4-2-09
Celebrity and Azamara Summer Cruises: 2 for 1 Rates Through April
Celebrity Cruises and deluxe sister Azamara Cruises says cruisers can book a limited number of berths on select Alaska and Europe sailings at a two-for-the-price-of-one rate based on published brochure rates through April 30, 2009. Any of these cruises booked during April 2009 also feature a price-protection component and a travel agent booking incentive.

Azamara offering Europe for less:
Azamara Cruises offers up to 50% off brochure rates on 21 different cruises sailing between May and November 2009 through the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, the Black Sea, Western Europe, Iceland and Scandinavia/Russia. Ranging in length from seven to 15 nights, the discounted cruises offer travelers the opportunity to experience the spectacular service, cuisine and amenities on the 694-guest Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

Sample discount fares offered in “The Azamara Assurance,” based on double occupancy in a veranda stateroom, include a 14-night “Best of Italy” cruise sailing on August 9, 2009, that was $3,999 per person and is $1,999 per person; and a seven-night Mediterranean cruise sailing on May 2, 2009, that was $2,099 per person and is being offered at $1,049 per person.

Celebrity offering Alaska and Europe at a discount: Celebrity Cruises’ offer is called “The Celebrity Starring You Promise,” and offers savings of up to 51% off published brochure rates on 53 different cruises sailing in Alaska and Europe between May and September 2009.

Alaska sailings in “The Celebrity Starring You Promise” range from seven to 13 nights in length and are being offered on Celebrity Mercury, Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Millennium. An example of the type of discount guests can receive by booking their Alaska cruise on one of the sailings featured in the offer is a seven-night “Southbound Alaska” cruise between Vancouver and Seward on June 5, 2009, that was $999 per person based on double occupancy in an inside stateroom and is being offered at $499 per person.

Guests who book select Celebrity Europe cruises between today and April 30, 2009, are eligible for savings such as a 12-night Mediterranean cruise on July 21, 2009, that was being offered at $2,199 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy, and is being offered today at $1,149 per person. The Europe cruises in the promotion range from 10 to 14 nights in length.

Offer’s price protection component adds security:
Price protection, a component of both the Azamara and Celebrity offers, gives guests who book during the promotion access to lower rates up to 48 hours before their sailing. If Azamara or Celebrity publish a lower price for the same stateroom category on the same sailing that the guest previously booked, the guest must call Azamara/Celebrity to verify eligibility for the lower price. A limited number of special rate programs are excluded. Guests or their travel agents must make their requests for a price adjustment no later than 48 hours prior to sailing by calling Azamara/Celebrity. Prices offered in “The Celebrity Starring You Promise” and “The Azamara Assurance” are per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy, in US dollars, subject to change without notice, and capacity controlled. The price protection component does not apply to price programs, such as resident and senior rates, that the guest does not qualify for at the time the request is made and cannot be used to obtain rates offered as part of other select pricing programs. Other terms and conditions apply.

4-1-09
Seven Seas Voyager Cancels Apr. 18 and May 8 Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises says it is necessary to cancel the upcoming April 18th and May 8th cruises of the 700-guest Seven Seas Voyager in order to make necessary repairs to one of its pod propulsion units. While this engine failure does not compromise the ship’s safety or seaworthiness, the damaged propulsion unit substantially reduces the vessel’s cruising speed and its ability to reach the scheduled itineraries.

The starboard (right side) propulsion unit became entangled with a fishing net around March 18th after departure from Singapore. The subsequent mechanical failure resulted in the shutdown of the pod. Inspections in India and Dubai determined the extent of the damage is greater than originally expected. The ship must be dry-docked for the necessary repairs.

Seven Seas Voyager will be withdrawn from service upon arrival in Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy on April 18. Arrangements will be made to transport all guests back to their city of origin, including the shipping of luggage, from Rome. Guests on the April 18th voyage from Istanbul and the May 8th voyage from Fort Lauderdale and are being informed of these cancellations, along with their travel agents.

All guests will be offered a variety of options which may include re-accommodation on an alternative RSSC voyage or voyages or a full refund. Travel Agent commissions are being protected for all affected sailings.

Specific re-accommodation details and refund offers for each sailing will be sent in a separate letter to guests and their travel agents and dedicated team of Regent Seven Seas cruise specialists will be contacting all affected guests and agents. A special toll-free number, 877 505 5632, has been established to answer questions and provide details to those guests and agents with reservations on these sailings.

3-31-09
Royal Caribbean Raises Loyalty Program Requirement
Starting July 1st there will be changes to the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society benefits. The changes include:

A new Ultimate Value Booklet with coupons for various onboard amenities.

An upgraded wine tasting event at a special price

A new special event, hosted by our ship officers for Diamond and above members to meet and mingle with other fellow members. This will feature complimentary wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

Due to limited capacity, Royal Caribbean states that the Concierge Lounge has not been able to accommodate its growing loyalty program membership, challenging its ability to provide the optimum experience for their guests. Therefore the Concierge Lounge will now be accessible to only suite passengers and “Diamond Plus” Crown and Anchor guests.

Diamond Members cruising on Freedom Class ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will continue to be able to experience exclusive access to a dedicated Diamond Lounge on these ships, which feature a complimentary ‘happy hour’ from 5-8:30pm daily.

3-31-09
Royal Caribbean CEO, Richard Fain, Starts Oasis Blog
Chairman of Royal Caribbean International has started a new blog at oasisoftheseas.com, the official web site of the new “biggest cruise ship in the world” about to be introduced by Royal Caribbean in November. So far, there are only two posts, but there are also shipyard pictures from Finland. Visit Royal Caribbean’s Chairman’s Blog at Oasisoftheseas.com.

The second post, just put online, describes Fain’s shipyard visit to inspect the Oasis, now 80% complete. He notes the consideration Finland has for shipyard workers, agreeing to shut down production when the temperature for the work environment hits -20 degrees fahrenheit.

Fain notes that one change he already wishes for oasis is to have built more loft suites. These two-story suites will have two full stories of glass walls to the outside. The living space is on the ground floor with the bedrooms upstairs.

3-31-09
Disney Wonder to Relocate to Los Angeles
The Walt Disney Co. says it plans to move one of its cruise ships, Disney Wonder, to Los Angeles as its new home port starting in 2011.

The move will be made when the first of two under-construction ships, the Dream and Fantasy, arrive at Port Canaveral, Fla. The current home port for both Disney ships and scheduled to be the new port for the new Disney ships cirrently under construction.

The switch announced Monday could create some 2,600 direct and indirect jobs in the Los Angeles area. The two-year deal between the port and Disney has a three-year renewal option. The Wonder could draw an estimated 250,000 customers to the Port of Los Angeles over five years.

The port hosted the Magic in the summers of 2005 and 2008 for tours of the Mexican Riviera. The upcoming itinerary has not yet been announced but it is liley to be similar to the one the Wonder ran before.

3-31-09
Cruise Ship Worker Pleads Not Guilty
CBS News, Los Angeles, is reporting that Monday, in court, the Princess Cruises waiter who has been charged with aggravated sexual assault denies that he sexually assaulted a female passenger on a recent trip at sea. A trial date was set and if convicted, Jorge Manuel Teixeira, 38 Teixeira - a Portuguese national, faces a potential life prison sentence. At a bail hearing earlier this month, Teixeira was deemed a flight risk and ordered held until trial. The alleged assault took place before midnight March 5 during a 14-day cruise between Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles while the ship was off the coast of Mexico, according to court documents. Federal law allows for the prosecution of those accused of attacking U.S. citizens on the high seas. U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien said that while the alleged attack took place in waters far from U.S. shores, federal authorities have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes on the high seas involving American citizens. The woman, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen whose name and hometown were not released, told officials she agreed to meet Teixeira in a dimly lit corner of a deserted dining room for late-night drinks, documents show. At some point, she said the headwaiter forced her to perform a sex act and attacked her, according to an FBI agent’s 17-page affidavit. Teixeira, who has worked on cruise ships for 18 years, denied attacking the woman, but admitted that after meeting with her, he touched her leg and “another part” of her body as they left the table, the agent reported. This case is important for several reasons. It is one of the first high profile “rape” (actually aggravated sexual assault) cases ever to come to trial in the U.S. although the mechanisms to do so have been in place for years. In the past, the FBI has chosen not to prosecute cases where there were conflicting statements and insufficient evidence to prove otherwise. It is not yet known if there is evedence to support the claims of either side. Another reason it is important is because U.S. Congressional hearings on cruise ship crime and safety, redux 2009, are now being held in Washington DC, starting yesterday (the same day Texiera was indicted).

3-25-09
Carnival Elation - New Itineraries to Cabo, New Look
Just having completed several recent upgrades, Carnival Elation is now the ship to take for short cruises to Mexico from California. The ship is the only one operating year-round from San Diego, and now has all the Fantasy-class enhancements that had already been given to most of the Carnival ships leaving from the East Coast.

Built in the 1990s, the eight Fantasy-class ships are the smallest in the Carnival fleet, but a program to give them all modern upgrades has made these ships much more exciting. Now, Carnival Elation has added new four and five-day itineraries that also include stops in Cabo San Lucas. The onboard enhancements already make it a better choice for short Mexico cruises, and if you have the time, a stop in Cabo San Lucas also makes it much more interesting cruise.

The onboard enhancements include a new water-park area for the kids to enjoy, with a long, winding water slide and two side-by-side competitive water slides. An adults area called “Serenity” has been added to the back deck of Elation; a quiet teak deck with padded lounge chairs and a hot tub with no kids allowed.

Expanded food options include a New York-style Deli, a sushi bar, a Mongolian BarBQ and a new dessert station with free ice cream.

The ship now has shipwide wireless Internet access as well as an Internet café. There are also new resort-style amenities, including 12 lounges and bars, three restaurants and four swimming pools and a 12,000-square-foot health and fitness center.

On its new schedule, Carnival Elation will operate a year-round series of four- and five-day cruises for a two-week period followed by another two weeks of three- and four-day Baja departures.

Four- and Five-Day Cruises to Cabo San Lucas:
Beginning July 2, 2009, Carnival Elation’s four-day “long weekend” cruises will depart Thursdays and visit Cabo San Lucas. Two different five-day itineraries will also be offered. Five-day cruises departing Saturdays will feature the industry’s only itinerary that includes two full days in Cabo San Lucas, providing guests with a unique opportunity to enjoy one of Mexico’s most spectacular destinations. Five-day cruises departing Mondays will feature both Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

New Departure Days for Three- and Four-Day Cruises:
The Carnival Elation’s three- and four-day cruises which currently depart on Thursdays and Sundays, respectively, will be changed to Fridays (three-day cruises) and Mondays (four-day cruises) starting with the July 20, 2009, four-day departure. These new departure dates offer guests an even more convenient option on these popular short cruise itineraries from San Diego.

Carnival Pride, leaving from Long Beach, has not received the Fantasy-class upgrades yet.

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