Carribian Cruise – Caribbean Cruise

Posts Tagged ‘Cruise Ships’

There comes a time when you want to take time off of work and put aside the stress and just go on vacation. Somewhere where no one can reach you and you just can sit back and relax. If this sounds like you, you should go on a cruise.

If you go on a cruise there is nothing to bother you at all, you will be surrounded by the ocean and sunlight. So you can get plenty of relaxation, and spend time with your family like you want to. Cruise trips, to me are the best way to get away from your everyday life. And there are plenty of cruises to choose from, so you can pick the right one for you. I am going to tell you about a couple of them so you can get an idea on what kind of cruise you would like to take.

Let’s start with Royal Caribbean Cruises…
The Caribbean is no longer the haunt of pirates; it now retains a seafaring romance that can be claimed by few other destinations. If you were to take a cruise trip here you and your spouse would be able to fall in love all over again.

Alaskan Cruises…
Alaska is known for its snow capped mountains that provide you with a once in a lifetime scenery. You can’t find such beautiful scenery anywhere else but here. This would be a wonderful place to carry your children and let them to be hypnotized by the scenery; they will be begging you to carry them back over and over again. However, it can be a little chilly, so if you plan to go here you may want to carry some warm clothes. Don’t be discouraged however, this will be a wonderful time to get the quality you and your love ones need. You can cuddle up by the fire place and reminisce on the old times that you have share together.

Taking a cruise trip is one of the most exciting things, it offers you so much freedom that you can’t have at home. If you decide to take a cruise, it will be just like you are at home, only not as loud and aggravating. The cruise ships have rooms that look like your entire house they are so big. This will make you feel just like you are at home. Cruise ships also have pools, lounges, tennis courts, bowling alleys; they basically have anything that you could image doing.

Once you get to your destination you will be able to see unbelievable places, places that you thought you would never see in your lifetime. All he cruise ships have destinations to go to, where you are able to get off the boat and see different places, basically you take tours to places throughout their destination.

When you go on a cruise you will need to dress for the occasion, you don’t want to be dresses inappropriate and miss out on all the fun. If you are going on a cruise that is destined for nothing but sunshine and oceans then you should dress warm. Maybe shorts and a nice shirt would be okay. If you are going to be swimming you may also want to bring a bathing suit or swimming trunks. If you are going somewhere that is full of snow covered mountains, then you may need to dress warmer. Pants and a sweater would be nice, and make sure that you carry a jacket with you.

Most cruise ships have a cheap cruise holiday in which they offer discount prices. If you are interested in taking a cruise then you may want to call ahead and find out when there cheap cruise holiday is. You may save a lot of money by asking them about that. This could mean more money for you to take with you and spend on something’s you may see and want.

Overall, I hope that you consider taking a cruise, whether it is an Alaskan cruise or a cruise to the Caribbean. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Being out at sea offers you freedom that can’t be described. I recommend that if you carry a cell phone or pager that you cut it off, it may not work anyways but you don’t want people calling and ruining your vacation. This is a time for you, enjoy yourself and have fun, you deserve it.

With the credit crunch hitting us hard, it seems difficult to comprehend how many millions of pounds is being invested into the cruise industry. With new ships still being ordered by the cruise lines, we can only expect bigger and better things for the future. Looking ahead to 2009, we can see a mixture of new ships ready to be launched, from smaller luxury vessels, to huge super liners.

Here is your guide to the new cruise ships for 2009:

Ready to hit our shores in May 2009, Costa Luminosa sister ship to Costa Serena is currently under construction at Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Mantimo.  The 13th ship in the Costa fleet has a GRT of 92,600. There are 1130 cabins onboard, 56 of these have direct access to the ships innovative and exclusive Samsara spa, 718 have private balconies, 44 suites have private balconies, and 4 suites have direct access to the Samsara spa. The ship will accommodate over 2,260 passengers, and with its theme of light and elegance, we can ensure the latest addition to the Costa family is going to be a real jewel. 

The ship boasts 4 restaurants, 11 bars, 2 swimming pools, 4 Jacuzzis, the Samsara Spa, and for the more adventurous, the ship even contains a Grand Prix simulator. Costa Luminosa will set sail from Venice on its inaugural voyage on the 5th May 2009. The 10 night Vernissage Cruise around Greece and Turkey, will visit Bari, Katakolon/Olympia, Rhodes, Izmir, Istanbul, Mykonos, and Piraeus. After the ships initial voyages in May, it will take mini Vernissage cruises from Venice, before heading to Amsterdam to visit Northern Europe and the Norwegian Fjords throughout the summer.

The ships christening on the 5th of June, will be an extraordinary event, taking place in Genoa. This unique event will display both Costa Luminosa, and Costa Pacifica, as a double celebration, with both of MSC’s new additions to the fleet being christened together.

Costa Pacifica, the fleets 14th ship in the fleet, will be the 3rd sister ship in the Concordia class, making the Costa Pacifica, the newest and largest of the Costa fleet. Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Genoa Sestri Ponente shipyard in Italy. The Italian lines newest addition is an impressive   114,000 tonnage, with 1540 cabins, the ship can take up to 3780 passengers. The ship will share many features with the other Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, its sister ships including the Samsara spa, 5 restaurants, 13 bars, 4 swimming pools, and 5 Jacuzzis.

The ships design and styling has been inspired by the musical theme onboard. Each area has been characterised by a different type of music, you will see this in the My Way restaurant, Ipanema Lounge, Route 66 Sports Bar, La Bamba pool deck and other areas around the ship.The Grand Inaugural cruise will be sailing from Savona on the 6th June, the 9-night cruise will visit Marseille, Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, Valetta, Palermo, and Civitacheccia/Rome. After this, the ship will be based in Barcelona, for the summer taking 7 night Mediterranean cruises.

Ready to launch in July 2009 is MSC Splendida.  The second in the new design style from MSC and sister ship to the recently launched MSC Fantasia, you can expect ‘cutting edge technology and luxurious comfort’. The 133,500-tonnage ship currently under construction at the STX Europe, St Nazaire, France, will take up to 3,300 passengers.

To ensure pure luxury, MSC are offering six star service in the form of the MSC Yacht Club, with 99 suites, a special VIP area as well as 24-hour butler service. Onboard MSC Splendida you can also experience the Aurea Spa, a wellness centre offering amazing treatments, including Balinese massage, Turkish baths, solariums, relaxation rooms and much more.

After the christening of MSC Splendida in Barcelona, the maiden voyage will visit La Goulette, Valletta, Messina, Civitacheccia, Genoa, and Marseille. Throughout the summer, the ship will be based in Barcelona, visiting the Mediterranean.

The Seabourn Odyssey will be launched in June 2009, the 32,000 tonne, 450-passenger ship is the first new build ship for The Yachts of Seabourn for over 15 years, and the first new build luxury ship for 6 years.  Under construction at Italy’s T Mariotti’s shipyard, the ships christening had been scheduled for June 24th 2009 in Genoa, Italy.

With 225 ocean view suites on offer, 90% with private balconies, luxury is guaranteed. With great onboard facilities including a spa, it will be a treat to be onboard the newest luxury liner in the cruise industry’s offerings. The maiden voyage from Venice will see you sail 14 nights around the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting Dubrovnik, Kotor (Montenerago), Mylos, Aghios Nikolaos, Rhodes, Santorini, Navplion (Mycanae), Piraeus (Athens), Mykonos, Kusadasi (Ephesus), and Istanbul. Before spending the summer cruising these islands, visiting some amazing locations.

The latest addition to the fleet of Celebrity Cruise line is the Celebrity Equinox.  Set for its launch in August 2009, the Celebrity Solstice class ship is 122,000 tonnages with the accommodation taking up to 2850 passengers. Under construction at Germanys Meyer Werft, Papenburg, the ship has incredible features and has been designed to exceed your expectations, from start to finish.

Onboard the Celebrity Equinox, you will find some familiar features from the Solstice class. The Lawn Club, a freshly manicured lawn area onboard that features real grass, for passengers to play sports including golf and croquet. You will also find the Aqua Class staterooms, which are cabins sharing a deck with the Aqua Spa, a relaxation room, incorporating spa elements into the staterooms.

The Maiden voyage from Southampton is set for 8th August 2009. The 10-night “Best of Europe” cruise will visit Paris, Cherbourg, Vigo, Lisbon, Gibralter, Cartagena, Barcelona and Rome. It will then sail 13-14 night itineraries “Ancient Empires” these are based from Rome, on these voyages two brand new ports Haifa and Ashdod, Israel will be visited. After this, the ship will cruise the transatlantic to Fort Lauderdale, before starting the 10 and 11 night “Ultimate Caribbean” itineraries.

In September 2009, we will see the arrival of Carnival Dream. The 130,000-tonnage ship will be accommodating around 3562 passengers. Currently under construction at the Fincanteri shipyard in Italy. The ship boasts the largest outdoor deck space, more stateroom categories, the largest spa Carnival have ever built, Carnival Waterworks, and a new indoor/outdoor entertainment area called the Ocean Plaza.

The ships maiden voyage ‘The 12-night Grand Mediterranean’ cruise from Rome is scheduled in September. Before heading across the Transatlantic to New York, where it will start 8 night Port Canaveral and Bahamas cruise, before operating year round 7 night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises itineraries.

Late in 2009, we will see the arrival of the much-anticipated Oasis of the Seas. The latest creation and addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet.  Oasis of the Seas, comes in at a massive 220,000 tonnage, and will accommodate an incredible 5400 guests in 2700 staterooms. The ship was originally ordered in February 2006, and had been constructed at the STX Europe, formerly Aker Yards.

With seven different neighbourhoods onboard, we can see a new concept by the cruise line introducing different areas similar to those found at a theme park. Each neighbourhood will have distinct characteristics, and will be themed and named; examples of these are the Youth Zone and the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk  will feature a unique Aqua Theatre, the first ever Carousel at sea, and games and amusements to entertain the whole family. Amongst the new additions, you will also find Madame Zamara’s – a psychic and tattoo parlour.

Based out of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale. The ship will be visiting the Caribbean, alternating seven night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Finally, in late 2009, the Silver Spirit will be debuting. Currently at the Fincantieri Ancona Shipyard, the 36,000 tonne, 540-passenger vessel will feature more balcony cabins, more dining choices, more facilities onboard and more luxury.

The ships debut voyage features an 11 night maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon, before the 16 night transatlantic to Fort Lauderdale where the naming ceremony will take place. In January 21st 2010, the Silver Spirit will commence its 91-day South American voyage from Fort Lauderdale to La and back to New York.  It will then spend the summer in the Mediterranean, before spending the Winter/Autumn in the Caribbean.  

Expect to see a new trend in Caribbean cruises over the next few years as cruise lines develop new ports of call. After years following the same itineraries, cruise lines are seeking out newer, less crowded destinations.

“Most Caribbean cruises follow one of two routes,” says Paul Motter, editor of CruiseMates, “The typical Western Caribbean itinerary goes to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel; the standard Eastern Caribbean sojourn stops in St Thomas, St Martin and a Bahamian island.”

These itineraries lead to a hoard of travelers descending on the same islands.

“Bigger and bigger ships frequently arrive in the same ports on the same day as they service the same itineraries,” says Motter.

For major stops like Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, it is not unusual to have five ships arriving each day during high season, each dropping up to 3,000 passengers on the town.

“Does this make sense?” asks Motter, “Absolutely not.”

To avoid the crowds some cruise lines are seeking out quieter ports of call.

Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced a new itinerary for its ship Carnival Destiny featuring stops at less-visited ports in the Southern Caribbean, including St. Kitts and St. Lucia.

In the Western Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Holland American feature stops at the Guatemalan port of Santo Tomas, which began receiving cruise ships only four years ago.

But travel experts predict that the next major cruise destination will be the Honduran island of Roatan.

“Roatan is beautiful and unspoiled,” says local travel agent Gary Miller of TropicalRez, “It’s what the rest of the Caribbean was like 20 or 30 years ago.”

In many ways Roatan is an ideal destination for American travelers. The island features tropical scenery, sugar white beaches without the crowds and first rate scuba diving.

Already over a third of visitors to Roatan come via cruise ship. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland American and Norwegian Cruises currently stop at the island as part of their Western Caribbean cruise routes.

But ship traffic is still light by Caribbean standards. Only nineteen cruise ships stopped at the island during January 2008. That may change in the next few years.

Royal Caribbean has just signed a deal to build a $30 million extension to the island’s cruise terminal.

Carnival Cruise Lines is spending $50 million on its own port of call. To be called Mahogany Bay, the new port will feature shops, restaurants and bars and have the capacity to handle up to 7,000 visitors per day.

All of which begs the question, as the cruise lines seek to get away from the crowds, will they spoil paradise?

“I’m not too worried about that,” says Miller, “Right now we’re so much less developed than the better-known Caribbean islands, it will take a long time for us to get where they are today.”

Who are Royal Caribbean Cruise lines?
The next time you’re looking to book a cruise vacation, consider Royal Caribbean lines as your choice. They are considered one of the best floating hotel companies on the water today. You’ll love your holiday vacation with this premier company.
As well, you should know they don’t just go to the Caribbean, as the name “Royal Caribbean Cruise lines” might imply. They go all over the world! With Royal Caribbean, you can enjoy an Alaskan, European, Hawaiian, a Panama cruise, a Mexico… and, of course, going to the Caribbean. So you need ask yourself…, where do you want to go?
Why are they so good?
Check out their website and you’ll see right away that they have professional planners available online or through their toll free number who can help you plan the perfect vacation… and make a reservation.
It is very evident that this “top of the line” company works hard to make sure that your next vacation is a trip you’ll never forget!
Once you’ve booked your holiday, all you have to do is start counting down the days until you board your “floating hotel” and set sail for your destination – wherever that may be. Once aboard the ship, you’ll find your room – there is always one for every budget and taste. Be warned however, you’d better just leave your bags because there’s so much to do and see on these water cities!
What you’ll do on a Royal Caribbean vacation:
Ship liners are designed for your comfort and enjoyment. Royal is no different! Each one has great shopping in its shopping plaza, enjoyable gambling in the casino, entertainment for the kids, Broadway-style shows in a theater, and hit movies in the cinema.
Periodically, the boat will dock and you’ll enjoy a well-planned shore excursion. You can view the historical sites, shop at a local market, wander the streets or take a pre-planned tour. Then, it’s back to your cruise ship to set sail again!
Now let’s talk about the meals: What do you eat? Royal Caribbean lines takes great care of its guests and that includes the meal service available on each and every boat in its fleet! There are several themed restaurants on each ship serving a variety of foods throughout the day so you’ll always have something you want to eat. There are dinners that are more or less formal – all suited to your style and preference.
So, if you’re looking for fun… and who isn’t… check out this “fun” company and discover all of the things you can do… lounging at the pool, eating, casino quality time, dancing… and no evening would be complete without visiting one of the boats nightclubs to dance the night away! Remember your bags in your cruise ship room? They’re still there, waiting for you to return after a full day of fun.

The first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation is here. Most of the day will be spent getting to know your cruise ship, making spa appointments, booking tours on the Caribbean Islands and trying to get cruise tips from your fellow passengers.

The first night of your Caribbean cruise vacation is always a casual night since most people have traveled a good portion of the day. It’s also the night you meet your table mates. Here is another cruise tip, be a few minutes late on the first night (only on the first night-be prompt from then on). There is usually a crush of people when the dinner bell rings and everyone is trying to find their table.

If you are eating in the traditional cruise style, always ask for a large table for several reasons. You have a better chance of meeting a mix of people, and the more people you meet during your cruise travel, the merrier. One thing to do is change seats every night at the table so everyone gets to talk to everyone else during the course of your cruise vacation. It’s much more fun. And a round table is ideal since rectangular ones make it difficult to talk to the guy at the other end. However, if you find that you are unhappy with your table, absolutely go to the maitre d’ and asked to be moved. He or she will accommodate you as best they can. There are people who chose to dine alone and the ships have tables for two but they fill up fast.

Freestyle Dining and Choice Dining are available on some Cruise Lines for those who want to eat on their own or don’t want to be delegated to a specific dining time. Your travel agent will be able to set this up when booking your Caribbean cruise vacation.

Now you are on day two, and usually that means it’s a day at sea. You are just itching to put into your bathing suit and get out in the sun. Listen to this, it is the most valuable of all the cruises tips here, do not try to get a tan on your first day of your Caribbean cruise vacation. You will spend days of your precious cruise trying to recover from very bad sunburn. The Caribbean sun is very intense and is even more so in the summer months.

Get waterproof sun block and use it liberally if you are swimming or snorkeling. Don’t forget the tops of your feet, your ears and lips, this can be extremely painful. Wear a hat so you don’t burn your scalp.

To avoid injury follow these tips. Be careful if the decks are wet, they become very slippery. Watch for the raised lips in some doorways especially between your cabins sleeping area and the bathroom. Never sit on the railings as you may fall. Wearing high heels could be hazardous in bumpy weather. When tendering to shore keep your arms and legs within the tender. These are all very good cruise tips

All of the newer cruise ships have an internet café; some even have an internet connection in your room. So if you want to bring your lap top with you, by all means do. There are some small luxury cruise ships that have lap tops available for your use. Check with your cruise travel agent, he or she will know. Most people won’t want to be bothered with their computers, but it is nice to check your email if you are going to be away for awhile, and ship to shore phone calls are very expensive on the cruise lines.

The last evening will also be a casual night since you have packed your bags and put them outside your cruise cabin. Tomorrow will be an early morning and the end of your enchanting Caribbean cruise vacation.

There always seem to be many questions about tipping while taking a Caribbean cruise vacation. These questions come up on European cruise vacations too, but we’ll stick to the Caribbean. Some cruise lines will absolutely not let you tip. These are the very high end cruise lines. Some automatically add it to your bill. If you do not like this arrangement tell the purser that you will tip on your own. Tipping on a cruise ship is very important since the room steward, waiter and busboy all make their living on tips. They work very hard to keep you happy during your Caribbean cruise vacation so please tip them. You may want to figure out the amount of tips you will be paying at the beginning of the cruise vacation and separate that from your spending money. You won’t get caught short.

If a Maitre d’ does something special, like crepe suzettes at your table, you should tip him. When you order wine or drinks there is already a 15% tip on the charge, so it is not necessary to tip here. If you find a special bar and frequent it, give the bartender a bit extra on the last night. As I said tipping policies are different on all ships so find out ahead of time. Holland American has changed their tipping policy. It used to be “no tipping necessary”. That policy is no longer in place. On NCL Hawaii a $10.00 per day per person is added to your bill and it is not optional.

A nice gesture on a two week cruise is to give half the tip after the first week, the cruise staff will appreciate this. On almost all of the cruise ships, the general rule for tipping is $3.00 per day, per person for the waiter and the room steward and $1.50 per person per day for the bus boy. If you’re not sure the Cruise Line will usually give you guidelines. If your room steward or waiter showed you excellent services tip them more.

Alcoholic beverages on board are expensive. All cruise ships have there own policy if you bring your own, some confiscate it and return at the end of the cruise, others allow you to buy bottles on board, and others will allow you to purchase it but won’t deliver it until the end of the cruise. Each cruise line has different policies so check with your cruise travel agent. In many cases you can bring wine and champagne on board.

Here’s just a small note about seasickness. On the really huge ships it should not be a problem. If you are prone to it and are taking a smaller ship, there are over the counter remedies. Dramamine and Bonine are in tablet forms and can make some people drowsy. Because of the size and the stability of the current fleet of cruise ships only 3% of cruise passengers are affected by this.

There are wrist bands that you can purchase that act on the theory of acupuncture. Then there is also the Patch that you wear behind your ear. If you do not purchase one of these before the cruise and find yourself getting a little green, the purser’s office will provide you with them. Go out on the open decks, eat saltines, green apples and drink ginger ale. Do not do anything that requires you to look down, like reading or writing.

In health food stores you can buy powdered ginger caplets which are the natural remedy. That should take care of it. Stay away from greasy foods. This is no longer a huge problem since most ships today have stabilizers that keep the ship from pitching to and fro. If you do have a problem with “mal de mar”, it is not wise to take a sailing cruise or a small ship in notoriously rough seas like the South China Sea. It is so shallow it is always a little rough. The waves bounce off the seabed and come back up making it a bit choppy. Here again the size of the ship matters and having a little information will be helpful. This is where a really knowledgeable cruise travel agent comes in.

All cruise ships have a policy on smoking. On one ship they had an absolutely no smoking policy anywhere, they have since changed that rule. There is never any smoking allowed in the showrooms or the dining rooms. In many cases they designate one side of the ship in the bars as the smoking section while the other side is smoke free.

You can smoke in the bars and in the casino. Never, ever, toss a lit cigarette overboard, it can blow back on deck and start a fire. Please be considerate of the other passengers and follow the rules. And be aware that you will encounter many more smokers on a European cruise vacation and on European cruise ships that winter in the USA.

These are just some sensible cruise tips for you to follow on you Caribbean cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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