Hello from the Crown Princess

It’s day three onboard the Crown Princess and we are docked in Barbados. Before we head out on our shore excursion to Malibu Beach, I thought I’d take a moment to write about the ship.
The CP is a gorgeous ship…really pretty. From first entrance in the atrium, you notice the sparkling mosaic tile floor. The embarkation went relatively smoothly. We arrived in San Juan the night before the cruise and stayed at the Best Western Hotel Pierre. Nothing fancy, but nice, especially when first arriving late in the day or evening. Right after checkout at the hotel we went to Pier 4. There was a short wait to embark, but we did arrive early. After checking in we were directed to the Duty free shops where we could purchase alcohol and bring it onboard. Interesting since Princess states that you can only bring wine onboard. But, we had no problems and pretty much everyone was doing the same thing.

We were able to go to our cabins right away, which are very nice. An inside stateroom is very spacious on this ship. The closet space is great…the biggest area I’ve seen on a ship so far.
After enjoying a nice lunch in the buffet, we did our own tour of the ship. The Sanctuary is beautiful and we plan on spending a half day there on our last sea day. Many pools to choose from and the MUTS (Movies Under the Stars) provides entertainment during the day or evening for those movie buffs.

Last night was Formal night and the Captains cocktail party. I have to get ready for our shore excursion, so I will try to write more later during the trip. Stay tuned….

JetBlue Releases New Customer Bill of Rights

JetBlue Releases New Customer Bill of Rights
Published on: February 21, 2007

JetBlue Airways released a comprehensive customer promise and compensation program called “The JetBlue Customer Bill of Rights” following its admission that it suffered operational breakdowns over the past week during winter storms. The terms of its new Bill of Rights have been made retroactive to Feb. 14 to help compensate passengers who were both stranded and angered by operational inefficiencies. Under the Bill of Rights, JetBlue will notify customers of delays prior to scheduled departure, cancellations and their cause and diversions and their cause. It also promises to take the necessary action to deplane customers if an aircraft is ground-delayed for five hours.
Under this rule, JetBlue captains have discretion if the aircraft is positioned and almost ready for take-off. If a flight lands and is unable to taxi in to a gate right away, the following compensation will be made for customers: Delayed 30-60 minutes, customers receive a $25 voucher valid toward the purchase of their next JetBlue flight; delayed one-two hours, customers receive a $100 voucher; delayed two-three hours, customers receive a voucher for the full amount of their one-way fare; delayed more than four hours, customers receive a voucher for the full amount of their roundtrip. If a flight has a ground delay on departure, the following compensation applies: Delayed three-four hours, customers receive a $100 voucher; delayed more than four hours, customers receive a voucher in the full amount of the customer’s original roundtrip.

If a flight is cancelled within 12 hours of scheduled departure, and it is a situation within the control of the company (as opposed to weather or ATC delays), customers may choose a full refund or a full credit, as well as a voucher valued at the cost of their original roundtrip. If JetBlue delays a flight in a situation within the company’s control, customers can expect compensation that ranges from a $25 voucher for a one-two hour delay up to a voucher valid for the full amount of the roundtrip if delayed more than six hours.

Beaches Turks & Caicos Offers Free FamilyMoon

Beachs Turks & Caicos Offers Free FamilyMoon
Published on: February 21, 2007

For a limited time, bride and grooms who book five rooms or more at Beaches Turks & Caicos for a minimum of three nights for travel Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, 2007 will receive a complimentary Beaches’ FamilyMoon package and a complimentary wedding reception and dinner. The package includes: a private group rehearsal dinner; welcome cocktail reception; ceremony location and set-up; bridal bouquet and boutonniere; complimentary wedding reception and dinner, valued at $75 per person, including champagne, cake, hors d’oeuvres, a three-course sit down dinner and open bar (for all guest who are part of the group block); taped musical accompaniment; preparation of wedding documents; marriage officer; wedding coordinator; one 5X7 photo; manicure and pedicure for the bride; 35-minute massage for the groom; “Just Married” t-shirts; continental breakfast in bed the morning after the wedding for the bride and groom; romantic dinner for bride and groom; Waterford crystal or Wedgwood china starter set; complimentary room upgrade to concierge level for the bride and groom; group pre-registration and check-in upon arrival. Couples or families must book through Beaches’ Wedding Department for a minimum stay of three nights for travel Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, 2007. This promotion is only valid at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa. The offer is not combinable with any other promotions.

Regent Seven Seas 107 Night Asia Cruise

Regent Seven Seas Sets 107-Night Asia Cruise
Published on: February 21, 2007

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will operate its longest-ever “Grand Asia Pacific Voyage,” a 107-night journey featuring calls to 53 ports in 19 countries. Sailing from Vancouver on Sept. 5, guests aboard the 700-guest all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner will follow the “Ring of Fire” from Alaska, visiting Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia, and the islands of French Polynesia. In addition to several complimentary shore events, onboard enrichment programs and Concierge Choice shore excursions, each segment offers either two-for-one savings or free economy air from 86 North American gateways.

Select segments feature optional Le Cordon Bleu Circles of Interest, hands-on cooking workshops and chef-guided local market tours. There are eight segments. They are: Vancouver to Seward, Sept. 5-12, priced from $3,697 including free economy air; Seward to Osaka, Sept. 12-26, from $5,297; Osaka to Hong Kong, Sept. 26-Oct. 10, from $8,236 include complimentary economy air; Hong Kong to Laem Chabang (for Bangkok), Oct. 10-22, from $6,746 including air; Laem Chabang to Singapore, Oct. 22-Nov. 4, from $7,496 including air; Singapore to Sydney, Nov. 4-19, from $7,276 including air; Sydney to Auckland, Nov. 19-Dec. 3, from $8,236 including air; and Auckland to Los Angeles, Dec. 3-21, from $5,449.

Available to a limited number of participants are Concierge Choice shore excursions, including a tour of Bangkok’s historic homes, lessons in coral preservation and snorkeling in Bora Bora, a private motor cruiser and picnic lunch in Sydney Harbor, and from Christchurch, an exploration of the volcanic landscapes of Banks Peninsula. Guests may also choose from a number of multi-night, overland Concierge Collection adventures ashore or two- to four-night pre- and post-cruise land packages available through The Regent Travel Concierge.

Per-person prices for the entire 107-night Asia Pacific voyage start at $42,995. Cruise fares include all shipboard gratuities; complimentary beverages, including select wines and spirits served throughout the ship; complimentary 24-hour room service; refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, beer and bottled water replenished daily; and an in-suite bar setup in butler suites. As with all Regent Grand Voyages, guests partaking in the entire 107-night voyage receive special savings and gifts, including complimentary first-class roundtrip airfare from 86 North American gateways, and $1,000 to $2,000-per-suite shipboard credits. Guests sailing individual segments receive shipboard credits depending upon suite class. Segments three through eight also feature a complimentary, exclusive shore event.

Princess Offers Alaska Cruisetour Sale

Princess Offers Alaska Cruise-Tour Sale
Published on: February 21, 2007

Princess launched a new “Alaska Wilderness Sale” offering savings on cruise-tours. Special rates on select cruise-tours feature discounts of up to $500 per couple off of Princess’ early-booking discounts. Sale prices for an 11-day cruise-tour begin at $1,399 per person for a Gulf of Alaska cruise with a land journey into Alaska. The sale pricing is available through March 31, and covers select cruise-tour departures throughout the May to September season.

“We want to encourage passengers to take advantage of Princess’ expanded Alaska capacity during this busy booking period,” said Jan Swartz, Princess’ senior vice president of customer service and sales. “This is a great time to finalize vacation plans as we’re offering a wide range of sailing dates and stateroom categories on sale.”

Princess will feature its largest ever Alaska fleet in 2007, with eight ships sailing through the scenic waters of “The Great Land.” The vessels range in size from 670 passengers to 2,670 passengers, including five ships dedicated to the Gulf of Alaska route. For the first time, Princess will feature mid-week Gulf departures aboard the smaller Pacific Princess. The Gulf of Alaska cruises can be combined with one of 22 different land tour options for a cruise-tour that includes Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park, plus the company’s “Direct to the Wilderness” rail service to/from Whittier. Princess’ 2007 Gulf of Alaska season features a record 78 calls in Glacier Bay, and Princess says its ships will carry more passengers to Glacier Bay than any other cruise line.

Regal Princess Damaged, One Cruise Cancelled

Regal Princess Damaged, One Cruise Cancelled
Published on: February 21, 2007

Princess Cruises cancelled the Regal Princess’ Feb. 19 cruise after the ship sustained damage to a ballast tank after apparently touching bottom as it departed Huatulco, Mexico, on Feb. 18. “At no time during the subsequent sailing to Acapulco was the safety of our passengers and crew compromised,” the company said. Princess said the repairs would take longer than originally anticipated, so it cancelled the Feb. 19 cruise, a 10-day Panama Canal sailing between Acapulco and San Juan. Princess said it was making arrangements to return passengers home but that, in the meantime, they will stay aboard the Regal Princess with all the ship’s services available.

As a result of the cancelled voyage, Princess is giving the passengers a full refund, including air fare, and will also give them a future cruise credit equal to 35 percent of the cruise fare paid for the cancelled voyage. Following some preliminary repairs to Regal Princess, it will proceed to a dry dock, where full repairs will be undertaken. “At this time we expect the ship to be ready for her next sailing departing on March 1, which is a 12-day South America voyage,” Princess said in a statement. There are 1,552 passengers and 683 crew members aboard the Regal Princess.

Universal Orlando Offers Healthy Dining Options

Universal Orlando Offers Healthy Dining Options
Published on: February 20, 2007

Universal Orlando Resort’s theme parks and three on-site Loews hotels are featuring healthy side dishes and trans-fat-free foods throughout the resort. Universal’s theme parks now offer healthy side choices for guests of all ages at most of its food outlets. Healthy beverage options are also available at many locations throughout the parks. Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios theme parks will begin cooking and frying with 100 percent trans-fat-free oil throughout most of their facilities. Universal also will work to make nutritional information on its foods available to guests, and is targeting the end of 2007 to be entirely trans-fat free for all its food offerings.

“Providing guests with healthier options and trans-fat-free cooking is the right thing to do,” said Dan Cupertino, senior vice president of sales at Universal Orlando Resort. “We want our guests to feel good about the food they eat when they visit our theme parks and hotels. And we know choice is important to them. That’s why our program is about choices rather than absolutes.”

Universal has spent months searching for the right ingredients, testing foods and recipes and getting guest feedback on its new program. Information related to these healthy options can be found on park map guides and at the company websites. Universal Orlando Resort’s three on-site Loews hotels, the Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort, will implement a full ban on all artificial trans-fats by June 1. The ban applies to restaurants, room service, banquet functions and even snack foods found in the in-room mini-bar.

On April 1, salad dressings, pastry items such as pie dough, fudge and buttercream frosting, and other frozen foods will be trans-fat free. By June 1, the full ban takes effect, eliminating trans-fats from waffles, pancakes and prepared mixes. The phased-in time frame will allow hotel chefs to experiment with suitable substitute ingredients. Mini-bar options will include products such as Sunchips, Baked Lay’s and Power Bars.

Uniworld Offers New Seine River Cruises

Uniworld Offers New Seine River Cruises
Published on: February 20, 2007

Uniworld Grand River Cruises is offering new cruises from Paris through the countryside of Northern France to the beaches of Normandy and then back to Paris. The refurbished River Baroness will sail along the Seine River for eight days onboard. The vacation begins with a guided city tour of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe. The day concludes with the Captain’s Welcome Dinner onboard. The ship departs Paris for the towns of Auvers sur Oise and Conflans Ste Honorine. The former — a favorite locale for many of the Impressionist painters — is where Vincent Van Gogh lived, died and immortalized the town in “Auberge Ravoux,” the “Church of Auvers sur Oise” and the “Wheat fields.”

The cruise also visits Rouen, Le Havre, Honfleur and Vernon for an excursion to Monet’s Giverny. The last evening onboard includes the Captain’s Farewell Dinner as the ship sails back to Paris. An optional three-night pre-cruise package includes accommodations at Le Meridian Montparnasse (or similar) with breakfast daily, a guided “Arts and the Artists” tours of Montmartre and the Louvre, and transfers from the airport to your hotel and from your hotel to the ship. The cruise is priced from $1,798 per person, cruise only. Sailings begin March 25, and those who book and deposit a trip by March 31 will save $200 per couple or $100 per person, excluding the April 29 and May 13 sail dates.

Puerto Costa Maya Experiences 15 Percent Growth

Puerto Costa Maya Experiences 15 Percent Growth
Published on: February 15, 2007

Puerto Costa Maya experienced 15 percent growth in 2006, which ranks as Mexico’s second busiest cruise port after Cozumel, according to figures from Mexico’s Office of Communication and Transportations. According to the report, Costa Maya receives 13 percent of the 6.11 million cruise passengers visiting the country. Cozumel gets 38 percent of the calls. The remainder is divided among other ports, including Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Acapulco and Puerto Venado. Overall, Mexico’s cruise industry reported a 6.5 percent drop compared to 2005. Costa Maya is located in the Mexican Caribbean region.

The port’s success and positive visitor feedback have encouraged the Costa Maya team and the state and federal governments to collaborate in outlining strategic plans to develop the area into a complete tourism destination. Costa Maya has the largest concentration of Mayan archeological sites and existing Mayan population in Mexico. Opened as a port of call in 2001, Costa Maya is sheltered by the world’s second largest coral reef and currently attracts all the major cruise lines. The current port facilities consist of three berthing spaces and a 70,000-square-foot Mayan entertainment complex. For more information, visit www.puertocostamaya.com.

Regent Seven Seas Plans 2008 South America Circle

Regent Seven Seas Plans 2008 South America Circle
Published on: February 13, 2007

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner will operate a 60-night circumnavigation of South America in 2008. The “Circle Around South America” cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 4, 2008, and features calls to 30 ports in 15 countries including Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, Brazil and French Guyana, as well as several Caribbean islands. The cruise includes six onboard overnights and four complimentary shore events. The voyage will circumnavigate the continent counter-clockwise in four combinable segments.

The first segment is a 12-night journey from Fort Lauderdale to Lima, Peru, with calls at Grand Cayman; Cartagena, Colombia; Fuerte Amador, Panama; Manta, Ecuador; and Salaverry, Peru. There is a daytime passage through the Panama Canal. The second 19-night segment departs Lima on Jan. 16 and concludes in Buenos Aires, calling at Pisco, Peru; Valparaiso and Punta Arenas, Chile; the Falkland Islands; and Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The third segment is a 17-night voyage from Buenos Aires to Manaus, Brazil, Feb. 4-21. Calls include Montevideo, Uruguay; Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia and Alter Do Chao, Brazil.

The final segment is a 12-night cruise from Manaus to Fort Lauderdale. It departs Feb. 21 and follows the coast of Brazil with calls in Parintins and Santarem, Brazil; Devil’s Island, French Guyana; Barbados, Dominica, Puerto Rico and Grand Turk. Per-person prices start at $27,995 for the entire 60-night cruise and $5,995 for a segment. Cruise fares include shipboard gratuities; complimentary beverages, including select wines and spirits; refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, beer and bottled water replenished daily; and an in-suite bar setup in butler suites.

Guests taking the entire 60-night voyage receive special savings and gifts, including complimentary first-class roundtrip airfare from 86 North American gateways, $500-$1,000-per-suite in shipboard credits and a bon voyage event the evening before disembarkation. Guests sailing individual segments receive $100-$200 shipboard credits and a commemorative gift. Segments one and four also feature air fare offers