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One
distinction of HAL is its range of ports. Allen said the
line goes to more than 300 ports; for instance, 12 ports in
Italy alone and four ports in Greenland.
Usually, when
lines introduce new ships, they do the most basic of
itineraries, but symbolically, the newest Holland America
ship (Eurodam) mixes some fresh routings with the standards.
In addition to the fairly standard Baltic route next summer,
Eurodam will have some unusual Norway/Scotland sailings,
with calls ranging from Invergordon to Stavanger.
Then in the fall, when Eurodam repositions to North America,
the ship will homeport in Quebec for several sailings, a
first for any large ship. Company officials explain that
Quebec has long been the highest-rated port experience for
HAL passengers.
Among key itinerary changes, Noordam will move out of New
York and reposition to Ft. Lauderdale in Fall 2008. Meadows
explains the higher cost structure of operating from New
York to the Caribbean is just one of the reasons for the
change. "But it really has been that we've had better
overall performance from South Florida ports to the
Caribbean," he reports.
With no ships in the Caribbean in the summer, most people
don't think there's a huge Holland presence, but, "In fact,
we have one of the widest selection of itineraries in the
Caribbean, because we have so many of these butterflies,
where you can take combinations ranging in length from seven
to 21 days," notes Allen.
Combinations are also big in Europe, with the collector
series, including Prinsendam and Rotterdam. Notes Meadows as
an example, "We have two ships, Zuiderdam and Noordam, that
offer combination cruises of 20 and 24 days in 2008. You get
a really comprehensive number of ports with no overlaps
excepting the turning point (Rome)."
One area that's hard to truly differentiate in terms of
ports is Alaska, where Holland will place eight ships next
year. To Allen, one differentiation comes in offering
different kinds of itineraries, plus departures from Seattle
on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. "We'll have two different
Glacier Bay discover cruise itineraries, one to Glacier Bay
and one to Hubbard Glacier. There are multiple itineraries
we have to choose from."
In Australia/New Zealand, there will be a capacity increase,
with the Volendam replacing Statendam in late 2008. The
latter moves to 14-day cruises between Ft. Lauderdale and
San Diego and will also do an unusual Ft. Lauderdale-Lima
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With CCL launching 68
new spa-class staterooms on the new Carnival Splendor next July and
Celebrity launching AquaClass staterooms on Solstice late next year
a whole new cruising concept is originated.
The two cruise lines
are hoping to encourage the those dual working couples who are
overworked and stressed out and who currently visit local day spas.
Vicki Freed of Carnival
notes, "I believe the spa caters to more females than males, but men
should not be ignored. Men are in all the salons getting treatments
(yes, even highlighting their hair) and getting pedicures as well as
luxurious massages and other treatments."
Meanwhile, Celebrity Senior VP Dondra Ritzenthaler sums it up in one
big sentence: AquaClass should be presented as a very unique
experience. With only 130 staterooms in the class, their location on
the ship and proximity to the AquaSpa Relaxation Room, AquaSpa
itself and the Solarium; as well as access to the Persian Garden,
combined with AquaClass being double occupancy only, guests can
expect a more tranquil and relaxing environment." Ritzenthaler
notes the price of AquaClass is positioned above ConciergeClass and
below Sky Suite products. The key, she says, is exclusivity:
"There's the exclusive more intimate dining with Blu, the Aquaclass
dining venue, and the inclusive Persian garden access." |