RCI Winter 2013-14 Cruises Open for Booking

Royal Caribbean International has announced its winter 2013-2014 Caribbean cruise itineraries for the Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas. The fleet will offer 140 sailings, visiting 20 ports of call.

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will continue to alternate seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Port Everglades, Florida.

Independence of the Seas will homeport at Port Everglades as well, and alternate six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Freedom of the Seas will continue its year-round service from Port Canaveral, alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Navigator of the Seas will debut in Galveston and offer guests two seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries.

Serenade of the Seas will offer vacationers new Caribbean itineraries from New Orleans, Lousiana once the ship has arrived from Barcelona, Spain on it 15-night trans-Atlantic  itinerary. The first sailing will be a one-time, nine-night caribbean adventure, departing December 12.

All six ships have completed their revitalizations and enhancements.

For additional information, or to make reservations, visit www.royalcaribbean.com

Source: TravelAgentCentral

Top 8 Theme Cruises of 2012

Theme cruises aren't widely advertised and in fact, not advertised by the cruise lines at all in many instances. 


Most theme cruises are organized by travel agents, so you're not likely to find information about most theme cruises on the cruise line's web site or in the cruise section of your favorite online travel agency - No matter how much digging you do. 


Top Theme Cruises for 2012:


Saw: The Horror Cruise on the Carnival Glory
KISS (and other) Music Cruises on the Norwegian Pearl
Fitness and Running Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas
Celeb Chef Cruises on various Holland America ships
National Review Cruise on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam
The New York Times Cruise on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam
Mark Twain Tribute Cruise on the Queen of the Mississippi
Vampires at Sea on Holland America's Zuiderdam


But not to worry – ABC News includes a link for booking each of the cruises selected as the top eight of 2012. Top 8 Theme Cruises of 2012 - ABC News

Most Popular Cruise Destinations

Popular Cruise Destinations

Alaska
from $68 / night

Bahamas
from $40 / night

Bermuda
from $47 / night

Caribbean
from $32 / night

Europe
from $32 / night

Hawaii
from $79 / night

Mexico
from $51 / night

Canada / New England
from $53 / night

Cruise Line Deals

Cruise Line Deals

• Receive up to $100 Onboard Spending Credit
• Receive a Free Onboard Savings Book
• Save up to $1000 on Air plus Free Transfers and Reduced Deposit
• Receive $50 Onboard Spending Credit
• Receive $50 to $100 Onboard Spending Credit
• Receive $100 Onboard Spending Credit
• Receive up to $85 Onboard Spending Credit

Cruise Tours Versus Going on Your Own

Cruise passengers heading for the island of Jamaica e-mailed inquiring about a cheaper way to enjoy the beach in Ocho Rios vs. taking a ship sponsored tour which will put them over their tight cruise budget. 

Cruise passengers familiar with their destination, or those who are more adventurous will often opt to go on their own once arriving at their port destination. We suggest if going on your own and using local transportation (especially taxi's) know which ones are official or licensed by the local government.

We suggested Reggae Beach, which is approximatelyh 10-15 minutes from the port. The official taxi's in Jamaica are JUTA taxi's, and we suggested they only take JUTA to their destination. The rate to Reggae Beach is approximately $40.00, which can be shared by up to four people. The price should always be negotiated up front.

On arrival to the beach, it will cost $5.00 which includes beach chairs - along with bathroom facilities. You will ususally find a Reggae band for entertainment. The beach bar features cold drinks, jerk chicken and conch. Kayak's are also available for rent.

Another plus in visiting this particular beach is it is private, which means you don't have to deal with the crowds at the public beaches, and those pesky local beach peddlers.

By taking the taxi rather than the cruise ship sponsored tour, the four friends will save approximately $50 per couple. They plan to use the extra money for the required tips to cabin steward, along with other cruise staff.

Many first time cruisers on a tight budget do not take the required tipping into consideration. It's one of those details many overlook when booking a cruise - in the cruise documentation the tipping guidelines are spelled out.

In this particular case, the four passengers are cruising on Carnival which charges $11.50 per-person, per-day gratuity to onboard accounts. Each cruise line has a different policy, read our Cruise Line Tipping Policies for guidelines for particular cruise lines.

Cruise Line Deals and Popular Cruise Destinations

DEALS

Royal Caribbean - Call-in Special! Get $100 to $400 Cruise Credit with ChoiceAir

Norwegian Cruise Line - Receive $50 Onboard Credit

Carnival - Early Saver Rates: Save up to 20% + Get the Absolute Lowest Rate with Carnival’s Price Protection Guarantee!

Celebrity - Receive up to $100 Onboard Spending Credit

Holland America - Receive $50 to $125 Onboard Credit

And More!

POPULAR DESTINATIONS



Alaska from $73 / night

Bahamas from $32 / night

Bermuda from $60 / night

Caribbean from $34 / night

Europe from $35 / night

Hawaii from $64 / night

Mexico from $46 / night

Canada / New England from $56 / night

DEALS AND POPULAR CRUISE DESTINATIONS

Carnival Splendor Out of Service Until January

The fire-damaged cruise ship Splendor will be out of service for the next two months, leaving several thousand people who had expected to spend the busy Christmas and New Year's holiday period on it scrambling at the last minute to make alternative plans.

The line says it's canceling all voyages on the 3,006-passenger ship through Jan. 9 departures. The vessel will re-enter service on Jan. 16.

In all, more than 20,000 vacationers will be affected by taking the ship out of service for repairs.

Read full story at USA Today Travel

It is always great to go on a cruise holiday and look forward to having an amazing time with your friends and family, but most of the problems come up in the cruise vacation planning. 

More often than not, a lack of planning and coordination gets in the way of being able to enjoy one's vacation.

If you avoid some common mistakes during the planning phase, you can be assured of a hiccup-free, unforgettable vacation you would like to live over and over again.
 

Cruise Vacation Planning: 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Luxury Cruise Auctions

Luxury Cruise Vacations - Fantastic Destinations.
 

Discover a spectacular collection of luxury cruises on ships that keep guest counts low and service levels high.

Luxury Link is proud to offer exciting cruises to destinations from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, Auckland to Alaska and even entirely around the world.

Whatever cruise vacation you desire, rest assured that Luxury Link's collection of cruise vacations will take you to unforgettable places in incomparable style.



LuxuryLink.com

Carnival, Razorfish Launch Social Media Cruise Planning App

Carnival Cruise Lines and Razorfish today announced the launch of a groundbreaking new social commerce Facebook application that allows users to easily view, compare, select and share.


The application, the first of its kind in the cruise industry, allows users to engage their social network in their vacation planning through personalized newsfeed updates and even invite friends to book the same trip.

The application, available on Carnival’s official Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/carnival), enables the user to explore all available Carnival cruise options without leaving Facebook by providing the functionality to sort cruises by date, duration, port of call, and accommodation type.

Once users decide on a particular cruise, they can share the detailed cruise information with their Facebook friends by simply clicking a button.

Users can also customize their newsfeed messages, which include a link to the cruise, to invite friends to book the trip as well.

View full article at Carnival News

Explore the Cruise Lines

In today's market there are numerous Cruise Ships, Schedules and Worldwide Destination Ports


View all of the major cruise lines, and check out the following:

• Ship Reviews

• Ship Photos & Tours

• Ship Details (Itineraries, deck plans and more)

EXPLORE MAJOR CRUISE LINES

World's First Cruise RV@Sea Cancelled

The world’s first theme cruise for RVers was set to depart from the port of Miami on November 6, 2010 - however the website fully states the cruise has been cancelled.


Visit the website for more info and future announcements
http://www.rvatsea.com/

Holland America Annual View and Verandah Sale

Holland America Line has launched its annual View and Verandah Sale, which offers up to 45% savings on ocean-view and verandah staterooms for voyages in 2010.

In addition, cruisers will get reduced deposits, third and fourth guest savings and 25%  savings on certain hotels for pre- or post-cruise stays.

The View and Verandah Sale rates start at:
$499 for a 7-day Alaska cruise
$599 for 7-day Caribbean cruises
$1,199 for 12-day Europe and Panama Canal itineraries

Visit www.hollandamerica.com

Star Clippers Offering 50% Sale

Royal Clipper and Star Clippers explore the waters of the Caribbean, and guests can save 50% off the brochure rate on select fall sailings.

The four diverse, seven night itineraries boast ports of call with golden beaches, sun kissed skies and palm fringed landscapes.

Royal Clipper sails rount trip Barbados to an array of island jewels, including St Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, St Kitts and Grenada.

Star Clippers sails round trip St Maarten, and calls include Guadeloupe, St Barts, Tortola and Iles de Saintes.

In November, Star Flyer deputs in Costa Rica, and Star Clippers is offering a savings of 50% off brochure rates on the seven night, round trip Puerto Caldera inineraries.

Costa Rica welcomes travelers with lush jungle canopies teaming with wildlife, powdery beaches and an underwater world ready for exploring.

Passport Fees Have Increased

Tuesday fees for passport books and passport cards were increased by the U.S. State Department.

The fee for a new passport book has been increased from $100 to $135 for adults and from $85 to $105 for minors.

The fee to renew a passport book has also been increased. Renewals for adult passport books have jumped from $75 to $110; renewing a minor's passport book will now cost $105.

The fee for adult passport cards has been increased to $55.  A passport card for a minor will now cost $40.

Passport cards allow its holder to enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda either a cruise ship port, or at a land border crossing. They're typically used by frequent cruise ship travelers or people who live near the border and travel over it to work.

Bahama Mom Cruise

What mom doesn’t need a vacation?
Many moms would love to run off, just for a few days, for a little R&R.

The question is:

• Where do they go? 
• Better yet, who do they go with? 
• If dad, or grandma, stays home with the kids, who does mom travel with?

A solution is presented by Moms on Vacation Travel Club. With Moms on Vacation, mothers all over the country can set up a group trip, save money and make new friends – all while getting that much needed rest, relaxation and even a little pampering.

The Moms on Vacation Travel Club is happy to announce its first official cruise to the Bahamas! What better time to treat yourself to a mom vacation than during the month of May?

Moms who book will be cruising on the Royal Caribbean, Monarch of the Seas. This cruise runs from May 14th through the 17th (3 nights).

The total cost of this cruise (not including flight fees) is $295. Moms on Vacation Travel Club is happy to help locate the least expensive flights for anyone booking a cruise. The price includes all taxes, meals, and non-alcoholic beverages. Gratuities are not included.

Moms On Vacation Travel Club

Murder Mystery Cruises

THE MOST DIABOLICAL COMEDY MURDER MYSTERY ON THE HIGH SEAS!!!!!!

Enjoy an elegant experience at sea, while MURDER and MAYHEM LURK all around you, and even INVOLVE YOU!

As the clues unravel, try to solve the spectacular mystery of "whodunit" - before it's too late! Whodunit creates a Live Murder Mystery aboard the most beautiful ships in the world that you become a part of ... as well as try and solve.

There are times during the murder mystery cruise that you will be following the deadly saga and other times when you are free to just enjoy the cruise.

http://www.whodunitcruises.com/

Motorcycle Cruises to the Caribbean

TAKE YOUR BIKE ON A CRUISE AND RIDE OFF ON THE ISLANDS THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN!

Clients who love roaring engines may book Motorcycle Cruises

ETA Motorcycle Cruises sail on multiple dates from Port Everglades, FL, and Bayonne, NJ.

ALL TYPES OF MOTORCYCLES ARE WELCOME INCLUDING: Harley-Davidson®, BMW®, Honda®, Yamaha®, Suzuki®, Custom Bikes & Choppers! Sorry... due to the ship's hull configurations, we are unable to accommodate Trikes.

For more info click here

Best Caribbean/Mexico Cruise Deals

Carnival Cruise Lines – Carnival Elation – 4 Night Baja Mexico from $309

Family fun with Club O2 for teens, Club Carnival for kids, and three swimming pools. Numerous dining venues from formal dining rooms, casual buffet restaurant to sushi bar and 24-hour pizzeria. Over 9 bars & lounges, 2 pools – one with a poolside stage perfect to take in the live band.

Other Great Cruise Deals - Book Now!

Carnival Cruise Lines - 4 Night Western Caribbean - Starting at $219 (Interior) - $269 (Outside)

Royal Caribbean - 3 Night Bahamas - Starting at $169 (Interior) - $215 (Outside)

Royal Caribbean - 7 Night Mexican Riviera - Starting at $481 (Interior) - $592 (Outside)

Carnival Cruise Lines - 7 Night Eastern Caribbean - Starting at $629 Interior) - $679 (Outside)

Featured Cruise Deals

How To Save Money On A Cruise Ship

One of the biggest appeals of a cruise ship vacation is its all-inclusive aspect.

Your meals, port stops, and on board activities are pre-planned and available for your enjoyment, pretty much whenever you feel like enjoying them. Unfortunately, a cruise ship's "all-inclusive" element doesn't mean it's an on board free-for-all.

All those port excursions, soda and alcoholic beverages, beauty services, and photos are made available for an extra charge.

Because your cabin key functions as an on board credit card, it's easy to go overboard with your spending. If you're not careful, you could end up with a hefty bill when your cruise ends.
Here are a few tips to save money while on board a cruise ship.

Read full article at - How to save money while on board a cruise ship