Exciting News! “CruiseAssurance” Trip Protection!

You might have noticed several companies recently offering "job protection" offers on everything from new car purchases to vacations. Recently, Carnival and NCL announced offers of their own for people booking cruises. I've watched with interest these offers, particularly as you can imagine the offers from the cruise lines, but I wasn't too excited about them. In most cases, trip insurance from the cruise lines themselves don't offer enough coverage in my opinion, and these offers didn't go far enough.

So when my company, Cruises Inc., announced to us today that our Travel Guard TravelCompanion policies were being expanded to offer protection in the event of a job loss, I finally had something to get excited about. Especially since there's no increase in the premiums for this additional coverage!

I've been speaking with a lot of my clients recently about adding "cancel for any reason" protection to their Travel Guard policies on their bookings, partially to receive this coverage. But that's no longer necessary... at least not for that reason. (Cancel for any reason can still be beneficial if you're concerned about a pet, have children with uncertain schedules, job issues other than layoffs, etc.) This is a huge value, and exciting to be able to offer to my clients.

Here are the details from our press release:

CRUISES INC. UNVEILS GROUNDBREAKING NEW JOB LOSS INSURANCE, COVERING TRAVEL
ON EVERY CRUISE LINE

Nation’s Largest Cruise Retailer Now Offering “CruiseAssurance” Upgrade (At No Additional Charge) on Bookings March 1-May 2, Raising the Bar by Insuring All Cruise Travelers

Fort Lauderdale, FL – February 27, 2009 – Consumers might be concerned about losing their jobs, but they no longer need to worry about a pink slip ruining their vacation plans. Cruises Inc., the nation’s largest cruise retailer as part of World Travel Holdings, today unveiled the first-ever comprehensive job loss travel insurance policy covering travel on all cruise lines. The new
“CruiseAssurance” initiative is an exclusive benefit to consumers booking through one of more than 450 Cruises Inc. agents nationwide, even if they have to cancel their trip at the last minute because of an unexpected layoff.

The best part? Cruises Inc. is picking up the tab for “CruiseAssurance” for consumers purchasing their basic travel insurance. Combined with lower-than-ever prices, cruising is now the most affordable and worry-free vacation option.

“In today’s environment, it is crucial for businesses to step up to the plate showing we understand consumer challenges, and a handful of companies have recently done this with their
versions of job loss protection,” said Dwain Wall, General Manager of Cruises Inc. “Our ‘CruiseAssurance’ policy takes the concept of job loss insurance to a new level, easing the concerns of consumers at no charge and on any cruise line of their choice.”

Under the “CruiseAssurance” policy, travelers booking a cruise with Cruises Inc. can cancel their trip up to the day of departure, or even during the vacation. The only requirements are that
travelers purchase an entry-level travel insurance plan from their Cruises Inc. agent – administered by Travel Guard – and present their termination letter. One year of employment is required. “CruiseAssurance” applies to bookings made March 1 through May 2, 2009 and is offered in addition to an already comprehensive travel protection policy.

“We have our finger on the pulse of what is happening with consumers and travel, and we are
passionate about finding innovative ways to problem-solve, making cruise travel accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Wall.

So if you've been thinking about booking a cruise, but were waiting due to uncertain job situation, wait no longer! Contact me for more information or to book your cruise!

Luxury Savings News

You've all most likely been inundated with sales and offers from the mainstream brands such as Carnival, Princess, NCL, etc. But you may not have seen some spectacular offers from lines such as Crystal, Regent, Oceania and Azamara. All are offering similarly amazing deals, which bring their pricing down to values never before seen.

Would you believe up to $2,000 in onboard credit from Crystal for 2009 European sailings? In addition to other savings offers? Huge discounts on the Regent Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia if booked prior to March 31? And did you notice that there are now included shore excursions with Regent sailings?

Azamara has announced they will be offering cruise-only rates so you can take advantage of the discounts available in airfares right now direct from the airlines.

How about a historic Transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2? You've not seen prices like this before!

Interested in a river cruise? There are fabulous bargains to be found this summer, even in high season.

And these are only a tiny portion of the offers available right now in the Deluxe and Luxury brands.

So if you've longed for the pampering and quality of these Deluxe and Luxury lines, and have the ability to travel this summer, now is the time to book! You might find yourself paying less for one of these cruises than you've paid in the past for a mainstream brand.

As a CLIA-certified Luxury Cruise Specialist, I can help you find the line, itinerary and value best suited to your preferences. Give me a call or email me at amber@cruiseresource.com!

March Comes In Like a Happy Hour Special

The first set of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Happy Hour Specials for March brings us a bumper crop for spring! Including dates during spring break and later, these offers give us a really nice selection of sailings for March, April and even into May. For my solo clients, while Celebrity is a bit thin this week on reduced supplements, Royal Caribbean looks pretty generous.

As always, these specials are one-day-only sale pricing, this week on March 3, 2009. If you're interested in any of these, give me a call ASAP so we can discuss your cabin preferences and I can put you first in line for booking them when they become available on March 3.

Here are the links:

Royal Caribbean Sales Event/Happy Hour Specials for March 3, 2009

Celebrity Xciting Deals/Happy Hour Specials for March 3, 2009

Royal Caribbean Suites Getting Sweeter

On cruise ships, sometimes suites are just larger cabins, but most of the time they come with additional amenities and services. Royal Caribbean is making moves to make sure their suite guests receive pampering. While the new services won't put Royal Caribbean as the line with the most benefits for suite passengers, it definitely is a huge step up for them, and long overdue.

Royal Caribbean will launch their new fleetwide suite program beginning in March 2009 designed to focus on "distinctive and personalized servicing," which will touch every aspect of the guests' experience, from arrival through departure.

"With more than 2,000 suites across the fleet, Royal Caribbean is one of the largest suite operators in the hospitality industry," said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, hotel operations, Royal Caribbean International. "Our extensive range of suites combined with the new suite amenities and offerings and Royal Caribbean’s Gold Anchor Service creates a compelling cruise experience for our guests that desire a more exclusive vacation."

How it works: Upon arrival at the pier, guests booked in the Presidential Family Suite, Royal Suite, Royal Family Suite, Owner’s Suite and Grand Suite have access to dedicated security and check-in lines to help ease them swiftly through the embarkation process and directly to their suite accommodations (think the first-class lane at the airport). Additionally, guests booked in the Royal Suite and Presidential Family Suite are personally welcomed by a senior officer at the cruise terminal and escorted to their suite.

Upon check-in, all guests booked in Grand Suites or higher-category staterooms receive distinctive gold SeaPass cards, which enable ship crew and staff to provide them with the personalized service and offerings available to suite guests throughout their cruise. On arrival in their suites, guests are welcomed with complimentary water and a fruit plate.

Guests also receive a dedicated suite attendant throughout the cruise and help to fulfill any special requests, such as pressing service, which is complimentary on formal evenings.

Guests booked in the Grand Suite and higher category staterooms also have special privileges, including an invitation to a private cocktail reception hosted by the Captain, reserved VIP seating in the main theater for shows, and priority bookings for appointments in the salon and spa, and for tendering and shore excursion tickets.

At the conclusion of the cruise, suite guests enjoy priority departure from the ship and complimentary valet luggage service, where their bags are automatically transferred to the airport.

As part of the new suites program, Royal Caribbean also is upgrading furnishings in all suite category staterooms. The installation of new plush sofa-beds, deck chairs and tables and entertainment systems with flat-panel TVs and CD/DVD will be completed by 2010.

Presidential-Sized Happy Hours

The Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Happy Hours for Presidents' Week have been announced! Some very attractive options on both sides, though RCCL has a much wider variety. We start to see some prime Sprint Break time frame offers, along with some all the way into April repositionings. Check them out to see if there's something you're interested in!

As always, these deals are good for one day only, Tuesday, February 17, and the best option for you is to call or email me by Monday so I can grab the best available cabin for you when they become available on Tuesday.

On to the deals!

Royal Caribbean Sales Event/Happy Hour for Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Celebrity Xciting Deal/Happy Hour for Tuesday, February 17, 2009

SS United States for Sale?

For those of use who follow the classic ships, the hope that NCL would someday renovate and continue sailing the SS United States has been a treasured dream. Unfortunately, that dream may be ending as economic conditions necessitate other directions for the cruise line.

The SS United States Conservancy has issued an alert to its supporters that the 1952-built liner SS United States might be up for sale. The United States was purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line in 2003, and ownership of the vessel was recently transferred to a holding company controlled by NCL’s parent, Hong Kong-based Star Cruises, the conservancy said. “In light of current economic conditions, the SS United States is now in grave danger of being sold for scrap,” the Conservancy said.

The American-built SS United States shattered all trans-Atlantic speed records on its maiden voyage in 1952 and remains the fastest passenger liner ever built. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places before attaining 50 years of age because of its “compelling national significance,” the organization said. “We believe that a project to restore and revitalize the SS United States could create thousands of jobs and help stimulate the economy in these challenging times as well as preserve one of the world’s finest engineering achievements.” The SS United States Conservancy has been working behind the scenes to secure a future home and reuse for the ship. The Conservancy is launching a public education and outreach campaign and urged supporters to contact federal senators and representatives. For more information, call 888-488-7787 or visit http://www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/.

Cruisers are Readers

I'm back from Antarctica, and one of the things which most struck me about the cruisers on the ship, aside from their love of nature, was the books we all were reading. Everything from light romances to serious biographies. The one thing we all had in common, though, was most of us had to lug our books down there, enough for 16-days worth of cruising, and taking into account luggage weight restrictions. For us to do that, we had to be SERIOUS readers!

I've been intrigued by the Amazon Kindle since it was announced over a year ago, and it leaped into the popular culture when Oprah featured it in October (it's been sold out ever since). But with yesterday's announcement of the new Kindle 2.0, popularity is sure to skyrocket even further. Thinner, lighter, and with improved speed and memory, this is a traveling reader's dream! A bit expensive, but when I figured how much I pay in books each year, and the savings per book I'll have (with bestsellers, even new releases, generally at only $9.99 each), it won't take long for me to pay for the reader. Add in the convenience of not carrying 10 pounds of books when I travel, and as the commercial says - Priceless!

I'm finally taking the leap and ordering the new Kindle 2. If you're interested too, follow any of the links above, or go to my Kindle page at Kindle Mania. Full disclosure - I do get a referral fee if you purchase the Kindle (or any other Amazon.com item) through that link. But if you're purchasing through Amazon anyway, I'd sure appreciate you using my links (I've added an Amazon search box at the side of the blog to facilitate future purchases, too).