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| << October04, 2006 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
February02, 2007 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings, Cruise Fans- Let me begin this edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News with a big apology! I have been so neglectful of my cruise news' duties that some of you thought Pat had pulled the plug on 7 Seas Cruises. NOT SO! All is well and he is still offering you the absolute lowest prices out there! The problem is my "day job." I've been working all day-and nights and weekends and writing the newsletter has really suffered. Sorry about that! I will endeavor to do a better job of keeping you informed. And thanks for the reminders! So, Happy New Year everybody! Pat is getting several quote requests every day and he has been able to find some terrific prices for clients just like you. If you have a yen to see the Eastern or Western Caribbean, visit the enchanted islands of the Southern Caribbean, tour the Mexican Riviera, plan your Alaska cruise, sail around Europe or South America, or visit a few off-the-beaten-track kind of places, now is the time to call Pat at 1-866-424-1090! And you know that along with the lowest prices, Pat assures you that, should your price drop, Pat will get you that lower price-or give you the option to upgrade! Your choice! And now, here's some long overdue cruise news! Special ceremonies at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard near Venice were held Monday, January 15 to mark the float out of Cunard's newest Queen, ocean liner Queen Victoria. The first ceremony will involve the welding of significant coins beneath the mast of Queen Victoria for good luck. Two coins have been chosen - a Euro (symbolizing the fact that the ship is being built in Italy) and a gold Queen Victoria sovereign with St George slaying the dragon on the reverse side. After the coin ceremony, a further ceremony will take place on the dockside at which the ship will be blessed, and a bottle of Italian prosecco will be smashed against the hull. The valves of the dry dock will then be opened so the ship meets the water for the first time. The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria will not only be a classic ocean liner, offering the very best of Cunard's heritage and traditions, along with all modern day luxuries, but will also feature some exciting innovations. These will include the first traditional West End-style private viewing boxes at sea in the Royal Court Theatre; the first floating Cunardia museum display, housing Cunard artifacts and memorabilia and the first two-story, 'spiral staircased' library at sea. The ship will also feature the line's celebrated luxury Grills accommodation and dining, further enhanced on Queen Victoria with exclusive deck terraces and an al fresco dining option. There will also be a grand, colonial-style conservatory complete with a retractable glass roof. As well as being the second largest Cunarder ever built, Queen Victoria's arrival is particularly noteworthy as it will mark the first time that three Cunard Queens (she joins the world's largest liner Queen Mary 2 and the world's most famous and best-loved liner QE2) have been in service together in the company's 167-year history. Queen Victoria will depart on her Maiden Voyage on Tuesday December 11, 2007. This 10-night Christmas Markets Voyage will leave from the company's home port, Southampton, and will call at Amsterdam, Copenhagen (overnight call), Oslo, Hamburg and Bruges, enjoying the pre-Christmas decorations and traditional gift markets. After spending her first Christmas in the Canaries, Queen Victoria will embark on her 106-night Maiden World Cruise which will call at 37 cities in 23 countries. Every call, with the exception of Lisbon, will be a maiden call for Cunard's new Queen. Queen Victoria will circumnavigate the globe in a westbound direction and, after calling at New York, will transit the Panama Canal before making maiden calls at some of the world's most famous cities including Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Dubai, Athens and Barcelona. Queen Victoria will also transit the other of the great canals, the Suez, before returning to her homeport of Southampton on April 22. Early Booking Fares for the complete voyage range from $20,304 per person, based on double occupancy, to $203,404 per person, based on double occupancy. Interested? Pat will help you secure a fantastic discount! For the 13th year in a row, Carnival Cruise Lines has been named a "best cruise value" by Ocean & Cruise News, the monthly publication of the World Cruise & Ocean Liner Society, comprised of highly experienced cruise enthusiasts. The awards were featured in the publication's Nov. 15, 2006, issue. Carnival earned top honors in the High Superior Four-Plus Star Category and was named the "Best Short Cruise Value" in the publication' s annual "Best Value Awards" recognizing those cruise lines that provide the highest quality product at the best price. Additionally, in the overall value rankings, Carnival Cruise Lines placed second behind sister company Holland America Line. Carnival was recognized for its fleetwide product upgrades and enhanced service standards, along with varied entertainment options, spacious accommodations and stimulating on-board atmosphere. Pat asked me to remind all of you to please visit the website of your cruise line and pre-register after you've booked. You do not need to wait for your documents. By doing this pre-registration, you qualify for express check in which will save you some time at the pier. It also means you can go online and check out shore excursions-and in most cases, book them early-way ahead of the unregistered crowd. This is great if you want to ride a zip line or sign up for a really popular excursion with limited participation! While we were out of touch, Pat and I had the opportunity to spend a week aboard Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. The first week of December was a quiet week, so some of Royal Caribbean's favorite agents were invited aboard to experience RCCL hospitality first hand at a seminar at sea. It was fantastic! The Serenade is a "Radiance Class" RCCL ship-my favorite Royal Caribbean configuration. Although certainly not the largest RCCL ship, the Serenade has everything you need for a great cruise vacation, without acres of deck and miles of walking. From the theater's great sightlines to the beautiful solarium pool, the ship is beautiful and convenient to explore. Our ocean- view cabin was mid-ship and perfectly adequate. We could get anywhere-from the deck 11 casual restaurant to the lovely lobby bar-in just seconds. There were an abundance of elevators, but since everything is just a deck or two away, we actually did more walking that usual. Cuisine was top-notch! We skipped a dining room dinner and opted to dress down and eat up top one night. This was a great alternative, since we had discovered that the buffets on board were better than ever. Royal Caribbean has worked on their menus and their food prep. Everything was much improved! We also tried the fabulous Portofino ( extra charge) dining room. Elegant service and delicious food in a marvelous, quiet atmosphere. The Serenade of the Seas' itinerary is non-stop fun. Sail from San Juan on Saturday, spend Sunday in St. Thomas, Monday in St. Maarten, Tuesday in Antigua, Wednesday in St. Lucia, Thursday in Barbados, then relax on Friday while the ship motors back toward San Juan for Saturday arrival. As a special treat, the captain took the ship out of Castries, St. Lucia and cruised along the entire coast of St. Lucia, just feet from the Pitons-those breathtaking mountains that rise straight up from the sea. We hung out on deck that night, figuring that view would be better than dinner on time. Oh boy, it was! Ready to sail? Give Pat a call, toll-free, at 1- 866-424- 1090 and he'll be happy to help you! And watch for another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News coming later this week-complete with our review of the brand new Norwegian Pearl! Until then, smooth sailing! Teri |
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| << October04, 2006 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
February02, 2007 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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