Celebrate the holidays with MSC Cruises’ extraordinary family value offer that allows the entire family to enjoy a memorable Caribbean sailing at huge savings of up to 66% off the retail price.
This limited time offer, which expires May 31, 2007, applies to families of four sailing on MSC Lirica’s 7-night Dec. 21 Eastern Caribbean Christmas sailing or the ship’s Dec. 28 Western Caribbean New Year’s itinerary, both sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
Cruise-only prices for two adults and two children (age 17 and under sharing a Category 3 interior stateroom) start from $1,942.60 for a family of four on the Dec. 21 sailing and from $2,357.36 for a family of four on the Dec. 28. Government fees and taxes are included, as are MSC Cruises’ authentic Italian and Mediterranean cuisine (as well as perennial All- American favorites), superior service and entertainment fit for the entire family.
The Dec. 21 itinerary includes two days at sea and calls at San Juan (Puerto Rico), Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas), Cayo Levantado (MSC’s private island experience in the Dominican Republic) and Nassau (Bahamas). The Dec. 28 sailing calls at Key West (Florida), Georgetown (Grand Cayman), Cozumel (Mexico) and Nassau and also includes two sea days.
This offer cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Restrictions apply and the offer is capacity controlled.
For more information about MSC Cruises and these special itineraries, contact Cruise Planners at 888-286-9827 for reservations.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: MSC Cruises Posted by Michael on 04/26/07
Staterooms and suites on the new ms Eurodam will feature an inspired and a distinctly different decor when the 2,044-guest luxury liner — Holland America Line’s first Signature-class ship — debuts in June 2008.
The staterooms and suites will offer a calming, more mono-chromatic design, accented with bursts of color, will replace the floral schemes used in the past. The elegantly simple design is enhanced with rich wood tones and the use of burnished nickel fixtures. Passenger corridors leading to the guest staterooms also will be decorated in the same contemporary theme.
“Holland America Line chose NB Design Group of Seattle to create this stylish new decor,” said Stein Kruse, president and chief executive officer. “We sought a design firm capable of providing a fresh look while retaining a tailored, Euro-classic aesthetic. NB Design Group has succeeded wonderfully by introducing different woods and textures and fresh color combinations.”
Nancy Burfiend, principal designer and founder of NB Design Group, added the intent was to transform each stateroom and suite into a calming oasis where guests could relax and rejuvenate.
“There is so much taking place aboard a cruise ship — diverse activities, exciting dining, theater shows, and more — that we wanted the guest rooms to reflect a soothing environment,” said Burfiend. “For example, the deluxe verandah suites will feature rich walnut furniture, charcoal gray seating, crisp white draperies and a patterned gray tip sheared carpet — accented with powder blue and citrus orange in strategic areas to add dimension and interest.
“Inside staterooms will have blond, maple-toned furniture to create a lighter environment, with the recessed area behind the beds painted sky-blue and covered by sheer curtains with a burn-out, wave pattern that allows hints of blue to show — in effect, creating the sense of a window,” Burfiend added.
The new decor will be in all staterooms on the 11-passenger deck Eurodam. For the first time on any Holland America ship, staterooms will be added to the top decks. Deck 11 just off the Crow’s Nest will feature 10 verandah staterooms and, just below on Deck 10, 28 staterooms with verandahs and four, forward-facing “panorama” rooms will be located.
With one more deck than Holland America’s 10-deck Vista-class ships, the Signature-class Eurodam will feature three alternative dining venues, including a new pan-Asian restaurant on Deck 10. The Explorations Cafe — powered by The New York Times — will be located on Deck 11 on the starboard side of the Crow’s Nest.
Staterooms will feature all the Signature of Excellence premium amenities: plush Euro-top Mariner’s Dream beds, deluxe waffle/terry cloth robes, Egyptian cotton towels, flat panel televisions, DVD players, make-up mirrors with halo lighting, massage shower heads, professional grade hair dryers, fresh flowers and complimentary fruit baskets.
Eurodam is scheduled to debut in June 2008 with European inaugural events and then cruise the Baltic region through the summer. The ship will then offer its first trans-Atlantic cruise and sail Canada/New England in the fall, followed by Caribbean itineraries the remainder of 2008.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: Holland America Line Posted by Michael on 04/24/07
Another quick show this week.
We take a look at onboard enrichment programs, and there’s a lot of them out there. The offerings vary by line, and we were very concerned about droning on and on reciting just what they each line had to offer.  Instead we decided to just highlight some of the notable options from several of the lines.
As a reminder, the Deal of The Week will be off for the next few weeks, and we probably will be too since we’ll be off leading SeaSocks.  I’ll try to get a re-run or two up in to the feed for your enjoyment.
The show should be up in iTunes, and you can always click below to download it or play it right in your browser window.
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Filed under: Podcast Posted by Michael on 04/23/07
This week was another pretty slow week when it came to cruise news, although there were a few stories to talk about this week.
First off was a line that we don’t get to talk about too much, Cruise West is talking about their plans for the 2007 Alaska season which kicks off in the next few weeks. Most notable is the overnights that they offer in Glacier Bay and their guarantee that passengers will see whales during their trip.
Meanwhile Crystal is announcing details of their 2007 Film and Theater festival which will spotlight character actors.
Princess dominated the headlines this week- First was the announcement that they were canceling their planned dual naming ceremony off Santorini. Emerald Princess will now have her ceremony in Athens on Mothers Day weekend, while the naming ceremony for Royal Princess has yet to be rescheduled. Speaking of Royal Princess she entered service this past week, and over on Emerald Princess the new chef’s table is off to a rousing success. Princess has also opened up sailings onboard the ship’s of P&O Cruises Australia to residents of North America. Part of this announcement is that Regal Princess will join the P&O fleet this year as the Pacific Dawn.
Carnival has announced the details of their fourth annual Mind and Body Cruise (December 2-9 onboard Conquest), and they’ve awarded Ecstasy with the Golden Eagle Award for service excellence.
Royal Caribbean has accepted delivery of Liberty of the Seas and Costa has entered in to a strategic partnership with Air France.
Finally, Cruise Planners has purchased International Conferences which specializes in continuing education classes at sea for medical professionals.
The Deal of the Week is off for the next few weeks, and don’t forget we will be too! Seasocks is next week and we’ll probably re-air an earlier show.
As always you can find the show in iTunes or click below to download it or play it right in your browser window.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: Cruise West, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Cruise Lines, Podcast, Princess Cruises Posted by Michael on 04/22/07
Princess is offering North American travelers an opportunity to expand their “down under” cruise options by sailing throughout the South Pacific with sister company P&O Cruises Australia. Offered primarily for sale in Australia and New Zealand, these voyages give North American passengers the chance to experience P&O’s fun Australian-style cruising while traveling to an intriguing lineup of destinations, including idyllic islands and exotic ports of call such as Pago Pago, Bora Bora, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Tonga, as well as the best of Australia. Onboard, passengers will enjoy P&O’s casual “Aussie” atmosphere and traditional dining, featuring entertainment and food options geared to local “down under” tastes.
Voyages are available on three ships, Pacific Sun, Pacific Star and the new Pacific Dawn, which will sail on P&O Australia’s largest program ever in 2007-08 as the line celebrates its 75th anniversary season. The schedule features 95 sailings to choose from on a wealth of itineraries departing from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.
The 2,050-passenger Pacific Dawn — familiar to many Princess fans from her days sailing as Regal Princess — debuts as Australia’s first “superliner” in November. The ship’s first season features 10 different roundtrip Sydney itineraries, ranging from seven- to 28-day sailings. Highlights include regular cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and even a 28-day cruise to French Polynesia, calling at a wealth of Pacific Islands, including Bora Bora, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
The 1,900-passenger Pacific Sun (formerly Carnival’s Jubilee) sails on an extensive roster of itineraries, ranging from seven to 13 days in length. Sailing roundtrip from its new homeport of Brisbane as well as Sydney, the ship features voyages not only to the tranquil South Pacific Islands, but also a week-long Queensland sailing highlighting the best of the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding areas.
The 1,350-passenger Pacific Star (formerly Carnival’s Tropicale) sails from Brisbane and Auckland, New Zealand, offering South Pacific island voyages as well as cruises between Australia and New Zealand. Itineraries range from seven days up to a 21-day Australia odyssey highlighting the best of the country’s eastern coastline.
Pricebreaker Discount fares for P&O Australia cruises begin at $963 per person for a seven-day sailing, based on double occupancy. U.S. dollar rates apply to cruise fares only - onboard purchases will be priced in Australian dollars. Call us at 888-286-9827 to book one of these new offerings.
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