No, not every city can be a cruise port

by Chris Owen on

It seems every large coastal city wants to be a cruise port, either as a place to visit or to be a home port where a ship operates from, and for good reason. Cruise ships can bring a lot of tourists and their dollars when they visit. At a time when local economies are recovering at best there is a lot of interest but not a lot of realistic expectations.

“The reality is they have as much chance to get a cruise ship to visit as they do in luring the Lakers from Los Angeles” says cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron CEO, CruiseGuy.com speaking of a feasibility study done by Brownsville, Texas. “These results are based on the cow jumping over the moon, planets aligning and may also require peace on earth!” he added.

Savanna, Georgia also did a study that returned “better than expected” results with big numbers like up to 350,000 visitors by 2020 and a potential industry of $100 million a year reports the Savannah Morning News.

Not so fast says Chiron, cautioning leaders to be realistic. “I think Savannah is a wonderful city and know it would make a wonderful option, but there needs to be more than desire and their reasoning is way off.”

Cruise lines move cautiously when choosing ports, opting for those that can serve the most potential passengers and produce the best financial results. While the allure of a cruise port may be the stuff tourism dreams are made of, Chiron concludes the big question is “Where will the cruise lines be able to reap the highest yields?” adding “This ultimately may delay Savannah’s heartfelt desires.”

Flickr photo by taberandrew

Cruise lines slash prices, buyers cash in

by Chris Owen on

Maybe its a bad news spotlight or maybe just some last-minute bargains but cruise lines are slashing prices on everything from short 2-night sailings to longer 7, 10, and even 16-night cruises . Make it a quick getaway or long, relaxing escape, cruise lines have some of the best vacation values around right now.

“With a bit of flexibility, you’ll likely be able to snag a good rate, and maybe even a few added bonuses, such as onboard credits, prepaid gratuities and cabin upgrades” reports CruiseCritic.com.

Short sailings to the Bahamas like 2 nights on Celebrity Century from Miami on January 15th go for as low as $115 per person or do 4-nights January 21 starting at $279. In the Caribbean, 7 nights on Crown Princess from Fort Lauderdale January 15 start at $379 per person and Ruby Princess starts at $449 on the January 16th sailing.

Longer sailings are available too like Princess Cruises Ocean Princess 16-day South China Sea Holiday sailing December 22nd with prices starting at $899 per per person or a 10-day sailing to the Mexican Riviera on Sapphire Princess from Los Angeles for $599 per person on January 5th.

Check with your travel agent for additional savings which might include discounts for residents of certain states, active or retired military members, seniors, past guests, Canadians, or other special promotions which could get you reduced airfare, onboard credit, complementary upgrades or special gifts.

Flickr photo by Tom Mascardo

Cruise survival kit: What you need to be totally prepared

by Chris Owen on

Carnival Inspiration finally docked in Florida at 8:30 p.m. last night after being held out at sea due to weather conditions. A bunch of other Carnival ships are sailing modified itineraries for weather-related issues. Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas was tossed around in bad Middle East weather.

News from the cruise industry lately has been all about weather-related delays, modifications of itineraries, disabled ships, braving storms and compensation to passengers for their troubles. With that in mind, cruise packing lists are being updated with a number of items normally found on lists for camping or backpacking. Start with these for your cruise survival kit:

Satellite phone
For as little as $24.95 a week you can rent global Iridium Satellite Phones from Satellite Phone.com. They can provide the lifeline you want when power goes out. Call rates of between $.99 and $1.59 a minute might sound expensive sitting on dry land but that will quickly be a bargain if you are the only one able to communicate with the outside world.

Lots of backup power
When the ship loses power the clock starts ticking on your cell phone or camera battery. What could be a timely call home (if and when you can catch a signal) to let friends and family know you are OK might not happen without plenty of backup power. iPhone users know Mophie.com is the place to go. Brookstone has a universal battery that works for phones and cameras.

Survival food
The passengers aboard Carnival Splendor, the ship by an engine room fire, have a lesson for us: Bring food. When lavish buffets and gourmet dining come to a screeching halt because the power got knocked out or the buffet lines thrown around by angry seas, some high protein snacks will come in handy. Think canned nuts, peanut butter, or other survival food high in calories that won’t take up a lot of space in luggage.

The right luggage
Now, more than ever, its a good idea to have only one piece of luggage that you can keep with you at all times. Cruise lines allow passengers to skip checking luggage if they can carry it on and off the ship without assistance. On Carnival Inspiration, held at sea for so long, guests who held on to their luggage were the winners. Durable Victorinox has some great choices.

The odds are you will have a totally safe and care-free cruise vacation. But savvy travelers know that being prepared for anything that might come your way is a good idea.

Allure of the Seas hosts 5K run on St Maarten

by Chris Owen on

Focusing on a healthy lifestyle is nothing new for Royal Caribbean. Their ships have world-class rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, full-size basketball courts and more. This week the spotlight turns to running and active lifestyle activities as guests aboard new Allure of the Seas are invited to participate in the line’s first “Royal 5K St Maarten run”.

New Allure of the Seas will be making a vitality-themed swing through the islands this week on a 7-night sailing encouraging 500 passengers to get off the ship and run in different events as the cruise progresses.

On the starting blocks Monday, is a Fun Run on the Bahama island of Nassau featuring breathtaking views of Paradise Island.

As the week continues there will be a one-mile race on Allure’s .46 mile running track where participants will attempt to set record time for a mile at sea. On-board seminars with top-shelf icons of the running world will be part of it all featuring Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic silver medalist.

“I know from past experience how much fun it is to combine a cruise vacation with my passion for running,” said Shorter.

Other elite athletes along for the sailing include Sean Jefferson, six-time All-American track star at Indiana University, Bart Yasso, America’s “Mayor of Running” and others.

The event culminates with a 5K run on St Maarten Thursday and all of it will be aired on ESPN’s Caribbean network January14th and on ESPN2 January 15th. Commentators for the Royal 5K St. Maarten show are Joanna “Jo” Ankier, a former British record-holder and Annette Raveneau, a reporter and producer for Univision Network and Entravision Communications.

Talk about some different scenery for your run, this beats a treadmill at the gym any day.

Flickr photo by 666ismoney

Relief: Four airport perks coming soon

by Tom Johansmeyer on

There’s nothing fun about going to the airport, and the regulatory climate isn’t likely to change that anytime soon. Security will still be a nightmare, and you won’t be able to bring your own water with you (at least not for a while). Fortunately, there are companies out there looking for ways to make your airport experience better.

So, what can you expect to see in your local airport in the near future? Here are four amenities to whet your appetite for something to counteract the airport security gauntlet:

1. Catch some comfy shut-eye: sleeping on a plane sucks. There’s just no way to get comfortable. And, if you slip your leg alongside the seat in front of you, you do run the risk that it will get slammed by the beverage cart. Well, you’ll be able to use your layovers to rest, soon. Napping nooks, already available at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, are expected to come to San Francisco in the near future. Seven airports are in the early stages.2. Light up a cigar: okay, this one is particularly meaningful to me. A few airports still have smoking areas (I just lit up in Denver last month), but they tend to be unfortunate spaces, not designed to appeal. This is where a company like Graycliff can make a difference. The Bahamas-based cigar and hospitality company has an idea for well-ventilated lounges, featuring cigar rollers (and nothing beats a stick fresh off the bench, at least, not for me). With Graycliff involved, you can expect a stylish, upscale experience. The first is already open at the airports in Nashville and Nassau.

3. Better shopping and eating: the challenge of finding a bite or buying a tie during weird hours could become a thing of the past. From the chance to dine at a Food Network Kitchen to broader shopping options, airports are scoping out ways to enhance the experience of being trapped within their walls. If all the doomsday predictions by the airline industry about the implications of the three-hour delay rule are true, you might need to buy several changes of clothes and meals … because they believe this rule means you will never get home again.

4. Get picked up more easily: no, this has nothing to do with wearing something hot or having that extra cocktail. Rather, airports are opening their minds to parking where your ride can wait for you. You call; they drive around to get you. But, it’s not always that easy. Nature calls, and there’s always a shortage of space. So, look for larger parking lots with bathrooms flight information boards and maybe even dining options? Newark’s already headed down this road, with plans in the works for JFK airport, Cincinnati, Fort Myers and St. George (in Utah).

For more on this topic, head on over to USA Today where airport expert Harriet Baskas explores more upcoming airport amenities.

[photo by msspider66 via Flickr]