This Week’s Handpicked Deals

Royal Caribbean Extended Price Drop Sale

Royal Caribbean will be offering a Memorial Day Sales event starting today through Tuesday, featuring highly discounted rates on over 40 sailings that are departing in the next couple of months. This awesome sale is similar to their Tuesday price drops, but this one is extended for the Memorial Day holiday.

That means you can take advantage of these amazing cruise deals starting NOW! There is a nice selection of sailings on this sale featuring cruises to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe and Alaska this summer. You can see all the discounted cruise deals that are a part of this sale here.

Of course, I’ve picked out my favorite:

Don’t miss out on this sale, because once Wednesday comes around these rates will go right back up. Luckily you have 5 whole days to book! But, I wouldn’t suggest waiting until the last day as the availability is always subject to change.

Celebrity Extended Price Drop Sale + $50 Credit for the Military

Celebrity will also be holding an extended sale for the Memorial Day holiday where rates on 29 sailings departing this summer, have been dramatically reduced for a limited time. The sale starts today and goes through Wednesday, May 30th, giving you plenty of time to take advantage of these offers!

PLUS, in addition to the incredibly discounted rates, they are even offering for the 3rd and 4th guest to sail free on select sailings and in select categories. This offer cannot be booked online, so give us a call at 800-668-6414 to take advantage of it.

Of course I’ve picked out my favorite deal below, but you can check out all of these discounted Celebrity cruise deals here.

Are you veteran or active military personnel? Celebrity is giving you $50 onboard per stateroom on all 29 sailings that are a part of this sale! Call 800-668-6414 for more information and to book.

Last Call: Exclusive Last Minute Allure & Oasis Deal

CruiseDeals.com has secured exclusive rates on the Oasis and Allure of the Seas departing on June 16th and June 17th. Balcony cabins on these last minute sailings start from just $1049! But hurry, Saturday, May 26th is the last date to take advantage of these incredible rates! Learn more about this exclusive offer here.

What’s on deck this week?  Celebrated chefs to come onboard Holland America ships this summer, more cruise ship christenings and Costa presents a plan to remove the Costa Concordia wreckage [video below].

To receive cruise-related news each week in your inbox, Click to subscribe to CruiseSource!

Holland America Line to Host Five Celebrated Chefs During Summer Cruise Season
During Holland America Line’s summer cruise season, the Culinary Arts Center program presented by Food & Wine magazine will host five of the world’s most celebrated chefs who will showcase their expertise and share tips with guests. Chef Kevin Sbraga, Food Stylist Denise Vivaldo, Entrepreneur Sonia Hunt, Chef Angelo Sosa, and Chef Jonathon Sawyer will be aboard five of the line’s premium ships in July and August as part of the line’s robust Culinary Arts program that offers culinary enrichment opportunities for guests on more than 500 cruises annually.

During their cruises, the experts will perform complimentary cooking demonstrations in the Culinary Arts Center, the line’s state-of-the-art show kitchens aboard each ship. The interactive sessions include recipe handouts, food tastings and the opportunity for questions and answers and photos with the culinary celebrities.

MSC Set to Officially Christen Divina this weekend
The MSC Divina was officially delivered to MSC Cruises at the STX France shipyard earlier this week during the traditional flag ceremony.  The 4,345 guest MSC Divina set sail this week from   Saint-Nazaire, and is scheduled to reach reach the port of Marseille on Friday, May 25 for her official christening ceremony the next day.  The highlight of the event will of course be the cutting of the ribbon and the naming of the ship by screen legend Sophia Loren.

New features to MSC Divina’s 30,000 square metres of public areas include the Garden Pool, an ‘infinity’ style pool with a chic and minimal design and its four ‘resounding sculptures’, to the Galaxy restaurant in the disco with its fabulous Mediterranean fusion cuisine and its chic décor, based around the theme of light.

InnerSea Discoveries/American Safari Cruises Inaugurates Two New Ships
InnerSea Discoveries/American Safari Cruises recently welcomed the 86-guest Safari Endeavor and 76-guest Wilderness Explorer (both former Cruise West ships) into their UN-CRUISE fleet (their combined fleet of upscale yachts and expedition vessels) at a ceremony in Seattle.  CEO and Principal Dan Blanchard led a traditional maritime christening ceremony, and together with Tim Jacox, executive vice president of sales and marketing, unrolled a banner announcing the line as the UN-CRUISE. 

The UN-CRUISE Adventures fleet includes three yachts currently offering Luxury Adventures and three expedition vessels offering Active Adventures. In 2013, the 88-guest Safari Legacy joins the fleet of yachts to offer Heritage Adventures. Destinations for un-cruises include Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, Columbia and Snake Rivers and Washington and British Columbia.

According to Jacox, Un-Cruise Adventures are fully-focused on the luxury of experience: quality over quantity, wildlife over night life, and life changing encounters over fleeting entertainment. Un-Cruise Adventures are hands-on with ‘tools’ provided – kayak, snorkel, paddle board, explore by skiff, hike, beachcomb; view whales, bears, dolphins, eagles, sea turtles and other wildlife.

Costa Victoria Launches from Shanghai on Maiden Voyage
Costa Cruises held a launch ceremony this week for Costa Victoria at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. The launch of the 75,200-ton, 2,394-guest Costa Victoria cements Costa Cruises’ leadership position in China. Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal will be the homeport for Costa Victoria, which will provide 33 itineraries a year, making Costa Cruises the biggest international operator at the terminal.  Renowned fashion designer Mary Ma, considered to be China’s first international supermodel and famed for promoting Chinese fashion on the global stage, served as the ship’s godmother.

Salvage Companies to Begin Removing the Costa Concordia Wreck
Costa recently presented their plan to remove the wreck of the Costa Concordia from the coast of Giglio Island.  The contractors chosen to remove the wreck are Titan Salvage, part of the Crowley Group, an American-owned specialist marine salvage and wreck removal company and Micoperi, a well-known Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering.

The plan to refloat the hull in one piece gives top priority to minimizing environmental impact, protecting Giglio’s economy and tourism industry, and maximizing safety. Environmental protection will have top priority throughout the monumental salvage operation, the likes of which has not been attempted before anywhere in the world.  Once removal is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted.

Costa Concordia Salvage Video

Operations will be divided into four basic stages:

● After stabilizing the ship, a subsea platform will be built and caissons that can be

filled with water will be fixed to the side of the ship that is out of the water

● Two cranes fixed to the platform will pull the ship upright, helped by the caissons,

which will be filled with water

● When the ship is upright, caissons will also be fixed to the other side of the hull

● The caissons on both sides will then be emptied, after treating and purifying the water to protect the marine environment, and filled with air.

Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Italian authorities.

This Week’s Handpicked Deals

Royal Caribbean Kids Sail Free to Europe

Now through May 31st, Royal Caribbean is offering select 9-Night cruises to Europe where children that are 11 and under sail free. Don’t miss out on this unbelievable offer! Read more about this sale here.

NCL Alaska Bonus Days

For three days only; today May 18th through May 20th, NCL is offering $100 onboard credit on all open for sale Alaska cruises!

What I really like about this offer is that it is for all cabin types and categories, and there are very few restrictions, you can even combine this with other onboard credit offers from CruiseDeals.com!

Here is my favorite Norwegian Alaska cruise deal:

Looking for something different? You can search all NCL Alaska cruise deals here. However, because this sale is not combinable with certain rate codes, it is best give us a call at 800-668-6414 to confirm your eligibility and book this offer.
 

On Deck: What’s Coming Up Next Week

Tuesday Price Drops

Each Tuesday brings fantastic price drops for one day only from both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Both cruise lines offer these weekly cruise deals on a handful of sailings, usually departing in the next few months, featuring seriously discounted rates. Don’t miss out on these great rates on Tuesday, because once Wednesday comes around the prices will go right back up!

Don’t want to wait until Tuesday? CruiseDeals.com is now offering the ability to pre-reserve these special rates. Call 800-668-6414 for more information.

As usual, I’ve done some research for you and picked out what I think are the best deals from each cruise line’s sale:

Celebrity

Royal Caribbean

What’s happing in the cruise world this week?  A new cruise app from Crystal Cruises lets you share postcards from your journey, and did you know you can take an Alaskan King Crab or Lobster Festival cruise on American Cruise Line? 

 Sign me up for all-you-can-eat crab or lobster! 

There was also two exciting cruise ship christenings that took place this past week from Oceania Cruises and Avalon Waterways.

To stay on top of cruise related news, Click to subscribe to CruiseSource!

Crystal Cruises Introduces New Cruise Ap to Let Cruisers Share Virtual Postcards
In a luxury cruise industry first, Crystal Cruises has created an iPhone app to help travelers literally and figuratively share custom postcard images of their journeys via social media, email and even “snail mail.”  Incorporating the personalized memoir look and feel of the line’s just-launched “Begin a New Story” brand campaign, “The Storyteller” photo-customization app is available for free download from iTunes.

The user-friendly app invites both tech-savvy and tech-timid travelers to snap a memorable moment, stunning view, or new friend with their iPhone, and then use the app to add professional-style effects and share the image on one’s own Facebook page, Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page, or via email.  The “Storyteller” even provides an option to create an actual paper postcard that can be personally signed and mailed to friends and family with the tap of a touchscreen. 

American Cruise Line Introduce Culinary Theme Cruises
American Cruise Lines recently announced their new Culinary Cruise Collection, a various selection of cruises that place special emphasis on the trademark cuisine of specific cruising regions, including Alaska, New England, the Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River and the Pacific Northwest.  Theme cruises include:

• Alaskan King Crab Cruise
• Lobster Festival Cruise
• Crabfest Cruise
• Culinary & Wine Themed Cruise
• Savories of the South Cruise 

Oceania Cruises Christens Riviera in Barcelona
Oceania Cruises christened Riviera, the newest entry in the upper-premium cruise ship market, during an invitation-only, gala ceremony in Barcelona this week for 1,300 guests. The ship’s godmother, Chef Cat Cora, the restaurateur, humanitarian, author, and co-host of Bravo’s new “Around the World in 80 Plates,” named the ship, joined by Deacon Ricardo Rodriguez-Martos of the Barcelona’s Apostleship of the Sea, who bestowed the traditional blessings.

Like Marina, her sister ship, Riviera also features a Bon Appétit Culinary Center, a Canyon Ranch SpaClub®, luxurious suites by Dakota Jackson, Ralph Lauren Home-furnished Owner’s Suites, and a grand Lalique staircase lit from above by a dazzling, custom-made chandelier. Her distinguishing features include a museum-worthy collection of fine art focusing on the works of some of Latin America’s most accomplished and admired contemporary artists and an Artist Loft with hands-on instruction.

Avalon Waterways Christens Two Suite River Cruise Ships
Avalon Waterways unveiled and christened two Suite Ships in Enkhuizen, Holland – the Avalon Visionary and the Avalon Vista.  Guests gathered to witness two godmothers (TRAVELSAVERS’ Nicole Mazza served for the Avalon Visionary and Canadian travel insider Vanessa Lee for the the Avalon Vista) bless two Suite Ships docked parallel to one another on either side of the beautiful pier in the North Holland marina.

The Avalon Visionary and Avalon Vista mark the company’s 2^nd and 3rd Suite Ships in just 12 months.  Post-christening, the Avalon Visionary will introduce Panorama Suites to the Rhine River in 2012, sailing the 8-day Romantic Rhine cruise (starting at $1,849) as well as several Christmastime cruises.  The Avalon Vista will sail the 11-day Legendary Danube cruise (starting at $1,839) and 13-day Blue Danube Discovery (priced from $2,249) as well as the 15-day Magnificent Europe vacation.

Take a Europe cruise and bring the Kids for Free!

It may sound too good to be true, but now through May 31st, when you book select Royal Caribbean cruises to Europe, kids sail FREE.

Here are the details:

Children 11 and under sailing as the 3rd and 4th guests in a stateroom sail free on: any 9-Night or longer Royal Caribbean Europe cruise departing between July and December, 2012. Transatlantic and the Independence of the Seas sailings are excluded

Keep in mind, government taxes and fees are additional for all guests.

My Handpicked  Deal from this Offer:

Looking for something different? There are over 20 sailings that are part of this special sale. Search more of these Europe cruise deals here.

Of course, as with many promotions, this offer has some restrictions; the main things to keep in mind with this one are that it is for new bookings only and it cannot be combined with any other offer.

This is an unbelievable offer, and I highly suggest families try to take advantage of it. Sales like this are definitely once in a blue moon. So don’t miss out on this amazing Europe cruise deal, call CruiseDeals.com at 800-668-6414 to book !

This Week’s Handpicked Deals

Celebrity Bermuda & Alaska with up to $800 Credit

On top of incredibly low rates, Celebrity is offering $100 to $800 per stateroom onboard credit on select 2012 Alaska and Bermuda cruises when you book now through May 20th

The amount of onboard credit varies by the type of stateroom booked, and applies to 7-Nights or longer Celebrity Alaska and Bermuda cruises departing June through September, 2012.

Of course, I had to pick out my favorite deals for each destination. Be sure to check them out below. Or, you can search all applicable Bermuda cruise deals here and all applicable Alaska cruise deals here.

New Year’s Cruise Deal

It is no secret holiday travel can get pricey, and in my experience New Year’s cruises deals are not necessarily easy to come by, so when I came across this particular New Year’s cruise I just had to share it;

On Deck: What’s Coming up Next Week

Price Drop Tuesday

Look forward to some significant price drops for one day only on Tuesday from both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Both cruise lines each offer these sales each week, where rates have been reduced on a handful of sailings, usually departing in the next few months. Rates go right back up on Wednesday, so don’t miss out on taking advantage of these great rates! Keep in mind, because these rates are so discounted, they cannot be combined with any other offer.

CruiseDeals.com is also now offering the opportunity to “pre-reserve” these one day price drops starting today. Give us a call at 800-668-6414 and we’ll give you all the details!

As usual, I’ve done the research and picked out what I think are the best picks from both sales:

Jared Sherlock Pulls a Stunt at Cruise Holidays Meeting

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of Cruise Holidays franchise owners and agents.

The weekend consisted of lots of workshops and presentations, but the evenings were spent doing what many of us enjoy doing best: socializing!

Saturday night, a young man named Jared Sherlock entertained our group. He’s a magician, but as we soon found out, he could probably moonlight (when he’s not doing evening magic shows) as a comedian. This guy was funny – I don’t want to divulge the details of his final act, but he had us practically rolling in the aisles!

Since it’s a couple days later and I’m still thinking about Jared’s show, I thought I’d pass along a few things I was reminded of. You could call them life lessons, or maybe even business lessons. Yes, these lessons do come from an illusionist, but they don’t stand to disappear any time soon.

The 4 Lessons Learned

1. Roll with the punches.

I know Jared Sherlock is a professional entertainer, but all of us could stand to be reminded that when life throws you anything – whether it be lemons or something much more light-hearted – just go with it! Case in point: one of the staff members brought his four year old son to see the show, and they were sitting in the front row. Within about five minutes of some basic interaction with the audience, it was clear that little Kaden was going to be up on stage, and soon. Some of the hilarious things that came out of Kaden’s mouth could not be scripted. Somehow, Jared just fed off it, and from that point on, he had all of us in the palm of his hand.

Smile, and the World Smiles with You

2. Smile.

See point number one – he’s an entertainer – but great attitudes are contagious. There’s a reason why comedy shows sell out – it’s because people like to laugh and have a good time. Jared’s on-stage persona wasn’t fake. You could tell he was having a good time, and he just wanted us to enjoy the evening with him.

3. Thank your clients, or whomever else you’re thankful for.

At the end of his show, we felt like Jared really appreciated being able to perform for us. Today, I noticed he’d even shared some pictures on his Facebook page that we had originally posted on our own Facebook. Sure, self-promotion on his part, but he’s so darn likeable we came away wanting to promote him.

This is a concept I once learned from marketing guru Peter Shankman: Self-promotion is getting other people to want to do your promotion for you.

4. Master your craft.

We couldn’t believe some of the crazy tricks Jared performed. He’s obviously spent hours and hours – maybe years – working on his show. It contained lots of surprises and even some danger – and who doesn’t love a little bit of that? But when it was time for the big finale, his tireless preparation paid off.

The longer I work in my field, the more I feel I need to learn. Sometimes, when we first enter a situation, we are so sure we know all the answers because we earned a college degree in it, or we have some other type of qualification. But I really feel like certain elements of my own professional game are just now starting to become more polished – 15 years after college. You may find the same holds true for yourself. If Jared’s doing this stuff now, what a thrill it’ll be to catch him on a cruise ship or in Vegas some day!

Practice Makes Perfect for Jared Sherlock

See more photos from the Cruise Holidays Mid-Year Meeting here.