A client asked this question in the office just the other day. I did some research and found this really informative article from Cruise Critic giving you all the pros and cons of booking guarantee cabins.

Kumuka Adventure Travel Sale

3 days only -  Starts tomorrow

1000 seats at 35% off

Kumuka offers more than 600 tours and itineraries covering 83 countries spanning all 7 continents. Tours vary in style including Small Group Tours, Coach Tours, Overlanding Tours, Cruises and Active Trekking Tours. Call into the office for more details!!

Well it was just a matter of time when Crystal was going to have to get on the bandwagon and go all inclusive in order to compete with the other six star cruise lines in their category.

While Crystal is the only “big ship” experience at that price point, their direct competitors: Silversea, Regent and Seabourn have all been all inclusive for years now. Who knows in the end run if all inclusive actually costs more than just paying for what you use, but most people hate being charged constantly.

This does allow Crystal now to compete based on ship amenities alone. As a larger ship, they have more dining venues, bigger production shows and more options. That being said, a lot of six star cruisers prefer the advantages of smaller ports and the more collegial atmosphere of a smaller ship.

In the end, the consumer will decide but it is an interesting development in the cruising market no doubt!

Wanna check out the Royal Wedding? Or just hang out where the royals do? Air Canada has some great packages to London. Interested? Give us a call at the office and we’ll put it together for you!

After Friday’s devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunamis, Foreign Affairs Canada is advising against non-essential travel to Japan, especially to the prefectures of Chiba, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Iwate, Fukushima and Aomori. Sendai City, Fukushima City and Aomori City have been hardest hit.

The earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure, disrupting power and telecommunications. Tokyo Electric Power has said it will ration electricity with rolling blackouts in parts of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Transportation routes, emergency and medical care, as well as water and food supplies have also been affected. 

 Canadians travelling to affected areas should contact their airline or tour operator to determine whether the situation will disrupt travel arrangements. They should also exercise caution, monitor local news and weather reports, and follow the advice of local authorities.

For more information - CLICK HERE

Norwegian Cruise Line has completed the first phase of enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay, its 250-acre private island in the Bahamas. On Feb. 3, the company opened the new marina and dining facility on the island, representing a milestone in the more than $20 million enhancement project currently underway.

The marina basin has four docks for the island’s tenders. The new 8,500-square-foot dining facility has two bars and four picnic pavilions.

“Both the new marina and the dining facility greatly enhance the guest experience on Great Stirrup Cay which is our second busiest port of call this year,” said Kevin Sheehan, NCL president and CEO. “By moving the tenders’ arrival to the marina and away from the beach, we have now opened up a great expanse of beachfront for our guests to enjoy and relax. We’ve also built a new large dining facility that is similar to the action station restaurants we have on board our Freestyle Cruising ships.”

The marina is approximately 12 feet deep at low water and is home to the island’s four tenders. It took more than eight months to excavate the basin and the entrance channel.

The dining facility includes a central pizza-making station, two grills, hot and cold food stations, as well as fresh fruits and breads. There are two full bars on either side of the facility. The four pavilions, each more than 1800 square feet, offer picnic tables with a total seating capacity for more than 500 guests.

Enhancements to Great Stirrup Cay have been underway since January 2010 and will continue through the end of this year. Several new island activities have been added since the project began including more than 16 WaveRunners, kayak rentals and an eco-adventure boat tour around the island. These are in addition to the existing snorkeling, floats, inflatable hippo slide and parasailing.

The second phase includes an arrival/departure pavilion, additional bar facilities, several comfort stations, a band stand, cruise program activity area, private beachfront cabanas, a kids play area, straw market and beach volleyball courts. The beachfront will continue to be expanded on the island’s west end.

NCL has owned the island since 1977 when it became the first cruise line to offer an uninhabited tropical island experience exclusively for its guests. 

Egypt Update:

Cruise lines continue to cancel ports of call in Egypt due to the political unrest and there seems to be little end in sight.. Itineraries are being altered to replace Egyptian sailings and most cruise companies are announcing that passengers can rebook on a new sailing or get a full refund. Those who take the cruises with an altered itinerary will not receive compensation as the situation is out of the control of the cruise line.

Uniworld, Abercrombie and Kent, Viking, Avalon and Cosmos Tourama cancelled cruises through February 28. Abercrombie and Kent and Uniworld extended suspensions of Nile river trips through March 31. Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club Cruises dropped their call to Egypt and Costa Cruises cancelled all calls in Egypt and Tunisia. Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC, Cunard and Grand Circle Cruises, altered or cancelled Egypt sailings for the season.

Please call the office for more information if you’re worried that your travel plans may be affected by the political unrest in Egypt. This is just another example of why it pays to use an agent to book your vacation. You have an advocate in your corner and someone who can find out information for you. Just saying…

Save $400 and receive a free pair of binoculars on this Newfoundland Tour!

One week only folks.

Starts February 7, 2011

Seabourn Cruises have deeply slashed their pricing on European cruises. Ask me why a six star cruise line - arguably the best cruise line in the business according to the top industry awards - would be lowering their prices? Its all economics.

Seabourn’s fleet used to be three very gracious and lovely “yachts” as they like to call them. Each ship held 225 passengers. That meant they only had to fill 675 passengers each departure. 

In the past three years, Seabourn has built three new ships for their fleet. Doubling the number of ships and adding the demand to fill an extra 1300 passengers or so each departure. More availability means lower prices until they can build up the demand again for the product. Simple economics.

What does this mean for you? Try a European cruise, with gratuities, drinks and gourmet dining for just $2400! You heard me. How about cruising the Norwegian Fjords for only 3560? This cruise is over 60% off.

This deal is so good, I booked a cruise yesterday. 

One week. Call the office and get in on it too!