Jacques Van Staden, vice president of culinary operations for Celebrity Cruises, says that the cornerstone of the Celebrity brand is the dining experience. 'That is really what we are about: the food, the wine and the service. That's why it's so frustrating when people think we are downgrading the experience. We just don't. It is quite the contrary. We do dining focus groups just to figure out how we can better serve our guests. We're always asking, How do we deliver an experience that guests will treasure and that they will remember?'

There are accusations in the cruise community that Celebrity Cruises is downgrading the quality of cuisine in its main dining room in order to drive guests to speciality restaurants, where on ships like Celebrity Solstice, cover charges range from $5 per person to $35 per person.

On board Celebrity Solstice this week, I put the question to Jacques Van Staden, vice president of culinary operations.

“It’s a vicious rumor,” Van Staden told me during an interview in Silk Harvest, where the cover charge for dinner is $25 per person. “The specialty restaurants weren’t designed to drive up revenue. What people don’t realize is that the service charge goes 100 percent to our staff. That’s their gratuities.”

The notion of downgrading the quality of food runs contrary to Celebrity’s corporate philosophy,  Van Staden’s says. From President and CEO Dan Hanrahan on down the chain, the mandate is that any action taken on Celebrity’s behalf cannot adversely affect the guest experience. Sure, Celebrity seeks cost-savings like any company, but those cost-savings typically come from achieving greater efficiencies, not cutting back on quality.

“We are never allowed to cut back on the product,” Van Staden says. “I could literally pick up the phone and say cut all the steaks from six ounces to four ounces, and we could save, hypothetically, $15 million annually. But it doesn’t work like that. We work harder to find efficiencies so that we can save money and take that money and reinvest it in a better product.”

One noticeable example is a new program to procure seafood. Celebrity recently switched from procuring frozen fish to procuring “frozen at sea fish,” where the catch is frozen within 15 minutes after being caught. “Obviously it comes with a higher premium,” Van Staden says, “but it’s a better quality fish.”

Continually Improving

On my sailing, the specialty restaurants were booked to capacity by guests who desired an intimate dining experience outside the main dining room.

Some of the specialty restaurants offer opportunities to experience dining that would cost much more on land. Murano, for example, offers a near Michelin-star dining experience (to my knowledge, Michelin does not distribute stars to cruise ship restaurants) for $35 per person, allowing guests to enjoy an exquisite dining event in a beautiful setting.

While guests appreciate specialty restaurants, Van Staden says that cruise lines are not often rated by their specialty restaurants. “It’s about what the main restaurant and lido deliver,” he says. “Those are our two main focuses. We revamped our buffet experience. We increased the variety. We changed the menus. For the main restaurant, we invest a lot of money and a lot of time to continuously improve it. Our goal is to separate ourselves from the sea of sameness from the main restaurants on other cruise lines.”

Iron Chef Cat Cora performs a cooking demonstration during Celebrity Cruises' first Food Network cruise. More than 150 people signed on to attend hands-on workshops and demonstrations and meet the celebrity chefs. All who I spoke with had high praise for Celebrity's cuisine, in the main dining room and beyond.

Many guests never venture beyond the main dining room or the Oceanview (lido) Café. My own impression of these two dining venues during my sailing: the cuisine, presentation and execution is excellent. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointment in either restaurant, and I am traveling with 150 foodies who are participating in Celebrity’s first Food Network cruise. None have expressed disappointment. To the contrary, all who I have spoke with have expressed praise.

So put those rumors to rest: There’s no truth to them, and in fact, the truth appears to be quite the opposite. Celebrity is raising the bar in the main dining room instead of lowering it.

Stateroom design underscores what you find throughout Celebrity Solstice: taste & class. The company has since launched two additional Solstice-class vessels, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse. Some say they are formidable competitors to the luxury lines.

How do Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels compare to luxury cruise lines where the price point is at least twice as much? Read my report this week during a Caribbean voyage on Celebrity Solstice.

Back in November of 2008, I wrote a story called “Celebrity’s Newest Ship Breaks The Mold.” Clearly, Celebrity Solstice left a good impression on me and many others.

This week, I’m back on Celebrity Solstice, taking a second look at what a friend of mine calls, “Crystal Light.” She’s referring not to the powdered sugar-free beverage but rather to Celebrity’s competitive positioning against luxury operator Crystal Cruises.

She posits that Celebrity is a formidable contender to Crystal in some areas, namely staterooms, cuisine and other ship-board offerings. That’s quite claim, especially considering that Celebrity’s price point is about half of Crystal’s.

Are Celebrity’s Solstice-class vessels nipping at the heels of their luxury competitors? I don’t plan to a blow-by-blow comparison, but this week, I will take a look at some of the good — and not-so-good, if warranted — on Celebrity Solstice.

Bathrooms are well-designed with one small, but well-publicized feature: a shower bar to assist women in shaving their legs. Such small touches characterize the well-thought-out design on Solstice-class vessels.

First impressions are the same as last time I was on board: Solstice is an exceptionally tasteful ship in both design and on-board offerings.

Public areas are gorgeous, restaurants are both numerous (with as many as 10 dining venues, depending on how you count – five have cover charges) and impressive. Staterooms are comfortable and well-designed. Mine, 8253, has a deep balcony, thanks to its positioning in the mid-ship curve.

Situated in the ship's curve, stateroom 8253 features an ultra-deep balcony, which makes it inviting for in-room dining or relaxing.

How will Celebrity Solstice shake out by the end of the week? Of course, purists know that Celebrity can’t compete in several areas against the luxury players:

1. With a capacity of more than 2,800 guests, a single Solstice-class vessel has more capacity than the entire fleets of most, if not all, of the luxury players.
2. On the smaller luxury lines, staff frequently address guests by their names. Not so on larger vessels, such as those in the Solstice class.
3. With the exception of Crystal, luxury lines are all-inclusive, meaning that a check will not be shoved under your nose to sign for soft drinks, specialty coffees and alcoholic beverages. On Celebrity, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice your penmanship. Crystal skirts the all-inclusive issue by providing an As You Wish Credit.

Stay tuned this week for more on Solstice. Meantime, I welcome your questions and comments.

Among the many shore activities for cruise passengers, Reykjavik offers opportunities to ride sturdy and beautiful Icelandic Horses.

On the evening that I arrived in Reykjavik, the weather had turned. What had been a beautiful summer for days running had suddenly been interrupted by clouds and rain. Nonetheless, the weather would not stop us from running through Reykjavik to see what the city had to offer cruise passengers on calls to Iceland’s capital city.

I arrived in Reykjavik with a film crew from Copenhagen to photograph and film the stunning landscape in and around this northern city. Fortunately, it was not raining buckets when we arrived, and there was always the hope that tomorrow would clear.

In fact, the weather did clear, and while the sky above us was still gray, there were patches of sunshine. We set out to explore. Starting at 8 in the morning, we would spend the next eight hours on what is probably the most popular of Iceland’s shore excursions: The Golden Circle Tour.

Cruise lines may call the tour something different, but no matter what it’s called, the tour makes a wide sweep to visit three significant attractions near Reykjavik.

• Geysir, which gave the world the word “geyser”;
• Gullfoss, a thundering double-decker waterfall; and
• Thingvellir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, the only place in the world where you can see this phenomenon above water.

Our host for the day was Agust Agustsson, who represents the Port of Reykjavik. The evening before, Agust had given us a tour of the city. He told us that increasingly, cruise ships were overnighting in Iceland’s capital. And why not? After a day of touring, it’s easy to venture into Reykjavik from the Skarfabakki cruise docks, less than two miles from the city center.

Those who do venture out will find that Reykjavik has a vibrant nightlife, excellent restaurants and 24-hour sunlight in the middle of the summer. Plus, with Iceland’s recent financial crisis, the capital city is more affordable for tourists than it once was.

When in Reykjavik, find your way to the old harbor area (some of the smaller cruise ships dock there) to find Saegreifinn, a fish restaurant. The restaurant is reminiscent of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. No need to get all dressed up. This is casual dining at its best.

Be sure to try a Brennivin, an Icelandic schnapps, the country’s signature alcoholic beverage. If you’re there during the day, you may even want to do a whale-watching excursion. Oh, and to show you know your stuff, it may help if you know that Reykjavik translates to “Smoky Bay.” The smoke doesn’t come from cigarettes or factories, but from the geothermal activity in the region.

On the morning of our tour, Agust loaded us into a van for the full-day journey. Our first stop was Geysir, an area of hot springs and mud pools. The original Geysir, which gave its name to the world’s vocabulary, rarely spouts nowadays.

Strokkur spouting its steamy breath.

Just a few feet away, however, Strokkur blasts boiling water ever few minutes or so to the delight of tourists with cameras poised.

Cruise ship passengers typically have a long look at Strokkur and then dine across the road at Hotel Geysir, where some tables face the windows toward the geyser. Dine and enjoy nature’s performance. The restaurant works with extreme efficiency, serving cruise ship passengers so that they are in and out in 50 minutes and onto the next stop on the Golden Circle Tour.

On shore excursions from Reykjavik, visit Gullfoss, the golden waterfall.

Our next stop was Gullfoss, translating into “golden waterfall.” A little more than 100 years ago, the waterfall was in danger of being dammed to tap its potential for hydroelectric power. One lady fought for the preservation of the waterfall, however, and thankfully won the battle so that tourists today can appreciate this force of nature.

Thingvellir, where two continents meet.

Next stop, Thingvellir, which is significant for two reasons: 1) It was here that Iceland got its first democratically elected parliament; and 2) the region is situated on a rift where the tectonic plates for Europe and America meet. It’s the only place in the world where you can see the meeting of two continents above water. Thingvellir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural and geological significance.

On the way back to Reykjavik, Agust told us that Reykjavik has been welcoming cruise passengers for more than 100 years. Many of those cruisers came to see the natural attractions that we saw today.

One of the last passengers to visit Reykjavik before the second World War would become a significant figure of the war. She was Eva Brown, who filmed some of her trip with a camera that Hitler gave to her on a voyage that stopped in Iceland in 1939. About a month after the cruise ended, war broke out.

No time for the Reykjavik nightlife. Our ship was departing for Greenland. But we knew we would be leaving with much still to be seen. No doubt we would return.

Nonetheless, we had made the most of our full day in Reykjavik. If your ship happens to be calling on the Icelandic capital, I recommend the Golden Circle Tour to experience some of the best natural attractions in and around “Smoky Bay.”

Surrounded by the blue ocean and the majestic Esja mountain (2,999 feet/914 meters high), Reykjavik is a destination that will leave no visitor unimpressed. The Icelandic nature is but one of the factors that attract visitors from near and afar. Add to that the geothermal baths, a plethora of museums, and a vibrant nightlife: it is easy to understand Reykjavik’s popularity among travelers. Read more of the Avid Cruiser’s Port Profile of Reykjavik.

Grass-Roofed Houses In The Faroe Islands

Decades ago, I was leafing through the pages of National Geographic magazine when I came upon a photograph of a grass-roofed house in the Faroe Islands. The image of that fairy-tale-like home engaged my imagination, and thus began my desire to visit the exotic cluster of islands that had etched an indelible image in my mind.

The journey from then until now spanned more than 30 years, and it was only last week that I set foot on the rugged group of islands jutting out of the North Atlantic. Descending the steps from the Atlantic Airways jet that had brought me to the Faroe Islands from Copenhagen, I put my foot on the tarmac and gazed in front of me: rugged, green and impressive.

I wasn’t the first traveler to be enthralled by the beauty before me. In 2007, National Geographic Traveler named the Faroe Islands the world’s most appealing island destination. The Faroes outranked the Azores, Lofoten, Bermuda, Hawaii and other islands. The judging panel remarked that the Faroes were “lovely, unspoiled islands, a delight to the traveler.”

Indeed. Not five minutes from the airport and already we were commanding the driver to pull over so that we could snap photographs and film the surrounding scenery. This continued for three days as I traveled with a film crew from Copenhagen on assignment here to capture the essence of the Faroes. Our mission was to discover the soul of this mystical place and to reveal it in video to give cruise passengers a tantalizing taste of what they can expect when cruising to the Faroes.

A few minutes further and a group of grass-roofed houses emerged. The village of Bøur was picture-postcard perfect, perched on a small cliff by the sea, the white steeple of a church piercing the sea of grass roofs. Creating a near-deafening sound, a stream of whitewater roared past the church.

Picture-Postcard Perfect: The Village of Bøur.

What I discovered during three days in the Faroes was a stunning landscape and a vibrant culture. The near vertical slopes of the glaciated landscape plunged into the sea. Dotting the grass-covered hillsides were sheep, brown, black, grey and white. The sea, which is is nearly always within view, teems with marine life, and the economy of the Faroes relies on the bountiful harvests from the sea. Seafood export accounts for the more than 90 percent of the local export economy.

On one day of our visit, we witnessed a tradition more than four centuries old, the so-called drive hunts for pilot whales. The killing of these whales has been part of a non-commercial ritual dating from 1584.

Hunters surround the pilot whales with a wide semicircle of boats, then drive the whales to shallow water in the bay, where the whales become beached and are slaughtered. The ritual is an important part of Faroese culture and history. The Pilot Whale was considered a gift from god. Whale meat meant food for a long time. I was told, there is no waste, and as has been the custom for centuries, the whale meat is distributed to villagers, not sold commercially.

Upon hearing of the practice, I thought it to be barbaric. But once I witnessed this age-old tradition and was informed about its social significance, I realized it was no more barbaric than the slaughter of cows, pigs or chickens for sustenance worldwide.

Picturesque Gjogv.

The Faroe Islanders are extremely independent. They descended from the Vikings who came here from Scandinavia more than 11 centuries ago. Irish monks lived in the Faroes even before the Vikings but fled the islands when the Viking longships arrived. In 1035, the Faroe Islands were annexed by the Kingdom of Norway, which ended up under Danish rule in 1380.

Though officially an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroese were granted control of most of the matters that affect their islands in 1948. However, the Danish Queen’s kingdom includes the Faroe Islands (as well as Greenland), and Denmark is responsible for the military defense and the foreign affairs of the Faroes.

The Faroese have their own language, with grammar as well as vocabulary similar to Icelandic and to the extinct language Old Norse. Spoken Faroese, however, is closer to Norwegian dialects. While Faroese is the main language in the islands, both Faroese and Danish are the official languages.

The Faroe Islanders even have their own currency, the Faroese krona. The islands are not a member of the European Union.

A modern infrastructure of paved roads and tunnels connects more than 80 percent of the 50,000 people who live in the Faroes. Nearly 20,000 people live in Torshavn, the world’s smallest national capital. There are 18 islands in total, and all but one is inhabited.

The Faroe Islands are a place of unforgettable beauty. A simple photograph in a magazine had inspired me to visit, yet I waited much too long for my first journey to these enchanting islands. You need not wait for decades to pass before your visit. Chart your course to the Faroes on a cruise of the North Atlantic. You’ll be glad you did.

Silversea Offers Excursions to Moscow from St. Petersburg.

If you have any grasp of geography, you know that Moscow isn’t a destination that ocean-going cruise ships can reach (river cruisers can, however). And yet yesterday, on a Baltic cruise, ten of us sailing on Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper, spent a full day exploring Red Square, the Kremlin and other Moscow attractions.

The shore excursion from St. Petersburg, where Whisper was docked, went for $999 per person, including the one-hour-plus flights to and from Moscow on a Boeing 737 (to) and Airbus 319 (from). Tour participants I spoke with said they felt the excursion was a good value. “When will I ever be an hour from Moscow again?” asked one.

Tour Specifics

Our tour began at 7 a.m. when we were shuttled by a private van to St. Petersburg airport.

The tour began at 7 a.m., when a private shuttle and guide transferred us to the St. Petersburg’s Pulkuvo Airport. After smoothing sailing through check-in and security clearance, we boarded the morning flight to Moscow, where a private van and a second (local) guide transferred us to the city center.

Four hours after leaving the English Embankment in St. Petersburg, we were standing in Moscow's Red Square.

St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square

It was about 11 a.m. before we set foot in Red Square, where we spent about 45 minutes admiring the multicolored onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin Towers. Originally a marketplace, Red Square developed as the city’s major showpiece.

Additionally, we were able to see Lenin’s Mausoleum and walk inside the GUM Department Store, before heading to the Pushkin Cafe for coffee and cookies. For those who required something more substantial, a boxed lunch was offered for us to eat along the way (lunch would have cut into valuable sightseeing time). Bottled water was also provided throughout the day.

Coffee and Cookies at Pushkin Cafe

After leaving the charming Pushkin Cafe, we headed to the Kremlin. A few rules before entering the Kremlin: no backpacks, no cameras with lens larger than 72mm, and when inside the Kremlin, no photography and, oh, stay on the carpets in the Grand Kremlin Palace.

We visited cathedrals & palaces inside The Kremlin

The Kremlin, which is the official residence of the president of Russia, is a collection of palaces and cathedrals situated within the historic fortification (the Kremlin wall) in the heart of Moscow.

We spent about an hour in the lovely Grand Kremlin Palace, admiring the lavish reception halls, visited a cathedral and spent another hour in the Arsenal (Armory), where we admired a variety of well-perserved carriages, period costumes, crowns and the famous Fabergé eggs. Four others from our cruise who had spent the night in Moscow (an option also offered) joined us for the Kremlin tour.

We also visited Assumption Cathedral, once the private chapel of the tsars, to admire the beautiful frescoes and a striking iconostasis.

Dinner was at the elegant Writer's Club

Afterward, we went for an early dinner at the Writer’s Club, housed in a stately mansion dating from the 1890s. The Writer’s Club has been the watering hole and meeting place of famous Russian (and Soviet) writers for more than 70 years.

No famous writers in sight during our visit, but we enjoyed the setting as well as the excellently prepared Stroganoff, accompanied by wine.

Shortly after 6 p.m., we boarded a private van to transfer back to the airport. Because of heavy traffic, it was after 7:30 before we arrived and checked in for the return flight.

By 11, we were back in St. Petersburg and on Silver Whisper, where a special dinner had been set up in the Panorama Lounge.

Final Word

The Moscow & The Kremlin shore excursion was well-executed and is highly recommended for those who want to see Moscow on one of three days while docked in St. Petersburg.

Silver Whisper Tidbit

In May 2003, Silver Whisper was docked on the Neva River for three days as it hosted the largest gathering of world leaders since WWII, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who were attending tricentennial celebrations in St. Petersburg.

Silver Whisper docked yesterday at Stockholm's Stadsgårdshamnen, just steps away from the fine new museum, Fotografiska.

It was not raining yesterday in Stockholm, and that was  good thing when it came to exploring the city for cruise passengers (me one of them) departing at 6 p.m. on Silver Whisper.

Arriving before noon, I had time to get out to see some of the city’s attractions. One of the newest ones was right next to the ship, Fotografiska.

If you’re a photographer, you’ll appreciate it when I say that Annie Lebovitz’s work is exhibited here. She was here to open the museum, in fact, just a few months ago.

Admiring the work of Annie Lebovitz at Stockholm's Fotografiska museum.

Fotografiska thinks of itself as an “important center for contemporary photography.” The ambition is to exhibit world-renown photographers, many of whom have never shown in Sweden.

The museum is situated in the heart of the city, an easy walk from Gamla Stan, or also accessible by the Hop On, Hop Off sightseeing boats. Fotografiska is housed in an attractive Art Nouveau style building dating from the turn of last century when it served a a customs control, to monitor goods coming into Sweden.

I spent about an hour browsing richly evocative photographs in the museum, which was busy with both tourists and locals alike on the Wednesday afternoon when I was there. If your ship is docked at Stadsgårdshamnen, visiting the museum is a no-brainer. If docked farther away, use the Hop On, Hop Off boat to get to the museum.

Fotografiska costs SEK95 entry (or use your Stockholm Card to enter for free) and is open daily from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. except for Christmas, New Year’s Eve  and the all-important Midsummer’s Eve.

Before going, you might browse the website, www.fotografiska.eu, of join the more than 68,000 others who “like” the museum at its Facebook fan page, nearly all in Swedish.

In the video, Top Ten Reasons To River Cruise In Europe, we outline some of the advantages of river cruising over other forms of transportation. When compared to touring by motorcoach, for example, river cruising is the hands-down winner.

Behind The Scenes: A Walk-Through of Silver Whisper At The Shipyard

Silver Whisper echoes the contemporary design themes and warm color palettes of Silversea’s newest ship, Silver Spirit.

• New Look for Suites: All carpets, headboards and curtains were completely replaced. The sofas and chairs feature new upholstery. Each suite has a new mattress custom-made exclusively for Silversea. The mattress features an individual spring system with a soft and firm side that can be reversed to suit each guest’s preference. There is also a new memory foam pillow top that covers the mattress when configured as a queen-sized bed.
• Refreshed Public Areas: La Terrazza, the Panorama Lounge, Reception area, Spa, Card Room and Conference Room received new upholstery, carpeting, curtains and wall treatments. New carpet was laid in the Observation Lounge and new wood flooring in the Spa. The Restaurant’s hardwood floor was completely reconditioned and polished and the chairs dressed in new upholstery. An upgraded sound system was added to the Show Lounge, Panorama Lounge and La Terrazza.  New carpet was installed in all corridors, landings and staircases.
• Upgraded Outdoor Spaces: The jogging track features all-new artificial turf, and the pool area has been outfitted with new deck furniture, plus a new sound and light system for evening entertainment and outdoor shows. The pool itself has been upgraded inside and out with new tiles. A large awning was installed over the outdoor dining section of La Terrazza. And the Pool Grill, sporting a new awning as well, will become The Grill for evening dining featuring the popular new Black Rock cooking concept that debuted aboard Silver Spirit.

When Crystal Cruises introduced its “As You Wish, All-Inclusive” program last year, giving a $2,000-per-couple onboard credit that passengers can spend on whatever they want, the line challenged the very notion of the “all-inclusive” cruise.

Luxury cruise lines have always hung their hats on being the most inclusive of vacations. What that means varies by the line, but for most – Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises, Seadream Yacht Club, and the Yachts of Seabourn – it means premium liquors and wines, bottled water, specialty coffees, specialty restaurants, and gratuities, are all included.

Crystal has always been a luxury line anomaly in this way. It doesn’t include wine or liquor in its price, or gratuities. Instead, Crystal has always touted other amenities it includes, like Berlitz language classes and a specialty restaurant where Nobu Matsuhisa serves as executive chef. It also includes the specialty coffees, bottled water and soda.

When the economy crashed out from under even the most well heeled of travelers in 2008, several luxury cruise lines slashed prices – Silversea and Seabourn by up to 65%.

Regent decided not to drop its rates, opting instead to add value; it one-upped its competitors on the all-inclusive front with the addition of a selection of free shore excursions at every port.

Crystal, which always faced pressure regarding what it didn’t include, was suddenly faced with having to decide whether to bow to peer pressure and include liquor and gratuities, and maybe match Regent with some free shore excursions.

Instead, Crystal did something no line had ever done before. It essentially added all of those amenities in some form by tacking on the “As You Wish, All-Inclusive” $1,000-per-person onboard credit to every passenger’s folio.

Crystal Senior Vice President of Sales Bill Smith explained that the term “all-inclusive” is actually a misnomer. While its competitors bill themselves as being more inclusive than Crystal by offering an open bar and some shore excursions, Smith explains that only Crystal really allows its guests to design the vacation experience they want.

Smith proves his point with a look at what Crystal passengers are spending their onboard credit on: shore excursions and spa treatments. The bar, he said, is not even close to the top item. That may be true, but on the other luxury lines, it is nice to not have to sign checks each time you order a drink.

While Regent offers a sample of free shore excursions, they can’t possibly be the ones that every guest will want to take. And for someone who doesn’t drink much alcohol, being on a cruise with an open-bar is the equivalent to subsidizing someone else’s bar tab. Or as Smith says, it’s giving guests something they might not want.

With “As You Wish”, the line explains, guests can use the onboard credit to try a Vintage Room wine experience, or use it to pay gratuities to their favorite waiters, or hire a private car. If they wish, they can always spend the entire amount at the bar.

Bottom Line

Is Crystal’s program better than its competitors? Not necessarily. There are lots of factors to consider – the per diem paid for the cruise, the size of the stateroom, the size of the ship, dining options and more. Do the math and decide for yourself. Where Crystal truly stands apart is that it offers large-ship luxury in a small-ship market.