2008 Cruises to an End

With 2008 nearly over, (wow, the year went fast!) I thought it might be a good time to recap some relevant cruise news from this year. These blurbs certainly do not represent all that has happened in the industry this year, but I thought they were interesting, and, well, it's my blog...

Norwegian Cruise Line Continues to Make Waves

Well, it looks like Norwegian will continue with the F3 project after the squirmish with the shipmaker, but now it's down to just one ship instead of several. NCL should take delivery in May, 2010, and I, for one, am quite interested to see what this new ship will actually be like. We've heard the rumors about the Ice Bar so I'd like to see if they're really going to go through with that idea or not. NCL America has cut its operation in Hawaii to just one ship, the Pride of America, after originally having three there, but the good news is that the operation is now actually profitable. NCL will also begin its new Bermuda contract in 2009 and both NCL and MSC get to battle it out as to who has the youngest fleet in the industry.

Seattle Overtakes Vancouver in Alaska Cruise Port Popularity Contest

It's now official, Seattle has finally outstripped Vancouver in the number of cruise passengers travelling through its port. However, Vancouver certainly has nothing to feel badly about. First, since it's illegal for one-way cruises to or from Alaska to start in Seattle (due to the ships' registry), these cruises all have to start in Vancouver. This also means more hotel business for Vancouver since many people arrive the night before their cruise sets sail. Secondly, Vancouver also hosts Regent Seven Seas, which is the most upscale and luxurious cruise line sailing in Alaska. Lastly, Vancouver still retains the highest number of actual vessel calls. Plus, it's a damn beautiful city. So take that, Seattle!

Holland America Line Retreats? To Where?

As previously reported, Holland America has come up with an innovative new Retreat area to be installed on several of its ships, including the Statendam, Maasdam, Ryandam, and the Veendam, and the Rotterdam. The coolest thing about these new Retreats is that people will be able to sit in lounge chairs in nine inches of water on either side of the pool, while the middle section of the pool will be sixteen inches deep. The tradeoff is that these Retreats are being put in where the old aft pool areas were, and apparently passengers are complaining because they said that the aft pool area was the best place to relax on the ship. I personally think it's an interesting idea, and we'll see what passengers say in the future, as maybe they'll think the Retreat is an even better place to relax than before.

Bermuda is Back and Better than Before!

I guess Hamilton, Bermuda lost its cruise business in 2008, but things will be different in 2009 thanks to Holland America. The line signed a contract with Bermuda to operate its 1,350-berth Veendam in weekly service between New York's Manhattan Passenger Ship Terminal and both Hamilton and St George's.
The agreement started out as a late summer and autumn season of 10 roundtrip voyages starting August 10, but this month it was extended to a full season of 24 cruises starting in April. As the Veendam will be the first of the Statendam class to get her new Retreat (see above), Bermuda passengers will be able to sit in their deck chairs in the pool, should they so wish. Now all they need are little floating trays to hold snack foods by their loungers.

For more information on these developments, see The Cruise Examiner and Cybercruises.com. To book any cruises on these lines to these ports or any other, please contact Sheila McPherson, Your Personal Cruise Specialist, at (630) 868-6719 or toll free at (877) 823-8597 or visit www.serenitycruising.com.

Merry Christmas and a Cruisin' New Year!

I just wanted to put up a quick post to say thank you to my loyal readers of this blog (wherever you are!) and to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I know that times are tough for all of us right now, but I also want to encourage those of you who are thinking about traveling this coming year to go ahead and do so as soon as possible. The travel industry in general is struggling right now and there are some really tremendous deals out there. It looks like it may be a long, cold, snowy winter here in the Midwest, so why not take advantage of some great deals and head off towards warm and sunny weather during the next three or four months? You could be lying on a beach getting a tan or frolicking in the ocean, while the rest of us are stuck here shoveling snow!

Cruising continues to be a fantastic all-inclusive way to travel and a great value compared to land-based resorts, so I hope to see you sailing away on a luxurious cruise ship this coming year!

Once again, thank you to my loyal readers, and I wish everyone of you out there a Merry Christmas and a Cruisin' New Year!

Wine, Wine Everywhere... And Plenty of Drops to Drink!

Silversea Cruises, an ultra-luxury cruise line, has announced its enticing new collection of 11 Wine Series voyages for 2009.

According to a press release, "On each wine-themed cruise, discerning travelers with a passion for fine wines will enjoy sampling great vintages and learning about the tradition and art of winemaking in special tastings and lectures conducted by wine professionals, vineyard owners, winemakers and other epicurean specialists from renowned establishments, including California's Justin and Wente wineries, Italy's Castello Banfi and Chile's Santa Alicia Winery, to name a few. On many voyages, guests will also have the chance to explore some of the world’s most celebrated wine regions on guided shore excursions."

It seems that fine leather handbags and shoes go well with wine, as the family of Italian fashion visionary Salvatore Ferragamo also happens to own Il Borro, an acclaimed wine-producing estate in Tuscany. Ferragamo's grandson is slated to host Silver Wind's July 6 wine-themed sailing from Lisbon to Monte Carlo.

Guests will visit and interact with the Wine Experts onboard, experiencing fine wines through entertaining tastings and lectures, while visiting spectacular ports of call and enjoying the luxurious accommodations onboard the ship. This is a tremendous opportunity for wine enthusiats to savor new flavors and learn more about wines throughout the world, while living in the lap of luxury aboard a fantastic cruise ship!

Silversea's 2009 Wine Series cruises are as follows (rates are per person, double occupancy and do not include port charges):

Alaska & Pacific Coast

-- Silver Shadow departs July 20 on a 12-day, roundtrip voyage (#3917) from San Francisco with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Wrangell and Victoria. WINE SERIES HOSTS: Eric and Arel Wente, owners of California's Wente Vineyards. Silver Sailing fares start at $6,646.

-- Silver Shadow departs August 25 on a 9-day, roundtrip voyage (#3921) from Vancouver with calls in Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Wrangell and Victoria. WINE SERIES HOST: Master Sommelier Joe Spellman of California's Justin Vineyards and Winery. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $5,775.

Mediterranean

-- Silver Wind departs May 28 on a 9-day voyage (#2917) from Monte Carlo to Athens with calls in Livorno, Sorrento, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Kusadasi and Bodrum. WINE SERIES HOST: Stanislas Marchal, public relations representative for Vranken-Pommery Monopole. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $7,305.

-- Silver Whisper departs July 4 on a 7-day voyage (#4918) from Venice to Athens with calls in Split, Kotor, Corfu and Itea. WINE SERIES HOST: Georges Muller of Riedel Crystal (the wine glass company), expert on pairing wines with stemware. Silver Sailing fares start at $4,896.

-- Silver Wind departs July 6 on a 12-day voyage (#2921) from Lisbon to Monte Carlo with calls in Cadiz, Malaga, Ibiza, Barcelona (overnight), Cannes, Menton, Livorno and Corsica. WINE SERIES HOST: Salvatore Ferragamo, owner and managing director of Il Borro estate, Tuscany, Italy. Silver Sailing fares start at $5,797.

-- Silver Wind departs August 14 on a 7-day voyage (#2925) from Venice to Athens with calls in Hvar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik and Santorini. WINE SERIES HOST: Philip di Belardino, Castello Banfi Vineyard Estate & Winery, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $6,115.

Northern Europe & The Baltic

-- Silver Cloud departs June 25 on a 9-day, roundtrip voyage (#1914) from Stockholm with calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg (3 days, 2 nights), Tallinn and Gdansk. WINE SERIES HOST: Gary Eberle, owner of California's Eberle Winery (will co-host with a European winery, exploring Old and New World wines). Silver Sailing fares start at $6,646.

-- Silver Cloud departs August 26 on a 10-day, roundtrip voyage (#1921) from London with calls in Edinburgh (overnight), Invergordon, Oban, Dublin, Cork and Fowey. WINE SERIES HOST: Gordon Bell, brand ambassador and master of Scotch whisky. Silver Sailing fares start at $7,486.

South America

-- Silver Cloud departs January 4 on a 16-day voyage (#1901) from Santiago to Buenos Aires with calls in Puerto Montt, Puerto Chacabuco, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas (overnight), Falkland Islands, Puerto Madryn, Punta del Este and Montevideo. WINE SERIES HOST: Daniel Soto, Santa Alicia Winery, Santiago, Chile. Voyage co-hosted by GUEST CHEF Luis Gonzalez Morales, chef/owner of El Remezon restaurant in Punta Arenas, Chile, specializing in traditional Patagonian cuisine. Silver Sailing fares start at $8,606.

-- Silver Cloud departs February 5 on a 16-day voyage (#1903) from Santiago to Buenos Aires with calls in Puerto Montt, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas (overnight), Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn and Montevideo. WINE SERIES HOSTS: Silvina Barros of Trivento Winery and Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina; Fernando Mediano of Emiliana Vineyards, Casablanca Valley, Chile; and Jofre Duran of Concha y Toro Vineyards, Maipo Valley, Chile. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $10,450.

Transoceanic

-- Silver Cloud departs April 15 on a 15-day voyage (#1910) from Barbados to London with calls in St. Lucia, Antigua, La Horta, Ponta Delgada, Falmouth and Cherbourg. WINE SERIES HOST: Trevor Burnett, brand ambassador for Grey Goose Vodka. Voyage co-hosted by GUEST CHEF of the Viking Cooking School. Silver Sailing fares start at $5,337.

To book any of these fantastic voyages or for more information, please contact Sheila McPherson, Your Personal Cruise Specialist, at (630) 868-6719 or visit my website at www.serenitycruising.com.

Kiss Those Annoying Fuel Surcharges Goodbye!

After Carnival Corporation announced last week that it was eliminating fuel surcharges for all of its cruises departing after December 17, 2008, the other major lines have quickly followed suit. Royal Caribbean International, parent company for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara; and NCL, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian America, quickly announced they were also repealing fuel surcharges but the starting dates vary. I wasn't surprised that RCI and NCL followed suit so quickly, and I certainly think it's about time that these announcements were made, considering how the price of oil has changed in the recent months. To make it even better, Prestige Cruise Holdings, parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, announced today that they are joining the party and will be eliminating fuel surcharges for all voyages departing in 2009.

All the cruise lines have, of course, reserved the right to reinstate the fuel surcharges if the price of crude oil reaches a certain level. For more information on what that target price is, check each cruise line's website.

For passengers who have already paid for their cruise in full, the fuel surcharges will be refunded by shipboard credit. Those passengers who have not yet paid in full will have their outstanding balances adjusted.

Keep in mind, though, that cruise lines vary in how they will allow you to spend your onboard credit; some may not allow you to use that shipboard credit to pay for your gratuities, or to cover any spa charges. You also probably won't be able to exchange that onboard credit for cash in the ship's casino, either, so plan on running up quite a bar tab to use up your fuel surcharge onboard credit! If you've paid in full and are expecting an onboard credit and you want to know how you can use it, check with your travel agent or cruise line before you set sail.

Any way you look at it, this is great news and let's hope that we never see fuel surcharges added to cruise fares again!

Carnvial Ends Fuel Surcharges For Good... For Now, That Is!

Awesome news! Carnival Corporation announced today that it is suspending fuel supplements effective for all voyages departing on or after December 17, 2008. This suspension applies to all six of Carnival Corporation's brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.

The fuel supplement will be refunded by shipboard credit for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008. All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount.

Carnival's executives cautioned that the fuel supplement could be re-instated if oil prices increase significantly. Carnival therefore reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $70 per barrel.

I'm not surprised this is happening and I am certainly glad to see it! I expect that the other major cruise lines will follow suit pretty quickly, so we might be able to finally say goodbye to fuel surcharges... at least for a while!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.... On a Cruise Ship?

Princess ships are now preparing for another festive season at sea, and according to the latest reports, weather conditions are again pointing to unusual snow flurries onboard. Princess Cruises debuted this concept last year to rave reviews, so they've decided to do it again. Snow (yes, SNOW!) will actually fall in the ship's atriums, transforming the ships into floating winter wonderlands throughout December.

"What's better than the romance of a white Christmas, especially when it's an unexpected surprise?" said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. "Our snowfalls were such a huge hit last year that this has now become a new tradition on Princess ships."

Princess Cruises has developed an innovative snow-making process which creates falling snowflakes that vanish on contact, letting passengers enjoy the excitement of snow flurries without the need to bundle up. Princess' daily snowfall will occur on all ships except for the Pacific Princess, Tahitian Princess and Royal Princess, as these smaller ships do not have multi-story atriums.

The fun holiday experience doesn't end with the snow, however. The ships are all decked out in holiday decor with Christmas trees on the vessels' masts and carolers strolling throughout the decks. Passengers can get into the fun with the "gingerbread challenge," where teams try to construct the most creative gingerbread structure. Or they can test their holiday craft skills by creating a personalized photo ornament. And for those of us who are cutlery-challenged, guests can learn how to expertly carve a holiday turkey from the onboard culinary experts.

Sounds like fun to me! I think this is a really great idea and I'd love to experience it for myself. For those of you who can get away this holiday season but haven't made any plans yet, consider taking a Princess cruise and REALLY get into the holiday spirit!

Sleeping In on Disembarkation Day? I'm All for That!

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line recently announced that it is changing its disembarkation process. Instead of passengers having to rush out of their staterooms, gulp down breakfast, and then do the "hurry up and wait" routine in public areas of the ship, they will be allowed to access more areas of the ship and have access to more services.

Royal Caribbean's plans will allow guests to have extended access to their staterooms, as well as continued in-stateroom TV entertainment. Guests also will receive an “As You Depart” notice, which communicates the new enhancements and the location of departure lounges offering refreshments and light entertainment. Among the departure lounges will be a dedicated Family Zone, which will include refreshments, toys and games geared toward younger cruisers. Guests in suites will be treated to an exclusive continental breakfast hosted by guest services or the concierge. Royal Caribbean will also cut down on the amount of ship-wide public announcements all morning to maintain a relaxing atmosphere, with nearly all departure updates limited to the departure lounges and through the in-stateroom TV programming. If you'd like to get off the ship right away instead of waiting around, guests can also take advantage of the Express Departure option, where they carry their own luggage off the ship. With this option, you get to disembark the ship first and as soon as the gangway is opened and cleared by local authorities.

I think this is a great step forward on Royal Caribbean's part and I'd really like to see other cruise lines follow along. On my most recent cruise on the Norwegian Star, their disembarkation process allowed passengers to stay in their staterooms while they were waiting to disembark, and it made for a much more comfortable and relaxing experience. Bravo, Royal Caribbean!

NCL's Freestyle: Free to Be You and Me!

I just recently returned from a Seminar at Sea aboard the Norwegian Star, a beautiful ship in NCL's "youngest fleet in the industry". This was my first opportunity to experience NCL's signature "Freestyle Cruising" for myself, after hearing much about it through other agents and clients. I have been a fan of the dine-at-your-own-leisure-type experience offered by several cruise lines for many years, even though each line's system seems to work a bit differently. I enjoy being able to eat dinner early one night if I happen to be hungry earlier than my set dining time; or being able to relax for a while after a long day ashore and have a late dinner instead of having to rush to the dining room to be there on time for my seating. I also enjoy being able to choose with whom I'd like to dine, instead of having to sit with the same table-mates for the duration of my cruise. I'm all about choice, you see?

What I really liked about NCL's Freestyle program is that it truly IS freestyle. You get to choose when you want to eat, where you want to eat, and with whom you want to eat. Now, I knew this already as a cruise specialist, but to be able to experience it for myself really made me understand what NCL was aiming for when they developed this program. I really enjoyed the FREEDOM granted to me and I found the process to be very well-run. You simply pick which restaurant you'd like to dine in, whether it be one of the main dining rooms on the ship, or one of the many specialty restaurants on the ship (each of which charges a small cover charge); and you can either make a reservation, which is recommended, or you can simply walk in when you're ready to eat.

Reservations are only allowed 24 hours or less in advance, so that prevents people from picking the "best" or most popular restaurants for every night of the cruise, blocking others from getting a chance to dine there as well; and passengers are encouraged to actually keep their reservations, because failure to cancel with enough notice means a cancellation charge (the amount of the cover charge) being added to their shipboard accounts. Some people may balk at being charged for failing to cancel on time, but I think it's a smart idea. After all, if you reserve a table and don't show up, you could be preventing someone else on board from being able to dine there at that time.

For those of you who don't like to make reservations and prefer to just walk in to a restaurant and get a table, this can be done; just keep in mind that if you pick the most popular dining spot onboard at 6:00 pm, you may have to wait to get a table. I mostly live by the "fly by the seat of my pants" method, and usually wait to decide what to have for dinner until about 10 minutes before I want to actually EAT dinner, and the whole process went very smoothly for me. Our sailing was full and my traveling companion and I never had an issue getting in to eat where we wanted on a given night. We did make reservations a couple of times, but only about two hours or so before we wished to dine that evening; and several times we just walked in to a restaurant and were seated right away. It worked great.

If you didn't feel like actually sitting in a "restaurant" to eat, there was always the poolside grill, the buffet, the ice cream bar, and room service to keep you full. And, of course, the Blue Lagoon (sort of a diner) was a great place to sit and have a bite if you were just looking for something to do.

I really felt free on this ship, and my traveling companion, who enjoyed it so much, even booked her next cruise while onboard the ship! NCL's Freestyle cruising is a giant step away from the typical cruising experience, and it may not be for everyone. After all, some people really enjoy the set dining times, formal nights, and shuffleboard of traditional cruising; and that's wonderful that they do, as there is an air of elegance to it. But if you're a part of Generation X or you just enjoy doing things a little differently and at your own speed, then NCL might be for you. You really can be free to do what you want where you want and when you want -- at least for a week or so aboard a cruise ship!

Oh, and by the way, the food was pretty darn good and the entertainment was fantastic, too!

How about a nice round of golf --- in Vietnam?!?

According to Cruise Industry Wire, Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises is expanding its "Experiences of Discovery" Golf theme cruises into Asia, giving golf enthusiasts the rare opportunity to play at four world-renowned courses in Thailand and Vietnam. Guests can sharpen their skills on board and ashore with instruction from a guest celebrity golfer and PGA golf pro. Crystal Symphony's 11-day itinerary from Hong Kong to Singapore offers a roster of onboard lectures, clinics, contests and events, including the chance to win a free Crystal cruise.

Every detail of the Crystal Golf Program is arranged in six-star fashion, from onboard practice with TaylorMade equipment -- the No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour -- to cocktails, caddy and cart service on the greens. Complimentary cleaning and storage of golf clubs and golf shoes will be offered after each round.

Courses include:

•Vietnam Golf & Country Club, Ho Chi Minh City -- The country's first 36-hole golf club, widely regarded as the premier club in Vietnam,

•Burapha Golf, Bangkok -- A 36-hole championship course set amid lakes, hills and tropical vegetation,

•Laem Chabang International Country Club, Bangkok -- Three distinct nines: The Lakes, Mountain and Valley courses, each offering its one-of-kind challenges, and

•Montgomerie Links, Da Nang, Vietnam -- Asia's first "Montgomerie" branded golf links set against the Marble Mountains and China Beach coast.

Departing April 20, the Golf Cruise calls at Chan May and Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, Bangkok/Laem Chabang, Thailand. Fares start at $4,805 per person, double occupancy. Golf excursions begin at $347 per person. Crystal also offers golf-themed itineraries in the British Isles and Northern Europe, and Canada/New England in 2009.

I am really excited to hear about this not only as a wife of an avid golfer who'd love to be able to take this cruise, but as a cruise specialist. With many cruise lines now cutting back on their more exotic itineraries and focusing on ports closer to home, it's really great to see Crystal adding to its already spectacular cruise opportunities by bringing the golf element onboard. Combining golf and cruising is really a no-brainer, but to be able to offer the opportunity to play golf at courses many, many Americans would never otherwise have the chance to play, is a stroke of genius. I applaud Crystal for offering this awesome golf cruise and hope to see other cruise lines doing the same.

If you are interested in booking this golf cruise or any other cruise vacation, please feel free to contact me at (630) 868-6719 or toll free at (877) 823-8597.

Cruising for $40 per Day? Holy Shnikes!

As reported in the Chicago Tribune on October 26: CruiseOne/Cruises Inc. has come up with a list of "Top 40 Cruises Under $40/Day," all of which are before the end of the year.

www.chicagotribune.com/40dollarcruises

This is huge, since I always thought that cruising for $100 a day was a great value! If you are looking to book a cruise vacation, now is the time to do so, obviously. Can you imagine getting a great hotel room, all your meals, and fun entertainment all for under $40 a day? Wow!  Call me today to take advantage of these awesome deals!

Technorati Tags: cruises,deals,value,vacation,Chicago,cheap,CruiseOne

Carnival Pulls out of Europe; Who's Next?

Carnival Cruise Lines just announced that the Carnival Liberty, which was scheduled to begin sailing in Europe for the summer of 2009, will remain in the Caribbean instead, doing 7-night sailings out of Miami. The decision was based upon the economy and high airfares to Europe, and Carnival execs state that their customers would prefer to sail out of domestic ports which are close to home.

This unfortunately is not surprising news, as we are beginning to see cruise lines shortening or removing cruise options to far-away ports, such as Australia (see a previous blog post regarding Celebrity pulling out of Australia) and now, Europe. I believe that while it is true that many Americans would prefer to save on airfare by cruising from a domestic port, pulling ships out of Europe, especially on the contemporary lines, is a mistake. With the U.S. Dollar so weak right now, it makes more economic sense for Americans to visit Europe by paying for their vacations in advance in U.S. Dollars, and we all know what a great value a cruise vacation is compared to a land-based vacation. Taking away an opportunity for someone here who always sails on contemporary lines, such as Carnival, to cruise to Europe, is really sad. Now those of us who are on tight budgets but who still would like to travel to Europe will have one less opportunity to do so.

I know our economy is struggling right now, but people still need to take vacations for their peace of mind and mental health. The cruise industry has weathered the storm pretty well so far, but I pray that the entire cruise market does not change as a result with hardly any ships visiting exotic and far-away ports of call, because that has always been one of the best parts of a cruise vacation; visiting beautiful and wonderful places that are far away, and having to unpack only once!

Carnival Corp. Repeals Fuel Surcharges (Depending on the stock market!)

In a statement released today to CruiseOne, Carnival Corp. announced that it will be eliminating the fuel surcharge for all new bookings on 2010 departures, effective October 31, 2008. Of course, at the same time, they will be raising the fares for the 2010 departures so keep that in mind before you start jumping for joy.

Carnival is also saying that for 2008 and 2009 voyages, there may or may not be a fuel surcharge in effect on each sailing, depending on the price of oil for about a month prior to each sailing. They will use the ending trading price of light sweet crude oil on the NYMEX for 25 consecutive trading days ending 5 trading days prior to departure; if the price each trading day is $70/barrel or less, then passengers will get a shipboard credit in the amount of the fuel surcharge. If not, then passengers will not get a shipboard credit. So it seems to me that if you have 2 people setting sail on 2 consecutive days, that the guy who sails first could get a shipboard credit for his fuel surcharge, and the guy who sails one day later could end up without a shipboard credit, if the price of oil went up by a few cents on the 26th trading day. This also seems like it could be a logistical nightmare for Carnival Corporation, because it would mean a lot of tracking to see which cruises will have the fuel surcharge in effect and which won't. I also wonder whether or not passengers and/or their travel agents will be notified prior to sailing whether or not they'll be getting a shipboard credit.

So, this could potentially be good news, but I take it with a lot of caution, because this is all dependent on the stock market, and we all know that could be very good or very bad!

Disegalitarianism: My Thoughts

This weekend, Peter Greenberg, otherwise known as The Travel Detective, discussed on his radio show, a recent article on BudgetTravel.com regarding disegalitarianism being the new trend in the cruise industry. What is diseglitarianism, you ask? Well, it basically means people who spend more on their cruise vacations expecting special perks, like priority seating in ship restaurants, around the pool, and access to areas of the ship like exclusive spas or nightclubs.

First, I don't know for sure if this is an actual trend in the industry, but there are definitely things going on that reflect it. For example, NCL already has premium Garden Villas on some of its ships which are located on a private deck. Guests in these suites are catered to at their every whim and are entitled to special perks such as priority tender seating, so they can get on and off the ship at ports of call whenever they please, plus VIP Immigration status so they get to be first in line. There is also talk of there being nightclubs with exclusive access on the upcoming F3 NCL ships.

Second, it has appeared, at least to me, that the service level in some areas of some ships has gone down since cruise lines began instituting the policy of charging gratuities charged to shipboard accounts. I don't want to name any ships or cruise lines in particular, but I have noticed this. This may be partially driving the desire for more perks because passengers want to be treated as if they are special and may not be feeling as much of that vibe anymore.

While I've never actually stayed in a suite on a cruise ship, I have stayed at luxury resorts before and have flown first class, and I enjoy the little perks that come along with those types of accommodations. After all, who wouldn't? But, at the same time, the more you cater to the higher-paying guests and the more exclusive perks you give to them, the more you emphasize the "classes" in our society. In truth, we are not a classless society, but I don't think we need to be constantly reminded of that fact when we're on vacation. Plus, the more we make certain parts of cruise ships open to only certain people, the more it reminds me of Titanic and ships of her day, where 3rd class passengers stayed in cramped quarters on the lowest decks and were referred to as "steerage". And we all know what happened to a great many of those 3rd class passengers when the ship sank! So let's not even go that route and try to contain the perks and exclusive areas on ships that are given only to those in the priciest accommodations, and treat everyone on board like they're special. After all, everyone could use a little time to be pampered now and then, especially when we're on vacation!

The Solstice is Coming, the Solstice is Coming!

Celebrity Cruise Line's newest and largest ship, the Solstice, left the shipyard in Germany the other day and is now undergoing several sea trials in preparation for her maiden voyage in November.

The Solstice has a very unique feature never seen before on any cruise ship: a large area called the "Lawn Club" which has about a half acre of real, growing grass! How's that for unique? The ship also boasts its new Aqua Class staterooms with extra spa-related amenities, which can really add to the relaxation factor!

By the way, there is still space available on the CruiseOne charter of the Solstice as she sails from Ft. Lauderdale for 2 nights on November 21, 2008. Be sure to contact me right away if you're interested in being one of the lucky bunch of people who will be the first to sail on this grand ship!

It's All About the Family

Let's face it: cruising is wonderful, in fact it's probably the best vacation value around, but it can sometimes get tricky when you're trying to book a stateroom and you have more than four people in your family. I have five people in my immediate family, as I am married and we have three kids under the age of 16. I grew up in a family of five, so it was always two adjacent hotel rooms for us when we would travel, but trying to accommodate all of us comfortably on a cruise ship gets a little more complicated. This is because my husband and I always insist on having a balcony stateroom, and then we need to be able to find an inside stateroom across the hall to accommodate our kids. (We've never booked far enough in advance to snag one of the limited number of "family staterooms" that are available on most ships.) The good thing, however, is that it finally seems as if cruise lines are getting smarter and more hip to the fact that many families exceed the "perfect four" of mommy, daddy, son, and daughter. Family staterooms, those that accommodate five or more passengers, are becoming more commonplace, and thus, easier to book than ever before.

Take Royal Caribbean's new Oasis of the Seas, for example. The Oasis of the Seas has several different categories of staterooms that will accommodate larger families, ranging from the Family Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony, which sleeps six; all the way up to the tony Royal Loft Suite, which sleeps six in grand style in a two-story stateroom complete with baby grand piano, indoor and outdoor dining rooms, and a huge balcony furnished with an LCD TV, entertainment area, and Jacuzzi. And if you need even more bunks, there's even the Presidential Family Suite which sleeps FOURTEEN! Now those are what I call FAMILY staterooms!!!

For more information on the fabulous Oasis of the Seas or to book, visit my website at www.serenitycruising.com or call me today at (630) 868-6719 or toll-free at (877) 823-8597.

Celebrity Cruises Discontinues Australia/New Zealand Cruises for 2009-2010

Apparently, Celebrity feels that its customers would prefer to sail from the Eastern Seaboard instead of visiting the Land Down Under, so the cruise line is discontinuing its voyages to beautiful and exotic Australia and New Zealand. The Millenium will finish her Alaska run completing cruises that were originally scheduled to be on the Mercury; then she will head down to San Juan, where she will sail to the Southern Caribbean for 10 and 11-night cruises. The Mercury will head to the Eastern Caribbean from Baltimore from November 2009 to February 2010, then she will sail to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Charleston through April of that year.

Personally, I think this has both positive and negative impacts. A positive is that with the additional sailings to the Caribbean from the east coast and San Juan, clients have more choices for longer sailings to that area, as many cruises to the Caribbean are for 7 days only. With the economy the way it is, it seems that many people would prefer to sail out of ports close to home to avoid spending big bucks on airfare so this should work out well. However, the negative is that there will be fewer opportunities for clients to sail to Australia and New Zealand, especially for those clients that sail on upscale cruise lines like Celebrity. It's really a shame, but hopefully things will turn around and Celebrity will re-deploy some of its ships to that beautiful part of the world soon.

Fred. Olsen Cruises Bans Indoor Smoking

Fred. Olsen Cruises will have smoke-free indoor environments on all of its five ships beginning early in 2009. According to a recent news article, smoking will only be permitted on cabin balconies and designated areas of outdoor deck space. The smoking policy will initially be instituted on three vessels: Boudicca, Black Prince, and Braemar, all of which will become smoke-free on January 1, 5 and 8, respectively. Black Watch and Balmoral will go smoke-free after completion of their 2009 world cruises, April 13 and May 29, respectively. Fred. Olsen currently allows smoking indoors in designated areas of certain lounges on each of the five ships.

I personally think this is a good policy and think that all cruise lines should implement this on all of their ships. Many towns prohibit smoking inside public buildings nowadays so it's really becoming quite expected that if you want to smoke, you do so outside. Most smokers probably are used to that policy anyway so to have to do the same on a cruise ship should not be a big deal. Now all of us can feel comfortable aboard a cruise ship!

WHEATON, ILLINOIS-BASED CRUISE SPECIALIST ATTENDS ANNUAL CRUISEONE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SHEILA McPHERSON JOINS MAJOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY PLAYERS, INCLUDING NUMEROUS CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES, ABOARD CELEBRITY MERCURY

Wheaton, IL – Sheila McPherson, a cruise specialist based in Wheaton, Illinois, joined top travel industry executives on an 8-night sail from Vancouver to Alaska as part of the 13th annual CruiseOne National Conference. Celebrity Cruises hosted Sheila McPherson and more than 300 other travel agents aboard the Celebrity Mercury for this unforgettable experience.

The Celebrity Mercury sailed September 14, 2008 to Ketchikan, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Hubbard Glacier; Sitka, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington. The conference, themed “Xperts in Cruising,” offered extensive training opportunities to Sheila and other attendees. The trip also included a check presentation and $6,000 donation to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, Alaska, courtesy of CruiseOne and Celebrity Cruises. Executives from all major cruise lines, as well as destination convention and visitor bureaus and tour operators, attended this highly regarded event. Additionally, Sheila attended extensive training sessions, becoming expert in Alaska travel, luxury cruising, group cruising and more.

“I always look forward to attending the CruiseOne conference because of the knowledge I gain, industry players I meet, and chances I have to build value for my clients,” said Sheila. “Cruising is one of the most popular ways to vacation. Each year, the CruiseOne conference unveils new trends, innovations and opportunities for me to keep travelers ahead of the curve with deals, incentives and service they won’t find anywhere else.”

For more information about a cruise vacation visit http://www.serenitycruising.com/%20and and sign up for the weekly eNewsletter or call Sheila McPherson, your Independent CruiseOne Cruise Specialist, at ( 630 ) 868-6719 or toll free
( 877 ) 823-8597.

About CruiseOne:With more than 500 locations coast to coast, CruiseOne prides itself on providing attention to detail and expert advice to every customer. Each independently owned and operated business combines the latest technology with old-fashioned, personalized customer service. The automated best fare search program enables cruise specialists to identify excellent values on all major cruise lines. CruiseOne offers innovative and exclusive programs including Honeymoon Cruise Registry, Company and Member Cruises and much more. CruiseOne is part of World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise retailer.

Another Oasis of the Seas Neighborhood Unveiled!

Royal Caribbean has raised the curtain on yet another of its neighborhoods aboard the Oasis of the Seas. The new neighborhood, Entertainment Place, is a complex of diverse entertainment venues.
A contemporary nightclub district, Entertainment Place will introduce new signature after-dark spaces in more intimate venues. The collection of venues will include Blaze, a nightclub at sea; Jazz on 4, an intimate lounge with live jazz and blues; and Comedy Live, a comedy club.
Dance enthusiasts will be able to enjoy an elegant evening in Dazzles, a dance lounge featuring musically themed evenings, dance lessons and competitions.
The late-night Entertainment Place will center around Casino Royale, what Royal Caribbean calls the largest and most sophisticated casino at sea. Guests will enter through two themed walkway entrances -- the first showcasing the 40-year legacy of Royal Caribbean International and the second, the Museum of Gaming, which immerses guests in the history of gaming. The casino, inspired by the classic casinos of the French Riviera, features dramatic sculptured architecture, crystal chandeliers and décor in jewel-toned hues of amethyst, aquamarine and ruby.
Details of Entertainment Place, as well as other entertainment offerings onboard Oasis of the Seas, were unveiled at the CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. national conference held on a cruise to Alaska this week. A video preview of Entertainment Place can be viewed at www.OasisoftheSeas.com.
"We are extremely proud that our partners were the very first to get a glimpse of the exciting new entertainment complex on Oasis of the Seas," said Brad Tolkin, co-CEO of World Travel Holdings.
Previously announced neighborhoods include Central Park, the Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone and the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center. The seven neighborhoods (one is still to be announced) provide cruisers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on their personal style, preference or mood.

-- I am getting really excited about this ship and I think it is absolutely amazing and could potentially change the cruise industry as we know it. If you haven't yet booked your cruise on this ship, you need to do so today! Visit my website at http://www.serenitycruising/ for more details!

Sheila Sails to Alaska on the Celebrity Mercury!

I have just returned from the CruiseOne, Cruises Inc. 2008 National Conference aboard the Celebrity Mercury. We sailed into glorious Alaska from Vancouver, B.C. and returned to Seattle after 8 nights, having visited Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, and Victoria. We also viewed the magnificent Hubbard Glacier, which, for me, was the highlight of the cruise. Since this was my first cruise aboard a Celebrity ship, I have decided to review it so that my readers can have the opportunity to gain from my experiences. What did I think? Well, read on to find out!

Since my husband had to stay home with the kids, I traveled with a friend of mine, and we shared a Category 2A Balcony Stateroom. I have to say that I was not very impressed with the stateroom, as it was very small. With two twin beds and two very small bedside tables, a desk, small glass coffee table and "loveseat", there was hardly room to walk around the room without bumping into furniture. The Mercury is one of Celebrity's older ships, and the size of the room and its furnishings reflect that fact. Many ships have now updated their staterooms to include flat-screen TVs and upgraded bed linens such as comforters, but these have not undergone such upgrades yet. Despite the cramped surroundings, the storage space was more than adequate, with two closets for hanging items and a third with shelves and drawers. The bathroom was tiny, as expected, but with adequate storage space and a decent-sized shower, it was definitely serviceable. The balcony was good-sized, and was furnished with a small square coffee table and 2 chaises. The balcony was not deep enough to accommodate the chaises if they were laid flat, but it still worked. We've been on ships where the balcony was barely deep enough to accommodate standard chairs, so this was an improvement.

The ship's public rooms were nicely decorated but in my opinion there really was not a lot of pizazz. I don't care for loud neon lights and really bold colors, but I thought that in general the decor seemed sedated. The main dining room was nice but nothing to scream about and the nightclubs and other areas were nicely appointed but nothing really took my breath away. One thing I found frustrating was that the only area of the ship that had a TV on was the casino bar, and the bar was in the middle of the casino so it tended to be very noisy when there was a lot of gaming action going on. The pool area seemed nice but the pool didn't get much use since we were in cold weather. The enclosed Palm Springs Pool area at the back of the ship was a nice place to relax and seemed to be used more often than the area surrounding the La Playa Pool midship. The Celebrity Theater had comfortable seating and good sight lines and the Navigator Club on the Sky deck and beautiful views.

The food on the Mercury was generally good and lunches and dinners in the dining room were nicely presented. The buffet in the Palm Springs Cafe served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and also had a Sushi buffet in the late afternoon. The food at the buffet was pretty decent, exept for most of the desserts, which seemed to lack flavor. The sushi buffet offered a variety of maki, such as California Roll and Tuna Roll, and had small pieces of tuna and salmon sashimi; these tasted better than the rolls. They also offered a create-your-own stir fry station, which was a pretty good way to get your vegetables in but the choice of sauce was limited to oyster or soy, so not much variety there. My major complaint about the food on the Mercury was room service. The 24-hour menu was limited to soups, salads, sandwiches and a few hot items, and the dessert choices were also limited and uninspired. For breakfast, room service was limited to eggs (scrambled or a plain omelette only) and a selection of breakfast meats and some toast and pastries. Coffee came with non-dairy creamer only, and you could not choose the type of pastry you wanted, and muffins were not offered. I expected the choices to be better, but at least delivery was timely.

As for the ports of call we visited, I enjoyed Juneau and Sitka the best. In Ketchikan, we visited the Totem Bight State Park, which was small and sort of interesting, but not really my cup of tea. If you are interested in Indian culture and totem poles, this might be a good place for you to visit. In Juneau we took the Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip, which was disappointing because we merely floated along the lake with the glacier in the background, the mouth of which was obscured by a large land peninsula; and the rapids, which were fun, lasted all of about 10 minutes out of a 90 minute trip. The scenery was not very interesting and overall the operation was shoddily run. I would not recommend this excursion unless you like to sit and do nothing in the cold for about 90 minutes with not much to see. In Sitka we went on the Captain's Choice Wildlife and Beach Trek, which was interesting and informative. The tour lasted 3 hours and we spent about an hour on the beach of a small remote island and learned about marine life and the flora and fauna on the island. Later, back on the large and comfortable catamaran, the captain took us to an area where we saw a large gathering of bald eagles, and then we saw several whales in the water. What a sight that was, and it really was the high point of that excursion. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, and I would definitely recommmend this excursion.

For me, the highlight of this cruise was seeing the incredible Hubbard Glacier. The enormous blue-colored wall of ice was an awesome sight and it was everything I had envisioned. The weather generally cooperated for us, as it was quite cold and rainy as we entered Disenchantment Bay, but it gradually cleared up and the sun came out for a while as we viewed the glacier from all sides of the ship. The smaller Turner Glacier also was a beautiful sight and the area really is spectacular.

Entertainment on the Mercury was rather limited. During the day, activities were the usual fare: art auctions, bingo, trivia, watercolor painting lessons and computer enrichment classes, etc.; and in the evenings you'd have the show, whether it be the singers and dancers or the comedian, or some sort of variety show; and a couple of different choices to listen to music and dance. The casino was an option, but it was small and the slots seemed very tight. It could be very easy to lose a lot of money there in the space of 8 nights, so you need to visit it sparingly unless you have a large bankroll. The shops onboard sold the usual array of items, but since we sailed at the end of the Alaska season, a large amount of Alaska-related merchandise was marked down. I personally did not care for Fith, our Cruise Director, but I heard others onboard praise him, so to each his own.

Overall, it was a good trip and I will cruise to Alaska again, although next time I plan to do a cruisetour so that I can see more of Alaska's awesome wildlife on land. If you have not yet visited Alaska and would like to take a cruise there, start planning soon because the big Alaska cruise booking season is just around the corner! I will treasure the memories of my Alaska firsts, such as icebergs, glaciers, and whales, and I look forward to seeing all of that again and more on my next trip. Take my advice and cruise to Alaska next year -- you will love it!

Holland America to revamp bars on five ships

Centrally located bars and lounges aboard five Holland America Line ships are being upgraded and reconfigured to bring a new concept to the shipboard bar scene, the company says. The highlight is a large, new space located in the heart of the ship, called Mix, that incorporates three specialty theme bars - Martinis, Champagne, and Spirits & Ales. These enhancements are part of a new $200-million Signature of Excellence upgrade to ms Statendam, ms Maasdam, ms Ryndam, ms Veendam and ms Rotterdam."A focus of this latest Signature of Excellence series of enhancements is our entertainment venues, where we've created the ultimate place to both socialize and be entertained," said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. "Our guests are looking for an upscale, trendy spot where they can gather together and be part of this exciting new ambiance."A new entertainment space called Mix is set to become the destination lounge where guests can meet and mingle throughout the day and night. Mix is an open and inviting space anchored by a pianist providing entertainment for three distinctly themed areas. The bubbly will flow at Champagne, which offers a variety of 20 different champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world. The centerpiece of this bar is a cool, ice-filled counter top chilling champagne bottles that invites guests to indulge by the glass or by the bottle served in traditional silver buckets. This venue will offer events such as late champagne breakfast, pre-lunch Mimosa and Bellini hour, champagne tea time and pre-dinner champagne hour with caviar canapés. Champagne will be the ship's premier celebration venue.
Martinis serves up 25 Grey Goose martinis elegantly offered in individual shakers as well as a full range of cocktails. Guests can also enjoy a martini flight made up of several mini martini concoctions. The martini flight includes Holland America Line's signature martini, the Yellow Tulip, a mixture of Grey Goose vodka, lychee juice, pineapple juice, guava juice, coconut cream and fresh lime juice. Other martinis included in the flight are the Peartini, Cosmopolitan, Sunshine Martini, Rum Sundae and High Tide Martini. A house specialty will be a signature Martini for Two with aged Cognac served with a dish of caviar and traditional garnishes.
Spirits & Ales will feature an international selection of beers and premium whiskeys and brandies sure to entice even the most selective connoisseur. Here guests can drop by to enjoy a wide selection of beers on tap while watching sporting events or relax after some shopping in the nearby boutiques.The Ocean Bar will be enhanced to refresh its look. Guests wanting to learn new moves or brush up on their ballroom dancing skills can sign up for lessons given by the Line's experienced staff. Providing tunes from the Great American Songbook, The Neptunes - Holland America Line's resident three-piece music combo - will keep things lively as guests dance the night away and enjoy a cocktail in the luxuriously appointed lounge.
This $200 million phase in the Signature of Excellence commitment brings the latest innovations at sea to Holland America Line's Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, Veendam and Rotterdam. The first of the extensive dry dock periods begins with the Veendam in spring 2009 and the last will be completed on the Maasdam in late 2010. While in dry dock, ships will expand the aft deck to create a new resort pool concept, The Retreat. Enhancements will be made to all existing staterooms and additional staterooms will be added to the ships. The ships also will introduce 46 innovative lanai staterooms with direct access to the Lower Promenade Deck. New spa staterooms near the Greenhouse Spa and Salon will offer special in-room spa amenities. Overall, Holland America Line has committed $525 million to its Signature of Excellence program that redefines premium cruising, the company said.

CruiseOne, Cruises Inc. Detail 2008 National Conference

CruiseOne, a leading U.S. franchise operation of more than 550 independent cruise-only travel professionals, and Cruises Inc., the nation’s original host agency network with nearly 500 independent contractors, announced details of their 2008 National Conference, which will take place Sept. 14 though 22 onboard the Celebrity Mercury sailing throughout Alaska and Canada. Titled “Xperts in Cruising,” the nine-day program includes general sessions, targeted workshops and seminars created to enhance the attendees’ knowledge and insight to the many new products and services offered by CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. Attendees will also have the opportunity to earn CLIA credits towards their ACC and MCC.
“This year's conference will give our agents and owners the opportunity to become true destination experts and learn how to continue building their overall sales,” said Dwain Wall, senior vice president and general manager for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. "Our independent agents and franchise owners will have the opportunity to experience the wonders of Alaska,” said Steven Hattem, vice president-marketing and sales for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “We are also excited to have been selected to host the next exclusive reveal for the Oasis of the Seas where Vicki Freed, senior vice president-sales for Royal Caribbean will join us to share the details of this next generation and revolutionary cruise ship from Royal Caribbean.”
Other industry attendees include: Dondra Rizenthaler, senior vice president-sales, and Jeffrey Clarke, vice president-national sales for Celebrity and Azamara; Edie Bornstein, vice president, national accounts and business development for Carnival Cruise Line; Dave Stockert, vice president-training for Holland America Line; Mike Wiersemra, vice president-sales for Viking River Cruises; Rudy Schreiber, president, and Kristen Karst, vice president-sales for Amadeus Waterways. Marc Mancini, president of Marc Mancini Seminars, will also be presenting with Terri Burke, vice president-industry relations for Norwegian Cruise Line; plus many others cruise and travel industry leaders. For more information on CruiseOne, call 800-892-3928 or visit www.CruiseOneBusiness.com. For more information on Cruises Inc., call 877-714-4072 or visit www.JoinCruisesInc.com.

Announcing New Weekly Updates to this Bog!

Hello, my blog readers! Here's some good news for you: I will now be updating this blog on a weekly basis, bringing you important and exciting news related to cruising and the travel industry as a whole.

In light of this change, be sure to visit this blog on a regular basis so that YOU TOO, can be in the know as to important developments in the cruise and travel industry!

Happy Cruising!

Disney Cruise Ship to Get Fantasia-Themed Splash Pool and LCD TVs!

The Disney Magic cruise ship will get a splash pool themed around the movie "Fantasia," new 22-inch, LCD television sets in cabins and a series of other upgrades during a nearly three-week stay in dry dock later this month. Disney says the 385-square-foot "Mickey's Splash Zone" will be added onto the Mickey Pool on the ship's deck nine. Themed around the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment in Fantasia, it will feature star- and moon-shaped fountains and splash areas (including, Disney says, an area for "children not yet toilet trained and in swim diapers"). The new televisions, meanwhile, will be mounted on swivel arms so they can be watched from different spots in a stateroom.Other upgrades to the 2,700-passenger Magic, according to a release Disney issued earlier this week, will include new waterfalls from a pair of hot tubs in the pool at the adult-oriented "Quiet Cove;" plush new chairs at the nearby "Cove Cafe;" and new registration areas to allow "radio frequency identification" at the kid-focused "Oceaneer Club" and "Oceaneer Lab" that will ultimately allow children to check in and out by tapping a sensor with with tag-embedded wristbands. Disney also plans to apply a new hull coating during the dry dock in Norfolk, Va., that is designed to reduce surface resistance in the water and improve fuel efficiency.

Princess Cruises to Open Off-Limit Crew Areas to Tours

The Love Boat line says it will launch what's billed as the industry's first comprehensive "back of the house" tour in November.
Dubbed The Ultimate Ship Tour, the guided explorations will debut on the soon-to-launch Ruby Princess and eventually spread fleet-wide. The tours will take passengers to the engine control room, medical center, print shop, laundry, photo lab and even the bridge.
All good things come with a price, of course, and cruise junkies will have to fork over $150 per person for the three-hour tours, which can be reserved on board vessels at the Passenger Service Desk. The tours will be offered once or twice per cruise, and space will be limited.
The tours include a chance to meet quite a few crew members. One stop, for instance, will be the back stage area of the ship's theater, where passengers will meet cast and production staff who will show them what goes into putting on a show. In the galley area, passengers will meet the executive chef, who will explain the process of preparing meals for thousands of people at a time.
In one of the most unusual stops, the ship's staff captain will accompany passengers to the top deck of the ship to peek inside the ship¿s funnel area. At the last stop, on the ship's bridge, tour-goers will meet the captain and learn about the navigational equipment and safety systems on board.
The 3,070-passenger Ruby Princess will be christened Nov. 6 by The Bachelorette's Trista and Ryan Sutter. The 113,000-ton vessel will spend its inaugural season sailing to the Western Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale before heading to Europe next summer.

Holland America Line Announces New York to Bermuda Service!

Beginning in 2010, Holland America Line will once again sail on regularly scheduled cruises between New York City and Bermuda. The line will call on both Hamilton and St. George's, with overnight stays.
The 1,350-passenger Veendam is designated to sail in late August 2010 on the first of 10 round-trips, marking HAL¿s return to New York as a homeport and to Bermuda as a destination.
HAL first visited Bermuda in 1926 when Veendam II, with capacity for approximately 500 passengers, left New York on the company's maiden Caribbean cruise. During the summers of 1930 and 1931, Veendam II sailed five-day round-trips between New York and Bermuda.
HAL's Rick Meadows, EVP marketing, sales and guest programs, called Veendam 'ideal' for the upcoming program: "She is a premium mid-size ship, the perfect size to navigate the narrow entrances to the harbors in Hamilton and St. George's." Passengers will be able to ashore into the center of each town.
Bermuda Premier Ewart Brown welcomed the new relationship with Holland America.
In addition to the 10 sailings between late August and October in 2010, the line will visit the island for a full season beginning in May the following year, with 20 or more departures anticipated.

Disney Contemplates Alaska Cruises

Mickey Moose, anyone? You might see just that in 2010 because Disney Cruise Line is investigating the possibility of cruising Alaska.Disney Cruise Line has applied for a 10-year permit (valid from 2010 to 2019) to visit Glacier Bay, one of the most popular destinations for scenic cruising on Alaska itineraries. Current regulations restrict the number of vessels that can visit this national park, as well as the number of days lines can have ships there throughout the season. Disney's application for a permit is a clear sign that the line is considering offering Alaska cruises.A spokeswoman for Disney Cruise Line confirms that Alaska cruises are in consideration, but says that the cruise line is always evaluating new itinerary possibilities. Indeed, Disney -- known for its Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries -- has tried out several new cruising regions over the past few years. Disney Magic tried out the Mediterranean in 2007 and the Mexican Riviera in 2005 and 2008. Next year, the ship will add two new Eastern Caribbean itineraries -- one featuring Tortola and the other St. Croix, both new ports for the cruise line. Might Disney send Magic to Alaska in 2010? Or is it seeking options for its new, larger ships, which will debut in 2011 and 2012? Right now it's anyone's guess.

Video of New Neighborhoods on Oasis of the Seas!

http://www.cruiseone.com/travel/editorial.jsp?edType=Custom+Page&pagename=Oasis-video

Carnival Elation to Offer Shorter Routes

San Diego-based Carnival Elation will offer a new three- and four-day schedule starting Feb. 12, 2009. The ship currently operates four- and five-day cruises and will continue that program through the departure of Feb. 7, 2009.
On its new route, Carnival Elation will depart Thursdays on three-day cruises to Ensenada. Four-day cruises will depart Sundays and visit Ensenada and Catalina Island.
Carnival Cruise Lines has offered a similar program from Southern California for a number of years, currently on Carnival Paradise based in Long Beach, with departures on Fridays and Mondays.
"Between the two ships, consumers will have a choice of two very popular departure points, Long Beach and San Diego, as well as four different departure days each week to select from,"said Terry Thornton, Carnival's SVP marketing planning.
He added: "These will be the only ships in the Southern California market offering three- and four-day cruises starting in 2009, and with short getaways currently a trend among North American consumers, combined with the inherent value of a cruise, these voyages represent an extremely desirable vacation choice."
Carnival also operates longer cruises from Southern California. Carnival Pride sails weekly Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach year-round (to be replaced by the new Carnival Splendor in March), and Carnival Spirit offers seasonal eight-day Mexican Riviera voyages from San Diego.

Condé Nast Traveler Recognizes Norwegian Cruise Line

The top-rated travel magazine recognizes Norwegian Gem as one of the best cruise ships for "spa lovers" and Norwegian Jade as one of the best for "foodies." Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) received top billing in Condé Nast Traveler magazine's special August cruise issue, which hits newsstands this week. "Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Jade are two of our newest Freestyle Cruising ships that offer an unmatched cruise experience and appeal to a wide range of vacationers," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "It is particularly gratifying to be recognized by the editors at Condé Nast Traveler, since this widely read publication is respected the world over as a genuinely independent authority on travel." Conde Nast Traveler's Consumer News Editor Wendy Perrin opens the special pullout section with a letter to readers highlighting the amenities she and her family enjoyed during their sailing on board Norwegian Gem's seven-day Florida & Bahamas sailing from New York. She writes that she found the perfect ship for a family holiday because Norwegian Gem had everything she needed including, "a well-equipped child-care center with age specific programs and plenty of kids for my boys to befriend; sports facilities that would allow me to exhaust the whirling dervishes with minimal effort on my part (large pool, a water slide, basketball court, space for running); a selection of kid-friendly places to eat; and never having to dress up."

Norwegian Gem Best for Spa Goers: Norwegian Gem, NCL's newest Freestyle Cruising ship, was lauded as having one of the best spas at sea. In the Yin & Yang Spa, guests can receive a wide range of exotic and rejuvenating treatments in 18 rooms, plunge into the thalassotherapy pool and relax on heated poolside loungers. Norwegian Gem is currently sailing seven-day Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona. From November through April, the ship sails seven-day Bahamas & Florida and 10 and 11-day Exotic Southern Caribbean itineraries out of New York.

Norwegian Jade Best for Foodies: Sailing year-round in Europe, Norwegian Jade is touted in the magazine for its 12 restaurants which give guests the opportunity to eat whenever and wherever they want. The ship caters to a wide range of tastes and features: Le Bistro, NCL's signature French restaurant; Cagney's Steakhouse; Papa's Italian Kitchen; Paniolo's, offering authentic Tex-Mex; an Asian complex featuring Japanese teppanyaki, a sushi bar and an Asian fusion eatery; a 24-hour diner; and an action station restaurant. With the recent Freestyle 2.0 enhancements, all of Norwegian Jade's restaurants have new, expanded menus and Lobster Galore, where foodies can find lobster in a different restaurant every night of the cruise. Norwegian Jade homeports in Europe year-round sailing three to 23-day itineraries with ports of call in the Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Africa and Spain. For more information and cruise tips from Condé Nast Traveler, visit www.cntraveler.com/cruise. To book a cruise on Norwegian Gem or Norwegian Jade, call Sheila McPherson, Your Independent Cruise Specialist with CruiseOne, at (630) 868-6719 or (877) 823-8597.

Sheila and Steve's Tromp Through Italy, April 2008

Day 1: Our flight was late taking off from New York so we got into Rome about an hour late. It was an interesting experience getting into the airport in Rome; the plane stopped at some empty place at the end of the runway and we walked down a flight of metal stairs and crammed onto a bus which drove us to the arrivals terminal at the airport. Getting through immigration and customs was a breeze and it was a piece of cake getting to the train station to catch the express train to Termini station in Rome. The train ride was hot and we had trouble finding seats, but we ended up sitting with a nice couple from Seattle, who were going on a Holland America cruise. As a matter of fact, the guy is a marketing manager for HAL, so that was quite a coincidence! We had fun walking from the Termini station to our hotel, getting confused a couple of times, but we made it okay. Turned out our hotel was only about a block away from the Repubblica stop on the Rome Metro A line, so we learned a quick lesson. The La Griffe Hotel is decent (our mini-suite was kind of cool but I don’t think I’d get that room again) but frankly, the service was not up to par. Location-wise, it was great as we used the Metro a lot while we were in town. We got to the hotel around 3:30 pm local time, showered and changed, went for a nice dinner at a restaurant across the street (Via Nazionale) and then went back to our room and I crashed. I was so tired from the long plane ride from New York to Rome as I did not sleep well at all, despite trying desperately to do so.
Day 2: We got up relatively early because we went to bed so early from being so exhausted and were out the door by 9:00 am. We had a decent breakfast at the same place we had dinner last night and then made our way to Termini Station so that we could buy the Roma Passes from the TI booth there. Those were great and I will recommend them highly, as we saved a bundle in Metro fares alone! From Termini we hopped on the Metro B line and arrived at the Colosseum. I almost burst into tears when I first glimpsed it as I walked out from the train station because I just couldn’t believe that I was finally seeing it with my own two eyes. The security lines were pretty long (although moving quickly) and Steve and I just kind of jumped in one of the lines. It was great after that, though, because there were tons of people waiting in a LONG line that wasn’t moving, to buy tickets, and we got right in with our Roma Passes! The Colosseum itself was quite a sight and we took tons of pictures and video. I really wished we were able to go down into that maze below the floor! After we trekked around there for a while, we headed over to the Forum. Well, actually, we thought we were going to The Forum, but Rick Steve’s book was wrong, and we ended up walking up a steep hill for nothing, because where he says to enter is now blocked off as an exit only. So we had to walk about 300 meters down the street to enter. We got to skip the line again, which was awesome, but we had no idea where we were going or what we were seeing, so we ended up walking all the way up this huge hill to Palatine Hill to see nothing really mind-blowing, before we finally found the entrance to The Forum. The Forum itself was pretty cool but I had trouble figuring out what was what because Rick Steve’s Forum Walk didn’t make a lot of sense. So what I thought was one thing in the beginning, turned out to be another thing in the end, and I never really saw the things I wanted to see (or understood what I was seeing), like the House of Vestal Virgins, but, nevertheless, it was an awesome sight! We stopped for a ridiculously overpriced and not very good “pizza” at some food stand across from the Colosseum, then decided to go to St. Peters in Chains church to see Michelangelo’s Moses sculpture. We had a little trouble finding our way there from the Metro stop, and the flight of stairs getting up there was a killer, but it was pretty neat. We got a quick gelato on the way back to the Metro, and then rode back to the hotel. The uneven “road” wreaked havoc on our ankles, though, so when we returned to our room late that afternoon we had to soak our feet for quite a while. After that long and punishing day, we still decided to punish ourselves some more by taking Rick Steve’s Dolce Vita Stroll and the Night Walk Across Rome (although we did that one in reverse, going from the Spanish Steps to Campo Di Fioro and having dinner there). That was actually pretty cool, as we went by some of the other major sights, such as the Pantheon (incredible), Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. There is a lot of top-brand shopping on Via Condatta on the way to the Spanish Steps, and I wanted to stop in to some of the stores, but they were closed (they close at like 5 pm). The Spanish Steps were beautiful, with tons of people hanging out there, and naturally, we climbed all the way to the top just to go back down again. Trevi Fountain was beautiful but really crowded, and we forgot to throw coins in. I wonder if that means that we’ll never return to Rome? We had a pleasant dinner (though the pasta was not as good as the first night’s) then caught a cab back to our hotel. I had no idea what was in store for my body the next day.
Day 3: Since it was Monday, we decided to head to the Vatican to take in St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum (well, really we just wanted to see the Sistine Chapel). I was afraid of having to stand in a really long line to get in, so we took Rick Steve’s advice and arrived there around 1:00 (well, more like 12:30). The line was huge when we got there and it wrapped a long way around the Vatican wall, so we took advantage of an English-speaking tour for25 Euros per person (plus the 14 Euro per person ticket price) so we could jump the line. We didn’t really want to do a group tour but I was not up to standing in line for hours, either, so we made sure first that we could drop out of the tour early. I was okay until the tour started, where we spent at least 30 minutes listening to Mike, our tour guide, explain the Sistine Chapel’s art. At that point, my feet and ankles began to ache so badly that I could barely stand. No matter what I did, the pain persisted, and we finally decided to break from the group as soon as they decided to head inside the Vatican Museum. We sat in the courtyard there for about 15 minutes, while I tried to rest my feet and ankles, and finally decided that I just had to deal with the pain so that we could get in there, get out, and go back to the hotel to rest. So we headed inside and trudged our way through the entire museum, fighting with the pushing and shoving crowd, filing past stuff that we had zero (or less than zero) interest in, just so that we could make it to the Sistine Chapel. I have to say that I really think this whole thing is horribly mismanaged and I think it’s a joke that you are required to schlep through miles of a pretty worthless museum (in our opinion, at least) just so that you can get to see what you really want to see, and what most people are there just to see. So once we FINALLY made it into the chapel, it was hot and massively crowded, with people pushing and bumping into you from all directions, and there were so many people there blatantly breaking the rules and taking pictures, some with flash even! I was in awe of the majesty of the art, but there was so much to take in that I was just overwhelmed by it. I was in so much pain and I tried to stand there for as long as I could, but I just couldn’t take more than maybe 10 minutes of it. I was so disappointed because I think that they do not allow you to really appreciate the artistry of it all in the way they run things. They should allow a limited number of people in at a time, and provide seating or something so that you can relax and be able to comfortably view the magnificent artistry so that you can really appreciate it; instead of allowing so many people in that the room is almost completely full and you have no space to be able to move around in so that you can view much at all! When we couldn’t stand it anymore, we made it out the slow as molasses moving crowd through the “back door” and went into St. Peter’s Basilica. Now I don’t know if it was the fact that I was in so much physical pain or it was the incredible sight I saw in front of me, but I almost cried once we walked into that absolutely magnificent holy place. I am not religious at all but I felt as if I need to thank God for creating such a gorgeous sight. I could not believe what I saw, from the walls to the ceiling, to the sculpture (Michelangelo’s Peita was fantastic), the unbelievable dome, the altar, the marble floor… I just couldn’t believe it. It literally took my breath away. I had never felt that way in my entire life and I don’t know that I ever will again. The beauty was just too much for me. It was the kind of experience that I thought I would have had in the Sistine Chapel, but didn’t, but I feel so grateful that I was able to see that incredible holy place with my own eyes. I have never seen a more beautiful sight in my entire life and I will treasure that feeling it gave me forever. When we finally and mercifully arrived back at our hotel, I was in an incredible amount of pain, but, being that this was our last night in Rome, we still went out that night and did more walking. Steve thought it would be fun to walk down to the Victor Emmanuel monument and have dinner there, so we walked down Via Nazionale and stood in front of the monument for a few minutes. Then we decided to try to find a good place to eat and made the mistake of going to some place called Pastarita or something like that. The food was mediocre at best (I had shrimp risotto which was not good and Steve had gnocchi with pesto; better than mine but still not great). We both felt very uncomfortable there, and it wasn’t just because the temperature was like 80 degrees inside there. Plus, there was some kind of political demonstration going on that night, with tons of people on the street waving flags and shouting, and cars honking their horns and stuff, and then a whole bunch of those people came inside the restaurant. We left as quickly as we could and then stopped for some delicious gelato desserts at a nice sidewalk café on Via Nazionale on our way back to the hotel. We went to bed but I had trouble sleeping so stayed up playing games on my old cell phone until almost 3:00; then we overslept and didn’t wake up until 10:30 am, and our checkout time was at 11:00!
Day 4: We had to hurriedly pack up and check out so we had no time to shower or eat breakfast, and we caught the Metro to Termini to buy our train ticket to Florence and then thought we’d spend some time at some art museum seeing a Joan Miro exhibit. We had a quick bite at Termini, then checked our bags downstairs and headed to the TI booth to get some info on the museum, but then realized that the museum was closed and would open up only after our train to Florence left! Since we still had a couple of hours to kill before our 3:30 train to Florence, we rode the Metro to the Spanish Steps and hit the shopping district on Via Condotti. We windowshopped for a bit and then headed back to Termini to catch our train. It was easy finding our train, except for the fact that it was listed on the board as going to Milan (the final destination) and we were getting off in Florence. The ride itself was pretty nice; quiet, and we had a nice little snack of bread, cheese, and red wine to help pass the time. The scenery was decent but not a must-see. We arrived in Florence at a little after five and found it to be a pretty easy walk to our hotel. The Savoy is very expensive and the front desk and concierge service seem to reflect the high price, and the room is very nicely appointed, although tiny. However, we got a great room on the top floor with a view of the Duomo outside our window, so we were pretty happy about that! We went to dinner at a local restaurant that the front desk clerk suggested, and we WAY overpaid for the ridiculously huge slab of meat that we ordered (steak for 2? Call it steak for 4, at least!) but at least we had a nice ½ bottle of Chianti and some delicious roasted potatoes. After being raped on that meal, we got raped some more by paying 25 euros for 2 cappuccinos and 2 desserts at this little café on the Piazza della Repubblica across the street from our hotel. We spent the later part of the evening in our room, catching up on a few business things using the hotel’s internet (20 euros for 24 hours, yikes!) and called the kids. I had a weblead to follow up on and did a few routine business things, and then it was lights out.
Day 5: We got a relatively early start today because we had reservations at the Accademia at 10:35 am, which we got through the hotel concierge. That worked out very well and we got to skip a huge line waiting to get into the museum. On the way to the museum we stopped at a little café and got croissants and cappuccinos (our cheapest meal yet!) but I was worried about getting to the museum on time, so we didn’t linger, although that would have been nice. The Accademia wasn’t much to shout about but it was worth it to see David. The sculpture is magnificent and it really is quite a sight to see. He is set underneath a dome and flooded with natural light from above and you find yourself just staring at him with a complete look of awe on your face. He is a spectacular work of art and seeing how finely detailed he is really made me appreciate Michelangelo even more. After we quickly worked our way through the rest of the museum we headed back to the hotel to change our shoes (both Steve’s and my ankles were killing us in our MBTs) and then we headed over to the Duomo, which is about a block away from our hotel. It is beautiful in green, pink and white marble, with very intricate carvings all over it, and the dome is impressive. We joined the end of the relatively short line to climb the dome and began the long trek of 436 steps to the top. At first I was a little claustrophobic and I had to use my inhaler early on but then I got used to it and it wasn’t so bad. Tiring, yes, but it was worth the climb because the view from the top was beautiful. You could see the green mountains in the background and the city really is impressive with its maze of short streets and alleyways and all the buildings are the same sort of whitish color with the same red tile roofs. It was neat and the climb down was much easier, obviously, and overall it made for a fun couple of hours while we got a good workout to boot! We then headed towards the Uffizzi Gallery, where we had reservations for 1:45 and had lunch at a little restaurant on the Piazza. Steve had a delicious 4-cheese pizza with salad for only 9 euros – not bad! Getting into the Uffizzi was a breeze but neither of us really got much from it at all. It was all religious works of art and sculpture and there were only a few pieces that held our interest for more than a few moments, but I’m glad we went because I can say that I’ve been there and I saw The Birth of Venus, which was really cool. We went back to the hotel afterwards to rest for a while because we were both pretty tired and then headed back out again to do some shopping. We walked along, looking in different stores, Louis Vuitton in particular, but I didn’t buy anything there, mostly because I was concerned about spending so much on a purse after all the money this trip was costing us. I did, however, find a really cute (and inexpensive) purse in a small shop after seeing it in the window as we were walking by, and I feel really good about that purchase because I know I won’t find something just like it at home and it will always remind me of being in Florence. We had dinner at McDonald’s to make up for overpaying so much last night and walked back to our hotel to relax for the evening. It’s our last night here in Florence and we’re tired!
Day 6: We got up, showered, packed, and downstairs to check out about an hour before the noon checkout time, so we did not have to rush like we did getting out of our hotel in Rome. However, we had a surprise waiting for us when we checked out, because little did we know, although I did suspect in the back of my mind that they would do this, the hotel overcharged us by A LOT for the tickets to the Uffizzi and the Accademia. Tickets with reservations were 10.50 Euros per person at each museum, but the hotel charged us 15 each. They never told us they added a “service charge” to the price of the tickets, so we complained. First they tried to tell us that that is what the actual tickets cost, but we argued with them and said that they were 10.50 each total. Then they said that the additional was their “service charge” and we said that they should have told us before they charged for that. They replied that they didn’t have to do that, and that “all the best hotels all over the world” charge a service charge without disclosing it first, so they didn’t have to. We still complained and they finally took some of the money off, but it was only after they treated us like dirt for complaining in the first place. We should have only paid a total of 44 Euros but we ended up paying 48, but I didn’t want to push the matter after the way they treated us. We walked back to the train station and bought tickets to Venice, and made our way onto the train without incident. The train ride was interesting, as we wound up sitting across from some nasty lady whom Steve ended up spilling water on after I stepped on her foot trying to get into my seat, and I think she was so relieved when we got up to go have lunch in the dining car. The lunch was actually quite good, although at 28 Euros a piece, it was very expensive, but the experience was pretty cool. I'd highly recommend it to someone who has never really traveled by train. By the time we were done with lunch, which began when we stopped in Bologna, we only had about an hour left on the train, and we ended up sitting in seats across the aisle from our original seats so the nasty lady had space to herself. She got off in Mestre so we were alone for the last bit of the ride. When we finally arrived in Venice, we got off the train and then proceeded to find our way to the Vaporetto stand to buy tickets to take the #82 vaporetto bus to Rialto Bridge so we could get to our houtel. However, we quickly found out that there no longer is a #82 bus and we’d have to take the #1, which stops at EVERY stop along the way. We stood in a massively long line trying to buy tickets, and then I heard this couple behind us speaking English, so I asked them if they’d be interesting in sharing a water taxi with us instead of waiting to take the vaporetto. They weren’t, as they were going another direction, but the man suggested that we walk to our hotel instead of waiting in line to take the vaporetto. I said that I thought that it looked like a REALLY long walk, but he said it would only take about 30 minutes and it was easy, as you just followed the signs towards Piazza San Marco. So off we went, and the walk really wasn’t that long or that bad; the worst part was trying to weave our way through the massively crowded narrow streets. There were so many people, walking so slowly, it was really tiring and frustrating trying to get to our hotel! The worst part were all the bridges, as people would stop on the top of the bridge to take pictures or whatever, and block other people from getting up the stairs, and then you’d have to fight your way through the crowd at the top so that you could go down the other side. It was awful and I was so relieved when we finally arrived at the Palace Bonvecchiati, which as it turns out, is very conveniently located between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. The hotel was very nice and breakfast was included in our rate, which was nice because buying breakfast every morning was becoming quite expensive. The room was very nice but the shower was a little awkward as the spray was directly overhead of where you had to stand so water runs right down the top of your head and gets in your ears. Oh, well. After we relaxed for a bit and unpacked, we took the concierge’s recommendation and went to a decently priced restaurant about a block or two from the hotel and had some pretty good food and wine for dinner. After that, we walked to Piazza San Marco and looked around for a bit at the different shops and listened for a few minutes to one of the orchestras that was playing there in the square. We then returned to the hotel and spent the evening catching up on more business, then turned out the lights and went to sleep.
Day 7: We got up at 9:30 so that we could make it downstairs for breakfast while they were still serving, but found out that it went until 10:30 instead of 10:00. Breakfast was decent, with eggs and bacon, assorted fruits, cereals, juices, yogurts, and breads and pastries. After we were sated, we walked over to the American Express office located near the Piazza so that we could buy our train tickets back to Rome. We encountered trouble using the Fidelity Visa, as we had at the train station, so we went to a nearby ATM to withdraw the cash to pay for the tickets. Once that was taken care of, we headed off to explore Venice by ourselves, and found it to be magnificent. It is so picturesque, with the lovely buildings sitting on the canals, all the beautiful flower boxes under the windows, and the warm sunshine. We decided to walk instead of trying to take the vaporetto, heading over the Accademia bridge so that we could visit the Peggy Guggenheim collection, which featured some of our favorite artists, like Picasso, Kandansky, and Miro. The museum is small so we did not spend a tremendous amount of time there, but it was worth a visit. We then had lunch over by the bridge, which was fantastic. We had reasonably priced and delicious pizza at a table right on the canal, and enjoyed watching all the people, boats, and birds go by. It was very relaxing and a wonderful experience, and I think it was my favorite part of our visit to Venice. Next, we bought tickets for the vaporetto (passes for 48 hours at 26 Euros each, and at 6.50 per ride, after riding it 4 times, it paid for itself) and rode the #1 all the way to the Lido, which was the final stop for that bus. We stood on the edge of the open part so we had great opportunities to take pictures, and the scenery was just beautiful. Then we rode a different vaporetto to Piazza San Marco and walked around there for a while. There are many shops there with beautiful Murano glass and we got confused as to what to buy since some shops had some really nice stuff and some seemed to have junk. We found a sculpture that we liked but were concerned about spending the 1100 Euros to buy it, and decided that we’d be better off going to Murano the next day and buying something there. We had a cheap dinner at Burger King, then splurged on coffee and dessert at one of the restaurants on the Piazza so we could listen to the music. It was very expensive to do so, as they charge about 6 Euros a piece just to sit there, but it was really a great experience and we enjoyed it quite a bit. Next, we walked around trying to find a Gondola station to take a ride, but all the gondoliers were gone. We finally found one at Piazza San Marco, and spent 150 Euros for a 40-minute ride. Yes, again, we WAY overpaid but we figured we didn't know when we'd be back in Venice so it was something that we HAD to do. The ride was very peaceful and our gondolier was pretty cool (no, he did not serenade us) and pointed out important buildings as we floated by. The city was very quiet and it was beautiful to see the moonlight reflecting on the water. We went up through the Grand Canal, under the Rialto Bridge, and then ended up back at Piazza San Marco again. It was a great way to experience Venice and we will treasure those memories.

Day 8: Today, Saturday, we made the mistake of taking the Vaporetto to the island of Murano. The wait at the station near the Piazza San Marco was incredibly long, as it seemed that the whole continent of Europe decided to descend upon Venice that day. We had wanted to take the nonstop Vaporetto that would take us directly to Murano, but after waiting in the really hot station with the very pushy crowd, we got on the first bus that we could fit onto, which just happened to be the one that made EVERY stop along the way. So after spending about an hour and a half trying to get to the island of Murano, we finally made it and spent all of about an hour there, as there really wasn't much to see. We went to a glass-blowing demonstration but had to wait in line for about 20 minutes first and the demo lasted all of about 3 minutes. Then we were herded into their shop but the merchandise was nothing special (a lot of junk, really) so we quickly left. We browsed in a few more stores and found a few glass pieces that we liked but did not end up buying anything after all. We walked back to the Vaporetto stop but there was a huge line of people waiting so we decided to have lunch and wait there for the next bus. We had a decently priced pizza lunch at this little cafe right across from the Vaporetto stop so we could keep an eye on the line. When we finished, there was no line at the stop so we went over there to wait for the next bus. We quickly learned that Europeans have no respect for lines, as many people cut in front of us even though we were there first, and the fact that their culture does not respect "personal space" as ours does, made us very uncomfortable. The long ride back to Piazza San Marco was made even more unenjoyable by the fact that the bus was totally overcrowded and hot. Steve decided to open one of the windows to get some air, and water splashed on us a few minutes later. We thought it was kind of funny, but the elderly lady sitting next to me, who got a little wet, didn't at all, and she lambasted us for opening the window. Of course, we couldn't understand what she was saying since she yelled at us in Italian, but Steve gave it right back to her in English. When we finally arrived back at Piazza San Marco, there were wall to wall people in the streets surrounding the piazza that it took us about 40 minutes to walk back to our hotel, which had only taken us about 5 minutes previously. We rested up in our hotel room for a while in the hopes that in the evening the crowds would be gone, and they pretty much were when we ventured back out around 7:00. We shopped for a few souvenirs for the kids and some friends of ours, then had a very nice pasta dinner in a different part of town, and then headed back to our hotel to pack, as we had to leave early the next morning.

Day 9: We were downstairs for breakfast very early, as we had to check out and take the Vaporetto back to the train station to catch our train back to Rome. The Vaporetto ride was relatively quick and uneventful and we made it to the station in plenty of time. The train ride to Rome was about 3 hours long so we had a chance to relax and watch the scenery for a while. Upon our arrival at Termini station, we checked our bags downstairs and then sat and had a bite to eat. We upgraded our tickets from coach to Business Class with Eurofly and we were able to use their VIP Lounge before boarding. The lounge was quite nice and it had wonderful reclining chairs that allowed us to plug in our laptops and work on them while we waited. Our flight was delayed a bit but once we boarded, it was a nice, pleasant flight back to JFK. I tried to sleep and actually was relatively comfortable in the seat, but since I never sleep well on planes, the rest I got was better than I expected. By the way, the food was quite good and I would definitely not hesitate to fly Eurofly again. By the time we arrived back in JFK and took the complimentary shuttle to our hotel, we were absolutely exhausted because it was well after 1:00 am. We stayed at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, which is supposedly right next to the airport, but it sure took the shuttle bus a while to get there. The room was sparsely furnished and in overall not very good condition, but it served its purpose well (much needed sleep!). However, the front desk staff was rude and understaffed, and I would not recommend this hotel to my clients.

Day 10: Our flight home on JetBlue was uneventful and actually quite good, considering we could watch DirectTV programming right from our seatback monitors. All in all, this was a superb trip and we will cherish the memories forever. Ciao, Italy!

Bermuda to Allow Cruise Ships to Open Late-Night Casinos in Port

Cruise ships will be allowed to open late-night casinos in port in Bermuda, according to The Royal Gazette. Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown announced the decision in the House of Assembly as one of a number of alterations to cruise ship legislation, the newspaper reported.
He said that ships would now be allowed to open bars and signature shops and "provide full entertainment inclusive of the opening of casinos after 10 p.m. while in port."
Brown said that, in return, the cruise lines would be required to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to on-Island activities, adding that Norwegian Cruise Line has committed to pay $150,000 a year to the Bermuda Music Festival and provide entertainers for Harbour Nights in Hamilton, produce an on-Island dining brochure distributed to all its cruise guests and donate a total of $275,000 to the Bermuda Heritage Museum and St. George's Foundation, according to the Gazette. It added that negotiations are underway with Royal Caribbean.
Brown reportedly said a review of cruise industry trends concluded that Bermuda was losing its competitive edge attracting cruise ships, especially "the smaller premium ships capable of docking in Hamilton and St. George's." This he blamed partly on increased competition from other summer destinations such as the Mediterranean and Baltic and high operating costs in Bermuda.