World Travel Warehouse - Cruise News

Round-Cuba Cruises Start In November - Various

2010-10-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

Round-Cuba Cruises Start In November - Various: "Round-Cuba Cruises Start In November"

Could You Be Bumped from Your Next Cruise? - Cruises - Cruise Critic

2010-08-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Could You Be Bumped from Your Next Cruise? - Cruises - Cruise Critic: "Could You Be Bumped from Your Next Cruise?"

Carnival to offer its first roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from California – USATODAY.com

2010-07-07T03:01:00.000-07:00

Carnival to offer its first roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from California – USATODAY.com: "Carnival to offer its first roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from California"

Shore Excursions: Everything You Need to Know - SmarterTravel.com

2010-06-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Shore Excursions: Everything You Need to Know - SmarterTravel.com: "Shore Excursions: Everything You Need to Know"

Should cruisers trust government forecasts of a heavy hurricane season? – USATODAY.com

2010-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Should cruisers trust government forecasts of a heavy hurricane season? – USATODAY.com: "Should cruisers trust government forecasts of a heavy hurricane season?"

Cruises unveil more options | ajc.com

2010-05-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Cruises unveil more options | ajc.com: "Cruises unveil more options"

50 Top Tips From the World's Smartest Cruisers - Budget Travel

2010-05-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

50 Top Tips From the World's Smartest Cruisers - Budget Travel: "50 Top Tips From the World's Smartest Cruisers"

Cruising into matrimony - Cruises - MiamiHerald.com

2010-05-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Cruising into matrimony - Cruises - MiamiHerald.com: "Cruising into matrimony"

Avanti Destinations-Save up to $900

2010-04-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Avanti Destinations: "Savings up to $900 on Luxury Galapagos Cruises from Avanti"

River Cruises: Into the Heart of Europe - Budget Travel

2010-03-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

River Cruises: Into the Heart of Europe - Budget Travel: "River Cruises: Into the Heart of Europe"

Danube cruise: the next level in river cruising - Telegraph

2010-03-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Danube cruise: the next level in river cruising - Telegraph: "Danube cruise: the next level in river cruising"

Cruise industry CEOs: Bookings rebounding, fares turning up - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2010-03-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Cruise industry CEOs: Bookings rebounding, fares turning up - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Cruise industry CEOs: Bookings rebounding, fares turning up"

Carnival to cruise fans: Book now for summer or face higher prices - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2010-03-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

Carnival to cruise fans: Book now for summer or face higher prices - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Carnival to cruise fans: Book now for summer or face higher prices"

Cruise "Bucket List": Cruise Critic Readers Share Dream Voyages - Various

2010-02-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Cruise "Bucket List": Cruise Critic Readers Share Dream Voyages - Various: "Cruise 'Bucket List': Cruise Critic Readers Share Dream Voyages"

Top 10 cruises in 2010 - Cruising- msnbc.com

2010-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

Top 10 cruises in 2010 - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Top 10 cruises in 2010"

Expedition line rolls out new way to cruise to Antarctica - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2010-02-03T04:50:00.000-08:00

Expedition line rolls out new way to cruise to Antarctica - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Expedition line rolls out new way to cruise to Antarctica"

Ship comes in for solo travelers, industry says - Cruising- msnbc.com

2010-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

Ship comes in for solo travelers, industry says - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Ship comes in for solo travelers, industry says"

Cruises: where to go in 2010 - Telegraph

2010-01-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

Cruises: where to go in 2010 - Telegraph: "Cruises: where to go in 2010"

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-12-09T05:24:00.001-08:00

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price?"

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-12-09T05:24:00.000-08:00

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price?"

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-12-09T05:23:00.001-08:00

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price?"

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-12-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price? - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Is Oasis of the Seas worth the price?"

What Size Cruise Ship is Right for You? - SmarterTravel.com

2009-11-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

What Size Cruise Ship is Right for You? - SmarterTravel.com: "What Size Cruise Ship is Right for You?"

Beware of cruise ships’ public restrooms - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-11-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

Beware of cruise ships’ public restrooms - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Beware of cruise ships’ public restrooms"

Travel | Sightseeing made easy on Europe cruise | Seattle Times Newspaper

2009-11-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

Travel | Sightseeing made easy on Europe cruise | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Sightseeing made easy on Europe cruise"

Royal Caribbean: It's taking unexpected discounts to fill Christmas sailings - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2009-11-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Royal Caribbean: It's taking unexpected discounts to fill Christmas sailings - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Royal Caribbean: It's taking unexpected discounts to fill Christmas sailings"

Top Five Baby-Friendly Cruise Lines - SmarterTravel.com

2009-10-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

Top Five Baby-Friendly Cruise Lines - SmarterTravel.com: "Top Five Baby-Friendly Cruise Lines"

Cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel, Egypt | At the feet of gods

2009-10-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel, Egypt | At the feet of gods: "At the feet of gods"

Deal watch: More than a dozen lines roll out sales for 'world's largest cruise night' - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2009-10-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Deal watch: More than a dozen lines roll out sales for 'world's largest cruise night' - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Deal watch: More than a dozen lines roll out sales for 'world's largest cruise night'"

Avoid Cruise Travel Scams to Save Time, Money, and Hassle - SmarterTravel.com

2009-10-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Avoid Cruise Travel Scams to Save Time, Money, and Hassle - SmarterTravel.com: "Avoid Cruise Travel Scams to Save Time, Money, and Hassle"

Luxury Cruises' Low Fares -- The New Normal - Crystal Cruises

2009-09-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Luxury Cruises' Low Fares -- The New Normal - Crystal Cruises: "Luxury Cruises' Low Fares -- The New Normal"

Best Small Cruise Ships - SmarterTravel.com

2009-09-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Best Small Cruise Ships - SmarterTravel.com: "Best Small Cruise Ships"

Industry giant Carnival rolls out its largest cruise ship ever - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2009-09-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Industry giant Carnival rolls out its largest cruise ship ever - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Industry giant Carnival rolls out its largest cruise ship ever"

What Cruise Ship Butlers Will Do for You - SmarterTravel.com

2009-08-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

What Cruise Ship Butlers Will Do for You - SmarterTravel.com: "What Cruise Ship Butlers Will Do for You"

Best Cruise Ship Food - Articles - Travel + Leisure

2009-08-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

Best Cruise Ship Food - Articles - Travel + Leisure: "Best Cruise Ship Food"

Affordable Yacht Vacations: What You Need to Know

2009-08-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

Affordable Yacht Vacations: What You Need to Know: "Affordable Yacht Vacations: What You Need to Know"

Two new cruise brands to launch in 2010 - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2009-08-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Two new cruise brands to launch in 2010 - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Two new cruise brands to launch in 2010"

World Cruises 2010 and 2011 - Cruises - Cruise Critic

2009-08-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

World Cruises 2010 and 2011 - Cruises - Cruise Critic: "World Cruises 2010 and 2011"

Hidden Costs of Cruising - Cruises - Cruise Critic

2009-08-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hidden Costs of Cruising - Cruises - Cruise Critic: "Hidden Costs of Cruising"

Top 10 river cruises - Cruising- msnbc.com

2009-08-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Top 10 river cruises - Cruising- msnbc.com: "Top 10 river cruises"

Another major cruise line snuffs out smoking in cabins, casinos - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com

2009-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Another major cruise line snuffs out smoking in cabins, casinos - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Another major cruise line snuffs out smoking in cabins, casinos"

Top 10 Europe Cruise Ports

2009-07-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Smarter Travel
by Carolyn Spencer Brown, Cruise Critic - July 28, 2009

From Rome to Stockholm, Venice to Brugge, our sister site Cruise Critic's European Hot List offers an opinionated take on the best of the best of Europe's most fabulous ports.

What are your favorites? Scroll down to the comments section and tell us about the European ports you love most (whether they're Baltic, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean, close to home, or even somewhat farther afield—such as the Canaries and Northern Africa), and offer us some detail about what you love most about them!

1. Rome

Best Small Pleasure: Eating and drinking at one of the city's famous piazzas, like Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, or Campo dei Fiori; particularly delicious are the pastas (particularly the carbonara), pizzas and gelatos, though many cafes only serve pizza for dinner. Wash 'em down with a glass of the house wine—white or red Italian wines always taste delicious.

Biggest Surprise: Stumbling across some of Rome's most famous monuments by accident while meandering along winding, narrow streets when, suddenly, there's the Pantheon, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps; or the neighborhood of Trastevere, with its funky boutiques and numerous sidewalk cafes.

Touristy but Fabulous: A pilgrimage to St. Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel in Vatican City

2. Barcelona
Best Small Pleasure: A plate of tapas. Strolling along the beach in the fishing village of Barceloneta. An afternoon siesta.

Biggest Surprise: That Barcelona's most famous cathedral—La Sagrada Familia, designed by native son Antoni Gaudi—is still unfinished more than 75 years after his death. Most fascinating was wandering around a cathedral-in-progress (as construction workers ply their trade around you) and also climbing the 365-winding, turret-esque stairs of the bell towers for a marvelous view.

Touristy but Fabulous: Wandering along Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famed pedestrian boulevard and sipping wine at one of its numerous cafes. Also, make sure to visit Las Ramblas' Boqueria, Barcelona's fabulous food market, and Museu Picasso, not just for its collection of the artist's work but also the 15th-century palace that houses them.

3. Venice
Best Small Pleasure: Tucking into a cheap—but delicious—plate of pasta with a local wine at one of the city's numerous trattorias (Tip: Generally, the farther away from San Marco Square, the less touristy they are).

Biggest Surprise: Riding the vaporreto—a water version of a city bus—around the city. Exploring the nearby island of Guidecca (where the "real" locals live).

Touristy but Fabulous: San Marco Square is awesome! During the height of summer, try to visit early before it gets too crowded (and wear a hat in case one of the ubiquitous pigeons, well, you know). Riding in a gondola, at sunset, with a tenor belting out Italian arias.

4. Paris

Best Small Pleasure: Watching the world go by from a vantage point at one of Paris' innumerable sidewalk cafes.

Biggest Surprise: As big as Paris can seem, it's really just a collection of neighborhoods. With limited time to explore, pick a neighborhood and poke around its nooks, crannies, cathedrals, shops, parks, and museums. Taking a Turkish bath at the Hammam in La Grande Mosquee, then finishing off with a mint tea in the Moorish cafe next door.

Touristy but Fabulous: Riding to the top of Eiffel Tower. The Grand Louvre for a glimpse at the Mona Lisa (and everything else in the world's biggest art museum). Haute chic shopping on the Avenue Montaigne (Chanel, Dior, Ungaro), Faubourg St-Honore (Gucci, Chloe, Hermes), and the Left Bank (Giorgio Armani, Yves St-Laurent, and Louis Vuitton).

5. Brugge

Best Small Pleasure: Supping at a sidewalk cafe on Belgium's classic moules' frites (mussels and fries), washed down with a local beer.

Biggest Surprise: The canals! You can take a boat ride that winds in and out of some fairly off-the-beaten-track (and quite beautiful) parts of Brugge.

Touristy but Fabulous: Hanging out in any of the town's numerous squares—people-watching, eating and drinking, and shopping for lace and chocolate.

6. St. Petersburg
Best Small Pleasure: Dining on Chicken Kiev at the Grand Hotel's sidewalk cafe just off vibrant Nevsky Prospekt. Strolling through the park opposite St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Biggest Surprise: St. Isaac's Cathedral, a splendid mid-19th century Orthodox church with highlights that include mosaic murals, granite pillars, and marble floors; its immense gold dome can be seen for miles around. St. Petersburg's canals (you can take a boat ride a la Venice).

Touristy but Fabulous: The summer palaces—especially Pavlovsk and Pushkin.

7. Oslo

Best Small Pleasure: The murals in City Hall that depict scenes from life in Norway along with scenes highlighting resistance activities against the Germans there during World War II.

Biggest Surprise: Oslo's got the perfect blend of art and culture, history, and lush scenery (green parks, gorgeous bays, and harbors). It's an outdoor lovers' city that reminds me of America's Seattle.

Touristy but Fabulous: A short boat ride amidst the fjords (even locals occasionally deign to get onboard)

8. London

Best Small Pleasure: Lunching at "gastro" pubs like Chelsea's Cooper's Arms and Foxtrot Oscar.

Biggest Surprise: Gorgeous Kensington Park—head for the lake (you can rent lounge chairs) and don't forget to check out the Princess Diana memorials (flowers, letters) tucked into the wrought iron gate of Kensington Palace.

Touristy but Fabulous: Riding around on the double decker buses (on the top deck!). Riding the London Eye, the city's millennial Ferris wheel. Afternoon cream tea but not necessarily at the famed Ritz; more elegant experiences can be found at olde-British hotels like Brown's. Shopping at the venerable Harrods.

9. Copenhagen

Best Small Pleasure: Kayaking through Copenhagen's canals. Lunch at a sidewalk cafe at Nyhavn beside the canal.

Biggest Surprise: Climbing the seemingly endless spiraling staircase of the historic Round Tower; you can see why Russian Czar Peter the Great actually rode his horse to the top in 1716.

Touristy but Fabulous: Tivoli Gardens is a must-see; there are rides and amusements and restaurants ranging from casual snack shacks to Michelin-starred haute cuisine. If your ship overnights in Copenhagen, go after dark when the park is lit with twinkling lights as it's quite magical. Take a guided tour of Copenhagen, via the canals, by boat.

10. Stockholm

Best Small Pleasure: Strolling along downtown's waterfront promenade.

Biggest Surprise: The Swedish Archipelago. At sunset, as ships sail from the port of Stockholm to the open ocean, they pass through (takes a couple of hours) a gorgeous, glittering string of small islands, green, lush, and largely undeveloped aside from occasional brightly painted wood homes. This view alone is worth booking a balcony cabin.

Touristy but Fabulous:

A city tour from a boat. Gamla Stan, Stockholm's walled, medieval-era old town. Head for Vasterlanggatan, the main drag, and explore from there.

Time to lock in a deal? Another cruise line CEO says prices have bottomed

2009-07-15T02:36:00.000-07:00

USA Today - Cruise Log

SAINT NAZAIRE, France -- Thinking of booking one of the super deals on cruises that have been floating around the marketplace this year? You might want to act sooner rather than later. Yet another cruise line CEO is saying cruise prices have bottomed and may be heading up.

"The pricing has started to show limited signs of moving in the right direction," says Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan. "We think we've seen the market bottom."

Speaking with a small group of cruise writers in France this weekend during ceremonies to mark the "float out" of the line's much-awaited new ship, the Norwegian Epic, Sheehan and other NCL executives said they saw growing signs the worst days of the current downturn are over.

"We haven't seen any deterioration (in pricing) in the last couple months," Sheehan says.

Just last month, executives at industry giant Carnival also noted prices may finally have bottomed.

"We have started tweaking pricing on a variety of brands," Carnival Corp. CEO Micky Arison told Wall Street analysts during a conference call to discuss second quarter earnings. "Pricing is being taken up."

Cruise lines began dropping prices drastically late last year in reaction to a sharp slowdown in bookings brought on by the economic crisis, and fares for many itineraries have remained unusually low through this spring and summer. NCL's Sheehan notes that pricing in Alaska, in particular, has dropped substantially for the current summer.

Carnival -- the parent company of more than half a dozen brands including Carnival, Holland America, Princess Cruises and Cunard -- said in its June conference call that the prices it's getting for cruises departing in the third quarter still are substantially below the level of a year ago. Prices for fourth quarter cruises are down year-over-year, too. But Carnival said there definitely has been an improvement in pricing off the lows as demand for cruises returns.

Summer cruise prices "ridiculously low"

2009-05-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

USA Today Cruise Log

This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers cruising for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log this week while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is on vacation.
How good are the cruise deals this summer?

Some people in the industry, like Norwegian Cruise Lines CEO Kevin Sheehan, say prices are “ridiculously low”. We asked some travel agents to send us some examples of what they thought were the top summer deals this year.

And some of the prices they are advertising would seem too good to be true in any other economy. Especially in Alaska and Europe, where until this year, demand was so high cruise lines were able to get their best premiums.

Some "almost" too good to be true deals:
- a 7-night Alaskan Holland American Line cruise starting at $349.
- European River Cruises are offering many sailings at 2-for-1 rates
- International Airfare + Cruise + Hotels for $1649.

Contact World Travel Warehouse at 1-866-994-9898 to enquire about the many cruise deals available right now!

Atlantic Hurricane Season 2009 NOAA Predictions Released

2009-05-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Cruise Critic: May 21/09

Ten days shy of this year's Atlantic Hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its official 2009 outlook. The word: We're most likely in for a "near-normal" season with some 9 to 14 named storms.

Officially, NOAA's National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center says that there is a 70 percent chance of having 9 to 14 named storms this year, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes (Category Three or higher, with winds of at least 110 miles per hour). Forecasters call for a 50 percent probability of a near-normal season, a 25 percent probability of an above-normal season and a 25 percent probability of a below-normal season.

NOAA's forecast is in line with earlier forecasts, including that of Colorado State University's weather guru Dr. William Gray, who in April predicted 12 named storms, including six hurricanes, two of which will be major storms.

But just how reliable is NOAA when it comes to forecasting? Read on.
FULL ARTICLE

How to Find a Good Cruise Travel Agent

2009-05-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Smarter Travel
by Kelly Ranson and Erica Silverstein, Cruise Critic - May 12, 2009

So, you've decided to go on a cruise—perhaps your first venture on a vacation at sea—and you're a little overwhelmed. You have to consider how much you're willing to pay, whether to book an inexpensive inside cabin or splurge on a suite, and which cruise line and ship are right for you. Add dinner seatings, shore excursions, and cabin location to the list, and planning a relaxing getaway suddenly seems like a second job.

In the age of the Internet, many people assume that online is the only way to book travel. But, as booking online can often be confusing, a travel agent may be just what you need. In fact, according to the Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) 2008 Cruise Market Profile Study, nearly 75 percent of cruise travelers book their cruises through travel agents.

One of the most important things to know is that agents—in particular, cruise specialists—have been onboard the ships and can really give you first-hand advice about different cruise options. They have done a great deal of research through familiarization trips and cruise-line seminars, so you don't have to do the work yourself. Even better, agents often have access to special discounts or perks—or know best where to find them—and as the cruise lines pay their commissions, you don't pay more for their services and expertise.

Still undecided, or unsure where to find an agent to help you? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Reasons to Consider a Travel Agent
If you're used to booking travel independently, consider these reasons why you might want to make use of a travel agent to book your next holiday at sea.

Choosing a Cruise: For your first cruise, you may need help in matching your lifestyle and budget with a cruise line and destination. Choosing a cruise is not the same as picking a hotel or flight, as there are many more options to consider.

For example, do you want to cruise close to home from ports like New York, Miami, Galveston, or Seattle, or are you willing to fly to Europe for Mediterranean and Baltic sailings? Would you be happier on a large ship—such as Royal Caribbean's 154,407-ton, 3,634-passenger Freedom of the Seas—or on a smaller, more intimate ship—like Seabourn's 10,000-ton, 208-passenger Seabourn Pride? Do you prefer a casual and lively vibe, as is found on Carnival Cruise Lines, or a more formal atmosphere, such as Silversea's?

Remember, you won't just be using the ship as a home base, like you do with a hotel; it will be your home, restaurant, and entertainment venue for a week or more. The right ship and itinerary can make your vacation that much more enjoyable—and an agent can help you determine the best selection for your tastes. In addition, an agent can answer any questions or assuage any apprehensions you might have about taking a cruise for the first time.

Shopping for Great Deals: Contrary to what you might expect, travel agents may actually be able to get you better deals than Internet retailers or even the cruise lines themselves. The best travel agents have access to discounted group rates and exclusive cruise pricing that's not found anywhere else. In addition, agents occasionally give you extra value on your booking—such as prepaid gratuities, a free bottle of Champagne, or onboard credit—to sweeten the deal. And if the price of your cruise drops after you book, a good agent will notice and refund you the difference in fare. Finally, as cruise lines pay agent commissions, you don't have to worry about paying extra for their planning services.

Booking the Trip: Once you've chosen your cruise and, with the agent's help, matched your style with your vacation goals, you've got to book the trip. Again, it's a bit more complex than you might think, but a good agent will make the process go smoothly—from securing the right cabin type and location to booking the dinner seating that will suit you and your party. Your agent will also be able to sort out travel insurance, if required, and will collect payment for the cruise (usually a deposit at the time of booking and the full amount 60 to 90 days before departure). In addition, the agent can help you with the rest of your travel plans, such as pre- or post-cruise stays, airfare, and transfers.

Special Requirements: If you have special needs of any kind—whether it's help in arranging a wedding ceremony onboard, ordering gluten-free or kosher meals, or dealing with accessibility issues—a qualified agent should be able to make the proper arrangements for you or advise you on how to handle the issue yourself.

Establishing Relationships: Booking with a travel agent gives your transaction a personal touch—you have a resource for asking questions and someone to contact if something goes wrong during your travels. But your relationship with an agent doesn't tend to end after one trip. The agent will keep you in his or her database, alert you to deals or sales, and can even suggest future trip ideas.

How to Select a Travel Agent

So how do you find the right travel agent for you? Look for the following:

Training and Credentials: Many agents become accredited cruise counselors through CLIA's Cruise Academy or take courses through the different cruise lines to become more expert at selling their products. Inquire whether the agent has attended any of these training programs. In addition, you can look for affiliations with the National Association of Cruise Oriented Agencies (NACOA), Better Business Bureau (BBB), American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), or even the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Cruising Experience and Knowledge: Question the agents on cruising trends or up-and-coming destinations, and ask them to explain the differences between cruise lines. Find out how many cruises they've taken that year and with which lines they've personally cruised. The more knowledgeable an agent is, the better advice you'll get. If the agent has rarely cruised, you might want to take your business elsewhere. In addition, you might want to look for an agent who is a cruise specialist—either at a cruise-dedicated agency or within a larger general agency—to get the best service.

Inventory/Niche: If you're interested in a specific type of cruising (such as river cruising or luxury travel), look for agencies that specialize in the line or type of cruising you prefer. They'll often have more complete knowledge of your choices than a generalist. For example, if you want to cruise one of Europe's rivers in an intimate barge or riverboat, you may not want to book with an agent who specializes in selling holidays on 3,000-person mega-ships.

Interview: The best cruise agents will do a thorough job of interviewing potential clients to find out which ship, line, and itinerary would be the best fit. In that initial interview, they should ask you what kind of vacation you normally take (beach, city, active, for example), who is going (family, couple, singles), your travel style (entertainment and activity preferences, dining habits), and your budget.

Cruise Line Connections: Find out if the travel agent has preferred status with any cruise lines or whether he or she belongs to travel consortiums that would enable him or her to get you better deals, upgrades, etc. But watch out—some agents will push a particular line too aggressively for your tastes. You don't want to get caught in an agent's agenda if the cruise line isn't right for you.

Special Offers: Look for agents offering discounts, free perks, and other incentives. If you don't see a sign or advertisement, always ask—the agent may have fabulous offers the cruise lines won't let him or her publicize. In addition, ask if the agent can meet or beat the best price you've seen elsewhere.

Size: You can book a cruise through a huge travel retailer with branches around the country, a local cruise agency, or even a home-based agent who will talk cruising with you at your local coffee shop. You'll find pros and cons of working with the different types of agencies; for example, you might get more personal service from an independent agent but better deals from a large company with a high volume of bookings. Shop around and see what size fits your needs best.

How to Locate an Agent

If you'd like to book a cruise through a travel agent, you can pop into a downtown storefront or search for cruise sellers online. If you want to look for agents registered with travel organizations, here are some resources for finding agencies near you.

Cruise Lines International Association: You can search for a CLIA-certified travel agent on the organization's website. Use the search tool to locate agents in your area with a variety of levels of CLIA training.

American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA): Use ASTA's consumer website to locate a travel agent who has agreed to conduct their business activities in accordance with the organization's code of ethics.

When to Go it Alone

Using a travel agent isn't always necessary. Here's how to determine if it's okay to book on your own.

You're Experienced: If you have cruised before and know exactly what you want—the cruise line, destination, duration, and cabin—booking on the Internet can be quite easy. Most online cruise retailers have comprehensive search functions, as well as pages that list their best or newest deals. Many also offer additional resources, such as deck plans, photos, and reviews. A step-by-step process will guide you through the booking and payment procedures.

You're Independent: If you're a do-it-yourself type, and you have the time and inclination to thoroughly research your own trip using resources like our sister site Cruise Critic, then go right ahead. For many of us, planning is half the fun of taking a trip.

If you'd like help planning or booking ytour cruise, please contact World Travel Warehouse

Save up to $1000 per Stateroom on European River Cruises from Avalon Waterways

2009-05-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Save up to $1,000 per stateroom on 2010 river cruise & small-ship cruises

The views on Avalon Waterways can transform the way you travel forever. Unwind in contemporary spaces on the youngest river cruising fleet. Encounter ever-changing landscapes and spectacular panoramic views out floor-to-ceiling windows found throughout the ship. Let the transformation begin.

Also available: FREE companion airfare on 2009 air-inclusive European river cruises Check out these cruises for air-included specials

For more information, Contact World Travel Warehouse, or call 1-866-994-9898 or visit www.avalonwaterways.com.

Is That Cruise Deal Too Good to be True?

2009-04-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Smarter Travel
AskEd & AnswerEd
by Ed Perkins - April 17, 2009

Some of the cruise deals you see these days seem too good to be true. Whether you get them by email, see them online, or see a print ad, lots of cruises—on good ships—are going for under $100 a day per person, some are going for as little as $50 a day, and even some outside and "balcony" cabins are going at near those prices. A reader recently asked the simple question:

"Are those cruise deals we see real, or are they bait & switch come-ons?"

The short answer is that they're real—well, almost real—provided you understand the economics of cruising. You do face a few mandatory extras, but they're within reason; it's the optional extras that can gouge you.

The Base prices

In early April, I saw great deals from several of the big online cruise agencies, such as and Vacations to Go. Among the best deals was an Alaskan trip, from Whittier (Anchorage) to Vancouver, May 16, starting at $349 per person inside, $379 outside, and $599 balcony. Those are all at least 67% below brochure rates. Other good deals started at $499 per person, seven nights, Western Caribbean from Miami, May 2; $599 per person, seven nights, Western Mediterranean from Pisa, May 16; and $599 per person, seven nights, Mexican Riviera from Long Beach, May 3.

I also saw lots of good deals for later in the summer peak season and into the fall, but none quite so low as the last-minute rates available for sailings within a month to six weeks. That's par for the course.

It's too late to book most spring transatlantic repositioning cruises from the U.S. and the Caribbean to Europe. The next good transatlantic deals will be returning from Europe this fall.

How Do the Cruise Lines Do It?

These days, cruise line pricing is sort of like the pricing you find on some of the most tight-fisted low-fare airlines: Sell the basic product cheap and make your profit on the extras. Thus, cruise lines try to sell as many cabins as they can at brochure or near-brochure rates, then top off their empties with last-minute discount deals. In some cases, those deals can be almost unbelievable: A few weeks ago I heard about travelers, at the port just disembarking from a $4000 cruise, who were offered a second cruise leaving that same day for $500.

According to some recent trade sources, with today's squeezes on costs and revenues, the break-even occupancy rate on some mass market lines is 100%. They make their profits on the extras.

Extras You Can't Avoid

No matter what you do, you can't really cruise for the hyped per-day prices. You have to pay at least two extras that the cruise lines don't pocket for themselves:

Tipping, although nominally "voluntary," is a virtual necessity. The mass-market lines generally recommend a total of $10-$12 per person per day, to a mix of cabin attendants and restaurant staff; more for "special" services. A few lines assess mandatory tipping or service charges—theoretically a good idea, but not unless it's coupled with a strict "no extra tipping" policy, and it generally isn't. Here's a useful online guide to cruise tipping.

Port taxes and immigration/customs fees collected on behalf of various port and government agencies are extra, just like airport taxes, although they generally add only a few dollars a day. Fortunately, the big cruise lines no longer do what they once did: split the true fare into a low-ball featured price plus a big phony "port charge" that really went to the cruise line.

As of last December, most of the big cruise lines had eliminated fuel surcharges. All told, the unavoidable extras are generally modest.

Extras You Can Avoid

The avoidable extras are those that the cruise lines do pocket for themselves or split with someone else. Those lines are generating significant profits by a combination of adding fees to features that once were "free" and by imposing big markups on optional expenditures:

Several lines have instituted extra fees to eat at some onboard "gourmet" dining rooms, surcharges for some menu items in the remaining dining rooms, and fees to use some of the ships' recreational facilities.
Merchandise at a ship's "boutiques" generally carries a stiff markup—more than you'd pay at a conventional retailer.
Beer, wine, and liquor, once sold at "duty free" prices, are now marked up to fancy-bar price levels. And most lines forbid you from bringing your own bottles aboard (although I suspect that lots of cruisers manage to circumvent this rule).
Almost all casinos are big moneymakers, and cruise ship casinos are rumored to be less generous than those in, say, Las Vegas or Laughlin.
You're apt to be constantly pestered to pose for ship photographers, and then buy the pictures at inflated prices.
Shore excursions are marked up well beyond the price you'd pay by arranging your own tour after you arrive. We've previously covered shore excursions in greater detail; the risk you face in organizing your own tour is that if you're delayed, the ship won't wait for you.
Clearly, you can avoid any or all of these optional extras. However, avoiding all of them may limit your cruise experience to an unacceptable degree.

Buyers' Guide

The longstanding suggestion to potential cruise travelers—buy very early or very late—appears to remain valid:

For maximum choice and flexibility, buy early enough to take advantage of "early bird" discounts offered by many cruise lines.
For bottom prices, wait for really good last-minute discounts, generally a month to six weeks before sailing.
Buying late requires a bit more flexibility: The number of ships, destinations, and itineraries available at rock-bottom last-minute rates is typically limited

Best Cruise Ship Sundecks

2009-03-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Smarter Travel
by Teijo Niemela, Cruise Critic Contributor - March 24, 2009

Cruise ship sundecks are popular hangouts for most passengers, but over the years, they've also been the source of much controversy. We've all been there: longing for a nice, long nap in the Caribbean sunshine or a dip in a refreshing pool, only to find our peaceful mentality destroyed by chair hogs (people who reserve deck chairs, then disappear for hours, preventing you from finding an empty lounger), crowded whirlpools, and rowdy kids splashing away—not to mention incredibly juvenile pool games, hosted by the entertainment staff (hairy chest contest, anyone?).

But, as cruise ships become larger and lines compete to offer the most innovative onboard amenities, sundecks—the top-deck areas of ships, more traditionally used as magnets for daytime activities—are undergoing revolutionary changes. The simplistic "one deck, one pool" mindset of the 90s has given way to modern multipool complexes—including thalassotherapy pools, adult-only pools, kiddie pools, and even waterslides. Need personal space or an escape from the poolside hubbub? On Celebrity Solstice, you can chill out in a field of real grass on the top deck of the ship. And, on all three Oceania ships and Holland America's (HAL) Eurodam, you can rent private cabanas.

The bottom line? Cruise lines are now designing pool areas that mirror on-land resorts—the best of which have always offered fabulous (and sometimes even fantastical) pool and sunning areas.

I note a few emerging trends:
The spa has headed outdoors. No longer are peaceful retreats and thalassotherapy pools hidden in the bowels of the spa. Princess' newest ships (and, soon, all of its ships) offer a new twist on the concept with The Sanctuary. This area, housed all the way forward and encircling the Lotus Spa pool a deck below, features gorgeous Italian chaise lounges, two cabanas for alfresco massages, MP3 players (with mostly relaxing music) for rent, and a special healthy menu—with waiters to fetch the food and drink. It's been so popular on Crown, Emerald, and Ruby Princess that it fills up fast—even with a $15 per half-day surcharge. Celebrity Solstice's solarium is an adults-only oasis with soothing water features, peaceful whirlpools, and a main pool large enough for laps. Or, book a spa treatment on one of Oceania's three ships, and you'll get an hour's access to a private sundeck with padded loungers and a thalassotherapy pool for some in-the-sun peace.

To solve cruisers' number one pet peeve—overcrowded sundecks with no free lounge chairs—lines like Oceania and Holland America offer private cabanas for rent. On HAL's Eurodam, you can choose from cabanas located poolside or in The Retreat, a sundeck exclusive to cabana renters. Inside your private tent, you'll find wicker couches and chairs, complimentary snacks—like fruit skewers—and Evian spray misters. Oceania's cabanas feature teak double loungers with terry-covered cushions, and waitstaff will bring in food from the poolside grill (including milkshakes!) or afternoon tea.

Sundecks have also turned into fun decks. Waterslides can be found on many Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Carnival ships (with more being added, thanks to Carnival's Evolutions of Fun refurbishments). Royal Caribbean pioneered the concept of an onboard water park for kids on its Freedom-class ships, and even upscale Celebrity Solstice has a fountain, in which both adults and kids can cool off. Think that shuffleboard is the only fun thing to do top-of-ship? Now sundecks feature entire sports decks with rock-climbing walls, paddle tennis courts, life-size chess games, mini-golf and, on Royal Caribbean, onboard surfing.

FULL STORY

Best Budget Cruises for 2009

2009-03-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

by Erica Silverstein, Cruise Critic - March 10, 2009
Smarter Travel

Sure, times are tough, but does that mean you have to give up your vacation altogether? If taking a cruise this year involves penny pinching, why not consider a cruise on a line known more for value than for having the latest splashy features?

Unlike the airline industry with its low-cost carriers (think Ryanair, Spirit Airlines, or even Southwest), there aren't too many cruise lines that can be considered budget (though some older ships on well-established, contemporary cruise lines, like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), could fall into this category).

So, to help you in your search for cruise deals, I've come up with three categories for penny pinchers: budget cruise lines, budget itineraries, and budget seasons. You don't necessarily need a dedicated budget cruise line to find rock-bottom rates, but you do need to know which itineraries and cruising seasons traditionally have the lowest prices. With some savvy strategies, you can even find extremely affordable sailings on premium and deluxe cruise lines, as well as the mainstream ships.

An unprecedented number of sales on cruises for 2009 will also aid your search for the best budget cruise. So, stop moping and start shopping—there are plenty of affordable cruise vacations to be had.

Budget Cruise Lines

Cruise lines fall into different price categories, but only a few qualify as truly budget—usually because they reduce costs by offering fewer onboard amenities. The cruise lines detailed below are considered budget lines, but look for sales on older vessels belonging to the fleets of Carnival, NCL, and Royal Caribbean for some competitive rates, plus plenty of onboard activities, multiple dining venues, and the newest gadgets and gimmicks.

EasyCruise: EasyCruise began its career in 2005 as the no-frills cruise line with amazingly low fares and destination-focused itineraries. After a few false starts with other itineraries and extremely bare-bones ships (and an unsettling addiction to the color orange), the fledgling line now offers Greece and Turkey voyages on the slightly more amenity-laden and sophisticated 600-passenger easyCruise Life. Still, for low rates—though not quite as cheap as on the late easyCruiseOne's first departures—travelers receive very basic 65- to 130-square-foot cabins (with or without windows), daily cabin cleaning (previously this was only available at extra cost), a half-board meal plan (breakfast and a choice of lunch or dinner) and transportation to a new destination each day, arriving midday and staying into the wee hours of the morning. Typical fares start at €190 per person (about $239 US dollars; see XE.com for current exchange rates) for a three-night mini-break or €480 for a seven-night trip, but look for sales to drop the prices further. To keep within your budget, avoid expensive onboard drinks, spa treatments, shore excursions, or extra meals in the ship's one mediocre restaurant.

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Before booking a cruise, a few words of advice

2009-01-29T06:05:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Times - Travel
By Beverly Beyette
03:04 PM PST, January 21, 2009

Match your ship to your personality and your needs
Reggae bands and singing waiters? Carnival. String quartets and serene service? Cunard.

Do you want new and flashy? As a rule, "short cruises [three to five days] are on older, less desirable ships," says Paul Motter, publisher and president of CruiseMates.com, an online community for cruise news and reviews. "To get to the newer, flashier ships you need to invest seven days." The ideal length depends on the destination. "Seven days in the Caribbean is enough," he says, but plan on at least 10 to 14 days in Europe.

A couple or a single looking for maximum adventure and minimal frill might consider a river cruise, a small ship coastal cruise or perhaps a tall sailing ship.

And for families? "The big ships have facilities for children that probably will keep them occupied without their going out and spending extra money," says Douglas Ward, author of Berlitz's "Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2009" and Insight Guides' "Cruising: All Questions Answered." "The ship that does that best is Disney. And Holland America's newer ships are very good."

Decide whether you want a ship experience or a destination experience
If it's the ship experience -- that is, long stretches of days at sea -- consider an Atlantic or Pacific crossing or a repositioning cruise. Otherwise, think the Caribbean, Alaska, the Mediterranean or Mexico.

"Celebrity and Cunard are ship experiences," Motter says, noting that the lines generally offer more at-sea days filled with onboard activities. By contrast, Oceania Cruises, a premium line whose ships sail worldwide, and Carnival are more focused on destination experiences and include lots of ports.

Consider using a travel agent
"Going to a specialized travel agent will save you lots of heartaches," Ward says. "They can get you deals that are not advertised on the Internet." And their expertise can keep you from ending up surrounded by cruisers chanting "To-ga! To-ga!"

Read the FULL STORY

Choose your perfect cruise

2009-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

How to find the trip that floats your boat
msnbc Travel

By Adam McCulloch

updated 11:19 a.m. ET Sept. 26, 2008
“Cruise ships used to be for the newlywed or nearly dead,” quips Carolyn Spencer-Brown, Editor in Chief of Cruisecritic.com, an authority on the cruise ship industry. For years these floating clichés offered bingo, buffets and boredom in the form of shore excursions adhering to a well-trampled tourist trail. Now there’s a cruise to suit every demographic, from intellectuals to adrenaline junkies, princes to paupers and everyone in between.

There are cruises catering to those with religious and academic interests, for single travelers and families, gay travelers, wandering gourmands, adventurers and more.

In part, the renaissance of cruise vacations has been the result of vastly better boats. “Ships have become bigger and more contemporary,” says Spencer- Brown, “they have the same features as land resorts like fitness centers, movie theaters, great shopping and kids clubs.” An impressive 12.5 million people took a cruise in 2008—according to a report issued by the industry’s regulatory body Cruise Lines International Association (C.L.I.A.)—and a whopping 51 million Americans indicated that they were intending to take a cruise in the next three years. The big dilemma: which one to choose.

FULL ARTICLE
Looking for Cruises? Check out our Cruise Search

New Cruise Ships of 2009

2009-01-13T11:09:00.001-08:00

by Erica Silverstein and Molly Feltner, SmarterTravel.com Staff - January 13, 2009

The star of the "class of 2009"—no question—is Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, and it's not just because the 220,000-ton, 5,400-passenger behemoth is, by far, the largest cruise ship ever built. It's also the most fantastical. Features like neighborhoods—designated as Central Park and the Boardwalk—an onboard zip-line, the Aqua Theater for aerial acrobatics, and a bar that rises five stories like an elevator really make the ship awe-inspiring.

And between now and November, when the ship is due for completion, you'll hear much about it.

Still, that doesn't mean the nine other new-builds slated for delivery this year are forgettable. Others will be trendsetters too. Carnival's Carnival Dream is the first new design for the Fun Ship line since it launched Carnival Conquest in 2002. Costa Cruises is taking a retro-step with the unique design of Costa Luminosa, which will be its first new ship in years that's small enough to slide through the Panama Canal. Along with an expanded range of itineraries, its highlights include a 4D cinema and a rollerblading track. Seabourn Odyssey is not only the first new ship on the luxury horizon in five years, it also represents a fresh, new interpretation of the upscale cruising lifestyle. And, in the river cruise niche, Viking River Cruises is raising eyebrows with its innovative new Viking Legend.

Trendwise, I found that most of 2009's new ships fall into one of three categories:

Biggest Ever: Oasis of the Seas may be the biggest cruise ship ever, but many ships debuting in 2009 will be the largest in their respective lines. Seabourn Odyssey, Carnival Dream, Silversea Cruises' Silver Spirit, and Viking Legend will sport new designs and the largest size of all their fleetmates. The increased size gives the cruise lines more room to offer new and improved onboard facilities like expanded spas and kids' areas.

Carbon Copies: Many ships launching in 2009 are almost exact replicas of vessels that debuted in 2008. Costa Pacifica, MSC Splendida, Celebrity Equinox, and AIDALuna all take their design from their trend-setting older sisters (Costa Serena and Costa Concordia, MSC Fantasia, Celebrity Solstice, and AIDADiva and AIDABella, respectively). Incidentally, all four will also share the title of "biggest in fleet" with their clones. If you're looking for differences, check the restaurant roster. I've heard that a few lines might spice things up by offering a different specialty eatery on the second ship.

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Cruise lines unveiling 'shocking' deals for Wave Season

2009-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

USA Today - Travel Log

If ever you wanted to book a cruise, now's the time to do it. Travel agents say Wave Season has kicked off with some incredible deals.

"Now is definitely the time for budget-conscious travelers to book their cruise travel," says travel agent Bob Miller of Cruise Holidays of Alexandria in Virginia. "These incentives are bringing even luxury cruises within the budgets of many previous mass market and premium cruisers."

Miller says he's seeing "tremendous" bargains at high-end lines like Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Crystal Cruises as the companies offer unusual incentives to boost slumping bookings.

"Our leading seller, Oceania Cruises, by this time in past years would have sold through 80% or more of the year's Europe offerings," he notes. But this year, "with people waiting longer to book their travel, Oceania Cruises still has great availability on 2009 Europe cruises, and for the first time ever, has lowered its rates."

Cruise lines are hoping a strong Wave Season -- the period between January and March when many cruisers book their voyages for the year -- will make up for the sharp decline in bookings since September, and they're flooding the market with incentives to help things along.

Miller notes Oceania is offering $1,000 per person discounts on many 2009 Europe cruises. Regent Seven Seas, meanwhile, is throwing in free airfare and shore excursions for people who book select Europe cruises. And Crystal just announced a "Save Now, Save Later" incentive that gives customers who book select European voyages by March 31 up to a $1,500 per person discount.

Other cruise lines that traditionally don't discount heavily such as Royal Caribbean also are offering some hefty discounts, says travel agent Michele Keeley of Travel Leaders in Eden Prairie, Minn.

"Last week I booked a seven-night Southern Caribbean cruise on Adventure Of The Seas for just $566.00 . . . including airport-to-ship transportation and all taxes & port charges," Keeley notes. "That breaks down to just $80 per person, per day -- a fantastic value."

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Big cruise deals are washing in

2009-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

By Arline and Sam Bleecker (Chicago Tribune)
January 4, 2009
Consumers are drowning in a sea of bad economic news.
So are cruise lines.

Consumers, though, are under no obligation to spend their money, but ships do have to sail.

To fill their ships' berths, cruise lines are floating deals and making offers you can't refuse, said Jean Mallory, a cruise specialist at White Travel in Hartford, Conn. "The rates being offered are so low," she added, "that I cannot imagine how much longer the cruise lines can survive at these fares."

In November, for instance, Norwegian Cruise Line was offering a four-night Florida-to-Bahamas sailing for as little as $99 total, Mallory said.

Carnival CEO Micky Arison acknowledged, "As expected, 2009 is shaping up to be a challenging year in the travel industry." For 2009, he said, occupancy levels for advance bookings [for Carnival ships] are running behind the prior year, with ticket prices for these bookings also at lower levels." As a consequence, Mallory added, "It's raining outrageous rate reductions and discounts."

Cheaper fares and bargains come in many forms.

At Holland America, discounts come in three forms: 50 percent smaller deposit requirements on all cruises and Alaska cruise tours departing on or after May 1; 25 percent off the line's standard Cancellation Protection Plan fees when purchased with a new booking for departures on these sailings; and, in general, lower fares.

Almost every cruise line has dropped its fuel surcharge to help lower fares. Just recently, all six Carnival brands—Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, the Yachts of Seabourn and Costa Cruises—have jettisoned fuel surcharges. Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises—have deep-sixed fuel surcharges for all sailings worldwide after Jan. 1. So has Norwegian Cruise Line.

Windstar Cruises, which operates a fleet of high-end motorized sailing vessels, is offering special family fares on summer European sailings aboard the Wind Surf. Families booking one full-fare stateroom on Wind Surf sailings that depart from June 7 through Aug. 30 will receive a second stateroom for family members on the same sailing at 50 percent off per person.

Passengers booking Regent Seven Seas' World Cruise will receive all their shore excursions complimentary, which, according to White Travel's Mallory, amounts to an approximately $10,000 savings.

Even sweeter deals are on the horizon, Mallory pointed out. Here are some of her favorites. (Prices quoted are per person, excluding ports charges and taxes. Fares may change without notice.)

•Costa has a 17-night trans-Atlantic cruise starting at $310 aboard the Fortuna, departing Ft. Lauderdale March 15 and arriving on April 1 in Savona, Italy (the port for Genoa). Port stops include Nassau, Catalina Island, St Maarten, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Tenerife, Funchal and Barcelona. Keep in mind that with fares in the $300 range, the taxes and port charges can be as much as the fare.

•Norwegian Cruise Line's sweepstakes bargain is a 14-night Caribbean repositioning cruise from $319 aboard the Norwegian Dawn, departing New York on Nov. 1 and arriving at Miami on Nov. 15. Stops include ports in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Curacao and Aruba.

•Holland America is putting Alaska sailings on sale, according to Mallory. Sail northbound on the Statendam on May 10, for example, for as little as $429. The line's Alaska itineraries may vary, but most sailings offer The Last Frontier experience in Glacier Bay National Park, the College Fjords, Skagway and Ketchikan and conclude in Seward.

In booking a cruise, Mallory advised, read the fine print. Not all things may be as they seem. Two-for-one offers also bear scrutiny, she said, and increases in taxes and ports charges can "turn the deal sour very quickly."

Check with a travel agent if you think a deal seems too good to be true. But bottom line, Mallory advised, is to act quickly.

Put cruise vacations on layway for big savings

2009-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Interest-free payments with a $99 deposit offer travelers a shot at luxury
MSNBC Travel

updated 9:56 a.m. ET Dec. 16, 2008
The deal
Why put your dream cruise vacation on hold, when you can put it on layaway?! Current economic conditions and the urge to ditch credit cards have caused a surge in the popularity of layaway programs, and the concept has now spread to the travel industry.

If you’ve dreamt of going on an expedition cruise to exotic locales like Antarctica, Greenland or Norway but can’t unearth such a large chunk of change in the couch cushions, new layaway cruising offers interest-free payments for a shot at that luxury voyage you’ve been yearning for. In addition to this new program, time it right, and you can take up to 30 percent off Hurtigruten cruises to Norway.

Layaway with a $99 deposit
The luxury Hurtigruten line specializes in exotic cold-weather cruises to remote scenic locales. Although these voyages can come with a hefty price tag — think $5,000-$15,000 or more for cruises to Antarctica — passengers who book any cruise by Feb. 28 that departs between May and December 2009 can now put the cruise on layaway. This includes all of Hurtigruten’s destinations like Antarctica, Greenland or Europe. Make monthly, no-interest payments and still reserve the right to cancel with a 100 percent refund, up to 70 days before departure. There are no credit checks, and deposits start as low as $99.

FULL STORY

5 things you must consider before cruising

2008-12-20T09:08:00.001-08:00

Here’s what to consider when selecting your cruise.
By Anita Dunham-Potter
Travel columnist MSNBC News
updated 9:20 a.m. ET Oct. 20, 2008

It’s a blissful thought: sailing off into the sunset on a cruise vacation. Cruising can be an exciting and affordable vacation option. Of course, it’s important to find the right cruise at the right price for your getaway. After all, there are more than 160 ships in the fleets of the 24 major cruise lines and thousands of itineraries worldwide.

Style of ship and cruise line
Cruise lines have their own distinct personalities and ships that reflect them. The size of a ship really does matter. Large ship cruise lines Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International provide a party atmosphere with glitz and high energy. Small ship operators like Silversea Cruises and Seabourn focus on quiet luxury and a more refined experience.

Where to go
Cruise ships can take you almost anywhere on the planet, from the Caribbean or Europe to Asia or Antarctica, so explore a range of possibilities before settling on a preferred route. When you’ve found a trip you love, go over the schedule carefully. If traveling internationally make sure you have valid passports, visas, and any required immunizations.

When to go
The holidays, spring break and summer are high season and that usually means higher prices. The shoulder seasons of mid-fall and early spring offer great cruise deals, and may be even more appealing than high season. An Alaska, European or Caribbean cruise in May or September, when the kids are in school, translates into fewer people in port.

Pick a stateroom
Consider your itinerary when reserving a stateroom. If you can afford to splurge, a balcony stateroom provides you a private space to relax and get away from the crowded decks. Still, not all cruises are ideal for balconies. A trans-Atlantic crossing doesn’t make a lot of sense for a balcony since the ship is at sea for days and the weather is often cold or too windy to enjoy the space. On the other hand, the appeal of a balcony on an Alaska, Caribbean, European or South American cruise offers amazing scenery that should not be missed. Smaller inside staterooms are adequate for budget-minded cruisers who seem more likely to spend most of their time utilizing the ship’s public spaces.

Getting the best price
Cruise lines offer travelers a host of discounts, so consider every source when looking for a deal. Check out your credit card as many offer discounts or points towards cruises. Look at all the clubs you belong to, from AAA, airline frequent flier programs and college alumni associations, to union memberships — see if they offer any deals or special rates for members. Also, if you’ve previously cruised with a cruise line you may be in for a repeat cruiser discount.

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Searching for Cruising's Best Bargains

2008-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Smartertravel.comby Erica Silverstein, Cruise Critic - December 9, 2008

Predicting where—and when—the savvy cruise shopper is most likely to find that dirt-cheap seven-day Caribbean cruise, the usually elusive five-category upgrade or a truly generous onboard credit perk requires a crystal ball. And while travel agents can't see into the future of cruise deals, they do have a few tricks up their sleeves about where and when to look for the best prices. We pumped a couple of knowledgeable cruise sellers for their best tips on finding low cruise fares. So put down your tarot cards, step away from the Ouija board, and listen to some real-world advice on searching out cruising's best bargains.

If You Have the Means, Book Now
"Right now, we are seeing the cheapest deals we've seen since 9/11," says Anthony Hamawy, president of Cruise.com. As the economy has scared many travelers into cutting back their vacation plans, cruise lines are scrambling to fill empty cabins on late 2008 and early 2009 sailings, as well as hedging bets for spring and summer 2009 sailings.

The deals appearing now are incredible—seven-night cruises for $199, anyone?—but travel agents don't think they'll last. "Right now, there are good deals for summer and winter 2009," says Hamawy. "Will the inventory remain? I'd be very surprised if there was space left 30 days out." So if you've got your eye on a 2009 cruise, put a deposit down now to lock in the sale fares. You won't be taking too much of a risk, especially if you can take advantage of the reduced deposits or extended no-penalty cancelation periods currently on offer.

If You Can Be Totally Flexible Don't Plan Too Far Ahead
The concept of last-minute booking continues to evolve, but travel agents basically consider last-minute to be any date beyond a cruise's final payment deadline (60 to 90 days before departure). Because some people put down a deposit to hold space on a cruise and then cancel their sailing before ponying up the rest of the money, the cruise lines don't have an accurate picture of how many cabins have truly sold on a cruise until after final payment is due. At that time, the cruise lines can see how much space is left on a given sailing and how hard they need to work to sell it.

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Planning a Family Cruise

2008-12-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Planning a family cruise
By Arline and Sam Bleecker | Special to the Tribune
November 30, 2008

You might, like us, wonder if sailing over the blue horizon as a family group is a good idea, especially as the holidays near.

Earlier this year, we weighed the advantages of holding a family gathering at sea versus, say, a week at a land resort or mountain retreat. There was much to consider, including cost. We are an aging group of four couples—sisters, brothers and their spouses—all sixtysomethings or older, each with diverse interests and physical limitations to consider.

It had been years since all of us had spent that much time cheek by jowl. A friend had once tried to assemble a family reunion for as many couples and remarked that the effort nearly turned her hair gray trying to meet everyone's needs.

In our family, for instance, one member is an amateur singer, gregariously funny, with a 9-to-5 job from which she really needed a vacation. One member of the group loves to golf, while others love to read and relax. Yet another and her husband deal with disabilities that make getting around difficult.
FULL STORY

Cruise Europe affordably

2008-10-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

By: Steve Faber
MSNBCPractical ideas to vacation in Europe without breaking the bank

Maybe you've never been on a cruise before, or maybe you're a platinum level repeater with multiple cruise lines, on a first-name basis with half the taxi drivers in the Caribbean. In either case, it's a good bet that on one level or another you've considered choosing to cruise Europe sometime in the future.

If that's the case, the future could be now. With more and more ships committed year-round to the Mediterranean, the entry of the mass-market lines and flourishing of European budget operators, now's the time to dust off those European cruising plans; it is possible to say the words "Europe" and "affordable" in the same sentence.

There are a slew of reasons besides affordability for the overseas trend, and now is a great time to go with the tide. If you've yet to "go Continental" in your cruise vacation planning, one or more of these may resonate with you:

Get to the roots of everything. Okay, not everything in American life had its origin in Europe, but, arguably, a major portion of Western culture and history derives from the Continent. And there's no substitute for being there and seeing it up close and in person. Whether it's standing on the floor of the Colosseum in Rome or atop the Acropolis in Athens, seeing the actual Mona Lisa framed on a wall rather than printed in a book, or walking the halls of Versailles, there is an eerie sense of being transported back in time and history that needs to be experienced firsthand.

You can't get it here. Well, again a bit of hyperbole. You can get pasta in Pittsburgh or pizza in Poughkeepsie, but eating Italian in Italy is in a whole different league. The same goes for French, Spanish, Greek — all the regional cuisines of Europe. Whether or not it's in part psychological, the local food just seems to taste different and, to most palates, better. Likewise, much of the European merchandise we buy in the States is available in greater quantity, variety, and sometimes even of better quality for a lower price on the other side of the Atlantic. For example, I have a personal passion for Italian driving shoes, and I can find a far greater variety of my favorite brands in Southern Italy, amazingly enough at about half the stateside price.

The FULL Story

Bumped from your cruise? It CAN happen!!

2008-10-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Travelers discover cruise is cancelled to make room for charter group
By Anita Dunham-Potter
Travel columnist
Nov. 7, 2008

Last June, Beth Lawless-Walsh and her friend were looking forward to escaping the rainy Pacific Northwest on a seven-day Carnival Cruise Lines’ cruise in the Caribbean. Lawless-Walsh booked the cruise through a Florida-based online cruise booking site called Winston and Sons Cruises, a Joystar-affiliated agency. Lawless-Walsh had worked with the agency before and felt comfortable booking with them again. The friends opted to book their own airline tickets separate from the cruise — Lawless-Walsh cashed in frequent flier miles and her friend purchased tickets through Orbitz.

A few months after booking the cruise vacation her travel agent left the business and transferred her reservation over to another Florida-based online agency, DrewsCruise.com. Everything seemed to be taken care of, or so she thought.

Travel agent mess
In late October, six months ahead of the sailing, Lawless-Walsh signed on to Carnival’s Web site to fill out customs forms and discovered some shocking news: The Carnival Victory cruise had been canceled. Upset, she called her new travel agent to find out what happened. The agent was just as perplexed as Lawless-Walsh because there had been no record of a deposit refund to Lawless-Walsh’s credit card.

FULL STORY

Best Cruises for Seniors

2008-09-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Smarter Travel

What exactly is it that seniors want in a cruise?

We want a comfortable experience. We love to visit several ports without the hassles of having to pack and unpack at different hotels in different cities. And we want to be pampered a little bit more—with good food and service, great entertainment and activities, and a good value for our vacation dollars.

Many of us look for stimulating enrichment programs as food for our minds while we seek menus with healthy selections for our bodies. Despite popular notions, there are actually a slew of us seniors out there who aren't crotchety busy bodies; instead we like to be active, and we'd prefer to learn about the culture of the Asian port at which we are about to dock or take those tango lessons before we actually land in Argentina.

Perhaps more so than the majority of travelers, some of us have accessibility issues. In this regard, ships built in the last half dozen years generally follow Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recommendations for passengers with mobility problems. Some lines go the extra mile when it comes to accessibility; two examples are Holland America's wheelchair-accessible tender transfer system and Royal Caribbean's hydraulic pool chairs that enable passengers with mobility issues to use the swimming pool.

FULL ARTICLE

The slickest suites at Sea

2008-08-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

MSNBC
Even the hard-to-impress will be wowed by these super-swanky rooms

If you're like us, you get slightly seasick at the idea of spending a week inside a tiny cruise-ship cabin, with those tacky round portholes and bunk beds with lumpy mattresses. OK, maybe they're not like that anymore, but we'd rather not take chances.

When we set sail, we'd much prefer, say, a private butler at our disposal. Or a private terrace large enough to ballroom-dance upon. Many of the better cruise lines now have at least one truly impressive suite onboard, the kind of room that would wow you even if you found it in a swank hotel. Some suites are a good bang for the buck, others cost a whole lot of bucks—but you won't feel cramped in any of them.

And if you want to see what you're missing by not booking a crowded little cabin, you can always lock yourself in the walk-in closet.

FULL STORY

Cruise Industry Insider Reports the Best Time to Buy a Cruise

2008-05-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

For years cruise lines and agencies have encouraged passengers to book a year or more in advance to get the best price. Today, CruiseFuse released a study preview that found booking early or at the last-minute does not always guarantee the lowest price.

After researching prices for over 5,000 cruises each week, the preview reports several patterns at many of the most popular cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Holland-America, Celebrity and NCL. The preview is limited to Suites, the largest and most expensive cabins, and offers several money saving tips.

The review indicates deals could be found at Carnival Cruise Lines during a short booking window about one month before departure. Thirty days prior to sailing, published double occupancy prices for Suites were $200 lower than last-minute prices and $55-110 less than prices two or three-months prior to sailing.

Carnival Cruise Line's highest prices were 14-days before sailing for cruises of 6-nights or longer and three to four-months in advance for 5-nights or less.

At Holland-America Cruise Line, consumers not able to book far in advance found some of the best cruise deals up to 60-days prior to sailing. After that point, average rates increased rapidly. The preview reports that Holland-America rates for 6 to 8-night cruises increased $737 from two months prior to departure up to sailing.

Similar patterns were found at Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines where average prices remained flat up to three months prior to sailing. Within the last 90-days, average published fares increased over $750 at Princess and $500 at NCL.

CruiseFuse recommended buying Suites at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Celebrity Cruises as far in advance as possible. Average rates almost always increased as sailing dates approached. The report said booking at least six months in advance saved an average of $425 at Royal Caribbean and over $1600 at Celebrity.

The preview encourages passengers to book early. Early purchase ensures the best selection of cabins and prices that are almost always at or near the lowest rates. But the preview offered hope for deal seekers without the luxury of planning a cruise vacation far in advance.

According to the preview, average pricing patterns changed by cabin category. In most cases, the pricing for Inside, Oceanview and Balcony cabins did not follow the Suite category trends.

CruiseFuse encouraged customers that had already purchased a cruise to check for price drops. Many cruise lines offer price protection policies to make lower rates available to passengers that booked at a higher price.

Luxury cruising is the next big thing

2008-04-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Luxury cruising is booming. With nine new ships on order, the luxury lines are looking at 32 ships and 11,790 berths by 2012 — the largest capacity in the sector’s history. American Express Travel attributes the upswing to pent-up demand and to a wide range of new offerings aimed at upscale baby boomers, including new and exotic ports of call, butler service, gourmet meals, private shore excursions, golf and scuba outings, and customized cruise planning. Luxury cruise operators are betting that the enthusiasm for such offerings will be long-lived.

Holland America Around the World Cruises - available through World Travel Warehouse
Full Story

Carnival becomes first cruise line to earn a security certification

2008-04-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

MIAMI -- Carnival Cruise Lines became the first cruise line to earn a certification for its comprehensive on-board security programs from Lloyd’s Register, a leading ship classification society based in London.

The certification recognizes Carnival for its wide-ranging efforts in developing, implementing and auditing its security operations aboard its 22-ship fleet.

The certification, which included an independent audit conducted by Lloyd’s Register, also acknowledges that Carnival meets or exceeds all security standards mandated by various international maritime codes and organizations, including the International Ship Port Facility Code, the Maritime Transportation Security Act, and the Standards for Training Certification and Watchkeeping.

The certification was presented by Lloyd’s Register officials at Carnival’s annual security conference in Miami which brings together the company’s key shoreside personnel with chief security officers and staff captains, responsible for overseeing shipboard security, to participate in various security-related seminars and share best practice solutions throughout the fleet.

Carnival shipboard security team works in tandem with the company's shoreside security department which is made up of highly experienced former law enforcement professionals. Carnival’s shipboard security personnel are required to have previous experience in security, military or law enforcement and receive intensive, specialized training in a wide variety of areas.

Carnival is the world’s largest and most popular cruise line, operating 22 ships on three- to 18-day voyages throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, South America and other destinations. The line currently has three new ships set to debut between now and 2011.

For additional information and reservations, contact World Travel Warehouse at 1-866-994-9898 or visit www.carnival.com.

Important Updated Cruise Travel Information: PLEASE READ

2008-01-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

There are several changes that the U.S. government will be implementing in the coming months that will impact your cruise clients. Please review the following information and communicate these messages with them.Effective February 18, 2008 - Passengers MUST be on board at least one hour prior to departure
Cruise ships departing from U.S. ports will be required by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to provide the full passenger and crew manifest to the U.S. government 60 minutes prior to departure starting Feb. 18, 2008. This means that all cruise guests will need to be on board at least* one hour before the ship’s scheduled departure.

In order for the ship to be able to depart port on time (and for your clients to be on board and not waving to the ship from the pier), following these suggested travel tips will ensure an on-time departure for all:

Each passenger should submit their full and accurate identification information** to the cruise line as soon as possible but at a minimum prior to arriving at the departure port. Many cruise lines have online check-in available for guests that reduces the time they have to wait for their final boarding documents at the pier. Travel agents should encourage their clients to check-in online or offer to provide passengers’ information to the cruise line with final booking.

To avoid last-minute boardings (and possible denial of boarding), ensure your passengers’ travel arrangements leave plenty of time to make it to the ship. Cruise lines outline suggested arrival times at the pier on their Web sites and/or their cruise documents. Encouraging cruise guests to arrive the day or evening before and enjoy the port city is the best recommendation for a stress-free start to their cruise.

*Check with the individual cruise line for final boarding times (some are requiring guests to be on board 90 minutes prior to departure to meet this new government requirement).

If a passenger does not make it aboard the ship in the allotted hour-before-departure timeframe, they may be denied boarding because their name has not been vetted by U.S. government databases.

** These fields include:

Last Name

First Name

Middle Name (if there is one)

Date of birth

Gender

Nationality

Country of Residence

ID Type

ID Number

ID Country

ID Expiration Date

Destination address

Effective January 31, 2008 - Oral declaration of citizenship will no longer be accepted

(Previously sent by CLIA on Dec. 21, 2007) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that effective January 31, 2008, all travelers, including U.S. citizens, entering the United States through all ports of entry (including land and sea ports) will no longer have the option of orally declaring their citizenship. This previously accepted, but rare, practice of proving citizenship through oral declaration will no longer be sufficient. Cruise passengers must present the appropriate identification or risk being denied boarding.

What does the January 31, 2008 discontinuation of the oral citizenship declaration option mean to you and your clients?

Currently, CLIA member lines generally require proof of citizenship and a government-issued ID for boarding. This typically means a driver’s license along with proof of citizenship in the form of either a:
- Passport
- Original or certified copy of birth certificate
- Naturalization papers (for U.S. Naturalized citizens)
- Other forms of Identification recognized by CBP see them at: http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/whtibasics.shtm#3

These requirements have been industry standards, but will now be required by regulation and enforced as of January 31, 2008.

Cruise passengers on international voyages who do not have proper citizenship and identification documentation will not be allowed to board their cruise after January 31, 2008. Please advise your clients of this change.

Once again, as of January 31, 2008, all travelers, including U.S. citizens, seeking to enter the United States through land and sea ports of entry must present documents proving citizenship (such as a birth certificate or passport) and government-issued identification (such as a driver’s license).

13 ways to save money on a cruise

2008-01-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

1. Buy early. When Jeff Cooper worked for a cruise line, the best deals came just before wave season. "The sailings prior to Christmas and New Year's were rarely at capacity," says Cooper, who now works as a hospital administrator. And while the bargains during wave period were good, these were better.

2. Skip the air-inclusive cruise. "Cruise air is usually the worst possible deal," says Amber Blecker, an agent for CruiseResource.com. "You get bad itineraries, multiple connections and higher prices." And, she adds, don't think for a moment the cruise line will wait if your plane is late. "That's a wives' tale," she says.

3. Find a preferred agent. There are travel agents, and then there are travel agents. "Find one that specializes in booking with your desired cruise line," advises Charles McCool, a consultant who specializes in finding travel deals. "Only a select few have preferred status. These agents and agencies offer better discounts and amenities, and the cruises cost between 10 percent and 20 percent less than cruises bought from other agents."

4. Think small, think shoulder-season. Crystal Griffith, a nurse from Baker, Florida, scored a deep discount on her Alaska cruise by choosing a September itinerary and picking a windowless inside cabin. "We rarely spent much time in the cabin, and used it mainly for sleeping," she says. "It saved us lots of money."

Read ALL 13 Tips

By Christopher Elliott
Tribune Media Services