PIRAEUS, Greece -- Visits to Cairo; Jerusalem; Istanbul, Turkey,
and three Aegean islands within seven days: That's the innovative
program of eastern Mediterranean cruises launched by Royal Olympic
Cruises on June 24.
Royal Olympic's unprecedented itinerary of weeklong, roundtrip
departures from Piraeus, called the Seven Day, Three Continent
Grand Cruise, was made possible by the introduction of the line's
new, high-speed Olympic Voyager.
The 836-passenger, 25,000-ton ship has a cruising speed of 28
knots, compared to 20 to 22 knots for many other cruise ships.
"The high-speed vessel allows us to take destination cruising to
a new level," said Cy Hopkins, Royal Olympic's vice president for
North America.
The $175 million vessel, built by the Blohm Voss Shipyard in
Hamburg, Germany, is slated to be followed by a sister ship,
Olympic Explorer, in 2001.
Royal Olympic also has an option for a third vessel in this new
class.
"We expect the new class of vessels to build new brand awareness
for Royal Olympic," Hopkins said.
Royal Olympic, formed by the 1995 merger of Sun Line Cruises and
Epirotiki Cruise Line, was strengthened last December when it was
purchased by the Louis Cruise Lines Co. of Cyprus.
Louis also operates 25 hotels in Cyprus and Greece, said
Hopkins.
"From the very beginning, we were looking to these ships to make
possible new, destination-rich itineraries, visiting more ports in
a given period and spending more time in those ports," he said.
Olympic Voyager's seven-day Three Continent roundtrip sailings
from Piraeus are the first of a series of unusual itineraries being
planned for the new class of ships, Hopkins said.
Royal Olympic will operate 25 consecutive seven-day Three
Continent cruises from Piraeus, with the last sailing Nov. 18.
These cruises visit Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos, Greece;
Alexandria, Egypt (for excursions to Cairo); Ashdod, Israel (for
excursions to Jerusalem), and Istanbul and Kusadasi, Turkey (for
excursions to Ephesus).
The ship's 14-hour, 30-minute call at Alexandria allows time for a
tour of the Pyramids, Hopkins said, and the 10-hour call at Ashdod
accommodates a tour of Jerusalem.
Royal Olympic is also making use of Olympic Voyager's high
speeds for enhanced Amazon and Orinoco river cruises, which will
depart from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this winter.
Hopkins said Olympic Voyager's high cruise speeds, which make
these and other far-ranging itineraries possible, do not compromise
passenger comfort.
Travel agents and reporters sailing on the vessel's initial
voyage experienced the ship's dramatic speed by observing how fast
the vessel passed nearby objects, including the cusps of waves.
But the ride was extremely stable and quiet.
The ship's speed is made possible by the sleek design of the
hull and its oversized propellers, according to shipyard
officials.
The blades spout fountains of foam at the stern.
Also notable is the Olympic Voyager's elegant interior, designed
by Greek architect Michael Katzourakis, who has designed ships for
Royal Cruise Line and currently is the designer for Celebrity
Cruises.
Indeed, the Olympic Voyager's lavish use of elegant wood
veneers, with honey and russet hues, will remind some passengers of
the color schemes on recent Celebrity liners.
The designer's
work on the Olympic Voyager, particularly in the staterooms,
expresses a warm elegance without an overlay of glitz or
showiness.
The vessel does feature a collection of engaging and
sophisticated artwork.
The in-cabin innovations on the Olympic Voyager include
floor-to-ceiling bay windows in 16 of the vessel's suites.
There are also 12 Sky Suites with large balconies and 20 Junior
suites.
A popular public amenity is the ship's large piano bar,
featuring around-the-clock espresso coffee service and comfortable
seating for 104 passengers.
The vessel's sun decks at the stern are spacious and protected
by a large awning. Nearby is an outdoor lido restaurant, with
adjacent access to inside food service.
Other notable public rooms include the elegant main dining room,
Sky Lounge/Disco and main lounge.
Hopkins said every Olym-pic Voyager cruise will feature at least
one professional archaeologist or historian along with noted
additional guest lecturers.
Hopkins said Olympic Voyager's cruise-only per diems average
$275.
He said the ship is competing with North American-based lines
like Orient, Royal Caribbean and Holland America, rather than the
largely European lines, most of whose passengers originate in
Europe.
By contrast, he said, about 65% of Royal Olympic's passengers
originate in North America, and that is expected to rise to 70%
with the Olympic Voyager.
Royal Olympic
Phone: (800) 872-6400
Web: www.royalolympiccruises.com