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Ahoy, Cruise Buddies, Welcome to another edition of the 7 Seas Cruise News, brought to you by Pat Crane, my best cruise buddy and owner of 7 Seas Cruises, and your best contact for super doper prices for every ship, every itinerary, and every sailing. Call Pat at 1-866-424-1090 toll-free in the U. S., or drop him an e-mail at cruiseplanners7seascruises@msn.com If you live out of the U.S., not a problem. Just write to Pat and he'll call you at your convenience. And you are always welcome at the website, www.7seascruises.com And now, some news. We begin this evening with some scandalous news. Apparently, according to several of our district sales managers from several of the cruise lines, a few agents and agencies out there have been booking cruises at super low prices based on promotional rates, like residency promotional rates or senior fares. Whenever possible, Pat will be happy to get these breaks for you, too. Only difference is Pat won't book you as a senior unless you are at least 55. And he won't book you under a CT or CO residency promotion unless you live in CT or CO or whatever state you actually live in. Turns out, however, that not everyone is as honest as Pat. Some agencies have just booked people at random under these special rates. Now, here is the icky part. The cruise lines have decided to crack down on this. And now, if a passenger goes to check in for a cruise and he's paid the senior rate-or the NJ rate, etc. and he's not 55 or not from NJ, then the cruise line is charging him the difference right at the pier. In some cases, this difference can amount to hundreds of dollars. Yikes! Well, you needn't worry if you book with Pat, but just in case you know someone who booked elsewhere, better check. Apparently, this has been a wide-spread and decidedly sneaky practice. But it's over now! Still, can you imagine how you'd feel if you were informed at check in that you owed an additional $500?? Wow. Carnival Introduces New Mascot--'Fun Ship' Freddy Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a new mascot, "Fun Ship" Freddy, who is now featured throughout the "Fun Ship" fleet. Modeled after the line's signature red, white and blue winged funnel, "Fun Ship" Freddy was created to entertain guests of all ages sailing aboard the "Fun Ships" and reinforce the Carnival brand, according to Carnival President & CEO Bob Dickinson. Carrying upwards of 400,000 kids annually, it seems only natural that the ' Fun Ships' feature a friendly, fun-loving mascot to entertain guests. Decked out in his customary cruise staff uniform, the six-foot- tall mascot features expressive eyes, a perpetual white-toothed grin, oversized white gloves and sneakers, and, of course, the requisite Carnival ID badge. "Fun Ship" Freddy also has a tux for formal night. In addition to greeting visitors as they arrive on the ship on embarkation day, "Fun Ship" Freddy interacts with guests and poses for photos throughout the voyage and is often found in the children's play area, the focal point of many "Camp Carnival" activities. Thus far, more than 20 people have been hired to portray the "Fun Ship" Freddy character. The "actors," mostly former drama students, must undergo an intensive shoreside training session followed by a four-day "test run" in full costume aboard ship before being hired. In conjunction with the debut of "Fun Ship" Freddy, a series of plush toys have been created and are available for purchase aboard the new Carnival Glory. The toys will be available on other Carnival ships in the near future. What's New at Holland America Next summer in Alaska, Holland America will offer all new McKinley Explorer domed railcars for their cruise-tours; the ms Oosterdam AND the ms Amsterdam will sail from Seattle; the ms Zaandam and the ms Volendam will sail Inside Passage cruises round-trip from Vancouver and will offer TWO glacier experiences - Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm. Meanwhile, for Europe next summer, there will be four vessels (ms Rotterdam, ms Prinsendam, ms Noordam and the new ms Westerdam) offering unique Black Sea, Ireland and Ice and D-day 60th Anniversary itineraries. Holland America' s Europe cruises are from 9 to 34 days' duration. Beginning January 20, 2004, ms Maasdam will call Norfolk home on a seasonal basis offering 10 and 11-day cruises. Book by September 30 and receive a free upgrade from inside stateroom to outside stateroom. Get a FREE verandah upgrade on Oosterdam & Zuiderdam sailings from 1/3/04 to 4/10/04. Book cat. F standard outside and receive cat. BB verandah; book verandah cat. A and receive superior suite cat. SS. And if you know (or are) an educator, Holland America offers their Holiday 2003 Teacher Appreciation fares from $699 ( Maasdam 12/21/03). Holland America will extend a special rate to qualified educators who book a Holiday cruise. Meanwhile at CLUB HAL - at embarkation, each guest under 18 is now presented with a Club HAL compact disc case that details their age-specific program for the entire cruise. Each day of activities is printed on round paper and inserted into the keepsake CD case. Holland America now offers early embarkation to guests so that they can board, explore the vessel, and have lunch even if their cabin is not ready for occupancy. And at Celebrity Celebrity Cruises homeport for its annual Bermuda cruises will be Norfolk, Va. The 1,350- passenger Horizon will offer seven-day cruises to Bermuda between April and October next year. The Horizon and its twin, the Zenith, have traditionally sailed to Bermuda from New York; Celebrity will later this year offer its first non-New York-Bermuda departures -- from Philadelphia -- on the Horizon. Bermuda is terrific and offers an amazing variety of beaches, shopping, and sightseeing options. It is oh-so civilized, but charming and friendly. And now with these new ports of embarkation, it's convenient for some other travelers, too. Celebrity Hosts Celebrities Offering lectures and meet and greet opportunities, a number of celebrities have signed on to some Celebrity cruises this fall. Check out this list! Dick Van Patten-Actor-Sept 12-Galaxy Rita Moreno-Actress-Sept 22- Galaxy Richard Dreyfuss-Actor-Sept 22-Galaxy Dick Gordon Jr.-Astronaut-Sept 22-Constellation Sander Vanocur-Newsman-Oct 2-Millennium Bill Harback-Creator/Producer of the "Tonight Show"-Oct 2-Millennium Jane Kean-Actress-Nov 8-Century In closing, just a week until Pat and I pack up and take off for our Baltic adventure on the new Oosterdam! We are so excited, but until next Sunday, 7 Seas Cruises will be open for business. Call or write! Until next week, how many pairs of shoes are too many for a 12-day cruise? And how come men can do it on two or three pairs and I can't figure out how to take less than five? If you can figure it out, e-mail me quickly! Teri My friend Maggie Blackwell offers an always- entertaining ezine chock-full of recipes. If you ever stare at the stove with a blank look on your face, Maggie can provide inspiration. Love to cook? Love to laugh? Join us at A to Z Recipes! We offer a menu PLUS many reader recipe submissions daily. There's something to make you laugh and think in EACH issue. From cooking Acorn squash to Zucchini, join us at A to Z Recipes! Subscription email: 62028- subscribe@zinester.com Maggie Blackwell-Publisher |
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