See Alaska with the Whole Family

 Plan An Alaska Cruisetour for the Family

Royal Caribbean’s Alaska Family Style Northbound Cruisetour brings together the Last Frontier’s best family experiences by land and sea, in one easy-to-book vacation.

Royal Caribbean's Alaska "Family Style" Cruisetour packs an abundance of educational opportunities and experiences in with a whole lot of fun. Expert Adventure Specialists create an intimate setting for all families traveling together, providing family focused insider tips and suggestions throughout the journey.

Your 12 night Alaska Cruisetour package includes the 7-night Northbound Alaska cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas with the Adventure Ocean program, fabulous onboard entertainment and a visit to the mighty Hubbard Glacier. The cruise is complimented with a 5-night escorted land tour featuring rail travel on the Wilderness Express^® glass domed  railcars along the scenic journey between Seward and Alyeska. Two nights in Denali provide the younger travelers with ample opportunities to engage in the all the National Park has to offer. In addition the hotel properties have been carefully chosen to provide families with comfortable accommodations as well as easy access to all the sites and attractions unique to each of the stops along the way.

"Family Style" Cruisetour includes the following Alaskan experiences:

• Alaska Sealife Center (Seward)
• Bay Wildlife Cruise and lunch at Fox Island (Seward)
• Wildlife Conservation Center (Alyeska)
• Mt. Alyeska Tram (Alyeska)
• Museum and Imaginarium Discovery Center (Anchorage)
• Denali Program (Denali)
• Dorado Gold Mine (Fairbanks)

Somethings, like Alaska, are best shared together.  Watch this video to see what a cruise vacation can include on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (activities vary by ship).




  We would be happy to tell you more about an Alaska CruisetourJust Select the Time and We'll do the Rest Alaska bookings are open through 2013 currently

The Sea is Calling You to Alaska in 2013-14

Royal Caribbean 2013-14 Alaska Deployment

RADIANCE of the SEAS®

A newly renovated ship, Radiance of the Seas offers 8 new dining options. From fabulous margaritas at Rita’s Cantina to family-style Italian at Giovanni’s to the Boardwalk Doghouse, there’s something for every craving.

Enhance your adventure with a Cruisetour excursion, which can vary from three to six nights, and include an expert Adventure Specialist to guide you for the entire land portion of your vacation.

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)	ITINERARY
7-NIGHT ALASKA NORTHBOUND	May 17, 31; June 14, 28; July 12, 26; August 9, 23, 2013	Vancouver, British Columbia • Inside Passage (Cruising) • Ketchikan, Alaska Icy Strait Point, Alaska • Juneau, Alaska Skagway, Alaska • Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) • Seward, Alaska
7-NIGHT ALASKA SOUTHBOUND	May 24; June 7, 21; July 5, 19; August 2, 16, 30, 2013	Seward, Alaska • Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Icy Strait Point, Alaska Ketchikan, Alaska • Inside Passage (Cruising) • Vancouver, British Columbia
7-NIGHT ALASKA ROUNDTRIP	September 6, 2013	Vancouver, British Columbia • Cruising Icy Strait Point, Alaska • Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) • Juneau, Alaska • Ketchikan, Alaska • Cruising • Vancouver, British Columbia

RHAPSODY of the SEAS®

A newly renovated ship, Rhapsody of the Seas offers new dining options, like Royal Caribbean's signature steakhouse, Chops Grille or the intimate dining experience, Chef’s Table. Crown and Anchor® Society guests can take advantage of a new Concierge Club and Diamond Club.

You will have access to signature Royal Caribbean features like a rock climbing wall and a glass-canopied Solarium adults-only pool as well as new enhancements like the Royal Babies and Tots® Nursery program. Guests will also enjoy technology upgrades like Digital Wayfinders and Wi-fi throughout the entire ship, including staterooms!

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S)	ITINERARY
7-NIGHT SAWYER GLACIER	May 24, 2013	Vancouver, British Columbia • Inside Passage (Cruising) • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska Ketchikan, Alaska • Cruising • Seattle, Washington
7-NIGHT SAWYER GLACIER	May 31; June 7, 14, 21, 28; July 5, 12, 19, 26; August 2, 9, 16, 23, 2013	Seattle, Washington • Cruising • Alaska Inside Passage • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska • Cruising • Victoria, British Columbia • Seattle, Washington
7-NIGHT SAWYER GLACIER	August 30, 2013	Seattle, Washington • Cruising • Alaska Inside Passage • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska • Ketchikan, Alaska • Inside Passage (Cruising) • Vancouver, British Columbia

Radiance OTS 2011 Makeover

2011 - The Year of the Makeover

For Royal Caribbean Fleet

Last November we reported that Royal Caribbean International® had scheduled dry-dock make-overs for five of their 22 ships.   When unveiling the the new enhancements to their fleet for 2011, Royal Advantage^SM was announced.   The program would expand their most popular innovations to select ships, giving more to see, more to do, and more to love, to more guests than ever before.

The five ships being updated are as follows: Liberty of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Splendour of the Seas.     Read more:  Introducing Royal Advantage

Exciting News for the Solo Traveler

If you travel much, you are familiar with the term "double occupancy".    It has been the pricing standard in the travel industry (including cruises) for as long as I can recall.   Hotels and cruise lines provide pricing based on two people occupying a room / cabin.   If you are traveling alone, you still pay the price that two people would pay, and in some cases, even more.

In the cruise industry, even though pricing is double occupancy,  quotes are provided on a per person basis.    For the solo traveler, the pricing includes what's called "single supplement".   Over simplified, this is a fancy way of saying that you pay the same price as two occupants or even more.   Sometimes there are lower rates during a promotion, but that is fairly rare.  

Obviously this makes traveling alone quite expensive and quite frankly turns many potential cruisers away, which is quite unfortunate.   What about the married couple that has cruised for years and their mate is now too sick to travel or is no longer alive?    Does that mean they have to now give up one of their favorite pastimes?    In many cases, unless they could find someone to travel with them, that was indeed what happened.

Good news ...    Last year Norwegian Cruise Line was the first to introduce cabins specifically designed for the solo traveler, and more importantly, priced for the single traveler.    No more paying the price for sailing alone.    Photos:  Norwegian Epic Studio Cabins

goes into dry-dock this May, and will emerge in June in time for the Alaskan cruise season.   In addition to the previously announced addition of the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, there will be three inside cabins added for solo travelers.   This will be the first for the Royal Caribbean fleet.    We suspect that Royal Caribbean is testing the waters to see how well the cabins are received. 

We see this as a positive step in accommodating  a segment of the public that has been unable to purchase a cruise vacation due to the penalty pricing for solo travelers.   It's only three cabins, which is dwarfed by the 100 cabin offering on Norwegian Epic, but it is a start.    Norwegian Cruise line has two new ships on order which will further expand the solo studio offerings.      I suspect this is only the first of many more changes for the solo travelers in months and years to come.

Radiance of the Seas Sails from Seward to other adventurous Alaskan cities, including Juneau and Skagway.

Radiance OTS Departure Delayed

Delay - Radiance of the Seas 
January 7, 2011
1100 a.m. E.S.T

During Radiance of the Seas' last sailing, a number of guests onboard experienced some gastrointestinal illness. At Royal Caribbean International, we have high health standards for all our guests and crew. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, tomorrow we will conduct some enhanced sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal to help prevent any illness from affecting the next sailing.

Because of this enhanced sanitation, the boarding process for Radiance of the Seas is now anticipated to begin at 6:00 p.m. We apologize in advance for this delay to the boarding process and we thank you our guests for their understanding.

Parking and seating at in the cruise terminal is very limited. Therefore, guest should not arrive at the pier on Saturday before 5:00 p.m. Regrettably, due to the limited facilities and seating area, we must turn away any car that arrives at the terminal before 5:00 p.m. We kindly ask that guests arrive at the terminal between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for check-in and boarding.

If you have experienced any gastrointestinal symptoms within the last three days, we ask that you please consider rescheduling your cruise.

Norovirus is an extremely common gastrointestinal illness, and only the common cold is more prevalent. According to health specialists, about 300 million people in the world are affected by norovirus every year.

The health and well-being of our guests is very important to us and we believe that these additional measures will further assist in ensuring that our guests' vacation experience is a fun, relaxing and healthy experience.

USEFUL LINKS ABOUT NOROVIRUS

Facts About Noroviruses on Cruise Ships  -  gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses can be prevented

Wash hands often. Wash hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before eating or preparing food.  Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer along with hand washing.

Norovirus outbreaks, when they occur on a cruise ship, always make the news.  The truth is these outbreaks can occur anywhere there are groups of people in a small area such as nursing homes, restaurants, catered events, hotels, and cruise ships.

Vessel Sanitation Program - prevention and control of spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships

Introducing Royal Advantage

Royal Caribbean International® has announced new enhancements to their fleet for 2011. They  call it the Royal Advantage^SM- the drive to provide the best, most innovative ships, features, destinations and personalized service to guests. In 2011, the Royal Advantage will be more apparent than ever. That's when Royal Caribbean will begin enhancements to expand their most popular innovations to select ships, giving more to see, more to do, and more to love, to more guests than ever before.

 

Liberty of the Seas ........... January 30, 2011

Oasis of the Seas .............. February 26, 2011

Freedom of the Seas ......... March 27, 201

Radiance of the Seas ........ Summer 2011

Splendour of the Seas ....... Fall 2011

More memorable moments are in store when DreamWorks® Experience and 3D movies  come onboard. Sails 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 


Even more imagination comes onboard with the DreamWorks® Experience, Broadway hit Saturday Night Fever: The Musical, and other amazing features. Sails 4 to 7-night Caribbean itineraries, and the Western Mediterranean.


The matriarch of the Freedom class will be enhanced with the BRITTO Gallery, ImagineOcean! Puppet Show, a nursery and more. Sails 7-night itineraries from Port Canaveral, Florida, to vibrant Caribbean destinations.


Parents will love the addition of the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, and everyone will enjoy more dining options. Sails from Seward to other adventurous Alaskan cities, including Juneau and Skagway.


Balcony staterooms and refreshed public areas are in store, along with more dining options, lounges and the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery. Sails South America's most amazing and diverse ports.


Our Facebook Fans can learn more about these new enhancements in the near future.  Be sure to  Like Us so that you will be in the know. 

Royal Caribbean 2011 Alaska Deployment

2011 ALASKA DEPLOYMENT

Rhapsody of the Seas® features 7-Night Alaska Sawyer Glacier cruises R/T Seattle for the majority of the voyages.   Ports are:  Seattle, Washington • Alaska Inside Passage • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska • Victoria, British Columbia • Seattle, Washington

The season starts with a Vancouver to Seattle cruise featuring Sawyer Glacier while the final cruise in September is the reverse itinerary.

Radiance of the Seas® features alternating 7-Night Northbound / Southbound Alaska voyages.  Ports are: Vancouver, British Columbia • Inside Passage (Cruising) • Ketchikan, Alaska • Icy Strait Point, Alaska • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) • Seward, Alaska

The season starts with a 15-Night Westbound Canal cruise to reposition the ship for the Alaska season.  Ports are: Tampa, Florida • Cartagena, Colombia • Colon, Panama • Panama Canal (Cruising) • Puntarenas, Costa Rica • Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala • Acapulco, Mexico • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico • San Diego, California

In early May, the first Alaskan cruise is a 12-Night Ultimate Alaska starting in San Diego.  Ports are: San Diego, California • San Francisco, California • Ketchikan, Alaska • Juneau, Alaska • Skagway, Alaska • Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) • Sitka, Alaska • Victoria, British Columbia • Vancouver, British Columbia

Trips to Alaska are often a once in a lifetime event, so I recommend you make the most of your trip by adding  a land portion with one of the following cruisetours:

10-13-NIGHT ALASKA CRUISETOURS MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011
Sail Dates: June 3, 17; July 1, 15, 29; August 12, 26; September 9, 2011

10-14-NIGHT ALASKA CRUISETOURS MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011
Sail Dates: May 27; June 10, 24; July 8, 22; August 5, 19; September 2, 2011

As an Alaska Expert, I can assist you in planning your vacation to Alaska on Royal Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Rick Forms in Eastern Pacific

Graphic courtesy of NOAA (Rick) 8 PM PDT Thurs Oct. 15th

(click for updated map and additional information)

RICK BECOMES THE SEVENTH HURRICANE

OF THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC SEASON...

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

Another tropical storm has formed in the Pacific. We will monitor this storm until it is no longer tracked by the NHC. This storm has the potential of becoming a hurricane by Friday. And if the current predictions hold, the storm will become a major hurricane by early next week.

As a service to my clients and my blog readers, we'll provide continual updates on tropical storms and any cruise line advisories that are posted. For convenience, RSS feeds are also added so that you can get up-to-date information between posts. <NHC Active Storms>

UPDATE: 200 PM PDT WED OCT 21 2009...RICK HAS DISSIPATED OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF MEXICO... MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH RICK COULD PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE INCH OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MEXICO.

This will be the last update on this tropical storm.

Local Weather Statements

<more details> <click for updated chart>

<NWS - Local Weather>

<NASA Hurricane Tracking>

<NWS - Mexico>
<Cabo San Lucas (weather.com)>

<Acalpulco (weather.com)>
< Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Spanish) >

Cruise Ship Tropical Storm Updates:

<CARNIVAL> TROPICAL UPDATE

October 20, 2009 – 11:00 am
We are closely monitoring Hurricane Rick which has developed off the west coast of Mexico. This storm is forecast to make landfall on the southern tip of Baja California on Wednesday

Due to the location of this storm, the following are the itinerary plans for the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit departures today (October 18, 2009):

Carnival Splendor – The ship will visit Ensenada on Monday, Puerta Vallarta on Thursday and Cabo San Lucas on Friday.
Carnival Spirit – The ship will operate the scheduled itinerary.
Our highly trained officers and crew will do everything possible to minimize the impact to the cruise experience for our guests. The ships will navigate at a safe distance from the storm at all times. Carnival’s number one priority is the safety of our guests and crew.
This information will be updated if any additional changes are required.
<Royal Caribbean> Tropical Weather Update
October 19, 200912:00 p.m. E.S.T

Royal Caribbean International continues to closely monitor the itinerary of Radiance of the Seas due to Hurricane Rick, and will update this information again today, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. E.S.T.
Radiance of the Seas is scheduled to depart San Diego, California, today. According to the most recent weather forecasts, the ship will be able to depart on time and head south to Ensenada, Mexico.

However, it is too early to know if the storm track will permit the ship to continue to visit Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Thursday. Should the ship be unable to visit Cabo San Lucas, an alternate itinerary has been arranged, in which guests would visit Ensenada, Mexico, Los Angeles and Catalina Island, California.

These are the only itinerary changes at this time

<Norwegian Cruise Line>

Live Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Tracking:

<Interactive tracking map> See where ships are relative to tropical storms.

Cruise lines will do everything to keep passengers and crew safe. A cruise is rarely cancelled because of weather, even hurricanes. The cruise lines monitor progress of any storms both in their main offices and onboard the vessels. They work closely with the various weather services, such as NOAA and NHC, to make determinations about itinerary deviations.

Continue to watch this post, I will provide updates as conditions change. If you are on a cruise this week in the area, be sure to monitor the storm closely.

Whodunit? Expect the Unexpected

Whodunit?

Do you like a little mystery in your life?

WHY NOT BOOK A MYSTERY GROUP! Plan it today.

You can add a WHODUNIT MYSTERY CRUISE experience to your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation on one of the following itineraries:

Mariner of the Seas®
7-Night Mexican Riviera
April 19, 2009

Los Angeles, California • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Mazatlan, Mexico • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Los Angeles, California

Explorer of the Seas®
5-Night Bermuda
June 6, 2009

Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey
Kings Wharf, Bermuda • Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey

Liberty of the Seas®
7-Night Eastern Caribbean
August 29, 2009

Miami, Florida • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
San Juan, Puerto Rico • Labadee®, Haiti • Miami, Florida

Radiance of the Seas®
4-Night Mexican Riviera
October 29, 2009 

San Diego, California • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
San Diego, California
 

Whodunit Comedy Mystery Cruises, Dying to have you join us!!! IF you Dare... Call me Today for more Clues ...
 

Limited availability exists for this unique onboard experience. They're waiting for you onboard ... don't make them wait too long. Get a group of your friends and family together and get ready for the time of your life.

Why Not Panama Canal 2010

We've talked about Transtatlantic cruises which typically sail in the Spring from Florida to Europe and in the Fall from Europe to New York, Florida, or San Juan. These are known as repositioning cruises because the ship is changing its base of operations from one area of the globe to another.

These not the only repositioning cruises available throughout the year. Royal Caribbean International has just announced its 2010 15-Night Eastbound Panama Canal cruise for Fall 2010. It will be on Radiance of the Seas, September 24, 2010, and stop at the following ports:

San Diego, California • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico • Acapulco, Mexico • Huatulco, Mexico • Puntarenas, Costa Rica • Panama Canal (Cruising) • Cristobal Pier, Panama • Cartagena, Colombia • George Town, Grand Cayman • Tampa, Florida

As you can see, this particular sailing is a full transit of the Panama Canal. The cruise is sailing Eastbound from San Diego to Tampa, Florida. Typically you'll see the reverse itinerary in the Spring. In 2010, Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas has a March 11th sailing doing that itinerary.

Sailing through the Panama Canal is an experience that you will never forget. It is amazing to see the canal in operation. See my previous blog posting, Cruising the Panama Canal, for an account of one of our Panama Canal cruises.

As you plan your 2010-2011 cruise vacations, why not consider Panama Canal. The Radiance of the Seas is only one example of the cruises you can do. If 15 nights is too long for you, there are other possibilities which include a partial transit of the Panama Canal. Let me help you plan your visit to the Panama Canal. It is one of my favorite cruises, so I'd love to share more information with you.