GOOD-BYE TO CRUISE WEST

The cruise industry has been abuzz the last two weeks about the apparent demise of Cruise West, a small-ship company that for almost 40 years provided a loyal client base with up-close-and-personal visits to ports of call. Earlier this year, the line announced plans to add a Great Lakes itinerary next summer, and just a couple of months ago teased all of us with its intentions to bring back Mississippi River cruising starting next spring.

However, word arrived about a week ago that CW suddenly ended a world cruise this month about halfway through its 10-month journey. In addition, the Seattle Times reported that 65 Cruise West employees were recently laid off and the reservations center shut down.

Although hopes had been held out for a purchase and/or restructuring, prospects have apparently not worked out at this point. As a matter of fact, the Times article goes on to quote the text from a bulletin issued by the Federal Maritime Commission:

“West Travel, Inc., doing business as the cruise line Cruise West, has notified the Federal Maritime Commission that it is canceling all cruises that were scheduled to begin this past Saturday, September 18, and on all dates that follow, with the exception of the September 22 Danube Cruise (in Europe). It completed cruises of the Spirit of 98 and Spirit of Endeavour that ended in Portland and Seattle on Saturday, September 18.”

We are saddened by this news. Cruise West cruises were never cheap, but they were, after all, on US ships operated by US crew. We’re not talking about less expensive international crew and operations here. But every client we have booked on Cruise West became a fan, especially those cruising to Alaska. Ship captains exercised their freedom to alter itineraries a bit, take a little longer en route for a wildlife sighting, and get much closer to glaciers than the big ships could for better views. The dress code was casual, and passengers numbered 80-130, not 1500-3000.

Moreover, we continue to receive inquiries about cruises on US rivers like the Mississippi and Ohio and hope financial backing will one day open the doors to such an operation. In the meantime, I fear we must bid farewell to a first-rate, family-run operation--felled, it would seem, by the tough economy and increasing fuel costs.

CRUISE LINE SALES
On a much brighter note, many lines are in the midst of sales and special offers right now. In my
September 7 posting, I mentioned the Royal Caribbean offer, but there are more: Carnival has a cash-back sale, and several upscale lines (Azamara, Oceania, Crystal, and Silversea) are offering onboard credit and/or prepaid gratuities and/or two-for-one pricing on select itineraries.

HOLY LAND 2011
We still have space on our Holy Land cruise October 15-26, 2011, on the NCL Jade roundtrip from Rome. We always have a great time on the cruises we personally escort and invite you to consider joining us and the many others who have already deposited. Call or email us for pricing and details.

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!

CRUISE LINES ANNOUNCE PRICE HIKES AND 2011 ITINERARIES

Upscale line Regent Seven Seas is the latest to announce upcoming rate hikes. After March 31, prices will increase on many of the line’s voyages, although the free air offer and free unlimited shore excursions offer may still be available. Azamara’s 2-for-1 savings and $500 onboard credit offer will also expire the end of this month.

 

RSSC’s announcement follows on the heels of similar notices from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Carnival. That should tell you that cruise bookings are going very well, thank you very much, and ships are beginning to fill. Get those vacations booked now!

 

We’re also seeing the first of 2011-12 itineraries opening up now. NCL, Princess, and Oceania just announced Europe itineraries. Capacity is expanding in that region, too. Royal Caribbean, Princess, and NCL will all send more ships to Europe in 2011, with more ports of all and overnight stays—music to many a traveler’s ears. Alaska isn’t gaining any more ships, however, so plan to book that Alaska cruise as early as possible. Fewer ships mean fewer berths—and prices increase as ships fill.

 

As a matter of fact, this is a great time in general to get your 2011 vacation on the books! Remember, unless you’re booking under Carnival’s Early Saver Fare with its nonrefundable deposit (but at a big savings), your cruise deposit will be fully refundable if your plans change. We can move you to a different date or cancel you completely.

 

Please don’t buy into the notion that you’ll get a better deal by waiting until the “last minute.” Does that work occasionally? Yes, if you live near the departure port, keep a flexible schedule, and aren’t picky about cabin choice or location.

 

The risks?

• Cabin choices relegated to leftovers at the very front or back of the ship or near a noisy location
• Dining choice relegated to late (after 8 pm), when you prefer to dine early (around 6)
• Higher priced airfare to your embarkation port
• Prices were actually much cheaper 9 months out!

Four weeks from today, Ben and I will be on our way to Portugal for our AMAWATERWAYS river cruise. Watch for live blogs coming your way!