charlotte Aphibal Lufthansa, Thomas Reimer, Little Henry, Daniel McKinnon, Pakistan Intl. Airlines, Amy Curtis, Joan Brower & Joan Bloom-M. Booth Assoc., Giovanni Gulino, David Haynes, Neil Witchard, Graham Hawthorne, Chuggy Carter, Sandy & Pat Moriarty, Richard Sharpe, Jeff Samaha-NBC, Dieter Schnapka, Alf Schneider, Beatrix Rief, Hans Romanov, Stefan Klemm, Alain Nau, Derrick James, Uwe Gehring, George Naha, John & Teresa Nash, Dean Kamei, John Hart, Lou Colombo, Tippecanoe Tip O’Neill, Jack & Paul Pena, Francois Chassagnite, Oliver Johnson, Jack Gregg, Ron Sr. & Ron Jr. Carter, Joe Locke, Michael Kersting, Gunther & Krystyna Tietze Polka Bar Reeperbahn Hamburg, Tom Plate-Pipa Art Project, Tobias Schmidt-Relenberg, Captain Korres, Captain George Apistolas, Jaco Pastorius, Dave Danza, R. A. Cohen & Assoc., Peter Shearer-accordion-o-rama, John Mollinari, Daniel Haaksman, Stefan Hantel Shantel, Dieter & Ralph Reichert Birdland Hamburg, Dr. Rudi Petroll, Lothar & Elke Krell, Godawari Poehl, Cindy Blackman, Wallace Roney, Tom Edmonds, Gary Bartz, Joe Aloia, Sgt. Al Wittig, Dr. Jack Adler & fam, Dan & Roberta Mockensturm, Al DiMeola, Ron Polte, Deszon X. Claibourne, Tom Sarig, Danny “California” Woody, Jeff Hess, Vladislov Sendecki, Lucas Lindholm, Sheldon Sweeper, Steve Luongo, Gordy Singer, Bobby Forrester, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, John O’Donnell, Joachim Neuerburg, Clifton Buck Kaufman, Jack Wilkins, Dieter Lubke, Sourdough Slim, Juergen M. Bahr, Commodore Hotel SF team-Joseph, Bina, Scott, Gitanjali, Melanie, Jeff-Joie de Vivre Hotels, Reinhard Werthner, Carla Caccavale, Teresa Martinez-Westin Rio Mar Beach Ocean Villas Puerto Rico

SPECIAL THANKS from JON HAMMOND
Amy Curtis, Bermuda Tourism, Celebrity Cruises, HammondCast, Hill and Knowlton, Joan Brower, Jon Hammond, Joy Sticca, Knut Benzner, KYOURADIO, m.v. Horizon, XK-3c

As I was explaining in my Cruise Lines post, the Celebrity Cruises to me sound like an adult cruise only but while reading more I came across some children activities too except in the Celebrity Escape program. This children-teens activities program has a price per day per child, the program sounds interesting and is directed to children age 3-17. Every morning children and teens get a list of activities. Childrens activities include games, parties, and the Shipmates Fun Factory. Teens can enjoy special parties, pool and a disco. Celebrity´s Science Jouneys Program allows kids to participate in hands-on educational voyages, interact with sea life and explore the hisroty of Pirates, sunken treasures and excavation. It sounds pretty interesting to me, out of the ordinary dont you think? Thinking about it, I think I would rather enjoy activites with my kids too, I wonder if there is a cruise line which offers that kind of activities? Well, I am sure that if so I will come across such info. To tell you the truth, I would like to sail in every Cruise Line and then decide which would my favourite be. Anyway, Celebrity Cruises also offer Champagne and Martini bars, pool side masagges and sunset yoga, dine in wine cellars ( in selected ships) butler service in all suites, movie theater, internet cafe and sushi bar, music library with ipod rentals and Monte Carlo style Casinos. The itineraries of the Celebrity Cruise Lines sound very similar to the others; Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Europe, Southamerica and Panama. I guess most of the Cruises have the same itineraires the exciting part is the type of ship, cuisine, entertainment and activities each of this ships has to offer.

Coincidence. On a flight from Miami to Frankfurt unbeknownst to me was Celebrity Chef Jacques Van Staden. Sitting on a plane for 6 hours (and staking out armrest territory) we struck up a conversation and found out we were both in the travel industry and both loved food. And to my pleasure he turned out to be VP of Culinary Operations for Celebrity and Azamara Cruises: the Legendary Jacques Van Staden (JVS)

What makes JVS so exciting for the operation of Celebrity is the fact that he is a young and innovative Chef. It would seem to make perfect sense that the cruise lines would hire a culinary expert to head up the department but perfect sense and cruise operations do not always go hand in hand. This time (applause) they got it right.

Celebrity Cruises is a division of Royal Caribbean Cruises- but a more luxurious trendy hipper modern version. Sort of like a W Hotel at Sea. Not quite a boutique ship but a personality player with great food. And as anyone knows cruise and food go together like cheese and burger.

JVS’s passion for cooking began at the age of 7 and by the time he was 11 years old he knew he wanted to be a Chef. A pretty together and creative kid he spent hours experimenting with food. And that passion grew into love of wine and more food. His enthusiasm for all things wine and food is very contagious. Just speaking to him makes you very hungry. Extremely hungry.

This summer saw the launching of the highly acclaimed Celebrity Equinox, a massive undertaking and I was lucky enough to catch up with Chef Van Staden.

JL: Good Morning JVS. You have had quite the whirlwind summer. Does it ever end?  I don’t know how you do it; but that is what I want to know.  How do you do it: What is your biggest challenge?

JVS: Consistency. That is truly the hardest part. The cruise lines rotate staff and they sign on for 6 months at a time which means every six months we get new cooks and have to make sure that they deliver in a consistent manner.

JL: What is your inspiration? A ship, let alone two fleets of ships, is overwhelming to even think about.

JVS: I don’t think about two fleets in that sense because it would be overwhelming. I just gather my passion and energy and put up no barriers. If you harness your creativity – it is endless. Just keep the barriers away; no limitations. And then the job is not so overwhelming.

JL: I have always wondered how you can possibly cook for so many passengers and keep the food tasty, fresh and exciting. What is your secret ingredient?

JVS: Love.

JL: Such a simple answer but perhaps THE answer. Something magical must come together to make Celebrity such an outpost for wonderful food.

JVS: The element of surprise. Love and surprise. There is no mass production on the ships. I prefer quality over quantity. We have exclusive specialties that deliver that wow moment. I wanted to change perception: no stereotyping. Food is not just in massive proportions but in epic flavors.

JL: 10 dining venues onboard the Equinox alone means lots of choices. How do you choose the menus?

JVS: We have 31 options daily and every 14-days we exchange menus which means on our longer cruises there is something new and exciting every day. The menus are planned up to six months in advance so we must always make sure that the ingredients are always available. We must appeal to a broad range of palettes every day so I make sure there are the classic options (the traditional steak) and foods for the more adventurous.

JL: Yeah, some people would be frightened by some items on the menu.

JVS: Exactly, and that is why we appeal to everyone.

JL: I do want to highlight the new Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria because everyone loves dessert. (It is a cruise and you can diet another day) By the way, what is your signature dessert?

JVS: Six. It is a tasting dessert consisting of six unique samples. It is very popular and delicious. By the way we recycle our menu paper. Actually we recycle everything onboard the ship.

JL: The wine tower. That is amazing. How many bottles are up there and how do you select which ones to present?

JVS: There are over 3000 bottles. We use mostly mainstream wines from Tuscany, Napa and Chile because we need to be able to purchase in quantity. But we do have specialty wines in some of the restaurants.

JL: Now you have a lawn on the ship. No one else has a lawn on a ship. Anything special going to happen on the lawn?

JVS: Yes, we are going to have picnic baskets available for a romantic experience out on the lawn at sea and in the future tapas and movies on the lawn. Very chic and very different. More intimate than the usual movies at sea. And don’t forget the bocce ball.

JL: Thank you so much for your time. It all sounds wonderful and delicious and I would love to be out to sea right now.

JVS: Yes, I just got back but I will be heading to Napa soon. Checking out some wines for the line.

JL: It’s a tough life.

JVS: Indeed.

by Marcia Levin

Costa Cruises is bringing its elegant "Atlantica" to the Caribbean -- and discounting big-time.

These days, if it sounds too good to be true, it must be an ad for a Caribbean cruise.

I’ve followed the cruise industry for many years, but thanks in part to oversupply and in part to the economic crunch, I’ve rarely seen the market so awash in high-quality yet good-value and even frankly cheap cruises, and I believe they’ll never be so readily available again. Whether early booking discounts, steep discounts or no extra cost for third and fourth guests in the same cabin, or last-minute Internet deals, the bargains are out there, and to expect to find even better prices in the future may be downright silly.

Bottom line: this season is pretty much an ideal time to choose to cruise.

Mix all the new cruise ships with their increased passenger capacity into a still shaky economy,  stir in the proliferation of drive-to “home ports” such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Charleston, Norfolk or Galveston for good measure, and you’ve got the recipe for great seagoing values (case in point: Carnival’s Fantasy is scheduled to start five-, six-, and seven-day itineraries from Charleston as of May 2010.)

Whether you’re after a budget cruise for singles, a luxurious and romantic sailing to exotic ports, the right setting for a family reunion, or a short R&R getaway, there’s an option or three for you. Looking for a long itinerary, a quickie, or a transatlantic crossing? Or how about a theme cruise? A Euro-ship making its North America debut this season, MSC’s Poesia offers theme cruises focusing on everything from poesía (poetry) to cooking to baseball. On a comedy-themed January 30 sailing out of Port Everglades, the packed roster at Poesia’s nightly comedy club will keep ‘em in stitches through the Caribbean.

One of the best bargains on the ocean right now is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Sky, on three- and four-day itineraries from the Port of Miami to the Bahamas, with prices as low as $199 per person. The ship underwent refurbishment last spring, updating many public areas and new food stations in its popular Garden Café. Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines both offer similar short, affordable sails from several Florida ports.

The weeklong cruise sector is also awash in value (not to mention sought-after — the average length of cruises in 2008 was just over seven days). Most cruise mavens expect Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas to be the most popular new kid in town. She steams into home base Port Everglades in late November with a dance card of alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries and never-before-seen amenities, from a shop selling cupcakes to an onboard water theater, along with the usual crowd-pleasing RC features like rock climbing and flow riding. This one definitely promises something of a sea change, so to speak, in cruising; right now, seven-nighters start at $1,399 per person, based on double occupancy.

Another key new player in the seven-day market is the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream, alternating Eastern and Western itineraries out of Port Canaveral from $599. In addition to the fleet’s first comedy club, it will debut the first outdoor laser shows on a North America-based cruise ship, melding the latest in splashy hi-tech with rock music to provide guests some unique and exciting nighttime entertainment.

Meanwhile, the 2,114-passenger Costa Atlantica, from the elegant European Costa Cruises and themed after the films of Federico Fellini, is visiting Port Everglades for the first time this winter, joining sister ship Costa Fortuna on weeklong Eastern and Western itineraries from an eye-popping $399. Another brand-new ship sailing from South Florida waters this season, albeit quite a bit pricier (nine days from $4,598), is Silversea’s Italian-crewed Silver Spirit, with just 540 passengers; it makes its maiden voyage in January 2010 through the Caribbean, around South America, and up to Los Angeles.

Finally, besides MSC Poesia, a couple of ships will make their U.S. debuts at Port Everglades this winter. Seabourn’s 450-passenger Odyssey (12 nights from $3,499) and Celebrity’s Equinox — the one with the lawn on the roof — carrying 2,850 (10 nights from $999).

I trust I’ve made my point: For those who want and need to get away this winter and spring, there’s plenty of both deals and dazzle on the high seas. No matter what your budget, there’s virtually no excuse not to set sail in these next several months.

Millions of Americans take cruise vacations every year. However, most don’t realize that cruising is more harmful to the environment and human health than many other forms of travel. With ships that can carry up to 7,000 passengers and crew, these floating cities pollute the air we breathe and the water we use and enjoy.

All cruise lines are not the same. You can choose a cruise line that is reducing its environmental and human health impacts. To help, Friends of the Earth has put together a Cruise Ship Report Card comparing 10 major cruise lines.

Visit Friends of the Earth to get the green scoop on the dirtiest cruise ships. Check it out BEFORE you book a cruise.

Here’s to cruising in green style!

~Green Buzz

Source: Friends of the Earth

(Sorry for reposting the first half of the images, but I had forgotten to resize them to 1,000 pixels wide. I just decided to post the first and second parts together to save me another headache!)

In the beginning of June (yes, it takes me way too long to process and post my photos!), my mom, dad, and uncle invited me to come along with them on a cruise to Alaska after my grandfather cancelled at the last minute. Fortunately, I had no job to speak of and needed a good adventure to come my way! Unfortunately, however, I dropped my camera, lens-down, on my way out of the taxi that dropped us off at the ferry. Weak. It had a filter on it, so the actual glass of the lens wasn’t harmed, but the impact caused the focusing ring to become dislodged and the lens (a 28-200, great for wildlife sightings) now only focuses from 28-45mm. So, for the first part of the trip, when we were in Sitka and at the Hubbard Glacier, I was only able to take wide-angle shots and sadly missed a lot of opportunities to capture whales, sea lions on icebergs, and porpoises. That had me pretty bummed.

Thanks to my poker skills and the ship’s late-night cash game, I was able to win enough money to buy myself a Tamron 75-300mm lens (I know, the quality isn’t great, but I needed a zoom and that was all I could afford) in Juneau. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to get any bald eagle shots. They make me feel a little better about missing the sea lions on icebergs (but not much!). Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy my photos (all digital… I have yet [surprise, surprise] to scan my film from the trip!) from Alaska.

Mom and Dad waving goodbye to Vancouver

Arriving in Sitka

One of many of Alaska's totems

This is Alice, whose family sold salmonberry jam

St. Peter's Episcopal Church

The view out my stateroom window of Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka's resident volcano

Failed attempt to bring back part of an iceberg at the Hubbard Glacier

An egret under the pier when we docked in Juneau

Tourists galore at the Mendenhall Glacier

A view from the ship on its way to Ketchikan

Ketchikan

There were so many bald eagles in Ketchikan that I obviously felt compelled to photograph every single one.

Sunset on the way back to Vancouver. A nice way to end the trip!

More photos of the Hubbard Glacier to come, once I scan my film!

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Biography forElizabeth Banks

Date of Birth10 February 1974, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA
Birth NameElizabeth Maresal Mitchell
Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
Mini Biography
Actress Elizabeth Banks was born Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, a small city in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts near the New York border, on February 10, 1974. She describes herself as having been seen as a “goody two-shoes” in her youth who was nominated to be the local Harvest Queen.Banks left home to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated Magna cum Laude, and went on to attend the Advanced Training Program at the prestigious American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, from which she graduated in 1998. She then moved to New York and worked in the theater as well as obtaining her first roles on-screen, small parts in movies and guest-star roles on television series. Seeking more screen work, Banks moved to Los Angeles and the supporting roles soon came, and required that she change her name to avoid confusion with another actress named Elizabeth Mitchell who had already established herself. Her first signal success came in her delightful, brief performance in Spider-Man (2002), for which she is best known despite subsequent leading roles, as “Betty Brant”, the secretary of the cantankerous newspaper tycoon. (Banks has reprised the role in the Spider-Man series.)Banks followed up her performance in Spider-Man with small roles in other movies released that year, Swept Away (2002) and Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can (2002), in which she plays a bank clerk who assists the young Frank Abagnale with vital information about bank checking policies. More recognition came with Seabiscuit (2003), in which Banks charmed audiences playing the wife of Seabiscuit’s owner “Charles Howard”, and Banks was able to broker these successes into leading roles, in Michael Showalter’s The Baxter (2005) and James Gunn’s Slither (2006).The winsome, beautiful Banks projects an exceptionally-charming screen presence that has drawn comparisons to Audrey Hepburn. Though her off-screen vocabulary is at times sprinkled with Valley-speak, her performances demonstrate solid acting skill and a keen intelligence. Banks and her boyfriend since college days, Max Handelman, married in 2003.

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Elizabeth Banks is an American actress whose TV and film appearances include Scrubs, the Spider-Man films, The Uninvited, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, W., Zack And Miri Make A Porno, and…
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Celebrity announced today it would be the first cruise line to add pre-cruise reservations to a flexible dining program. , Celebrity Cruises introduced Celebrity Select Dining,(SM) a new flexible dining option that allows guests to choose when they dine in the main dining room onboard, on a day-by-day basis, which includes the industry’s first pre-cruise day-by-day flexible dining reservation system.
Click here for more details on the program.

Sea days are wonderful…a time to catch up on sleep, explore the ship and finally have the time to partake in activities and events.  This morning was the Galley Tour, given by Chef Gilbert D’Souza.  Walking through a galley as the crew is just beginning their day, is an enlightening experience.  Aside from the constant humming of fans, the rumbling dishwasher and clanking of aluminum trays being stacked, the galley’s pre-dinner commotion had not yet begun. 

Morning galley crew preparing for dinner

Once dinner service begins, there will be one hundred-twenty waiters serving over nineteen-hundred passengers, total. 

 Although there is no food in public areas after midnight, Celebrity does not lack in the food supply department. There is a constant flow of an amazing variety of food throughout the day in the Seaside Café.

Sushi Bar in Seaside Cafe - 6pm - 9pm every night

Beginning with breakfast, segueing into brunch, lunch, teatime , sushi, stir-fry and ending with a table-cloth dinner with “candles” in a sectioned area.  Called “Casual Dining” in the Seaside Café from 6PM – 9PM, reservations are suggested as this area is becoming quite popular. It is similar to the dinner-whenever concept that is implemented on nearly every cruise ship. I’ve made a reservation for the next sea day; I’m excited to review it.

"Casual Dining" at Seaside Cafe. Reservations accepted.

I haven’t mentioned much about the entertainment.  The first gala production, on formal night, was a Broadway production show that I hadn’t seen since the Celebrity Millennium inaugural cruise.  This touring company out-performed what I thought was spectacular a few years ago.  The lead singers hit all the right notes in both Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.  The sets are gorgeous and cleverly designed to maximize the given size of the stage.  A standing ovation went out to all. 

 Perry Grant, a five-year Celebrity Constellation tradition, always packs the house for his evening performances in Michael’s Club.  Cabaret singer/pianist, Perry has performed all over the world, including a performance for HRH Princess Diana.  He has an incredible following, similar to Matt Yee aboard Royal Caribbean in the Schooner Bar.  Word of advice: if you want to see Perry’s show, get to Michael’s Club thirty minutes early.  Seating is limited.  Unless you want to stand or sit on the floor (as many do), homestead your chair early.  On a longer cruise such as this one, Perry will perform in different venues: one night in the Rendez-Vous Lounge and another two performances in the main Celebrity theater. 

 Another show, a Latin singing and dancing review, missed their mark.  Maybe it was the cold weather or dryness in their cabins, but the singers were off key and the dancers had no personality or energy.  One male dancer has fabulous aerobatic moves, but his skill was overshadowed by the others’ faux pas, so to speak.

 We will enter the St. Lawrence River in the middle of the night with an arrival in Quebec City at 11am.  Weather is expected to be quite wintry, and if my prediction in my Day One entry is correct, we’ll be dashing and darting through the snow.  Without a window in my stateroom, I’ll keep my TV on the Bridge Cam station all night.  It’s the next best thing to having a window to the world.  At least you know when daylight begins as the TV screen gradually becomes brighter and a view of the outside is visible.

 Looking forward to seeing Quebec City tomorrow.

Three ports in three days. If this was a Caribbean cruise, you’d be suntanned, waterlogged and have analyzed the differences/similarities between the islands. On a fall Canada/New England cruise, it’s totally different. You dock in or very near to the city centers (as on many European cruises), dress in layers and understand the bargaining in the shops just isn’t accepted.  Nova Scotia is a small scenic province. Shore tours are the way to go if you’d like to get out into the countryside. Peggy’s Cove, a small fishing village, is always recommended by past visitors to Halifax.

Variations of Eggs Benedict prepared to order

Breakfast in the Seaside Café (the typical top-deck buffet) runs smoother and has more variety than on most cruise ships. I haven’t experienced more than a three or four minute wait for my usual egg-white cheese omelet. The wait staff is very attentive, always bussing and cleaning tables to keep the crowd moving along. Finding a table for me and my laptop has never been a problem; there is ample seating indoors even at peak times.

In the defense of shipboard wifi, I have to say that on this sailing aboard the Constellation, the wifi connection has been almost perfect. Elite Members of the Captain’s Club are given ninety minutes of complimentary internet. In addition, I will purchase the $99.95 package at 240 minutes, knowing full well I’ll blow through that in a very short time. Keeping with the wifi theme I set out in Halifax on a mission to find a hotspot. Having done my research, I knew the location of the nearest Starbucks; a fifteen minute uphill walk from the port. Along the way, I stumbled upon a cute independent coffee house, the Wired Monk. Needless to say, this was a wifi café. If you are ever in Halifax in search of free wifi, stop by this place, get a cup of organically grown java and get caught up on work, email and research the hotspots in your next port of call.

Old Burying Ground in downtown Halifax

Right near the port is the city’s oldest cemetery, an interestingly macabre tourist attraction. A cruise passenger could spend the day just walking around the port area of Halifax, called Harbourpoint. Passing a larger than life bronze statue of Samuel Cunard, founder of Cunard Line and born in Halifax, continue along the boardwalk towards the little shops and restaurants overlooking the water. On this blue-sky sunny fall day, people were strolling along the walkway, street musicians were entertaining for a pittance as leaves in shades of amber and rust found their way to the ground.

Tea Time sandwiches in Seaside Cafe

Back onboard, hungry so I headed upstairs to sample the tiny tea sandwiches.  And they did not disappoint.  And in another hour…there’s sushi!

Dinner with my tablemates was again a fun experience and a way to exchange shoreside experiences, which I’ll file away for my next visit to Halifax.    Tomorrow is a day at sea, including a buffet luncheon in the dining room.    Goodnight for now…

Leaving the port of Bayonne, NJ

Sail-away was exceptional. Cruising out of New York or New Jersey affords the unique opportunity to view the Statue of Liberty as many of our predecessors once did, except in the opposite direction, of course.

Muster drill, sans lifejacket went quickly and soon we were free to explore the Constellation. I’ve spent a bit of time on this ship so my mission was to find familiar faces among the staff and crew. Sure enough, there was Mario in Guest Relations, Ti-Ann the Event Coordinator, Omar our assistant waiter and a few others that looked familiar, but I didn’t remember their names. It truly amazes me that these employees who see thousands of passengers a month can remember guests even a year later.                                                                                                               

Celebrity Constellation Main Dining Room

First night’s dinner is kind of a drill; your waiter and assistant waiter introduce themselves; you to your tablemates. Even though there are thirty-one people in my group, only twenty-five have opted for the late dinner seating. Everyone is excited to meet each other, reminisce about past Celebrity cruises and peruse the menu. Celebrity started out the first night with a bang, offering escargot and prime rib, usually reserved for formal night’s offering. This being a fourteen night cruise, I knew I’d have to pace myself or else put on the dreaded five pound cruise weight gain. My Caesar salad was freshly tossed; the greens were not wilted and the croutons still crunchy. I sampled the lobster bisque and chose the grilled salmon from the Classic Selection on the left-hand side of the menu.

Internet Cafe - Deck Four

A walk around the ship after dinner helped familiarize myself with the layout. Many ships’ internet cafes are interior rooms or along a corridor without any view of the ocean. The Constellation’s Internet Café is surrounded by large picture windows and overlooks the elaborate three-story foyer. Internet packages begin at $29.95 for 50 minutes ($0.60/minute) to $99.95 for 240 minutes ($0.42/minute). As a frequent passenger aboard Celebrity I received a voucher for 90 minutes free with any package $49.95 and over. Armed with all these minutes, I went back to my room to fetch my laptop and try out the wifi. At 11pm it was fast and furious without any sudden disconnects.

Nearly midnight and there’s a singer/guitarist playing James Taylor and Simon & Garfunkel hits in the Cova Café…only me, my laptop and one other couple are the audience; first night at sea and most people retire early.

It was a good first day aboard the Constellation.