Do You Have Any of These

We continue our walk down memory lane with another cruise "tradition" that has fallen by the wayside.

Going Thru Archives

Our first cruises on a big ship were Carnival cruises.  I think it's safe to say that they have probably introduced more people to cruising than any other cruise line.


After 7 Nights - Time to Say Good-Bye

When we started cruising almost 30 years ago, the only dining option was assigned dining.   Each night you went to your assigned table in the main dining room and were served by your waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter, and maître d'.  

It goes without saying that at the end of the cruise, you had gotten to know your wait staff and table mates.   Hopefully, you'd had a good time with your table mates and received good service.

The last night was a farewell dinner and as was customary, this would be the time to extend gratuities to the wait staff who had served you throughout the cruise.  

On Carnival ships, they had another tradition on the last night of the cruise.   They would give each guest a souvenir picture of the ship.   They would gladly sign the picture for you so that you could remember the great service - especially when you filled out your comment card.

We're not certain when this tradition was discontinued, but certainly do miss this gesture of friendship that used to go hand-in-hand with the final dinner.

What memories do you have of past traditions?

Plan Your Azamazing Holidays

EXOTIC DESTINATIONS MAKE EXCITING HOLIDAYS

DISCOVER HOLIDAY CHEER IN ASIA OR SOUTH AMERICA Explore the globe this holiday season with unique voyages from Azamara Club Cruises®. New Year's Eve celebrations in Rio de Janeiro or Bali highlight the incredible events Azamara offers as part of their destination immersive holiday voyages.

With 2-for-1 fares, gratuities included and Extended Voyage savings on Azamara Journey^®, these voyages have unwavering value to match incredible destinations.

AZAMARA JOURNEY®

9-Night Rio de Janeiro Christmas Voyage | December 18 Buenos Aires, Argentina to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fares from $2,249 | Brochure Rate $6,498 | You Save $4,249

Bask in the enveloping warmth of the austral summer sun on the picturesque beaches of Brazil and Uruguay. A funicular ride up the Corcovado to see the Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro offers the perfect prelude to the white sand awaiting on the immaculate beaches of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Gorgeous Brazilian coastal towns like Buzios, the famous playground of Brigitte Bardot, and Porto Belo round out this amazing nine-night voyage.

8-Night Rio de Janeiro New Year's Voyage | December 27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Buenos Aires, Argentina Fares from $2,149 | Brochure Rate $6,298 | You Save $4,149
Explore South America for eight nights and discover the electricity of the world-famous New Year's celebration from the deck of Azamara Journey, toasting champagne under the firework and star speckled sky. Look over Copacabana Beach as live music and dancing entertain upward of 2.5 million people, adorned in bright white clothing, counting down to midnight by the lapping tide of the Atlantic. As the crowd on the beach shares a good luck tradition by spraying champagne at the stroke of midnight, guests will enjoy a midnight toast on deck!

Combine the December 18 and 27 voyages for an Extended Voyage and save $700 on this custom itinerary of 17 nights exploring the idyllic and historical coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina!

AZAMARA QUEST®

12-Night Indonesia Holiday Voyage | December 23 Singapore Roundtrip Fares from $3,999 | Brochure Rate $9,998 | You Save $5,999

Guests will discover the exotic cultures of Southeast Asia with 12 nights aboard Azamara Quest. Diversity abounds on this voyage, from the culture of Singapore to the wildlife of Komodo Island. Visits to five Indonesian islands will prepare guests for a colorful New Year's Eve of indigenous dance and gamelan music in Bali. This voyage truly offers a wildly unique holiday experience!

Rates shown are for Club Interior Stateroom

Oasis of the Seas Guided Tour

 

Royal Caribbean 

Oasis of the Seas

There has been plenty of press coverage of Royal Caribbean's newest ship, Oasis of the Seas.  This  222,900 ton engineering marvel has been amazing guests since the end of 2009 when it first began sailing out of its home port in Miami, Florida.   It is soon to be joined by its sister ship, the Allure of the Seas which will officially start sailing in December.

A guided tour onboard the Oasis of the Seas. See it for yourself.

There are 24 dining options onboard the Oasis of the Seas.   You could dine at a different location each night.

  Learn more about the Oasis of the Seas

To make the most of your Oasis of the Seas cruise, you'll want to pre-book Specialty Restaurants, Show Tickets, and Spa Treatments all of which can be done up to 90 days prior to sailing. 

RCCL Oasis of the Seas & Allure of the Seas Cruises

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas - Book it Today! 

Click for Details

Exclusive 3-Day Sale - August 17, 18 & 19

Book an outside or above stateroom category and receive
Complimentary pre-paid gratuities!
Applicable Sailings: Any 5-Night or longer Royal Caribbean cruise
departing between September 8 – December 31, 2010

 

Azamara Club Cruises 2011-12 Program

View Itineraries

Azamara Club Cruises announced their 2011-12 program which includes 37 brand new ports.   In addition, now through the end of this year, you can take advantage of the special savings listed here.
• April 2011 - March 2012 New! 174 ports of call in Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and South America. More destinations to live. More experiences to remember forever.
• Almost 60% of the port visits in 2011 - 2012 are late night stays. There's no need to get back to the ship just when the evening gets started.
• 22% of the ports in 2011 - 2012 offer overnight stays. Stay out later. Live more of the local scene.

Azamara Club to the Baltic

Explore remote villages, magnificent capitals and unspoiled scenery along the Baltic Sea as you follow in the footsteps of early sea explorers. Or simply indulge in some retail therapy and take in some of the world's best musical and artistic offerings. The Azamara destination experts will help you create a surprisingly rich experience...    Now that planes are flying again to Europe, it's time to plan YOUR getaway.

Azamara Club Cruises’ Exclusive New Inclusives

• Bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees and teas offered at no charge throughout the voyage in public venues and staterooms
• Azamara’s preferred vintage red and white wine of the day poured at lunch and dinner
• Housekeeping, dining and bar gratuities are included
• Shuttle service to/from port communities, where available
• Destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programs
• English Butler for Club Suite guests
• Self-service laundry
• Concierge service

Would you like some free money to spend on your Azamara Club European adventure?   Do you have to fly to your cruise destination?   If you answered yes to both of these questions, then why not try ChoiceAir to book your flights.   You can book yourself or have your cruise specialist complete the reservation on your behalf.

What is ChoiceAir? 
ChoiceAir is a new way for guests to buy their air transportation to and from their cruise vacation. It is the name of the new air/sea program and the name of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s new airline travel website.

Program
The ChoiceAir Program is a departure from traditional air/sea programs because it allows guests to purchase their airline tickets at the best available prices, when they are booking their cruise. Unlike the legacy air/sea model, customers select their own flights from all published airline schedules and fare types. Guests may book directly on the website, over the phone with RCCL, or through their travel partner. No matter who makes the ChoiceAir reservation, the guest is assured the best value for their cruise by tying their airline reservations to their cruise. This allows RCCL to monitor the Guests’ travel to the ship, and step in to help should they run into trouble in transit. RCCL  will ensure the Guest makes it to the ship or if necessary work with airline partners to get them to the next port-of-call, whenever possible.

Website
The ChoiceAir website allows guests, travel partners, and RCCL contact center employees to book all published airline schedules and fares on the Internet. It has a familiar look and feel, similar to leading consumer websites; however, it is customized to meet the needs of  guests. Unlike consumer sites, ChoiceAir filters air displays to fit the cruise time parameters, allows a guest to use different credit cards to pay for each guest in a reservation, links the air reservation with their cruise reservation, and provides optional airport to seaport transfers.

Related Blog Posts 

Azamara Club Europe 2010
Azamara Cruises Becomes Azamara Club Cruises
Royal Caribbean ChoiceAir


For information about the ships and itineraries, click here.   Offer Details