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Showing posts with label Princess Cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Princess Cruises. Show all posts

Friday, May 21, 2021

BIG NEWS!! Alaska Cruises Will Resume in 2021 with an Abbreviated Season

The good news about travel resuming continues! 

Yesterday the US House of Representatives approved a bill that the US Senate had already approved regarding a revision to the long-standing PSVA which will effectively allow for an abbreviated Alaska cruise season to happen in 2021!  This is huge news for the people of Alaska who are very dependent on travel and tourism and were affected greatly in 2020 with the complete shutdown of the industry.  The PSVA controls the movement of foreign-flagged ships within US ports and a big hurdle for the Alaska cruise market is the fact that ships must dock in Canadian ports per the PSVA, but very early this year the Canadian government banned any ships from their ports until at least February 2022. This bill from the US Congress will effectively modify the PSVA making the stop in Canada, not a requirement, so there can be roundtrip sailings from Seattle up into Alaska!  Following the passage in the House, three of the Carnival Corporation brands - Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Carnival Cruise Line - announced that they will be resuming sailing this summer, beginning in early July for 10 departures each.  Each line will have one ship sailing these itineraries, and all guests must be fully vaccinated.  

This is great news for the industry!!




Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Princess' BEST SALE EVER!

Travel makes an incredible gift and is the one thing you can buy that makes you richer. And Princess is offering an amazing deal that you don't want to miss! You can easily wrap it up and give it to your family this Christmas!
It's the BEST SALE EVER. You can choose any destination, any stateroom category, and any sailing after April 2020 for 3 nights or longer and receive FREE wifi, FREE gratuities, FREE beverage package (with tips included) for each guest in the room, and no hidden fees.
Alaska? The Caribbean? Hawaii? Australia/New Zealand? Asia? The Mediterranean? Northern Europe? The Panama Canal? South America & Antarctica?...it's all available! The choices are yours!
If you've been considering a cruise - or even if you haven't - reach out and let's have a conversation. You can book now, and travel later, with months to pay. Sailings are available through January 2022.



Monday, November 25, 2019

Princess Cruises' $1 Deposit Event - ONE DAY ONLY!

Tomorrow only Princess Cruises is featuring $1 deposits plus free wi-fi!! Please feel free to contact me at 317.776.1733 or clingren@cruiseplanners.com so we can pick out the perfect itinerary for your future Princess Cruise!



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Tips onThursday - Bringing Baby Along


As recent as just five years ago, the cruise industry varied greatly by line whether or not they would support people who wanted to bring their very young children along with them – including children as young as six months old.  The vast majority of cruise lines limited access for babies to at least a year old, but if you brought your infant along, you were pretty much on your own throughout your cruise vacation.  Beginning in 2010 though, the cruise industry began to standardize around a common set of recommendations from CLIA (the Cruise Line International
 Association) which not only encouraged the lines to allow children as young as six months old, but to also provide amenities such as high chairs, strollers, cribs, cots, and bottle warmers.  But it didn’t stop there either, as CLIA strongly recommended organized care programs for the children so that parents might be able to take a much-needed break from the constant care of their youngest children.  Certainly, all of the clines have had programs for older children, from three to 17 for many years now, some for decades, but not for the care of the youngest cruisers out there.  That was an industry revolution.

Today most of the major, mainstream cruise lines will provide for children as young as six months old.  These cruise lines include Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruise Line. Furthermore, the Euro-centric MSC Cruises allows babies as young as just three months old.  However just because these cruise lines accommodate young children, do not assume that all cruise lines do, as many of the more “up-scale” or “luxury” lines do not, having no children’s programs on board any of their ships, and simply do not recommend bringing children of any age onboard.   

Truly the pioneer within the industry for accommodating children of all ages is Disney Cruise Line, being the first cruise line to be designed specifically for the entire family from the line’s introduction back in 1991.  From supervised children’s activities to Disney characters on board ship, to family-friendly dance parties and deck parties, and more, Disney just excels at making sure all ages in the family have a great time.  They’ll even cater specifically to the infant set, but delivering diapers and warm baby formula to the stateroom. 

So you might be asking, what is provided for these kids onboard?  Each line varies, and we’ll get into that below. 

All of the cruise lines above have a minimum age of six months for most cruises, but raise the limit to one year from the rare trans-oceanic cruises, trips to South America, and cruises to Hawaii.  While most do not sell diapers, a few of the lines have diapers available for sale in their onboard shops, including Holland America (must be pre-ordered), Norwegian, and Disney.  Baby formula is not available onboard, so you will need to bring your own. 

High Chairs, strollers, and cots are available at no extra cost on all the cruise lines mentioned above with the exception of Carnival which charges $6/day or $25/week for strollers and/or bouncy chairs.

Onboard activities and babysitting services are available on all of the lines mentioned above.  Most will provide organized group activities with a good number of trained and supervised caretakers. Generally, there is no charge for these group activities, you just need to go and check your child in. These services are offered during most days from breakfast through about noon. Often they take a break in the afternoon but re-open well before dinner, continuing to provide services throughout the dinner hour. After dinner parents have the option of taking advantage of organized babysitting services which have an added cost for most lines, except Disney, where it is included and available the vast majority of the day, even into the nighttime hours. 

Here’s a rundown of the latest offerings and charges, as of this post.  Know that the cruise lines reserve the right to change provided services and fees at any time.  So be sure to inquire about the current information when booking your next family cruise:

Carnival: Camp Carnival offers finger painting to cartoon time, arts and crafts to puppet shows. Toddlers do not have to be potty-trained. Group babysitting is offered from 10pm -3am - Charge: $6/hour.

Celebrity: Babies/tots have access to crafts, games & toys in the Fun Factory. Children under the age of 3 must be accompanied. Group Babysitting is available for $8 per hour, as well as private babysitting, also for $8/hour.

Cunard Line: Onboard nurseries are outfitted with Fisher-Price Little People as well as toys made by Little Tikes and Lamaze. The Queen Mary 2 liner has a "Minnows" pool for families, plus a splash pool for smaller children. Group babysitting is staffed by "British Nannies" and available from 6:00pm-midnight at no cost.

Disney:  Disney has a special area called "Flounder's Reef Nursery" which will accommodate babies as young as three months old (12 weeks). Within this area, they provide meals and cribs for nap-taking. The area is supervised by trained "nannies" so parents are free to go their own way. Parents are required to supply their own diapers and formula, but they can buy these onboard or have them delivered to their staterooms. Nannies will change the children.  The cost for the nursery is nominal, at just $6 per hour.  

Holland America Line: The line offers "Toddler Times" sessions for kids under the age of three to play in the children's facilities, but there are no trained caretakers so parents must stay with their children at all times. Babysitting is offered to children under three on a limited basis by voluntary staff - price negotiable.

MSC Cruises: One of only two lines to allow kids as young as just three months old onboard. However, there are no baby-sitting services, and any kids less than 36-months old must be accompanied by the parents when they are in the children's play area.

Norwegian Cruise Line: while this is one of the few cruise lines that sell diapers and baby wipe onboard, the line does not have any supervised activities for tots 36-months or younger nor does it offer any baby-sitting services.

Princess Cruises: children from six to 36 months are welcome in the youth playroom as long with supervision by a parent or guardian. Princess Youth counselors will not change diapers. Group babysitting is offered from 10 pm-1:00 am but only for kids three years or older. The charge is $5 per hour.

Royal Caribbean: the line offers 45-minute Interactive playgroup sessions developed by Fisher-Price, held in an onboard lounge. Moms can keep fit with the "Stroller Mates" workout sessions. Group babysitting is offered from 8 am to 2 am. The Charge is $10/hour. Private babysitting is also available.


While we all want to have a great time on our vacation, please do keep in mind that while some people will enjoy seeing your baby on board, not everyone appreciates loud kids or crying babies, especially in the dining rooms. So if you bring your youngest children, be aware of the close proximity of other cruisers and be prepared for the looks you’ll get from some passengers, and the comments you might receive from others. If you do not want to risk this particular social stigma it is best to stick to Disney Cruise Line, or the larger, newer ships from Carnival, Norwegian or Royal Caribbean.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Tips on Thursday - It's All About the Food


It’s All About the Food!

Choices abound!  Choices galore!  Choices, choices, choices!  With newer cruise ships, it's all about choices! One evening you might enjoy the elegant atmosphere of the main dining room while another you opt for your ship's casual dining restaurant or one of the ship's specialty restaurants; and yet another you might enjoy the choices inside your own stateroom thanks to 24 hour room service. 

Regardless of how or where you choose to dine, you're sure to a seemingly endless selection of entrees, appetizers, salad, soups, sides and desserts every time you sit down.  Did you also realize that here's virtually no limit on what or how much you order?  But just because your cruise ship offers plenty of delicious food doesn't mean you'll come home out of shape; as more and more ships offer low-calorie, spa or fitness menu selections that are just as tempting as those on the regular menu.  Watching what you eat has never so much fun!

Not only do you have choices in where you eat within the variety of fabulous food and restaurants, a growing number of cruise lines are now allowing guests to choose their own dining time. Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered the concept with their “Freestyle Dining”, which has been well-received by guests loving the freedom to dine whenever and wherever they like.  Six-star lines such as Regent and Silversea also leave the option of dining time up to guests.  Princess' “Personal Choice Dining”, Holland America's “As You Wish Dining” and Royal Caribbean's “My Time Dining” are now available in addition to their traditional dinner seating.  

Traditional dinner seating, however, with the same wait staff and table companions each evening, has not gone the way of the dinosaur, and is still available on most cruises, and remains a favorite among new and past cruisers alike.

No matter what line or itinerary you choose, you’re bound to find the dining choices to be an amazing part of your cruise vacation. 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Tips on Thursday - Weddings at Sea


Let’s face it, not everyone is interested in the typical 4-hour white wedding. Some may even say “been there, done that”. So what’s a great alternative? How about getting married at sea? What could be more fun than your wedding festivities lasting 7 days or longer, and spending that week in exotic ports? The best part is you can do this with a small wedding party or invite all of your friends and family to come along.

Fun events can be planned both onboard and ashore throughout the week. Think of having a sail away party on deck, beach Olympics on a private island, a wine tasting for sophisticated palates, or amazing shore excursions that can be tailored to the couple or the group’s personality. The possibilities are endless!

Cruising is the BEST vacation value! It’s practically all-inclusive.
  • All meals are included
  • Top-notch entertainment
  • Oceanview accommodations
  • Experience different ports of call in one trip
Most cruise lines have access to local authorities who perform ceremonies prior to leaving port or during a port call on the cruise. Did you know that you can get married on a beach in the Caribbean or on a Glacier in Alaska? The choices are endless and romantic!

Few cruise lines actually have captains who can legally perform the ceremony at sea. Princess, Celebrity, and Azamara Club Cruises have ships that are registered in Bermuda and Malta which recognize marriages in international waters.

Getting married at sea has HUGE advantages. I’m talking about dollars! It’s much less expensive than a typical wedding with packages starting at low as $1,200. The wedding planner handles everything from the ceremony, event coordination, live music, photos, cake, and flowers. It’s a one-stop shop. Plus, couples can also enjoy some romantic extras: like breakfast in bed, chocolate-covered strawberries, champagne, and spa treatments. 

Your friends and family will be talking about your wedding for a lifetime!

For more information and to reserve your next holiday, visit my website or simply call 317.776.1733.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Tips on Thursday - A Few Cruise Line Updates

For years I have followed Disney and a few other travel industry leaders in the news, on websites and lately in blogs.  Checking various Disney sites daily has been a practice of mine for the last 13 years.  And now here I am picking some items from time to time to share myself.  I’ve been doing a lot of it on Facebook, but today I choose to do so here.  Since I am a Cruise Planner, I decided to share these items with you regarding the cruise industry:
  • Princess Cruises has announced that they will be offering 10 itineraries to Hawaii, Tahiti and the South Pacific between fall 2012 and spring 2013. Princess will offer four ships sailing roundtrip to the Hawaii islands from Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition, the renovated Grand Princess will make debut voyages to Hawaii as part of its first West Coast season. In total, eight ships will sail on 56 voyages throughout the Pacific, including itineraries such as the 10-day “Tahiti & Polynesia” route that sails roundtrip from Papeete, Tahiti. An 11-day “Hawaii & Tahiti” itinerary offers the Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia. And the 28-day “Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa” itinerary that debuted last season returns with two roundtrips from Los Angeles to American Samoa, visiting Hawaii and Tahiti along the way.
  • Crystal Cruises will be remodeling their ship, Symphony, during a $15 million dry dock scheduled for June 1 to 16. In just days at Germany’s Blohm + Voss shipyard, Crystal Cruises is redesigning the ship’s Avenue Saloon, Palm Court lounge, Galaxy showroom, Hollywood Theatre, Bridge Lounge, and Fantasia and Waves “junior cruisers” areas.
  • Norwegian Cruise Lines announced the plans to return to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles Port, sailing seven-day cruises. The dates released are limited and expected to to be in great demand:  Dec 22 & 29, 2013 and Mar 2 – Apr 13 2014.  

Be sure to check my Facebook page often for updates on specials, itineraries and other cool travel news.  Also, if you haven't already signed up to receive "The Cruise Planner Magazine", which is chock-full of specials, exclusives and free stuff.  The January issue includes a contest for a FREE 7 night cruise, and a FREE iPad - and yes, both items will be given away to some lucky individuals who register online at the published website address inside the magazine. Be sure to do so here.  The next issue will be sent out in July.