Top 10 Most Searched Cruise Destinations for 2010

Cruise travel search sitenbsp;Cruise Direct Onlinenbsp;(www.cruisedirectonline.com) says the Topnbsp;10 most searchednbsp;cruise destinations from United States and Canadian webnbsp;browsers includenbsp;Western Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, Western Caribbean all of which were among the top spots, followed by Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Bermuda and the Bahamas.br /January 12, 2010 -nbsp; Cruise Direct Online, billed as the Cruise Traveler's Ultimate Search Enginenbsp;announced the results of their 2010 Cruise Trends Report. Among the more noteworthy findings are that cruisenbsp;travelers continue tonbsp;cruise to the Caribbean in large numbers, particularlynbsp;on 7-day Western Caribbean cruises, and thatnbsp;Greek Isles and Mediterranean cruises remain high on the list, despite pricier airfares from North America and the U.S. economy.nbsp;nbsp;Datanbsp;for the report was gleaned from actualnbsp;searches made through December 31, 2009, along with insight and opinions of Cruisenbsp;Traveler Magazine's editors. Also included is supplemental information provided by Online Agency and Cruise Reports.br /br /"Our research shows consumer search interest begins first on the itinerary, thennbsp;a particular cruise line, thennbsp;on pricing and spreads to comparison shopping once the cruise traveler narrows down the choices to the cruise they want to take." says Marty Trencher, editor and publisher of Cruise Traveler Magazine.br /br /"Wave season", the industries most active booking period from January to March is well underway. Based on a survey of 25,206 searches at Cruise Direct Online,nbsp;out ofnbsp;2,888,149 site visitors over time, average information requests are up 34% so far in 2010 over the previous year. As a result, the cruise search portal Cruise Direct Online, is predicting a better year for cruise travelers in 2010 than in 2009.br /br /The prediction is predicated on cruisers seeing a continuation of aggressive price promotions, a reluctance on the part of the cruise lines to add fuel supplements based on the US economy, high interest in new ships that joined the fleet, a continued evolution of shipboard facilities and activities ( such as wave pools, zip lines, ice skating rinks, bowling alleys, top name entertainment, shopping arcades, rock climbing walls, water parks and more ). The added interest in new exotic, remote ports and the continued growth of domestic close-home departure ports.br /2009 Top Cruise Destination Searches:br /predicted to remain much the same for 2010br /br /1. Caribbean, 53%br /br /most popular in order of search resultsbr /br /7-day Western Caribbean br /br /7-day Eastern Caribbeanbr /br /7-day Southern Caribbeanbr /br /2. Alaska, 13%br /br /most popular in order of search resultsbr /br /Alaska Cruises br /br /Alaska Cruisetours br /br /3. Mexican Riviera,nbsp;10%. br /br /4. Europe – Mediterranean,nbsp;8%br /br /most popular in order of search resultsbr /br /12-day Mediterraneanbr /br /7-day Greek Islesbr /br /10-day Northern Europebr /br /12-day Scandinavia/Russiabr /br /14-day Mediterranean/Egyptbr /br /5. Canada and New England 4%br /br /6. Hawaii,nbsp;4%br /br /7. Bermuda,nbsp;4%br /br /8. Panama Canal,nbsp;3%, br /br /9. Bahamas, 2%br /br /10. Trans-Atlantic,nbsp;1%br /br /Average number of days between a search that results in a request for information and the cruise traveler's intended travel date is 147 days. Searches for Last minute cruises accounted for 9%. The average price cruise travelers are looking to spend is $818 per person. However 34% look to spend $500 or less.br /br /29% searched for prices for an Inside cabin, 33% for an Oceanview, 30% for a balcony and 7% for a Suite.br /br /What do Cruise Travelers look for when searching the Internet?br /most popular in order of search resultsbr /br /Specificnbsp;itinerarybr /Specific cruise linebr /Pricebr /Port of Departurebr /Accommodations – i.e. type of stateroombr /Specific cruise shipbr /Amenities – dining, onboard activitiesbr /br /Most Up and Comingnbsp;Cruise Destinationnbsp;for 2010. br /br /River Cruisingnbsp; ( Europe and Asia )br /br /*all percentages rounded off br /br /About Cruise Direct Online : Billed as the "Cruise Traveler's Ultimate Cruise Search Engine", Cruise Direct Online search offerings include cruises from 2 days to 105 days, on more than 96 cruise ships representing the top cruise line brands - Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Uniworld Cruises, and Windstar. Luxury, themed and specialty cruises are also available. The Last Minute Cruise Deals section searches for great rates within 60 days of sailing, is a popular feature. br /br /Real-time instant price quotes are available from a number of sources including Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, and the most popular cruise lines, Guests get a "real time" look at what's available directly from the cruise line's own reservation systems. They can check the latest discount pricing, availability, make a cabin selection, look up an itinerary, Guests can peruse an extensive library of customer and Cruise Critic cruise ship reviews. View photos, cruise line movies, and over 3,700 Virtual 360° ship tours. Plus, see itineraries, deck plans, ship details, and more.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9902695-6093730516049526242?l=cruisenews.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Cruise Direct Online Provides Tips and Resources to Help First-Time Cruisers Navigate The Web In Search Of Cruise Deals And Destinations

span style="font-size: x-small;"Cruise Direct Online Provides Tips and Resources to Help First-Time Cruisers Navigate The Web In Search Of Cruise Deals And Destinations./spanbr /span style="font-size: x-small;"/spanbr /br /span style="font-size: x-small;"The cruise industry "Wave Season" is in full swing. It's at time when more than 7 million web browsers will be looking for cruise tips, advice, destination information and where to find the best cruise deals. It's the busiest time of the year for booking cruises. Many of whom will find most Travel Agents swamped with phone calls and a backlog of e-mails to answer. So, Cruise Direct Online has created a 16 page online guide for first-time cruisers to research cruise destinations and find some of the best cruise deals on the web without having to navigate through hundred's of web sites to find what they want. "All About Cruising - Ask The Experts" Guide takes visitors to 16 of the world's most desirable destinations, provides background information on each locale, detailed city guides to get around, and what cruise lines go there. /spanspan style="font-size: x-small;"br //spanbr /div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"a href="http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/cruise_marketplace/rayeandmartysmall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" ps="true" src="http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/cruise_marketplace/rayeandmartysmall2.jpg" //abr //divspan style="font-size: x-small;"br //spanspan style="font-size: x-small;"Cruise ships visit nearly 300 ports of call, in some of the world's most breathtaking locations. From the rugged beauty of Alaska and Canada/New England to the charm of Europe. There's the lush landscapes of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. Also, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and South America, plus the guide gives you even more amazing exotic spots to choose from. Visiors just pick their dream destination, find out more about it and get ready to set sail! Visitors can use the handy Cruise Calendar to see all of the ships they can sail on, and sailing dates. Visitors can ask cruise experts Raye amp; Marty Trencher questions about cruising, such as "Where can I Go?, What's It Like? Who's It For?" or comment about the articles, content, and features found in the guide. In addition, there are handy links to travel-provider web sites to find the perfect cruise and the best deals. So, if travelers are cruising for the first time, and need added guidance to safely navigate the web for travel information, Cruise Direct Online is worth a visit. They call themselves 'The Cruise Traveler's Ultimate Search Engine" and with this new information, it's easy to see why. Cruise DIrect Online is celebrating it's tenth year on the web in 2010./spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9902695-3520858488586445420?l=cruisenews.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Peter Deilmann Cruises Bale out

Peter Deilmann Cruises has withdrawn from the river cruising market with the division of the German-based company declared insolvent.

The decision will impact “hundreds” of group and charter Australian bookings, Sydney-based general sales agent Classic Voyages said.

A statement from Peter Deilmann said that its “river ship division has been moved into insolvency which is the German for corporate reorganisation”.

“The 2010 river cruise program has been cancelled and charter and group operators involved have been advised of this situation,” the company said.

The 2009 season will go ahead as planned.

The move does not affect voyages of its cruise ship ms Deutschland, which is separately owned and operated.

Peter Podesta, managing director of Classic Voyages, said the river cruising vessels have independent owners and it remained to be seen what decision they will make over future bookings. “As more information comes to hand we will advise the trade,” he said.

The operation has been losing money in a tough market which the cruise company could no longer sustain.

xg_quickadd_share_moreOptionsUrl = 'http://rivercruising.ning.com/main/sharing/share?id=2174905%253ABlogPost%253A3921';Share

Globus’ Avalon and Monograms Partner on Cruise Tours

The Globus family of brands’ Avalon Waterways and Monograms have put together seven- to 10-day pre- and post-cruise packages for river cruise itineraries in London, Paris, Nice, Amsterdam, Vienna, Prague, Munich, Zürich, Interlaken, Lucerne and Berlin. Monograms’ A Week in Paris vacation interlocks perfectly with Avalon Waterways’ Burgundy & Provence itinerary. And the seven-day Vienna & Prague vacation package is good fit with Avalon’s A Taste of the Danube itinerary, post-cruise. In 2010, Avalon Waterways and Monograms are offering nearly 15 pre- and post-cruise packages to fit many river cruise itineraries. Additional examples include Paris & Nice -- seven days, priced from $1,599, combining pre-cruise with Avalon Waterways’ Burgundy & Provence; Amsterdam, Paris & London -- seven days, priced from $1,389, combining post-cruise with Avalon Waterways’ Romantic Rhine, European Splendor, Magnificent Europe, Windmills, Vineyards & Paris or North Sea-Black Sea Cruise; and Vienna, Munich & Berlin -- 10 days, priced from $2,429, combining post-cruise with Avalon Waterways’ A Taste of the Danube

“Monograms is independent travel made simple and a perfect choice for first-time travelers to a destination. We pair travelers with local hosts in European cities to provide guided sightseeing and point them in the right direction on trip,” said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus family of brands. “We also ensure travelers are staying in hotels located in the heart of each city for easy access to sites. Booking a Monograms vacation pre- or post-cruise is a safe and easy way for agents to not only build business but also to enhance client satisfaction.”

To encourage travelers to book the cruise of their dreams, Avalon Waterways is offering early booking incentives. Receive $150 off per person on any Egypt, China, Galapagos or Taste of the Danube cruise/land-only vacation in 2010, or $300 off per person when booking air on the same itineraries. For most Europe cruise vacations, the deal increases. Receive $250 off per person on select Europe river cruise/land-only vacations, or $500 off per person when booking air on the same itineraries. Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands, a travel industry leader with 80 years of international travel expertise. Monograms offers travelers packaged vacation options, enabling them to embark on getaways in cities around the world, without any pre-planning. For information on Avalon Waterways, call 800-640-4899

Pearl Mist problems lead to cancellation of remaining 2009

Rajang River Cruising

We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of the ORIENT PANDAW in Sibu on 2nd May after a 72 hour crossing from Saigon under her own steam. All is on schedule!

The maiden voyage on the mighty Rajang River is on 1st July. This is an eight day journey deep into the Borneo jungle where few travellers have gone before. Jungle tumbles off the mountains into the muddy eddies of this little explored river. Incredible flora and fauna in this the most bio diverse place on the planet, long houses of ex head hunters, colonial vestiges, all  conspire to make this a very unusual journey.

For the maiden voyage the explorer and travel writer Redmond O'Hanlon will be joining us and will give a series of talks on his own Rajang expedition, described in his classic book INTO THE HEART OF BORNEO.

More info on Borneo Cruises

AMA Waterways Sets New River Itineraries for 2010

AMA Waterways announced a new lineup of itineraries for 2010. In addition to its recently announced “Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong” program in Southeast Asia, the line’s European offerings has increased to 20. The AMA Waterways lineup for 2010 includes itineraries on the Danube, Main, Rhine and Mosel rivers, as well as the Douro River in Portugal, the Rhône in France and the Volga-Baltic waterways in Russia. New land programs also have been added.

New for 2010 is the seven-night “Romantic Christmas Cruise” with two nights in Prague; the seven-night “Enchanting Rhine” cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, plus two nights in Luzern and two nights in Zurich; the seven-night “Rhine Winter Voyage” from Basel to Amsterdam with two nights in Zurich and two nights in Luzern; and the “Heart Of Portugal & France,” a combination of the “Cruising Portugal & Spain” and “Provence & Spain” itineraries. Also new is the optional pre-Prague land program -- two nights in Berlin and two nights in Dresden -- now available on spring and fall “Romantic Danube,” “Legendary Danube” and “Christmas Time” cruise itineraries.

The previously announced “Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong” cruise-tour, launching this fall, includes two nights in Hanoi, an overnight junk cruise in Ha Long Bay, three nights in Siem Reap/Angkor, a seven-night Mekong River cruise aboard the new La Marguerite, and one night in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Contact RiverDiscounts 800-640-4899

Uniworld’s new River Beatrice

Uniworld’s new River Beatrice set sail on March 24, and hosted the godmother and namesake of the ship, Beatrice Tollman, founder and president of Red Carnation Hotel Collection, a sister company of Uniworld. Tollman christened the ship in the medieval, walled city of Nuremberg, Germany. In attendance were Guy Young, president of Uniworld; Christine Sustreanu, director of European operations for Uniworld; Mike Ness, CEO of The Travel Corp. (the parent company of Uniworld); and the entire Tollman family. The River Beatrice sails a nine-day “Enchanting Danube” program from Budapest to Passau, visiting Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, Melk, Linz (Salzburg) and Passau. Uniworld is offering 2-for-1 air and $300-per-couple savings off of the “Enchanting Danube and the “Danube Holiday Markets” river cruises. Prices start at $1,799 per person, cruise only. For more information, call riverdiscounts. 800-640-4899.

Tauck launches new river cruise ship

 On April 27, the Tauck family, along with local dignitaries and business colleagues, gathered in Passau, Germany to christen Tauck World Discovery's third new riverboat since 2006, the MS Swiss Jewel.  

The Swiss Jewel joins its sister ships in Tauck’s growing riverboat fleet, comprised of the MS Swiss Sapphire launched last April, and the MS Swiss Emerald launched in 2006.  

“Our goal is not to be the biggest river cruise line, but to be the best,” said Dan Mahar.  “Having the Swiss Jewel enter service is another exciting milestone in our efforts.  She lives up to the same award-winning standards set by the Swiss Sapphire and the Swiss Emerald, and we look forward to hosting our first Tauck guests aboard the Jewel in the coming days.” 

Guests aboard the 361-foot Swiss Jewel will enjoy a relaxed and casually elegant atmosphere, as the ship accommodates just 118 guests, versus 150 or more on other similarly sized vessels. The Jewel offers a total of 59 outside-facing staterooms, including 14 suites and seven junior suites.

As on Tauck’s other vessels, the Jewel’s 300 square-foot suites are highlighted by floor-to-ceiling windows, French balconies, walk-in closets and marble baths with full size tubs. The additional 45 junior suites and cabins range from 150 to 183 square-feet, with 85 percent of all accommodations including floor-to-ceiling windows and French balconies. Each of the Jewel’s suites, junior suites and cabins feature plasma TVs, mini-bars, terry cloth robes, radios, safes, individual air conditioning and L’Occitane toiletries. 

The Jewel also provides guests with a second onboard dining option, the Lido bar, where bistro-style food is offered as a more casual alternative to the ship’s main dining room. Other onboard amenities include a 24-hour Jacuzzi, lounge and wellness center. Along with a ship’s crew of 29, the Jewel also has an onboard staff of three Tauck Directors and one Tauck Cruise Director.

Those interested in learning more about the Swiss Jewel and Tauck’s river cruises can call RiverDiscounts.com  1 800 640 4899

Canadian Travel Company Offers Great Lakes Cruises

The Great Canadian Travel Company is offering seven-night cruises on the Great Lakes aboard the 100-passenger, all-suite Clelia II. The cruises operate on four of the five Great Lakes from Toronto, Ontario, to Duluth, Minn. The cruise includes welcome and farewell receptions; all meals; house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; and open bar throughout the cruise. Tours and excursions also are included, as are educational programs and guest lecturers. Fares start at $5,595 per person, including transfers between pier and airport, port and embarkation taxes, and gratuities to porters, guides and drivers. There are 12 departures this year between June 27 and Sept. 12.

The cruise starts in Toronto and travels on Lake Ontario and bypassing Niagara Falls with time for an excursion. There’s a day at sea while cruising past Detroit and onto Lake Huron. The cruise then visits Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater island, where the Wikwemikong Reserve is a thriving community that has never ceded authority to Canada. Next is a visit to Mackinac Island and passage through Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. The cruise continues through the Portage Waterway to call at Houghton and Thunder Bay before concluding in Duluth. For more information