THE QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 turned up a
just-barely-failing grade of 85 (86 is passing) on its most recent
Centers for Disease Control inspection. The Jan. 3 inspection,
which was conducted by CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program, found
unsanitary conditions in some of the galleys and "cockroach
activity" in the Princess Britania kitchen. The QE2 was cleared to
continue its annual World Cruise, but a statement from the line
said it had begun work "immediately" to remedy the problems. The
QE2 previously failed CDC inspections in 2000 and 1997, according
to CDC records.
ROYAL OLYMPIC CRUISES halted a recently
introduced onboard policy where it charged guests a $3 per person,
per day "security surcharge." The new fee, which was revealed to
guests during two late December cruises on the Olympia Voyager and
Olympia Explorer and was added to their onboard bills, stemmed from
a stepped-up security plan that went into practice in December.
"Some of the expenses we incurred with it ... we tried to pass on
[to the guests] for a few voyages," said North America executive
director Arne Egeland. In a goodwill gesture, the line is refunding
those passengers $9 per person, per day -- but not before several
people complained.
ROC, meanwhile, said it will add more West
Coast departures to its lineup in 2004. The line's first Los
Angeles sailings, on the Olympia Explorer, have been sold out "for
months."
THE AMERICAN QUEEN, a Delta Queen Steamboat Co.
river steamship, re-debuted Jan. 18. The ship has been without
passengers since Delta Queen's former parent company, American
Classic Voyages, filed for bankruptcy in late 2001. The line,
meanwhile, named a new president: Rick Abramson, formerly a vice
president with Delta Queen's new parent company Delaware North
Cos., which bought the river ship company in May. A statement from
Delta Queen said Abramson's promotion "signifies the company's
onset as a DNC-managed property.
THE NORWEGIAN SEA is getting scrubbed up in a
two-week, multi-million dollar refurbishment. The 1,518-passenger
ship entered dry-dock in Grand Bahama Jan. 16 for the renovation,
which will include new upholstery and flooring. In addition, a
40-seat Italian restaurant -- Pasta Cafe -- will be added to the
ship's Freestyle Dining rotation. This fall, the Norwegian Sea will
return to Houston after a two-year hiatus.
SEADREAM YACHT CLUB introduced their own
cancel-for-any-reason policy stating that all money paid toward the
cancelled booking will be credited to the guests' SeaDream account
for use on another cruise within a two-year period. Uniworld,
meanwhile, introduced a complimentary travel cancellation
protection plan on most of its Europe river cruises between March
and May.
CRYSTAL CRUISES extended its "Best of
Everything" savings program and discounted its inaugural season
fares for the Crystal Serenity, which debuts in July. The line's
Best of Everything program is good for cruises booked by Feb. 15 on
21 sailings fleet wide; in lieu of cruise-only savings, Crystal
lowered trans-Atlantic business class air upgrades on select
European cruises. Meanwhile, Crystal revealed its 2004 cruise
lineup, which includes -- for the first time -- a winter series of
10-day, roundtrip Hawaii cruises from Honolulu. The Hawaii cruises,
aboard the Crystal Harmony, will call on Christmas Island in the
Republic of Kiribati to fulfill U.S. cabotage laws.