Reasons to Cruise

Taking a cruise is not just a way to take time off work or to spend your vacation.  There are all sorts of reasons why people take cruises, and Princess Cruises has recently published several more such reasons on their blog at http://inspiredtocruise.com/.

One good reason is to grant someone a last wish, as was the case of John Hedley of North Carolina who traveled to Alaska with one of his former comrades-in-arms on a final cruise before his friend succumbed to cancer.

Another great reason is to bond with your family, as Bob Taylor of Ohio did to know the sisters he’d only recently met when they spent time together on a Caribbean cruise, and as Naomi Cornelius of Texas did when after a lifetime of distance from her father, she reconnected with him on a Panama Canal cruise .

Still more reasons exist such as Jessie Work and her husband of Connecticut,  used their time at sea to revive their floundering marriage, and Sheryl Tarkoff of Chicago who connected with nephews, cousins, siblings and her children during her cruise up the Eastern Seaboard.

Princess Cruises is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines, an exclusive alliance that also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn.

Competition for Cruise Travel Agents

Travel Agent Chance to Win a 7-Night Mekong River Cruise

As AmaWaterways continues to expand and become even more of an award-winning river cruise line than ever before comes a chance for travel agents specializing in cruises to win a 7-night trip for two people on the Mekong River.

From now until Nov 15, 2012, travel agents are invited to take the free, online course at TAU or LTU. Upon course completion, one lucky travel agent will win an unforgettable seven-night voyage for two exploring Vietnam and Cambodia in December 2012. Please visit www.amawaterways.com/specialistincentive for AmaWaterways Mekong Contest information, terms and conditions.

“With the industry moving so quickly, AmaWaterways is constantly updating our ships, shore excursions and service to exceed our guests’ expectations,” said AmaWaterways Executive Vice President and Co-Owner Kristin Karst.   “Travel agents have always played a very special part in AmaWaterways success and this contest is a fun way to keep our valued partners up-to-date on the latest developments and AmaWaterways marketing tools.”

TAU and LTU are designed to help travel professionals ‘learn and earn’ at their convenience, through a combination of online training courses, loyalty booking programs and various other informational and relationship-building resources. Visit TAU or LTU to become an AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist today.

For more information on AmaWaterways please visit:
www.AmaWaterways.com

New Norwegian Cruise Ships Ordered

Norwegian Cruise Line has now announced  that it has reached an agreement with MEYER WERFT GMBH of Germany to build a new cruise vessel, for delivery in October 2015, with the option for a second ship for delivery in spring 2017.  

The new ship, at 163,000 gross tons and approximately 4,200 passenger berths, will be larger than the Company’s Breakaway class ships currently under construction at MEYER WERFT and incorporate many of those vessels’ unique design elements and innovations. With the project name “Breakaway Plus,” this new vessel will be the largest in Norwegian’s fleet.

“Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway have garnered significant attention in the marketplace with their innovative design, rich stateroom mix and world-class amenities.  Building on that momentum, along with MEYER WERFT’s expertise and efficiency in the design and construction process, we are extending the excitement and anticipation with a new, larger edition Breakaway Plus class ship to further distinguish the Norwegian brand,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “This new order further solidifies our commitment to continued innovation in terms of the guest experience and will incorporate technical and environmental advances as well.”

MEYER WERFT, based in Papenburg, Germany, is currently building Norwegian’s two new 146,600 gross ton, 4,000-passenger Breakaway class vessels: Norwegian Breakaway, scheduled for delivery in late April 2013, and Norwegian Getaway, scheduled for delivery in mid-January 2014.

For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line visit Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine at :

http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines-norwegian-cruise-line.html 

or check out the Norwegian Cruise Line website at : 

http://www2.ncl.com/

Award for AIDA Cruises

AIDA Cruises has been awarded the "Innovation Prize 2012" by the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW).

The Association has honored that the company revolutionized the German cruise market and has made a niche product into a product for everyone, but also that the company has an eye on future issues and actively approaches difficult subjects with new ideas.

Statement from Michael Ungerer, President AIDA Cruises, on the occasion of the awards ceremony:

"We are delighted with this award," said Michael Ungerer, President AIDA Cruises. "For us, it means the recognition of the work of our AIDA family, constituting 6,000 people from 25 nations. To break new ground is an important part of the corporate culture of AIDA. We take today's prize as an incentive to surprise in the future with new concepts and to leave the beaten path. Our guests will benefit from our innovative power. In the coming years we will continue our successful growth with products that further inspire the fascination of cruising and will be trendsetting for our industry."

Further information about AIDA cruises take a look at the Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine at www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines-aida-cruises.html

Winning a free Carnival Cruise for Two

A great chance to win a seven-day Caribbean cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines is now on offer by visiting http://www.carnival.com/pinterest.

Begin the contest by choosing one of four cruise destinations – the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska or Hawaii – then describe what your dream cruise to that location would look like by pinning various images to the newly created contest board.
           
Participants need to pin at least five images or videos from any of Carnival’s social media sites or carnival.com, while the rest of the board can feature any other images of their choice.  Consumers can enter the contest up to four times by simply re-visiting the contest page, choosing a new destination, and entering again.

This fun competition runs through October 14, 2012.

At the end of the contest period, judges from Carnival will select the top 10 boards based on beauty, creativity and originality and the grand prize winner will be chosen by guest judge and “pinning rock star” Mike Dew who has more than three million followers on Pinterest .  To inspire participants, Dew will also be creating his own board specifically for the contest.

“Pinterest is a terrific social media platform for discovering different vacation choices and this contest allows consumers to create and share their idea of the perfect Carnival vacation,” said Jordan Corredera, vice president - digital for Carnival Cruise Lines.

In addition to a grand prize Caribbean cruise for two, the participant whose board has the most followers will win a $250 Fun Ship Dollars gift certificate.

For insights and examples of Caribbean cruises take a look at 12 articles and experiences of such cruises at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine at  www.prowsedge.com/cruise-articles-reviews.html
           

CLIA National Cruise Vacation Week

An annual cruise event coming up again soon is CLIA’s National Cruise Vacation Week.

Planned to take place from October 21 to October 27, this special event offers the cruise industry’s most  exclusive promotions and features a wide array of special events and offers from twenty-five CLIA member cruise lines representing more than 200 cruise ships.

Planned special deals include up to $13,000 in bonus savings on a luxury cruise, $1,500 per couple savings on a river cruise in Europe, two-for-one pricing, free airfare, complimentary shore excursions, and up to $500 in shipboard credits.

Visit CLIA’s special NCVW page, www.cruising.org/vacation/welcome to find impressive potential savings as well as credits for shipboard spending valued at up to $500, upgrades to suites, or other incentives such as complimentary shore excursions, free airfare, free hotel packages, deposit waivers and more. 

Some of the cruise lines involved are AmaWaterways, American Cruise Lines, Avalon Waterways, Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, Louis Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Windstar Cruises.

Keep track of the Prow's Edge blog here for actual details of the special cruise deals.

Baseball Greats on MSC Cruises

Designed with baseball fans in mind, MSC Cruises has announced a number of Caribbean sailings aboard the MSC Poesia featuring baseball legends representing leading teams.

On these special cruises, guests will be invited to meet with former major league baseball stars on several “Baseball Greats” theme cruises in 2012 and 2013.

In fact, this is the ninth year MSC Cruises has featured these popular cruises with a changing lineup of players. Top features include a number of guest/player activities including a player-hosted trivia game, a question-and-answer session, a guest pitching contest and a lively storytelling session as well as baseball players hosting hitting, fielding, base running, and defense strategy clinics.

A free autograph session is one of the most popular aspects of the “Baseball Greats” experience.

Host and emcee for all of the onboard activities on each cruise is former New York Yankees star pitcher, Stan Bahnsen.

Special “Summer Sale” rates begin at $799 for the 10-night “Baseball Greats” cruise and $549 for 7-night cruises. Fares are per person, double occupancy; government fees and taxes are additional. Bookings must be made by Sept. 30 to receive “Summer Sale” rates.

For more information about MSC Cruises and its “Baseball Greats” theme cruises, visit us online at www.msccruisesusa.com, call 877-665-4655, or contact a local travel professional.

Or for more about MSC Cruises visit Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

International Expeditions December Amazon River Cruises

If you are looking for an unusual and exotic way to spend your December holidays this year, International Expeditions has come up with some great bargains on very novel Amazon River cruises.

International Expeditions has been leading Amazon River cruises for 32 years, and this year they are offering $750 off their usual fares, or even no single supplement fees on the two Amazon cruises on the 21st and 28th December.

This is all a welcome surprise considering that most cruise lines and holiday operators take the chance of Christmas and New Year to charge more than usual for all sorts of cruises.

This Christmas, those wanting to take a trip organized by International Expeditions may even be able to save up to 44 percent.

“December is a month when everyone wants to get away,” commented  International Expeditions President Van Perry, “and exotic destinations are terrific places to create unique memories.”

International Expeditions has been named seven times to Travel + Leisure’s list of “World’s Best” tour operators & safari outfitters and to National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine’s list of “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”

For more information visit : http://www.ietravel.com/