Introducing Sheila's Personal Ports of Call Guides: "The Beautiful Baltics" Begins Tomorrow

Introducing my new blog series: Sheila's Personal Ports of Call Guides!

Because I am a Cruise Specialist and it is my job to help my clients book the right cruise for them, I thought it might be helpful to my clients if, from now on, I share information about the ports of call that I visit whenever I cruise. Of course, there is plenty of information about different ports of call all over the internet, but maybe the information that I provide, based upon my personal experiences, could give my clients a better idea of what really to expect when they visit a particular port of call.

So, beginning tomorrow, I will post the first blog in my series entitled "The Beautiful Baltics". See you then, and thanks for reading!

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.

You Mean I Can Now Do An Alaska Cruisetour Roundtrip from Seattle? Awesome!

Princess Launches Alaska Wilderness Sale on Convenient Cruisetours from Seattle, with Special Pricing Including Travel Between Seattle and Alaska Plus Stateroom Upgrade!

Princess Cruises announced today that it is again offering its popular Alaska Wilderness Sale promotion, but this promo also features a special lineup of cruisetours that offer passengers the extra convenience of roundtrip travel from Seattle. These unique packages make planning an Alaska land/sea vacation easier than ever by including ALL travel once the passenger gets to Seattle. This even includes airfare between Seattle and Alaska! The Alaska Wilderness Sale runs through December 31, 2009, and features 10 Seattle-based cruisetour options. Air travel between Seattle and Alaska, motorcoach transfers between Seattle and Vancouver, and an overnight stay in Seattle are all included in the package. Fares start at $1,899 for an interior stateroom and $2,299 for a balcony stateroom for an 11-night land/sea vacation, which includes a free stateroom category upgrade.

Princess Cruises offers a wide variety of Alaska Cruisetour options, including both northbound and southbound routes, with itineraries ranging from 11 to 15 nights. All passengers will experience Princess’ signature seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise, combined with a variety of Direct to the Wilderness tours, or Explorer tours to the Copper River or Kenai areas. All tours feature Princess’ own riverside wilderness lodges, with at least two nights in the Denali National Park area and luxury train travel on ultra-domed railcars. “These packages make a visit to the heart of Alaska more convenient than ever, so the only other planning needed is travel to and from Seattle. We handle all other arrangements, so visitors can simply enjoy this incredible opportunity to experience Alaska’s top attractions, including Glacier Bay and Denali National Park.”

What sets Princess apart from many other cruise lines' Alaska cruisetours is that all of Princess' cruises feature daylight cruising of both Glacier Bay National Park AND either College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier. These itineraries provide guests with the best opportunities to view fantastic glaciers and wildlife. Another important distinction is that many cruise lines only offer one night in the Denali National Park area, but Princess includes at least two nights in this important area on every cruisetour so guests can maximize their experience there.

I think Princess has done an amazing job in deciding to offer roundtrip cruisetour packages from Seattle and I applaud them wholeheartedly. As a Cruise Specialist, I am very aware of the difficulties that come with booking a one-way cruise or cruisetour. On a northbound itinerary, arrangements often need to be made to get a passenger back to Vancouver or Seattle from Anchorage or Fairbanks; and on a southbound itinerary passengers often need transportation back to Anchorage so they can purchase the often lesser-expensive roundtrip air fares. It can often be very expensive and challenging to make this all work, but now Princess has made it so much easier.

With Princess' roundtrip Seattle cruisetour packages and their new Family Fun Cruisetours which I previously blogged about, there really is no reason now to forgo that trip to Alaska! So come on people and get those bookings done, as the Alaska Wilderness Sale ends December 31!

For more information, contact Sheila McPherson, Your Independent Cruise Specialist, at 630-868-6719, or toll free at 877-823-8597; or visit my website at http://www.serenitycruising.com/.

CruiseOne Agents Say Demand For Cruises Continues to Bounce Back

USAToday.com reported that travel agents attending the CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. National Conference last week on board the Carnival Pride say they're seeing a surge in last-minute bookings for fall and early winter as consumers grow more confident about the economy.

"Within the past two to three months the pendulum has swung upwards," says Ralph Santisteban, a Miami-based CruiseOne agent who has been in the business for 11 years. "I think they've been waiting to make sure they could leave with a clear [conscience]." Santisteban and other longtime cruise-selling agents at CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. say they're seeing people who have put off booking vacations all year long finally pulling the trigger.

"People have said 'enough is enough, I'm going,'" says Becky Piper, a CruiseOne agent in the Cleveland area. "I think they've realized that they still have a job, and they're mentally exhausted and need a vacation." Piper says her business began bouncing back in July after a horrible start to the year. As of March, her bookings were off 60% year-to-date from the previous year, she notes, but after a good July, August and September she's now caught back up and even is ahead a bit for the year.

The travel agents at the CruiseOne/Cruises Inc. conference, which took place last week on the Carnival Pride during a seven-night itinerary out of Baltimore, admit that heavy discounts by the big cruise lines has been a key factor in bringing back demand. Santisteban says customers definitely remain cost conscious. "The person who used to call to ask me for a suite is now calling to ask about a balcony," he notes. "The person who would call asking for a balcony is now calling to ask about an inside."

That said, the booking window -- how far people book in advance of a voyage -- is starting to move back out, say agents, and pricing is starting to edge upwards after months of rarely seen discounts. "Pricing is moving up, but what's funny is the client's expectations is that the pricing is still where it was (a few months ago)," says Piper. "It hasn't been an easy year," Piper adds. "But I really believe things are getting better."

CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. are part of World Travel Holdings, which bills itself as the nation's largest cruise retailer. The company also owns Cruises Only and Cruises.com, which sell cruises on their websites. It is important to note that each CruiseOne franchise is independently owned and operated, and CruiseOne agents like me offer unique personalized service that you can't get by booking on the internet or through a call center.

I would agree with my CruiseOne colleagues that pricing has started to creep upwards, but even if pricing is headed higher than it was a few months ago, there are still tremendous deals out there. However, I think the trend with my clients is that the booking window is holding steady from where it was early in the year, but this is still a shorter window than in the past.

Remember that it's not too late to book a cruise for the end of 2009, and you can take advantage of special deals in celebration of World's Largest Cruise Night, which is on October 13. Check out my website for more information at www.serenitycruising.com.

Wanna Take the Kids to Alaska? Now Princess Cruises Makes it FUN!

According to Cruise Industry News, Princess Cruises has just announced a new Alaska family-oriented cruisetour. To make it easier for families to plan a trip to the 49th state, which offers stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and plethora of active adventure opportunities, Princess Cruises has added a fun new cruisetour option designed especially with family groups in mind.

Princess already offers a variety of Alaska cruisetours, but this one is different, as this 12-night cruisetour includes a variety of special features not usually included in a cruisetour package. Families will have the opportunity to travel on a jetboat, pan for gold, take an interactive tour of Denali National Park, and experience what Alaska is like in the winter when it’s many degrees below zero. The cruisetour (number: FUN) is offered at a 25 percent discount for all berths, so all members of the family are included in the special pricing. “This is really the ultimate family vacation,” said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. “Alaska is a wonderful travel destination with kids, so we wanted to make it easy and affordable to plan the perfect Alaska experience for everyone in the family.”

Included in the Family Fun cruisetour are a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour featuring one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, two nights at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. At sea, families can also take advantage of Princess’ many onboard programs especially for children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park. Princess owns all of its lodging options in Alaska and all are conveniently located to nearby activities.

These are the special inclusions for the Family Fun Cruisetour:
Daily Breakfast – Everyone in the family can start their morning off with the most important meal of the day.
Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service with Lunch – Princess’ acclaimed Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service gets families to their wilderness lodge faster, and includes lunch aboard the train.
Three Rivers Jetboat Tour (Mt. McKinley) – An exhilarating alternative to taking a motorcoach to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, this tour travels from Talkeetna to the lodge by jetboat, with stops along the river to view historic encampments and learn about the native wildlife.
Arctic Blast (Denali) – Family members can experience winter in Alaska – in the summertime. This special chamber is chilled to wintertime temperatures, so visitors can find out what happens to hot water when it is thrown in the air and whether soap bubbles can survive the cold.
Music of Denali Dinner Theater (Denali) – This rollicking musical comedy tells the legend of the first expedition to the summit of Mt. McKinley, accompanied by a hearty, family-style meal featuring smokehouse ribs and Alaska salmon.
Experience Alaska with Alaska Geographic Tour (Denali) – A more intimate tour of Denali National Park, this special experience includes a variety of interactive experiences, including an enhanced view of the Denali ecosystem and current research taking place. The narrated bus tour takes guests 15 miles into the park to a beautiful river valley where they embark on a short walk to the historic Savage River Camp, where they can participate in a number of hands-on experiences.
Denali Sourdough Expedition Breakfast (Denali) – While fueling up for the day with a family-style, Alaskan roadhouse-style breakfast, guests experience an unforgettable journey up Denali through breathtaking images in Laurent Dick's Climb Denali. Participants have the opportunity to meet this real mountain climber and ask questions about mountain climbing.
Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (Fairbanks) – Families can enjoy traveling on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try their hands at gold panning at the El Dorado Gold Mine, where they will learn about Alaska's gold mining history.

Fares for the Alaska Family Cruisetour (#FUN) start at $1,743 per person for the first and second berths, and $1,191 per person for the third and fourth berth passengers. That's under $100 per night for the third and fourth berth passengers, so a really good deal!

For more information on this Family Fun Cruisetour or any other cruise vacation, please contact Sheila McPherson, Your Independent Cruise Specialist, at (630) 868-6719 or toll-free at (877) 823-8597.

What Time is Dinner Again? Oh, Yeah, When We're Actually Hungry!

With the recent announcements by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity regarding their new flexible dining programs aboard their ships, I thought it would be a good time to comment on this major change in the industry.

Evening dining on cruise ships used to be all about schedules. You'd tpyically have two seatings for dinner each night, early or late, and you'd select your preferred seating time when you booked. Each night you'd sit at the same table with the same companions, and the evening entertainment would be scheduled around those dining times. There would be an early show for the late-seating diners, and a late show for the early-seating diners.

I have had both good and bad experiences with the traditional dining. One great experience was on the Carnival Jubilee way back in 1990. Our loud family of 5, who enjoyed laughing and having fun, was seated with another couple whom we did not know, but they enjoyed laughing along with us. Each night of the cruise we joked around with our waiter and busboy, who seemed to really enjoy our jokes, and it really was a lot of fun. Dinner was more than just dinner; it was an event. Our tablemates really got into our silly spirit and it really was a memorable experience for all. The opposite, however, was true the following year when my husband and went on our honeymoon on a Royal Caribbean ship. We were seated at a table with 2 other couples, and it was a disaster. One couple never spoke to us, even to greet us or say goodnight when they left the table; the other couple spoke but had about zero personality. We tried conversing with them but there were so many awkward silences that we eventually gave up. For some reason which I cannot recall, we were unable to change our seating assignment, so we began eating in the buffet instead.

Overall, the best part about traditional dining is forming a relationship with the waitstaff. On a recent Celebrity cruise, our waiter and busboy enjoyed making little animals from our napkins, and it seemed like every night they had something different with which to entertain us. On my husband's and my anniversary cruise last year on the Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas, we had a wonderful waiter who really helped make our cruise special. And on our most recent cruise on the Carnival Valor, our waitstaff really pleased our kids by knowing their likes and dislikes right away. The smile on my son's face as our waiter poured his ketchup on his nightly chicken nuggets dinner was priceless, as was my daughter's delight at being brought a shrimp cocktail without even asking. Those are the kind of experiences that really make cruising a wonderful vacation.

Unfortunately, you oftentimes forfeit that relationship when you have flexible dining. Since you eat at a different table each night and at different times, it is hard to get the same waiter and busboy more than once, unless you remember their names and specifically ask for them. Sometimes your request can be accommodated and sometimes it can't, so the whole experience becomes less personal and more like going to a typical restaurant.

Yet the flexibility of being able to eat when you are hungry and with whom you would like certainly has its merits, and I think it is great that almost all of the American contemporary cruise lines are now offering their own versions of flexible dining to give us more of a choice when we cruise. There are slight differences and distinctions between the cruise lines' programs, so I am briefly outlining them here.

I think it is important to begin with NCL, because their Freestyle Dining is probably what started the movement. NCL's program is very flexible, allowing you to eat wherever you want and whenever you want. Reservations can be made onboard the ship or you can walk up to a restaurant and be seated, but depending on the time you arrive, you may encounter a wait. NCL actually will charge a fee if you fail to cancel a reservation, but I think this is a good way to deter passengers from making reservations at every restaurant on the ship and preventing others from dining there when they'd like. Overall, I really like NCL's Freestyle cruising experience, and I think the Freestyle dining works well, but I have found some of their waitstaff to be very impersonal.

Princess has offered its Anytime Dining for quite a while now, and I think it works quite well also. One of the main dining rooms is used for traditional seatings, and the other is used for Anytime Dining. You can make reservations once you get onboard, or you can just show up, and sometimes, depending on what time it is, you may encounter a wait. I have taken a number of Princess cruises and never had to wait more than 15 minutes to be seated, so that turned out good, but on my last Princess cruise I encountered waitstaff that was impersonal and seemed rushed. Perhaps the waitstaff needed to be better trained or we caught them at a bad moment. Overall, the program works well in my opinion.

Holland America's As You Wish Dining works similarly to Princess's program. This program was introduced about 2 years ago and has been implemented fleetwide for about a year. As You Wish dining operates much like Princess's program does, with one dining room designated for traditional dining, and the other for flexible dining. Reservations can be made once onboard the ship.

Carnival now offers its Your Choice Dining on some of its ships and it should be implemented fleetwide in mid-2010. When booking, guests now choose which dining option they want, be it Early Seating, Late Seating, or Your Choice, and the dining selection is then confirmed. With Your Choice Dining, guests can make reservations once onboard and will be seated at 15-minute intervals. Too bad this program wasn't available when I sailed on the Valor last July because I would have liked to experience it. I assume that the program will operate similarly to Princess and Holland America, with one dining room for traditional and the other for Your Choice.

Royal Caribbean offers My Time Dining, which allows guests to make daily reservations once onboard. The difference with My Time Dining is that guests must enroll in the program in advance of their cruise, and they must pre-pay their gratuities to participate. I do not really understand why Royal Caribbean requires guests to pre-pay their gratuities, since the line charges gratuities to guests' onboard accounts anyway, but perhaps they do so to ensure that the waitstaff get what they are entitled to.

Royal Caribbean also offers a unique program called My Family Time Dining, which offers an expedited 40-minute dinner experience during the first seating in the main dining room for kids, ages 3-11, enrolled in the Adventure Ocean youth program. Once seated, kids will enjoy expedited service and be immediately served. Forty-five minutes into the seating, a youth counselor will escort kids from the main dining room entrance back to the Adventure Ocean spaces for continued evening activities, allowing parents to enjoy the rest of their dinner quietly while the children play elsewhere. This isn't flexible, in that it is only for early seating guests, but it sounds like a great program and apparently there is no charge to participate.

At the end of August, Celebrity announced its Celebrity Select dining program, which offers a feature that the other flexible dining programs do not offer: the ability to make dining reservations before you even board the ship! Guests can book reservations online up to 4 days before boarding, so they can really plan ahead! Like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity requires guests to enroll in the program in advance and requires pre-paid gratuities. The program became available on the September 26 sailing of the Equinox, and will be introduced on other ships according to a schedule on the cruise line's website. The online system for reservations is supposed to become operational for most sailings on October 15, and guests will always have at least 30 days before sailing to begin making their reservations.

With Celebrity's program starting up, we now have almost every contemporary and upscale American-market cruise line offering some form of flexible dining. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America all offer a program, and I think this really shows how the industry is open to change. The only player in these American-market cruise line categories that does not offer a flexible dining program is Disney, although the fixed dining program they offer isn't exactly "traditional". Disney's program truly is unique, but I choose not to elaborate because the program is really beyond the scope of this blog entry. Nevertheless, this shift towards freedom to dine at guest's schedules instead of the cruise lines', shows how the cruise lines are constantly evolving to meet our needs and desires. This is yet another reason why cruising is about the best vacation experience around.

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.

Lose Your Job? No Problem! "CruiseAssurance" to the Rescue!

This is big news! Just the other day, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it was offering job-loss protection as part of its travel insurance plan for cruises booked with NCL after May 1, 2009. If you had been at your job for at least one year, then lost your job and couldn't afford to take your cruise and cancelled, you'd get reimbursed in full for any cancellation fees. Sounds pretty good, right?

Well, now the news gets even better. CruiseOne has just announced their innovative "CruiseAssurance" travel protection policy, which covers guests sailing on ALL cruise lines. Plus, there's no extra charge for this added protection, which provides full reimbursement for cancellation fees, so you can book your cruise and not have to worry if you need to cancel because you just got a pink slip.

Under the “CruiseAssurance” policy, clients can cancel their trip up to the day of departure, or even during their vacation! The only requirements are that travelers purchase an entry-level travel insurance plan – administered by Travel Guard – and present their termination letter. One year of employment is required. “CruiseAssurance” applies to bookings made March 1 through May 2, 2009 and is offered in addition to an already comprehensive travel protection policy.

Like I said, this is really big news in the cruise industry, and everyone needs to know about it. With unbelievable pricing and promotions going on right now, there really is no better time to book a cruise, and with "CruiseAssurance", that just makes it even better!

To book your next cruise vacation, contact Sheila McPherson, Your Personal Cruise Specialist with CruiseOne, at (630) 868-6719 or toll free at (877) 823-8597.

CruiseOne is Celebrity's National Account Partner of the Year!

Celebrity Cruises announced today that it has named World Travel Holdings (WTH) its 2008 “National Account Partner of the Year.” WTH owns and operates several cruise brands, including Fort Lauderdale-based CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. CruiseOne is a leading U.S. franchise operation of more than 550 Franchise Owners specializing in cruise travel, and I am one of them! Our sister company, Cruises Inc., is the original host agency with nearly 500 independent contractors selling cruise vacations. With these brands, WTH is the nation’s leading retailer of cruise travel, and we love doing what we do!

“Throughout 2008, Celebrity Cruises showed that they are willing to make a continued investment in the travel agent community,” said Brad Tolkin, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of World Travel Holdings, and all-around good guy. “Celebrity was the first to implement a no rebate policy and was among the first to eliminate fuel surcharges. They are clearly committed to helping travel agents succeed. This level of respect does not go unnoticed by our agents and as we proudly accept this honor, we pledge to continue doing our part in 2009.” You go, Brad!

The recognition of WTH as Celebrity Cruises’ 2008 “National Account Partner of the Year” follows a year of shared milestones for the industry leaders.

In September, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. held the companies’ annual National Conference aboard the Celebrity Mercury, and I was there. Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior Vice President of Sales for Celebrity and Azamara Cruises, served as the event’s keynote speaker, and her speech was, to use her words, "super fantastic!" Her speech was quite motivational and I will remember it for years to come. Also during the conference, Celebrity was named “Premium Cruise Line Partner of the Year.” That award was voted on by nearly 1,100 CruiseOne Franchise Owners and Cruises Inc. Independent Agents, although I didn't get to vote. I don't know why.

In November, WTH, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. exclusively chartered the Celebrity Solstice for a special two-night sailing. The companies’ Franchise Owners and Independent Agents had exclusive access to this unique sailing and built widespread national consumer demand for the ship’s anticipated debut. I wanted to go on that sailing but wasn't able to, unfortunately; however, I heard it was s huge success.

"We are thrilled to recognize World Travel Holdings as our National Account Partner of the Year," said Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior Vice President of Sales, Celebrity Cruises. "Day in and day out, the WTH team demonstrates nothing but professionalism and a desire to succeed, and it is a pleasure to partner with such a terrific group of people. We look forward to a long and continued partnership with WTH."

A good majority of the cruises I sold last year were on Celebrity, and I am proud to be a part of WTH's success in being named National Account Partner of the Year. Here's to being Celebrity's National Account Partner for 2009!

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!

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!

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