2 unique new cruise ships sailing in 2011

by Chris Owen on

2010 was a good year for new cruise ships. Highlights included Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic that set the bar solidly higher for at-sea entertainment, highlighted by a Cirque Dreams and Dinner experience that was well received. Answering that call for improved entertainment, new largest-ship-in-the-world Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas followed nicely in the footsteps of older sister Oasis, clearly establishing herself as a unique ship of her own.

Looking forward to 2011, more new ships are on the horizon including Oceania Cruises new Marina, nearly double the size of the line’s existing three ships; Celebrity Silhouette, the fourth Solstice-class ship from Celebrity Cruises and another new yacht from Seabourn, the Seabourn Quest among others. Today we focus on two different ships by two different lines that will probably be the most talked-about of the bunch.

Disney Dream – at 128,000 tons, Disney Cruise Line’s new entry, the first of two with Disney Fantasy coming out next year, promises to steer Disney in a unique new at-sea direction. Sailing from Port Canaveral, the new ship will more than double the size of the Disney fleet carrying up to 4000 guests. Called “the most anticipated ship of 2011” by CruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown

Carnival Magic – the second of Carnival Cruise Line’s Dream-class ship and will offer 3,693 guests a 7 to 12 day Mediterranean sailing in the Summer followed by a unique first for Carnival; home-porting a new ship in Galveston Texas. 130,000 ton Carnival Magic will make a total of 23 ships in the fleet. Look for this one to be launched with some unique, social ways capitalizing on Carnival’s signature “fun” element.

Track Santa’s progress tonight courtesy of Google and NORAD

by Kraig Becker on

Once again this year, Google and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) have teamed up to help eager girls and boys the world over track Santa’s progress throughout the day. What is new this year is that you’ll also be able to follow jolly St. Nick using Google Maps and Google Earth, as well as your mobile phone.

As you read this, Santa has already set off on his appointed rounds and begun delivering those all important presents to children across the globe. You can follow his progress by going to the official NORAD Tracks Santa page, which is available in a variety of languages. You’ll also find information on how to track him in Google Earth by clicking here.

For the first time ever, you can track Santa while on the go as well. Google Maps for mobile users can launch their app and do a search for “Santa” to get the latest updates on his progress and you’ll also be able to receive reports via Twitter and Facebook too. Twitter users will find tracking info at @noradsanta and Facebook fanatics can click here for updates on that site as well.

Modern technology has made it easier than ever to track Santa’s sleigh and prepare for his arrival. Now you’ll know exactly when to take the cookies out of the oven and pour the milk, so they’ll both be as fresh as possible when he gets to your house. It never hurts to put the big guy in a good mood when he’s delivering the goods!

Merry Christmas everyone!


Carnival cruises to higher profit, forecasts future pricing

by Chris Owen on

Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, posted an almost 30% gain in net income over last year this week, signaling smooth sailing ahead for the operator of 98 ships spanning 11 different cruise lines. During an earnings call this week, the cruise giant shed some light on a number of topics and inadvertently gave some advice for those getting ready to buy a cruise.

Last month’s would-be PR nightmare, a fire aboard nearly-new Carnival Splendor turned out OK for the line with Chairman and CEO Mickey Arison noting “We didn’t see any impact at all” on bookings after the event. Quickly moving to do right by affected guests probably helped that potential PR disaster pass. Earlier this week, a U.S.Coast Guard safety alert acknowledged it was swift action by the ship’s quick response team firefighters that extinguished the fire.

Recent booking volumes were strong and prices were higher than a year earlier. But looking ahead to next year, prices right now are higher but occupancies are lower. Carnival has high hopes for upcoming “wave season” that begins in January, a time when a whole lot of people book cruises.

Should that not happen at the rate they anticipate, should bookings not pick up pace, look for prices to drop, a sure-fire way cruise lines fill ships.

Advice? If buying a Carnival cruise, ask your travel agent about their popular Early Saver fare, guaranteed to be the lowest by the line…no matter what happens to pricing in the future.

Does your cruise travel agent pass the test?

by Chris Owen on

There’s an ongoing debate between consumers and those critical of the travel business which struggles to answer the question “Do I need a travel agent or not?”. They’re not required and cruise-related websites make it really easy to click and buy a cruise, much like you might buy an airline ticket. But a good travel agent, one that will bring great value to the table, will have certain qualities required to make the cut. Ask these simple questions to find an agent with the minimum qualifications that make them worthy of your business.

  1. Are you connected? Since you are reading this, you are connected. You need someone who speaks your language in the medium you prefer be that via email, facebook, twitter or maybe just an easy phone call away. Bonus tip: try communicating with an agent via email to provide a written record of what was said, promised or delivered.
  2. Have you been on many cruises? A good travel agent specializing in cruise vacations should have a rich cruise history on multiple cruise lines. You’re looking for their first-hand knowledge and experience dealing with cruise lines, they better have it
  3. Are you certified? They should be at least members of the Cruise Lines International Association and have a few letters after their name like ACC, MCC or ECC showing they went through basic training and then some. If they have one of those, odds are they will tell you about some specialized training they got from the cruise line too. Give big bonus points if they are members of other professional organizations or consortium’s.
  4. How long have you been selling cruises? If they say less than five years forget about them. That’s about the minimum amount of time it takes for agents to really know their way around cruise lines, establish contacts that can do you some good later and have enough bookings behind them to know what they’re doing.
  5. Will I be dealing directly with just you? This one has to be a “yes” answer or the whole thing is not worth your time. To a good agent, their job starts with making the booking and never ends as they work towards building a life-long business relationship with you. If they are not personally following your booking from beginning to end you have the wrong person.

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