The Cruise Explorer

Stock Certificates – a Gift for Travelers

cruiseexplorer — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:40:32 +0000

The next time you’re looking for a truly unique gift for someone whose passion is travel, think about stock in a travel-related company. OneShare.com is “The site that allows everyone to give stock ownership as a gift”

Click on the images below for more information about gifting stock in Carnival and Boeing.

Carnival

Boeing

Free Upgrade to a Veranda stateroom on select European Cruises

cruiseexplorer — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:07:43 +0000

Celebrity is offering a free upgrade from an inside to a veranda stateroom on select European cruises!

Experience exhilarating views from your own private haven. From historic city skylines to breathtaking landscapes. From iconic architecture to moonlit mountains. Expand your perspective on a Europe vacation with a free inside to veranda stateroom upgrade.

11- to 13-night Italy & Croatia, Adriatic, and Mediterranean vacations onboard Celebrity Silhouette
2012 Sail Dates: May 18; Jun. 24; Jul. 5, 17; Aug. 10, 22
Veranda Starting from $799
10- & 11-night eastern Mediterranean vacations onboard Celebrity Equinox
2012 Sail Dates: Jun. 1, 22; Jul. 2, 13, 23; Aug. 3, 13
Veranda Starting from $799
12-night Mediterranean & Venice and Mediterranean & Greek Isles vacations onboard Celebrity Solstice
2012 Sail Dates: Jun. 28; Jul. 10, 22; Aug. 3, 27
Veranda Starting from $1 ,049

For more information, see Celebrity’s flyer.

Princess Cruises from $20 per Day

cruiseexplorer — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 01:03:14 +0000

This is the most amazing sale offer I’ve seen in a very long time! Some example:

4 Days Eastern Caribbean, San Juan to New York on the Caribbean Princess April 29th – $79 Interior, $89 Oceanview
14 Days Mediterranean Passage, Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona on the Ruby Princess April 22nd – $399 Interior, $499 Oceanview
14 Days Panama Canal, Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles on the Island Princess April 27th – $499 Interior, $599 Oceanview
5 Days Alaska Sampler, Vancouver to Seattle on the Star Princess May 15th – $279 Oceanview, $399 Balcony

See the Princess flyer, then give me a call to book your cabin – 1-888-821-3621

Azamara – when bad things happen to good cruise lines

cruiseexplorer — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:40:49 +0000

For the last few weeks Azamara Club Cruises has been telling the world of the awards and accolades they’ve received recently. They were selected number one for best overall experience in the small ships category by Cruise Critic, as well as best in service, best in value, best in fitness, and best for the Mediterranean.

But sometimes bad things can happen. When a fire broke out in the engine room of the Azamara Quest 2 weeks ago, Azamara truly did get the chance to show what they’re made of, at every level of the company from crew to executives.

“People didn’t complain. The captain was phenomenal,” said Dorothy Irvine, a former school principal from Toronto. Margaret Whawell, of Melbourne, Australia said there had been “no panic, no chaos, everything was under control.” “It was unfortunate, but the crew was totally, utterly amazing, taking care of us, making sure we were safe, pulling double duty,” Diane Becker Krasnick of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, told the AP. “I would still highly recommend Azamara.”

It’s one thing to be praised when times are good, but praise after a calamity, well, that speaks volumes. Both Azamara and your travel agent will discuss this event openly with you, and part of that discussion will be to remind you that Azamara Club Cruises truly does strive to be memorable for all the right reasons.

Cruise & Fly Package, Vancouver to Las Vegas

cruiseexplorer — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:46:37 +0000

September 23-28, 2012, sail from Vancouver to Los Angeles on the Golden Princess, motorcoach to Las Vegas, 2 nights in Las Vegas and fly back to Vancouver. Fares start at only $419 per person plus taxes, with many upgrade options available.

See the brochure for details.

Cunard 3-Day Cruise Sale, April 4-6

cruiseexplorer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:30:56 +0000

Book your Cunard voyage on April 4, 5 or 6 and get complimentary double upgrades, reduced deposits and On Board Credits of up to $300

Some sample fares:

St. Petersburg & the Baltic, 14 days:
Select voyages, May to July 2012: Balcony (A7) from $3,195 (reduced from $4,895)
British Isles, 11 days:
July 27, 2012: Balcony (A7) from $2,295 (reduced from $3,595)
Iberia & the Canary Islands, 10 or 11 days
Select voyages, Sep to Dec 2012: Balcony (A7) from $1,695 (reduced from $2,695)
Norwegian Fjords & North Cape, 7-14 days
Select voyages, May to Dec 2012: Balcony (A7) from $1,295 (reduced from $2,395)

See the Cunard flyer for more information.

Save at Choice Hotels for your Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays

cruiseexplorer — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:10:15 +0000

Stay two separate times. Earn one night FREE at over 1,500 hotels.

Book at ChoiceHotels.com and after your second stay with arrival between March 8 and May 8, 2012, you’ll receive enough Choice Privileges points to redeem for a FREE night at over 1,500 hotels. You can register now to earn unlimited free nights during the promotion.

This Spring, get our Best Internet Rates Guaranteed at ChoiceHotels.com.

10% OFF – All Mature Travelers 60 and older receive a 10% discount at Choice Hotels!

Children 18 and younger stay free when they share the same room as their parents or grandparents when paying eligible rates and when no additional bedding is required. Age may vary in different countries. Please check “Hotel Alert” on the hotel information page to verify any restrictions.

Explore the brands of Choice Hotels International. With over 6,100 hotels open in more than 30 countries and territories, we offer travelers a wide range of lodging options, at Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.

Celebrity One-Day European Cruise Sale

cruiseexplorer — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:15:51 +0000

Book your next vacation in celebration of the March equinox. On Tuesday, March 20, 2012 — for one day only — receive up to $200 to spend on board almost any of Celebrity’s 2012 Europe sailings, featuring new rates that make it easier to escape from the day-to-day. Plus, enjoy 50% reduced deposits.

Imagine being immersed in an updated luxury vacation full of art, architecture, history, and culture. But don’t wait too long — you only have 24 hours to take advantage of this exciting offer. Book on March 20, and let Celebrity transport you far from the ordinary.

See this flyer for more information, and give us a call.

The End of The Love Boat

cruiseexplorer — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:23:19 +0000

The cruise ship that became famous as “The Love Boat” in the TV series of that name that was produced from 1977 until 1986, has been sold to a Turkish company to be broken up for scrap. The Pacific Princess has had a colorful history since being launched as the Sea Venture in 1971.

Several ships were used during the filming of The Love Boat, but the Pacific Princess was the usual one used. The popularity of the show is often credited for the dramatic increase in the popularity of cruising during that period.

The Pacific Princess was 500 feet long, with an 80-foot beam and a GRT of 20,000 tons – a small ship by today’s standards. During her period of service with Princess Cruises, 1975 though 2002, the ship had 316 cabins with normal occupancy of 626 guests. She sailed to Alaska, the Mexican Riviera, the South Seas and the Mediterranean.

On March 6th, 2012, the Turkish company Cemsan bought the ship for just over 2.5 million euro (about $3.3 million) and she will be towed to their yard in Aliaga, Turkey, to be broken up in the next few weeks. It’s always sad to see a once-great ship being broken up, but the loss of the Pacific Princess is particularly sad to many us us who watched the show regularly.

Below, the Pacific Princess in 1987.

Celebrity’s Plans for Europe and Alaska in 2013

cruiseexplorer — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:33:03 +0000

Celebrity Cruises today shared a sneak preview of its itinerary plans for the summer of 2013. Speaking to an audience of travel partners and press in London, Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan revealed that, for the first time, joining Celebrity Eclipse in offering modern luxury vacation experiences from the UK will be the newly ‘Solsticized’ Celebrity Infinity.

“Like the reaction to every stunning Solstice Class ship, the response to Celebrity Eclipse from our guests and travel partners has been extremely rewarding, ever since it debuted in Southampton in 2010,” said Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Our decision to expand our European vacation options from the UK on our newly Solsticized Celebrity Infinity is in direct response to increased demand for more of the modern luxury holidays that only Celebrity can provide, as validated by the expanding host of honors our brand continues to receive.”

Within the past three months alone, Celebrity has been named the world’s Best Large-Ship Line in the coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (US); “Best Premium Cruise Company” in Travel Weekly’s annual Globe Awards (UK); “Best Luxury Cruise Company” in the Travel Agents Association Awards (UK); and “Best Cruise Line in Europe” for the second consecutive year, in addition to “Best Premium Cruise Line,” in Travel Weekly’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (US).

Celebrity Eclipse – which this week was named “Best from the UK” in Cruise Critic’s Cruisers’ Choice Awards – will continue to offer sailings from Southampton in the spring and summer of 2013, while Celebrity Infinity – which emerged in December 2011 from Celebrity’s ambitious, four-ship, $140-million Solsticizing investment – will present enticing new British Isles and Fjords sailings from Harwich, England.

Bigger and better, with the most and newest ships in Europe

The summer of 2013 will mark Celebrity’s biggest season ever in Europe, with Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Silhouette, and Celebrity Reflection – which debuts in October of this year – all joining Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Infinity in offering the broadest array of modern luxury cruises and cruisetours on the newest fleet of ships in the region.

Celebrity Solstice to ‘heat things up’ in Alaska

The sleek, 2,850-guest flagship of the Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Solstice – named “Best Premium Ship” in Travel Weekly’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (US) – will become the first of its class to offer vacations in Alaska in the summer of 2013, joining Celebrity Century and Celebrity Millennium in pairing Celebrity’s chic style and design, signature cuisine, exciting activities and extraordinary service with the region’s breathtaking, inspiring scenery.

“Celebrity Solstice is the ideal platform for a genuine modern luxury vacation in the gorgeous state of Alaska,” said Hanrahan. “The ship’s sheer beauty will perfectly complement the region’s incredible scenery. And with 85 percent veranda accommodations, our guests will have that many more opportunities to take in the endlessly appealing views, combined with our unparalleled onboard experience and service provided by the best group of hospitality professionals in the world.”

Rounding out Celebrity’s 2013 summer season

Celebrity Summit, which just this month became the third in Celebrity’s Millennium Class fleet to complete the brand’s noted Solsticizing initiative – incorporating a host of guest-favorite venues and experiences from the Solstice Class onto the Millennium Class – will once again offer Celebrity’s popular Bermuda vacation experiences from the Northeast.

The intimate, 96-guest Celebrity Xpedition – ranked among the top 20 small ships in the world in Conde Nast Traveler’s “Best Ships in the World” readers’ poll this year – will continue to offer the once-in-a-lifetime vacation experiences the brand has offered year-round since 2004 in the enchanting Galapagos Islands.

Complete details of Celebrity’s summer 2013 itineraries – including the full slate of featured destinations, cruisetours and dates of departure – will be announced when the series opens for booking at various dates from early March through early April (Alaska and Northern Europe open March 12th, the Mediterranean on March 26th). The line will continue to present special booking options exclusively for the valued members of its Captain’s Club loyalty program.