Crystal Offers Lowest Fares On Worldwide Voyages

Book by June 28, and enjoy the best savings on European cruises

• Up to $1,850 per person savings when booked by June 28, 2013
• 2 for 1 Cruise Only Fares - limited time savings
• Complimentary gratuities, speciality restaurants, fine wines, champagne, premium liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages
• Complimentary gratuities for housekeeping, bar, dining and Penthouse butler staff
• Optional air add-ons also available

More details here 

Tere Moana 2014 Cruise Sailings

The m/v Tere Moana is the newest ship in the Paul Gauguin Cruises fleet, and accommodates just 90 guests

If you are a past guest of The Gauguin, reserve select sailings by September 30, 2013, and you'll receive double  Paul Gauguin Society savings, for a total of 10% off final cruises fares. 

Lisitings of eligible dates aboard The Moana

March, 15, 2014: Colón, Panama to Philipsburg, St. Maarten  (7-night voyage)

March 29, 2014: Philipsburg, St. Maarten, to Lisbon Portugal  (14-night voyage)

May 24, 2014: Rome Civitavecchia), Italy, to Athens (Piraeus), Greece  (7-night voyage)

June 28, 2014: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy to Nice, France (7-night voyage)

August 23, 2014: Barcelona, Spain, to Nice, France  (7-night voyage)

November 1, 2014: Lisbon, Portugal, to Philipsburg, St. Maarten (14-night voyage)

December 13, 2014: Roundtrip Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica (7-night voyage)

http://www.pgcruises.com/

Holland America Bases Eight Ships in Caribbean For 2013-14

Holland America Line is basing eight ships in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa for its 2013-14 Caribbean season

 Half Moon Cay

All Fort Lauderdale itineraries will call at Half Moon Cay, the line’s private Bahamian island. 

From October through April, Eurodam, Maasdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Ryndam, Veendam, Westerdam and Zuiderdam will sail a total of 109 seven-, 10-, 11- and 14-day cruises that can be combined into voyages up to 25 days. The itineraries explore the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

• New to the region, Veendam will sail one seven-day Eastern Caribbean round-trip from Fort Lauderdale departing April 24 to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.
• Eurodam returns to the Caribbean on alternating round-trip Fort Lauderdale seven-day Eastern and Western itineraries. The Wastern Caribbean itinerary visits Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, while the western route calls at Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman, Key West and Falmouth or Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

• The Maasdam offers a range of seven-, 10-, 11- and 14-day round-trips from Fort Lauderdale; the 14-day route calls at St. Thomas, St. Bart’s, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curaçao, Bonaire and Half Moon Cay.
• Also departing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Nieuw Amsterdam sails alternating Eastern and Western routes. The eastern route calls at Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, while the western itinerary visits Cozumel, Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman and Key West.
• Noordam offers seven-, 10- and 11-day round-trips from Fort Lauderdale cruises. The 11-day Southern Caribbean itinerary includes St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, Dominica, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay.
• The only ship sailing round-trip from Tampa, Ryndam offers seven-day Western Caribbean cruises and two 14-day Southern Caribbean itineraries. The 14-day itineraries call at Key West, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. John’s, St. Lucia, Aruba, Grand Cayman and Curaçao or Bonaire.
• Westerdam sails a repeating round-trip Fort Lauderdale seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay.
• Zuiderdam features 10- and 11-day Panama Canal itineraries round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. The 10-day route includes a partial canal transit and calls at Half Moon Cay; Aruba; Curaçao; Colon, Panama; and Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. The 11-day cruise features Half Moon Cay; Aruba; Curaçao; Cartagena, Colombia; a partial Panama Canal transit; Colon and Puerto Limón.

The voyages are available for booking. Cruise fares range from $499 per person, double occupancy, for a seven-day itinerary cruise to $2,799 for a 25-day journey.

Source: Theresa Norton Masek via Travel Pulse

Seabourn Yacht Penthouse Spa Suites

Seabourn Quest, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn are all adding Penthouse Spa Suites

Seabourn Quest now features four Penthouse Spa Suites each with a private verandah; living and dining room seating four people; a separate bedroom; walk-in closet; floor-to-ceiling windows onto the verandah; two flat-screen TVs; and a bathroom with tub and spa shower.

All photo's courtesy of Seabourn Blog

In addition, the suites will feature a bar with healthy snacks, mixed nuts, flavored water and fruit juices; choice of four fragrances by L’Occitane diffused during turndown service; spa music; a menu of Molton Brown spa products in the bathrooms; a menu of bath sponges; and designer soaps by Hermes, L’Occitane, Baudelaire and Salvatore Ferragamo. 

Guests who book the suites will also receive assistance from a spa concierge with reservations for personalized treatments.

Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn will both be re-fitted with the penthouse suites during their next dry dock periods. 


Seabourn Blog 
http://blog.seabourn.com/seabourn-introduces-new-elegant-penthouse-spa-suites

Deadly Floods in Central Europe Cancel River Cruises

River cruise lines continue to cancel departures and change itineraries in Central Europe due to floods. 

Photo courtesy of www.destination360.com

The town of Passau, Germany, at the confluence of three rivers and popular on many river cruise itineraries, was submerged by the worst flooding in five centuries. Local news outlets reported 12 deaths.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection cancelled the June 16 “European Jewels” departure on the River Empress. The ship was currently in Budapest and unable to get to Amsterdam by June 16. Previously cancelled were the June 7 departures of the River Ambassador on the “Grand Danube & Prague” and “Danube Discovery & Prague” trips and the June 9 “Enchanting Danube” cruise on the River Beatrice. Guests will receive a $500-per-person future cruise credit whether they rebook or cancel. Uniworld said it expects to operate all other cruises scheduled to depart June 10-16 due to “careful planning by our European operation team (and in some cases with us swapping ships).” 

Scenic Cruises said four ships were in dock waiting for the river levels to drop. “The Rhine, Main and Main-Danube Canal may be navigable again by mid-week. The stretch between Kelheim and Melk is expecting to reopen by this weekend,” Scenic said in a statement. “These estimates are provided by the waterways authorities who dictate whether or not navigation is possible and if ships must remain docked.” Scenic Cruises is part of Scenic Tours, a large Australian tour operator, so guests continued their vacations on the company’s luxury coaches, which took them to scheduled excursions and exclusive events.

Previously, Avalon Waterways cancelled five cruises and is offering a full refund and $500 credit. Two June 7 departures were cancelled—the “Blue Danube Discovery” and “Jewels of Central Europe,” both on Avalon Luminary. Also cancelled is the June 8 departure of “Magnificent Europe” aboard the Avalon Tranquility, the June 9 departure of “Magnificent Europe” on Avalon Vista and the June 10 departure of “Austrian Highlights & Bavaria” on the Avalon Affinity. The company previously cancelled the June 2 departure of the “Legendary Danube” cruise aboard the Avalon Visionary. 

Viking River Cruises cancelled the June 9 “Romantic Danube” sailing on Viking Prestige and the June 9 “Danube Waltz” departure of the Viking Legend. The company is sending guests and their travel agents email notifications and is offering a $500 credit to rebook on another cruise or a full refund and a $500 per person future cruise credit. For details, call 877-523-0579 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time Monday through Friday or 818-216-2453 after hours. Viking also changed the itineraries and ships on 16 other cruises, saying guests will be met at the airport and transferred to the appropriate vessel, regardless of whether they purchased transfers from Viking. In addition, a Viking representative will also be stationed at the original port of embarkation to transport guests to the correct vessel or hotel in some cases.  

Tauck cancelled the May 30 and June 6 departures of “The Blue Danube” cruise and will provide refunds. Departures currently operating include the June 2 “Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat” and the June 2 “Grand European Cruise.” If those itineraries change, guests can choose to remain onboard or depart early with a full refund.

AmaWaterways said June 3 that it has not cancelled any cruises and is operating on schedule. Avalon said disruptions have been minimal in some cases. “For example there are Avalon ships on either side of the Main-Danube Canal and we have been able to ‘swap’ vessels and transfer passengers from one ship to another so they could continue sailing,” the line posted. “In other instances, we have combined partial sailings with hotel stays. In virtually all instances, the ports, excursions and highlights are being visited or experienced by our guests. We are also providing our travelers compensation depending upon the number of cruising days that may have been affected.”

Source: TravelPulse

Celebrity Cancels Second Galapagos Cruise Due to Lobster Violation

Well, here's something you don't hear everyday - cruise cancelled due to frozen lobster - read on . . . 

Celebrity Expedition

Celebrity Cruises has cancelled the June 9 departure of the Celebrity Expedition in the Galapagos Islands after its permit to sail in Galapagos National Park was suspended for 45 days. 

The cruise line was cited for the transportation and storage of 12 kilograms of frozen lobster tails in the Galapagos while out of season. Along with the cancellation of the June 9th cruise, the June 2nd  cruise was previously cancelled.

A Celebrity spokeswoman said the lobster was purchased legally during the season from local fishermen certified by the national park. “No purchases of lobsters were made out of season,” the company said. “A new regulation published by the park stated that the lobsters must be consumed within five days after the end of season. The violation is for having the frozen lobster tails in our freezer after the season ended.”

Despite the 45-day suspension, Celebrity hasn’t cancelled other cruises yet because it is negotiating to restore the permit as soon as possible. The line posts updates on the situation on its website.

Guests booked on the June 9 cruise will get a full refund and a 25% credit for another Celebrity Xpedition cruise. The credit is based on the amount they paid for their June 9 cruise and may be used within two years. 

Future cruise certificates will be mailed to guests’ home address or travel agent within two to three weeks. Celebrity will refund air costs if purchased through the cruise line. Those who did not purchase air through Celebrity will be reimbursed for airline change fees. Those booked on the June 9 cruise can call 888-829-4050.

Source: TravelPulse

RCI Opens Quantum Of The Seas For Booking

Royal Caribbean officially opened booking for it's newest cruise ship that is still under construction, Quantum of the Seas, to the general public.  

Last week members of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program were given special access to book the new ship ahead of everyone else.

Royal Caribbean has cruises available from November 2014, when the ship debuts, through April 2015.  

Quantum of the Seas' inaugural cruise is not listed as available for sale on the Royal Caribbean web site, which may indicate the inaugural cruise has sold out already.

On the Bahamas cruises, the ship will call at Port Canaveral, Fla., Nassau and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. 

The Eastern Caribbean cruises will include San Juan, Puerto Rico; Samana, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas; St. Kitts; and St. Maarten. The Southern Caribbean cruises will call at San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados and St. Kitts. On most sailings, the ship also will visit Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach on the north coast of Haiti.

If you're interested in booking your spot on one of the first cruises Quantum of the Seas embarks on, you can call Royal Caribbean directly, consult a travel agent or book online.

Source: Royal Caribbean Blog

Disney Magic Special Rates Via Miami

Enjoy Special Rates on Select Sailings from Miami on the newly re-imagined Disney Magic

Now you can enjoy special rates on select 5-Night Western Caribbean sailings from the new departure port of Miami, Florida. 

5-night Western Caribbean cruise with stops at Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico, as well as 2 relaxing days at sea.

Rates for inside cabins start at $125 per day based on double occupancy - available on most 5-Night sailings November 1 to November 29, 2013, excluding November 24, 2013. 

The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited, so book through July 31, 2013 to take advantage of these special rates. 

Enhanced onboard experiences included with your cruise:

• Enhanced Kid's Spaces like Disney's Oceaneer Lab and Disney's Oceaneer Club, featuring Marvel's Avengers Academy.
• Revitalized Adult Entertainment District, with Fathoms nightclub, O'Gills Pub sports bar and Keys piano lounge.
• Luxurious staterooms, designed with your family's comfort in mind.
• Diverse dining options, including the Brazilian-themed restaurant Carioca's and the re-imagined Cabanas and Animator's Palate, featuring the Animation Magic dinner show where your drawings come to life.
• Splash-tacular upper decks including the all-new AquaDunk thrill slide, AquaLab water play area and Twist n' Spout kids slide.
• And so much more!

Visit Disney's site for more info

Avalon Waterways Offering More Suites for 2014

Avalon Waterways in 2014 will offer more suites than staterooms on its Europe river cruises operated by eight “Suite Ships.” 

Each Suite Ship features two full decks of 200- and 300-square-foot Panorama and Royal Suites.






Nice Touches! 
Avalon’s suites feature a wall of windows 11 feet wide with a seven-foot opening. When opened the sliding doors turn the entire suite into an open-air balcony. The beds face the windows so guests can watch the views from bed. 

Avalon’s Suite Ships will sail the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers in 2014. 

The Suite Ships, and the year they entered service, are Avalon Panorama (2011), Avalon Vista (2012), Avalon Visionary (2012), Avalon Artistry II (2013), Avalon Expression (2013), Avalon Impression (2014), Avalon Illumination (2014) and Avalon Poetry II (2014).

http://www.avalonwaterways.com/

Source: TravelPulse

Seabourn Adds Penthouse Spa Suites to Newer Ships

Seabourn is adding four Penthouse Spa Suites to its three newer ships. 

The new spa suites will be located on Deck 10 directly above the Spa at Seabourn. They will provide access to the spa via a spiral staircase and also will include unlimited access to the spa’s Serene Area, spa amenities in the suite and the services of a spa concierge.



Seabourn Quest will have the new spa accommodations when it emerges from a scheduled drydock in May. The new suites will be added to Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn during their next scheduled drydocks.

The four suites measure 516 to 538 square feet in size and have private balconies of 172 square feet with views over the ship’s stern. The suites will have a living and a dining area with seating for four, a separate bedroom, walk-in closet, a glass door and floor-to-ceiling windows onto the veranda, a bathroom with a tub and spa shower, and two flat-screen TVs. 

Along with the guests’ beverage preferences, a second in-suite bar will be stocked with flavored water, fruit juices, mixed nuts, dried fruits and healthy snacks. Guests can choose a calming fragrance from a selection of four by L’Occitane, to be diffused throughout the suite during evening turndown. Spa music will also be available as a background soundtrack. The bathrooms will feature Molton Brown spa products, such as exfoliating body wash and thermal salts body soak.

The spa concierge can make treatment and service reservations for the guests. The spa’s Serene Area features heated lounges, an aroma steam bath with salt inhalation, and a herbal bath. The Serene Area on Seabourn Odyssey is a large hydro-pool, while Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Sojourn features a Kneipp Walk pool, which provides water therapy treatment designed to enhance circulation.


Source: Travel Pulse - Theresa Norton Masek

Titanic II Project Moving Ahead

Some names associated with disaster need to be retired forever - I am not feeling any anticipation of the maiden voyage of Titanic II - Linda


Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is moving ahead with plans to build a full-scale replica of the ill-fated Titanic. Palmer’s Blue Star Line has signed a contract with Finland-based Deltamarin for the project development phase for Titanic II.

Palmer says the new vessel will sail from Southampton to New York on its maiden voyage in 2016.

Royal Caribbean Bringing The Wow Factor

RCI Unveils Quantum of the Seas

Here's the newest Royal Caribbean ship that has everyone talking, and it's not even built yet! Just signed up for updates when the ship is open for booking . . . 

Set to sail in the Fall of 2014 from New York, Royal Caribbean is definitely bringing the WOW factor - See if you don't agree

North Star Glass Enclosed Pod - Glass enclosed bubble on a mobile arm takes passengers on a breath-taking journey more than 300 feet above sea level 

SeaPlex - First-ever bumper car experience at sea. It will also be the location of the ship's indoor basketball court

RipCord by iFly, the first-ever sky-diving experience at sea

Every Room Has A View - Virtual Balconies in interior cabins offers real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations via wall-sized screens

Two70°- Transforms from day to night to deliver spectacular entertainment that includes performance art, aerialists and panoramic digital scenery



Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is a global cruise company operating 38 ships under the following brands: Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisières de France

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/home.do

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Letter from Carnival President and CEO

Received this e-mail today from Carnival. Obviously this is not been the best couple of years for the Carnival Cruise Line brand, and they launched an operational review regarding all the recent incidents 

Dear Carnival Past Guest,

Our goal is to drive continual improvement across all aspects of our customer experience. To that end, we launched an operational review this February to learn all that we could from recent incidents and find new solutions. 

Today, we are announcing a fleet-wide enhancement program and will be investing more than $300 million to expand the availability of hotel services in the rare instance of a shipboard event that involves the loss of primary power. In addition, we will also reinforce key shipboard operating systems and add new technologies to further prevent a potential loss of primary power. 

Work is underway and you can learn more about these initiatives in this brief video. For more information, visit the Carnival News & Updates tab on Facebook.

It's important to note that all of our 24 vessels operate safely today, and have strong systems in place to prevent, detect and respond to emergency situations. We meet or exceed all current regulatory requirements and are committed to delivering our guests a safe, reliable and enjoyable vacation experience.

With our investment, we will introduce new technologies and enhance current systems to our fleet. 

Additionally, we are forming a new Safety & Reliability Review Board comprised of leading third party experts from organizations such as United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, as well as leading airlines and equipment manufacturers. The addition of external experts to our new Safety & Reliability Review Board will provide us with further expertise and perspective in support of our goal of continuing to drive constant improvement.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your loyalty to Carnival Cruise Lines. My goal as the leader of Carnival Cruise Lines is to improve everyday across all aspects of your experience with us. I want to assure you that we will do everything we can to continue to improve our product and provide you with a fun and memorable cruising experience.

Sincerely,


Gerry Cahill
President and CEO
Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Offers “Thomas the Tank Engine” Shore Excursion

Carnival is the only cruise line to offer this tour, which is sponsored by Ambassatours Gray Line, on the Aug. 5 and Aug. 10 five-day cruises. 

Carnival Cruise Lines is offering a shore excursion to a full-size replica of “Thomas the Tank Engine” during select Carnival Glory voyages that visit Saint John, New Brunswick, this summer. 

The excursion includes a 25-minute train ride along the Saint John waterfront aboard a full-size Thomas replica, a variety of Thomas & Friends-themed entertainment such as storytelling and videos, arts and crafts activities, an appearance by Sir Topham Hatt, temporary children’s tattoos, merchandise shops and more. 


The excursion also includes an all-day pass on hop-on, hop-off double-decker sightseeing buses.

“Thomas The Tank Engine” is the television star of “Thomas & Friends” books published in 145 countries and 30 languages.

Source: TravelPulse

Royal Caribbean Sale For 3rd And 4th Guests

Great deal for families!

Royal Caribbean is looking to attract families by offering discounts on passengers staying in a cabin as the third or fourth person in the cabin.

The sale prices are good for new U.S. and Canadian bookings made from April 10 through May 10, 2013 aboard select Royal Caribbean ships. 

Reduced third- and fourth-guest fares offer vacationers up to 50% savings for cruises departing on September 1st through December 31, 2013.

Sale fares for third- and fourth-guest start at $99 per guest for 3 night Bahamas cruises and $199 per guest on 4-7 night Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Europe cruises.

www.RoyalCaribbean.com/April34Guest