Norwegian Epic: The first review

Here it is - the first review of the brand new 153,000-ton Norwegian Epic, posted by KVI's agent in the UK, Russell Forgham, who sailed on the liner's first passenger-carrying voyage on June 21 from Rotterdam to Southampton with his wife Sheila -- sadly just one night on board . . . but what an epic night it was!


There’s no doubt about it: Norwegian Epic is a beautiful ship. The crew are wonderful, the food is excellent and the entertainment is probably the best you’ll ever see at sea.

The ship is huge, but it doesn't feel that way because the layout creates lots of more intimate areas and we didn't feel there were thousands of people on board, even though the Epic can carry more than 4,000 passengers. It's very stylish, too, with a sophisticated modern decor throughout.

We had one of the new "wave" balcony cabins. They have curvy walls and where the wall curves out, the wall in the adjacent cabin curves in, and vice versa. The theory is that by putting the bed in the space where the wall curves out, the cabin can be narrower and deeper than standard cabins on other ships but appear to be just as spacious. There’s plenty of storage space and they have quite a big flat screen LCD TV. And the bed is really comfortable. Five stars all round in that respect.

I don’t know whether NCL picked the crew from the best of the crews on their other ships, but it certainly feels like they did. And best of all everyone we saw looked really happy and excited to be working on the Epic.

We tried to sample as many of the dining options and as much of the entertainment as we could in our limited time and it was all excellent.

We had lunch in the Garden Cafe buffet after lifeboat drill on the first day and the variety of food available was probably the best we’ve seen in any ship’s buffet. Lunch on the second day was in the main Manhattan Room restaurant and again was first rate – and made even more enjoyable by a special performance of Legends In Concert, an excellent tribute show featuring the likes (or should that be look-alikes) of Madonna, Elvis, Tina Turner et all.

And for breakfast we went to O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill, the 24-hour cafe, and had their excellent country breakfast.

And as for dinner, well, we had it at the very best show we’ve ever seen on board a ship – and one of the best we’ve ever seen on land either: Cirque Dreams.


Think Cirque du Soleil in a much more intimate fashion and then some. It’s billed as the first "big top" at sea, and it’s a dazzling two hours of acrobats, muscle men, trapeze artists, music and comedy all taking place in a 10ft-wide circular area in the middle of the room just feet away from the audience at their dinner tables. Even the waiters take part in the show – as do some lucky people plucked out of the audience by the cast. Like me – I got to play the bells in one of the musical numbers! There's a cover charge of $15, or $20 for premium "ringside" seats but it's worth every cent ... and more.

Before that, we saw the excellent Second City comedy and improv show, from the legendary Chicago breeding ground of many of America’s top comedy stars, like Bill Murray and Tina Fey from 30 Rock to name just two. It’s very American and as there were a lot of Dutch, German and French passengers on board the audience was quite small – but those who didn’t go missed a damn fine show.

After Cirque Dreams we tried to get in to see the end of the Blue Man show but the theatre was packed out, so instead we stopped by Howl At The Moon, billed as “the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll duelling piano show,” for one quick drink and were certainly glad we did – we were still there two and a half hours later having fun singing some of the greatest songs of the last 50 years in another amazing show.

We had such a brilliant time that we can't wait to do a longer trip on the Epic, probably in summer 2011 when she relocates to the Mediterranean.

Hey everyone!

Elisabeth Gesell - KVI's Agent In Austria just submitted the following review on the Oasis...

OASIS of the SEAS
Cruise 05 June ex Ft. Lauderdale

I just received comments from one of my clients. She gave me the authority to write on her behalf.
My client is a world traveller and knows especially the Caribbean very well. So she deliberately booked Oasis to see what it means to be on such a big boat.
She was thrilled. Every day was a new surprise.
It started off with the unbelievable short boarding time. 15 minutes
Her cabin (balcony) was impeccable. The cabin service outstanding. Cleaning was done twice a day, bed linen changed twice daily, room service beautiful arranged food and flowers.
With regard to dinner: Even not having booked in advance for dinner, as they wanted to experience every day another restaurant (24 on board) they chose to stay in the main dining room, as again the food quality and presentation including the extremely friendly and personal service was so good that they just went there for the rest of the cruise.
Entertainment was thrilling. Artistic Ice skating done by former world competitors. Hilarious comedy acts. Dreams of colours. Music galore.
The spa more than luxurious.
With regard to the Central park theme, my clients thought that this would not really be to their liking. However they loved it. They went down every day to have coffee and cake and just watched people passing by, hearing the birds singing, feeling like being really in New York.
All in all you think you are in a great hotel or a little village.
Not to forget the most important fact. Every employee, no matter whom you asked, knew the correct answer to any possible question. No one send you in circles or passed you on to somebody else.
If this report sounds too much, my clients are planning the next cruise on OASIS already now.

Hi Everyone,

KVI's agent in Austria, Elisabeth Gesell, just returned from an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the RCCL Splendor of the Seas. Here's here report..

Royal Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas
Date: 15th to 21st May 2010 7 nights
Area: Eastern Mediterranean

The ideal thing for us as Europeans was that we could go by car to Venice. It was the time of the volcanic ashes floating around so that flights were on a very irregular basis operating.

The weather proved, because of this eruption, as very unpredictable throughout the whole trip.

We boarded in Venice in heavy rain and freezing cold climate. Taking our own car we had to make parking reservations ahead of time, which proved to be excellent choice as we literally just walked across the street to board the ship. Rates are, for European standards, rather inexpensive, € 10.—per day. The boarding process well organized and smooth. We had our SET SAIL passes done on-line, which I recommend for all cruises. It speeds up your boarding time considerably. We needed approximately 20 minutes from locking the car to being on board.

As we were very early we could not get into our cabin, which was on Deck 7, at the back of the ship on back board side. As all the islands we were to see were to be on the left side the back board side was the logical choice. Spending the remaining time we made ourselves acquainted with the lay-out of the ship and also got a bite at the WINDJAMMER the buffet. What a nice place, large windows, where everyone had good view, very good food, good presentation, friendly personnel. Originally we had reserved at the traditional restaurant KING and I for late dinner time (9pm), which we never used as 9pm was much too late for us. We stayed with WINDJAMMER for the whole trip, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next day we had room service for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised. Before servicing we got a telephone call inquiring (which we considered as very thoughtful) if we were ready for breakfast.

Cabins: This was a very pleasing experience. Lots of space. Every corner was used for storage without giving an impression of being a storage cabinet. Light colors, bathroom very well organized. Large balconies, table and two comfortable chairs, enough space to move around. Stateroom service impeccable, friendly, and fast.
After a day at sea the first stop was...

Dubrovnik, Croatia:

Disembarkation as well as coming back on board was very professional. (And continued for every stop, even at Santorini where one had to take a tender).

The rain could not stop us from walking through this World heritage. What an interesting medieval city. For Dubrovnik you just need to take a taxi and walk at your own pace through town. It’s easy to manage. Don’t just sit in the next coffee place; there are many smaller and better places a little bit off the beaten track, e.g, at the Dominican cloister.

Third day: Kusadasi, Turkey EPHESUS.

We expected it to be the high light of the trip. And it was. Despite the fact that the rain turned into Hail (in May!!! We had to turn back and buy heavy rain gear to be able to continue our excursion. Considering the amount of people coming in from three different cruise ships being ashore, the shop keeper must have made the business of his life). What a place, what a history. More than 7000 years old. The excavations were stunning. Palaces, market places, homes (larger than 300 sqm, all with beautiful wall paintings).

Entrance into Turkey, which for Europeans has Visa formalities, was no problem at all. Obviously RCCL had arranged for all departing passengers a smooth entry.
Dinner at the WINDJAMMER was a Turkish specialities evening. It has to be mentioned that the personnel was multinational throughout the ship. This proved to be not only fun to talk too but was also rather helpful in getting tips for the different ports.

Fourth day: Santorini

This time we were lucky, the rain had stopped and it was even warm.
Santorini is one of the spots , where the ancient city of ATLANTIS is supposed to have been. Looking at the area one can even believe it. It was a volcano which did not explode but implode (approximately 1500 BC) leaving a caldera, with a few islands.
Coming in by boat means that you have to use a tender and have three possibilites to reach the actual village on top of the mountain. Either you take the forniculare (small train) or you use donkeys or you walk. We did the last and were admired by our fellow cruisers. Actually it looks much worse than it is and I recommend to do the same. It gives you time to stop and look at the wonderful scenery and secondly you do not have to concentrate on handling your donkey. Once you are up there do not follow the crowd but turn to the right and walk along the rim. There is Santorini how you expect a Greek island, to be. Quiet, small colourful houses, and a view unbeatable.

Next day CORFU,


The island is very pleasant and relaxing. But the main attraction is the so called ARCHILLEON. It has been ordered by the last Habsburg Empress of Austria, Elisabeth. She was an icon of her time. Very beautiful and with an aura of mystic surrounding her. Worthwhile to see.

Then it was a day at sea. Finally with lots of sunshine. Returning back to Venice


Tips for the Splendour:
Evening: before or after dinner go to the SCHOONER Bar on deck 11. Never crowded, very pleasant, good background music. Excellent, cosy seating arrangements,
Entertainment: Comfortable, large theatre,
Spa: Lots of treatments in well laid out area, next to the sundeck

Hey everyone! KVI Agents Phil & Carol Doyle just returned from their adventure as Conceirge Hosts on the Holland America Eurodam TransAtlantic sailing. Here is their report!

Hosts: Philip and Carol Doyle

Eurodam 4-3-10 to 4-19-10 Fort Lauderdale to Rome

60 guests

We left Fort Lauderdale on a beautiful South Florida day and began the first of our 8 days at sea. We were immediately impressed with the professionalism of the entire staff of this five star ship. The Eurodam is the newest and largest of Holland America Line’s 15 ships and, during our voyage, it earned every one of its five stars.

On the first day at sea, we hosted a cocktail reception for our guests with hors d’oeuvres and music in the Piano Bar. We passed out additional flyers and talked about the planned complimentary shore excursion in Barcelona. We also explained the Vacation Vignette program and started getting to know our group.

The next week was spent relaxing at sea with excellent food, entertainment, and even unseasonably warm weather. Most of our group had never visited most of the scheduled ports, so the anticipation was high. We received many questions about the ports and answered the ones we could and deferred the rest to Holland America’s onboard port expert. His detailed knowledge of our ports was personal and thorough. We all felt well-prepared before arriving at our seven ports in Portugal and Spain.

We had two tour busses for our shore excursion in Barcelona, and because of our group size and the size of the busses, we had lots of extra room on each bus. On behalf of our guests, we tipped the tour guides and drivers in advance and challenged them to make the tour a memorable one. They did exactly that as we toured Barcelona and stopped for drinks at a local café. It was nice to see our group getting to know each other and exchanging contact information. On the way back to the Eurodam, we dropped many guests off at the Ramblas so they could tour on their own in the afternoon.

For us, one of the highlights was the port of Monte Carlo. The weather was sunny and mild as they made preparations for their annual race event. We reclined on the thermal beds in the spa as we departed Monte Carlo. The view was breathtaking and made us realize that, as soon as we disembarked the next day, we would be ready for our next cruise. I think our entire group felt the same way.

Carnival Freedom

Hi Everyone!

I just returned from an 8-night cruise on the Carnival Freedom. Round trip Fort Lauderdale.

I enjoyed Port Everglades because so many cruise ships are docked amazingly close together. I had a great view of Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Sea. She is on my future cruise list for sure! Leaving port Everglades is like a ship parade as you head out of the channel. Ship by ship.

The ports we visited were Cozumel, Costa Rica and Panama. I chose this cruise both for the desinations and for the cruising days. I enjoyed all 3 destinations but I really enjoyed the sea days because it allows you to get to know your ship, the art work and enjoy the themes represented in the various areas. Also from my balcony I reflect, relax and appreciate how amazing the world is.

As far as Carnival, I am proud to represent Carnival cruise lines to anyone. The Freedom is an excellent clean ship with comfortable bedding. Great all around service, food and presentation. The entertainment was good with a mixture of comedians and singers. The Carnival singers and dancers ended the second formal evening entertainment with a great Beatles Musical entitled “Ticket to Ride “.

The pool areas were a little crowded on at sea days (to be expected) but everyone had ample seating and lounging. I recommend visiting "Serenity” - an adult tanning and lounging area on the Freedom.

When returning early morning on your last morning Freedom must make a complete 360 turn around in the pier and back into her port so vibration using the side motion goes on for a bit.

The picture is the Carnival sister ships Freedom and Liberty docked side by side in Cozumel.

Bon Voyages!

Greg Bennett

Senior Agent

KVI Travel

greg@kvi.travel

Oasis of the Seas Inaugural Cruise

Hi everyone!

Phil Doyle, KVI's agent in Ft. Lauderdale, just returned with his wife from the inaugural sailing of the brand new world's biggest cruise ship, the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. To say the least, they were impressed! Here's Phil's review:



BIG, really BIG. Now that I have that out of the way, let me share some impressions from my inaugural sailing on the new ship, Oasis of the Seas. My agency loves booking Royal Caribbean Cruises, so I was invited to take a test ride on their newest ship. I love cruising and have done it 33 times on 8 different cruise lines and 27 different ships. With all of the hype about the Oasis of the Seas over the past year, I was prepared to be disappointed in at least a few areas. I was overwhelmed instead.

Numbers can make for a boring narration, but how can I avoid some of the numbers that make Oasis of the Seas extraordinary? At 220,000 tons, the Oasis is 40% larger than the next largest cruise ship. The maximum passenger capacity is 6,300 with 18 decks and 24 high speed elevators. There are 24 different restaurants, 9,300 pieces of original art and 2,100 crew members. The 12,000 live plants and trees on board create a unique feeling found on no other ship that I have experienced. Add the Broadway hit Hairspray in the 1,300 seat theatre, and the one-of-a-kind 750 seat Aqua Theatre, and you are now ready to pay the $1.4 billion price tag.

Now that the numbers are out of the way, here is how our trip started. Royal Caribbean set as a goal moving passengers from the curb to the ship in just 15 minutes. The new $75 million Port Everglades terminal was designed to do exactly that. I was skeptical. In the cruise industry, anything under an hour curb to ship is a good day. I timed the process and took my time walking through the terminal. 16 minutes! We were in our cabin in 4 more minutes. People, this is huge for the world’s largest ship. Next, we prepared to fight the crowds as we toured the ship, but there was no need. The public areas are so large that the per-passenger ratio is better than many smaller ships. It was incredibly easy to find our way around and the layout of the ship made sense immediately. There is even an interactive flat screen by each elevator bank that will map out any route you choose as well as show you what activities are going on around the ship and how to get there. I have never seen this before and will miss it when sailing on other ships in the future.

Let’s talk about the ship’s personality. Yes, every ship has a personality and the Oasis has one all its own. Imagine the size and amenities of a major Las Vegas hotel and blend it with the style and attention to detail of a Disney theme park. The ship is beautifully crafted in Finland and designed by people who know their customers. The elegance of the Champagne Bar, the Vintage winery, the upscale 150 Central Park restaurant and the 300 seat solarium are a dramatic contrast to the two Flow Rider surfing venues and the Zip Line where screaming guests fly 8 stories over the Boardwalk.

Royal Caribbean’s original goal with Oasis of the Seas was to have the experience be 1/3 familiar, 1/3 evolutionary and 1/3 revolutionary. Looking back on my experience on board, the familiar things like the rock climbing wall, the Studio B ice rink and the center Promenade felt like vintage Royal Caribbean.

Things like the dual Flow Riders, the quality specialty restaurants and the entertainment have evolved to the point where they are better than ever. Features like Central Park and Boardwalk, both open to the sky with overlooking balcony staterooms, live greenery everywhere, a true Broadway play and the Aqua Theatre with the stage that turns into a 17 foot deep pool in seconds are easily the most revolutionary features at sea today. You will take more pictures than you have ever taken on a cruise ship and find yourself planning your next trip before this one is done. Royal Caribbean says that their goal is to deliver the “WOW” in ways that it has never been done before. Forget the BIG, this ship really is about the "WOW!”

Philip Doyle
KVI.Travel
Cruise Specialist
954-817-9042
866-301-2700
phil@kvi.travel

Celebrity Constellation 10 Night Caribbean Cruise Review

March 27th, 2009

Celebrity Constellation

10 Night South Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review

Hi!

It's Kim Turcot & Scott Leeming with a review of our recent 10 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise on The Celebrity Constellation Sailing departing out of Fort Lauderdale on March 27th, 2009...Our cruise vacation on the Constellation was simply magnificent! We were left wanting to do it all over again, small tear drops slipped from our eyes as we disembarked this fantastic ship!While on the Celebrity Constellation, we experienced a truly luxurious experience from the Celebrity staff. Everyone from our room attendants, head & assistant waiters, Maitre d’, guest relations & excursion staff , internet technicians, entertainment director, musicians, etc... & so forth truly rose above our expectations in every way. The meaning of Celebrity's slogan "Starring You" became noticeably self explanatory whilst being pampered literally from dawn till dusk. The food preparation, its delivery to our table by our servers every day was simply splendid. The breakfast & evening dining menu combined with our ability to choose from a fresh & tantalizing buffet made our daily meal choices a breeze...the live music by the talented band "Fusion" kept a fun laid back spirit alive throughout the cruise & several vacationers on their toes dancing in the warm Caribbean breeze... This particular sailing with its itinerary was especially appealing to us which included St, Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia & finally St. Martin. The shores & beaches of St. Thomas are rated some of the best in the world & we can now see why that is! Utterly breathtaking views of clear turquoise water as far as the eye can see invite you to jump right in with a snorkel & mask to bask in its beauty...We booked an excursion to St. John's & were equally impressed with our surroundings. This was most unquestionably one of our greatest highlight of the cruise...St. Kitts was next on the itinerary and somewhat disappointing. Although historically interesting, we probably would have enjoyed ourselves more staying on the ship. At a glance, St Kitts is only starting to develop its’ tourism infrastructure for the cruise lines as it migrates away from their historical & labour-intensive Sugar Cane production. The beaches were somewhat disappointing and those that would have been ideal, were owned by the expanding resort developments along the Atlantic Coastline. We did meet a good tour guide who took us sightseeing to the bluffs overlooking the new resort developments where we had the pleasure of seeing the most cute & irresistible green leaf monkeys! These special little creatures were a definite highlight to see... Still, we feel that St Kitts is a few years away from becoming a destination ‘hot spot’...Barbados was wonderful! We were lucky to have booked an excursion on ‘The Tiami’ – a 5-Star Catamaran & Snorkel excursion. We enjoyed snorkelling in two distinct sites where we swam with hundreds of tropical fish & beautiful sea turtles. The mood on this excursion was fun. We were served a 5-star lunch onboard after snorkelling & then allowed to get off & swim or walk along the white sand beaches.. It was here that much Congo juice was poured by the very friendly Congo Man & his Rum Spiced Rum Punch...We even made him a reggae song that we all sang as the juice was poured into our glasses while swimming in the amazing gentle water... This was a really fun & relaxing excursion & we highly recommend it!After spending almost a month in St. Lucia in December 2008, we were quite emotional about returning to this tropical paradise! St. Lucia's lush tropical rainforest & drop dead gorgeous scenery & weather are not to be missed! We hired a fantastic tour guide who drove us near the famous Pitons Volcanic Mountains & everywhere we wanted to go. We managed to see almost every friend we made while in St. Lucia... We opted not to drive to a beach on this stop, though we would recommend any catamaran snorkel sailing to Annes Cochon beach or Annes Chastanet beach or the Jalousie Resort beach which sits directly against the Piton Mountain side. We feel that the southern part of the island is far more beautiful than the northern part which is more populated & resort-based. Tours to the scenic Waterfalls, the Rainforest ‘Zip Line’ the drive-in volcano are also worth a tour. Many of these tours will find you heading towards Soufriere... though it may appear somewhat economically challenged, don’t be fooled as the people are friendly and the views simply stunning. St. Lucia is a very special place to us & many who have come to know the locals can see that they are rich with culture & lifestyle. Like many islands, your first visit will find you taken back by the apparent hustling of cab drivers and merchants to buy their trinkets & such... However, if you are clear about what you want and what you do not want, St. Lucians will show you much respect. St. Lucians are wonderful loving people. We hired a local fisherman named Rudi in Soufriere who took us fishing in December & it was a blast! Some of our favourite guides can be found on our website at www.selectsailingsandtours.com under TOUR GUIDES.Next we visit St. Maarten whose reputation, beauty & shopping Mecca did not disappoint us. Again, here we enjoyed breathtaking views of the Caribbean sea... friendly locals & pleasing scenery... we highly recommend the Captain Morgan Catamaran Snorkel excursion that we missed as it was sold out. Instead we raced on the America’s Cup racing sail ships – two competing ships crewed by two sets of cruise ship passengers... and you do all of the work with the Captain shouting out your tasks as you try to win the race. It was good fun and drinks were supplied, but somewhat limiting in terms of being able to see a wider spectrum of the heralded French side of the island & waters. Also – if you book a beach excursion, know that the French side offers the best beaches (as opposed to the Dutch Atlantic Side).What is most enjoyable about a cruise that is longer than 7 nights, are those days at sea! Wake up late if you wish without the expectation to do an excursion, select one of several breakfast options at your leisure, lay around the pool whilst a live band plays in the hot sun, waves rolling by and that sea breeze that takes you far away from your day to day... drift in & out of sleep if you wish... Note to self; Bring 30 – 50 Proof Suntan Lotion!! Truthfully, those days at sea were equally pleasurable if not some of our favourite times of our cruise! The days at sea are relaxing & give you a real sense of vacationing at its best!All in all, the Celebrity Constellation delivered a 5-star rating for us.

Kim & Scott