Cruise Ship Cavalcade

0 Comments | Insight on the News, May 22, 2000 | by Marcia Levin

They just get bigger and better: Passengers on state-of-the-art cruise ships can play nine holes of golf, then dine in Old World luxury.

The parade of new cruise ships that debuted before the end of 1999 includes Carnival's huge new Triumph, Holland America's Volendam, Norwegian Cruise Line's Sky and Royal Caribbean International's Voyager of the Seas. The ships offer the latest in amenities to tempt and satisfy the most discerning travelers, who may be tired of bingo and port lecturers. Here's a look at the latest offerings:

* Carnival's Triumph is just that: a big, beautiful, $420 million, 102,000-ton vessel accommodating 2,758 passengers (3,473, including upper berths) with a global theme that celebrates great cities of the world. "I took the world as the central theme of Carnival's Triumph and named its public spaces after some of the most popular locations people enjoy visiting on vacation" says interior architect Joe Farcus. "The design of these rooms is intended not to re-create these cities, but to capture their spirit."

The attractions include Underground Tokyo's video games, the Hollywood Dance Club, the Big Easy piano bar, Vienna Cafe, California Wine Bar, Club Monaco casino and London and Paris dining rooms. There's also the Club Rio, Coney Island Grille, Hong Kong Noodle Co., Pizzeria Napoli and a New York-style deli. According to company president Bob Dickinson, Carnival has led the evolution in offering the widest variety of dining choices at sea.

Triumph's 15,000-square-foot health-and-fitness facility was expected to boost the number of guests using the line's fleetwide health spas to nearly 1 million last year. The ship alternates eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from the Port of Miami, and three more 102,000-ton vessels, the Victory, Conquest and Glory, are on order.

* Volendam III is a smashing 21st-century version of a cruise ship. Passenger capacity is 1,440, with 23 cabins equipped for handicapped passengers. Principal architect Frans Dingemans employed a floral theme, accenting his decor with floral paintings by artist Tim Maguire and floral glass and lacquered metal by Luciano Vistosi.

Beautiful Murano glass also is found in Marco Polo, the 76-seat Venetian restaurant equipped with its own chef and kitchen, plus a wonderfully eclectic collection of art from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Fifteen percent of the seats are reserved for passengers staying in suites; other passengers can dine in Marco Polo one night a week and during lunch on sea days.

A popular new feature: the Internet cafe. For a charge of 75 cents a minute (with a five-minute minimum), guests can send or receive e-mail and check stock quotes, for example. All staterooms also offer ports for laptop computers.

* Norwegian Cruise Line's $300 million Norwegian Sky was the first such vessel to add an Internet cafe to a ship's amenities. The Sky features many other innovative and luxurious touches, such as in-suite massages and a refreshing water spritz by pool attendants.

Because public rooms and staterooms sprawl over a dozen decks, guests never feel crowded. And the entertainment in Sky's Observation Lounge may be the best at sea. Outstanding artists perform selections from current Broadway shows without heavily overblown backdrops and tons of sequins.

Norwegian caters to sports fans by offering a variety of sports-theme cruises, and the Sky is no exception, with two golf nets, a baseball batting cage and full-size basketball court. The ship also has an eight-deck-high atrium, several upscale boutiques, a variety of dining options, two breakfast and lunch buffets and 24-hour room service.

All outside staterooms have two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed, a sitting area, refrigerator, safe and large circular windows. Six staterooms accommodate handicapped passengers. A delightful Kid's Crew program and the Club, a separate teen center, provide programs for ages 3 to 17. The Sky also has 10 family-size staterooms that accommodate as many as five people.

* Voyager of the Seas is Royal Caribbean International's newest sea sensation, with an ice rink, a climbing wall, a wedding chapel and a nine-hole small-scale golf course. It's an amalgam of wonders created by 10,000 craftsmen who spent 21 million hours building this 142,000-ton, 1,020-foot-long vessel, which has a passenger capacity of 3,114. The ship offers a wonderful indoor atrium and a Royal Promenade of shops and food-court dining facilities. (Many inside staterooms on Decks 8 and 9 have windows overlooking the Promenade.) Mimes, jugglers and magicians appear throughout as street performers.

The ship has three main dining rooms named for and designed around operas: Carmen, La Boheme and The Magic Flute. La Scala Theater sprawls five stories from orchestra pit to the domed ceiling and offers Broadway revues. The ship also has a Connoisseur Club for after-dinner drinks and cigars.

Voyager also offers online computer access in the library, sports opportunities, a two-story spa, three swimming pools (plus a children's pool) and beautiful and varied public areas for enjoying a cool drink or a hot best-seller.