Ahoy Capt'n! The British are Coming ---
on the Aurora!

Who said the British don't have a sense of humor? CC Cruiser's, Pete and Lindy Lovey send us their latest adventure aboard P & O's Aurora. One of the most enjoyable parts of cruising has always been making new friends. Capt'n John and Rear Admiral Judy met this charming Nottingham, England couple on our last Hawaiian cruise. Any one sailing with them will be guaranteed a "spirited" trip and lively dinner conversation all with a bit-o-British brogue. Read More >>

RADIO CRUISING ----
A Great Experience for "First Time Cruisers"

KVTA's Dave and Bob may get all the hype but Dave and Tisha do all the work. If you have never been on a cruise, here's the easiest way to go. They do all the details, you have all the fun. Join their Sea of Cortez 10 day cruise on Holland America's MS Ryndam in March. The best part? Plenty of your Ventura County friends will be joining you.
Read More >>

"Ahoy, Capt'n Cruise"

A reader asks about the big ship vs. small ship controversy. Can you use a cell phone from a ship at sea? Plus it's better the second time around --- on a cruise ship. Find out about this and ….. Everything you wanted to know about cruising but were afraid to ask! Read More >>

And More
CRUISE NEWS
FUTURE CRUISES

A Bit of Cruise History from the Capt.'s Log

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's Mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of this condiment for a scheduled delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico. This was the next port of call after its stop in New York.

Historical fact: This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.

As we know, the great ship didn't make it and the cargo was lost forever. The people of Mexico, who were "poco loco" over the taste of mayonnaise, were anxiously awaiting delivery and were disconsolate over the loss. That anguish was so intense they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe, today, almost a century later.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known as…Sinko De Mayo!

(Many thanks Hawaii cruiser, Bob Hofmann, for reminding me of this corn-pone history.)

John (aka Capt'n Cruise) and Judy (Rear Admiral) Masterson

Lindy & Pete Lovey aboard the Cruise Ship, The Aurora

Ahoy Capt'n Cruise! The British are Coming --- On the Aurora!

(Editor's Prologue: Our California Capt'n Cruisers may not be familiar with Aurora or the P & O Cruise Line. During the winter, this company has ships in the Caribbean but in summer, all their cruises leave from UK Ports. Since 1904, P & O has been offering cruise holidays to the public. In October, 2000, the P & O parent was acquired by the Carnival Corporation and is now officially known as the P & O Princess. The P & O fleet reflects both British and P & O traditions like afternoon tea and personal tipping (no automatic charges). P & O ships are a very popular choice in Europe with most passengers being English (90%).

With the advent of "personal choice" dining on cruise ships, many first-time cruiser's miss one of the best parts of our favorite-way-to-travel, Traditional Dining. I've never been big on dinner conversation but when you are on a cruise ship, it's like salt water. It's everywhere. And why not? You have an extensive menu to discover, a personal staff at your beck and call and plenty of time for leisurely discourse. Conversation never fails to flow. On a recent Hawaiian cruise, Judy and I were fortunate to sit with Pete and Lindy Lovey. This delightful, Nottingham, England, couple was a conversationalist's joy. They were having fun and they shared it --- (besides, I loved that Sherlock Holmes accent!)

You asked if I would write about our cruise on the Aurora, of course I will. I've also included a zip file which has a copy of the ships log and copies of the dinner menus. One important point I need to mention is that at no time did I get barred from any restaurant for inappropriate clothing, however, I would appreciate it if you don't spread this around as it could harm my street credentials.

Right then, here goes.

Embarkation

We joined the Aurora on 9 June at Southampton. This was convenient for us as it didn't involve any flying and it was only a 3 hour drive. We parked the car, unloaded the suitcases which were promptly loaded onto the ship and the car driven off to the secure parking area. Embarkation was smoothly done, in fact, the whole process from unloading the luggage and arriving at our cabin was about an hour. Of course, the obligatory photos were taken when arriving onboard and P & O have also started a new security procedure whereby your photo is also written to your onboard card so that when embarking or disembarking at any port, the security people can see that you are genuine. A nice quirky touch is that when the card is read on the machine it says "Goodbye, enjoy your day and on return says, "Welcome back onboard". Probably not to everyone's liking but I thought it was a good thing as it showed in some way that P& O cared about its passengers.

Unlike other cruise lines, establishing a credit line for the onboard charge card was not part of the embarkation procedure but left to the cruisers own discretion as to when they wanted to do it at the Pursers desk. You also had the option to pay cash. I thought this was a good idea as it gave people a choice.

Cruise Ship, The Aurora

Cabin

Once again the cabin we had was an outside cabin with ample room for the both of us. Initially it was twin beds but soon that made into a king size double. There was a three drawer bedside unit on either side of the bed which was useful. There was also a TV, dressing table with another three drawers, a fridge, and a safe, more cupboard space underneath, two long wardrobes giving ample room to keep suitcases and hang Lindy's long dresses as well as my suits. The bathroom was reasonably spacious with a shower, wc and large vanity unit with cupboards hidden behind mirrors. In the main cabin area there was a two-seater sofa, one chair and writing desk and also tea and coffee making facilities with biscuits (provided free) and replenished each day.

Overall, the cabin was excellent with no complaints other than it would have been nice to have a couple of music channels on the TV but that's a minor point. The only downside to the cabin was the lack of "towel animals" in the evenings. (Ed. Comment: On our previous cruise, RCL had room stewards that each night created a different "towel animal" which greeted you as you turned in for the night. A nice touch we all enjoyed.)

Restaurants and Other Eating Places

There are two formal dining restaurants, Medina and Alexandra, both serving the same menu and excellent food and service. The Medina was also available for breakfast and lunch.

If you didn't want to dine in either of these, a bistro restaurant, Café Bordeaux, was available. Although I have to mention that if you want to have evening dinner here, there is a cover charge. Café Bordeaux is open more or less 24 hours a day. Their menu was different to the Medina and Alexandra and the food was of equally high standard. We didn't sample the breakfasts, evening dinner or late night snacks but the lunches were very good.

For breakfasts and lunches, the buffet style Orangery was also available. Once again the food was excellent with considerable hot and cold choices throughout. The Orangery was not open in the evening which we thought was a shame. Ah well.

The only other food venue available was the Sidewalk Café which served all the usual fast food type foods but it was all freshly cooked. Burgers, pizzas, chips, (Ed. Comment: That's French fries to us Yanks), salad, that old English favorite, fish, chips and mushy peas. I can thoroughly recommend the salmon fishcake. This was open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Overall the food was excellent although it would have been good to offer another alternative to formal dining instead of just the Café Bordeaux but I'm just being picky.

Facilities Comments

All the usual cruise amenities plus:

• The Steam room-Sauna had a nice touch. There was piped music so you could "sing-a-long-sweat".
• There were tennis, badminton, volleyball and cricket courts.
• "Fall asleep" chairs on the upper decks. (I tested these on quite a few occasions).
• Ten different bars, including a cocktail bar and piano bar, all opening at different times of the day. And of course the disco. You could drink from 10:00 am to the early wee hours if you had the stamina and liver to do so.
• Show theatre with excellent live shows each evening.
• Two shops selling the normal cruise stuff.
• Promenade deck undercover, 3.2 times around was equal to 1 mile.
• Casino with lots of slots, tables, etc... Enough to keep people busy.

Ports of Call

We left at 5:00 pm, sailing off for a day at sea and to our first port which was Stavangar in Norway. The first thing we had to do of course was take part in that great game "The Life Boast Drill". But this was a surprise as on past cruises, everyone had to muster at their allotted lifeboat. On the Aurora, we had to muster to the nearest muster point. So there was no embarrassment when you found you were unable to do up the life jacket. The whole drill only took about half an hour. All so very civilized.

Stavangar was very good. The ship berthed only a ten minute walk from the town centre so not too far to go to check out the shopping which was very expensive. For example, coffee and cake would set you back approximately ten pounds sterling each. As it was only a ten minute walk, it was just as easy to return onboard and then venture out again in the afternoon.

Next stop was Bergen. The second largest city in Norway, it is a lovely place. We were fortunate when the Aurora visited as a Norwegian folk festival was happening. Lots of handicraft and food stalls available. If you're visiting it's worth taking the funicular railway to the top of the mountain as the views are incredible.

On to Kristianssand. Sadly, as it was a Sunday, the stores were closed. But it seemed a very pretty town. We wandered down to the small harbor and just sat and watched all the private boats arriving and leaving. Not everyone's idea of something to do but it didn't need any exertion on our part.

Last port of call in Norway was Oslo, the capital city. Again, it was only a ten minute walk into the city and shops but hands were kept firmly in our pockets. We went up to the royal palace which is an impressive building. Amazingly, it's possible to almost walk up to the front door, something which you would be unable to do at Buckingham Palace. We almost had a glimpse of Liverpool royalty, Paul McCartney, as he was staying at the Royal Hotel. (We think he exited out the back door.)

On to Copenhagen, home of the Little Mermaid and Tivoli gardens. This time it was a twenty minute walk but on the way, you passed by the Little Mermaid of Hans Christian Anderson fame and a fantastic sand statue of the newly wed royal couple. I had visited Copenhagen about thirty years ago so like all men, I decided it was better to take a more scenic and interesting stroll to the centre of town. Lindy would argue that I got lost but there was no way I was going to admit to that. (Ed. Comment: Men and bad directions is a universal thing. This is the rite of manhood for every male regardless of race, religion or creed.)

We finally arrived in the centre and wandered up to the Tivoli gardens. I believe it's a sight to behold in the evenings when it is dark with its thousand upon thousands of lights. Something to remember if you should find yourself there at night. Sadly, Copenhagen is like many capitals in that it was dirty and not very friendly.

From Copenhagen, we sailed to Aarhus, a big container port in Denmark. Lindy and I strolled into the centre and also to an old Danish town which had been completely rebuilt from original buildings taken from all over Denmark. It was amazing to see how people lived many years ago. It was really a living museum with people taking on the roles of their many predecessors, such as cobbler, blacksmith, undertaker, confectioner, baker, cigar maker.

From AArhus, it was a day at sea to relax before going into Zeebrugge. Now in Zeebrugge, there really isn't much to see unless you like freight containers. One tour offering was a ten minute train journey to Bruges. We went to Bruges although Blankebege, another tour option, looked enticing with it's coast and excellent beach setting.

Bruges was a fabulous, pretty and clean town. Almost all roads from the station lead to the big central square, most notable for the absence of McDonalds. Lots of very ornate buildings with gold leaf finish on chimney stacks and roofs. Of course, all roads lead past the numerous Belgian Lace and Belgian Chocolate Shops. Very tempting it was too. If anyone does go to Bruges, it's worth taking the canal trip. Three quarters of an hour of informative sight seeing. Certainly well worth it.

From Bruges, sadly it was back to Southampton; pick up the car which was waiting for us and the three hour drive home, the holiday being over. Sad. Sad. Sad.

Download PDFs of menus and ship's log

www.POCruises.com

Questions or comments for Pete or Lindy? Contact john@captncruise.com and I will forward it on.

Cruise Ship, Ryndam Holland America

RADIO CRUISING --
A Great Experience for "First-Time" Cruiser's

Radio Station KVTA, 1520 AM, is a news-talk format reaching around 750,000 people in the crowded Los Angeles-Ventura radio market. For Twenty years now, the early morning duo of Dave and Bob has teamed up with Dave (Lowe) and Tischa (Longoria) of Radio Cruises. Combining radio and cruising was a natural. Capt'n Cruise and Admiral Judy feel comfortable recommending Radio Cruises as a perfect first-timer event. It is stress free travel where everything is handled including transportation to and from the ship. Dave and Tisha are your travel escorts who can answer your first time questions or make experienced recommendations. All you have to do is show up with your luggage. (I suppose they would even pack, if you asked them!)

Of course, those crazy guys, Dave and Bob, are usually along but all they can answer is news, weather or sports!

One of their more popular cruises in the summer is Alaska. This leaves from Port Hueneme. For Southern California ocean-goers, getting to where-your-leaving-from never gets any easier.

Now, they're planning their spring 2005 event, a 10 day sailing to the Sea of Cortez with the opportunity to take an exclusive Radio Cruise chartered train to Mexico's famous Copper Canyon. All this aboard the 5-Star Holland America's MS Ryndam.

Why do we feel Radio Cruises offer "First-Timers" a great way to "get their feet wet"?

1. Fully escorted by experienced professionals
2. Usually 150 to 200 local area travelers as fellow passengers
3. Absolutely stress free
4. Advanced planning with special Radio Cruise offerings
5. Good "bang" for the "buck"

For their March 6th -16th "Sea of Cortez" sailing, Radio Cruises touts these highlights.

• No Flying! Relax on Amtrak from Oxnard to the ship in San Diego. Get to the ship in time for lunch.
• Exclusive luggage handling. No need to handle your suitcases.
• Exclusive San Diego transfers. No need to try to find a cab to go from train station to cruise ship terminal.
• 10 days of enjoying 5-star service on one of the world's great cruise lines. Holland America and their superb staff will totally spoil you.
• An exciting new itinerary for local cruising: The Sea of Cortez is an undiscovered world of natural beauty, plus the best of Mexico's Riviera…six exciting ports of call.
• Brand new option is an opportunity to book a private train excursion to Mexico's famed Copper Canyon. Never available by cruise ship before.
• Scenic cruising of Sierra de la Giganta awesome mountains rising over 4,000 feet above the Sea of Cortez.
• 3 full days of at-sea cruising where you stay as busy as you want or just relax.
• Only 1,266 passengers on Holland America's beautiful MS Ryndam.
• Spacious staterooms fully 25% larger than most ships.
• The most extensive menus at sea plus 24 hour room service.
• Award-winning production and variety shows every evening.
• On-board casino
• Amtrak back to Oxnard at the end of cruise. Get home in time for dinner.
• Exclusive Radio Cruiser's cocktail party and souvenir gift.
• Entire tour is professionally escorted by Dave and Tischa.

If you have an interest in their Sea of Cortez journey, or getting on their mailing list, contact them at:

(805)648-1288 or (800)339-623.

Radio Cruises, 121 Fir St. Suite B, Ventura, Ca. 93001

Captn' Cruise

"AHOY, CAPT'N CRUISE!"

Ahoy Capt'n

Big Ship? Small Ship? Somewhere in-between? I hear negatives about them all. I want my first cruise to be great. What do you recommend?

JM
Oxnard

JM do you have a couple of hours? That isn't a simple question to answer in one paragraph. Because I don't know your personal tastes, let me outline in broad form how I see the big ship (2000 passengers +) versus the small ship (600 passengers or less) controversy.

First, as a general rule of thumb,

Small ships, while more expensive, usually provide better service with higher quality food.

Large ships provide cruising enjoyment at 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of what you would pay on smaller vessels.

Small ships can go into ports not reachable by large ships giving them a wider array of itineraries to choose from.

Large ships will provide more amenities, activities and entertainment.

Small ships can visit a port without warping local culture.

Large ships hit port like a spring break.

I could go on and on but you get the general idea. "Ships are just like life over 60 --- there are no bad ships (days), just some better than others."

Finances is some of that. Is taking two large ship cruises for the same money as one small ship cruise important?

Personal life style, (for example, I love to read. With my busy schedule, when I go on a cruise I love to find a special niche and tackle the latest best seller. I could be on a ship with 5,000 people and it wouldn't bother me.)

I could go on and on and in fact I think I will.

Look for this subject to covered in depth in the next issue of Capt'n Cruise Travel News. Just remember my one requirement for successful cruising. "It must have at least a crew of 50 and two friends. After that, everything is up for discussion!"

Not all trips are"salty" for the Captn and Admiral Judy. She got her wish for a small ship cruise. In August, we went to Lake Kalispel in Montana for a "canoe cruise". (Well, its about as small as you can get!)

Lake Kalispel, Montana - Canoe Cruising

Dear Cap,

I have never cruised before and I know this sounds stupid, but can I use my cell phone aboard ship?

RZ
Camarillo

Okay RZ, there are no stupid questions, (maybe stupid answers), but for first time cruisers, everything is fair game. First, I always take my cell phone with me. Bad manners maybe, but like Snoopy's blanket, a great comforter. So much for stupid questions.

Second, other than my last Hawaiian cruise where we were in sight of land, my cell phone is a dead dodo. However, in the cruise lines latest quest to squeeze every dime, nickel and pfennig out of each passenger, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced that on North American cruises, you can use your cell phone while at sea.

If you are aboard the Norwegian Sun, by using the GSM network you can stay connected for about $1.69 a minute. NCL expects to offer this "convenience" fleet-wide within the year.

My Dear Capt'n,

I am a widow who is fortunate enough to be re-marrying. We both have no desire or need of a large wedding. We would prefer a simple service with a few close friends. Someone has suggested getting married on a cruise ship. What do you think? Who provides this service?

TG
Ventura

TG congratulations! While Judy and I were married on dry land 43 years ago, they tell me that ship weddings are becoming very popular. I've noticed that on the newer ships built, a wedding chapel is part and parcel of passenger amenities.

It's easy and trouble free. Everything you need in personnel and supplies is on board, (including the Captain!) The ship can handle everything. All you need to do is show up. You might even want the invited guests to join you on the honeymoon.

Large ships are your best bet. Cruise Critics recommends Princess, Disney, Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. One caution --- plan to be married while the ship is in port. Marriage at sea is a little more complicated….legally.

CRUISE NEWS

A New Meaning to the Word Aloha

In the August issue of Capt'n Cruise Travel News, we wrote about the Hawaiian launch of the Pride of Aloha. The popular idea of using an "All-American" crew seemed to have backfired. Acknowledging staff problems aboard the new ship had been rampant; NCL is offering a 50% refund their automatic service charge to past guests.

You see, not only did they launch a new "American" ship, staffed by a purposely recruited "Americanized" crew, but NCL also initiated an unpopular new "cruise American" policy. The automatic $10 per day crew charge could not be removed.

Evidently, the complaints about sloppy service, slow food servings, long waits at dinner from staff that often seemed confused or uninformed flooded the pursers office. So much for the Red, White, and Blue ruling the high seas.

According to the NCL official statement, senior management is aboard and addressing the service problems. Now I ask you. Does receiving a check for $35 (7 days x $5 rebate) make you feel better about that cold steak and warm beer?

First it was Cirque Du Soleil, and now Psychic Shuffleboard

Are you nervous cruising the "Bermuda Triangle"? This cruise is for you. In December, Holland America's Zaandam departs from Port (Cape) Canaveral with a cadre of skeptics, secularists and humanists. The Center of Inquiry is offering the chance to join 'leading minds' to discuss sea monsters, the Bermuda Triangle and other paranormal happenings. One of their planned highlights will be a "psychic shuffleboard" contest. The sponsors of the cruise have promised many entertaining and educational lectures, discussions and recreational activities.

Beats my last Diamond Princess cruise's offering of ceramic painting.

Subscription Campaign started to save the Norway

The very first ship Capt'n Cruise and Admiral Judy ever sailed on was the Norway….well, not actually the Norway. Then it was called the SS France.

Launched in 1962 as French competition to Queen Mary, the France was the wrong ship at the wrong time. A truly elegant liner with snobby class distinctions, she embarked on her career just when Boeing was booming. By the time we sailed on her in 1970, she was used by the French government for public relations. Even then, she was still the epitome of a time when ocean liners were high society.

In 1979, NCL bought the mothballed France and converted her into a Caribbean cruiser. She sailed as the re-named Norway. There she served countless happy sea-goers of all levels until a May 2003 boiler explosion in Miami disabled her permanently. She was towed to Bremerhaven with no plans to return to North American operations. But there may be life in old lady yet.

French estate developer, Isaac Dahan, wants to bring the vessel to Le Havre as a tourist attraction/business center. (Think Long Beach/Queen Mary) The "Association for the ex-France" has launched a subscription campaign to help raise funds from the French public to support his efforts. Do you think I would get in trouble with the Bush Administration if I sent them a couple of bucks? After all, her charm and grace nutured our life long love affair with ocean cruising. Capt'n Cruise and Admiral Judy certainly owe her something.

FUTURE CAPT'N CREW CRUISES

The Capt'ns crew is getting restless. It's less than a month before we sail on the "Jewel of the Seas" out of Boston. We plan to go a few days early and see "the sights". Using my best Internet search capabilities, I am still in shock over Boston room rates. Three nights in Boston is going to cost almost as much as 10 days aboard the "Jewel". Haven't I always said cruising is a bargain!

We have been talking to Capt'n crew members about doing the Grandma-Grandpa thing and taking grandchildren on the Disney Wonder sailing out of L.A. on a Mexican Gold Coast itinerary next summer.

Well, we finally settled on the time and place. I hate to pay full sticker but that seems to b the going rate. If you want to join the Capt'n's Crew and give your grandchildren the trip of their life, let the ol' Capt'n know.

Our granddaughters have watched the Disney promo cruise tape 16 times and ask repeatedly, "Are we going, Grandpa?" Now I can finally say with relief. "Yes, dear ones, we are going".

Great Cruising,
John (Capt'n Cruise) and Judy (Rear Admiral) Masterson

Bon Voyage! Judy (Rear Admiral) Masterson

Do you have someone you think should be cruising? Send them the Capt'n Cruise Travel News. It's Free, It's Fun and It is for them!

All comments and questions can be addressed to: john@captncruise.com