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Show H6 The Salt Lake Tribune CRUISES Sunday, 14, 1997 Sep Royal Caribbean’s Woes: Dry-Docked Ship, Questions Over Acquisition BY ARLINE BLEECKER ORLANDO SENTINEL 4895. As for Royal Caribbean's acquisition of more advantageous to the cruise line. The two lines, in some ways, are similar. They cruisers, it’s too early to say. But this isn't keeping industry bigwigs from buzzing Royal Caribbean purchased Celebrity for eratein similar markets, with some overlap deliver similar levels of amenities and cp- Celebrity and what this might mean for It seems that evenin the cruise industry. God giveth and God taketh away. Less than aweek after baskinginits buyout of Celebrity Cruises, finalized July 30, Royal Carib beanInternational was forced to announce an unanticipated dry-docking of one ofits own new ships. Rhapsodyof the Seas. which debuted in May. had been dogged by engine propulsion problems from day one -~ actually since before day one. The culprit: 4 mal functioning starboard engine that had vexed this ship even beforeits inaugural Rhapsody has been operating with reduced power, but the line anticipated that the reduced speed necessitated by the en- gine problems wouldnot affect the ship's schedules. At the end of July, however, the ship missed a portof call in Skagway because of the problematic engine. The ship was to enter drydock Saturday to replace the engine and is expected to return to reg- ular service Oct. 5. ‘The unplanned drydocking of Rhapsody necessitates cancellation of two Hawaii cruises, oneto have left Saturday, the other scheduled for Sept. 24. Passengers booked on the canceled cruises will receive a full tefund, plus a $500 per-cabin credit or a future cruise if taken by Dec. 31, 1998. If you're booked on either cruise, have your travel agent call Royal Caribbean, orcall Royal Caribbean at (305) 379-4731, Ext in itineraries. Both cruise the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Bermuda and Alaska There are somedifferencesas well. Celeb- 3500 million in cash and stock andis assuming Celebrity’s $800 million debt. The rity. a particularly well-regarded line, ofers larger cabins and a somewhat more talk about this, the biggest deal in cruise industryhistory, mainly concerns how Royal Caribbeanplans to position its former competitor The line has staunchly maintainedits intention to operate the two companies as distinct brands, similar to the luxurious cruise. It is chiefly knownforits food. The buyout will add five ships and 8,200 berths to Royal Caribbean, whose fleet will include 20 ships and 38,000 berths by the year 2000, including five vessels on order Although the acquisition may have little effect on passengers. speculation says oth- Carnival/Holland Americaalliance. “Two brands will enable us to deploy vessels and attract customers on an in creasingly global basis,” said Royal Carib- erwise. Concerns have been raised thatit will be difficult to retain the uniquediffer- bean chairman and CEORichardFain said encesin character that have made Celebri- However, skeptics are not in short supply, and manytravel experts are quick to point out that Royal Caribbean has been positioning itself as a one-brand alternative ever since dumping Admiral Cruise lines some years ago. And when Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ty a deluxe line. and sometravelagents are reporting that. Royal Caribbean's recent focuson its own expansion already has lowered existing service standards on its ves- sels. Others take the opposite view; Because of the lines’ similarities, Royal Caribbean may decide to move Celebrity into a more upscale positioning.” said one cruise executive. In fact, months before the buyout, changed its namelast year to Royal Caribbean International after more than 30 years, it clearly indicated the company’s desire for greater reach. Ai the time. the line explained its name change this way Celebrity had announced its own plans to ment, emphasizing ourselves as a relevant vacation alternative.” enter Europe next year, where Royal Caribbean wouldlike to increase its own presence Celebrity’s European plan fell In fact, many observers say that managing the two lines as one brand would be far ingit with too few ships for expansion. Pre- ‘We want to de-emphasizethe cruisingele- through whenit sold offits Meridian, leav- | Exchangerates dictions are that Royal Caribbean may move Celebrity into Europe. In either case, most predict that Celebrity’s rates probably will rise. Celebrity is a deluxe line whose service and food are among the tops in the industry. At its current rates, some say Celebrity cruises are underpriced. citing that as a key reason the upscale line was unprofitable. As a result, Celebrity either will have to increase its rates or reduce its service: “Somebody's got to make the balance sheet work, and you can't pay $500 million or morefora cruise line without cutting costs or raising revenues to make the deal pay off,” said one source. However,even as Royal Caribbean looks to determine pricing, chairman Fain told Travel Weekly that “some fares might be lowered. Most industry watchersare taking a wait- and-see stance, noting that Celebrity’s trump card always has been Michel Roux, its master culinary consultant who over- sees the company’s food service, Celebri- ty’s hallmark. If Roux remains — he has ties to the Chandris Group, Celebrity’s Greek founder — Celebrity is expected to continue atits high levels. However if Royal Caribbeanis forced to slash costs because of rampantdiscountingin the cruise industry, some predict Roux may notstay. Whatever happens,expectto be inundated with an avalanche of advertising and marketing for the two-for-one cruiseline. equal measures of resignation and alarm, he sounds a mayday LOS ANGELES TIMES overhis radio. He is lucky he is rescued. And so are we,fellow sailors, travelers and armchair adventurers. Sea Change Alone Across the Atlantic in a Wooden Boat by Peter Nichols (Viking, $23.95) When he leaves the coast! of England, Peter Nichols’ marriage has broken up. By the time he reachesthe shore of America,his sailboat has broken downandhe’s lost that too. He is left with almost nothing except an old ambition to write something wonderful. With this heartbreaking aud harrowingsea tale, Nichols hi Traveling across an ocean in a small sailboat remains, as it has for centuries, one of humankind’s estranged wife, who has goue Enroute,hereflects alternately on the romanceandterrors of offshoresailing, enriching his ac- eount with lore from those who wonder. Today, we casually expeet the astonishing, and when it comes to sharks we demand it — fast and furious. By such standards, this reissue goods he and his wife had accumulated aboard, he blunders on her old journals: her account of their rocky and poignantlife together, revelations both wondrous and disturbing to a lonely man at sea. Deepout into the belly of the Atlantic, the protective skin of ‘Toad begins to delaminate. Eventually, she is shipping water between her planks faster than Nichols can pump it out. With g Bh NAL CARIBBEANBAHAMAS/ALAS, MEXICO/HAWAILE CRUISE HOTLINE! 1-800-435-7967 PortugaV/escudo 184.03 grettably ordinary Matthiessen’s uncritical reportage of chumming water with horse meatto bring on sharks and a feeding frenzy — a crude circus strictly for the benefit of the cam- era — is beneath what we have Traveling from the upper the discomfortof travel here, but lacks the curiosity, or 470212 ‘Sweden/krona Switzeriandfranc 779108 1.48871 Spanpeseia 188.00 006 | o Guides, Second Edition. by Charles C. Calhoun (Fodor's $18.95, maps,illustrations), Whereis this ship sailing? And what town (and in what state) is depicted in the map below? Hint, hint: The answers may have you repeating yourself. (Answers on Page H-9.) This is myfirst encounter with the Compass American Guides and I’ma convert. Thisis a loving, erudite and uncommonly well-il insight literature and Maineculture. | felt like I was holding a personal invitation to visit BAmerican Walks in London Ten Step-by-Step Itineraries for North American Visitors, by Richard Tames(Interlink, $14.95. maps, illustrations) So you've seen the standard ing nature writers. Now, in this A Journey Down the Niger Americans. Wheredid Edward R Murrow broadcastlive during the Blitz? Where did Mark Twain drink beer? Where did F. Scott Beginning back with British ex- and Zelda Fitzgerald stay? From which pulpit did the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preach? BAlaska-Yukon Handbook Leee FT rea 874° HongKong 8t Jerusal 8i 2 | 4a 14 70 Cain Paon owe aeNe 2 | 15 | the far north produces the oddest combination of wonderful travel guides and awful ones. This is a welcome exception — a standard- style guidebook with a rock-solid feel. 44 S184 Raya Na) NITE® $11 CASH BACK Eonar seamnstoNTAT Givena choice, | go north whenever I can. 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Burton, et al, at least 43"—=S7 Rome7a) Sydney wyoCS : Knight-Ridder Tribune Map courtesy the HM. Gousha Co. Used by Permission had the excuse that other white people had never seen such land- [NTeae # | MexicoCity Oct. 5, 5 days Stanley andall the others, white travelers into remote Africa barely seem to penetrate the soul of AM ow precip. Rode Janeiro77°66°12” | plorers Richard Burton, Heary PIERS)an, Avg. Daysof London of art, quirky, fun book are some walks to connect the city to notable To Timbuktu DOUBLE VISION @ Maine: Compass American the Avg. high Washington 68 QUICK TRIPS tourist London. by Mark Jenkins (Morrow, $25, photographs) 209 Grand Opening CRUISE SALE! Special discounte, and complimentary shipboard credits are available for all Holland America L. cruises booked through Friday, 9/19! This Fall Take a Feak Only available through CROSSROADS ¢ TRAVEL ara IAT 1K lL tee Lallis one of the best times to visit Spectan ular scenery, colors at their pe ik without the summer crowds. Give usa call, we can find a great Jackson Hole getaway for you Registry — Netherlands, Bahamas +++PLUS WHILE SUPPLIBS LAST, ALL CRUISE AND VACATION BOOKINGS RECEIVE A $180.00 VALUE SESQUICENTENNIAL POSTER-SIZE PRINT! COMPLIMENTS OF CROSSROADS ¢ TRAVEL CENTRAL RESERVATIONS Vor Ri tprvations, callygpo 444-6941 ext, 29 oF 307-79540P9 | Phoenix aa San Francisco 69° 50°5 | time or stomach, to go much deeper. cometo expect in the years since from one of our most command- 005 SoulhAficarand Honolulu reaches of the Niger River down formation, fed 3,4,7 & 10 NIGHT CRUISES 778 3.50 Denver rich nations, Mali. age. Whatwasthen so exciting — observing great whites in action in remote oceans — nowseemsre Visi 118. Mexico/peso Polandialoty Oct. most surprising and culturally lustrated guidebook that pro: vides, in addition to standard in Pau f “FREE CARIBBEAN YP@RADES” Japan/yen Temperatures nalist Mark Jenkins has no such excuse as he hurries across the surface film of one of Africa’s the making of one such pioneer- preceded him over the blue horizons. Then, sifting through the 351 1766.75 Miami ture documentaries and Holly‘vood have numbed oursense of 489 «120 Irerapourd67148 Jenkins is plenty evocative about In the 26 yearssince this adventure tale was first published, na- 008 204 7.74 | Israelshekel lalyra The Search for the ing documentary is showing its he shared forfive years with his Holland/guitder Hong Kongldolar Las Vegas Los Angeles of Peter Matthiessen’s account of ashoreto stay. So he prepares to bring the boat acrosstheAtlantic. Greeoalkachma 26480 manticized outpost of Timbuktu, Great White Shark by Peter Matthiessen (Penguin, $12.98, paperback) Polar” dolers Australia/dolar 13778 ‘Austia‘schiing 12.77 8 Belgiumvtranc 374508 | Brazel 08S Britain/pound e158 1398722 | | 690.144 | Finlandimarkka «5431.88 610 163 161551 streamto the sandy and overly ro. most elemental journeys. Doingit hand to mouth,heis unabletosell the 27-foot coastal cruiser. Toad Sept. 9 | Blue Meridian enginecarries the endeavor to extremes. Nichols proceeds less from adventure than necessity. Living single-handed in a boat with no Travelers can trade dollars for foreign currencyatthese rates NOTE:Rates are based on large transactions; individual travelers will get slightly less. TRAVELER'S BOOKSHELF BY JOHN BALZAR | & ¥ |
