Cruise Express Technology Advances Internet Cruise Search. Faster, relevant and more personal interaction equals better results.

Cruise Express Technologybr /Advances Internet Cruise Search.br /Faster, relevant and more personal interactionbr /equals better results.br /br /br /Up until now, finding a great cruise deal could take hours, if not days browsing all over the Internet, calling a half a dozen cruise lines or visiting your neighborhood travel agent spend hours searching for the perfect cruise. A perfect cruise that's not only priced right, but one that fulfills your vacation dream.br /Just searching for a Caribbean cruise can be chore. Do I do a Western itinerary, Southern or Eastern itinerary. Should I risk sailing during hurricane season. When is the best time to cruise, and is it also the best time to save the most money? To find out, you would have to check dozens of web sites, and you’d have to check numerous date ranges to find the best cruise deals. Hours of tedious work.! Don't most of us take a vacation to get away from work!br /Now, Cruise Direct Online, The Ultimate Cruise Traveler's Search Engine takes the work out of searching. Eliminating hours of work with a process that takes just a few short minutes.br /Most travel sites show sample prices, often based on the cheapest inside cabin on a ship. Few show you a lower price, based on where you live. The industry calls them resident rates. Likewise you may not see rates for seniors, family discounts or military rates. Most sites don't post all the promotional and discounted fares cruise lines offer. Rates can change almost daily and many sites don't update their content to match the most up-to-date offers. br /Prices shown often reflect what you don't want (an inside cabin as opposed to a one with a balcony) at a price that looks too good to be true. So the price you see is almost always higher than that "displayed" price. br /You know what happens: You see a "7 Night Cruise to Alaska for $499 per person"…..you click on the link only to discover that the quoted price is only good for the first week in May, ( August is twice the price! ). The price does not include airfare, port charges or government fees, shipboard gratuities or cab fare from the airport to the pier and back. The airfare quoted from the cruise line is way too high, so you search all over the internet looking for a cheap airfare. Low and behold! The price you will have to pay is higher, much higher than $499! br /Sometimes the price is enticing, but the destination is not. You may not know enough about the ports-of-call the ship visits. You don't know what accommodation onboard to pick. What cabin locations to avoid. What value do you get for your money? We know that a number of our guests want help and advice, they may be looking for tips on how to pack, what to see and do, and when to do it. So while the technology is impressive, the service is too. Travelocity provides personalized help 24/7.br /br /How you ask?br /At Cruise Direct Online, we are members of the Travelocity Partner Network. Travelocity's discount cruise engine provides online cruise availability and real-time booking functions, allowing you to compare a number of different cruise lines at once. It features 360-degree virtual ship tours, deck plans, cabin layouts, and facts about destinations and ports of call. You have the ability to make instant reservations online and have access to a 24/7 call center for reservations and customer service.br /You can even enter your zip code to see just the cruises that offer a discounted resident rate, or tell the system you are a senior, and in seconds you can view all the senior specials. Choose from over 40 of the most popular cruise destinations. Find cruises that leave close to home, last minute cruise deals and read an extensive library of customer and Cruise Critic reviews. All, without spending hours traveling all over the Internet.br /Features.....br /br /Advanced Cruise Finder® search programbr /Instant online cruise booking br /Over 18 cruise lines featured br /Direct access to extensive inventory and low rates br /Virtual 360° ship tours, deck plans and cabin layout br /Personal cruise planner br /Seasonal specials and repositioning cruises br /Facts about destinations and ports of call br /Details on shore excursions br /FAQ and in-depth cruise resources br /Up-to-date articles and tips on cruising br /Driving directions and travel tips br /24/7 call center for reservations and customer service br /br /A Sea Of Choices.....br /All major cruise line brands are featured, like Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian,nbsp; Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, and more. Luxury, themed and specialty cruises are also available!br /br /Find out more about a href="http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/travelocity_cruise_deals.htm"Travelocity Partner Network's Cruise Search/adiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9902695-6350306313020919040?l=cruisenews.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Celebrity Up To $300/cabin Onboard Credit!

Celebrity is offering up to $300/cabin onboard credit AND 50% reduced deposit for oceanview cabins or above on most sailings to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, or Panama Canal in 2010!The details are:- Book by January 31, 2010- Oceanview cabin or above- Deposit due at time of booking- New bookings only- Select sailings between February 10, 2010 - December 16, 2010- $50/cabin onboard

More on RCCL’s Haiti Relief Efforts

Following up on the promised aid to Haiti, Royal Caribbean has detailed their future plans for relief efforts to the devastated country.Royal Caribbean is partnering with charitable organizations – such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation and the Solano Foundation, the company’s foundation in Haiti, to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti. Royal Caribbean

It’s Wave Season! FULL List of Special Offers!

Once again, cruise wave season is upon us, the time when most bookings for the year are made, and the cruise lines roll out attractive specials to entice you. Below is a FULL list of wave season offers by cruise line! Most of these offers are available through February 4, 2010, though other booking dates may be listed in the specific offers:Azamara Club Cruises: Receive up to $400 in Onboard

Jumbo Happy Hour Specials - Including Thanksgiving Sailings!

Am posting this week's Happy Hour Specials early this week as they're HUGE, especially from Royal Caribbean. A little of everything, and some astonishing prices, even over Thanksgiving!.For example, Enchantment of the Seas' 11-28 8 night Southern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $199/person with D2 Balcony at $599/person? Egads! How about an 11 night Mexican Riviera sailing on the

Happy Hour Time! Big from RCCL, No XCitement from Celebrity

I'd held off posting this Happy Hour as I was hoping that Celebrity was just delayed in releasing their Happy Hour Specials for this week. However, it appears there won't be any, so we just have Royal Caribbean. Fortunately, there's an abundance there!

Shorter cruises starting at $179/person to 7-nt from $309/person, 10-nt Mediterranean from $449/person (no, that's not a mis-print!), and 12-nt Southern Caribbean from Bayonne at $749/person for an inside or only $1,249/person in a balcony!

There are 8 pages of goodness to be found in this week's Happy Hour Specials. See if there's something for you!

As always, call or email me ASAP so that I can lock in the availability and your choice of cabins when they first become available. These are one-day-only prices, so you have to act quickly!

Royal Caribbean Happy Hour/Sales Event Specials for Tuesday, September 29, 2009

More Terrific Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Happy Hours

It's the time of year where I really love posting Happy Hours, as there are usually amazing values offered. This week is no exception.

For Royal Caribbean, of particular note is a 9-Nt Canada-New England sailing on 10/1, which should be fabulous for color, with a balcony at only $849/person AND a reduced supplement for solos!

If you are looking for 7-nt Caribbean, there are several Freedom of the Seas sailings starting at $549/person.

West coast? Mariner of the Seas 7-nighters are here too starting at $339/person and reduced single supplements. However, on the 9/27 sailing, along with the 11/8, 11/15/AND 11/29 sailings, I have some cabins at $299/person, and that's not even a Happy Hour rate, so that can be booked any time!

Want something shorter? While east coasters are used to having lots of good deals on short sailings, finally the West Coast is getting some Happy Hour love, too! How about Radiance of the Seas 4-night Mexican Riviera starting at $179/person? Amazing!

Finally on the Royal Caribbean side is a 13-Nt San Diego to Miami Panama Canal sailing which is the lowest I think I've ever seen for a full transit starting at $849/person, and there's a reduced single supplement on that one, too!

Those are just a sampling of the HUGE number of offers this week. Check out the link below for all the options!

On the Celebrity side, while there aren't as many offers, both of them are excellent! The Equinox 13-Nt sailing from Rome on 10/10 starting at $1,349/person is amazing for this beautiful new ship, and the Summit's 14-Nt sailing from Venice on 11/14 starting at $949/person with Concierge balconies at only $1,349/person is a steal! And better yet for my solo occupancy clients, both are on reduced single supplement!

Here are the links to the full lists. As always, these are good for sale on Tuesday, September 22 only, and it's best to call me before Tuesday so I can reserve your cabin as soon as the pricing becomes available to ensure your choice of cabin and lock in the price.

Royal Caribbean Sales Event/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Celebrity Xciting Deals/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Triple the Savings - It’s Happy Hour Time

Since it's the week that Azamara has its Deluxe Deals, we have 3 sets of Happy Hours this week!

Headlining the offers are two Celebrity sailings. The October 12 11-night Wine Cruise on the Mercury from Vancouver starts at only $599/person for an inside cabin! And there's even a reduced single supplement on this one!

Also an exceptional value is the 17-night Panama Canal sailing on the Mercury departing San Diego on 10/23. Insides starting at only $799/person and Oceanviews at $899, plus a reduced single supplement! If you're looking for a longer getaway this fall, these two are truly special deals.

On Royal Caribbean, we see the return of 7-night deals out of Miami. The Liberty of the Seas September 26 Eastern Caribbean sailing starts at only $499/person for a Promenade cabin, with Oceanviews, Balconies and even Grand Suites also on Happy Hour this week. In addition, the Serenade of the Seas has a couple nice Panama Canal offerings, lots of shorter cruises on sale, and some Europe and Holy Land sailings if you are looking for something more exotic.

Azamara is offering two 14-night Southern Mediterranean sailings this fall, starting at only $1,599/person for an Oceanview, and there is a reduced single supplement for both sailings as well.

So no matter what you're looking for this fall, this week's Happy Hours may have exactly what you want at a price you can't refuse!

As always, these prices are good for one day only, Tuesday, September 15 (or Wednesday, September 16 in the case of Azamara). Contact me as soon as possible so I can lock in your pricing and cabin as soon as the pricing becomes available.

Royal Caribbean Sales Event/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 15

Celebrity Xciting Deals/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 15

Azamara Deluxe Deals/Happy Hour Specials for Wednesday, September 16

Labor Day’s Over - Time to Play - Happy Hour Specials!

While many may have been celebrating a long holiday weekend, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity were busy putting together their Happy Hour specials for this week, and there are some great offers in there!

The best offers for both lines this week are with repositioning cruises (take a look at the Mercury Panama Canal on 10/13, for example), along with Canada/New England, Bermuda, and some amazing values on short fall getaways. September/October traditionally brings terrific prices on last-minute cruising. Do you want to take advantage of them?

As usual, best to contact me ASAP, yes, even on Labor Day, so that I can lock in your cabin and price as soon as they become available in the system. Call or email me; I am working today!

Here are the deals for Tuesday, September 8, 2009:

Royal Caribbean Sales Event/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Celebrity Xciting Deals/Happy Hour Specials for Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Royal Caribbean Announces New Price Protection Policy - Is It a Good Thing?

Royal Caribbean today rolled out their new "Price Guarantee" program, allowing for price protection on almost every fare up to 72 hours prior to sailing, excluding "new bookings only" fares such as Happy Hours. On its face, it's a good thing, but is it really?

Experienced travel agents and savvy cruisers have long known that RCCL (and sister companies Celebrity and Azamara) offered fare protection all the way to sailing date. Should the fare go down, with those same "new booking" exceptions, even after final payment, Royal Caribbean would either lower the fare prior to final payment, or issue a refund back to the passenger's credit card if the reduction occurred after final payment.

In the very small print of the new offer, there's a change to this program. If the fare reduction occurs after final payment, your refund will come in the form of an onboard credit.

I'll admit, for most fare reductions, that will be welcome by cruisers, as it will essentially cover the expenses they'd have paid onboard anyway, such as gratuities, alcohol, soda, excursions, casino expenses, etc. However, I have experienced last-minute reductions for clients which were of such a significant dollar expense as to make the onboard credit amount difficult to spend during the cruise. Especially if the passengers don't drink alcohol or take cruise line excursions. While the amounts are refundable if not used onboard, it still puts the responsibility on the client to obtain that refund.

The terms and conditions also give a clue that this may be an effort on RCCL's part to later discontinue the program, as the wording states that the "Price Protection Program may be discontinued or modified at any time without prior notice". I hope that's not the case, and it's just a case of the lawyers getting in their $.02, but it does concern me.

I also expect there will be confusion with regard to whether or not group bookings can be adjusted after final payment, as the terms and conditions and FAQs seem to contradict one another, but I do believe that as long as the group booking is made in full, the fare protection will be honored. The terms & conditions just seek to ensure that group bookings not paid in full (and which have different conditions than individual bookings) aren't refunded improperly.

Azamara and Celebrity announced their versions of this program a few weeks ago. Terms are virtually identical.

Obviously, onboard credits cost Royal Caribbean less than refunds do, as what they sell onboard results in a profit to them. It's also easier to administer than credit card refunds. I don't begrudge RCCL this at all, and in many situations it's perfectly appropriate and welcome by cruisers.

So while I definitely still applaud RCCL and its sister companies for having a policy of allowing for fare reductions, even after final payment, and think it gives them a huge competitive advantage over some of their competitors who consider final payment the final time they have to worry about their fare, I actually think this is a step back in the actual policy. It's going to get a LOT of attention, on cruise boards, the media, and in buzz, but for the wrong reasons. It's mostly a marketing ploy, not a new program worthy of note. And I certainly hope it's not the beginning of the end of fare price protection by RCCL, Celebrity and Azamara.

I want the fare protection policies to continue, as they definitely help both me in securing bookings, and also benefits my clients in knowing they can be confident in booking these brands any time they want. Don't disappoint us RCCL!