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Anthem of the Seas

In search of the world's best cruise ships

Ellen Creager
Detroit Free Press
On large ships, Douglas Ward evaluates 400 separate items in his meticulous quest to rate cruise ships for the Berlitz guide.

When it comes to cruises, Douglas Ward isn't easily fooled by flash.

He inspects everything from anchors to appetizers to the drains in the cabin bathrooms. The British author of the new 30th-anniversary edition of Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015 (Insight Guides, $25.99) began meticulously evaluating ships worldwide nearly four decades ago.

Among the criteria? He looks at obvious things like entertainment and dining but also nitty-gritty stuff few passengers check, like the state of the caulking, cleanliness of stairways, signage, vibration, noise, even communication skills of the bartenders.

We caught up with him by phone from England for the lowdown on what's new in cruising.

Question: Everywhere travelers look there are "best of" travel lists. Why should we believe you?

Answer: Berlitz's evaluations have to be totally objective. Ever since we started, they have to stand up in a court of law. They can't be subjective. It's not what I personally like or dislike. For the big ships our evaluation includes 400 separate items. I had also worked aboard ships for about 17 years. My background comes totally from ships.

Q: How many cruises have you actually taken?

A: It's now up to 1,067.

Q: Any 2015 ship coming out that travelers will get excited about?

A: The one to watch out for is Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas. It is sister ship to Quantum of the Seas, which comes later this month. Quantum will be sent to the Chinese market, but Anthem will be the sister ship. That will be a highlight for families with children.

Also, look for new Viking Ocean Cruises. The first ship (Viking Star) is coming next year; she's a smaller midsize ship, about 928 passengers. They are building four of those.

Q: Your book lists the top-rated cruise ships in many categories. The two that scored highest as "star performers" are Hapag Lloyd's Europa and Europa 2. The top large ship was Mein Schiff 3. Many Americans have never heard of these. Why'd they score so high?

A: The food experience. I met some Americans on the Europa 2 recently and asked why they were there. ... They wanted the wow factor with the food.

Crystal Cruises was named top cruise line for foodies in the new “Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015.”

Q: What about Mein Schiff 3? Although the ownership is part Royal Caribbean, it's a German-speaking ship geared to Germans. Would Americans feel comfortable?

A: I think so. Mein Schiff 3 is a family ship. It also has a scientifically designed, acoustically perfect concert hall. When I was on it last there was a nice string quartet playing. (Editor's note: There are crew members who speak English.)

Q: The new book evaluates 270 ships, more than double what you started with in 1985. How has cruising changed?

A: The industry has evolved. It caters a lot more to cruising for families with children. That's the most significant thing in the last five years. Ships are so competitive now. Companies are trying to attract attention. And the new things do attract attention for a while — until somebody comes along with something even better.

Q: Are new ships going to continue to get bigger and bigger?

A: No. The largest ships in the world are restricted to a few ports. They provide all the nice facilities for families, but ports, infrastructure, transportation, excursions, guides can't handle it. I don't think the industry will build ships larger than Allure or Oasis of the Seas (5,400 passengers). The biggest concern they actually have is finding qualified crew members. These days with regulations and visas harder to obtain, that is a big concern.

Q: Is there a perfect size cruise ship?

A: I think that is a subjective, personal question. My personal favorite after cruising so long are ships of less than 1,000 passengers. A smaller size is just easier to manage.

Q: When it comes to cruising, are there things you worry about?

A: Aboard the big ships disembarkation takes quite a long time. That can be a bit of a downer for people at the end of the cruise. I get about 3,000 messages from passengers a year, and that is the most disappointing part of their whole cruise experience.

Q: You also list the greatest ship experiences you've ever had, like being in Halong Bay, Vietnam, or meeting Elizabeth Taylor. What makes a peak experience?

A: The editors asked me to make this list for the 30th-anniversary edition, and I just picked my favorites. I worked on the ocean liners. They used to carry lots of celebrities. But most of the experiences I put down, anyone can have.

Q: All five of your best-rated small cruise ships are super-expensive ships like Europa 2 and Silver Whisper. Are there any great small ships of around 250-750 passengers that are also cheap?

A: That is difficult to find. Most small ships go on long-distance itineraries, and food and operational costs are far higher than the large resort ships. I do think many Americans like the midsize ships like Oceania and Azamara. But the little ship Sea Dream is a gem of a ship and not that expensive. Having said that, some small ships doing coastal cruises in America are incredibly expensive.

Q: Like on the Great Lakes?

A: Yes. For a foreign tourist on a cruise that stops in both Canada and U.S. ports, the immigration is a nightmare. When I did it last time, U.S. immigration charged me $6 to have my fingerprints taken in each port. It just makes the whole experience really unfriendly.

Q: You write about the Panama Canal being widened and a new channel there.

A: They were hoping to have it ready this year but it's delayed, so it should open next year. It should enable some of the larger cruise ships that can't go through the canal now to go through. It will open up a few more things for the larger cruise lines. However, Queen Mary 2 still won't be able to go through the new channel. There will be a bridge at one end of the canal. Queen Mary 2 won't fit under the bridge.

Q: Did you really meet your wife on a cruise ship?

A: Yes I did, on Asuka, a Japanese cruise ship. We didn't like each other at first, but a few years later we met again, and there we go.

THE BEST CRUISE SHIPS

The Berlitz name comes from Maximilian Berlitz, who in 1877 started a language program for travelers; it expanded to include travel guides and books like Douglas Ward's. Writers have no sponsorship from the cruise industry, and they evaluate ships worldwide, not just American-based cruise lines. Its ratings reflect that.

Top five family ships

• Allure of the Seas/Oasis of the Seas
• Disney Dream/Disney Fantasy
• Mein Schiff 3
• MSC Preziosa
• Norwegian Breakaway/Norwegian Getaway

Top five large resort ships (2,000-6,500 passengers)

• Mein Schiff 3
• Queen Mary 2
• Queen Elizabeth
• Queen Victoria
• Celebrity Reflection

Five best cruise lines for foodies

• Crystal Cruise
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
• Oceania Cruises
• SeaDream Yacht Club
• Silversea Cruises

Ships debuting in 2015

• AIDAPrima
• Norwegian Escape
• Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas
• Mein Schiff 4
• Viking Star

— Source: Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2015

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