How to Spend Your Tax Refund

  

Uncle Sam Wants YOU

To Cruise

Sail from one of 23 U.S. Ports

That dreaded day is here - April 15th.  Hopefully, since you are reading this column,  your taxes are already either in the mail or filed electronically.   If not, time is running out (I don't mean to nag)...   The sooner you hit the send button, the sooner you can start doing something fun (like planning a family get-away). 

What better way to help the economy than to reward yourself and your family with a cruise vacation?

Did you know that you can begin a cruise vacation from 23 different U.S. Cities?  If you happen to live in one of those cities, you don't have far to go to get onboard a cruise ship.   For others, a road trip or flight can bring you to the embarkation port of call.  A cruise vacation is an excellent value since your lodging, meals, and onboard entertainment are included in the price.  Did I mention you only unpack your bags once?

Assuming that you are getting a refund, and that you've filed electronically, you could receive your refund before the month is over. Why not put that refund to work for you by putting a deposit on a cruise leaving later this year or even next year.    Schedules through next summer have been posted for most cruise lines.  Booking early is the key to saving money on a cruise vacation.   Due to supply and demand, last minute deals are few and far between.

If you want to leave for your trip in May or June, I'd suggest that you make your reservations before you receive your refund check, as cabins are quickly being sold out.   That might come as a shock to many of you, but people are booking early to take advantage of special pricing, so the odds of even finding a cabin at the last minute are low (especially if you need a cabin with more than double occupancy).  Royal Caribbean announced that their new ship, Oasis of the Seas, exceeded the 6,000 passenger mark on a recent voyage.

What explanation is there for the high booking rates?   I believe there are several factors including pent up demand (previously postponed vacations) and the excellent value that a cruise vacation offers.

If you are ready to start planning, the Cruise Finder tool (left navigation pane) can help.

Merry Christmas - Cruise Ship Style

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Holiday greetings to all on this Christmas Day. I hope this day finds you surrounded by family and friends.

For the men and women serving our country, a special holiday greeting - may the peace of Christmas stay with you now and until you are safely home again. Thank you for your service. May you be home with family and friends very soon.

If you happen to be reading this while on a cruise ship, wish the crew members you see a happy holiday. You might not even consider this while having a great time, but today might be very difficult for them since they are away from their famiiles and friends. Some of them may have been away from home for months.

The holiday season is one of my favorite times to cruise. I live in the midwest, so getting away from cold and snow is a big benefit, but also, the ships and ports are very festive. The picture above was taken during the Holiday Show earlier this month while onboard Carnival Elation. The children participating in Camp Carnival had a special treat - they were part of the cast for the show. Imagine being on stage in front of hundreds of people at that young age.

Another reason that I like to sail during this time of year is the ability to purchase unique Christmas presents in the various ports of call. I love shopping while on a cruise ... no long lines or angry shoppers to contend with. Plus the joy on the recipient's face when they open the gift and realize that it was purchased while I was on a cruise. Of course, gifts could be purchased for Christmas anytime during the year - just don't forget where you hide them.

Whether you sailed away to a warm destination on a ship or traveled to be with family and friends, I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas Day.

And finally, my gift to you ...

Mention this blog post offer when contacting me for:

$50 onboard ship credit - limit 1 per cabin*

Book any 2010 cruise (7 nights or longer)

New Bookings Only

Book between December 30, 2009 and January 31, 2010

*Restrictions apply - cannot be combined with certain other offers (such as group bookings) - contact me for details.

Royal Caribbean ChoiceAir

ChoiceAir Promotion
Starting December 14, 2009

Alaska, Caribbean, Bahamas Offer (click) Cruisetour Offer

Dubai, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii Offer (click)

Royal Caribbean International introduced a new air/sea program called ChoiceAir this year. It is a new way for guests to buy their air transportation to and from their cruise vacation. Guests are able to purchase their airline tickets at the best available prices, when they are booking their cruise.

The program is different than traditional air/sea programs in that customers select their own flights from all published airline schedules and fare types. Guests may book directly on the website, over the phone with Royal Caribbean, 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.

When guests use ChoiceAir, Royal Caribbean can monitor travel to the ship, and step in to help should they run into trouble in transit. They will ensure the Guest makes it to the ship or if necessary work with the airline partners to get them to the next port-of-call, whenever possible.

The ChoiceAir website 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.

ChoiceAir is offered for Domestic flights and also in many International Markets. There is a $15.00 per person non-refundable service fee for domestic North American destinations and $25.00 per person non-refundable for International destinations.

Purchasing your flights through ChoiceAir is similar to doing so directly with the airline. All tickets are subject to the airline's rules. Generally on a nonrefundable ticket, the guest may re-use the ticket, subject to any fees imposed by the airline. You will be subject to any penalties or restrictions imposed by the airline. Guests may call the ChoiceAir Support desk and change or cancel the reservation.

For more information about ChoiceAir consult the website or call your travel consultant.

Flights can be added to a cruise reservation via ChoiceAir up to 7 days before your cruise. From time to time, Royal Caribbean will have ChoiceAir promotions, such as the one which is currently in progress.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Itineraries

Around the World in 80 Days... Or Not

Seabourn Odyssey Sets Sail Around the World

Have you ever dreamed about going Around the World in 80 Days? If you have, you might be disappointed to know that you'll need more time than that. It takes 108 days to sail Around the World on Seabourn's new ship, Odyssey.

You can't get away for 108 days you say. No Problem !!

For travelers who long to leave it all behind, these 16- to 33-day World Cruise segment voyages aboard Seabourn Odyssey accommodate beautifully. You'll enjoy an extra note of excitement in the air as each maiden journey is celebrated with special festivities on board and exciting events ashore.

Follow the setting sun through the Panama Canal. Venture to tantalizing edens in the South Pacific and the splendors of New Zealand. Or sail from the wonders down under to Bora Bora, Bali, Borneo and other magnificent islands in the Malay Archipelago. Or from Dubai, cruise though the Red Sea to the wonders of the ancients: Petra in Jordan, the great temples of Luxor and Karnak in Egypt, the Biblical treasures of Israel and the legends that sit atop the Acropolis in Athens.

As of this writing, Seabourn is offering the following special fares and onboard credits. As always, prices are inventory controlled and subject to availability, so if you are interested in these segments, I'd suggest you contact me soon so that I can help you plan your cruise.

JAN 5, 2010 • 16 days Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles, California
Special Fares from $6,999

JAN 21, 2010 • 33 days Los Angeles, California to Sydney, Australia
Special Fares from $17,114
Onboard credit of $500 per person

FEB 24, 2010 • 20 days Sydney, Australia to Hong Kong, China
Special Fares from $10,572
Onboard credit of $125 per person

MAR 16, 2010 • 23 days Hong Kong, China to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Special Fares from $12,378
Onboard credit of $125 per person

APR 8, 2010 • 16 days Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Special Fares from $9,054
Onboard credit of $125 per person

Contact me for the most updated information regarding pricing including applicable restrictions and additional charges. All fares are in U.S. dollars, cruise-only, per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. Some suite categories may not be available. Seabourn reserves the right to manage World Cruise segment inventory and availability at its discretion. The above savings are not combinable with any other offer, may vary by sailing date, are capacity controlled, subject to change without notice. Seabourn reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement for all guests, without prior notice, if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70.00USD per barrel, and may collect such a supplement even if the cruise fare has been paid in full. Ships' registry: Bahamas © 2009 Seabourn.