Azamara, who really needed a direction gets a new name and a new attitude.  Maybe this one will work?

Costa’s newest completes technical trials, and the Seabourn triplets are getting renovations.

A new villainous show is coming to Disney and so are some family friendly shore excursions.

Princess looses a ship when Royal Princess heads to P&O while Silversea takes delivery of their newest  Silver Spirit.

Oceania’s massive owner’s suites on Marina will showcase Ralph Lauren.

Carnival Dream isn’t compatible with a pier in San Juan.

A few of Holland America’s ships are getting some really cool tech…

We got a request to talk about a few other things from our Westerdam trip and there’s some new video’s up for you to check out as well!

Costa Deliziosa,

The stunning ship, Costa’s 15th fleet member, built at Fincantieri’s Marghera (Venice) shipyard, was put through her paces in the open sea for the first time, with a series of running tests on the ship’s systems, machinery and engines. During the official trials performed at sea, the Costa Deliziosa sailed at maximum speed (in excess of 23 knots = 40 km/h), for eight hours non-stop during the endurance test.  A crash stop was also carried out. This maneuver involves the total shutdown of propulsion with full ahead movement to see the distance required to bring the vessel to a total stop in the event of an emergency.  During the UMS trial, the Costa Deliziosa sailed for six hours non-stop using only her automatic control systems for power generation and propulsion. Lastly, the blackout test was conducted whereby all the ship’s control equipment is shut down and reactivated automatically.

After the trials, the Costa Deliziosa returned to the yard in Marghera for her final touches before entering service. The Costa Deliziosa will be ready for delivery on January 29, 2010, while her inauguration will take place in Dubai on February 23, 2010 during her Grand Maiden Cruise, which departs from Savona on February 5. The inaugural event promises to be an unforgettable occasion combining traditional Arabian enchantment, reminiscent of “A Thousand and One Nights,” with Costa’s traditional Italian style.

The Costa Deliziosa is part of the Italian Company’s fleet expansion program, presently the largest of its kind in the world, with five new ships launched between 2009 and 2012, for a total investment worth 2.4 billion euros. The Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica and the Costa Deliziosa will be followed by the Costa Favolosa, due for delivery in summer 2011, and the Costa Fascinosa, which will make her debut in spring 2012. All five ships are Italian builds commissioned from Fincantieri, each one requiring the labor of nearly 3,000 people, comprising both the shipyard’s own employees and those of about 500 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms.

Costa Deliziosa Along with her sister ship, the Costa Luminosa, the Costa Deliziosa will be the fleet’s “flagship,” offering the most exclusive and innovative elements in the fleet and designed for Costa’s most discerning clientele. These innovations include the ship’s avant-garde design and the use of premium materials, such as various type of marbles, granite, mother-of-pearl and Murano glass, stucco applied by spatula using the technique known as “spatolato veneziano” and other decorative interior finishes including “parchment scroll” lamé, refined Zebrano wood, Wenge timber and stylish polished and glazed steel. The stunning atrium features fine works of art, including “Sphere” by Arnaldo Pomodoro, and “Delizia fisica e Delizia intellettuale” (Physical Delight and Intellectual Delight), a piece by leading contemporary Italian painter Mario Donizetti. In addition, there are a variety of entertainment options onboard including a 4D cinema; roller skating track; the latest generation golf simulator with an outdoor putting green, a Grand Prix race car driving simulator with the same software and technology used by the F1 champion drivers in training; the exclusive “Samsara Spa,” “PlayStation World,”an area on board dedicated exclusively to PlayStation3, as well as the “PlayStation on demand” cabin service.

The naming ceremony will take place during the ship’s Grand Inaugural cruise, departing from Savona, Italy on February 5, 2010 and calling in Dubai from February 23-26. Costa guests sailing on the first leg of the grand maiden cruise will be able to attend the exclusive inaugural ceremony.

The Costa Deliziosa (92,600-tons; 2,260 dbl occ) is currently being fitted out at Fincantieri’s Marghera (Venice) shipyard and will be delivered on January 29, 2010. Together with her sister ship, Costa Luminosa, christened on June 5 of this year, the Costa Deliziosa will be the most exclusive and innovative ship in the Costa fleet. Both ships will be deployed in Dubai during winter 2009/10, offering 7-night cruises from Dubai, complete with two overnights and visits to other UAE countries.

The Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, (114,500 gross tons with a double occupancy of 3,000 each) will be delivered in summer 2011 and spring 2012 respectively. The two new sister ships, built by Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard, are part of a major fleet expansion plan for Costa with five new ships due for delivery between 2009 and 2012. This plan includes the launch of the Costa Luminosa the Costa Pacifica (June 2009) and the Costa Deliziosa (set to debut in January 2010) for a total investment worth 2.4 billion Euros. The Costa Favolosa will be the first of the two new vessels to enter service. The laying of the first “building block” is set to take place on Thursday, November 5 at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard.

Bermuda is ready for larger ships – it’s opened it’s second large pier.  Crystal is celebrating the Theater Guild with some special guests and some special onboard performances.

NCL has revealed the hull art for Norwegian Epic and Holland America is trialing some new excursions that go beyond the usual sightseeing.

Costa details more about their Playstation partnership with Sony, and MSC made it’s first ever call to New York.  Finally Princess is celebrating ALaska’s 50th Anniversary in their own special way.

First NCL announced that they are moving Norwegian Sun from Alaska to Europe for the Summer of 2010.  Meanwhile Norwegian Jewel will move to New York instead of Europe for the Summer 2010 season.  Meanwhile Princess elects to have two ships sail the Caribbean over the Summer 2010 season.

Fincantieri elects to cancel the delivery ceremony for Costa Luminosa because of a labor dispute.  Royal Caribbean expands My Time Dining fleetwide.

Finally we have a quick update about MSC Melody’s pirate attack, and then we talked about the Swine Flue impact.  Expecting to go on a cruise to Mexico in the next month?  We need to talk because your itinerary has changed.  No matter where your cruise is headed there is now an industrywide standardized screening process in place.

Fincantieri said in a statement: ‘There were grounds for serious concern that what should have been a day of celebration would be jeopardised by forms of unusual protest announced by Fiom in opposition to the renewal of the supplementary company contract signed by the other trade unions – Fim, Uilm and Ugl – on April 1.’

In the agreement with the other unions Fincantieri guaranteed it would maintain employment levels and production sites as its first objective.

The post-delivery showcase celebrations planned by Costa Cruises after the handover will still go ahead, including a mini-cruise May 2-5 from Venice.

Costa Luminosa will be named together with Costa Pacifica in Genoa on June 5.

NCL is introducing travel insurance that specifically covers job loss, and Princess has partnered with Klutz for new arts and crafts programs.

In Royal Caribbean’s annual SEC filing last week they drop the bombshell that they still haven’t secured financing for Oasis of The Seas and did you hear that there was a fire onboard Costa Romantica?

Carnival Sensation gets Evolution of Fun upgrades, and Holland America announces sommalier packages and celebrities coming to their Culinary Arts Centers.

Royal Caribbean offers enhanced amenities to suite passengers and the Celebrity Equinox will be delivered early. There’s also been some notable progress on the expansion of Terminal 18 at the Port of Fort Lauderdale.

This week we take a look at Costa Cruises.  Costa’s an Italian cruise line that is very different from their US based counterparts from their theme nights to their rewards programs.

Princess announced their plans for the holidays, and Crystal’s holiday gift to you – $1500 off most European sailings next year.

All the major lines announced that fuel supplements are either gone or will be gone as of the New Year.

Carnival Corp is suing Rolls Royce and Converteam over the Mermaid propulsion pods that were installed on QM2.  They’ve also signed a deal for berthing rights in Seattle for both Holland America and Princess.

Port Canaveral has started moving on the improvements for Disney’s new ships with the awarding of the first contract.

Finally, with a name like Cruise Planners it’s easy to forget that we do more than just cruises.  This week we talk about some of the other things that we do…

The fuel supplement suspension applies to the following brands:  Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn.

A refund of the fuel supplement will be made in the form of a shipboard credit  for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008.  All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount.

The company reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day (except Seabourn, which would be up to $15 per person per day) should the price of light sweet crude oil according to the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index) increase above $70 per barrel.

The fuel supplement for five of the six Carnival Corporation & plc brands is currently $9 per person per day for the first and second guest (not to exceed $126 per person per voyage) and $4 per person per day for third, fourth and fifth guests (not to exceed $56 per person per voyage).  Seabourn’s fuel supplement is $15 per person per day for the first and second guest (not to exceed $210 per person per voyage) and $4 per person per day for third and fourth guests (not to exceed $56 per person per voyage).

Celebrity gave us a sneak peak at the shopping options on Celebrity Solstice and has made some improvements to the cuisine fleetwide.

There’s been more progress on the newbuilds for Costa.

Carnival is testing out open seating and we talk a little about last week’s naming of Carnival Splendor which has gotten a lot of media attention in the UK.

Last week Carnival had their big reveal, releasing a lot of information about Carnival Dream.

Crystal’s 2009 Experiences of Discovery (aka theme cruises) have been announced.  You can find the full list of cruises here.  Cunard is partnering with the Royal Astronomical Society for a variety of astronomy programs that will be offered on select sailings.

NCL is rolling out shore excursions geared to smaller groups, and Princess is rolling out the Wii Fit to all of their ships.

Fincantieri floated out two new ships for Costa which will be named together next year.

Finally, California’s “Ocean Ranger” bill dies in committee.

We’ve got three Deals of The Week, which Patricia promises to post this week – we’ll see…

A bit of news this week and a quick packing tip-

Silversea names their newest ship, and fuel supplements are going up.

Carnival homeports a ship in Baltimore, and keeps Carnival Freedom in Florida.

Holland America expanding their onboard enrichment programs, while Royal Caribbean has a new fundraising partnership with Make-A-Wish.

Finally, a strange collision in Dubrovnik….

The fuel supplement will rise from $5 to $7 a day and thirds and fourths in a cabin will get a $2 a day fuel supplement. The fuel supplement will be capped at $98 per person per voyage for the first and second passenger and $28 per person per voyage for the second and third passenger.

We wanted to advise you that Carnival Corporation & plc has announced a voluntary refund of the company’s fuel supplement for applicable U.S. bookings that were made prior to November 7, 2007 under an agreement with the Florida Attorney General’s Office. The fuel supplement, announced November 7, 2007, was applied to all U.S. bookings for voyages departing on or after February 1, 2008 for cruises on Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. The company will now refund the fuel supplement for those guests who were already booked at the time the supplement was announced. Refunds for affected guests will be implemented based on cruise departure date according to the following schedule: For cruises departing on or prior to April 4, 2008, guests will receive a refund in the same form they used to purchase their cruise; For cruises departing from April 5, 2008 through June 23, 2008, guests will receive an on-board credit; For cruises departing on or after June 24, 2008, guests’ bookings will be adjusted to eliminate the fuel supplement. The fuel supplement remains in effect for all bookings made on or after November 7, 2007. The $5 per person per day fuel supplement applies only to the first and second guests in a stateroom and will not exceed $70 per person per voyage. Also, at the time the fuel supplement was announced, travel agents whose clients had existing reservations were offered $10 per booking in administrative compensation for notifying those clients of the supplement and that compensation will continue to be provided. We also want to thank you for your continued support for all our brands. We appreciate your business and look forward to providing your clients with great cruise vacations. Sincerely, Jack Anderson Vice President – Corporate Marketing Bill Harber Director of Corporate Marketing

We get started with several NCL stories: Norwegian Majesty is getting a new itinerary, Freestyle 2.0 launches March 30, and we’ve got a few hints as to what’s in store for NCL’s F3 ships.

The US Coast Guard was searching for a woman that reportedly jumped from the Costa Mediterranea last Monday.

Royal Caribbean will be refunding fuel surcharges for many guests as part of a settlement they reached with the Florida Attorney General – and Carnival may do the same soon.  Regent is announcing a fuel surcharge as well.

Crystal’s introducing some super deluxe excursions.

Caribbean Princess is heading back to New York for the summer of 2009.

Silversea has announced the name for their newest ship and also that Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will be getting extensive refurbishments.

Tina White, 39, a resident of Bonita Springs, Fla., was with her boyfriend aboard the cruise ship when she reportedly became angry and agitated and unexpectedly jumped overboard.

More than 3,000 square miles of ocean were searched by rescue crews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Coast Guard Cutters Farallon and Confidence.

“We have suspended our active search pending further developments,” said Lt. Eric Pare, a command duty officer at the Coast Guard Seventh District command center.  ”If new information comes to light we would consider resuming our search.  We are confident that if White was in the area we searched, we would have found her.”

The Coast Guard Cutter Confidence is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homported at Port Canaveral, Fla.  The Coast Guard Cutter Farallon is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Miami.

Costa Serena, sailing from Venice for a seven-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise, will replace Katakolon with Mykonos on Tuesday. Costa Mediterranea, which is sailing a seven-day Greek Isles program from Venice, will call at Corfu instead of Katakolon on Wednesday.

As the cruise line that introduced the revolutionary spa cabin concept to the travel industry, Costa is now bringing the experience to the Caribbean with the new “Ischia” wellness program aboard the Costa Mediterranea, which will undergo renovations in April 2008. Guests who book one of the 44 exclusive accommodations will enjoy privileges including a personalized wellness consultation, three complimentary treatments, two fitness or meditation classes and complimentary access to the Wellness Restaurant, offering a wide array of spa-friendly cuisine. Spa cabins, available in ocean view, veranda and suite categories, will feature aromatherapy diffusers, special shower and air filters, and a mini bar stocked with healthy food and beverage selections. In addition, guests with these accommodations will be offered priority spa reservation times.

Alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean Departures on Saturdays and Sundays the 86,000-ton Costa Mediterranea, inaugurated in 2003, will once again sail seven-night routes departing on Saturdays from Ft. Lauderdale. With design features inspired by the lavish palazzos of Italy, the Costa Mediterranea boasts spectacularly designed public spaces, making the ship feel much like a floating palace. With a double occupancy capacity of 2,114, the ship features numerous staterooms with ocean views and balconies. The 2008-2009 Caribbean season will also feature the return of the 105,000-ton Costa Fortuna, which will sail seven-night routes departing on Sundays. Also inaugurated in 2003, the ship features a double occupancy capacity of 2,720. Inspired by grand Italian liners of the past, stunning design elements include a spectacular display featuring 26 models of past and present members of Costa’s fleet showcased from the ceiling of the main atrium. In addition to Western and Eastern Caribbean routes, the Costa Fortuna will sail special Southeastern Caribbean itineraries throughout the 2008-2009 season.

Costa’s ports-of-call in the Caribbean include Casa de Campo, Catalina Island, La Romana and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; Key West, Florida; Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Nassau, Bahamas; Roatan, Honduras; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. John and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Maarten, Leeward Islands and Tortola, British Virgin Islands.  Early booking fares for seven-night sailings begin at $549 and are cruise only, per person, and based on double occupancy. Government taxes are additional. All fares are subject to change and based on availability.  Call us at 888-286-9827 for more information or to book on board.

Part of the reason for so much news this week was that a lot of ships were christened in the last 7 days.  On Mother’s Day Emerald Princess was christened by 4 – yes 4 godmothers!  MSC Orchestra was christened on Monday, Liberty of The Seas, and Delphin Voyager on Friday, and Costa Serena and Fram on Saturday.

Royal Princess’ “resident” Lorraine Arzt has been named godmother for the ship, Mrs Arzt is a big fan of Princess and typically spends as long as 10 months a year on their ships.

From one notable woman to another, Karin Stahre-Jansen has been named the first female captain of a major cruise ship.  Royal Caribbean recently named her captain of Monarch of The Seas.

Costa is celebrating it’s Diamond Anniversary Jubilee with savings of as much as 60% off on their 2008 European itineraries, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will be onboard Crystal Serenity on her November 9, 10 day Trans-Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami.

Cruise lines agree to not dump untreated waste water within the confines of the Olympic National Marine Sanctuary.

Princess opens the new King Salmon restaurant at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, while Carnival introduces a new contest to name their new spa.

Sea Princess has some engine trouble that forces a cancellation, and Empress of the North will cancel 3 sailings to repair damage from her grounding earlier this week.

Finally, Disney joins the growing list of lines offering onboard cellular service and Celebrity will be returning to Australia and the South Pacific for a second year.

The Deal of The Week is back!  You’ll be able to find the details here soon.  Don’t forget to take advantage of the opportunity to Crash Deb’s Vacation (and get a great deal too!), or get a taste of Alaska cruising on SeaSocks 2008.

As always you can find the show in iTunes or click below to download it or play it right in your browser window

The “Diamond Anniversary Jubilee” fares begin at just $549 per person for seven-night itineraries. Special fares are also available on Costa’s two newest ships – the Costa Serena and Costa Concordia. Seven-night Eastern Mediterranean sailings aboard the Costa Serena from Venice begin at just $799 per person, while seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings from Civitavecchia (Rome), begin at just $649 per person on the Costa Concordia.  Government taxes are additional and all fares are subject to change and  based on availability.

Costa offers a “true European experience” for travelers wherever they sail in the world, highlighted by the warm, authentic Italian hospitality that’s become synonymous with the brand. With Costa’s Europe, guests can explore the historic and beautiful reaches of Italy – one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world; the sun-soaked beaches of the Greek Isles and picturesque landscape of the Dalmatian Coast, the Mediterranean romance of France and Spain, the unique charm of the Canary Islands, the majestic fjords and medieval villages of Northern Europe, and so much more. With nearly 60 years of cruising the region and a fleet of innovative, new ships, Costa provides guests the best of the “old world” in a “new world” setting.

The Diamond Anniversary Jubilee fares kick off a series of celebrations forthcoming in months ahead that will celebrate Costa’s 60 years of cruising. From contests, parties and more, Costa aficionados and novices alike are invited to share in the celebration of “Cruising Italian Style  … that’s Amore,” with Costa.

Our first story of the week was the official announcement of something that you heard about here first – Princess has announced their luggage valet service, and more interestingly a package valet service as well.

Oceania’s 2008 European itineraries are now available for booking, and Carnival has announced a new itinerary from San Juan on Carnival Destiny.

Royal Caribbean will be debuting new wellness programs when Liberty of The Seas enters service later this year.

We discuss the incident last weekend where two passengers fell overboard from Grand Princess.

There was also quite a bit of ship news this week with Royal Caribbean announcing their decision to transfer Empress of The Seas to Pullmantor, the laying of the keel for Holland America’s Eurodam, Costa Serena completed sea trials. and MSC ordered a fourth Musica Class ship.

Carnival’s Fantasy class is getting a makeover, and Princess is giving passengers a chance to dine at the chef’s table.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s Deal of The Week, you’ll find it here.

You can find the show in iTunes, or click on one of the links below to download it or play it right in your browser window.

Some of the stories we talk about this week:

• New Spa Carnival Menu Items
• Liberty of The Seas Construction Photos
• New Planetarium Shows on board Queen Mary 2
• Costa Serena getting ready to enter service
• MSC Orchestra getting ready to enter service
• More details on Emerald Princess and Royal Princess’ naming, we also have some early word on some new services coming to Princess cruises
• Royal Caribbean bringing new Wedding and Wellness programs with Liberty of The Seas.
• In 2008 seven Royal Caribbean ships will offer European itineraries

This week’s Deal of The Week is a really unique offering from Costa… Get a balcony cabin for LESS than an inside and many of their sailings!

As always you can find the show in iTunes or click below to download the show or play it right in your browser.

• The stories we discussed this week included Carnival’s decision not to move the Triumph to New Orleans later this year.
• Crystal and MSC offering special golf cruises.
• Queen Mary 2′s New York sailings to the Caribbean
• Norwegian Dawn’s July 7 sailing canceled- and boy did we have a mouthful about this one!
• Damage to the Regal Princess
• Crystal launches Windows Vista and Office 2007 training
• Disney orders two new ships
• Windstar is sold and Swan Helenic will be shutting down
• Silver Whisper attends America’s Cup
• Seattle OKs cruise ship terminal move

There were several other stories from the past few weeks that we didn’t discuss on the show, including Costa’s 2008 worldwide itineraries announced, Deilman’s Seine and Rhone cruises begin March 24, and Holland America announces new Panama Canal cuises for 2008.

Since Disney has announced two new ships we’ve decided to run a pool of sorts to predict the names of the new Disney ships.  So, leave a comment and tell us what you think Disney should name the two ships.  The first ones people who accurate predict what Disney names the new ships will get a special prize pack.  However, Disney Fascination, Disney Celebration, and Disney Hope are all taken.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s Deal of the Week, you’ll find it here.

As always you can find the show in iTunes, or click on one of the links below to download the show or listen to it right in your browser window.

Costa Continues Trend of Innovation in Cruise Industry Europe’s Number One Cruise Line continues its trend of innovation with the introduction of new 17-night itineraries from Mauritius with stops in the Seychelles, Kenya and Madagascar aboard the Costa Marina. Costa is the first company to market regularly-scheduled Indian Ocean cruises to these destinations, which they will begin to offer in the 2007/2008 winter season. As the company that introduced the “spa getaway at sea” trend with exclusive spa accommodations aboard the Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, Costa will further expand on this element with special “Wellness Packages” aboard the Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea in 2008. Guests who book these packages may select from 44 exclusive spa accommodations on either ship in ocean view, veranda and suite categories. The packages come complete with exclusive amenities as well as a personalized wellness consultation, three complimentary treatments, two fitness or mediation classes and complimentary access to the Wellness Restaurant, offering a wide array of spa-friendly cuisine.

Other exciting news includes Costa’s 30% capacity increase in South America, where the company will deploy three ships (Costa Magica, Costa Victoria, Costa Classica) on sailings to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Following the tremendous success of its inaugural year in Dubai, Costa will deploy two ships (Costa Romantica, Costa Europa) rather than one in the region for the 2007/2008 winter season. Additionally, the Italian company will once again feature cruises aboard the Costa Allegra from China, another industry first introduced by Costa in 2006.

This week’s Deal of The Week can better be described as a Deal for The Year because it’s good throughout 2007. Check out the details here.

As always you can find the show up on iTunes, on Digg or click on one of the links below to play the show right in your browser window or to download it to your computer.

• Costa announces 2007/2008 itineraries.
• A special offer for residents of the Midwest from MSC.
• NCL orders two new ships
• Enhancements onboard NCL America’s ships.
• Princess introduces e-documents and a new transportation option if you depart from Brooklyn NY.
• Deal of the Week- This week you can cruise in style onboard Regent Seven Seas to Alaska with FREE AIR!

You can find the show over in iTunes, download it it from the link below, or play it directly in your browser.

Turquoise-blue tropical waters combined with warm, authentic Italian hospitality set the scene once again for Cruising Italian Style with Costa in the 07-08 Caribbean season. From November 2007 through April 2008, Europe’s Number One Cruise Line will sail in celebration throughout the Caribbean as 2008 marks 60 years of cruising for the Italian cruise company. The season also features the introduction of the beautiful Costa Fortuna to the region, while the breathtaking Costa Mediterranea will return with new Saturday-to-Saturday itineraries. The complete Costa Caribbean 07/08 brochure will be released at the end of September.

Costa offers a signature Italian flair that creates a festive onboard atmosphere filled with love, laughter and la dolce vita in the Caribbean. From authentic Italian cuisine to afternoon bocce ball games and tarantella dancing under the stars, guests sailing with Costa experience the romance of Italy in the tropics.

Click below for more information, or visit Cruise Planners for more information. Call us at 888-286-9827 to book.

Costa Fortuna Newly Deployed to Caribbean

Inspired by grand Italian liners of the past, the 105,000-ton Costa Fortuna will sail the Eastern, Western and Southeastern Caribbean for the first time in the 07/08 season. Inaugurated in 2003, this sister ship to the Costa Magica has a double occupancy capacity of 2,720, with many staterooms featuring ocean views and balconies. Stunning design elements of the ship include a spectacular display featuring 26 models of past and present members of Costa’s fleet showcased from the ceiling of the main atrium. Western Caribbean ports of call include Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos. In the Eastern Caribbean, ports of call featured include San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Catalina Island and La Romana, Dominican Republic; and Nassau, Bahamas. Southeastern Caribbean ports of call include San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Maarten, Leeward Islands; Tortola, British Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Costa Mediterranea Returns with New Saturday-to-Saturday Itineraries With design features inspired by the lavish palazzos of Italy, the 86,000-ton Costa Mediterranea boasts spectacularly designed public spaces, making the ship feel much like a floating palace. Also inaugurated in 2003, this ship has a double occupancy capacity of 2,114 and features numerous staterooms with ocean views and balconies.

Western Caribbean ports of call include Key West, Florida; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Roatan, Honduras; Cozumel, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos. Eastern Caribbean ports of call featured include San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Catalina Island and La Romana, Dominican Republic; Nassau, Bahamas and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.

Only Cruise Line Sailing to Bermuda from Ft. Lauderdale The only cruise line sailing to Bermuda out of Ft. Lauderdale, Costa will feature one April itinerary to the popular island getaway for the 2007/2008 season. One seven-night sailing departing Ft. Lauderdale on April 6 aboard the Costa Fortuna features two overnights in King’s Wharf.

Early Booking Fares Offer Guests Substantial Savings Guests booking in advance can take advantage of Costa’s Early Booking Fares, which offer savings of up to 45% for seven-night cruises. Early Booking Fares begin at $549 and are cruise only, per person, and based on double occupancy. Government taxes are additional. All fares are subject to change and based on availability.

Costa offers an experience that is delightfully different in service and cuisine, in an atmosphere filled with love, laughter and la dolce vita. It’s called “Cruising Italian Style” and true to its heritage, no detail has been overlooked in bringing the beauty and hospitality of Italy to the sea. Cruising Italian Style … that’s Amore!

The ships of Costa range in size from 30,000-tons to 112,000-tons, and provide an ambience that is distinctly Italian – from the progressive architecture and stylish design to the unforgettable cuisine and gracious hospitality. The fifth largest cruise line in the world, Costa offers cruises that span the globe on itineraries of three nights and longer throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America and Transatlantic.

You’ll also find some great specials from all of the cruise lines and tour companies that we represent and even coupons for some great items and reduced deposits on many sailings.

Not on our mailing list?  Give us a call at 888-286-9827 and we’ll send you your copy.