Carnival’s rates will rise five percent on 2010 peak season (June, July and August) cruise fares while NCL’s prices will go up seven percent on April 2.

Bookmark to:

In part the push to add ships to more areas outside the Western Hemisphere is based on the belief that the U.S. economy will recover significantly so that cruisers will be willing to pay higher prices than  are typically found in the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii.  It’s also to move ships away from these supersaturated cruising regions where  there are so many ships that cruise fares remain low.

There are always risks such as creating an over-capacity situation.  For example, in 2005 so many ships were positioned in the Baltic at one time that prices fell dramatically. And, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL are betting that cruisers will select the enormous behemoths carrying up to 4,000 people. While these are popular with Caribbean cruisers it remains to be seen if the same holds true in Europe.

Below is an overview of  cruise lines making the largest increases in 2011.

2011  EUROPE DEPLOYMENT

Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Magic, sister of the 3,690-passenger Carnival Dream, will sail on seven-, nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona (the first time Carnival has home ported in this city).  Add to this, Magic will sail a full May to October season.

Disney Cruises is returning to Europe in 2011 with the Disney Magic which sails from Barcelona on 10- and 11-night cruises.

In 2011 Holland America Line will feature seven ships cruising the Mediterranean, Baltic and Northern Europe.   Both ms Nieuw Amsterdam and ms Noordam will sail the Mediterranean all season. The Nieuw Amsterdam, which debuts on July 4, 2010, will offer 12-day sailings while the Noordam will feature seven- and 10-day cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest vessel, the 4200-passenger Norwegian Epic will sail from Barcelona and Norwegian Sun will sail from Copenhagen during a season of Baltic Cruises.   Norwegian Jade — which sails year-round in Europe — will cruise from home port Venice on Greek Island voyages.  

Oceania Cruises‘ newest ship, Marina, will enter service 2011 and join Insignia and Nautica on a summer season in Europe.    Most of Oceania’s itineraries include an overnight stay in port and, because the ships are significantly smaller in size,  stop at more ports off the beaten path.

Princess Cruises has announced its most extensive Europe season ever for 2011 with a total of seven vessels sailing on 42 itineraries and more than 135 port calls.  New itineraries include Emerald Princess’ 11-day expanded Scandinavia & Russia cruise  stopping in Oslo, Berlin, Stockholm and a two night stay in St. Petersburg.  Ocean Princess sails on seven-day Greek Isles and Mediterranean cruises which may be combined into 14-day voyages without repeating a port.  Pacific Princess sails in the Holy Land, Black Sea and Crimean Coast.

Royal Caribbean will increase its Europe fleet from eight to ten vessels.  While the largest ships normally stay put in the Caribbean, the 3,634-passenger Liberty of the Seas will home port in Barcelona.  The 154,407-ton ship is second only to Oasis of the Seas in size.  Additional itineraries will be announced.

What do YOU think?  Any plans to sail in Europe in 2011?

Bookmark to:

I can’t imagine how awful it is to get violently sick on my vacation and wondered why cruise ships seem to be associated with Norovirus most often, at least in the media.

So I asked Brian Rosenthal, MD, MPH (Master of Public Health), who teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York.  He’s also an avid cruiser who has sailed the world aboard all types of cruise ships.

As a public health physician who has sailed aboard dozens of cruise ship,  Dr. Rosenthal’s advice is timely.

AC:  Who is responsible when passengers get sick aboard ship?

DR: There are times when an infectious agent has been isolated on a ship and the cruise line is responsible.  An example is Legionnaires Disease, which is rare.

And, there is always the potential for bacterial food contamination such as e-coli but due to the CDC’s stringent inspections, it hasn’t been reported in many years.  Cruise Lines have become very vigilant about waterborne and shipborne diseases so the reported incidences is rare.   People used to get sick on ships all the time but we just didn’t know what the organisms were.  Now that we know, the media has a heyday with it.

But in the instance of Norovirus, passengers bear the brunt of passing the disease along.

AC: Why Do Outbreaks of Norovirus Happen Aboard Ship So Often?

DR. I don’t think this is a new illness but that we’re hearing about it more often.  I’m sure the outbreaks aboard ship aren’t any higher than they are on land.   There just hasn’t been much coverage of the disease on land.

The thing about ships is that because you’re in a confined space the rate of exposure is statistically greater.  Contrast Disney World.  People aren’t staying in the same hotels or eating in the same restaurants as they are aboard a cruise ship.

AC:  How Can We Avoid Getting a shipborne illness?

DR: There are certain universal precautions that are even more important when you’re aboard a ship.  As important as washing your hands, you have to learn to KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH. This is a normal human condition.  If you sit at a restaurant and watch people eat for five minutes you’ll see what I mean.  Most viruses are not spread by hand to hand contact alone.  They are spread by hand  to hand to mouth (or eyes or nose).  If you had it just on your hands, you wouldn’t get sick.

Shaking hands with the Captain or anyone else won’t get you sick assuming you have no cuts on your hands.  Of course one must be careful about where one puts one’s hands.   If you’re able-bodied, don’t use the banisters or railings if you don’t need to.   This is true in any public space, not just ships …. Train stations, malls. 

If you have children it’s an entirely different matter.  All kids put their hands in their mouth — that’s what children do.  And when they play in groups beit a nursely school or a ship, it’s problemmatic.  If your child does become sick, take a lot of precautions that he or she is the only patient in the family.

And, it is as important that you wash BEFORE you eat as it is after you go to the bathroom which is why the hand sanitizers in food lines are a great idea.

AC: Does the Fear of a Shipborne Illness stop you from Cruising?

DR: Absolutely not!  Everytime out go outside your home is a rish.  You must weigh this against the benefits of having a wonderful time and sharing experiences with family and friends.

Bookmark to:

A spokesman for the Cyprus-based cruise line said,  “The windows in a public area on deck 5 on the forward part of the vessel smashed resulting (in) the fatal injury of two passengers of German and Italian nationality while 14 more passengers suffered light injuries.”

To get a hair-raising account of passengers’ experience, click on to this report at MSNBC

The ship cut short its 12-day cruise and is returning to Barcelona.

Bookmark to:

A cruise ship docked in port is in potential danger when a tsunami strikes because enormous waves could smash it against the pier.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, “One cruise ship is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu Harbor for refueling this morning but is scheduled to leave before 6 a.m. (local time), DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori said.”

But a ship at sea, even small ones, should be perfectly safe since, before it strikes land, the wave is only a few meters high.

The Real Threat to Cruise Ships

Think Poseidon, a dreadful but memorable movie about a passenger ship hit by a freak  wave that comes out of nowhere.    A rogue wave is virtually impossible to detect.   Imagine being at sea in perfect weather when a wave the size of a ten story building appears on the horizon.

In 1942, the original Queen Mary was broadsided by a 92 ft. rogue wave and listed 52 degrees before righting herself.   Queen Mary 2 was struck by a 95 ft. wave in September, 1995.   In 2005, NCL’s Norwegian Dawn was hit by three 70 ft. rogue waves while sailing in the Atlantic Ocean off Georgia.  According to Wikipedia, several decks were flooded, a few passengers slightly hurt.

While a tsunami is terrifying to those potentially in the path of the enormous sea surge, if you’re at sea aboard a cruise ship you’ll be fine.   Fortunately rogue waves are rare, certainly nothing I want to encounter.

Bookmark to:

“I was going to sail with Royal Caribbean but since I very rudely got the shaft by their sales department, I will be looking elsewhere. I called last night to check the availability of 2 cabins but needed to verify with my wife on the dates of the cruise. It was too late to call back so I called first thing in the morning. They raised the prices by over $600!!!! The same cabins are still available but 12 hours later they want to stick it to me on the price. The sales person very smugly told me “supply and demand” so too bad. I do not buy it. That is no way to treat a potential customer.

I say no thank you to Royal Caribbean. I will take my business elsewhere.”

Anyone who has ever booked a cruise can empathize with the writer’s frustration and thank their lucky stars it didn’t happen to them. Nobody in the cruise industry was surprised at this comment. I know people personally who have experienced the same thing: last year friends checked the online price of a cruise and took a few hours to discuss it. When they returned, the price was higher.

The Travel Agent Side

Jean Mallory of White Travel had this response: “First and foremost – they should call a travel agent. “The traveling public often feel they receive better prices directly from the cruise line but that is just not so.” And there’s a good reason for this: ” when White Travel offers a quote, we will often put a courtesy hold on a stateroom IF the ship is filling upor if the cabin is exceptional and would be hard to match – just in case!!. The good news is that White Travel has guaranteed rates on most ships and sailings so this is not normally necessary for us.”

Willie Fernandez of CruisesOnly says “you should always ask if you can have a courtesy hold or a 24hr option. Most cruise lines will offer the client 24hrs to hold a cabin with no obligation. This hold unlike an airline seat will actually lock in the rate for you and give you time to discuss with those traveling with you. I’ve always encouraged my clients to hold a cabin with no obligation, especially if there was less than a handful of cabins left.”

The Bottom Line

If you’re going to play the bargain game in the cruise industry, you better understand the rules. It really is about supply and demand.

** When a cruise line or travel agent tells you there’s only one cabin left so you shouldn’t wait, believe them. This isn’t QVC and it’s not gimmick to get you to pounce quickly on a deal.

** Ask for a non-binding hold on a cabin while you consult with family or friends.

** Jean Mallory points out that it’s not a good idea to wait until the last minute because all too frequently, the bargains are gone. Bookings have increased significantly in the last few months causing prices to increase … not a great deal, but they’ll be higher than last year.

** Use a travel agent to find the best fares.

** When you encounter a great deal, be prepared to pounce quickly

Bookmark to:

This was a question asked by a cruiser who had sailed on many ships and noticed that, in every instance, the ship’s daily program had the same event listed:  Friends of Bill W.  

Bill W is Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Step program for recovering alcoholics.  No one in the cruise industry seems to know who first came up with the idea of scheduling AA meetings on cruises but for two decades or more,  they’ve been routinely held aboard the ships of every cruise line.

So, I asked around and found a cruiser who religiously attended meetings on ships all over the globe.  In the spirit of the fellowship I’ll call him Alan.

“When I first got sober the idea of traveling anywhere scared the hell out of me.  But someone told me that AA meetings are scheduled daily aboard cruise ships.  I’ve been cruising ever since,” he said. 

I asked him if meetings varied by cruise line.  “No, they’re always the same.  Meetings are scheduled in an empty room — a conference room or closed bar — during the late afternoon.  No one from the cruise line is present unless he or she is also an ex-drinker.  The alcoholics who attend decide on a format similar to meetings back home,” he said.

Since drinking is an integral part of cruising, I asked Alan if it is a wise decision to vacation in a setting where cocktails, wine and beer are pushed so enthusiastically by the cruise lines.  Alcohol is, after all, one of the major sources of on-board revenue.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to recovering alcoholics only a few months removed from their last drink.  However, when AA meetings are only a few decks away I feel completely comfortable aboard a cruise ship,” Alan replied.

He also said that, over the years, he’s not only made friends at shipboard AA meetings but has been able to help a few people who were newly sober and shaky.  “While I’ve met people with 30+ years, I’ve also encountered a teenager who had just walked out of a rehab; I doubt that he got through a week without drinking. I couldn’t have done it.”

I told Alan that if a travel agent makes the mistake of telling a cruise line that the group he or she is booking is a bunch of recovering alcoholics or fundamentalist Christians, the cruise line automatically raises group rates to offset they money they won’t make from selling drinks. 

Bookmark to:

For those who can’t spend a year traveling,  Cruise West offers segments ranging from nine- to 18-nights.   Included in the fares are shore excursions, on board lectures by prominent experts in the fields of anthropology and history and exploration by Zodiac to private islands and snorkeling safaris.

One of the big advantages of traveling by small ship is the chance to visit ports inaccessible to larger vessels.  Among the stops  Spirit of Oceanus will make are Ille Rousse, Corsica, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus; small beaches of Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France; Corn Island, a pristine coral reef near Nicaragua; Kurmai, Kalimantan, Borneo and Santa Ana in the Solomon Islands.

For additional information, visit Cruise West’s website.

Bookmark to:

MyBestFareFinder bring deals right to your inbox and eliminates the need to hop around the Internet searching for the best cruise prices.  After registering at the web site you simply fill out a form with your preferences (itinerary, ship, stateroom, departure date, etc.). After it is submitted, travel agents will bid for your business by offering the lowest price.

What is especially appealing is there is no fee and or requirement to buy anything.   Your personal information, such as email, never appears until you decide to book with a specific travel agent.   And, MyBestFareFinder screens all travel agents who sign up to participate in the reverse auction to insusre they are legit.

You’ll start receiving no-obligation offers in a few hours to a few days.   After a half dozen so quotes arrive by email from travel agents eager to get your business, it’s pretty safe to assume you’re getting a terrific deal.

As an added perk, you’ll find a travel agent who is more likely to be experienced in selling cruises.

Happy bargain hunting!

Bookmark to:

Princess Cruises has announced that it will bring back — sort of — this festive tradition with a new program, the “Bon Voyage Experience, that allows cruisers to invite family and friends aboard their ship on embarkation day for lunch and a tour of the ship.  The only catch is that, unlike earlier bon voyage programs, each guest will be charged $39 per person, which can be applied to a future Princess cruise.

Starting March 6, the bon voyage program will be offered aboard select Princess ships in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Fort Lauderdale.   Once their cruise is booked, passengers will receive an reminding them of the program.   In-port guests can be booked through a travel agent or by calling (800) PRINCESS beginning 120 days before the cruise and up to six days before the sailing date.

Would you invite guests to party with you on a Princess ship?

Bookmark to: