The holidays came and went without a single blog posting from me, I’m afraid. I last posted from New York City the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Then came Thanksgiving; next, our military reunion in Nashville; and finally, the Christmas and New Year holidays. In the midst of it all, our clients kept us busy with new bookings that placed us well ahead of the traditional “wave” season—thank you! Now that I’ve finally updated our databases, it’s time to get busy and post again!
The January-March timeframe is traditionally the peak booking time for cruises, as people zero in on those summer and holiday plans. However, for Ben and me, the wave season varies each and every year. Most of our regular clients tend to buck the trend and book further in advance than the norm, preferring to take advantage of both best cabin location and best price, knowing that in most cases cruise lines will re-fare rates for booked clients if the price drops. That said, we also have clients who wait for those wave season offers. Now is YOUR time to book.
This is the summer of the great migration to Europe, with cruise lines pulling extra ships out of the Caribbean to capitalize on market growth in the Mediterranean and Baltic. Celebrity extended its season in Europe; Carnival is back in Europe with the new Magic, and Norwegian is sending the brand new Epic to Barcelona for summer sailings. Even Disney, a line not known for offering extra perks (their ships sell out quickly without them, thank you), put an onboard credit offers on the table for Verandah staterooms on select 7-11-night Med sailings and the transatlantic itineraries on May 14 and Sept. 10. Yes, airfare to Europe is not cheap, especially in summer months, but cruising is still an economical way to travel overseas. And from our 14 years experience, prices will not be cheaper in future years. This could be your best opportunity ever to take the Europe plunge!
Speaking of Disney, the line just christened her first new ship in some 15 years, the Disney Dream, in Port Canaveral. We couldn’t make the festivities, but our friend Gene Sloan of USA Today posted photos to his blog. Check them our HERE.
Ben and I head to Costa Rica January 27 for our first cruise on the Windstar Cruises Wind Star. Accommodating a mere 148 guests, this four-masted yacht features wide open teak decks and a watersports platform at the aft. We’ll visit ports in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Watch for the review in my next posts.
Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Bits and Pieces
You’ve probably wondered where I’ve been for the past three weeks (I hope you have, anyway!), but things have been pretty crazy since our return from Portugal. First, I came down with bronchitis; then both Ben and I experienced weird outgoing email issues with Outlook and our Time Warner Roadrunner account that kept us on the phone WAY too much time. Various trouble-shooting efforts determined that there was nothing wrong with Outlook or McAfee security, and no viruses were detected. Technical support began with call centers in the Philippines, migrated to Guatemala tech centers, and finally back to our local San Antonio support desks (yes!).
We learned, however, that there are five levels of support at TW. Before we finished, our case had reached Level 4! It was finally determined that my blog link in our email signatures was the culprit, supposedly having been blocked by a third-party SPAM database. I’m still trying to verify which one and how/if to restore the link, but for the time being at least, email is working without the blog hyperlink.
That aside, I’m way behind with cruise news updates, so I think I’ll just highlight some recent news in case you didn’t catch it elsewhere.
Mexican Riviera Losing Ships
Our West Coast colleagues and cruisers alike are bemoaning the lost of ships sailing to popular ports like Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, and further south. Royal Caribbean had already pulled the Radiance of the Seas from San Diego (our ship for the group we escorted last year); more recently, RCI announced redeployment of the Mariner of the Seas in 2011after only a couple of years sailing from Los Angeles.
The Mariner will offer a short South America season beginning January 2011 before debuting in the Mediterranean that summer, sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) through October. She will then reposition to Galveston, TX for the winter season, replacing Voyager of the Seas. The Voyager will move to New Orleans, marking Royal Caribbean’s welcomed return to the Big Easy in several years. Good news for Galveston and New Orleans, of course, but not so good for the West Coast.
Alaska Additions
I’ve written previously about the number of ships pulled from Alaska this year and next, much to the dismay of local vendors in our 49th state. However, better news is on the horizon. First, Alaska's state legislature approved a bill in April that would reduce the $50 entry fee or "head tax" currently levied on passengers of large cruise ships. As you recall, the tax drew fire from the cruise industry leading to the pullout. Other economic factors contributed to the drop in visitor count, too, but perhaps the tax relief will help increase cruise bookings there—a very good thing since Alaska is a marvelous destination not to be missed!
In addition, however, two lines will sail Alaska’s waters for the very first time: Disney Cruise Line (announced earlier), and the more upscale line Oceania. The latter will offer ten cruises to Alaska from 2011, not only calling on popular ports like Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, but also at less-visited place such as Kodiak, Homer and Hoonah. Neither will be cheap, but nobody “does Disney” but Disney, so expect innovative excursions and learning opportunities for kids and teens; and Oceania brings a classy option for those who enjoy cruising in style. Bookings are open on all cruise lines for the 2011 Alaska season!
We learned, however, that there are five levels of support at TW. Before we finished, our case had reached Level 4! It was finally determined that my blog link in our email signatures was the culprit, supposedly having been blocked by a third-party SPAM database. I’m still trying to verify which one and how/if to restore the link, but for the time being at least, email is working without the blog hyperlink.
That aside, I’m way behind with cruise news updates, so I think I’ll just highlight some recent news in case you didn’t catch it elsewhere.
Mexican Riviera Losing Ships
Our West Coast colleagues and cruisers alike are bemoaning the lost of ships sailing to popular ports like Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, and further south. Royal Caribbean had already pulled the Radiance of the Seas from San Diego (our ship for the group we escorted last year); more recently, RCI announced redeployment of the Mariner of the Seas in 2011after only a couple of years sailing from Los Angeles.
The Mariner will offer a short South America season beginning January 2011 before debuting in the Mediterranean that summer, sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) through October. She will then reposition to Galveston, TX for the winter season, replacing Voyager of the Seas. The Voyager will move to New Orleans, marking Royal Caribbean’s welcomed return to the Big Easy in several years. Good news for Galveston and New Orleans, of course, but not so good for the West Coast.
Alaska Additions
I’ve written previously about the number of ships pulled from Alaska this year and next, much to the dismay of local vendors in our 49th state. However, better news is on the horizon. First, Alaska's state legislature approved a bill in April that would reduce the $50 entry fee or "head tax" currently levied on passengers of large cruise ships. As you recall, the tax drew fire from the cruise industry leading to the pullout. Other economic factors contributed to the drop in visitor count, too, but perhaps the tax relief will help increase cruise bookings there—a very good thing since Alaska is a marvelous destination not to be missed!
In addition, however, two lines will sail Alaska’s waters for the very first time: Disney Cruise Line (announced earlier), and the more upscale line Oceania. The latter will offer ten cruises to Alaska from 2011, not only calling on popular ports like Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, but also at less-visited place such as Kodiak, Homer and Hoonah. Neither will be cheap, but nobody “does Disney” but Disney, so expect innovative excursions and learning opportunities for kids and teens; and Oceania brings a classy option for those who enjoy cruising in style. Bookings are open on all cruise lines for the 2011 Alaska season!
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