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Greetings, Cruise Fans Welcome to the 6/30 edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News. Pat and I were wondering about the impact this (dare we say it??) recession is having on the cruise business. While booking some clients this week, Pat observed that there are a number of sold-out ships, or at least sold-out categories. This seems to be especially true in terms of mid-season Alaska sailings. Good to know that a lot of people will be taking their summer vacations anyway. But if you're among those who are rethinking this vacation idea, may I suggest you skip summer and sail in the fall? Traditionally cruise rates drop when kids head back to school and except for Thanksgiving week, they stay low right up until Christmas. Some of the best bargains are the first week or two of December. Now during the fall, you can't go to Alaska (although you can sail in September and save), but it's still warm and wonderful in the Caribbean. And November and December are fun in the islands as craft markets gear up for holiday giving. Consider a fall getaway-and call Pat to see where the best bargains are. He's making his list now! 1-866-424-1090 toll-free. And if you're on the west coast or close, Carnival has some amazing prices on the Mexican Riviera! Sail from Long Beach or San Diego-and save. NCL has some new military rates, too-not quite as good as those offered by Carnival, but not bad at all. And now, some cruise news... Holland America Line: Lucky No. 14? dating back135 years to 1873, Holland America Line has seen change in its time. Moving its headquarters temporarily from Rotterdam to Curacao during the Second World War, New York became the company's headquarters in 1971, and finally, in 1983, it moved to Seattle after its acquisition of Westours. In 1989, Holland America Line, with a fleet of four ships, became the first important brand to join the Carnival stable. Now, this week's christening of the new 86,273-ton Eurodam by Queen Beatrix in Rotterdam (the tenth Holland America ship to be christened by a Dutch royal), sees the company up to fourteen passenger ships, more than it has ever had in its history. Guests who book a stateroom on select MSC Cruises' Caribbean sailings by Aug. 31 are eligible to receive a shipboard credit of up to $200 per stateroom. The amount of the shipboard credit will be determined by the type of stateroom: Interior stateroom -- $25 shipboard credit per person (maximum $50 per stateroom) Oceanview -- $50 shipboard credit per person Balcony or Suite -- $100 shipboard credit per person The shipboard credit offer is valid on the following sailings: MSC Lirica's 10-night Deep Caribbean itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on March 4, March 24 and April 13. MSC Orchestra's 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale March 7. Plus, children under the age of 17 sail free on all sailings when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults and guests need only place a deposit of $100 per person. According to an Associated Press story, The Caribbean remains a top destination among cruisers, and more are bringing their children along for the journey, according to a new survey by the Cruise Lines International Association. Cruise experts also say that, in response to rising fuel costs, cruise lines are increasing surcharges and changing their itineraries. Some are skipping Aruba, once a popular port, because of the extra fuel it takes to get there. Consumer interest in cruising remains strong, according to the association, with 55 percent of vacationers who have never taken a cruise intending to do so in the next three years. But many cruisers are watching their dollars, cutting back on onboard spending, planning independent short excursions and choosing a cruise near a home port to avoid having to fly to meet the ship. That means the Caribbean is rebounding and the Mediterranean is losing out. So much so that Carnival is pulling Carnival Freedom from its previously announced 2009 summer itineraries in the Mediterranean and positioning it year-round in the Caribbean, she says. Even with no end in sight to rising gas prices, cruising is not expected to decline. The overall satisfaction ratings are high: 95 percent of all cruisers rate their experience as satisfying and more than three-fourths of past cruisers plan to take another cruise within three years. In an industry first, Costa Cruises simultaneously floated out two new ships this week at two different shipyards in Italy. Costa Luminosa was floated out at Fincantieri' s yard in Marghera, near Venice. The 92,700- ton, 2,828-passenger ship is a new and innovative design for the line that will feature a 4D cinema, a rollerblading track and a golf simulator allowing you to virtually play on 37 courses around the world. Costa Luminosa will debut in April 2009. In the meantime, Costa Pacifica, a 114,500-ton, 3,780-passenger sister ship to Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, which will debut the following month, was also floated out -- at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponentri shipyard in Genoa. A a sister to Costa Luminosa which is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2010 will be named Costa Deliziosa. Royal Caribbean's US$1.24 billion Oasis will be 1,180 feet long, and carry 5400 passengers (6,400 at a pinch). It's the most expensive ship in history, and it's longer, wider and taller than the largest ocean liner ever built, (Cunard's QE II), 43 per cent larger in size than the world's largest cruise ship, (Freedom of the Seas) and remarkably, bigger than any military ship ever built, aircraft carriers included. In a world where choice of amenities count. That's it for this edition. Give Pat a call and see how low can he go on a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise this fall. It'll be a bargain! 1-866-424-1090. Happy 4th of July. Hope you enjoy your day! We'll be watching the Seminole Rodeo and fireworks. Now, that's American! Teri |
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