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| << August04, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
August18, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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Hello, Everyone Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News. We are pleased to welcome our new subscribers, too. Hope you enjoy this weekly, informal update on the world of cruising, brought to you by Pat Crane-my husband and the proprietor of 7 Seas Cruises. A lot of people have asked about Pat's background, so I thought I would take a minute in this newsletter to tell you something more about us. Pat is a U.S. Navy veteran. He had every manner of clearance during his Navy years, spent some time at the U.S. Embassy in Manila and, in general, had a grand old time. He was for many years the owner of his own masonry company in Dallas and in Houston. Then he came home to Indiana, and went to work as a union bricklayer. He was a trustee of the union pension board and a member of the union contract negotiating committee. After a heart attack forced him to stop working outdoors, he selected the cruise business as his new career and in 1999, we bought a Cruise Planners' franchise and opened 7 Seas Cruises. Pat is the father or stepfather of "the four most beautiful girls in the world," (his words) and the grandpa of the cutest one. What you hear barking in the background when you call Pat is "Bob"-60 pounds of white fur who has become as familiar to agents at Carnival and Royal Caribbean as Pat himself. As for cruise experience, between us, we've been all over the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, the Mediterranean, Atlantic Canada and the Panama Canal. Next stop: the Baltic aboard the brand new Holland America Oosterdam 8/27. I mention all of these things about Pat because just this week we heard of some mighty creepy dealings in this business, and that won' t happen with Pat. We're a little "mom & pop" shop. Because we're affiliated with Cruise Planners, we qualify for the best quantity- based discounted prices in the industry. And then, Pat sharpens his pencil and cuts his commission to make sure you get the very best price! Also, when he gives you a price, it's a real price. When he says it includes taxes and port charges, it does. He won't bait and switch. And since he plans to be in this business for many years to come, he wants you to be his long-time, happy customer! If you book with him, and your cruise price happens to go down, he will give you the lower price. This is a rarity in the cruise business. Often, if this happens, an agent will merely say, "Oh, I got you an upgrade," when in reality, the choice OUGHT to be yours. Do you want to pay for an upgrade? Or do you want to keep your same cabin or category and get a lower price? It's your money. Pat thinks it ought to be your choice. There! I've bragged on him enough. And now, some cruise news??¦ Serenade Sails Royal Caribbean is the latest to accept delivery of a new vessel. The 90,090-ton, 2, 110-passenger Serenade of the Seas was released from Meyerwerft Yard in Papenburg, Germany and sailed to Amsterdam for European- oriented launch festivities. Ultimately, the ship will make its way across the Atlantic for even more-festive inaugural celebrations. The ship, which is part of Royal Caribbean's Radiance series, gets its name in New York next month. Whoopi Goldberg will officially christen and name the ship on August 22. Serenade is unusual for Royal Caribbean because she will be based in New York on a seasonal basis, doing Canadian itineraries September 1 - October 27. Serenade then heads to San Juan, where it will offer Southern Caribbean voyages. Celebrity Sues Celebrity Cruises has filed a $300 million lawsuit against Rolls Royce and Alstom Power Conversion over the problematic "mermaid pod" propulsion systems that plague all of the Millennium-class ships - Millennium, Infinity, Summit and Constellation. Expensive ship cancellations have resulted, including an 11- day voyage on Millennium due to the faulty pods. Rolls Royce and Alstom Power Conversion are co-producers of the innovative mermaid pod propulsion system. Celebrity says the lawsuit was filed "after repeated attempts to resolve issues satisfactorily." Celebrity is seeking to recover revenue it has lost and costs it has incurred as a result of canceling five voyages and abbreviating one.The company stressed in its statement that the pod breakdown posed no safety issues. Other cruise lines that have installed the mermaid propulsion system on their vessels include Radisson (Seven Seas Mariner), First European ( European Vision and European Stars), Crystal ( Serenity) and MSC (Lirica). Cunard's much- hyped-though-still-under-construction Queen Mary 2 has also been equipped with the pod- propulsion system. All of these vessels are products of France's Chantiers l'Atlantique shipyard. NCL Dawn to Stay in NY Norwegian Cruise Lines will continue basing Norwegian Dawn in the "Big Apple" on a year-round basis. Norwegian Dawn, the only ship to sail from Manhattan in all seasons, is in its first year there, and Andy Stuart, the company's senior vice president, says the ship has been very well received. Norwegian Dawn primarily offers seven day unique-in-the-industry roundtrips that call at the Bahamas (Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay), Port Canaveral (Orlando) and Miami. Certain 10- and 11-day voyages feature deepest Southern Caribbean ports-of-call. This is a rarity on ships sailing from Miami and a first for ships from the northeast. These voyages feature stops at Barbados, Antigua, Dominica, and Grenada, as well as closer-in Eastern Caribbean islands like St. Thomas, Tortola and St. Maarten. An NCL spokesman says, "You leave New York on Sunday afternoon and by Monday lunchtime you'll generally be in shorts- and-T-shirt weather outside of Cape Hatteras." More QM2 Hype "With 10 dining venues aboard Queen Mary 2, even the choosiest guest will find a taste to tantalize their palate. Whether in the soaring Britannia Restaurant, the intimate Princess Grill or exclusive Queens Grill, every dining experience is an epicurean adventure. Renowned chef Todd English will lend his name - and Mediterranean-style cuisine - to the alternative restaurant where guests can dine on his innovative creations. The casual Kings Court serves breakfast and lunch buffets, then turns into four distinct dining venues in the evening: Italian cuisine in La Piazza, Asian in Lotus, British roasts in The Carvery and an interactive open-kitchen in Chef's Galley. The Boardwalk Café and Golden Lion pub offer snack food, and there's 24-hour room service from the sanctity of your stateroom. Can you wait to celebrate aboard QM2 as she glides across the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean on her Inaugural visit?" So says the latest brochure. And Now, My 2-Cents Worth Granted, I am as curious as anyone about this ship. It is going to be a beauty-no doubt! It is also going to be fabulously expensive. And, for a certain customer, who can and will spend this outrageous amount to sail upon her, bon voyage! But, as a mere peasant (and I am), why would I want to spend huge money to sail steerage? Yes, it's all I can afford, but that means the Princess Grill and the Queen's grill are off-limits to me-as is a certain area of the ship accessible only by "private" elevators. Somehow, I think I would prefer investing my meager vacation funds on a ship that allows me complete access to every nook and cranny. And allows me to eat in THE dining room, not a specially-reserved Grill to which I must buy admission! I'd love to hear your take on this. Am I missing something? Finally,Pat asks me to alert you to our office closing. As of August 24, we'll be closed until September 11. We're off to sea-of course, sailing the Baltic on the brand new Oosterdam. We're taking the laptop with us and we will try to send a newsletter or two with some news about the ship and ports. If you have a question, e-mail us at the usual cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com address. Pat will be in touch in the next few days if you have a final payment due, and if you are expecting tickets, he's urging the cruise lines to expedite them so you'll have them in plenty of time for your trip! If you have any advice about "must see" things in Stockholm or Visby, Sweden; Arhus or Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo; Helsinki; Tallinn, Estonia; or Warnemunde, Germany, please drop us a line. We' re planning on a River Neva Cruise and a visit to Catherine's Palace in Pushkin while in St. Petersburg, and a day trip to Moscow! Likewise, is there something we should bring back? Again, I'd love to hear your suggestions! One last thing??¦If you have any plans to sail Christmas week or New Year's Week, please call Pat as soon as possible. New Year's Week is immensely popular this year and some ships are already sold out. Prices are rising quickly, so act now! Christmas is still a little lighter, but already you will need to be flexible to get the ship, itinerary or type of cabin you want! And on that note, I'll wrap this up. Until next week, drop in at www.7seascruises.com and look around. You're always welcome! Teri |
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| << August04, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News |
August18, 2003 - 7 Seas Cruise News >> |
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