Hotmail
So long fuel surcharges, hello zip-lining!
Most popular |
| |||||
New at-sea thrills
Oasis of the Seas will have seven distinct neighborhoods including Central Park, the Boardwalk, and the Royal Promenade. The ship will also feature two at-sea firsts: A zip-line and authentic carousel. The MSC Splendida and Costa Luminosa will offer 4-D cinemas with sound, lighting, images and special effects that combine to create a multi-sensory experience unlike anything ever found on a ship.
Greener machines
The cruise industry is making great strides in lessening its carbon footprint around the world. Celebrity Solstice is the first cruise ship to use solar power and sister ship Celebrity Equinox will follow in August 2009. There are 216 solar panels throughout the ship and energy collected becomes part of the ship’s power grid — enough to operate 7,000 of the vessel’s 25,000 energy efficient LED lights. Additionally, Solstice and Equinox’s hull design and coating make the ship more fluid dynamic, which means less fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida will feature and Advanced Water Treatment system for the treatment of gray and black waters. This system filters all the water on board and ensures that any that is released into the sea is clean and has an almost zero pollution level.
Burning diesel fuel to generate electricity when a ship is in port generates unnecessary pollution, so a number of ships are converting to an Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) system that allows vessels to plug directly into shore power while at port. Seattle, Juneau and Los Angeles offer this to cruise ships and Civitavecchia, Italy is set to become the first Mediterranean port to provide shore power to cruise ships using electricity generated from renewable resources like photovoltaic and wind power.
Fuel supplement limbo
Cruise lines began adding fuel surcharges a year ago when oil prices first spiked to $100 a barrel. Needless to say the practice stirred up a lot of controversy among passengers and the travel agent community. It also caught the eye of the law when the Florida attorney general’s office opened an investigation into possible cruise line collusion when the lines set the extra charges and another into the legality of assessing the fees retroactively. Carnival ended up refunding about $40 million in retroactive fuel supplements to passengers, and Royal Caribbean refunded $21 million.
Fortunately tanking fuel prices have been a bright spot for cruise lines whereby the majority recently suspended their fuel supplements. Still cruise lines cautioned that they reserve the right to reinstate fuel surcharges should the price of oil again rise above $65 per barrel.
Up the river without a paddleboat
The saddest cruise story this year was Majestic America Line going out of business. The line’s seven paddlewheel boats are now in extended drydock across the country awaiting their fate. Some parts of the fleet might be sold off piecemeal and could sadly end up overseas. They are truly a piece of Americana and a product of a by-gone era. I hope a dynamic investor can swoop in to save these boats.
2009 sure looks to be an interesting and fun year in cruising.
Sound off! Do you have a comment, an idea, a complaint or a problem for Anita to solve? Send her an e-mail and you might find yourself in her next column. And check out her blog, ExpertCruiser.com.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM CRUISING |
 Cruising Section Front |
| Add Cruising headlines to your news reader: |
Resource guide