NCLA's All-American Crew in Hawaii

Have you ever wondered why Norwegian Cruise Line America is the only line offering inter-island cruises in Hawaii? The answer lies deep in the heart of American politics. In order for any cruise line to offer inter-island itineraries in Hawaii, the line's ship must be flagged in the U.S. and manned by an all-American crew. Not an easy task. In fact, until the inception of NCLA (a subsidiary of NCL), there had been no such ships in nearly 50 years. Therefore, most Hawaiian cruises had to embark in Ensenada or Los Angeles or other port for intra-island passage.

Several years ago, President Bush cleared the way for NCLA's U.S.-flagged ships and 100 percent American crews with his approval of the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2003. The Act contained a cruise ship provision, championed by Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, that helped to create thousands of jobs for U.S. and Hawaii residents while providing a significant boost to the Hawaii economy. According to a PriceWaterhouse Coopers report that was issued at the time of the Act's passage, NCLA's inter-island cruises were slated to generate more than $800 million in economic benefits for Hawaii and the U.S., and 20,000 jobs.

NCLA's first U.S.-flagged and U.S.-manned ship was the Pride of Aloha (2004), followed by the Pride of America (2005), and the Pride of Hawaii (2006). (Note that the Pride of Hawaii is being re-flagged, renamed, and sent to the Mediterranean in early 2008).

Ever since NCLA's trio of vessels started sailing the Hawaiian islands, there's been much debate about the pros and cons of an all-American crew. The line admits there were customer service missteps at the beginning that stemmed from a shortage of trained staff. Now, however, NCLA insists those issues have been solved.

If you search the Internet for recent reviews of NCLA's ships, you'll find many positive remarks along with some constructive criticism of the line's all-American crew and "Freestyle" vibe. Part of the issue seems to be expectations. Most cruisers are used to Filipino or European crew. Their American counterparts sometimes bring a more casually friendly or laid-back attitude to a ship.

I look forward to sailing with Pride of America in order to get to know some of her all-American crew and will be paying close attention to just what quantifiable differences there are between PoAm and other foreign-crewed ships.

Logo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line America.

Viking Cooking School New to Silversea

Foodies the world over know the secret to successful cruising: Select a line that cares as much about gourmet cooking as you do! Silversea Cruises—with its Italian heritage and devotion to European-style amenities—has always placed special emphasis on its restaurants and in-room dining. The chefs aboard the Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow, Silver Wind, and Silver Whisper strive to procure the highest quality ingredients and continually revise and revamp their menus according to season, sailing region, and guest preferences.

Now, Silversea's commitment to fine dining extends beyond mealtimes and into the classroom with its launch of the Viking Cooking School Aboard Silversea.

Developed through the company's partnership with Viking Range Corporation, the Viking Cooking School on each Silversea ship features a custom-designed demonstration culinary theater equipped with state-of-the-art induction stove; sophisticated convection-microwave oven; and Viking professional-caliber cookware, cutlery, and countertop appliances. There is also a large rear-projection screen so guests can easily view different cooking techniques and utensils.

On select sailings, Viking chefs will present seminars that echo the cultural flavor of the ship’s itinerary. Highlights include cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; a “Lunch and Learn” event giving groups of 12–16 guests a chance to sample a delicious meal of specially prepared dishes; and a “Market to the Plate” experience (offered on certain voyages when the itinerary permits) that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class.

All Viking instructors are accomplished chefs and culinary industry leaders who bring many years of expertise and knowledge to the classroom. When Viking chefs are not on board, the culinary theaters serve as venues for the international guest chefs of Relais & Chateaux to show off their extraordinary talents on select Culinary Arts cruises. On all other voyages, Silversea's own master chefs take the stage to host cooking demonstrations and dynamic competitions.

Listed below is a preliminary sampling of upcoming Viking Cooking Schools Aboard Silversea:

• Silver Shadow departs August 25, 2007 on a 9-day voyage (#3722) from Copenhagen to Hamburg with calls in Gothenborg, Sweden; Rostock, Germany; and the Norwegian ports of Ulvik, Bergen, and Oslo. Hosted by Viking Chef Christopher Green, a gifted chef who honed his French culinary skills at L'Academie de Cuisine in Washington, D.C ., and has taught more than 1,700 cooking classes for a range of companies. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $6,236 per person.
  
  
• Silver Cloud departs August 26, 2007 on a 12-day voyage (#1723) from Athens to Istanbul with calls in Batumi, Georgia; Constanta, Romania; Nesebur, Bulgaria; Odessa, Sevastopol; and Yalta in Ukraine; and the Turkish cities of Sinop and Trabzon. Hosted by Viking Chef Lynn Gorfinkle, a certified nutrition counselor who manages training and operations for all Viking Cooking Schools. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $9,005 per person.
  
  
• Silver Whisper departs August 31, 2007 on a 7-day voyage (#4731) from Barcelona to Lisbon with calls in Oporto, Portugal and the Spanish ports of Malaga, Cadiz, and Vigo. Hosted by Viking Chef Elizabeth Heiskell, who owns her own successful catering company and has prepared dishes for recognizable names such as Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, and former Vice President Al Gore. Silver Sailing fares start at $4,406 per person.
  
  
• Silver Shadow departs September 12, 2007 on an 11-day voyage (#3724) from London to Lisbon with calls in Vigo, Spain; Oporto, Portugal; and the French towns of Honfleur, St. Malo, and Bordeaux. Hosted by Viking Chef Riki Senn, a 25-year veteran of the culinary industry who writes curriculum for Viking Cooking Schools. Her career highlights include serving as fine dining chef at West Virginia's renowned Greenbrier Resort. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $7,046 per person.
  
  
• Silver Wind departs October 18, 2007 on a 12-day voyage (#2729) from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados with calls in Key West, Grand Turk, St. Thomas, Virgin Gorda, Antigua, St. Bart's, St. Lucia, and Grenada. Hosted by Viking Chef Kathleen Bruno, who develops classes and recipes for Viking Cooking Schools, and her husband Luis Bruno, currently executive chef at the Mississippi Governor's Mansion. Silver Sailing fares start at $4,017 per person.

For complete voyage details and the latest information on Viking Cooking School cruises, visit www.silversea.com.

Viking Cooking School is a creation of Viking Range Corporation.

Logo and photo courtesy of Silversea Cruises.

Booking a Cruise & Internet Travel Agencies

I can't believe how quickly the summer is slipping away! It's been a struggle to quickly plan our cruise to Hawaii, but in the past few days we've finalized our itinerary. Now we're just counting down to the sail-away!

Since our usual travel agent doesn't work with Norwegian Cruise Line, we decided to book with an Internet agency. After searching for price and extras (like complimentary travel insurance and onboard credits) we narrowed down the agencies to Cruise Brothers, American Express, and Best Price Cruises. We actually found Best Price Cruises through CruiseCompete.com. This is a useful site for comparison shopping. You simply type in the cruise you're interested in and several agencies respond with their rates and special offers. What makes Cruise Compete unique is that your message to their group of travel agents is "cloaked." None of your personal information is shared and you won't be added to a million e-mail lists.

Best Price Cruises had a slick real-time booking engine at their website and the cruise fare for two in an AB Deluxe Penthouse was nearly $1,000 cheaper than all the other agencies. Of course, there is a trade off. You'll receive less personalized service in exchange for the discounted cruise fare. However, if you'd prefer to speak with an agent directly and book over the phone, you may do so for a slightly higher per person cruise fare.

Basically, if you know the exact cruise you wish to book and you don't need advice on stateroom categories and locations, this may be a good option for you. However, if you're new to cruising or to the cruise line you're interested in, it's best to call and speak with a travel agent directly. They can offer you information and tips you may not easily find online.

While I tend to buy just about everything online—from clothes to music downloads to Persian rugs—it was still a bit strange to book a cruise without the usual back-and-forth conversations with an agent. I'm pleased to say that Best Price Cruises has been very responsive via e-mail. Upon booking this cruise, my confirmation was e-mailed within minutes and a few hours later I had my NCL reservation number. Travel insurance paperwork and cruise documents arrived within a week.

Still, it's easy to see the differences between the mainstream cruise lines and the luxury lines I usually write about here. We initially received our NCL cruise documents electronically. eDocs make a lot of sense, but it's a bit of let down. It's always such a happy day when the upscale lines deliver cruise docs via DHL. You rip open the package to ogle the faux leather document holder and run to your luggage to affix your new name tags. No such luck with Norwegian. They actually e-mailed luggage tags to print out on our own computer. Okay, that's a bit too "Freestyle" for me. I emailed Best Price Cruises and they made sure NCL mailed us paper copies of our documents—in a simple plastic folder—along with some paper adhesive luggage tags.

We've filled out passenger profile forms, arranged for our frequent flier tickets (thank you Continental and direct flights!), and made most of our plans.

In future blog entries before we sail and while onboard the Pride of America, I'll write about...

• Our pre-cruise stay at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa and a post-cruise stay at The Kahala Resort, both on Oahu.
  
  
• Daybreak breakfast at Leonard's Bakery for malasadas!
  
  
• Climbing Diamond Head.
  
  
• Lunch at Alan Wong's Pineapple Room at the Ala Moana Shopping Center.
  
  
• NCL's Deluxe Penthouse suite and butler service aboard NCL's Pride of America.
  
  
• Exploring Volcanoes National Park, Rainbow Falls, and Akaka Falls on the Big Island.
  
  
• Traveling the Road to Hana with private tour guide Steve Sargenti of Maui Custom Tours.
  
  
• The Feast at Lele on Maui.
  
  
• Sunrise at Haleakala Crater.
  
  
• Waimea Canyon, Poipu Beach, and Spouting Horn on Kauai.
  
  
• ...and more

Don't miss any of our blog reports from the ship or our full cruise review when we return in early September!