Princess Cruises Teams Up With The Bachelor

Princess Cruises has enlisted Alex Michel, the first bachelor on ABC's "The Bachelor" reality show, to serve on the company's Department of Romance.

The 37-year-old Michel is still a bachelor since he made his appearance on the first show in 2002. His first assignment is to help judge the line's "Are You the Greatest Romantic?" online video contest at the end of this month.

Princess' Department of Romance, a tribute to the company's legacy as the setting for " The Love Boat," is made up of actor Gavin MacLeod, who portrayed Capt. Stubing on the TV show; Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a couples therapist; Trish McDermott, vice president of love at Engage.com; and Lisa Light, destination wedding expert and author.

Michel will join the other department members to select the five finalists for the "Greatest Romantic" contest, who will be announced on April 1.

The public will then have the chance to vote for their favorite entry, with the winner joining the Department of Romance for one year and featured on the company's website offering romantic advice through articles and a podcast. The winning romantic will also receive a seven-day cruise for two to the Mexican Riviera or the Caribbean.

After "The Bachelor," Michel served as a spokesman for the online dating service Match.com, providing commentary on romance and courtship through television and radio shows, newspaper and magazine articles and live appearances. A graduate of Harvard University, with an MBA from Stanford, Michel is currently an executive at a media and technology company.

Michel will offer his advice and observations at www.princess.com/romance. The site also features tips and articles from the other romance experts ranging from the best ways to reinvigorate your romance, to tips on planning a destination wedding. It also features a series of podcasts, inspiring quotations and romantic desktop downloads.

Royal Caribbean Sets 2009 Cruises from U.S. Northeast

Royal Caribbean International announced the line's summer and fall 2009 itineraries sailing from the U.S. Northeast.

The company is offering 17 itineraries to Canada and New England, Bermuda, and the Caribbean on 66 sailings from New York, Boston, Baltimore and Norfolk. Bookings for these cruises are open.

The cruises will be operated by Explorer of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas (shown).

Explorer of the Seas offers nine-night roundtrips from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J, with calls at Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Quebec City, Quebec, the line's highest rated port of call. Guests also cruise the Saguenay River. The 15 Canada and New England cruises depart from June through October 2009.

Jewel of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will make maiden calls at Rockland, Maine, as the largest cruise ships to call at the port. In addition to the variety of restaurants, galleries and museums, Rockland will turn the city's main street into a pedestrian mall for the cruisers.

From Boston, Jewel of the Seas will take guests on five- and seven-night round-trips, while Grandeur of the Seas will offer eight- and nine-night round-trips from Baltimore. Jewel and Grandeur will call at the Canadian ports of St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as the Maine ports of Portland, Bar Harbor and Rockland.

Royal Caribbean will sail to Bermuda and the Caribbean in 2009 with two ships, Explorer of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. From Cape Liberty, Explorer of the Seas will continue to offer alternating five- and nine-night Bermuda and Caribbean itineraries. The nine-night voyage includes a call at Kings Wharf, while the five-night itinerary overnights there.

During April through mid-June, Grandeur will offer alternating five-night Bermuda and nine-night Eastern Caribbean round-trip itineraries from Norfolk. The five-night itinerary also features an overnight call at Kings Wharf, and the nine-night sailing calls at Labadee, Haiti, Royal Caribbean's private beach destination.

In June, Grandeur repositions to Baltimore to offer similar and alternating itineraries through November.

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NCL Announces 2009 Cruise Schedule

NCL Corp. unveiled its 2009 Alaska, Bermuda and Europe deployment and itineraries by nine Freestyle Cruising ships.

The 2009 cruises go on sale March 20. In summer 2009, the Norwegian Pearl will operate seven-day Glacier Bay cruises roundtrip from Seattle that visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria. Norwegian Star offers a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary, roundtrip from Seattle, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Prince Rupert, B.C.

Norwegian Sun will operate the seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Beginning March 30, NCL will deploy a ship year-round in Europe, a first in the company's 41-year history. The 2,400-passenger Norwegian Jade will remain in Europe through spring of 2010. Norwegian Jade offers nine-day Canary Islands and Morocco cruises roundtrip from Barcelona, 12-day Eastern Mediterranean roundtrips from Barcelona, and 21-day Eastern Mediterranean, Canaries and Morocco cruises roundtrip from Barcelona.

Norwegian Gem will operate a seven-day Western Mediterranean itinerary, roundtrip from Barcelona, that calls at Valletta, Malta; Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia) and Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; and Cannes or Nice (Villefranche), France. Norwegian Jewel will sail 12-day Baltic Capitals voyages roundtrip from London (Dover) to Copenhagen, Denmark; Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden.

http://www.ncl.com

Royal Caribbean Revises Fuel Supplement

Here's the latest update from our previous posting on the fuel surcharges by Royal Caribbean - Linda


Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) on Monday announced it has voluntarily agreed to eliminate its fuel supplement on bookings made prior to the announcement of the fuel supplement on Nov. 16.

After working with the Florida Attorney General's office, RCCL said it will eliminate the fuel supplement for any guests who had a booking made prior to Nov. 16.

Guests booked before Nov. 16 who paid the fuel supplement and have taken their cruise will receive a refund through the form of payment used to purchase their sailing. Guests booked before Nov. 16 who paid the fuel supplement and have not taken their cruise will receive their refund as an onboard credit during their sailing.

As originally announced, the company did not charge the fuel supplement to guests with bookings made and paid in full before Nov. 16. It will now eliminate the fuel supplement for guests with bookings made, but not paid in full, before that date. These latter guests were also provided with a three-week period in which to cancel their sailing without penalty. The company said it has been in discussions with the Florida Attorney General's office to ensure the fuel supplement was implemented "in a fair and reasonable manner."

The fuel supplement, which remains in place for North American bookings made on or after Nov. 16, involves three RCCL brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises.

The fuel supplement consists of a $5 charge per guest, per day, for sailings that depart on or after Feb. 1. The fuel supplement applies to the first and second guests in each stateroom and does not exceed $70 per person per sailing.

RCCL said the announcement will have no impact on the company's revenue projections, and that the company reaffirms its previous yield guidance.

Also see first posting from Feb 11
Cruise Fuel Surcharges Come Under Scrutiny in Florida

European River "Space Ships" from Scenic Tours

Wow! This gives a whole new meaning to "river cruises"! - Linda

Scenic Tours is preparing to christen the Scenic Emerald, the first of a duo of what it calls "space ships."

The Emerald will embark on its inaugural cruise down the Rhine and Danube rivers on June 2, between Amsterdam and Budapest, on the 15-day "Jewels of Europe" cruise. Almost completely sold out for the 2008 season, Scenic Tours recommends booking now for prime weeks in 2009.

The "space ships" feature spacious staterooms, of which more than 80 percent have private balconies, measuring over 25 square feet. Staterooms on the superior Danube Deck have private balconies and butlers, who can be summoned at the touch of a button.

On a "Jewels of Europe" river cruise, meals, tours, transfers and entertainment are included. Fares include FreeChoice's guided shore tours and sightseeing opportunities, onboard meals, wine with dinner, airport transfers and all gratuities.

Each day offers Scenic FreeChoice, which provides various activities allowing travelers to choose tours.

Scenic Tours was launched in 1987 as an international luxury leisure tour operator. The Australian-based company entered the European river cruising market in 2005 and has invested $100 million to build the new ships.

The Scenic Sapphire and the Scenic Emerald will sail the Rhine and Danube rivers, offering 20 percent more space than traditional river cruise ships. All cabins and suites will include roomy bathrooms, flat-screen televisions, mini-bars and Internet accessibility.

For more information, visit www.scenictours.com

Holland America Launches Eurodam Website

Holland America Line added a link on its website to preview its newest ship, the Eurodam.

The site features videos, photographs, animation and renderings. An invitation to explore the Eurodam greets visitors to the site. A rendering features animation and a fly-over shot gives a 360-degree view of the ship.

Stateroom renderings show the contemporary, monochromatic design accented with bursts of color, a departure from the line's usual floral schemes. Eurodam ship renderings and animation are used in combination with photos and narrated videos from other Holland America Line ships to give visitors an idea of what it will be like to sail aboard the 2,104-guest Eurodam.

Content on the site is arranged around Holland America's five "brand pillars": elegant ships and accommodations, sophisticated dining, gracious service, extensive activities, and compelling itineraries.

Links at the bottom of the site connect visitors to the Find Cruises tool on Holland America Line's website, as well as the Eurodam blog. Visitors also can share the site with a friend via email.

The Eurodam sets sail on a three-day prelude cruise July 2, prior to its maiden voyage from Copenhagen on July 5.

Visit www.hollandamerica.com

Windstar 2008 Season with 146 Sailings

Windstar Cruises announced its 2008 sailing season, with a total of 146 sailings aboard its three luxury yachts.

In the Caribbean, the Wind Surf is offering seven-day sailings roundtrip from Barbados with a variety of ports of call on northbound and southbound itineraries, and the Wind Spirit is offering seven-day sailings roundtrip from St. Thomas.

In Latin America, seven-day Costs Rica sailings are available roundtrip from Puerto Caldera and the Wind Star's 14-day cruises feature a transit through the Panama Canal with ports of call in Central America, South America and Caribbean islands.

In Europe, Windstar Cruises is offing six-, seven- and eight-day cruises aboard all of its yachts with departures from Lisbon; Málaga, Spain; Rome; Venice; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Nice, France; and Monte Carlo, Monaco.

In the Mediterranean, the Wind Star will sail seven-day itineraries to Santoríni Red Beach and Istanbul's Blue Mosque. Ports in the Greek Isles include Gythion, Návplion, Ermoúpolis, Athens, Sorrento, Katákolon, Mykonos, Rhodes, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Monemvasia, Corfu, Sarandë, Cephaloniá and Kýthira. Four 14-day transatlantic voyages also will be available.

The line recently completed fleet-wide enhancements in its Degrees of Difference initiative, which focused on structural and technical operations, along with upgrades to guest areas, remodeled bathrooms in staterooms and an expanded beauty salon and spa.

On the Wind Star and Wind Spirit, the Lounge, Veranda and Pool Bar were renovated. On the Wind Surf, the Yacht Club replaced the library and provides comfortable seating, a large flat-screen television, an espresso bar and computers offering Internet access.

Two new luxury suites were built on the bridge deck and feature a living and dining area, a separate bedroom and a whirlpool tub. In addition, Apple iPod Nanos, Bose SoundDock speakers, wireless Internet, flat-screen televisions, luxury linens and mattresses, and L'Occitane bathroom amenities were added in each stateroom across the fleet.

Visit www.windstarcruises.com

Crystal Offers Newspaper Direct Program

Crystal Cruises is introducing Newspaper Direct, a same-day service enabling guests to receive a choice of more than 370 full-format newspapers from 65 countries.

Effective immediately with the World Cruise on Crystal Serenity and later in the year on Crystal Symphony, the papers are ordered onboard and delivered directly to one's room. Since its inception, Crystal has distributed news onboard but from a limited number of sources. The line's international guest mix has increased almost 30 percent in the past five years.

Newspaper Direct uses satellite communications to create full-format, same-day editions of an extensive menu of worldwide newspapers.

In addition to 74 U.S. editions and more than 40 from the U.K., the newspaper menu includes:

New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, Albuquerque Journal and Charlotte Observer. Special interest publications available include Barron's, Investor's Business Daily, Hollywood Reporter, and Playbook (available for football and basketball).

International selections include:
Canada's Globe and Mail, Great Britain's Daily Telegraph, Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, Japan's Okinawa Times, Mexico's El Economista, Germany's Financial Times Deutschland, Brazil's O Globo, and South Africa's Sunday Times of Johannesburg.

The service will offer multiple publication choices from many of the regions. Many papers are offered daily, while some are offered only on selected days. Papers are available for $6.50 each, with a full list of selections and order forms in every stateroom.

www.crystalcruises.com

Luxury Cruises

Everything you need to know about upscale sea travel in one resource.

Celebrity Match Up: Which Cruise Suits You?
Are you Sean Connery, Regis Philbin, Catherine Deneuve or Meg Ryan? Hitch your star to the right ship.

Ship Review: Seabourn Legend
This elegant and intimate vessel strikes a fine balance between classic ambience and contemporary lifestyle.

Virtual Cruise: Antarctica
Our adventurer discovers that the concept of luxury is relative during his expedition cruise to icy Antarctica.


http://www.cruisecritic.com/luxurycruises/

Wind Surf 8 Offers Cannes Film Festival/Monaco Grand Prix

Cannes Film Festival
May 18, 2008
From $2,899 per person
St. Tropez, Cannes (overnight), Santa Margherita, Monte Carlo (overnight)


Monaco 66th Grand Prix Package
Monte Carlo, Monaco - May 23-25, 2008

3 day package - $2,400pp (in addition to cruise cost)
Limited space available!
Book now to ensure your place at this very special and exclusive event.

Back by popular demand, the Grand Prix package is an unforgettable way to take in the most exciting Formula One race in the world, along with the glitterati of its glamorous venue. From the moment a hostess welcomes you at the pier, to your reserved Tribune K seating for the time trials and the Final Race,
everything is taken care of in Windstar VIP style.

Package includes reserved seating on:
Saturday May 24, 2008 (time trials); Sunday May 25, 2008 (final race)

Friday May 23, 2008
Special private "Welcome to Monaco" Cocktail Reception on board
Special private Gala Dinner on board
*Exclusive Package Pillow Gifts - Bushnell Binoculars, Official 66e Grand Prix de Monaco program,
fficial Monaco Auto Club Ticket holder, Souvenir hat, Souvenir jacket

Saturday May 24, 2008
Tribune K Reserved Seating ticket for the Time Trials
Private evening Reception at HSH Prince Rainier III Private Auto Museum catered by �Lenotre�

Sunday May 25, 2008
Special private breakfast on board
Tribune K reserved seating for the Final Race

**All the above tours are not handicap accessible, they do require walking over various levels of terrain.**