World of Cruising August/September Sample Issue by Chris quee

www.worldofcruising.co.uk

Digging a bigger ditch

August / September 2014

£4.50

Floating in Paradise Go wild around the world The power behind the throne in Pearl II’s kitchen

100 years of the Panama Canal – past, present and future

3 OF A KIND + CAPTAIN GREYBEARD + LIFE ON BOARD + WHERE NEXT? + WORLD OF SPAS

Uniworld’s magnificent fleet of boutique ships, each uniquely designed and furnished, plies the great waterways of Europe in peerless style. Appreciate Zagat-recommended fine cuisine and all riverview staterooms, a choice of shore excursions, outstanding amenities including Serenity River Spa centres, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including many premium brands)‡* and, thanks to Uniworld’s exclusive partnership with Titan, door to door transfers wherever you live in the UK†.

Venice and the Gems of Northern Italy

Castles along the Rhine

Bordeaux, Vineyards and Châteaux

8 days from £2749 £1699^

8 days from £2629 £1629^

8 days from £2249 £1399^

Departs Apr-Nov 2015

Departs Mar-Nov 2015

Day 1 London - Venice Day 2 Venice Day 3 Venice - Chioggia (Padua) Taglio di Po - Polesella Day 4 Polesella (Bologna or Ferrara) Day 5 Polesella (Ravenna) - Taglio di Po (Po Delta area) - Chioggia Venice Day 6 Venice (Verona) Day 7 Venice Day 8 Venice - London

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

London - Amsterdam Cologne Koblenz - The Rhine - Boppard The Rhine - Rüdesheim Germersheim (Speyer) Kehl (Strasbourg) Breisach (Kayserberg and Riquewihr or Colmar) Day 8 Basel - London Saving applies to 1 Apr 2015 departure

Departs Mar-Nov 2015 Day 1 London - Bordeaux Day 2 Garonne River & Gironde Estuary - Pauillac Day 3 Gironde Estuary - Blaye Day 4 Libourne (Bergerac) Day 5 Libourne (Saint-Émilion) Dordogne River Day 6 Cadillac - Bordeaux Day 7 Bordeaux Day 8 Bordeaux - London Saving applies to 15 Mar 2015 departure

Saving applies to 28 Jun 2015 departure

Sailing on River Countess

Sailing on River Empress

Sailing on River Royale

The ‘World’s Best River Cruises’ Outstanding all-inclusive value

REMEMBER NO-ONE INCLUDES MORE! Uniworld’s unparalleled range of inclusions as standard: • Door-to-door transfers from any UK mainland address at the start and end of your holiday† • Scheduled flights with reputable airlines

• All meals on board, including al fresco dining on deck, early-riser breakfast, all-day bistro menu, Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Dinners

• All transfers

• All entertainment plus enlightening lectures on board

• All airport and port taxes, security charges, UK Air Passenger Duty and applicable fuel surcharge

• Complimentary internet and Wi-Fi access on board

• All-inclusive* cruising on one-of-a-kind ships • All gratuities onboard and ashore worth up to £80pp* • Unlimited drinks onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, speciality coffee, tea, bottled water‡

• A choice of shore excursions in every major port of call, with English-speaking local guides • Complimentary portable audio headset system on all shore excursions • Complimentary use of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks

If you haven’t found your perfect itinerary in the selection opposite, call us today to request your special Uniworld 2015 brochure, which features a superlative range of deluxe European, Asian and Russian river cruises. Explore the ‘Imperial Waterways of Russia’, visiting Moscow and St Petersburg, discover ‘Lisbon and the Beautiful Douro River’, or sample the ‘Jewels of Spain, Portugal and the Douro River’ brand new for 2015!

Call free to book these special offers or request the latest brochure, quoting WC3 1EU

0808 102 0135 • titantravel.co.uk/uniworld T’s & C’s apply. Calls free from BT landlines, mobiles may vary. Prices shown are per person based on twin share, subject to availability, may be subject to change and will be confirmed upon enquiry. ^Book by 31 August 2014 Strike-throughs indicate anticipated full selling price after discounts expire. †Excludes Scottish islands and Sark. Flight supplements may be applicable *Only on European itineraries, excludes Russia, the Mekong and China. ‡Unlimited beverages exclude only the most premium wines, spirits and champagne. e.

EDITOR’S LETTER WORLD OF CRUISING

OUR CONTRIBUTORS GARY BUCHANAN, our Contributing Editor, is one of cruising’s most distinguished writers, contributing regularly to national newspapers, and the author of three books on the QE2. He was the winner of the Best River Cruise Feature category in this year’s CLIA cruise journalism awards for his World of Cruising article on the Zambezi Queen. JO FOLEY is a renowned author and journalist as well as our World of Spas editor, having previously edited Woman, Options, and The Observer magazine. She travels worldwide in search of the latest spa and beauty news and reports back on the most blissful hideaways to enjoy. GREG BARBER likes to think of himself as an international man of mystery. He has Italian roots – some of which were once heavily tinted – and now spends most of his time jet-setting around the world, trying to shake off his paymasters and the taxman.

WELCOME to the latest issue of World of Cruising – still a little crazy after 15 years. Regular readers will notice a new look, thanks to the talented Sabrina Godden, and with my hand on the wheel the magazine will be taking a slight change of course. I hope that the ship enthusiasts and liner lovers will not be deterred by our attempts to appeal to the hundreds of thousands of families who now take their holidays at sea – and to the millions of people out there who have yet to discover what great value a cruise provides. We hope we like what you see. Whether you appreciate what we are doing, or if you want us to change course, I would love to hear from you. Just drop a note to the email address below. Best wishes,

John Honeywell john.honeywell@worldofcruisingmagazine.co.uk

LESLEY BELLEW got hooked on adventure cruising in 2008 and now travels the globe chasing stories and sunshine. An award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience contributing to national, international and regional publications, she finds cruising the perfect way to indulge her passions for the arts, architecture, gardens, history and wildlife. ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD was a researcher for the first BBC television series of QI, hosted by Stephen Fry, which led to an interest in foreign words. He wrote The Meaning of Tingo – which examines words that have no English equivalent - and The Wonder of Whiffing. DANIELLE FEAR, known to her blog readers as CruiseMiss, covers cruise from a younger and often solo perspective. With a background in sales until joining the cruise industry, Danielle is now a recognised blogger, freelance writer and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. In a poll conducted by USA Today she was one of only two British bloggers to figure in the Top 10. STEVE NEWMAN is a keen champion of adventure and expedition eco-cruising and is the Digital Content Editor for the magazine where he helps run both of the magazine’s blogs and assists with the Facebook page and websites. A former schoolteacher who gave it all up to become a travel writer and photographer he also provides illustrated features to a variety of newspapers and magazines. ANTHONY NICHOLAS took his first cruise in 1981 and has written for The Scotsman, Independent, and The Sun, as well as a number of magazines. Based in the north-east of England, he also writes about hotels, rail journeys, and maritime history. His voyages have taken in everything from ultra-luxury boutique vessels to the most modern mega-ships. SUSAN PARKER has been writing about cruise shipping for 20 years, for much of that time as editor of the highly-respected Lloyd’s Cruise International. She has travelled extensively to destinations around the world and visited many of today’s latest ships both on the water and while they were under construction.

CONTENTS

World of Cruising is proud to be a member of CLIA

WORLD OF CRUISING

Contents www.worldofcruising.co.uk

August / September 2014

£4.50

p6 Digging a bigger ditch

BEING THERE

Floating in Paradise Go wild around the world The power behind the throne in Pearl II’s kitchen

100 years of the Panama Canal – past, present and future

3 OF A KIND + CAPTAIN GREYBEARD + LIFE ON BOARD + WHERE NEXT? + WORLD OF SPAS

COVER Celebrity Infinity in the Panama Canal www.worldofcruising.co.uk August/September 2014 ISSUE 64 ABC application approved January 2014 EDITOR John Honeywell WORLD OF SPAS EDITOR Jo Foley CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Gary Buchanan CONTRIBUTORS Lesley Bellew, Danielle Fear, Adam Jacot de Boinod, Steve Newman, Anthony Nicholas, Susan Parker.

NEWS 1 Welcome aboard The Editor’s view from the bridge

COLUMNISTS Captain Greybeard, Andy Harmer, Edwina Lonsdale, Silver Travel Advisor

8 Ocean cruise news

10 Adventure and destination news 11 River cruise and destination news

CREATIVE DIRECTION Sabrina Godden, asg designs ltd DESIGN AND ARTWORK asg designs ltd SALES DIRECTOR Chris Cummings Tel. +44 (0) 3330 118803 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Geraldine Ward Tel. +44 (0) 1273 564941 MANAGING DIRECTOR Chris Pitchford Tel. +44 (0) 1273 696 860 FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel. +44 (0) 208444 6045 info@worldofcruisingmagazine.com PUBLISHED BY Real Response Media 11 Chichester Terrace Brighton BN2 1FG 6th Floor, 111 Cannon Street London EC4N 5AR Reproduction not permitted without the express written consent of The Editor. All efforts are made to ensure factual accuracy is correct at the time of publication. World of Cruising magazine © 2014

REGULARS 6 Being There

The jewel that is St Petersburg

26 Edwina Lonsdale

looks to the East

34 Three of a Kind

Off the beaten track in the Baltic

37 Life on Board with cruise director Kieron Buffery

54 Top 10 Guide

to the best shopping in the Med

66 Cruise Talk Letters, Social media, and Silver Travel Advisor

68 Where Next? Magnificent Mazatlan returns to favour

75 CLIA View

Andy Harmer’s favourite things

76 Captain Greybeard Cruising on TV, and Saga’s future plans

78 Classifieds Our brand new classified ad section

CONTENTS

WORLD OF CRUISING

LUXURY CRUISING

p29

SPA FOCUS

p73

WORLD OF SPAS

FEATURES

72 News and sweet dreams from Spas editor Jo Foley

16 Cover story 100 years of the Panama Canal

73 Spa Focus

22 Panama revisited

with families in mind

Past, present and future

74 Beauty file

29 Luxury cruising

The best new products and offers

Floating in Paradise

42 River cruising Crowning glory of the Rhine

48 Adventure cruising around the world

52 New ship review Silversea’s Silver Discoverer

59 Cruise cuisine with executive chef George Streeter

64 Family cruising What’s in store for MSC

ADVENTURE CRUISING

p48

PROMOTIONS 12 River cruising on Fred Olsen’s Braemar

56 P&O

Food Heroes

BEING THERE

WORLD OF CRUISING

St Petersburg A sparkling gem among the world’s leading cruise destinations, St Petersburg is a treasure-trove of Baroque and Rococo palaces. The most stunning are the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood (above) and the incomparable State Hermitage Museum, housing one of the largest art collections in the world. Its rich green and white façade is a focal point along the banks of the River Neva. The glistening cupola of St Isaac’s Cathedral, the colourful domes of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood (above) and the gilded spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral are prominent symbols of this most enigmatic city, founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great and named in honour of St Peter. Outside the city the Peterhof summer palace, with its elaborate fountains, is often referred to as Russia’s Versailles, and the ornate Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo houses a modern replica of the famed Amber Room whose original disappeared during the Second World War. Newest of St Petersburg’s museums is devoted to the jeweller Carl Fabergé and particularly the eggs he created for the Russian royal family.

BEING THERE

WORLD OF CRUISING

WHO GOES THERE Almost every cruise line has Baltic itineraries that include St Petersburg, many with overnight stays. All will be hoping against hope that the increased east-west tension after events in Ukraine does not lead to economic sanctions against Russia and an embargo on travel.

OCEAN CRUISE NEWS WORLD OF CRUISING

WITH CUTAWAY OF QUANTUM OF THE SEAS

MAMMA MIA! Can cruise shows get even more spectacular?

Royal Caribbean – always at the forefront when it comes to innovation – is promising to take cruise ship entertainment to a new level on its latest ships, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Quantum – making a brief visit to the UK when it spends a couple of nights in Southampton at the end of October, en route to New York – follows Royal’s tradition of showcasing blockbuster West End productions by premiering Mamma Mia! in its 1,300-seat theatre. The real excitement, however, comes in its Two70° venue where digital shows will be projected onto 100-ft wide windows and six Robo-Screens – each more than seven ft high, will swoop and swirl in unison. “The entertainment in

Two70° is simply magical,” said Nick Weir, Vice President, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “There is an incredible team of risk takers and dreamers here at Royal Caribbean. We’ve always brought the best of land to sea, but in Two70° we are creating something that has never been done anywhere else in the world.” World of Cruising Editor JOHN HONEYWELL will be taking a sneak peek at what Quantum has to offer before the vessel leaves the German shipyard where she is being built. He will also be inspecting sister ship Anthem of the Seas, which will be sailing out of Southampton from next spring. Look out for his report in the next issue of World Of Cruising

OCEAN CRUISE NEWS WORLD OF CRUISING

Red faces over Royal Sisters become triplets white worktops Princess Cruises will add a third Royal-class vessel to its fleet in 2017. The` 143,000-ton ship joins Royal Princess – named in Southampton last year by the Duchess of Cambridge - and Regal Princess which began sailing in the Mediterranean in June and will be christened in Fort Lauderdale in November. Like its sisters and the similarly-designed P&O Britannia, the ship, designed to carry 3,560 passengers at double-occupancy, will be built by Fincantieri in Italy at a cost of €600 million.

HELLO WORLD P&O Cruises has brought in Rob Cottam, from Leith’s School of Food and Wine, and the Ashburton Cookery School in Devon, to oversee The Cookery Club on board Britannia. TV chef James Martin is the man with his name over the door – and he will be on board at least once a month – but Rob is the man who will take charge for the rest of the year. When World of Cruising flew out with him to see the part-completed vessel at a shipyard in north-east Italy, he was shame-facedly carrying a pasta making machine with him to make sure it would fit on the worktop. It did but there was one disappointment for him. Martin vetoed his plans to introduce a beetroot dish into the passenger lessons because he does not want his pristine white work surfaces to end up looking like pink marble.

Got six months – and the best part of £50,000 – to spare? Then take your loved one on a 180-day round the world cruise on Oceania Insignia. This really is the voyage of a lifetime! Setting out from Miami on January 4, 2016, Insignia will visit 57 UNESCO World Heritage sites in 45 countries. Fares from £23,819 per person. Book by October 31 this year to qualify for free gratuities – worth up to $8,300 – and other perks. www.oceaniacruises.com

See Food Heroes – Page 56

Promising start There were some who questioned the wisdom of Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s “Enjoyment Promise” which guaranteed to refund the fare and fly first-time passengers home if they decided within the first 48 hours that they were not enjoying themselves. But the cruise line is having the last laugh. Since introducing the scheme at the beginning of the year, and welcoming close to 30,000 passengers on board, they have not had to pay out a single penny.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE: Crystal cuisine, cruising with Carnival from New York, more news of the new ships arriving in the UK next year, an the launch of an intriguing contest for writers who have never travelled on a cruise

CRUISE NEWS

WORLD OF CRUISING

ADVENTURE CRUISE NEWS

FURTHER EVOLUTION FOR SILVER GALÁPAGOS The all-suite luxury expedition ship Silver Galápagos is undergoing a month-long dry dock in Panama during which all its accommodation is being upgraded and refurbished. The 100-passenger vessel, which was spruced up when Silversea acquired it last year, will get a new spa and fitness centre, outdoor Jacuzzi, and signature outdoor dining venue, The Grill.

Silver Galápagos sails on seven-day voyages through the Galápagos Islands, following either a western or north central route. Included expeditions ashore are guided by an experienced expedition team (certified by the Galápagos National Park Service), Silversea’s guests experience encounters with an abundance of wildlife that includes sun-basking land iguanas, giant tortoises, blue- and red-footed boobies, colourful marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins and Darwin’s famous finches.

DESTINATION NEWS

Victoria turns heads on ‘The Cote d’Azur’

Tallinn expansion The port of Tallinn can accommodate bigger cruise ships following the completion of a new €9.34 million quay. Its inauguration earlier this year was marked by the arrival of the 1,083-ft long Royal Princess – the biggest ship to visit the Estonian port. See 3 of a Kind, Pages 34-35

Toll change

Heads turned when Cunard’s Queen Victoria made the cruise line’s maiden call at St Raphael on the Cote d’Azur this summer. The ship, and her 2,000 passengers, were almost a week into their 14-night voyage from Southampton and had already called at Cartagena and Barcelona in Spain before arriving in St Raphael’s Bay, 30 miles west of Nice. After spending the day at anchor, Queen Victoria sailed on towards Florence. Captain Peter Philpott, master of the 90,000 ton vessel, said: “It’s a privilege to bring Queen Victoria into a

new port for the first time, and to be in command of the first Cunard ship ever to sail into St Raphael makes the call particularly special. The Cote d’Azur is one of the most beautiful and most celebrated coastlines in the Mediterranean – almost synonymous with summer holidays. I hope this maiden visit proves to have been a joy for our passengers - it feels like we are the biggest yacht in this delightful bay.”

Passengers travelling round the eastern M25 to join a cruise at Dover should be aware that the system of toll payments for the Dartford Crossing will change in October. Instead of payment at the barriers, a Dart Charge is to be introduced, payable in advance or by phone, online and at some shops.

New resort Carnival Corporation plans to invest $70 million to develop a private resort on Tortuga, a small island off the north coast of Haiti. The company already operates Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, Mahogany Bay near Roatan, and Puerto Maya in Cozumel, Mexico. It is also spending £65 million developing Amber Cove, in the Dominican Republic, which will open next year.

CRUISE NEWS

WORLD OF CRUISING

OFF LIMITS More ports for ships to avoid The violent conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territory of the Gaza strip led a number of cruises to cancel calls in the region. An AIDA ship was struck by shrapnel as it was leaving Ashdod, the port usually used for excursions to Jerusalem. Costa Crociere cancelled all its port calls at Ashdod and Haifa scheduled for the remainder of 2014. Haifa visits for Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner’s and Oceania Riviera were replaced with visits to Mykonos,

Greece, and ports in Turkey. Most cruise operators have yet to return to the Red Sea ports following disturbances in Egypt, and Black Sea itineraries have been re-jigged to avoid the Ukrainian port of Odessa, and Sevastopol and Yalta in the Crimean peninsula.The lines will be hoping that the West does not impose sanctions against Russia which would affect cruises to St Petersburg and effectively kill off the Baltic cruise business.

Cruises with West African ports of call on their itineraries will also be under scrutiny in light of the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus. HAL’s Rotterdam, Seabourn Sojourn and Saga Pearl II are all scheduled to visit Senegal and the Gambia in November, and Seven Seas Mariner will be there in October. If deaths continue to rise, the cruise lines will have to find alternatives, or risk passengers voting with their feet and going elsewhere.

RIVER NEWS

NEW ON THE RIVER FOR 2015 Booze cruise adds cheese

Uniworld plans to introduce the 155-passenger SS Maria Theresa next spring. A sister to the opulent SS Catherine, which was launched this year by Catherine Deneuve, the Maria Theresa will sail on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. In addition to its main lounge it will have an ornate Bar du Leopard lounge, a heated swimming pool and a cinema. The Royal Suite measures an impressive 410 sq ft and there will be 10 other suites, 61 staterooms at 194 sq ft and a further 11 smaller cabins of 162 sq ft. Another flotilla of Viking Longboats will be launched in 2015, extending the company’s domination of European waterways. Also new will be the 164-passenger AmaSerena and AmaVista on the Danube, Rhine and Main, and the 124-passenger AmaDara which will join AmaLotus on the Mekong, passing through Vietnam and Cambodia.

Viking sponsors Thames art Viking River Cruises is sponsoring Rivers of the World, an international education programme created by the Thames Festival Trust. Professional artists will help students create works of art that will be displayed on London’s South Bank during the Mayor’s Thames Festival.

It’s not Oktoberfest, but... AmaWaterways has a beer-themed week coming up on AmaLyra. The seven-night Tulip Time cruise from Amsterdam at the end of March will involve tastings at historic breweries and lectures about foaming pints while on board. There are also chances to taste Dutch cheese and Belgian chocolate, and a visit to the Dutch bulbfields and Keukenhof Gardens. Something for everybody.

WW1 remembered by CroisiEurope River cruises themed around World War One continue next year. CroisiEurope’s ship Victor Hugo will be operating battlefield cruises between Ostend and Lille in September, with excursions to Passchendaele and Flanders museums, the Allied tunnels at Arras, and the British cemetery at Tyne Cot.

EDITORIAL PROMOTION

Sail scenic routes and see the sights with Fred. If you are looking for an intimate and immersive holiday, then booking a river cruise with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is the perfect opportunity for a scenic adventure that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.

Ocean cruises offer a fantastic experience, but sometimes something a little less grandiose in scale may be just what you need. Smaller cruise ships mean that you can explore off-the-beaten-track areas, resulting in a relaxed and tranquil exploration of exotic waterways and lesser-known ports. This is why award-winning Fred. Olsen is offering more and more river cruise itineraries aboard its shallow-drafted cruise ship, Braemar. Carrying just 929 guests, this more intimate ship is ideal for taking a scenic cruise along the spectacular Seine to Rouen, or gliding up the picturesque Guadalquivir River towards Seville. All in the style and comfort of one of Fred. Olsen’s most popular ships, renowned for its friendly, ‘home-from-home’ atmosphere and very British ambience on board - as with all the Fred. Olsen fleet. Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, has welcomed the growth of river cruising in recent years, and has been keen to bring this innovation to the cruise line. “For many, a river cruise is an attractive alternative to a traditional ocean voyage;

EDITORIAL PROMOTION

we know from our hugely successful ‘French & Flanders River Cruise’ in 2014 that our guests want us to do more and more of this special type of scenic cruising. “Braemar can get right into the heart of river cruise destinations, and the fact that we are offering an increasing number of overnight stays in cities along the way means that we can give guests the very best experience, with time to explore and take in the wonderful historical sights.” Sailing from 10 convenient regional UK ports – Southampton, Dover, Harwich, Tilbury, Avonmouth (Bristol), Liverpool, Newcastle, Greenock (Glasgow), Rosyth (Edinburgh) and Belfast – Fred. Olsen gives guests the choice of every kind of holiday experience; from cultural city breaks and scenic river cruises, to picturesque beaches and wildlife adventures. In its 2015/16 programme, Fred. Olsen is including more scenic cruising than ever before. Unlike larger cruise lines, which choose to return to the sea in between port calls, Fred. Olsen’s ships can cruise coastal routes, for example, between the islands and mainland of Norway, to give more scenic and sheltered sailings. These scenic routes, many of which are restricted to only the smaller ships, are as important as the ports of call themselves,

as they showcase the true beauty and magnificence of the destination. Why not take a breath-taking journey through the Stockholm archipelago, passing by tiny islands and mysterious outcrops – as well as the holiday home of Abba star Björn Ulvaeus – or marvel at the amazing, unique landscapes in Fred. Olsen’s historic homeland, Norway, sailing past ‘the mountain with the hole’, ‘Torghatten’, and getting up close to Norway’s best waterfall, Langfoss? Fred. Olsen is dedicated to taking guests right ‘to the heart of the destination’ and, in 2015, for the first time ever, will be offering two 14-night cruises ‘Bringing the Baltic Closer To You’ on board Braemar. Both of these special itineraries have been planned to take advantage of Braemar’s shallow draft, enabling her to dock within walking distance of Scandinavia’s most famous landmarks.

To find out more about Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ exciting 2015/16 cruise programme across its fleet of four ships - ‘Balmoral’, ‘Braemar’, ‘Boudicca’ and ‘Black Watch’ - visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com, call the Reservations team free on 0800 0355 242, or visit an ABTA travel agent.

Braemer in the Norwegian fjords

Braemar sets out from Dover on March 24, 2015, for a relaxing 11-night French River Cruising voyage. First port of call is La Pallice, from where guests can take tours of La Rochelle’s arcaded streets, ancient wooden houses and stately mansions. The ship will continue into the Gironde estuary for a two-night stay in Bordeaux, the UNESCO-listed Pearl of Aquitaine, entering the city under the magnificent new Chaban-Dalmas lifting bridge. There’s another overnight stay in Nantes before Braemar enters the Seine and journeys upriver to Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake and French Impressionist Claude Monet captured a series of paintings of the cathedral’s west front in the late 19th Century. Prices for the cruise start at £999 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin-bedded cabin, including accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, plus port taxes.

COVER STORY

WORLD OF CRUISING

Digging a bigger ditch As the Panama Canal celebrates its centenary, work on expansion nears completion and a rival looms closer. GARY BUCHANAN chronicles the history of one of mankindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most impressive achievements

COVER STORY

WORLD OF CRUISING

COVER STORY

WORLD OF CRUISING

Previous page: P&O Cruises Aurora sails under the Centennial Millennium Bridge which spans the Gaillard Cut, the narrowest part of the Panama Canal. Left: Celebrity Infinity passes underneath the Bridge of the Americas en route to the Pacific Ocean, Panama City is in the background.

he creation of the Panama Canal one hundred years ago was far more than an unprecedented feat of engineering; it was a profoundly important historic event. It represented the largest, most costly single undertaking ever before mounted anywhere on earth, and it held the world’s attention over a span of forty years. Costing $387 million, it was an engineering miracle that changed the world by dividing a continent. The importance of the Isthmus of Panama was sealed in 1513 when Vasco de Núñez de Balboa led a straggle of Spanish colonists through the jungle from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Their route was followed in 1671 when the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan and a band of two thousand brigands hacked their way through endless rainforest to the city of Panama which they promptly burned to the ground. At the end of the 17th century, the Scots tried to establish a foothold in this region of Central America with

the ill-fated Darien Scheme. All that remains of their efforts is the small island of Caledonia and the overgrown settlement of New Edinburgh. Almost two centuries later, French engineers led by Ferdinand de Lesseps - fresh from his triumph at Suez - believed, rashly, that he could link the Atlantic and Pacific with a sea-level canal which became known as ‘Le Grand Projet’. Of the many problems they faced throughout the 1880s, the worst was malaria which claimed 26,000 lives. The last great enterprise of the Victorian era was such a resounding failure that the term Panamiste became one of abuse in France. France’s folly became America’s dream. Within a few years the first grandiose show of American power and industrial might at the dawn of the new century was unleashed in this narrow isthmus that umbilically links the vast North American continent with its southern counterpart. By helping the Province of Panama gain independence from

Colombia, Theodore Roosevelt acquired a licence to build, operate and police a canal, as well as the land on either side of it. With malaria eradicated in the steamy jungle that borders the canal, 40,000 men – Chinese, Indian, and African indentured labourers - were engaged in the construction. Over 200 million cubic yards of material were removed, almost half of which came from the Gaillard Cut alone, as solid rock and shale was blasted by nineteen million pounds of dynamite. Years of death, toil and engineering tenacity finally paid off. Seizing the strategic potential, American expansionism took off in earnest. The first transit of the Canal was on 15th August 1914 by the SS Ancon, and in a stroke the arduous 8,000 mile voyage around Cape Horn that could take up to several weeks, or even months, was reduced to a mere eight or nine hours.

Free Airfare with Reduced Business Class Air Upgrade on select voyages* Extraordinary Bonus Savings up to £8,280 per stateroom* Free Gratuities on every voyage* and Bonus Amenities on select voyages*

BLACK SEA LEGENDS ISTANBUL

ATHENS

| 10-DAY VOYAGE

22 September 2014 onboard RIVIERA

Penthouse Suite from £2,429 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £2,019 per guest fly-cruise*

MEDITERRANEAN MONTAGE BARCELONA

ISTANBUL

| 10-DAY VOYAGE

12 October 2014 onboard RIVIERA

PLUS Free Internet Package* & Free Prestige Select Beverage Package*

Penthouse Suite from £3,089 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £2,449 per guest fly-cruise*

MEDITERRANEAN SHORES

CAREFREE CARIBBEAN

MONTE CARLO

BARCELONA

| 7-DAY VOYAGE

8 November 2014 onboard RIVIERA

Penthouse Suite from £1,599 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £1,309 per guest fly-cruise*

EMPERORS & EMPIRES BEIJING

TOKYO

| 16-DAY VOYAGE

10 March 2015 onboard NAUTICA

Penthouse Suite from £4,389 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £3,729 per guest fly-cruise* Overnight stay in port.

Two overnight stays in port.

MIAMI

| 10-DAY VOYAGE

14 January 2015 onboard RIVIERA

Penthouse Suite from £2,639 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £2,229 per guest fly-cruise*

ALASK AN GRANDEUR SAN FRANCISCO

VANCOUVER

| 10-DAY VOYAGE

9 May 2015 onboard REGATTA

Penthouse Suite from £3,049 per guest fly-cruise* Veranda Stateroom from £2,639 per guest fly-cruise*

Pre-cruise overnight hotel stay required (not included). Dates and durations refer to Cruise Departure Date and duration.

CALL OCEANIA CRUISES 0845 505 1920 OR VISIT OCEANIACRUISES.COM *Offers expire 30th September 2014. All advertised fares, offers and any applicable upgrades shown are per person based on double occupancy unless otherwise indicated, are subject to availability at time of booking, may not be combinable with other offers, or loyalty programme benefits, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn without prior notice or remain in effect after the expiration date. The following restrictions apply to amenities that may or may not be applicable to this advertisement – shipboard credits are per stateroom based on double occupancy; internet packages are one per stateroom; beverage packages are one per full-fare paying adult of 21 years of age or older with a maximum of two per stateroom; upgrades are from category to the next unless otherwise noted; upgrades to suite categories are not permitted; free gratuities are not applicable to bar, spa, salon or boutique purchase. All fares listed are in Pounds Sterling, per person, based on double occupancy and include Non-Commissionable Fares. Cruise-related government fees and taxes are included. Single rates and rates for 3rd and 4th guests are available upon request; call for details. Cruise Ship Fuel Surcharge may apply for new bookings and, if applicable, is additional revenue to Oceania Cruises. International Intro Fares and Special Fares are based on published International Full Brochure Fares. International Full Brochure Fares may not have resulted in actual sales in all cabin categories, may not have been in effect during the last 90 days and do not include Personal Charges and Optional Facilities and Services Fees as defined in the Terms and Conditions of the Guest Ticket Contract which may be viewed at OceaniaCruises.com. International Full Brochure Fares are cruise only. “Free Airfare” promotion does not include ground transfers and applies to economy, round-trip flights only from London, or one way flights where cruise originates or ends in the UK. Regional connecting flights can be requested at additional cost from ABZ, BFS, BHX, EDI, GLA, LBA, MAN & NCL. Any advertised fares that include the “Free Airfare” promotion include airline fees, surcharges and all government taxes. Reduced Round-Trip Business Class supplements are quoted per person, based on availability. Some airline-imposed personal charges, including but not limited to baggage, priority boarding and special seating, may apply. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Additional Terms and Conditions may apply. Complete Terms and Conditions may be found at OceaniaCruises.com or in the Guest Ticket Contract. PRO40581 UK

COVER STORY

WORLD OF CRUISING

The multi-lock waterway of the Panama Canal runs for 51.2 miles north-west to south-east across the mountainous terrain of the isthmus and joins the world’s two greatest oceans. Paradoxically, due to the diagonal construction of the canal, ships travel from west to east navigating from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is also the only occasion when the Captain of a ship temporarily defers command of his vessel in favour of the senior canal pilot. There are currently three sets of locks, each lock chamber measuring approximately 1,000 feet in length; 110 feet in width and 41 feet in depth, and are some of the world’s largest poured concrete structures. The 65-feet wide lock gates are seven feet thick and are so finely balanced that, despite their enormous weight, can be moved by a 40 horsepower motor. Each lock chamber holds 65.8 million gallons of water, and every

time a ship makes a complete transit of the canal some 52 million gallons of fresh water are spilled into the sea. It is estimated that the amount of water consumed in the operation of the canal in one day would keep the city of Birmingham supplied for two weeks. No pumps are used in filling the lock chambers; the principle involved is no more complicated than gravity. With the Gatún Lake being the highest point of the Canal at 85 feet above sea level, the water flows from one level to another through 18ft culverts located at the centre and side walls of the locks. There are 40 pairs of lock gates in the Canal. These are located at each end of the chambers and vary in height from 47 to 82 feet. The tallest and heaviest gates are on the Pacific side at the south-east entrance to the Miraflores Locks and were designed to handle that ocean’s extreme tidal fluctuations.

At the Gatún Locks on the Caribbean side, vessels are lifted in three stages to the Gatún Lake. Specially-trained Canal Pilots communicate continuously with a control centre as well as to linesmen and the drivers of electric locomotives, known as ‘mules’ which, working in pairs, run on tracks on both sides of the locks, preventing ships colliding with the lock walls. Once the Gatún Lake has been traversed, vessels enter the 7.8 mile Gaillard Cut - the narrowest stretch of the entire canal - which bisects the Continental Divide. At the Pedro Miguel Lock vessels are lowered 31 feet to the Miraflores Lake. This is followed by the Miraflores Locks where the two chambers lower ships 54 feet down to the Pacific Ocean - which can often be up to two feet higher than the sea level of the Atlantic.

COVER STORY

WORLD OF CRUISING

During transits an ‘Admeasure’ boards each ship to define its Panama Canal tonnage, and from that the toll for each transit is determined. Back in 1928 Richard Halliburton paid just 36 cents in tolls when he swam the entire canal in ten days; tolls now generate many million dollars each day. The largest cruise ships (known as Panamax - up to 965ft long and 106ft wide) pay in excess of $450,000 per transit.

At midday on 31 December 1999, as required by the Panama Canal Treaty, the United States transferred ownership and operational control of the Canal to the people of the Republic of Panama. One of the first acts of the new Panama Canal Authority was to comply with the recommendations of the most influential people in world shipping and forge ahead with plans for an historic expansion of the canal by means of a third set of locks.

Approved by a national referendum in 2006, this $5.25 billion project is scheduled for completion next year. There will be two new sets of locks – eight at the Atlantic entrance to the waterway alongside the Gatún Locks and eight at the Pacific inlet adjacent to the Miraflores Locks. These will not replace but augment the existing locks. This new single-lane of locks will be 65 per cent larger than the current chambers and will double the canal’s capacity by allowing for the transit of larger and wider vessels up to 1,200 feet long, with a 160 foot beam and a 50 foot draft. Currently an army of workers are toiling around the clock pouring tens of thousands of cubic feet of concrete into the three-step lock chambers and the most powerful dredging equipment in the world is deepening the waterway’s entrances. Huge excavators are creating nearly five miles of access channels that will join the new locks with existing shipping lanes. Instead of hinged mitre gates the new set of triple locks will use paired rolling gates, weighing an average of 3,100 tons each, which will roll out from wall recesses on tracks to seal the chambers. The design of the new locks incorporates environmentally-friendly recycling basins that will reduce the amount of water required for each transit by seven per cent.

Clockwise from left: Misty sunrise in the Panama mountains; Coral Princess enters the Pedro Miguel Lock at the Pacific Ocean end of the Panama Canal which raises the vessel 31 feet to the Miraflores Lake.; Scarlet Macaw in the Panama jungle.

Once the new locks are operational the only limiting factor to the world’s largest cruise ships such as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, will be the Bridge of the Americas - the arched structure which crosses the Panama Canal. This integral part of the Pan-American Highway has a clearance of 201 feet. Such a restriction can only be overcome if the resourceful Panamanians raise their strategic road link between North and South America. Perhaps the story of the ‘Big Ditch’ has another chapter waiting to unfold.

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