Nintendo Wii Fit Game Onboard Princess Cruises

Princess Passengers First to Experience Wii Fit Game
Published on Modern Agent: June 25, 2008

Princess Cruises has installed the Nintendo Wii Fit game system, just a month after it made its U.S. debut. Princess is the first cruise line to offer passengers the chance to get their hearts pumping with the new release from Wii. All Princess ships, which have long featured Nintendo Wii systems onboard, have added the Wii Fit balance games, challenging passengers to video game tournaments such as the ski jump, Hula Hoop or soccer. Family competitions will be held onboard, including some on the huge poolside video screens. Youth and teen centers will also offer Wii Fit activities. “We’re very excited to partner with Nintendo to bring the Wii Fit experience to our passengers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president. “Our onboard team has just finished training with the experts at Nintendo to ensure that we’re able to offer passengers the best possible experience with this innovative fitness game.”

Wii Fit can track users’ progress, which lets people see how they’ve improved while challenging them to better their scores and stay motivated. The Wii Fit Balance Board is a precisely engineered platform that senses both weight and shifts in movement and balance. It connects wirelessly to the Wii console and serves as the centerpiece for more than 40 activities in areas like yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance. Virtual trainers talk users through the motions and makes suggestions for improvements. On ships equipped with Movies Under the Stars screen, the Wii tournaments are shown on the giant poolside screens, offering a larger-than-life gaming experience. The 300-square-foot screens are featured on Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Grand Princess, Sea Princess and the upcoming Ruby Princess.

To make your reservation on a Princess Cruise contact Amy at
A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!
800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Innovation and Imagination Abound on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas

What does a Coney Island style boardwalk, a Central Park, Ampi(Aqua)theatre, Rising Tide Bar, Loft Suites and Royal Promenade have in common? The exciting new Oasis Of The Seas! Oasis will be launched late 2009 and the anticipation is palpatible with RCCL fans. This ship will definitely be the destination onto itself. If you are new to cruising, would I recommend this ship for your first try? Definitely not! But, for those die-hard RCCL fans and mega ship lovers, this is a dream come true.
The books will open in August and Crown and Anchor members will have an exclusive booking window before the general public.

I could write more about Oasis, but truthfully, it’s probably more exciting to look at the site (watch the video!) www.oasisoftheseas.com

After you’re done checking out Oasis Of The Seas, make sure to contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel to make your reservation! 800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

NCL’s Norwegian Pearl Receives Environmental Award

NCL’s Norwegian Pearl Receives Environmental Award
Published on Modern Agent: June 4, 2008

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl recently received the Cruise Ship Environmental Award from the Port of San Francisco. In 2007, Norwegian Sun was honored with the same award. The port’s program annually recognizes cruise ships whose onboard environmental systems help decrease air and water pollution. The three categories evaluated are air emission reduction, wastewater treatment and recycling and disposal programs for solid waste. “It’s an honor for Norwegian Pearl to be recognized by the Port of San Francisco for the environmental standards and practices we have in place to protect the waters on which we sail and earn our livelihood,” said Colin Veitch, NCL president and CEO. “We have shown our commitment to maintaining the highest level of environmental protection standards by using low-sulfur fuels, reducing air emissions, efficiently and effectively treating our wastewater and recycling and disposing properly of solid waste while in port.” “The Port of San Francisco is pleased to acknowledge the officers and crew members of Norwegian Pearl for going above and beyond the existing regulations to preserve and protect the air and water quality of San Francisco Bay and beyond,” said Peter Dailey, maritime director for the Port of San Francisco. “We sincerely appreciate Norwegian Cruise Line’s commitment to safeguarding the environment.”

Contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel to make your reservation onboard the Norwegian Pearl. 800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Disney Cruise Line Reduces Deposit on Select Cruises

Disney Cruise Line Reduces Deposit on Select Cruises
Published on Modern Agent: June 10, 2008

Disney Cruise Line is offering a reduced deposit offer for any Disney Cruises booked now through June 15, 2008. Clients will pay a 50 percent reduced deposit on any sailings Sept. 1, 2008 to Dec. 30, 2009 for Categories four through 12. Travelers booking a three- to four-night cruise will now pay a $100 deposit, per person as will passengers booking a seven-night land/sea vacation. Clients booking a seven-night Caribbean cruise will now pay a $125 per person deposit.

Contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel to make your reservation!
800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Holland America, Microsoft Introduce Digital Workshops

Holland America, Microsoft Introduce Digital Workshops
Published on Modern Agent: June 9, 2008

Holland America Line partnered with Microsoft on new digital workshops that will teach passengers how to “show and tell” their vacation memories online. The Holland America Line Digital Workshop, powered by Microsoft Windows, is available on the Amsterdam and the Oosterdam, and will be offered on the Westerdam in June and the line’s new Eurodam in July. It will be expanded fleetwide within 18 months. The free workshops, led by Microsoft-trained “techsperts,” will show how to take better vacation photos, make movies, edit pictures and create scrapbooks using a variety of Microsoft services. Guests will learn how to share digital memories through email, blogging and social networking.

The program, which has its own dedicated space on each ship, kicks off with a 50-minute session. Called “Just Shoot Me,” the session provides tips and tricks on how to take pictures, and introduces passengers to onboard editing and movie-making resources available on the cruise, including Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker. The “Just Shoot Me” session will be followed by “jargon-free” interactive sessions, also 50 minutes long, designed for smaller groups to try out the technologies in a hands-on environment.

These workshops include “On the Download,” which instructs on how to move images from a digital camera to a Windows-based personal computer; “Put Your Best Face Forward” on how to crop and color-correct digital photos and create panoramic pictures by stitching photos together using Windows Live Photo Gallery; “Home Away From Home,” which offers instructions on to add music, special effects and titles to videos and publish to a DVD using Windows Movie Maker. Other courses include “Show and Tell,” on how to upload photos to a personal Web page and how to email photos using Windows Live services; “Your 15 Minutes of Fame” on how to turn a vacation journal into a blog by creating a basic Web page and blog entries; and “A Click Ahead,” on how to design a photo card and a basic scrapbook. Guests can choose to attend all or some of the workshops, which will be offered at various times and days throughout each cruise. Multiple workshops will be held every day. In addition, one-on-one coaching, called “Techspert Time,” will also be available for over 20 hours each week.

To make your reservation on a Holland America ship, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel 800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

Carnival Freedom to Operate Year-Round from Fort Lauderdale

Carnival Freedom to Operate Year-Round from Fort Lauderdale
Published on Modern Agent: June 9, 2008

Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,974-passenger Carnival Freedom, which was originally scheduled to operate only seasonally from Fort Lauderdale, will now operate the program year-round starting in November. The ship had been scheduled to return to the Mediterranean in 2009. Carnival Freedom’s year-round schedule from Fort Lauderdale begins Nov. 22 with six-day cruises departing Sundays and visiting Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, while eight-day voyages departing Saturdays alternate to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The eight-day Eastern Caribbean voyages visit five ports: San Juan, St. Thomas/St. John, Antigua, Tortola/Virgin Gorda and Nassau. Western Caribbean cruises include Cozumel, Mexico; Limon, Costa Rica; and Colon, Panama. Lynn Torrent, Carnival’s senior vice president of sales and guest services, said that while the plan had been for Carnival Freedom to return to Europe next year, the strong performance of the line’s Caribbean fleet made the new deployment a compelling choice. Both of the eight-day cruises offer visits to ports that are usually available only on cruises of 10 days or longer. In addition, these cruises depart on Saturdays and return on Sundays, which allow them to fit into the traditional one-week vacation pattern.

Contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel to make your reservation today! 800-571-3159 or amy@aroomwithaviewtravel.com

10 Best Cruises For Families

I saw the following slide show on Travel + Leisure’s website and thought that it gave some great information for families looking to cruise.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/10-best-cruises-for-families/1

I can personally vouch that cruising is a terrific family vacation option. My boys, at the ripe ages of 11 and 14, have been on 5 cruises. A friend recently asked how they like Walt Disney World compared to cruising? Although they really enjoyed their vacation at WDW, they still like cruising better. There’s just so many things to do on a cruise ship today, not to mention visiting and exploring all the different ports of call. Choosing a cruise as a family vacation not only benefits the kids. It’s one of the least stressful options to vacation with children and for multi-generational family vacations. When we took our boys on their first cruise, they were 5 and 8 years old. My parents and my grandma went along.
Even though we sailed on an older ship, we all had a great time. Everything was new to the kids and I recall being amazed how much they wanted to go to the children’s program onboard. My great grandma was 89 at the time and was a trooper. She went along on shore excursions and even went to the fitness facility to use the exercise bike. We all enjoyed dining together and going to the shows.
I don’t think that there was one disagreement or arguement the whole trip. The previous year, we rented a condo in Florida with my parents and let’s just say that I needed a vacation after that vacation. Anyway, my great grandma had such a wonderful time that she announced that she wanted to take our whole family (including her older sister and my brother’s family) on a cruise for her 90th birthday. Even with the addition on another senior and more kids (and cruising during Easter holiday) it was smooth sailing. A cruise vacation offers something for everyone…whether young or young at heart. And, you can do all or most of your planning before you travel. It’s also a very pampering vacation. The cooking, cleaning, driving, navigating and entertaining are all done for you. What other multi-destination vacation can you say that about?

To plan and reserve your next family vacation, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel
800-571-3159

NCL Reveals Details of F3’s “New Wave” Staterooms

NCL Revails Details of F3’s “New Wave” Staterooms
Published on Modern Agent: April 25, 2008

NCL Corp. revealed that its new 150,000-ton F3 ships will feature “New Wave” staterooms with curved architecture and open layouts. The New Wave balcony and New Wave deluxe staterooms are “a completely fresh take on bathroom design, contemporary curved architecture and open living space,” the company said. “From the introduction of the first Caribbean cruise more than 41 years ago to the launch of Freestyle Cruising in 2000 and beyond, NCL has always blazed a trail of innovation,” said NCL President and CEO Colin Veitch. “We have thrown away the rule book with the design of F3 and today are revealing the very first element with our New Wave staterooms. Gone are the regimented typical designs and in place are sleek staterooms that are totally outside the box, designed for the needs of tomorrow’s guests.” The most distinctive design element is curved walls and lines. The bathroom features a separate shower stall, separate water closet and a modern vanity top sink. The staterooms feature an earth-tone palette accented with color, dark wood, concealed contour LED lighting and back-lit domed ceilings. All the amenities and comforts of NCL’s Freestyle 2.0 enhancements are included, with upgraded bedding, linens and towels, Euro pillows, Elemis bathroom products and MP3 connectivity upon request. Balcony and deluxe staterooms have bathrobes, a customized fruit menu, a fresh-baked cookie at turn-down on the last night of cruise, an escort to the stateroom on embarkation day, priority restaurant reservation and reception hotlines, and a color keycard for ship-wide recognition.

“Today’s announcement is just the first chapter in a series of innovations we will be revealing about our new F3 ships leading up to their launch in 2010,” Veitch said. “These ships will further deconstruct the traditional cruise ship experience with innovations in design, accommodations, luxury and entertainment to create a cutting-edge resort vacation experience unlike any other at sea.” New Wave Deluxe staterooms also feature a seating area, a flat-screen TV, a mini-bar, a balcony and expanded living space. The New Wave Balcony rooms also have the new bathrooms, curved walls, seating area, flat-screen TV, mini-bar and balcony. New Wave Standard staterooms will have the new bathrooms, flat-screen TV and mini-bar; most inside staterooms will feature the back-lit domed ceiling. The two 150,000-ton F3 ships will each have 4,200 passenger berths, representing the largest ships in NCL’s fleet. The new ship design will offer 60 percent more guest space than NCL’s largest ships to date, which will be used to provide more onboard activities, amenities and stateroom options. One-hundred percent of outside staterooms will feature private balconies for a total of 1,415 balcony staterooms.

To make your reservation, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!
800-571-3159

Royal Caribbean to Feature “Central Park on Genesis Ship

Royal Caribbean to Feature “Central Park” on Genesis Ship
Published on Modern agent: April 17, 2008

Royal Caribbean International said its 220,000-ton Project Genesis ship, set to debut as the largest cruise ship in the world in late 2009, will feature a “Central Park” in the center of the ship that spans the length of a football field. The park will feature pathways, seasonal flower gardens and canopy trees and will be open to the sky five decks above. The vessel will have 16 decks, carry 5,400 guests, and feature 2,700 staterooms. It will be homeported in Fort Lauderdale and, in 2010, will be joined by a sister ship.
In addition to Central Park, there will be six other “neighborhoods” though Royal Caribbean executives declined to describe them. Central Park’s central piazza will be the ship’s “town square” which evolves from a tranquil atmosphere during the day to a gathering space for alfresco dining and concerts and street performances in the evenings. The neighborhood will be lined with balcony staterooms rising six decks high with views of the park below. Surrounding the park will be an array of restaurants. Guests will have the option of an elegant dinner at 150 Central Park or a picnic lunch from the more casual Central Park Café. Other dining choices will include Giovanni’s Table, an Italian restaurant; Vintages wine bar; and Royal Caribbean’s signature Chops Grille steakhouse. Several bars will be scattered throughout the Park, including the Canopy Bar, located in a glass-domed canopies, and the Rising Tide, billed as the first moving bar at sea. Rising Tide will span three decks and allow cruisers to enjoy a cocktail as they slowly ascend into Central Park and then descend back into the public spaces below. Central Park also will have boutique shops.

“Building such a large vessel allowed us to add even more of the choices and amenities that our guests value, and Central Park is a dramatic addition to our already extensive array of exciting features,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Our brand identity is founded in innovation and on delivering the best cruise vacation through ‘wow’ experiences,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “Central Park is a true evolution of cruise ship design and allows us to provide our guests with not only a more varied selection of balcony accommodations, but also a stunning public venue that will be a central element of the ship, both during the day and at night.”

Central Park, located on Deck 8 of the ship, will be 62 feet wide and 328 feet long. The neighborhood will include 334 staterooms overlooking the park, 254 of which will have balconies. Central Park will be landscaped with tropical foliage, including seasonal flowers, shrubs and trees, including calla lilies, giant elephant ears, red ginger, rabbit-foot ferns and zebra calathea. Trees, some eventually reaching more than two-and-a-half decks tall, will include black olive, Cuban laurel, cherry of the Rio Grande, and painted and golden bamboo.
Central Park also will include reading corners; a chess garden with large-scale pieces; the Pergola Garden, an interpretive garden featuring vegetation from a host of Caribbean locales; and a sculpture garden, highlighting work by international artists. Irrigation and drainage systems will be incorporated, along with micro-climate control techniques. An on-site horticulturist will provide educational classes. The Crystal Canopies, two arched-glass domes, one with a bar, will be a focal point of Central Park and provide sunlight into the ship’s inner public spaces.

To make your reservation onboard Genesis, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel!
800-571-3159

Carnival Corporation To Increase Current Fuel Supplement

Notice from Carnival Corporation

Because of the continued rapid escalation of fuel prices, six of Carnival Corporation & plc’s brands, including Princess Cruises and Cunard Line, will increase their current fuel supplement from $5 to $7 (USD) per person per day. These brands will also implement a fuel supplement on third and fourth passengers of $2 per person per day.
The new fuel supplements will apply to all new bookings effective April 21, 2008. The fuel supplements will not exceed $98 per person per voyage for the first and second passengers, and $28 per person per voyage for the third and fourth passengers in a stateroom.
For bookings made from November 7, 2007 to April, 20, 2008, the original fuel supplement of $5 per person per day will apply.
We regret having to take this action, but fuel price increases have continued, and we now find it necessary to implement a modest increase in the supplement.
Please remember that all bookings made on or before April 20, 2008 will not be subject to the supplement increase.