Celebrity Cruises Use of the iPad
Cruise ships and the ipad go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Okay maybe not, but Celebrity Cruises has recognized just how well Apple’s newest device can be utilized onboard its ships. Onboard the Celebrity Eclipse the iPad is already in use at its specialty restaurant Qsine. Celebrity uses the iPad as a display for the menu and wine list at its specialty restaurant. Now Celebrity has expanded its use of the iPad as a way to showcase its art.
On August 15th Celebrity Cruises began using the iPad on the Celebrity Solstice to provide information on their extensive art collection. Celebrity has a custom made app that will allow you to touch a piece of artwork to receive information on its location on the ship, title, fame, description and other information. This app won’t be available in the iTunes app store and will only be available onboard.
This all rolled out on the Solstice on Sunday the 15th and will be available on the Eclipse and Equinox starting on August 21st. I love technology about as much as I love cruising and I am really excited about how Celebrity is at the forefront of blending the two together.
Can you think of any other ways the cruise industry can use the iPad to improve your cruising experience?
Possible Passenger Death Forces Norwegian Epic to Return to Miami
Late Saturday night Norwegian Cruise Lines newest ship the Epic was forced to return to the Port of Miami, just hours before it departed from the port. Upon its return the ship was met and boarded by Miami-Dade police investigators. There are numerous unconfirmed reports of a possible passenger death but nothing is concrete.
Passengers onboard the Epic are reporting that the Captain made an announcement late last night stating that the ship was heading back to Miami due to a medical emergency. The ship arrived back at the port at 11 p.m. and docked just after midnight. Supposedly a body was taken off the ship just before 2 a.m. and by 3:30 the ship was headed back to sea. The F.B.I. is handling the investigation and as of now no further information was made available to the public.
Sunday was scheduled to be a day at sea for the Norwegian Epic with St. Maarten being the first port of call, Monday. Since the ship was so close to the Port of Miami there should be no change in the itinerary.
Update: CBS4 reports that an FBI spokeswoman told reporters that a passenger “had a fatal allergic reaction at sea and died before it could reach port.”
Could Cruising to Cuba Soon Be A Reality?
Currently only certain United States citizens are allowed to travel to Cuba, but this could all be changing. As it stands in order to get a special permit to travel to Cuba you have to fit into one of the following categories.
- Be a journalist
- Be on a humanitarian mission
- Be visiting an immediate family member
- Be promoting agricultural sale
- Be visiting for religious reasons
Recently the House Agriculture Committee has approved a bill that would loosen financial restrictions with Cuba and also allow United States citizens to freely travel to Cuba. In an effort to boost agricultural trade many business groups including the United States Chamber of Commerce, National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, and Human Rights Watch are supporting the bill. In fact, there are approximately 140 groups in support of the bill. Also a letter with the signature of about 70 pro democracy Cuban leaders was also sent along encouraging the passage of the bill.
It is believed that increasing trade and lifting the travel ban will benefit the American farmer by introducing additional markets for their products. For 50 years we have been trying to keep our dollars out of Cuba in an effort to topple the Castro regime, a move that obviously has not worked. Since 2000 United States farmers have been Cuba’s largest supplier of agricultural imports but because of U.S. imposed financial restrictions Cuba has recently turned to other cheaper suppliers. Loosening those restrictions would once again open the gates for American farmers. By opening up the island for travel, tourism dollars not only increase the need for American goods but provide the necessary funds for purchasing those goods.
What this means for cruisers
Although the main focus of this bill is obviously to increase the viability of the American farmer a byproduct of this is the ability to travel freely to Cuba. For anyone who has ever dreamt of smoking a Monte Cristo while sipping a mojito in a club in Havana this is great news.
The problem is there is no way Cuba can support a massive influx of visitors. As it stands Cuba just doesn’t have the infrastructure. That doesn’t mean it will never happen but improvements would need to be made. The good news is these changes could probably be made in a relatively short time meaning within 5 years.
Although passage of the bill isn’t guaranteed, Cuba has already started preparing for the day when Cuba will be a mainstay port on several sailings out of the United States. They have begun building world-class resorts on the north side of the island. Reports state that these resorts will rival those in Cancun and other vacation hotspots.
If all goes according to plan this new legislation will bring more than one million additional visitors to Cuba, this would bring a monumental windfall for both the island and the U.S. economy.
How do you feel about traveling to Cuba? Is this a port you would like to visit on a future cruise?
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