Peace of Mind - Priceless

What Value is Peace Of Mind

During Your Vacation

This is a true story of two of my guests that were booked on Quantum of the Seas departing New York on Saturday March 20th.  We join the story on Friday morning.

As the day before departure approached, so did a spring snow storm in New York City.  Hundreds of flights were cancelled in advance of the storm - including theirs. This story has a happy ending.

3 Keys to Happy Ending

Springtime in Chicago and New York can be unpredictable and getting to the ship on time could be problematic.   Normally they would have flown to the departure port a day early, but this time they were unable to get out of work for the extra day, so they opted for an early departure on Saturday, the day of the cruise.

The flights were arranged by me on their behalf through Royal Caribbean ChoiceAir program. ChoiceAir benefits include assured arrival to the ship in case of airline complications, total flexibility to pick your preferred airlines and itineraries, and most importantly in this case, 24/7 support.

My day Friday began with a frantic email informing me that their flight had been cancelled. I placed a call to ChoiceAir and was fortunate to get a hold of Evarld, one of the flight specialists, who worked tirelessly looking for options to get them to the ship on time Saturday. After more than four hours of working on the problem, with phone calls back and forth with Royal Caribbean and my clients,  I received a phone call with details for flights departing that evening, which would arrive around midnight. I'd already alerted my guests to head to the airport and told them I'd provide them with the new confirmation information once I got it from ChoiceAir. They were enroute in the limo when I called them.  

Their original schedule was a non-stop flight, but the only possible choices now, with more than 800 flights cancelled, were connecting flights through Atlanta, GA.  Another bonus - they were upgraded to first class.

The second thing they had done towards peace of mind was to purchase Travel Insurance with their booking. In the event they would not have been able to get to the ship on time, they would have been able to file a claim for appropriate benefits.

And lastly, since they put their travel plans in my hands, they weren't the ones on the phone for hours Friday, trying to figure out how to get to New York.   I monitored the flights that evening and saw that they actually arrived in New York around 12:30 AM Saturday.   They emailed a picture of the two of them with big grins onboard Quantum of the Seas.   I could finally breathe a sigh of relief because I knew how much they had been dreaming about this cruise and how devastating it would have been to miss the cruise.

Thank you to Royal Caribbean for actually delivering on your promise when creating the ChoiceAir program.

Together with Royal Caribbean, I've been able to make this dream vacation come true.  If you'd like to plan YOUR next cruise, I'd be happy to assist you.   We have several exclusive offers and Royal Caribbean has a WOW sale currently.  Check out current offers here.

Royal 5K Race

 Pack Your Running Shoes

 
Don’t miss the chance to hit the deck running onboard Allure of the Seas^®. On March 10, this ship sets sail for historic Falmouth, Jamaica, the destination for this year’s Royal 5K.  If you are already booked on this cruise, find out about adding the Royal 5K Package.  

March, 2013 Allure of the Seas® 7-night Western Caribbean March 10, 2013 Itinerary:     Fort Lauderdale, Florida     Labadee, Haiti     Falmouth, Jamaica     Cozumel, Mexico     Fort Lauderdale, Florida	December, 2013 Allure of the Seas® 7-night Eastern Caribbean December 8, 2013 Itinerary:     Fort Lauderdale, Florida     Nassau, Bahamas     Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas     Philipsburg, St. Maarten     Fort Lauderdale, Florida

In addition to the 5K race, the entire week will be full of activities such as:

• Private meet-and-greet sessions with high-profile racing athletes
• Seminars and lectures with high-profile athletes
• Personal training tips from experts
• Speed tests onboard the track on your ship

Note:  The race does not support any charity, which we think would be an added plus, however all of the above is included for the Royal 5K Package Price of $25.   The December race will occur in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Current Royal Caribbean Offers

RESERVE YOUR ROYAL CARIBBEAN VACATION WITH US TODAY!

Understanding Wave Season

Wave

When starting to write this article, we thought it would be fun to look up the definition of "wave" in one of the online dictionaries.   It turns out that "wave" is one of the more interesting words in the English language with many different uses and definitions.  Let's take a closer look at just a few of those uses and definitions.

As seen in this first  picture, noun wave: "A ridge or swell moving through or along the surface of a large body of water. The Sea."

Limiting our definition scope to water for the moment, a wave can be natural (above) or man-made, as seen in this picture taken onboard  Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas.  One can surf the waves in the Flowrider (shown here in action on Allure of the Seas).

"Waves" were "A member of the women's reserve of the U.S. Navy, organized during World War II, but now no longer a separate branch."  While you may have found them on a sea-worthy vessel, they certainly weren't on a cruise ship.

You may find people "waving" good-bye as your ship sails away from port or onboard the ship as you see someone that you just met on your cruise vacation across the deck from where you are standing.

Source: The Free Dictionary / Wave

There is however, an entirely different use of "wave", which you won't find in the online dictionary....

Wave Season

Here "wave" is used as an adjective to describe a particular time of year.  The season runs from January to March each year.   Putting two and two together, you might be thinking it is the season when waves are more prevalent.   While that might be the case in some areas of the globe, that isn't what we are talking about at all.

Wave Season is the cruise industry's peak sales period of the year. Cruise lines typically offer their best deals during the first quarter as they seek to fill cabins and then raise pricing as the year progresses.

Wave Season 2012 is off to a good start and early indications are that consumer confidence is improved from last year this time.  We are seeing an increased interest in Europe and Alaska as well as the ever popular Caribbean sailings.  The value of a cruise vacation is what continues to drive customers to take to the waves.

The Wise Consumer

There is a local clothing store that advertises on television and has a saying that the 'best customer is an educated customer'.  We agree with that.   There are so many product choices in the travel industry all vying for your vacation dollars.   With the introduction of new ships, itineraries, reclassification of cabins, upgraded amenities and services on existing ships, it is hard to navigate the waters alone to find the best value that fits your vacation interests and those of your traveling companions.

Now more than ever, the wise consumer may do some research on their own, but ultimately will turn to their travel professional for guidance and booking.   As specialists, we are here to help you plan that perfect dream vacation.   We aren't limited to cruise vacations if you don't want to take to the waves, but we continue to see cruise vacations as among the best values in the travel industry.   Also, we aren't limited to a particular cruise line, so we can honestly provide comparisons to help narrow your selection.

Timing is Everything - Plan Early

January to March is the time when there are the most consumers looking at cruise vacations.   You might have special needs / wants, such as a mid-ship location, larger cabins holding 3 or more passengers, a handicapped cabin, an itinerary on a particular small ship that has limited occupancy.   You probably aren't the only ones with similar requirements.  To quote another popular saying, "the early bird gets the worm".

When looking at special needs such as triple or quad occupancy, handicapped cabins, mid-ship location, etc., there are a finite number of cabins that meet those classifications.   These are among the first cabins selected by early planners.  If you wait until late in Wave Season, or worse, later in the year, you may not be able to find your choice, or at the very least, will pay a premium for that selection.

Key Observations for this Wave Season

Cruise fares will be the lowest of the year during Wave Season.  The cruise lines have told us that as the year progresses, prices will rise.   There will always be the possibility of a last minute "deal" should the ship not be at capacity, but the likelihood that the available cabin will meet any other requirements you might have is minimized.

Airfare continues to be the largest component of a vacation.  We've seen prices rise and capacity fall over the last couple of years.   We've mentioned that cruise lines increased capacity over the last few years, with this year being larger than last.   That helps keep the cruise price down, but the cruise lines have no control over airfare costs (since airlines offer limited bulk cabin allocations for example).

What's the best deal during Wave Season?  There are so many offers during Wave Season, it's hard to determine what's the best deal to take advantage of.   We'd suggest you focus on offers that provide cabin upgrades, free or reduced airfare, and other amenities which typically aren't available year-round.   We have offers crossing our desk every day throughout Wave Season.  We'll do our best to publicize them on our website, here in this blog, and limit a few to our Facebook Fans only.   So be sure to sign up for our eNewsletter, subscribe to this blog, and become a fan on our Facebook Page.   Call or email us with your bucket list and we can keep watch for you during the next couple of months.

In closing, take advantage of this special season - you deserve a vacation and you deserve to get the best value.

We offer our Best Price & Satisfaction Guarantee so plan with confidence and Take to the Waves this Wave Season.   

Hurricane Hunter Preparedness Events

C-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft (Credit: NOAA)

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Hurricane Preparedness

Atlantic, Mexico and Caribbean

Public invited to tour Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft

NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Reserve are hosting a series of Hurricane Preparedness events in the Atlantic, Mexico, and Caribbean between March 18 and 27, 2010.  This is an early start to efforts to educate the public about hurricanes.

 A Hurricane Preparedness Web site has been launched by NOAA. The goal of this Web site is to inform the public about the hurricane hazards and provide knowledge which can be used to take ACTION. This information can be used to save lives at work, home, while on the road, or on the water.

Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 23rd through May 29th 2010

Tours of the Air Force Reserve Command’s WC-130J "hurricane hunter" aircraft will be available to residents, who will also have the opportunity to meet directors and staff including personnel from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the 403rd Wing.


“The squadron is the only remaining military unit in the world which routinely flies into tropical cyclones to aid in the United States Hurricane Warning Program,“ said Lt. Col. Jonathan Talbot, Chief Weather Officer for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.

Locations and times for public tours are listed below (all times are local):

• Friday, March 19: Bermuda; 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  
• Monday, March 22: Mazatlan, Mexico; 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
• Tuesday, March 23: Merida, Mexico; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  
• Wednesday, March 24: San Salvadore, El Salvadore, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  
• Friday, March 26: Antigua; 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  
• Saturday, March 27: Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  

Hurricane season goes from June 1st through November. For additional information about hurricanes, including useful links, see the "Weather" tab above.  Last season we monitored several tropical storms which fortunately weren't as devastating as in some past years.

The Bon Voyage Experience

THE BON VOYAGE EXPERIENCESM

Princess Cruises revives a nostalgic cruising tradition with the new Bon Voyage Experience, allowing family and friends to come aboard and wish passengers a wonderful trip before they sail!

As a Princess Commodore, I've received advanced information about an exciting new program starting this spring aboard many of Princess Cruise Ships.

If you are a long-time cruiser, you may recall the bon voyage experience when family and friends joined you onbaord for a send-off on your cruise journey.

Reviving a signature tradition from the early days of cruising, the Bon Voyage Experience is an innovative new program giving passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard their ship on embarkation day to share the fun and excitement of sail-away day. The program allows booked passengers four hours to show off their stateroom and other signature Princess innovations.

For just $39 USD per person, participants will enjoy priority embarkation, a guided ship tour, a souvenir photo, and a delectable four-course lunch (wine included) in one of the ship’s beautiful main dining rooms. In addition, each participant will receive a $39 Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to be used on a Princess booking made within 3 months of the Bon Voyage Experience.

To ensure that guests are able to get the most of their visit onboard, program participants will be allowed priority embarkation. If participants are friends or family of booked passengers, this benefit will be extended to their sailing friends so they can enjoy the day’s festivities together.

Depending on the ship and itinerary, participants should be able to enjoy up to 4 hours onboard (until approximately 3:00 pm on most itineraries). When making a reservation, exact times for embarkation and disembarkation will be shared.

The Bon Voyage Experience will debut in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale and roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle. The schedule for the launch of the Bon Voyage Experience is:

• Sapphire Princess on March 6 in Los Angeles
• Crown Princess on March 6 in Fort Lauderdale
• Coral Princess on March 7 in Los Angeles
• Emerald Princess on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale
• Island Princess on March 10 in Los Angeles
• Ruby Princess on March 10 in Fort Lauderdale
• Golden Princess on March 14 in Los Angeles
• Royal Princess on March 27 in Fort Lauderdale
• Star Princess on April 10 in Fort Lauderdale
• Caribbean Princess on May 18 in New York
• Sea Princess on June 1 in San Francisco

During the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Royal Princess will also offer the program from Seattle, beginning in May.

Have your family and friends come aboard

and wish you a wonderful trip before you sail!

I am happy to see the return of an old tradition. Cruising was meant to be a special vacation, originally afforded only to the "well to do". Thankfully it is now an experience that can be enjoyed by most people. The return of this old tradition allows an opportunity for friends and family to briefly experience life onboard a cruise ship, and perhaps take away some of the mystery about what it's like to take a cruise vacation.

For more information about Princess Cruises, Click HERE