The Hong Kong Senator and Al Fujairah Maris Freighter & Specialty Cruises November 2008, Magazine Excerpts |
| New York, NY (Day 1); Norfolk, VA (2); Savannah, GA (4); Valencia, Spain (16); Genoa, Italy (18); Alexandria, Egypt (22); transit the Suez Canal (24); Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (27); Dubai (Khor Fakkan terminal) , UAE (34); Pipavav (38) and Mumbai (Nhava Sheva terminal), India (41); Dubai (Jebel Ali terminal), UAE (45); Jeddah, 2nd call (52), transit the Suez Canal (55), Alexandria (56) and Malta (60), 2nd calls; La Spezia, Italy (62); Marseille, Fos terminal, France (64), Barcelona, Spain (65); Valencia, 2nd call (66); New York (77). |
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Passengers: 10 Containers: 3,017 Deadweight: 45,470 tons Length: 216 m Speed: 21 knots Built: 1993 Officers/Crew: Int'l Owners: NSB, German |
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Accommodations and Fares The Owner’s double bed suite (5th deck, front and side facing), consisting of a bedroom (bed size 2.00 x 2.00 m), sitting room and private facilities with shower, has a total area of 40 sqm. - Daily fare €95 pp double occupancy, €105 single occupancy. Double suite #s 209 and 308 (5th and 4th decks respectively, front and side facing), each consisting of a bedroom (bed size 2.00 x 1.60 m), sitting room and private facilities with shower, having a total area of 40 sqm. - Daily fare €80 pp double occupancy, €95 single occupancy. Single cabin #s 200 (5th deck, front facing) and 303 (4th deck front and side facing), consisting of a bedroom (bed size 2.00 x 1.20 m), sitting area and private facilities with shower, each having a total area of approx. 22 sqm. - Daily fare €75. |
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| SEAWORTHY | SEAWORTHY | |
| NEWS | NEWS |
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CMA CGM Licorne (ex Paranagua) Western Mediterranean - Caribbean & Central America |
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Roundtrip voyages, only, from Valencia, optionally Genoa, every six weeks: Valencia (Day 1) and Barcelona, Spain (2); Marseille, France (3); Genoa (4) and Livorno, Italy (5); Fort de France, Martinique (17); Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe (18); Santo Domingo (Rio Haina terminal), Dominican Republic (20); La Guaira (22) and Puerto Cabello, Venezuela (23); Manzanillo, Panama (25); Cartagena, Colombia (27); Pointe a Pitre, 2nd call (30); Algeciras, Spain (40) and back to Valencia (42). |
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Passengers: 2 Deadweight: 23,016 tons Length: 185 m Speed: 19 knots Built: 1998 Owners/Managers: Rickmers, German Charterers: French/CMA CGM Officers & Crew: International The Owner’s twin bedded cabin, located on the 6th deck, forward facing, consisting of a bedroom (twin beds 2.00 x 0.90 m each), sitting area and private facilities with shower, has a total area of 18 sqm. Roundtrip fare €3,400 per person double, €3,900 single occupancy. |
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Passenger cabins and shared facilities, such as the dining room, lounges, exercise room and swimming pool are located on various decks. There is an elevator on board the NSB ships, nevertheless passengers must be fully mobile and able to negotiate the stairs. Front views may be obstructed by the containers stowed on deck. Self service laundry facilities are available. The electrical current is 220/50 AC. A two-prong round adapter and converter are needed for North American appliances. A steward will clean the cabin once a week, or more often if necessary. A small onboard shop provides a limited selection of beverages, cigarettes and toiletries at duty free prices. Onboard expenses may be paid for with cash in $/€. Tipping is at the passengers’ discretion; $/€ 3 per person per day is recommended. Telephone, fax and email connections are available through the Captain’s office. The average port time is one day. |
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Reservations can be made by completing a Registration Form and providing a 25% deposit. The balance of the fare, plus €265 for port and vessel fees, is payable 70 days before departure. The fare may be paid for by check or wire in either EUR (€), which is the steamship line’s basic tariff currency, or any of the following major currencies USD/GBP/CAD at the prevailing exchange rate, subject to a final adjustment at the time the ticket is issued, a few weeks before departure. By exception only, credit cards may be accepted for payments in USD only. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the anticipated return date, and a visa for India and USA must be obtained, depending on the nationality and voyage. A Medical Statement of Good Health and International Health and Accident Insurance are required. The age limit is 79. Cancellation fees are as follows: over 60 days, loss of deposit; 30-59 days, 50% of the fare. No refund will be made within 30 days of departure. To protect your investment, Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is highly recommended. Travelex Insurance packages, covering you from the moment you buy the policy, are available to all Maris customers worldwide on our website page "Before You Sail”. And if you take the Travelex policy within three weeks of your initial trip deposit, pre-existing conditions are waived. |
The Peace and Joy of Freighter Cruising
By Laura Lee Marques
(Excerpts from the journal, printed by permission)
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“... After a restful night I got up at 5:30 to find the ship enshrouded in predawn fog. As daylight spread, the sun began to break through. I enjoyed a fresh orange while I read for a while. No shoreline was visible on the starboard side. At 7:30 I went to the deck below for breakfast - some of the most delicious yogurt I’ve ever tasted, toasted home made bread, and coffee. Most of the officers don’t want breakfast, but a few have coffee in their lounge. At other meals the Captain and I will share a table, occasionally joined by others. The second table is close enough to share conversation ... The roll of the ship is comforting. It will probably be more pronounced as we cross the Atlantic, and may even get a bit rough. I like it. I am thoroughly enjoying the quiet days and complete privacy whenever I want it. The only ‘interruptions’ are meals and hot coffee in the morning and afternoon when the steward brings it. I can go to the lounge/library or up to the bridge anytime I wish and I just watch or ask questions ... Several times during the weekend I have remembered that this is Labor Day in the States, a holiday for many. For me it’s been one of comfort and contentment, alternatively reading, writing and enjoying sights from the windows and the bridge. The sky has been mostly cloudy, but not solidly overcast, except for a short while when we had a brief shower just after lunch. The winds became somewhat stronger, and this afternoon we had a mild pitch. |
| Tonight at dinner the Captain told me that the hurricane has changed course and is now traveling east. At about five o’clock we shifted our course to the south in order to avoid the storm which, at present, is still 800 miles from us. Changing our course will keep us out of the fury of the storm. However, the steward came in a few minutes ago and moved my plant from the coffee table to the floor and put books, a fruit bowl, etc. on one of the couches. I moved my little clock and flashlight to the floor beside my bad. It’s better than having to pick up everything later if we encounter impressive ocean swells. Now early evening, the sun has come out, bright and bold. Clouds above are hung in abeyance while we enjoy the golden sequins glistening on the ruffled dark blue sea. | 
Past the Verrazano Bridge, New York |
| The sky continues to provide entertainment, constantly changing. The approaching sunset is directly outside my windows on the starboard side because we are heading south. Pinks and lavenders abound among the mountainous clouds along the horizon. I went up to the bridge and watched for a while. Stood out on the deck for a few minutes, but the wind was noticeably stronger, though not really cold. I noticed that one of the computers was continuously making printouts, presumably information about the storm, its direction and progress. We expect to experience nothing but moderate rolls and pitches because we won’t go near the storm’s force. The sky has changed again! Very dark clouds hover in the south and west, appearing to rest on the ocean waves. The only colors now are charcoal, deep blue, and a few touches of silver. It’s an enchanting scene, for the clouds look like they are churning up out of the water. Darkness blurs the distant horizon, but the sky overhead is still a light blue-gray. I’ll stop now and take my shower, just in case it becomes harder to stay balanced later without having to hold on ... |
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I guess today will be one of intense attention, although our sailing is rather smooth - just a slight pitch. We are still traveling south. As he said, ‘... no guarantees’ for our projected course, except I know that the Captain intends to stay safely clear of the storm. My perception from our various conversations has been that the Captain operates on the side of caution. I marvel at his knowledge and skills. I watched from the wheelhouse for a while - some of the men on the cargo deck below, in yellow rain-gear, were hosing the decks. It was surprising to see the black silt stirred up and flushed overboard by the strong force of the hoses. The ship always looks clean. |
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I finished reading the book September last night. It was quite good. I particularly enjoyed the flavor of the Scottish Highlands, people and culture. Maybe I’ll look for another of Pilcher’s books sometime. She writes well, and seldom uses objectionable language and behavior. It is refreshing to find secular writers who don’t feel driven to tarnish their stories with trash ... A few times earlier this morning I felt the ship lurch noisily and wandered about it (fortunately I was sitting down!). The mouse on my computer had become stubborn, so I took it out to clean. Have you ever tried to clean the mouse of a laptop computer on a tossing ship? It was difficult, and I kept thinking of how tedious surgery would be if it became necessary at sea. I struggled for about 20 minutes, and finally removed all or most of the fuzz from the mouse’s housing. After breakfast I went up to the bridge. So this morning I’ve had another ‘lesson’ in navigation!! I asked about the sudden and mildly noisy lurching earlier, and the Captain explained that it’s caused by a large ocean swell deep below the ship! While he was explaining another one demonstrated quite graphically. We laughed, and he said ‘that’s what I mean - like riding a horse over hurdle.’ Some of the sights from the bridge were spectacular. A huge cluster of clouds, with a bright blue opening seemingly recessed in the middle, reminded me of the Grand Canyon, only the colors are white and silver instead of sand and stone. Then suddenly, just ahead of us to the starboard side, a brilliant rainbow appeared. At first it arced upwards from the horizon, stretching slowly across the water toward us, and seemed to touch the ship. It was most remarkable. The water stirred up by the advancing bow of the ship spewed high into the air in white plumes of graceful foam. They are more spectacular on a windy day like today. |
The Hong Kong Senator at berth in Genoa
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Back in the cabin now, I’m ready for a break. The steward has just brought a cup of hot coffee, and more fruit ... There is hardly any roll or pitch tonight. We have steadily pooled farther away from the storm. I spent a good part of the afternoon reading. Tonight at dinner the Captain said that tomorrow should be warmer because the winds will become southeasterly. Oh yes, dinner. We had a delicious vegetable-meat soup, lettuce salad, and of course, more home made bread. The main entree was spare ribs, but I declined. The hearty soup was sufficient! I will indulge in a piece of fresh fruit before bedtime. Darkness is gathering now and the pink clouds are disappearing. I’m ready for another restful night ...” |
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