Exciting News from Celebrity Cruises

Have You Been Waiting To Cruise Again - Wait No Longer

We just concluded the latest briefing by Celebrity Cruises regarding changes to testing and vaccination requirements both in the U.S. and Europe.   They mentioned that Top Gun has their sequel Top Gun Maverick and they said this is Cruising's Sequel.   As you can see from the charts below, more people are now able to cruise with relaxed requirements.  There are only a few exceptions, which are anticipated to change in the near future as well.   We can unravel the requirements and find the perfect cruise for you, your family, and your friends.

We encourage you to contact your Travel Advisor to plan your next vacation NOW.   Pricing has remained steady, allowing ships to fill up.   Don't miss the boat (ship)!  Prices will rise - take our word for it.   Your cruise deposit will lock in these low prices and also an incentive that is currently in place.

Here are the latest updates.  Click on the images to enlarge.   You can also visit Healthy Sailing page.

We can't stress enough - don't try to plan on your own.  The requirements for our October sailing has changed 3 times in less than a month.   We are keeping updated so you don't need to.

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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Azamara Club Cruises 2014 Deployment

YOU'LL LOVE WHERE WE TAKE YOU

Offering more late-night and overnight stays in port, the award-winning Azamara Club Cruises  announced the 2014 deployment of its twin boutique ships Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

Up-market travelers can choose among 72 new voyages, ranging from four to 17 nights and visiting 240 fascinating destinations in 66 countries throughout Europe, the Far East, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Western U.S. coast.

The cruise line’s new 2014 program enables guests to experience the nightlife of compelling destinations around the world that larger ships cannot reach, and includes a record-45 maiden port calls, such as the UNESCO World Geopark Langkawi, Malaysia; Maura in the Sultanate of Brunei; and the charming island-village Vila do Abraao, a favorite Brazilian getaway.

“Azamara’s staff and crew stand ready to deliver our authentic and personable service along with immersive experiences to up-market travelers,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “One hundred percent of Azamara’s 2014 voyages feature late night and overnight stays in port to offer guests the opportunity to enjoy the nightlife of some of the world’s most vibrant places. There is no better way for travelers to immerse themselves in a destination than with Azamara.”

DESCRIPTION	SAIL DATE(S) 2014	ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS
Azamara Journey 12- to 17-night East & South China Seas	January - April	Alternating departures from Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai and Chennai. Visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Halong Bay, Borobudur, Parambanan and Sangiran.
Azamara Journey Repositioning cruise	April	Repositions via the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal to arrive for its Europe season
Azamara Journey 4- to 14-night  Europe	Summer	voyages, ranging throughout the Mediterranean, North and Baltic Seas (some examples follow)
Azamara Journey 10-, or 12-night Baltic	July	all feature three full days at St. Petersburg, Russia
Azamara Journey 14-night Food and Wine cruise	August	departing Southampton, U.K., on August 20, which features two-night stays at Nantes (Loire Valley) and Bordeaux, France.
Azamara Quest 10- to 14-night Sea of Cortez and Central America voyages	January - April	Los Angeles, California - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Manzanillo. Mexico - Ixtapa (Zihuatanejo), Mexico - Huatulco, Mexico - Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - Acajutla, El Salvador - San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua - Caldera, Costa Rica (Ports vary by itinerary)
Azamara Quest 10- to 12-night trans-Panama Canal voyages	January, March	a pair of trans-Panama Canal voyages between Miami, Fla., and Costa Rica
Azamara Quest 8-night Coastal Wine Cruise	February	Santa Barbara, California - Monterey, California - San Francisco, California - Ensenada, Mexico - Los Angeles, California
Azamara Quest 11-night less-trodden, jewel islands of the Caribbean	March	St. John, U.S.Virgin Islands - Iles Des Saintes, Guadeloupe - Roseau, Dominica - Gustavia, St. Barts - Charlestown, Nevis - Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. - Miami, Florida
Azamara Quest 15-night trans-Atlantic voyage Miami to Nice	March	Miami, Florida - Ponta Delgada, Azores - Gibraltar, United Kingdom - Cartagena, Spain - Mahon, Menorca, Spain - Cannes, France - Nice, France
Azamara Journey Azamara Quest rendezvous in St. Tropez and Monte Carlo	May 19	for the first time, guests aboard both ships can join in the excitement of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Azamara Quest 7- to 12-night Europe	Summer	mainly in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean and Black seas
Azamara Quest 11-night Mediterranean Easter sailing	April	sailing, departing April 11, offers guests an overnight at Civitavecchia, the gateway to Rome for an opportunity to attend Palm Sunday mass in the Vatican, and at Livorno for Easter Sunday in Florence.
Azamara Quest 7-, 9-, and 12-night Black Sea voyages	July - August	voyages sail from Istanbul. The August 20 voyage takes guests on a comprehensive 12-night itinerary throughout the region, including a call at Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 winter Olympic Games.
Azamara Journey Holiday Sailings	November	depart from Spain’s Costa del Sol to the beautiful Brazil via the Canary Islands. Travelers can celebrate Christmas and the New Year as they sail from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro.
Azamara Quest Holiday Sailings	November	retrace the Spice Route to the Far East and ring in the New Year in Hong Kong.

What are you Spending Your Stimulus Check on?

It's May 2008 and you know what that means, it's tax stimulus time. This gift from the government is being provided to get consumers spending. A recent Goldman Sacks report showed that stocks like Royal Caribbean are sure to benefit from these dollars as consumers seek out their next vacation or upgrade from an ocean view stateroom to a private balcony with their new found monies.

There are a lot of places to spend the stimulus monies like on a new sofa, paying down some credit card bills, doing some home repairs or getting away on an exciting cruise vacation. But how about spending it on all or at least some of those things? We have some amazing getaways that won't deplete your whole stimulus check.

Getaway with the whole family this summer for as little as $32 a person, a day (for a family of four). Norwegian Cruise Line just announced they are moving a ship to the Caribbean this summer that will sail 3- and 4-night cruises from Miami and for a limited time, Kids Sail Free. There are a number of other ships and itineraries to choose from for under $50 per person, per day. Sail a 4-night Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Imagination from Miami or sail a 5-night Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Fascination from Jacksonville. For under $60 per day you can sail a 4-night Baja Mexico cruise on the Carnival Paradise from Los Angeles, a 4-night Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Sensation from Port Canaveral, a 4- or 5-night Western Caribbean on the Carnival Holiday from Mobile, a 5-night Baja Mexico cruise on the Carnival Elation from San Diego, a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Fantasy from New Orleans, or a 7-night Florida & Bahamas cruise on the Norwegian Majesty from Charleston. How about sailing in a Balcony stateroom for under $100 per person, per day? You can on a number of 7-night Caribbean cruises on the Carnival Triumph, Liberty or Valor, on Carnival Spirit's 8-night Mexican Riviera cruises or on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas 12-night transatlantic cruise.

There are a ton of deals out there and your Cruise Specialist is just the person to find them for you. So when your stimulus check arrives, go ahead and use some of it to pay down your mortgage, or make a car payment, but be sure to keep just a little to spend on a holiday for yourself and your family. This might be the only time the government pays for your vacation.

That could be you in the picture above. I'll be happy to help make your dream a reality.

Move That Ship

When you read the title, many of you immediately thought about a similar phrase "Move That Bus" from the popular television show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition. When the bus moves, a brand new home is revealed to the family. In our case, when the cruise line says "Move That Ship" a fabulous opportunity is revealed. This is an opportunity for you to experience Europe and then return to the United States (assuming Fall 2008) or cruise to Europe from a U.S. port (Spring / Summer 2009). For simplicity, I'll limit our discussion to these two possibilities, although there are others.

Have you ever wondered how a cruise ship can be sailing in Europe one month and in the Caribbean a month later? If you look closely at the ship's schedule, you'll find a Trans-Atlantic cruise just prior to the first Caribbean sailing. Mystery solved!

A Trans-Atlantic cruise is exactly as the name sounds. It's a cruise that originates in some European port city and ends up in a U.S. port (Fall season) or departs from a U.S. port and arrives in a European port of call (Spring/Summer). Another name for a Trans-Atlantic Cruise is a Repositioning Cruise. That is perhaps the more appropriate name since the two ends don't need to be Europe and the United States.

Typically a cruise from Europe to the U.S. has several sea days where the ship is crossing the Atlantic Ocean. These cruises are usually 11 nights and longer, with several ports combined with 6 or more sea days. On average, it takes 7 nights to cross the Atlantic Ocean by ship.

There are several advantages to purchasing a Trans-Atlantic cruise. The cruise is often cheaper than a similar European cruise. There are many reasons why this is true. For example the cabin supply exceeds demand since it is typically harder for people to leave home for that length of time. The cruise line wants to sail with a full ship to cover their costs. For those that dread long flights, this eliminates one long flight from your trip. The cost might even be cheaper for the airfare than a comparable European cruise.

Why not experience Europe and then relax on your way back home? There is no better way to do so then laying out by the pool as the ship sails across the Atlantic. I'd suggest flying to Europe a day or two early to do some sight-seeing and to get used to the time zone change. If going from the states to Europe, I'd also suggest extending your time in your destination port if possible to maximize your flight investment.

In future posts, I'll tell you about a couple of our Trans-Atlantic cruises. That will have to wait however, since I want to give you some other ideas Beyond the Caribbean.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! 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 highlight of the year was our cruise to the Arctic Circle / Northcape (Norway) where we got to see the magnificent fjords of Norway. While we’ve been to Norway before, crossing the Arctic Circle and stopping at Northcape (the northernmost point of Europe) were new for us. What a wonderful world that has been created for us to explore.

As I started to write this article, I couldn’t help but think about the innovative and brave explorers who ventured into the unknown seas in search of a New World. Without those first ship-builders, captains, and crews, who passed their knowledge down from generation to generation, I suspect I wouldn’t be writing to you about our recent voyages.

Another highlight of this year was a pre-inaugural cruise that I took on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, their newest and most magnificent ship yet. Those early pilgrims sailed the oceans in ships that were made of wood, not steel like those of today. They had no engines to speed them along, but instead had to rely on the wind to guide them to their unknown destinations. While on the Liberty OTS, I got a back-stage look at the ship’s bridge, with all the latest navigation technology. The early explorers had their sextants and crude charts which might have been enhanced by information from previous voyages.

I’ve been on several Trans-Atlantic cruises over the years. Usually there are about 7 sea days as the ship crosses the Atlantic from the last port of call (depending on the itinerary). Contrast that with the 65 days it took for the Pilgrims to sail from Plymouth, England to the New World. I’ve often sat on my balcony, during one of those sea days, and let my mind wander. Once again, I’d find myself thinking back to those first voyagers and what they must have been thinking as all they saw was water around them. They put their trust in their captain to get them safely to their destination. Today, modern technology, along with the skills of the captain and crew, get passengers to their destinations in very comfortable accommodations.

Those of you, who have been sailing in the past, join me in thanking those early voyagers whose knowledge helped form this transportation industry which we perhaps take for granted. I wish you all good health, so that you will be able to continue to travel around the world exploring new sights.