Princess Cruises announces their entire 2012-13 cruise and cruisetour season

Many of my readers are very meticulous when it comes to planning their vacations. A lot of them like to plan years in advance, and sometimes that is difficult when dealing with a cruise vacation. However, Princess Cruises has made that planning a little more tolerable by announcing their 2012-13 cruise and Cruisetour season in its entirety.

This is a very exciting time for Princess, as it is the first time in its history that it has simultaneously launched its full slate of cruises, which includes its largest Europe deployment, an expanded Alaska schedule, new sailings from Galveston, more South American options with two ships sailing around Cape Horn, and more West Coast sailings to Hawai'i, Mexico and along the California coast than ever before.

Among their offerings during that season, Princess will begin sailing to the Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco, will offer longer 14-day Australia & New Zealand itineraries, and will once again sail the Western Caribbean from Galveston, Texas. More ships will sail in South America and Alaska, and several ships will make regional debuts, including Grand Princess' first-ever sailings on the West Coast and Caribbean Princess' maiden European deployment.

As for Princess' Cruisetours offerings, these combine a cruise and land experience that will enable passengers to more fully explore Alaska, Europe, Canada and New England, Asia, Australia and South America.

For a full rundown and overview of all of Princess' offerings for the 2012-13 season, please CLICK HERE.

To book one of these amazing cruises, please call 1.800.PRINCESS (774.6237) or call your travel agent. If you do not have a travel agent, there is one listed at the bottom of this post.

Bon Voyage!

Travel agent information: Theresa Cooke, CruiseMasters, Pineville, NC. Phone: 1.704.887.3968. Email: tcooke@vivavoyage.com. Parent company website: http://www.vivavoyage.com/.

Norwegian Cruise Line sets its Freestyle Dash promotion in motion

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 15, 2011, Norwegian Cruise Line will launch its "Freestyle Dash", which is a limited time offer offering savings on its cruises to Alaska; Bahamas & Florida; Bermuda; Caribbean; Europe; and Hawai'i. If you book by March 18, 2011, you will receive up to $250 to spend on board for things like shore excursions; spa treatments; or dinners in any of NCL's Freestyle Dining restaurants. You may also receive, depending on the cruise and length of cruise, reduced deposit opportunities as well as free upgrades.

This Freestyle Dash limited offer is also combinable with NCL's popular "Free Upgrades for All" Wave Season promotion (click here for details), which has been extended to March 31, 2011. With this, you can be provided with a four-category upgrade and e-coupons for savings onboard worth more than $400. Contact your travel agent today to get more information about these great savings or call NCL directly at 866.NCL.CRUISE (625.2784). If you don't have a travel agent, one is provided at the end of this post.

Bon Voyage!

Travel agent information: Theresa Cooke, CruiseMasters, Pineville, NC 28134. Telephone: 1.704.887.3968. Email: tcooke@vivavoyage.com. Parent company website: http://www.vivavoyage.com/.

Gavin MacLeod turns 80 onboard the Golden Princess

Yesterday, legendary actor Gavin MacLeod celebrated his 80th birthday aboard Princess Cruises' Golden Princess. Not only is he known as Captain Merrill Stubing from TV's The Love Boat, but he is also the long-time ambassador of the cruise line. The celebration was held onboard the ship in Los Angeles. Crew members, along with his family and friends sang "Happy Birthday" and presented him with a large cake - a 5-foot long, 3D replica of the original "Love Boat" - the Pacific Princess.

Also in Princess' press release about the celebration:

"MacLeod is perhaps best known for his role as “Captain Merrill Stubing” in the popular television series, The Love Boat.  One of the longest running television shows in history, The Love Boat cruised through ten seasons from 1977 to 1986 and is still in syndication in 92 countries worldwide. This year also marks MacLeod’s 25^th anniversary serving as Princess Cruises’ spokesperson.

MacLeod’s impressive career spans television, theater and film.  He spent seven years on the award-winning television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show as “Murray Slaughter,” the acid-tongued newswriter.  His other well-known television roles include “Happy” on McHale’s Navy and “Big Chicken” on Hawaii Five-O, and he has also appeared in The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hogan’s Heroes, The Big Valley, Ironside, To Catch a Thief, Run For Your Life, Hotel and Murder She Wrote.

MacLeod’s film debut was in 1958 with Susan Hayward in the Oscar-winning film I Want to Live.  His subsequent 35 film credits include Compulsion with Orson Welles, Operation Petticoat with Cary Grant, High Time with Bing Crosby, The Party with Peter Sellers, The Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen and Kelly’s Heroes with Clint Eastwood."

I want to also wish Captain Stubing a very Happy Birthday from all of his cruising fans! Bon Voyage!

Princess Cruises to return to Galveston

Princess Cruises has announced that it will re-enter the Galveston market by repositioning its Crown Princess there and offering Western Caribbean sailings out of the Texas port. The ship will offer 19 departures from Galveston between December 22, 2012 and April 27, 2013. The seven-day roundtrip sailings feature calls on Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

I have personally sailed on Crown Princess and it is a wonderful ship. Not only that, cruisers that have never been to Roatan will be in for a treat. The cruise port is amazing.

The Crown Princess, weighing in at 113,000 tons, will be the largest Princess ship to sail out of Galveston. The decision to reposition the Crown Princess was impacted by feedback from cruisers who wished to sail out of Texas again.

For more information or to book a Princess cruise, please call your travel agent (if you don't have one, you may use the one at the bottom of the post), or call Princess at 1-800-PRINCESS (774-6237).

Bon Voyage!

Travel agent information: Theresa Cooke, CruiseMasters, Pineville, NC 28134. Phone: 1.704.887.3968. Email address: tcooke@vivavoyage.com. Parent company website: http://www.vivavoyage.com/.

Holland America Launches 'Stateroom Direct Service' on all sailings

Holland America Line (HAL) has begun to listen to all of its guests griping about potentially long embarkation waits, and then having to compound it with the wait for their staterooms to be ready.

HAL is introducing Stateroom Direct Service on all of its sailings, which allows passengers immediate access to their staterooms upon embarkation. Under this initiative, staterooms will be ready as early as 11:30 am, and cruisers will no longer have to check their carry-on bags and wait around for the rooms to open. Guests will also have their luggage delivered earlier, allowing them the time to settle into their vacation without the rush of eating, getting unpacked and safety drills.

This service has now been set into place on all of HAL's 15 ships. It is part of Holland America's ongoing Signature of Excellence enhancement program. The Stateroom Direct Service adds to an already long list of enhancements designed to allow guests maximum cruising experience by enjoying onboard activities, facilities and amenities as soon as they board the ships.

Call 1-877-SAIL-HAL for more information or consult with your professional travel agent. If you do not have a travel agent, one can be found at the bottom of this post.

Bon Voyage!

Travel agent information: Theresa Cooke, CruiseMasters, Pineville, NC. Phone: 704.887.3968. Email: tcooke@vivavoyage.com. Parent website: http://www.vivavoyage.com/.

Norwegian Pearl to debut its sailings from New York

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that for the first time in its history, the Norwegian Pearl will sail out of New York for its Fall-Winter 2012-2013 deployment. The Norwegian Pearl will begin sailing out of New York in October 2012, and also, the Norwegian Gem will begin sailing out of that port beginning in September 2012.

This will be a great catch for the New York/New England area, as they will have unique itineraries and larger ships from which to choose. The 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl will sail from New York, offering a series of 21 seven-day Bahamas and Florida cruises, along with three 12-day Southern Caribbean cruises.

According to Norwegian:

"Norwegian Cruise Line today announced its Northeast deployment schedule for the 2012/2013 fall and winter season which features two, large Freestyle Cruising ships sailing from New York offering a variety of itineraries.  For the first time, the 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl will sail from New York beginning in October 2012, offering a series of 21 seven-day Bahamas and Florida cruises, along with three 12-day Southern Caribbean voyages.  Norwegian Gem, also accommodating 2,394 passengers, will continue to homeport in New York where she will offer a series of 24 nine-day Eastern Caribbean voyages and four 10-day cruises to Eastern Canada and Quebec. Rounding out the fall season from the Northeast, Norwegian Dawn will sail seven day cruises to Canada and New England from both Boston and Quebec for five weeks starting September 21, 2012.

“With the arrival of Norwegian Pearl in New York, we will have two of our newer and larger Freestyle Cruising ships sailing from this very popular homeport,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer.  “New Yorkers love Freestyle Cruising because it suits their needs. With two of our Jewel-class ships in New York, we are giving guests more choice and the opportunity to sail longer cruises to the Caribbean.” 

Norwegian Pearl will make her New York debut on October 14, 2012, sailing a seven-day itinerary that calls on Orlando & the Beaches (Port Canaveral); Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian’s private island) and Nassau, Bahamas. The three 12-day Southern Caribbean cruises, on January 6, January 20 and February 3, 2013, include stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados and St. John’s, Antigua; as well as five relaxing days at sea.  Norwegian Pearl will also offer three opportunities to experience Freestyle Cruising on a two-day getaway sailing from New York on January 18, February 1 and February 15, 2013.  

Continuing to homeport in New York, the 2,394-passenger Norwegian Gem will sail two newly extended itineraries to Eastern Canada and Quebec and the Eastern Caribbean.  Norwegian Gem will begin her four 10-day sailings to Canada and Quebec on September 8, 2012; calling on Halifax, Nova Scotia; an overnight in Quebec City, Quebec; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; and Sydney, Nova Scotia. From October 20, 2012 to April 18, 2013, Norwegian Gem’s nine-day itinerary to the Eastern Caribbean will stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Samana, Dominican Republic.

Beginning on September 21, 2012, the 2,224-passenger Norwegian Dawn will spend the fall season in Canada and New England. The ship will offer three seven-day sailings from Boston visiting Portland, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Gaspésie, Quebec; Saguenay (La Baie), Quebec and ending in Quebec City, Quebec. Norwegian Dawn will also offer two seven-day sailings from Quebec calling Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Sydney, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick; Bar Harbor, Maine. Guests can combine these itineraries into a 14-day cruise, with an option to embark from either Boston or Quebec. This will be the first time Norwegian Cruise Line will visit Gaspésie in Quebec."

You may call NCL directly at 1-866-234-7350 to make a booking or inquire more about these sailings. Or you can call your travel agent to help you. If you don't have a travel agent, one can be found at the end of this post.

Bon Voyage!

Travel agent information: Theresa Cooke, CruiseMasters, Pineville, NC. Tel: 704.887.3968. Email address: tcooke@vivavoyage.com. Parent company website: http://www.vivavoyage.com/.

Holland America's MS Nieuw Amsterdam named 2011 Ship of the Year

I have written a lot about Holland America Line's MS Nieuw Amsterdam on my Examiner page. Please click here to read more about the ship on there. However, the exciting news of the day for this fantastic ship is that it was named 2011 Ship of the Year by World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society, a prestigious award.

Based on the press release by Holland:

"The award was announced in the February issue of Ocean & Cruise News, a 16-page monthly publication. 'In order for a ship to become our 'Ship of the Year,' it takes an exceptional consistency of high marks in each of the grading categories,' wrote Thomas Cassidy, editor of Ocean and Cruise News. 'Our congratulations go to Holland America and the crew of the Nieuw Amsterdam on delivering the highest degree of passenger satisfaction to our members.'

'Nieuw Amsterdam quickly has become a guest favorite since it debuted, and knowing that our ship stood out and was recognized by the most experienced and dedicated cruisers is a true honor,' said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. 'With each new ship we introduce more innovative features, amenities and partnerships that enable us continually to add value to our product and brand, and our guests truly appreciate that.'

One hundred fifty-one ships from all major cruise lines were rated in the survey, which is based on passenger satisfaction in categories ranging from culinary and service to itineraries and shipboard activities and entertainment. From 1982, when Ship of the Year surveys began, Holland America Line ships have received top honors ten times - more than any other cruise company's ships.

The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society was founded in 1980 and is considered to be the oldest and largest cruise organization of its kind. WOCLS is composed of more than 7,500 experienced cruisers who take, on average, two cruises each year.'

With honors like that, it's easy to see why Holland America Line is a premium cruise brand.

Bon Voyage!