Cruises get good buzz from new ships, overhauls

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  This computer-generated image provided by the Royal Caribbean International cruise line shows its forthcoming ship, Quantum of the Seas.The Associated Press

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  The Norwegian Breakaway, on the Hudson River, in New York.The Associated Press

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  A new children's area called Marvel's Avengers Academy to be built on the Disney Magic ship.The Associated Press

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  SeaWalk, a glass-bottom walkway being built on the Royal Princess cruise ship, which launches in June.The Associated Press

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NEW YORK –  The 2013 cruise season began with a nightmare: A Carnival ship adrift with no power. But in the last month or so, several cruise companies — including Carnival — have announced major overhauls to old ships and exciting innovations on new ships, from engineering upgrades to theme park-style rides.

And the industry's biggest splash of good news is yet to come: On June 13, the former Kate Middleton, nearing the end of her pregnancy, is scheduled to christen the Royal Princess, a new ship from Princess Cruises debuting in Southampton, England.

"When you start focusing on shiny new ships with funky, fun, new amenities and features, the market comes back," said CruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown. "There's a lot to talk about that is really interesting and really exciting. I'm glad the conversation is shifting."

"Product improvement and good PR are positive developments that together will likely overcome the challenges that surfaced earlier this year following Carnival Triumph," agreed Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week, an industry publication.

Vicky Garcia, chief operating officer of Cruise Planners, which is part of American Express Travel, said prices for Carnival cruises "took a hit" following the engine fire on the Triumph and incidents on other Carnival ships, but that prices for cruises on other lines "held firm." In fact, Cruise Planners reported a 25 percent increase in cruise sales in the first four months of 2013 compared to 2012.

Driscoll said, however, that while repeat cruisers have not been deterred by the bad headlines, cruise-sellers are reporting that "first-time business remains challenged," meaning that it's still hard to get consumers who never cruised before to try it.

Despite that resistance, and despite the latest bad news from Carnival — a couple plunged over a ship railing in Australia last week — there's plenty of excitement over recent ship debuts and other news. For example, Royal Caribbean in April unveiled a list of dazzling first-at-sea attractions on its Quantum of the Seas ship, launching late next year: simulated skydiving, bumper cars and an observation capsule called The North Star, modeled on the London Eye, offering a bird's-eye view 300 feet (91 meters) above the water.

Disney Cruise Line last month announced a makeover for its oldest ship, Disney Magic, with a new children's area themed on Marvel Comics superheroes, a three-story water slide, updated technology and lighting, and rethemed restaurants and entertainment areas.

Carnival, meanwhile, is spending $300 million to add emergency generators, upgrade fire safety and improve engine rooms on all 24 of its ships. Carnival also spent $155 million rehabbing a 1996 ship, Carnival Destiny, which relaunched this month as Carnival Sunshine with a five-slide park; a three-deck-high adults-only retreat with pool and waterfall; specialty restaurants and a ropes course, an attraction that proved popular on two other Carnival ships.

Last week, Norwegian Cruise Line launched Norwegian Breakaway, "the best ship in the company's 47-year history, according to just about every veteran in this industry," said Driscoll. The ship's hull bears a colorful mural designed by pop artist Peter Max. Onboard attractions include a fitness class designed by the Rockettes, an intimate blues club, a ropes course on the top deck, restaurants by Food Network celebrity Geoffrey Zakarian, and baked goods from "Cake Boss" Buddy Vlasto. Its sister ship, Norwegian Getaway, launching in January, will have a Miami-Latin culture theme.

But Driscoll added that "it doesn't stop with Quantum, Disney, Breakaway, Getaway." Next month's launch of Royal Princess with "Kate Middleton as that ship's godmother ensures another batch of positive PR for the business," he said.

Spencer Brown says the launch of the Royal Princess would be a big deal even if the Duchess of Cambridge weren't following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, who christened an earlier Royal Princess ship. The CruiseCritic.com editor said the Princess line is known for introducing great new ideas while maintaining traditions. The company pioneered a concept called "Movies Under the Stars," showing movies on big outdoor screens, in addition to adult-only sundecks, and "now lots of lines have those," Spencer Brown said.

The new Princess ship's features will include an atrium and a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending over the ship's edge, but Princess also offers passengers the opportunity to enjoy old-fashioned fun like bingo or to "get dolled up in a tuxedo and evening gown if you want to have a date night."

Garcia said attractions on cruise ships have become as important as where the ship is going. "Ships have become their own destinations now," she said. "You don't want a picture of yourself in a lounge chair reading a book. You want to say you went to the Ice Bar or walked the plank," examples of activities on Norwegian Breakaway. ("Walking the plank" is part of the ropes course, where you walk out on a single beam over the edge of the ship, 130 feet — 40 meters — above the ocean, with your shoulders harnessed to a pulley overhead.)

Carrie Finley Bajak of CruiseBuzz.net agrees that "the buzz really is about the trend towards experiential travel." In addition to over-the-top rides and entertainment, Bajak said some passengers gravitate to lines like Oceania, Celebrity, Crystal, and Holland America, which have "have perfected the art of the culinary cruising. All four lines have created unique onboard programs catering to foodies who like shopping with the chef, attending cooking classes, and an assortment of interactive cooking lessons."

Garcia said it's now common for customers to ask for ships "by name — the Quantum or the Breakaway or the Oasis or the Epic. They say, 'What's the ship that has the rock-climbing, what's the ship that has the bowling alley?' It's not your grandmother's cruise anymore."

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Carnival says it will pay US for disabled ships

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  Feb. 14, 2013: The Carnival Triumph being towed into Mobile Bay, Ala., after it was disabled in the Gulf of Mexico following an engine room fire.AP

MIAMI –  Carnival Corp. said Monday it will repay the U.S. government an unspecified amount for the costs to taxpayers of responses to disabling accidents on its Triumph and Splendor cruise ships, both of which left thousands of passengers stranded at sea for days.

The world's largest cruise line company said the payments were being made voluntarily to the U.S. Treasury Department and that no government agency had requested reimbursement for either accident.

But Carnival had come under pressure from U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who was highly critical last week of Carnival's indirect responses to his inquiries about its willingness to pay.

Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, estimated the Coast Guard's costs in dealing with the crippled Triumph earlier this year at nearly $780,000. The 2010 engine fire that left the Splendor adrift off of Mexico, he said, cost the Coast Guard and Navy about $3.4 million. The Navy work in that case included delivering food from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

In both cases, passengers were left in uncomfortable and even squalid conditions before the ships made it back to port.

Carnival's statement did not say if it would pay those amounts or something else. But the company insisted that it never flatly rejected the idea of reimbursement.

"It should be clearly noted that at no point in time has Carnival stated that it would refuse to reimburse federal agencies if they sought remuneration," the company statement said.

Last week, in response to written questions from Rockefeller about repaying the costs, Carnival released letters responding to the senator stating that its policy in such situations is to "honor maritime tradition" requiring assistance to those in need at sea from all maritime interests. Carnival also said in those letters that it frequently participates in rescues at Coast Guard request and strongly defended its safety record.

Rockefeller had labeled that initial response as "shameful" and indicated then that he might hold hearings or propose legislation.

He didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment on Carnival's decision.

The 900-foot Triumph was disabled during a February cruise by an engine room fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving thousands of passengers to endure cold food, unsanitary conditions and power outages while the ship was towed to Mobile, Ala. It is still undergoing repairs there.

The 952-foot Splendor was also hobbled by an engine fire in January 2010, leaving its thousands of passengers to endure similar difficult conditions for three days in the Pacific Ocean while it was towed to San Diego. The Splendor is now back in service and cruises out of New York, according to Carnival's web site.

In both cases, Carnival gave passengers refunds, free cruise vouchers and other forms of reimbursement.

Carnival is also dealing with last year's grounding and capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy, which killed 32 people and spawned both criminal investigations and lawsuits. Costa is one of Carnival's six cruise brands.

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