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October19, 2004 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Greetings, Cruise Fans, Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News, brought to you by Pat Crane, cruise genius and your best friend when you're looking for a really great price on your next cruise. We have a couple of things to talk about in this issue, but first, let me assure you all that we are fine following the visit of Hurricane Jeanne. All is well. And this weekend, we didn't have a single hurricane or tropical storm anywhere in the forecast! Pat reminded me to welcome all of our new subscribers. We hope you'll enjoy this casual discussion of cruises each week. If you have questions or comments, please write to us at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com That's also the address to write to when you want a quote on a cruise. Pat will do his level best to get you the very best price on every cruise, any departure date and any cabin. Except, of course, for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. One of our readers took it upon themselves to notify Royal Caribbean of our intention to continue to discount. We have been called on it and told to desist at once. So, no more discounts. Ok, what can we do? Well, Pat has some coupons he can use for several Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises. Also, because of the volume of business we do, we qualify for "key account fares" which are the lowest prices available to any travel agent anyplace. And we also have access to lots and lots of group fares on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity departures. So, call Pat. He will have the best LEGAL rates available! Well, hurricane season taught us a lot. We'd never discourage someone from sailing in the late summer and fall. First off, it's a bargain. Secondly, you might get a day or two extra like we did during Hurricane Frances. Remember, cruise lines have invested billions of dollars in their fleet of ships. They are not about to risk those ships (let alone you!) in a dangerous situation. It just won't happen. So, sail summer and fall and enjoy the great fares. Now, however, you might want to consider a couple of precautions. First of all, buy insurance. Pat sells an excellent insurance product that will protect you in case of any bad weather. Let's say you are sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, but the airports in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami are closed because a hurricane is predicted. The ship, however, is going to be kept at sea for an extra day. Without insurance, tough luck. With insurance, you can rebook your air and your insurance will cover the difference and you can fly in a day or two and catch the ship and have a great trip. Another wise decision is cruise air. With your air tickets issued by the cruise line, you become their problem. If the ship sails at a different time than planned, the air-sea department will put you in a hotel, change your flights-in short, do whatever it takes to get you to the ship or home at no additional cost. Although these examples pertain to hurricanes, it would also make sense if you live north and are cruising in the winter. What if your airport is closed? Cruise air and/or trip insurance is the answer! Same with volcano eruptions, earthquakes, fog-even a good old fashioned thunderstorm. Keep it in mind. Pat will remind you when you book your next cruise, too. It just makes sense. Now, ready to cruise? Ok. Call Pat at 1-866-424- 1090 toll-free, visit us at www.7seascruises.com or email him at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com Just a little additional cruise news this week??¦ Costa announces the inauguration program for the Costa Magica, the eleventh ship in its fleet. On 29 October documents will be signed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, where the ship is nearing completion, to officially mark the Costa Magica's transition to the Italian company. The ship will then be moved to the Maritime Station at Ponte dei Mille for the first program in a jam- packed calendar of events to present the ship to the public, institutions, the press and to Italian and international travel agents. On November 2, Costa Magica will play host to about 1,300 Italian travel agents. On November 3, the Cardinal of Genoa, His Excellency Tarcisio Bertone, will bless the plaque of S. Francesco da Paola, guardian of seafarers, and on the ship's bridge, in a ceremony that continues a long-standing Costa tradition for all its new ships. In the evening, the Costa Magica will be presented as a debut to the city of Genoa with a benefit concert, performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. After the concert, the ship will set sail. On November 5, the ship will reach Barcelona to be presented to Spanish and European travel agents and members of the press. On November 6, Costa Magica's christening ceremony will be held including the traditional breaking of the bottle on the side of the ship. In the evening, a spectacular show created by Valerio Festi to celebrate the Costa Magica will be followed by a gala dinner. Costa plans to make 106 calls to Barcelona in 2004, transporting about 200,000 passengers. The number of calls and passengers is expected to increase by 10% in 2005 and in 2006. The Costa Magica is one of the two sister ships that Costa ordered from Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Spa, for a total investment of more than 1 billion euros. The sister ship of the Costa Magica is the Costa Fortuna, the fleet's current flagship and the largest Italian passenger vessel, which entered service in November 2003. Displacing 105,000 grt, the Costa Magica has a length of 272 meters, a breadth of 35 meters and a capacity of 3,470 guests. There are 1,358 cabins and most of them, 857 (63%), are ocean view. Of these, 522 (60%) have a private balcony overlooking the sea and more than 300 have a window. The new ship has some special features including 58 very spacious and elegant suites, each with a whirlpool bathtub. Meanwhile, at Princess??¦ Demonstrating Princess' commitment to operate responsibly in the communities in which it does business, Princess will turn off the engines of its ships when they dock in Seattle next summer and "plug in" to the city's electric utility, which relies on hydroelectric power. This unique shore power project, similar to an arrangement Princess started in the city of Juneau in 2001, is designed to help reduce air emissions. Part of the West Coast Diesel Emissions Reductions Collaborative, the program will enable Princess ships in Seattle to operate with power provided by Seattle City Light. The power will travel to the ship from a specially designed transformer designed to supply electricity to run all onboard services during the day-long calls. Princess' shore power program made history when it first began operations in Juneau. The program debuted in summer 2001 and now the technology is featured on seven ships which use local hydroelectric power when in port. To create this unusual power system, Princess has outfitted its ships with a custom-built state-of-the-art electrical connection cabinet that automatically connects the ship's electrical network to the local electrical network ashore. The electrical power is transmitted from the transformer ashore to the vessel via five flexible electrical cables. The actual cable connection on the vessel is a traditional, though quite large, male/female plug and socket, adapted from the Canadian mining industry. The cost to equip each Princess ship with the connection technology is approximately $500,000. Well done, Princess! Ok, that about wraps it up for this week. Until next week, smooth sailing. Teri |
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| << September26, 2004 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
October19, 2004 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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