Mar12
He’s been on top of Denali five times and plans to summit North America’s tallest mountain again – ambitious, he admits, seeing that he is 72 years old. Tom Choate talks about the mountain he loves.
Mar11
Upper-Premium Line To Debut Private Country Estate Aura On Marina
By Avid Cruiser Contributing Editor Susan J. Young, who operates the web site Southern Cruising (full credits and more about Susan at the bottom of this story)
After visiting Fincantieri Sestri Ponente yard in Genoa, Italy, I’ve changed my perspective about what to expect on Oceania Cruises’ new, 66,000-ton Marina. Frankly, I assumed the new design would simply replicate a pampering boutique hotel feel; that’s certainly trendy these days.
Mar11
[by contributor Geoff Edwards].
At first the wire worked, but then we set sail.
Only a decade ago, Internet communication from a cruise ship was practically nonexistent. I was on Rotterdam when Holland America Line started to offer e-mail in 1999. But this was not the World Wide Web, mind you, only a link to it. E-mail was sent to Seattle where the company would forward it.
Mar10
I’m successful, well-educated (go Tar Heels!), well-traveled, have fulfilled most of my dreams, parent two lovely children and enjoy a good lifestyle. But despite all of those trimmings of a happy life, I’ve decided that I no longer want to be me. No. I’m finished with this persona. From now on, I want to be Frank Del Rio.
FDR, of course, is the out-spoken Chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, parent of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. I say outspoken because FDR, with all respect, has no filter. He says what’s on his mind, and most times that’s refreshing and insightful, as you’ll read in the Q&A below.
He has made a fortune, rising from the ashes of Renaissance Cruises, which, in failing financial health, ceased operations on September 25, 2001. Like the mythical Phoenix, FDR flapped his expansive wings (with two former Renaissance vessels tucked underneath) and launched the upper-premium brand Oceania Cruises in 2002. It was pure genius.
FDR and company had found an untapped niche tucked between the premium brands and the luxury brands. Oceania’s positioning of upper premium not only had marketing cachet, but also appealed to a whole lot of people, which is why eight years later, Oceania’s three vessels still have a huge and loyal following, and why the company is building not one, but two, new ships.
The reason I want to be FDR is not because he’s rich (though I wouldn’t mind having a bulging wallet) but because of his passion and commitment. FDR knows what his brand stands for, and equally important, what it does not. I only wish I had such clarity of focus.
Thinking about it, it’s probably a good thing I do not inhabit FDR’s persona, because let’s be frank (ha!), I would have done something really dumb, like positioning the company as “lower luxury” instead of “upper premium.” And that would have never worked. Or would it? Let’s leave that for contemplation and go have a chat with the chief.
During a walkthrough of Oceania Marina, under construction in Genoa, Italy, Frank Del Rio, Chairman & CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, talked with the Avid Cruiser about the new ship, the Oceania brand and the line's upper-premium positioning.
Ralph Grizzle: With Marina, you’re nearly doubling the capacity of your existing ships. What impact will that have on the guest experience?
Frank del Rio: There is an 80 percent increase in passenger capacity on Marina, but a 120 percent increase in the size of the ship, so the size makes for a more comfortable ship. The guest-to-space ratio is much higher on Marina than on our existing vessels.
[Editor's note: Oceania's newest ship will have similar capacity to Holland America Line "S Class" vessels, such as Maasdam, but Marina will have 25 percent more space.]
Also, we will have a higher crew-to-passenger ratio than we have on our existing ships [800 crew to 1,258 guests]. We’re elevating the Oceania experience by improving everything that we can — entertainment, the number of restaurant offerings, the guest-to-space ratio and so forth.
Mar10
I met Rick and Debbie Farr on a flight from Seattle. We were headed to Fairbanks to begin two separate cruisetours, in this case, five-day land tours that would take us to Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Anchorage.
Mar09
The weather could not have been better during our September fly-by of Denali.
We flew with Greg Lahaie, owner of Kantishna Air Taxi. Greg tells us: “Kantishna Air Taxi is the only air service in the Denali National Park area that guarantees passengers a good flight tour. We can guarantee this because, quite simply, if the majority of the Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley aren’t visible, we won’t fly.”
Mar07
When is the best time to book your cruise? The answer depends on where you’re going.
The only part of your cruise where you can’t relax is in booking it. Planning on cruising Europe’s rivers in the summer of 2010? Better hurry, or you’ll miss the boat.
You’re somewhat better off if planning an ocean cruise in Europe — or if you’re wanting to skirt the Alaskan coast. Ocean-going vessels have more capacity than European river cruisers, but even on big ships, it pays to book early.
Mar06
First woman to finish the Idatirod, Mary Shields leads our group in howling to her huskies and hoping for a response.
Mar05
On a Fairbanks, Alaska shore excursion, Mary Shields shares the experience of the thing she loves most: her team of big waggly huskies.
Our small group was able to get up close and personal with the dogs, while Mary informed us about the husky breed and about some of her training techniques.
Mar04
From Fairbanks, it’s only a five-mile drive to see Mary Shields on a tour that carries her name. In 1973, Mary became the first woman to finish the 1,049-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. She lives in a modern log cabin that she and her former husband built. There, she tends to her garden and to her team of huskies.
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