Cruising Tradition Revived

Montreal Gazette

Passengers may bring guests on-board

Princess Cruises is bringing back an old tradition, but with a new twist.

Once you could bring your family and friends on-board to say goodbye in style before the cruise ship sailed. Princess's Bon Voyage Experience will allow passengers to invite friends and relatives on-board for a four-course lunch with wine, a ship tour and a souvenir photo.

Here is the part I like. The passengers and guests will have priority boarding and will be able to spend about four hours together before the ship sails.

But there will be a cost: each guest will be charged $39, which can be applied as a credit toward a future cruise.

For the guest, it's a good deal for the price. For Princess, it's a better deal. It may be the first time many guests step on a cruise ship, and they may become future customers for Princess Cruises.

The program will debut next month in Los Angeles and cruises departing from Fort Lauderdale before expanding to New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

The cruise ships will not have hundreds of guests roaming their decks just before departure. The number of guests is capped at 50. You can reserve spots well in advance or up to six days prior to departure.

In other Princess news, the cruise line's owners, Carnival Cruises Corp., have reached an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for two new prototype ships - 20 per cent larger than other Princess ships and with a capacity of 3,600 passengers in double occupancy, similar in size to the Carnival Dream, the largest ship in the Carnival fleet.

The first Princess ship will be launched in spring 2013, the second a year later. These will be the first new ships for Princess Cruises since the launch of the Ruby Princess in fall 2008. Princess caters more to an adult audience.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is getting ahead of the game when it comes to announcing ship deployments for 2011 and the winter of 2012. NCL will base its first ship in Copenhagen, in 2011 for nine-day Baltic cruises. The Danish port city was one of my favourite cities on my last Baltic cruise. It also is close to Scandinavian and Baltic ports, so you spend less time sailing to them.

NCL Cruises also announced plans to sail year-round out of New Orleans for destinations such as Costa Maya, Cozumel, Roatan Bay and Belize City.

Celebrity Cruise Lines will be opening an Internet café - it sounds more like an Apple store - on the Eclipse when it launches in April. The iLounge, as the line is calling it, will be set up with 26 computers, will offer courses and will sell Apple products. If it proves successful, I expect iLounges will be rolled out through the rest of the Celebrity Cruises fleet.

Cruise Lines Offering Boatloads of Enticements

Chicago Sun-Times

If you’re planning a cruise vacation this year, get ready for higher prices, better entertainment, water parks and one of the most innovative concepts to come along in a while: rooms designed for solo travelers on the Norwegian Epic, without the supplemental charge that single passengers on cruises have traditionally paid.

“I think it’s genius,” said Cynthia Boal Janssens, chief blogger at AllThingsCruise.com. “I’m amazed with so many new ships coming on line that this hasn’t been done sooner. Lots of single people cruise and want to cruise, but right now, if you are going on a cruise as a single person and you occupy a double cabin, they charge you an additional fee for doing that, sometimes as much as 200 percent.”

The Epic, which launches this summer, will offer 128 studios for singles. The cabins open onto a lounge area where solo travelers can socialize.

Paul Motter, editor at CruiseMates.com, said he thinks the single studios “will take off. We have a whole message board on CruiseMates for people seeking cruise companions. It’s a huge potential market.”

Motter said another emerging trend in cruises is more brand-name entertainment. For years, mediocre musical revues with names like “Salute to Broadway” were standard fare on ships, to the point where they “kind of became a joke,” Motter said.

In contrast, the Epic will feature Blue Man Group and Second City improv shows. Royal Caribbean Cruises' megaship, Oasis of the Seas, which launched last fall, offers a complete production of “Hairspray.”

Motter said “Hairspray” is “the first time a cruise ship has fully licensed a Broadway production. And it’s a really good production, on par with a national touring company.”

Oasis was the “it” ship of 2009, attracting enormous publicity as the largest cruise ship ever built. It carries up to 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members, with facilities that include an ice rink, golf course, volleyball and basketball courts, a 1,300-seat indoor theater and seven “neighborhoods,” including a boardwalk and a mini-Central Park. There’s so much to do onboard that when the ship pulls into a port, “a lot of people don’t get off,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown of CruiseCritic.com.

The cruise industry will launch a dozen new ships this year, but, Brown said, “Nothing will compete with Oasis.”

Ships debuting in 2010 include a sister ship of Oasis called Allure of the Seas, a new Queen Elizabeth from Cunard, and Celebrity Eclipse, the third in a series of Celebrity ships that started with the Solstice in 2008 and the Equinox in 2009.

Despite all these new ships coming onto the market during a recession, the cruise industry has managed to keep them full. In 2009, ships sailed at 104 percent capacity on average, meaning that every room was occupied and some rooms were shared by more than two people, according to Cruise Lines International Association, an industry group with 25 cruise lines representing 97 percent of cruise capacity in North America.

At the same time, the number of passengers keeps increasing: 13.01 million people cruised on CLIA ships in 2008, 13.44 million in 2009 and a projected 14.3 million will sail in 2010.

“Maybe we are not recession-proof, but we are recession-resistant,” said Richard Sasso, CEO of MSC Cruises and marketing director of CLIA.

One way cruises have kept ships full is by dramatically increasing the number of international passengers, to make up for slow growth in the North American market. The number of passengers from outside North America has doubled to more than 3 million a year since 2003, while the number of U.S. and Canada cruise passengers has increased by just 30 percent to 10.29 million.

Discounts have brought customers in, too. Cruise prices go down when demand is weak — just like airfare — until every cabin is filled.

But the low prices of 2009 are starting to disappear. “Fares are going up, for sure,” said Brown, the CruiseCritic.com editor.

One sign of change: More passengers are booking further in advance. In 2009, the average booking window for a cruise was 4.6 months before the departure date, and 39 percent of passengers were booking their trips less than four months out, Sasso said. For 2010, the average booking window already has increased to five months out, and only 30 percent of clients are booking less than four months before their departure.

What does this mean for consumers?

“As the ship fills up, the prices go up,” said Motter, the CruiseMates.com editor. “They give you the best prices six months to a year out, and at the very end, if there are still empty cabins, they discount them. The best way to get the best deal on a cruise is to book early. Almost all the cruise lines offer price guarantees, so if you see a price lower than what you booked, they will honor that.”

On the other hand, you can still find last-minute bargains in places where the market is “really soft,” said Brown. “Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Turkey. For the Mexican Riviera, I’m still seeing $299 departures on seven-day trips.”

Don’t forget to check social media when planning a cruise. More cruise companies and cruise Web sites are using Twitter and Facebook to highlight deals and trips. Cunard Cruises even has a YouTube channel where fans can watch construction progress on the new Queen Elizabeth, as well as videos of James Taylor performing on another Cunard ship, Queen Mary 2.

Another long-term trend in cruising is the increase in family-friendly programs and attractions. In the last 10 years, the median age of cruisers has dropped from 57 to 47, according to Bob Sharak, CLIA’s executive director.

“Multigenerational groups — the groups that bring adults, kids and grandkids — are bringing down the average age,” said Mimi Weisband, spokeswoman for Crystal Cruises.

One feature on new ships that younger passengers are sure to love is the water park. Carnival Dream, which launched last year, has an aqua park called WaterWorks with a 300-foot-long water slide, the longest water slide at sea.

A new ship from Disney Cruises, the Dream, launching in January 2011, will have a 765-foot-long water coaster, the AquaDuck, that will wrap around the perimeter of the ship’s top deck, with one loop jutting 13 feet over the side of the ship, 150 feet above the ocean.

Other innovative features on the Disney Dream include virtual portholes for windowless staterooms that will offer live views of the sea and sky from video cameras mounted around the ship. The Dream also will have an adult lounge called Skyline with changing backdrops offering views of famous skylines around the world.

Cruises also keep offering more and more sophisticated programming. In late 2009, Celebrity Cruises' ships launched a series of enrichment seminars and activities called Celebrity Life. In addition to fitness classes and spa treatments, the programs include cooking classes, wine-tastings, stargazing, scrapbooking and lectures on art and history.

Cruise itineraries keep changing, too. Crystal Cruises’ new port calls include Kuwait City, Bandar Abbas in Iran, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Sevastopol in the Ukraine and Port Elizabeth in South Africa cruises, with new excursions that include South African wineries and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Princess Cruises will visit 17 new ports in the next two years, including Abu Dhabi, Tangiers in Morocco and Xiamen, on the southeastern coast of China. A “Highlights of Germany” tour offered by Princess this year will include two nights in the town of Oberammergau to see the famous Passion Play that villagers only perform once a decade.

Janssens, the All ThingsCruising.com editor, says river tours of Europe are also increasingly popular. “They’re replacing the bus tour of Europe,” she said.

Brown of CruiseCritic agreed, adding that ships designed for river cruising are “much more stylish than they used to be,” with “much nicer cabins, tech toys like DVD players, French balconies, elaborate furnishings and better food.”

Janssens said the small and medium-size ships from lines like Silversea, Star Clippers and Crystal Cruises are especially appealing for older, more traditional travelers.

“They may not have big-name shows, you don’t have all the razzle-dazzle, but there’s a lot of elegance with this type of cruising — lovely dinners and you meet so many well-traveled people,” Janssens said. “They tend to be more luxurious, and you go to interesting places that the big ships can’t reach, where there aren’t 10,000 people in port.”

While megaships like Oasis may get the headlines, Janssens theorized that “people who like small ships are becoming even more loyal to them as big ships get bigger.”

Princess Cruises Prepares For Balcony Bonanza with Massive Price Reductions

PR Web

As the key Wave booking period approaches, award-winning Princess Cruises has announced a selection of offers in its 'Princess Sale' that will see more cruisers book a balcony stateroom or mini-suite than ever before.

Manchester, UK (PRWEB) January 6, 2010 -- As the key Wave booking period approaches, award-winning Princess Cruises has announced a selection of offers in its 'Princess Sale' that will see more cruisers book a balcony stateroom or mini-suite than ever before.

Princess Cruises grew its business in the UK by over 10% in 2009, and the line is looking to continue this success in 2010 by launching offers that mean cruise holidays with Princess are better value than ever. The offers are available from Monday 28 December, with prices reduced by up to £800 per couple from that day, as well as offers of up to $200 per couple free onboard spending money, and the line is supporting travel agents with a multi-million pound marketing campaign.

With more affordable balcony staterooms than any other cruise line, Princess is expecting to book a record number of passengers in accommodation with a private outside space, which many now regard as a basic luxury. Passengers pay as little as £60 for an upgrade from an oceanview to a balcony stateroom on a 9-night Caribbean fly-cruise on Emerald Princess. Upgrades from a balcony stateroom to a mini-suite cost as little as £95 per person.

Some of the Specials During the Princess Cruises Summer Balcony Bonus:

"As the market is changing, many passengers now expect a private balcony with an outside view as standard," said Pieter van der Schee, Head of Brand Marketing for Princess Cruises. "Balcony staterooms have become much cheaper and we are expecting a record number of bookers in the key Wave period to take advantage. Our 'Princess Sale' will see massive price reductions on 28 December, making cruising even better value than ever before," he continued.

    * From 28 December, prices are coming down by as much as £800 per couple on Grand Princess sailings from Southampton, plus passengers receive up to $200 per couple free onboard spending money. Cruises to the Med start from £1,269 per person for 14 nights, with upgrades from an oceanview to a balcony stateroom for as little as £175pp, including $200 free onboard spending money per couple. A 7-night Iberia cruise starts from £649 per person.

    * On every 14-night Grand Princess cruise from Southampton to the Mediterranean, passengers can choose from free car parking or free coach transfers to and from the ship.

    * Ruby Princess Mediterranean cruises in summer 2010 also have massive reductions from 28 December, with as much as £400 per stateroom taken off. The 12-night cruises on Princess's latest superliner cost from £1,399pp with up to $200 per couple free onboard spending money.

    * Princess is waving the flight supplement for regional flight departures to its popular Caribbean fly-cruises onboard Sea Princess in winter 2010/11 with flights available from 9 UK departure airports. There are also price reductions of £750 per couple plus $200 per couple free onboard spending money, as 15-night fly-cruises start from £1,469pp.

    * Many more cruises will have their prices reduced on 28 December, including cruises to Scandinavia from Southampton, as well as fly-cruises to the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Alaska cruises. For example, 9-night Alaskan fly-cruises will be reduced by up to £1,000 per couple, with prices starting from just £1,199 per person with up to $200 per couple free onboard spending money.

Disney To Launch West Coast Cruise Options

Fresno Bee

Disney is a year away from launching a permanent West Coast cruise option on its liner the Wonder. The move gives Fresnans the chance to book a Disney vacation at sea without the hassle or cost of a cross-country trek to Florida.

A year sounds like a long time away, but local travel agents say it’s not too soon to book the Disney cruises, which will depart from Los Angeles and sail to the Mexican Riviera and Alaska cruises.

“Savvy travelers know that if they want to go on a Disney cruise, they have to book early,” says Wes Rowland with The Cruise Experts Agency in Visalia. “There’s really nothing that compares to the Disney brand. And there’s a huge Disney market in the Central Valley.”

The Disney cruise joins the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International in making Southern California a port of departure.

Travel experts say January-March is known as the “wave season” for cruises because the three-month period is when the majority of sea treks are booked. Selecting a cruise now will assure some travelers of the best price.

 “The cruise business was down a little last year, but we are seeing that the prices are going back up. That’s because the ships are going out full,” says Morrie Frazier, owner of the Clovis Cruise One travel agency.

The weak economy and the flu scare caused last year’s dip.

Frazier says cruises, in general, are popular because they offer such a broad range of entertainment and dining options — there is usually something to appeal to all ages.

What is making the 2011 move by Disney an attractive option for West Coast travelers is the way the cruise line is designed.

Jonathan Frontado, Disney Cruise Public Relations Manager, says each ship has areas of entertainment for the entire family or for specific age groups.

“We want to make sure that if the entire family wants to be together, there are places for them to go. But, if the children want to go off on their own, then we have special, supervised areas for them,” Frontado says.

The cruises offer a selection of live stage productions with Disney themes, including a musical version of “Toy Story” that can only be seen at sea. Disney shows the latest movies, opening all new films on the ships the same day that they open in theaters on land.

Disney has the only ships authorized to launch fireworks. The aerial display often complements deck performances with a Disney theme, such as “Pirates in the Caribbean.”

David Baldree, producer for Disney Cruise Line, has coordinated at-sea entertainment for five years. His duties range from youth-activity parties to deck shows to major production numbers in the ships’ massive Walt Disney Theatre. And his job is to make sure the entertainment fits all ages.

“We have activities for children, for families, for adults and … in-between with the teens and the tweens,” Baldree says. “The shows we do in the Walt Disney Theatre has to hit all those ages. So it can’t just be a show for kids. It can’t just be a show for adults.”

All of this entertainment is handled by about 200 cast and crew members.

For adults, there are many nightclubs and lounges, such as the Skyline and the Meridian Bar.

The ships offer a variety of dining choices, including restaurants with specific culinary themes where you can eat elaborate meals with American, French, Caribbean and Pacific Rim influences.

Christine Weissman, Disney Cruise Executive Chef, and the teams on each ship work to make dining a universal treat.

“Everything is planned from the morning until evening, and it is always a work in progress,” Weissman says. “We really look at new food trends while paying attention to what are guest favorites.”

Travel agents say the Disney cruises are popular because they’re kid-friendly but make an effort for all ages.

“The fact the Disney cruises will be available on the West Coast will be great and really help our business a lot,” Frazier says.

A Sanctuary For Human Wild Life

Sydney Morning Herald

Lounging back, eyes closed, sweet peace and quiet. There's just the gentle rocking of the waves to remind you that about 1900 other passengers also inhabit this cruising superliner, Dawn Princess.

I'm in a special zone where the usual din of the sun-drenched upper decks and the bustle and buzz of holidaymakers at play are absent. There are no kids screaming and splashing in the pool.

No live band belting out classic rock tunes. No cacophony generated by dozens of different conversations carried on simultaneously. No thirsty throng milling three-deep around the bar.

Instead, a cool drink is just a request away. Nearby passengers are as interested in preserving the peace as I am. An extra touch of ostentatious luxury is provided by a "serenity steward" who will come around to spray you with a mist of chilled Evian water if the sun gets too hot.

Aptly named the Sanctuary, this lounging area is Princess Cruises' bid to deliver one of the few luxuries of busy shipboard life found in preciously short supply - solitude.

Unveiled aboard the Crown Princess in the Caribbean in 2006, the Sanctuary concept is being unrolled throughout the cruise line's worldwide fleet, which is part of the Carnival group.

Dawn Princess, which went into dry-dock for a multimillion-dollar refurbishment in June, is the first of its two Australian ships to get the Sanctuary-branded upgrade.

The Sanctuary is on the forward-most section of the top deck, where a combination of distance and headwinds isolates it from much of the noise and activity of the pool deck.

The oasis-inspired space, child-free and partially sheltered by a sunshade, is kitted out with about two dozen plush lounge chairs around a private splash pool. A small army of staff is always on hand to serve complimentary snacks or fill bar orders. At sunset, there are yoga classes.

Access to the Sanctuary isn't part of the standard inclusive cruising package - patrons are charged $20 a half-day - but there's been no shortage of passengers eager for splendid isolation.

"It's been about creating a niche area, a big ship with a small ship feel," says the director of corporate affairs for Carnival Australia, Sandy Olsen. It's only a short stroll back to the party - and Dawn Princess' other new attraction, a massive LED TV above the pool deck, measuring eight metres by 4.5 metres and with a picture powerful enough to be seen in blazing sunlight.

During the day there's a changing schedule of family-friendly films and concert videos. At night, passengers rug up for movies under the stars, with fresh popcorn and bar service.

Last week, Dawn Princess embarked on a two night repositioning cruise from Sydney to Melbourne, where it will be based from November to March. The ship has since departed on a 28-day circumnavigation of Australia, one of the eight itineraries it will sail in Australia and New Zealand in the 2009-10 summer season.

It's expected to be a bumper year. Cruising has had a surge in popularity in recent years, making it one of the few consistently strong and growing sectors of the domestic tourism industry, particularly during the global financial crisis.

The number of passengers for Australia cruises grew by 26 per cent last year, according to the International Cruise Council Australasia. By comparison, the US cruising market - the largest in the world - grew by just 5 per cent and the British market by 12 per cent.

A recent survey by marketing group Cruise Down Under found there are more ships visiting more Australian ports and spending more money than ever before.

A professor of tourism at Edith Cowan University, Ross Dowling, says the Asia-Pacific region has become the fastest growing for cruising. "[Cruising gives] Australians a holiday that's close to home and it's now a lot more affordable in terms of value for money compared to a lot of domestic and international holidays," he says. "There's a real attraction to a holiday that's pretty much all-inclusive.

"They've [ships] become like massive floating resorts, with everything you can think of onboard to cater to all age groups and interests." Carnival Cruises Australia, which represents P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises locally, had just two ships plying Australian waters a few years ago. It will have six by the end of next year.

The Dawn Princess, launched in 1997 and built for $400 million, has a passenger-to-crew ratio of about three to one, with an emphasis on service. Its sister ship, Sun Princess, is due to be fitted with a Sanctuary and LED screen during its scheduled dry dock in April next year.

Results Are In For Princess Cruises' 'Sea The World' Photo Competition

eTravel Blackboard

Princess Cruises passengers have revealed a talent for amateur photography in a recent competition held onboard Dawn Princess’ first world cruise from Sydney.

The cruise line’s “Sea the World” competition was designed to encourage passengers to capture the heart of each of the 42 ports Dawn Princess visited during her three-month long voyage.

Lake Macquarie resident Ron Bender, who sailed the full 104-night world cruise with his wife Cheryle Bender, won first prize of a new digital camera valued at with a touching photograph of a tiny monkey, a Barbary Macaque, inspecting a fellow passenger’s fingernail in Gibraltar. [Right]

Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President of Carnival Australia, which represents Princess Cruises in Australia, said the competition was a hit with passengers keen to share some of their fantastic experiences on the cruise.

“We were amazed by the creativity of our passengers and their enthusiasm to share their unique experiences around the world with their newfound friends on the cruise,” Ms Lourey said.

“There were so many stunning entries in the competition, the crew said picking a winner was one of the hardest decisions they had to make,” she said.

The 77,000-tonne Dawn Princess is based in Australian waters year-round offering premium cruise holidays.

Dawn Princess’ 2010 world cruise has been selling strongly, with the voyage departing Sydney on May 21 and taking passengers through Asia and the Middle East to Europe, then to the Americas before returning to Sydney. Fares for the full 104-night world cruise start from $30,259 per person twin share for an outside cabin.

The superliner carries 1998 passengers and features close to 1000 staterooms, almost half with private balconies. Ship features include a massive new poolside movie screen to enable passengers to watch movies under the stars and a new child-free Sanctuary retreat, as well as a four-storey atrium, eight restaurants and cafes, seven lounges and bars, four pools and a 550-seat theatre.

Mahogany Bay Cruise Center Officially Opens To Caribbean Cruises

Breaking Travel News

The $62 million Mahogany Bay Cruise Center at Roatan in the Bay Islands officially opened this week and began welcoming cruise ships. The Yachts of Seabourn’s’ 208-passenger Seabourn Legend arrived on Saturday, Nov. 28, followed by discount Princess Cruises’ 3,070-passenger Crown Princess yesterday. Carnival Cruises’ 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor is in port today. Reaction from cruise guests to the new facility has been outstanding.

More than five years in development, and two years under construction, Mahogany Bay Cruise Center encompasses 20 acres of waterfront property and includes a two-berth cruise terminal which can accommodate up to 8,000 passengers daily.  It is a joint project of Carnival Corporation and Roatan businessman Jerry Hynds.

This week’s ship visits are the first of 200 annual ship calls at the new facility, which is expected to host more than 500,000 passengers each year.  In addition to the Yachts of Seabourn, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruises, vessels from Holland America Cruises, Costa Cruises, and P&O Cruises, as well as non-Carnival Corporation brands, are expected to call at the new facility, as well.

In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center offers a welcome center along with a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops. A transportation hub with the ability to accommodate taxis, rental cars and tour buses, along with a wide range of shore excursion opportunities, which can be purchased on board the cruise vessels, are also available.

Unique to Mahogany Bay is a new chair lift system that takes cruise ship guests from the welcome center to beautiful Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and myriad watersports opportunities.  Eight exclusive cabanas are also available for rent.

The “Magical Flying Beach Chair” takes guests on a six-minute ride across nearly 1,200 feet of suspended cables, providing not only convenient beach access but views of the lush countryside as well.  All-day passes for the beach chair lift are $5 per person.  An elevated path is also available for those who prefer to walk.

“The Mahogany Bay Cruise Center not only serves as a gateway to one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands but is also a destination unto itself, with a magnificent white-sand beach and a wide range of shops, restaurants and shore excursion opportunities,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of port and destination development for discount Carnival Cruises.

Coral Princess Revamped

USA Today

Add the Coral Princess to the list of Princess cruise ships that have gotten a big overhaul over the past year.

The 1,970-passenger vessel, which is only seven years old, emerged last week from a two-week drydock that saw the addition of two major features that have become signatures at the line: a giant "Movies Under the Stars" poolside movie screen and an adults-only Sanctuary area.

The for-a-charge Sanctuary ($10 per person/half day) is similar to ones added recently to other Princess ships and features plush padded lounge chairs and the services of dedicated "Serenity Stewards" who are on call to deliver drinks and snacks. The new Movies Under the Stars screen, at 300 square feet, also is similar to what is found on other Princess ships.

Other changes to the Coral Princess include new carpet and upholstery.

The Coral Princess will spend the coming winter sailing 15-night Panama Canal cruises between Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. It'll spend next summer on Alaska cruises.

The overhaul of the Coral Princess comes in the wake of similar revamps for four other Princess  Cruises ships over the past year: The Dawn Princess, Golden Princess, Sea Princess and Caribbean Princess. In addition to a new Movies Under the Stars screen and adults-only Sanctuary, the eight-year-old Golden Princess received a new piazza-style atrium like the ones found on the line's newest ships. 

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SET SAIL ON A MAGICAL VACATION
(and get an Onboard Credit, too!)

Disney Cruise Ship

Take a long deep breath of fresh sea air. Gaze upon a blue you never knew existed. Soak in the magical time that can only be had on a Disney cruise. Kids’ imaginations set sail on a world of wonder and enchantment. And while they’re having the time of their lives, you’ll have time to relax and enjoy each other. But the real magic happens when you come together as a family to enjoy spectacular fireworks, original Disney stage shows, and a visit to Disney’s exclusive island, Castaway Cay. It’s all part of what makes a Disney cruise perfect for everyone—especially you.

And, by booking between October 14 - 28, 2009, you’ll enjoy an onboard credit that can be used for merchandise, photography, spa treatments, shore excursions and other onboard activities.

• 7-Night Cruises or Longer itineraries
$100 onboard credit for cruises sailing Jan. 9, 2010 - Dec. 18, 2010
• 3-, 4- and 5-Night Bahamian Cruises
$50 onboard credit for cruises sailing Jan. 3, 2010 - Dec. 19, 2010

For reservations call 1-800-826-4333
info@cruisemarketplace.com


   

COSTA CRUISES
Book now through October 31, 2009 Only

All categories furnished in modern, functional style to give you the sense of being on holiday.

• Your cabin includes Satellite TV, adjustable air-conditioning, a safe, and a telephone for making international calls.

• Tasty snacks and meals at all times of day.

• Free Small-group sporting activities: muscle-toning exercise, aerobics, Streth&Tone, LAB, Aquagym, Yoga or Pilates classes.

• Wellness & Beauty services: Restorative treatments and therapies for mind and body

• Fun daytime and evening activities for the entire Mom, Dad and children of all ages. On request, baby-sitting service.

IMPORTANT! Fares are in U.S. Dollars, per person, double occupancy, cruise only, and may not include port charges, govt taxes and other cruiseline required fees, unless stated otherwise. These offers may be time-sensitive and capacity controlled. All promotions and rates are subject to availability at the time of booking. To ensure the best price please contact us today for a firm quote. The Cruise Marketplace is not responsible for errors or ommissions. This recurring email was sent to you by Cruise Marketplace. 

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THE CRUISE MARKETPLACE®
Visit our Website: http://www.cruisemarketplace.com
info@cruisemarketplace.com
A division of Figone Travel Group, Inc.
530 El Camino Real, San Carlos, CA 94070
Toll FREE: 1-800-826-4333