Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Thankful for ... 
 Seeing Northern Lights & Experiencing New Adventures

Hurtigruten Vesteralen Northern Lights Norway

See our work in progress diary of this very unique winter cruise experience.
Diary Hurtigruten Classic Voyage Bergen


We love Norway, and there isn't a better time to see it than when it is blanketed in snow with Northern Lights casting a glow on us during a crisp winter night. 

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING

Guy Fieri's Pig & Anchor Carnival Magic

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here already. Where did 2016 go? As has become my tradition, I'd like to share with you some of the things that I'm thankful for and highlight some of my adventures this year.

I hope that you, your family, and friends have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. I know that I have plenty of things to be thankful for, including my health, family, and friends and the ability to share my love of cruising with all of you. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to explore new worlds with family and friends again this year.

The cruise industry is strong as ever with new ships and added capacity helping to keep prices reasonable for those that plan ahead.

The value of cruising has never been stronger. Even in these tough times, more and more families have taken to the seas.  Indications are that the record discounts offered the past two years will be coming to an end.  In the meantime those discounts have made cruising an even better value, and consequently we have seen a surge in first-time cruisers.

Thankful for ... 
Sailing on Brand New Ships

Cruises Inc., Cruise One, and Dream Vacations will hold the 2016 National Conference on Carnival Vista which just started its inaugural season sailing to Europe and next month will be sailing in the  Caribbean from Miami. Check out this video to see what's in store for us next month.

We wonder what the Pilgrims, who came to the New World in Tall Ships, would think about the Carnival Vista.Their ships measured 110 feet, held 150 passengers at most, and took months to cross the Atlantic.  The Vista is about 10 times that length (1062 feet), holds 3936 passengers (double occupancy) and 1450 crew, and took just a couple weeks to cross the Atlantic.

Thank you for making our blog column a part of your lives in 2016.   I hope that the information we share helps you to dream about future cruises of your own. I'd be honored to help you plan those trips. I have the best job in the world - helping make dreams come true. For that, I'm truly thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

Caribbean Princess Cuts Cruise Short

Propulsion Problems

Cause Cancellation

More Troubles for Carnival Corporation

Princess Cruises, who's parent company, Carnival Corporation, has been in the news all year, has issued a statement that Caribbean Princess has experienced a problem with her port propulsion motor during its current sailing.  It has been determined that the ship's current sailing must be canceled to allow for repairs.

The ship has returned to San Juan where the repairs will take place. All passengers will be able to stay onboard through Sunday, to enjoy an extended visit to San Juan, until their previously scheduled flights home.

Caribbean Princess was sailing on a seven-day Southern Caribbean voyage from San Juan, which departed March 11. The ship was scheduled to call in St. Maarten,  St. Lucia, Grenada, Bonaire, and Aruba before returning to San Juan on Sunday, March 18.

More Lost Revenue / Refunds

Passengers will receive a full refund of the cruise fare plus a future cruise credit equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid on this voyage. Further information will be communicated to passengers onboard.

If you read the cruise contract, you'll notice that skipping a port doesn't entitle passengers to any compensation, but Princess Cruises has announced the compensation plan above.   An extended stay in San Juan isn't what the passengers had signed up for, so the refunds seem to be the right thing to do.

What About Next Sailing

At this time it is unknown how the repair process may impact the ship's next sailing, departing March 18. Princess Cruises will communicate any impact to the next voyage as soon as information is available and impacted passengers and their agents will be notified.

UPDATE:  After further review by technical experts, Princess Cruises has confirmed the full extent of the damage to the motor. They now know the time and work required to make the repairs and have had to cancel the next two voyages, departing March 18 and March 25. 

Passengers booked on these sailings will receive a full refund as well as a 25% credit towards a future cruise. Those who booked their flights through Princess will receive a full refund or a future air credit based on the type of air purchased. Passengers who booked their air independently can submit their air change fees to Princess for a refund.  Princess  will also refund any transfers, pre- and post-hotel packages and government fees and taxes.

Source: Caribbean Princess Update 
 

 

Bad Timing

There never is a good time to have mechanical problems, but this is probably one of the worst times for this to occur.   This is Spring Break time, where the ships are full of passengers who have longed for the time off from school to take to the oceans and other warm destinations.

It will be interesting to see how the non-cruise media spins this story.   Reality is that ships are full of all kinds of mechanical parts, and everyone knows that they can break, and usually they break at the wrong time.   Just ask a "road warrior" how many times they were delayed due to mechanical problems with an airplane.   The difference is, odds are there's a spare plane or spare parts not far away, and usually you can be on your way after a short delay.  That's not the case with a cruise ship - there aren't any spare ships waiting around to come to the rescue of their sister-ship.

Let's hope that the repairs can be done quickly so that there isn't any further impact on the cruise schedule for Caribbean Princess.

Ship Profile | Itineraries & Pricing | Deck Plans | Dining Menus   Wine Lists | Kids Programs | Ship Reviews | 360 Tours | Photos

Maiden Voyage	2004 (Refurbished: 2009)		Passengers (dbl)	3,100
Tonnage	113,000 Tons		Normal Crew Size	1200
Length	950 feet		Crew Nationality	N/A
Beam	193 feet		Nationality of Officers	British/Italian
Draft	27 feet		Nationality of Dining Staff	N/A
Speed	24 knots		Registration Country	Bermudan

Crown Princess Cruise Ends Early

Southern Caribbean Cruise Cut Short

A second outbreak of excessive gastrointestinal illness on Crown Princess has caused Princess Cruises to end the cruise two days early.

Three ships, from two different cruise lines, had delayed their boarding last weekend for additional sanitation in the wake of an increase in illness on the ship during the previous week.

For details about last week's outbreak as well as information about Norovirus and other gastrointestinal illness (GI), see: Delayed Boarding Today Voyager of the Seas

Returning to Fort Lauderdale for Sanitation

Crown Princess will return to its Fort Lauderdale homeport on Thursday instead of Saturday, where it will undergo two days of sanitation in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


Princess indicated that 114 passengers (3.7 percent out of 3,078) and 59 crew (5 percent of 1,178) on the weeklong Southern Caribbean cruise have reported a gastrointestinal illness believed to be Norovirus. Cruise lines participating in the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program, which Princess and all major lines does, are required to report the total number of GI cases evaluated by the medical staff before the ship arrives at a U.S. port when sailing from a foreign port. A separate notification is required when the count exceeds 2 percent of the total number of passengers or crew onboard.

This cruise had already been delayed six hours for the vigorous sanitation program done under CDC oversight February 4th.

According to Princess, the upcoming two-day disinfection will include "bringing aboard additional cleaning crew to assist with a thorough sanitization of all public spaces and surfaces including soft furnishing and carpets, railings, door handles and the like. Additionally, once all of the passengers have disembarked on Thursday morning, all bed linens and towels will be removed from every stateroom. The staterooms will be sanitized multiple times before making up the rooms with fresh linens and towels on Saturday morning, just prior to passenger embarkation."

Compensation for Impacted Passengers

Impacted passengers will receive full refunds for the cruise, flights home, coverage of change fees if air was not booked through Princess, hotel accommodation if necessary and a 25 percent future cruise credit.

February 11th cruise is scheduled for normal departure time presently.  We will monitor the situation and announce any reported changes.

Norovirus Can be Prevented

Norovirus is the second most common illness next to the common cold, and is highly contagious, spreading easily in confined spaces like hospitals, hotels, dormitories and cruise ships. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, and millions are infected each year.

It can be prevented if everyone washes their hands and uses sanitation liquids found throughout the ship.  Also, if you have been sick prior to boarding the ship, please do your fellow passengers a favor and reschedule your cruise.   It doesn't take much to turn a sanitized ship into a sick camp once the disease takes hold.

As of press time, the other two ships that had GI outbreaks last week, Ruby Princess and Voyager of the Seas have not reported a repeat of last week's outbreak.

Carnival Announces 2011 Holiday Sailings

Carnival Cruise Lines | FUN FOR ALL. ALL FOR FUN®

Holiday Sailings 2011

Over the next few months Carnival Cruise Lines will be opening sailings through the first quarter of 2012. The following are now open for sale:

Carnival Splendor from Long Beach

• Special Holiday Sailing (12/18/11) 6-day Mexican Riviera to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
• Special Holiday Sailing (12/24/11) 8-day Mexican Riviera to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas.

Carnival Victory from San Juan/Barbados

• Special Holiday Sailing (12/18/11) 8-day Southern Caribbean from San Juan to St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.
• Special Holiday Sailing (12/26/11) 6-day Southern Caribbean from San Juan to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.
• Special Holiday Sailing (12/21/11) 7-day Southern Caribbean from Barbados to St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and San Juan.
• Special Holiday Sailing (12/28/11) 7-day Southern Caribbean from Barbados to St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan, St. Thomas (again) and Dominica.
  

Holiday Sailings remain some of the most popular cruises of the entire year. Pricing and cabin availability are best when booked well in advance. Every year I have disappointed families that aren't able to find cabins of their choosing because they simply waited too long to make their reservations. Don't even think about getting a last minute "deal" - it just won't be there. With Carnival's Early Saver program, you can enjoy Price Protection (click below for details).

Mexican Riviera & Southern Caribbean
thru April, 2012

Carnival Splendor from Long Beach

• 7-day Mexican Riviera, 5/01/11-4/29/12.

Carnival Victory from San Juan/Barbados

• 7-day Southern Caribbean from San Juan, 5/01/11-4/29/12.
• 7-day Southern Caribbean from Barbados, 4/27/11-4/25/12.

Learn More about Early Saver