Exclusive Offer: Book a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 2010 and CruiseOne Will Pay Your Gratuities!

Wanna get away on a cruise this year? Then here's a deal for you! This deal is for 3 days only beginning today and ending midnight on June 10. All you need to do is book any Royal Caribbean Cruise for 5 nights or longer in an oceanview stateroom or above, sailing anytime between July 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010, and CruiseOne will pay the standard gratuities for the first two passengers in your stateroom.

This deal is exclusive to World Travel Holdings brands, including CruiseOne, so you won't find this deal on most cruise booking sites. But for the best service, book with your CruiseOne agent and take advantage of this deal!

To book a cruise under this promotion or any other, contact Sheila McPherson, Your Independent Cruise and Vacation Specialist, at 630-868-8719 or toll free 877-823-8597.

Instead of Getting Dad a Tie for Christmas This Year, How About a Cruise Instead?

Royal Caribbean International recently announced an exciting new program where consumers can give the gift of a cruise to family and friends. Consumers can now purchase Royal Caribbean's Royal Incentive Rewards certificates from travel agents through September 18. The Royal Incentive Rewards are individual cruise certificates that can be redeemed for a Royal Caribbean cruise for two. A range of certificate levels are available, which offer choices in departure ports, ships, itineraries up to 12 nights, and accommodations. There is no expiration date, and gift recipients of Royal Incentive Rewards can upgrade their certificate or transfer it to another person. Certificates redeemed after two years of the issue date will provide a cash value toward the cruise price.

Royal Caribbbean has some great holiday cruises available, which would be a perfect way for family and friends to celebrate. How about having someone else cook the turkey and all the trimmings? Royal Caribbean has an eight-night Bahamas itinerary over Thanksgiving aboard Explorer of the Seas. sailing on November 21 from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J. If you want to celebrate Hanukkah on board Royal Caribbean, a rabbi will be onboard every ship to conduct services and preside over a menorah-lighting ceremony. Guests can also enjoy Kosher meals in the main dining room! Check out the December 12 sailing of Independence of the Seas from Port Everglades; it will combine the Jewish holiday with an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. How about Christmas with the family at sea? Families can still book staterooms aboard the December 19 sailing of Oasis of the Seas, which enters service in December from Port Everglades. This is Royal Caribbean's newest and largest ship, with so many innovations, you have to check it out! A Catholic priest also will be onboard to lead the holiday’s observances. And what better way to ring in the New Year than doing it on a cruise ship? Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will depart Los Angeles on December 27 on a seven-night Mexican Riviera voyage, where you can usher in the New Year with a Cruise Director and Captain’s Countdown, and themed parties in all onboard lounges. It will be one heck of a party, so don't miss out!

To book any of these fantistic holiday cruises, or to purchase Royal Caribbean's Royal Incentive Rewards certificates, call me today at (630)868-6719 or toll free at (877)823-8597.

You Can Rock Climb, Ice Skate, Surf, and Now Hip Hop on Royal Caribbean!

Well, looks like Royal Caribbean has done it again, coming up with a new activity on its ships. We all know that you can rock climb, ice skate and surf aboard Royal Caribbean's ships, but now you can learn to Hip Hop Dance, too! The new Hip Hop dance adventure that transcends all ages, languages, and skill levels is taking Royal Caribbean ships by storm. This program is offering guests the opportunity to let loose, chase a dream, and ‘wow’ their cruisemates with cool new dance moves beginning summer 2009, all on ships in the fleet. Based on the documentary film by Dori Berinstein, award-winning director and producer of film, theater and television, the guest-participatory Gotta Dance experience is being exclusively offered by Royal Caribbean International.

“Gotta Dance is the newest Royal Caribbean International program that offers guests an opportunity to try something different on their vacation regardless of age and experience,” said Peter Compton, vice president, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “Every age is welcome and no experience is necessary. As with many of our onboard programs, Gotta Dance helps bring families closer together and build lasting relationships among guests for an unforgettable cruise vacation.”

Royal Caribbean’s Gotta Dance is inspired by the award-winning documentary film of the same name, which will hit the big screen across the United States beginning in July 2009. Gotta Dance (www.GottaDanceTheMovie.com) chronicles the first-ever senior-citizen, hip-hop dance troupe for the New Jersey Nets Basketball Team. Just like the film, Royal Caribbean’s Gotta Dance program will offer guests, from the young to the young-at-heart, a chance to grab their moment in the spotlight.

Kicking off each cruise will be a special screening of the film. Guests sailing on select ships before the nationwide roll-out of the movie will be treated to an advanced viewing of Gotta Dance. Participants will then be divided into teams and, over the course of their vacation, will learn choreographed routines with a member of the Royal Caribbean dance team in rehearsals during sea days. The program will culminate with the main event – a farewell show on the last evening of the cruise, whereby each of the teams will perform their routines in the ship’s main theater.

Each of the groups will perform a different routine, all of which were choreographed by New Jersey Nets Dance Coach Kimberlee Garris, who also appears in the Gotta Dance film. For each song an easy and more complex choreography has been designed, and Royal Caribbean’s Gotta Dance instructors will have the option of tweaking these versions further based on group skill level.

So if you plan on taking a Royal Caribbean cruise starting this summer, be sure to pack your dancing shoes and prepare to dance, dance, dance!

Chill and Thrill with Royal Caribbean!

Looks like Disney will no longer be the only cruise line that combines theme park packages on land with its cruises. It has recently been announced that Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando are teaming up to offer vacation packages that combine a theme park visit with a cruise out of Port Canaveral. Now you get to chill out on the ship and then get your thrills at Universal all in one convenient package!

The “Way More Than a Cruise” packages will pair three- or four-night stays at Universal with a three- or four-night Bahamian cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas or a seven-night Caribbean sailing aboard the Freedom of the Seas. The packages include hotel and shipboard accommodations, multi-day passes to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, admission to some CityWalk venues and ground transfers between airport, hotel, theme parks and Port Canaveral. I think this is a great idea for those cruise passengers who would like to extend their vacations in Florida and have all the components planned out for them; no worries about transportation or tickets or anything. Just book and go!

These packages will be available for travel beginning March 31, 2009. “Universal Orlando Resort is thrilled to enter this partnership, bringing together two incredible experiences to create one memorable vacation,” Bill Davis, president and chief operating officer for Universal Orlando Resort, said in a written statement. “Our guests will not only enjoy some of the most entertaining theme-park attractions ever created, but also the world-class experiences and service Royal Caribbean is known for delivering.”

As always, to take advantage of this offer, contact Sheila McPherson, Your Independent Cruise Specialist with CruiseOne, at (630) 868-6719 or (877) 823-8597.

Got the Late-Night Munchies? Don't Order Room Service on Royal Caribbean!

Well, here we go again with another cruise line surcharge! Royal Caribbean recently repealed their fuel surcharge on cruises for 2009, so could they now be trying to recoup some of that lost revenue by sticking it to passengers who get the late-night munchies? Royal Caribbean International recently announced that it will be implementing a service charge for room service orders placed between midnight and 5:00 am. The service charge of $3.95 per delivery is supposedly "intended to minimize onboard food waste" and "is based on an exhaustive review of demand for room service by hour of day and the corresponding amount of food wasted,” the company said in a statement. To compensate for this, Royal Caribbean will extend the hours of one of its other onboard eateries (Solarium Cafe or Sorrento's Pizza) on some ships, while the Freedom and Voyager class ships will keep the Cafe Promenade open 24 hours.

I have several problems with this new surcharge. First of all, complimentary room service has always been a big selling point for cruise passengers, especially those who like to order room service for breakfast. To all of a sudden start charging for this service (even if it is only late at night) is to me an insult. Not only that, I think it could cause a great inconvenience to some passengers. What if there were an elderly passenger on board who needed to take medication late at night and had to take it with food? Is it right to charge that passenger $3.95 when he needs that food that originally would be free? Is it right to make him get dressed and walk down (or up) to whatever eatery is open just so he can take his medication and avoid having to spend $3.95?

And if Royal Caribbean is really so concerned about food waste, then why don't they make sure that everyone who eats at the buffet actually eats all of the food they put on their plates? Are they going to start charging those passengers who don't clean their plates at the buffet because they're wasting food? What about the main dining rooms? What if you don't finish your dinner -- will you not be entitled to eat dessert because you wasted food?

I honestly do not believe this is about food waste, no matter how Royal Caribbean wants to spin this. I simply believe that this is another way for them to make money and to try to make up for some of the revenue they lost when they repealed fuel surcharges. And let's be honest here -- if Royal Caribbean gets away with this, the other cruise lines will quickly follow suit, and pretty soon nobody will offer complimentary room service because they won't have to. The practice will just become "accepted" because the market will bear it. Look at those fuel surcharges; people raised the roof with complaints when they first started being imposed, but nobody really actually stopped cruising because of it.

I genuinely love the cruise industry and Royal Caribbean has really been quite innovative in its cruise ship design and offerings so I appreciate what they have done for this industry, but I can't sit quietly back and say nothing about this. I truly feel this is a big step in the wrong direction. Everybody is hurting right now from the downturn in our economy, but that doesn't mean Royal Caribbean needs to kick people when they're down by charging money now for something that used to be free. We need to draw people in to the benefits of cruising, and this might just give those people who are unsure of the value of cruising another reason to turn away.

Bad move, Royal Caribbean. Shame on you!

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!

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.

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!