Holidaymakers are taking to the high seas in record numbers as the boom in cruise holidays continues. Jennifer Grech is not concerned about what is 'hottest' for 2008. Instead, she comments on what she sees as the 'best new trends' in cruising this year, 'hot' or not.
Cruising proved to be a huge growth area for the travel industry during 2007 and the pace looks set to continue this year. Gone are the days of routine vacations to predictable places. Today the buzzwords are adventure, flexibility and choice. Cruise holidays are all about the freedom for people of all ages to get out there and try new and exciting things in new places.
The Cruise Lines International Association estimates that more than 12 million people decided a nautical holiday was for them last year - a 4.6 per cent growth on the previous year. The association believes demand will hold - with a projected 12.8 million passengers this year, despite the weakening economy.
Locally, travel agents expect 2008 cruise sales to be as good, or better than 2007. This year, Viset Malta plc, developers and operators of the Valletta Cruise Terminal and the Valletta Waterfront, are envisaging that more than half a million cruise passengers will call on Grand Harbour. Around 7,000 Maltese are expected to go on a Malta to Malta cruise, compared to 6,000 last year.
Consumers with flexible plans may be in for some deals. US-based cruise lines, capitalising on the exchange rate, have deployed more capacity in Europe this summer than ever before, and European-based lines are building more ships and expanding in their own right.
Cruise capacity in Europe is this year expected to jump more than 15 per cent over last year, reminiscent of the boom in the US market in the 1980s and 1990s. And it's not just the Americans who are lining up to fill all those new berths. European cruises are luring more Europeans too.
Not long ago, Europe was a place where cruise lines sent their old, tired hardware. Now it has blossomed into a showcase for the industry's newest and largest ships.
On April 17, Royal Caribbean took possession of the new Independence of the Seas, one of the three Freedom-class vessels holding the title of the world's largest cruise ships. The 160,000-tonne behemoth made her maiden voyage from Southampton, in the UK on May 2 and will cruise the Med this summer.
The 3,634-passenger ship is the largest ship ever home-ported in Europe.
"Typically, our new ships come to the US to sail to the Caribbean first," said Susan Hooper, senior vice-president of Royal Caribbean. "This is the first time a new Royal Caribbean ship is starting in Europe."
"Positioning one of our largest and newest ships in Southampton reaffirms Royal Caribbean's strong commitment to the region and will provide the opportunity for more European guests to experience the distinctive and award-winning vacation our brand has become recognised for throughout the world," she said.
Through this summer, Independence of the Seas will sail 14-night Mediterranean Treasures and Italian Mediterranean itineraries round-trips from Southampton. Ports of call include Gibraltar, Barcelona, Malaga, Vigo and Seville in Spain; Nice and Cannes/Montecarlo in France; Florence/Pisa and Sardinia in Italy and Lisbon, Portugal.
Even Carnival Cruise Lines, which espouses a strong Caribbean focus, plans to sail its newest and largest ship, the 113,000-tonne Carnival Splendor, in Europe this summer. The ship will debut in Dover, England in July, sailing northern European cruises, then head to Rome's port in Civitavecchia for Mediterranean tours. She will finally head to Fort Lauderdale in late October.
Joining Carnival Splendor is Carnival Freedom, which last year made her maiden voyage, a nine-day Mediterranean cruise, from Venice. She returns to the Mediterranean this month.
Not only is Europe attracting bigger ships; they're also staying longer. Cruise lines have stretched the European season well beyond the traditional summer months and now run from April to November. Some US-based lines have begun deploying ships year-round in Europe and the Mediterranean, joining Italian cruise operators Costa Crociere and MSC Crociere in that market.
Only last week, Norwegian Cruise Line's latest addition, the Norwegian Gem, graced Grand Harbour and dwarfed the bastions in the background. It was her maiden voyage from Barcelona. She is expected to bring to Malta about 70,000 passengers this season.
But what's with all the hype surrounding cruising?
To answer that right away, I'll simply say that cruises are worthy of all the grandeur they portray. Prior to my first cruise six years ago - and which kicked off my love affair with cruise liners and gaining me, sarcastically among some very kind-hearted friends, the title of cruise-industry correspondent for The Times - I used to worry about how it would feel to be cooped up on board, while out at sea. It seems like this is one of the main concerns of many. However, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The ships are amazing and offer umpteen opportunities of relaxation and enough space to get lost and do whatever one pleases. The main reason that cruises are so successful is that the ships themselves are amazing. I'm confident that if the ship were not in top condition and boasting top features, the cruise as a whole might fail. You might choose to spend the entire week on board, so the better the liner, the better your stay.
Cruises and their activities are designed in such a way that people won't want to leave, although cruising offers the possibility of visiting more than one place on a single trip. As surpising as it may sound, after a week on the ship, you may not want to get off. Most cruise ships will be like a small city. In this way, the cruise manages to solve concerns of both boredom and being cramped. Despite the look of the exterior, cruise ships seem unbelievably bigger on the inside. While getting lost is not likely going to be a problem once you are used to a ship, feeling pressed for space just isn't an issue.
Whether or not you get restless on a cruise will depend on you, but today's cruise ships are anything but boring. A good cruise will provide an atmosphere of luxury and service that most have never experienced in their life. There are basketball courts, theatres, swimming pools, bars, clubs (for both adults and youth), shops, gyms, libraries, spas and even chapels.
People who enjoy staying active have more than enough to do, and by the same token, those who like to relax have plenty to do to relax. Hot tubs, deck chairs, books and so on and so forth...
Last year, ships with bowling alleys and mechanical waves for surfing joined vessels with rock-climbing walls and ice-skating rinks. Let's take the Independence of the Seas as an example.
With an ice rink, a surfing simulator, a full-size boxing ring, a 14-person family suite and a gallery of boutiques and restaurants this ship has better facilities than most small towns - which is just as well as it can carry 5,700 people.
The leviathan - longer than three-and-a-half football pitches - is unlike any other ship to have operated in UK waters in both size and onboard facilities. If standing on her bow she would dwarf Britain's tallest building, the 771-foot One Canada Square at London's Canary Wharf.
Seasickness is another big concern... but it shouldn't be. Unless passing through stormy waters, the ride will be smooth, silent and relaxing. I personally rarely notice when the ship starts leaving port, and you will only feel the slightest rocking when you are still, perhaps while laying down to sleep.
However, the effect isn't one of sickness, but rather of relaxation. Sinking, although it can always happen (as the Titanic proved) is not an issue. Ships are all stocked with more than enough lifeboats to accommodate passengers (unlike the Titanic), and you'll often be relatively close to ports and other ships.
And when it comes to food?
The cavernous main dining room in the Independence of the Seas an seat 2,101 people at a time and eight other restaurants offer everything from Italian food to American diner fare, while bars range from a traditional British pub to the more exotic such as the Egyptian-themed Pyramid Lounge.
Most cruises still offer formal dining or midnight buffets. But more ships are offering casual dining, like Norwegian's successful freestyle cruising concept, that does not involve scheduled seatings and formal dress at large tables with strangers.
The foundation for freestyle cruising was laid when NCL pioneered the concept of "alternative" dining with the introduction of the Le Bistro restaurant several years ago. Before long, every major cruise line had copied the concept so that, now, just about every ship afloat offers some form of alternative dining. Most cruise lines offer a single alternative dining venue, the idea being that guests will try the alternative restaurant one evening and stick to the early or late seating arrangement for the remainder of the cruise. Freestyle cruising goes much further; there is no assigned early or late seating. Guests can enjoy dinner in any of the 10 restaurants whenever they like and sit with whomever they wish.
Even though some cruisers with whom I spoke expressed a preference for the traditional assigned dining on other cruise lines, I must admit that I quickly became a big fan of freestyle cruising.
After all it's a complete new perspective on what cruising is all about - freedom to do whatever you want.
The best advice I can give anyone interested in a cruise is to do some research. I have travelled on Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Costa Crociere and Star Cruises and can say that I enjoyed all of them. When I've looked at reviews I've seen both positive and negative judgments, which further enforce the idea that each cruise is a unique experience. So I have just one thing to say: Take the risk because chances are it will be one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of your life.
There are no longer any excuses that cruises are not available locally. A number of vessels, namely the Costa Concordia, MSC Sinfonia, Norwegian Gem, Ocean Dream and Rhapsody, all offer Malta to Malta holidays. Other vessels and cruises are only a flight away.
Cruising proved to be a huge growth area for the travel industry during 2007 and the pace looks set to continue this year. Gone are the days of routine vacations to predictable places. Today the buzzwords are adventure, flexibility and choice. Cruise holidays are all about the freedom for people of all ages to get out there and try new and exciting things in new places.
The Cruise Lines International Association estimates that more than 12 million people decided a nautical holiday was for them last year - a 4.6 per cent growth on the previous year. The association believes demand will hold - with a projected 12.8 million passengers this year, despite the weakening economy.
Locally, travel agents expect 2008 cruise sales to be as good, or better than 2007. This year, Viset Malta plc, developers and operators of the Valletta Cruise Terminal and the Valletta Waterfront, are envisaging that more than half a million cruise passengers will call on Grand Harbour. Around 7,000 Maltese are expected to go on a Malta to Malta cruise, compared to 6,000 last year.
Consumers with flexible plans may be in for some deals. US-based cruise lines, capitalising on the exchange rate, have deployed more capacity in Europe this summer than ever before, and European-based lines are building more ships and expanding in their own right.
Cruise capacity in Europe is this year expected to jump more than 15 per cent over last year, reminiscent of the boom in the US market in the 1980s and 1990s. And it's not just the Americans who are lining up to fill all those new berths. European cruises are luring more Europeans too.
Not long ago, Europe was a place where cruise lines sent their old, tired hardware. Now it has blossomed into a showcase for the industry's newest and largest ships.
On April 17, Royal Caribbean took possession of the new Independence of the Seas, one of the three Freedom-class vessels holding the title of the world's largest cruise ships. The 160,000-tonne behemoth made her maiden voyage from Southampton, in the UK on May 2 and will cruise the Med this summer.
The 3,634-passenger ship is the largest ship ever home-ported in Europe.
"Typically, our new ships come to the US to sail to the Caribbean first," said Susan Hooper, senior vice-president of Royal Caribbean. "This is the first time a new Royal Caribbean ship is starting in Europe."
"Positioning one of our largest and newest ships in Southampton reaffirms Royal Caribbean's strong commitment to the region and will provide the opportunity for more European guests to experience the distinctive and award-winning vacation our brand has become recognised for throughout the world," she said.
Through this summer, Independence of the Seas will sail 14-night Mediterranean Treasures and Italian Mediterranean itineraries round-trips from Southampton. Ports of call include Gibraltar, Barcelona, Malaga, Vigo and Seville in Spain; Nice and Cannes/Montecarlo in France; Florence/Pisa and Sardinia in Italy and Lisbon, Portugal.
Even Carnival Cruise Lines, which espouses a strong Caribbean focus, plans to sail its newest and largest ship, the 113,000-tonne Carnival Splendor, in Europe this summer. The ship will debut in Dover, England in July, sailing northern European cruises, then head to Rome's port in Civitavecchia for Mediterranean tours. She will finally head to Fort Lauderdale in late October.
Joining Carnival Splendor is Carnival Freedom, which last year made her maiden voyage, a nine-day Mediterranean cruise, from Venice. She returns to the Mediterranean this month.
Not only is Europe attracting bigger ships; they're also staying longer. Cruise lines have stretched the European season well beyond the traditional summer months and now run from April to November. Some US-based lines have begun deploying ships year-round in Europe and the Mediterranean, joining Italian cruise operators Costa Crociere and MSC Crociere in that market.
Only last week, Norwegian Cruise Line's latest addition, the Norwegian Gem, graced Grand Harbour and dwarfed the bastions in the background. It was her maiden voyage from Barcelona. She is expected to bring to Malta about 70,000 passengers this season.
But what's with all the hype surrounding cruising?
To answer that right away, I'll simply say that cruises are worthy of all the grandeur they portray. Prior to my first cruise six years ago - and which kicked off my love affair with cruise liners and gaining me, sarcastically among some very kind-hearted friends, the title of cruise-industry correspondent for The Times - I used to worry about how it would feel to be cooped up on board, while out at sea. It seems like this is one of the main concerns of many. However, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The ships are amazing and offer umpteen opportunities of relaxation and enough space to get lost and do whatever one pleases. The main reason that cruises are so successful is that the ships themselves are amazing. I'm confident that if the ship were not in top condition and boasting top features, the cruise as a whole might fail. You might choose to spend the entire week on board, so the better the liner, the better your stay.
Cruises and their activities are designed in such a way that people won't want to leave, although cruising offers the possibility of visiting more than one place on a single trip. As surpising as it may sound, after a week on the ship, you may not want to get off. Most cruise ships will be like a small city. In this way, the cruise manages to solve concerns of both boredom and being cramped. Despite the look of the exterior, cruise ships seem unbelievably bigger on the inside. While getting lost is not likely going to be a problem once you are used to a ship, feeling pressed for space just isn't an issue.
Whether or not you get restless on a cruise will depend on you, but today's cruise ships are anything but boring. A good cruise will provide an atmosphere of luxury and service that most have never experienced in their life. There are basketball courts, theatres, swimming pools, bars, clubs (for both adults and youth), shops, gyms, libraries, spas and even chapels.
People who enjoy staying active have more than enough to do, and by the same token, those who like to relax have plenty to do to relax. Hot tubs, deck chairs, books and so on and so forth...
Last year, ships with bowling alleys and mechanical waves for surfing joined vessels with rock-climbing walls and ice-skating rinks. Let's take the Independence of the Seas as an example.
With an ice rink, a surfing simulator, a full-size boxing ring, a 14-person family suite and a gallery of boutiques and restaurants this ship has better facilities than most small towns - which is just as well as it can carry 5,700 people.
The leviathan - longer than three-and-a-half football pitches - is unlike any other ship to have operated in UK waters in both size and onboard facilities. If standing on her bow she would dwarf Britain's tallest building, the 771-foot One Canada Square at London's Canary Wharf.
Seasickness is another big concern... but it shouldn't be. Unless passing through stormy waters, the ride will be smooth, silent and relaxing. I personally rarely notice when the ship starts leaving port, and you will only feel the slightest rocking when you are still, perhaps while laying down to sleep.
However, the effect isn't one of sickness, but rather of relaxation. Sinking, although it can always happen (as the Titanic proved) is not an issue. Ships are all stocked with more than enough lifeboats to accommodate passengers (unlike the Titanic), and you'll often be relatively close to ports and other ships.
And when it comes to food?
The cavernous main dining room in the Independence of the Seas an seat 2,101 people at a time and eight other restaurants offer everything from Italian food to American diner fare, while bars range from a traditional British pub to the more exotic such as the Egyptian-themed Pyramid Lounge.
Most cruises still offer formal dining or midnight buffets. But more ships are offering casual dining, like Norwegian's successful freestyle cruising concept, that does not involve scheduled seatings and formal dress at large tables with strangers.
The foundation for freestyle cruising was laid when NCL pioneered the concept of "alternative" dining with the introduction of the Le Bistro restaurant several years ago. Before long, every major cruise line had copied the concept so that, now, just about every ship afloat offers some form of alternative dining. Most cruise lines offer a single alternative dining venue, the idea being that guests will try the alternative restaurant one evening and stick to the early or late seating arrangement for the remainder of the cruise. Freestyle cruising goes much further; there is no assigned early or late seating. Guests can enjoy dinner in any of the 10 restaurants whenever they like and sit with whomever they wish.
Even though some cruisers with whom I spoke expressed a preference for the traditional assigned dining on other cruise lines, I must admit that I quickly became a big fan of freestyle cruising.
After all it's a complete new perspective on what cruising is all about - freedom to do whatever you want.
The best advice I can give anyone interested in a cruise is to do some research. I have travelled on Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Costa Crociere and Star Cruises and can say that I enjoyed all of them. When I've looked at reviews I've seen both positive and negative judgments, which further enforce the idea that each cruise is a unique experience. So I have just one thing to say: Take the risk because chances are it will be one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of your life.
There are no longer any excuses that cruises are not available locally. A number of vessels, namely the Costa Concordia, MSC Sinfonia, Norwegian Gem, Ocean Dream and Rhapsody, all offer Malta to Malta holidays. Other vessels and cruises are only a flight away.