April 22, 2011 Newsletter

2012 SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE UPDATED ARTIST LINE UP
Since the original announcement of the cruise, the Smooth Jazz Cruise has added Whalum, Groove, Culbertson, Larry Braggs, Ellis Hall and Patches Stewart to an already amazing lineup of David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Candy Dulfer, Boney James, Eric Darius, DW3, Jeff Golub, Rahsaan Patterson, Patrice Rushen, Joe Sample, Brian Simpson and Peter White. With hosts Pat Prescott and Dane Butcher and comedian Alonzo Bodden, this would have to be the very best lineup ever!

Norwegian Cruise Line announces an important change to our Air/Sea program.
Effective April 1, 2011, roundtrip airport transfers will now be an optional add-on to the Air/Sea program and will no longer be included in Air/Sea rates. All other aspects of the program remain the same. Norwegian Cruise Line's Air/Sea packages, with flights on major carriers from more than 100 departure cities nationwide, allow guests to plan their entire cruise vacation with convenience and peace of mind. Guest benefits include:
No advance purchase requirements. Payment for air tickets is not due until 75 days prior to sailing.
Flexible terms. Changes can be made to the air reservations without penalty any time prior to final payment.
Elite meet and greet service. A friendly Norwegian Cruise Line representative will meet guests outside of customs or in the baggage claim area, welcome them to town and direct guests to the transfer pickup area.
Enroute flight monitoring service. Norwegian Cruise Line will monitor operating times for all Air/Sea flights and notify the ship and ground operator if delays occur. Should a situation arise requiring air to be deviated, the team at Norwegian Cruise Line will arrange it
Cruise News
Celebrity to begin Asia cruising in late 2012
Celebrity will operate Asia cruises for the first time during the winter 2012/3 season with the deployment of the 2,000-passenger Celebrity Millennium. The ship will operate a series of 14-night open-jaw cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong, along with two 14-night sailings roundtrip from Singapore with overnight stays in Bali, Indonesia. Bookending the ship’s first Asia season will be two transpacific voyages. The westbound cruise will coincide with the total solar eclipse in November 2012. In April 2013, the Celebrity Millennium will reposition from Hong Kong to Shanghai, then continue eastbound across the North Pacific to Alaska and will call at various ports in China, Japan, and Russia. The ship will begin its Asia itineraries as a "Solstice-ized" vessel, following a drydock in April 2012 during which 70 of its Concierge Class staterooms will be refitted into Celebrity’s spa-inspired AquaClass staterooms. An additional 37 AquaClass staterooms will be built, the line said.
Royal Caribbean Redeploys Navigator to Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International will redeploy Navigator of the Seas to the Caribbean for the 2011-12 winter cruise season. The ship will now reposition to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and sail a variety of five- to nine-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries beginning on Nov. 20. Sailings for Navigator of the Seas’ winter 2011-12 cruises are currently available for booking.Prior to its redeployment, Navigator of the Seas will also offer a 14-night, trans-Atlantic itinerary from Rome, Italy, to Port Everglades, departing on Nov. 6. It will also sail a 15-night return cruise to Rome on April 14, 2012. For the upcoming winter season, Navigator of the Seas will alternate between a six-night Western Caribbean and an eight-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Ports of call on the six-night sailings include Grand Cayman, the newly opened Historic Falmouth Port and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination located on the north coast of Haiti. The eight-night sailing features calls at St. Maarten; St. Kitts; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Labadee.On Jan. 8 and 22, 2012, the ship will sail a seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary that excludes a call at St. Kitts from the eight-night itinerary. On Jan. 15, it will offer a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary that adds a call to the regular six-night itinerary with a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. A special nine-night New Year’s cruise, departing on Dec. 30, will feature an additional a call at St. Thomas to the traditional eight-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.Navigator of the Seas joins its sister ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, at Port Everglades to offer regular sailings to the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean Reveals Details of 2012 Alaska Cruise Season
Royal Caribbean International (RCI) revealed details of its 2012 Alaska cruise season, with a brand-new series of cruise-tours onboard its Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. In 2012, Radiance of the Seas will sail seven-night north- and southbound itineraries between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seward, AK, while Rhapsody of the Seas will sail on a series of seven-night Alaska cruises roundtrip from Seattle. New to the 2012 season will be three new cruise-tours that will range in length from 10 to 18 nights. The new tours will incorporate both the land and cruise portions of each vacation for a total of 20 available tours. For 2012, Royal Caribbean will debut three new Alaska cruise-tours onboard Radiance of the Seas. Offerings include a 12-night family-friendly program featuring a Resurrection Bay & Wildlife cruise, a trip to Fox Island and excursions to the Anchorage Museum & Imaginarium and Denali National Park.The new six-night Canadian Rockies cruise-tour combines Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Vancouver and Victoria with an overnight train journey aboard VIA Rail Canada and accommodations throughout at different Fairmont hotels. The 18-night Ultimate Cruisetour pairs the Canadian Rockies tour before the cruise with a five-night post-cruise Alaska land tour.Radiance of the Seas’ seven-night northbound cruise schedule from Vancouver to Seward will cruise the Inside Passage and call at Alaska’s Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Hubbard Glacier. The southbound journey will reverse the itinerary. Sailing from Seattle, Rhapsody of the Seas’ seven-night cruises also will sail the Inside Passage, calling at Juneau and Skagway, sailing past Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier. Jamaica vows crackdown on pushy street vendors in new port
Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has issued a stern warning about overaggressive sales tactics by street vendors, especially in the new cruise port of Falmouth, where cruise passengers already have complained about harassment from vendors

Regent Seven Seas Finalizes New Concierge-Level Amenities
Regent Seven Seas Cruises will offer additional amenities to guests in higher-level suites beginning with the 2012 summer season. At that time, guests in concierge-level and above suites will receive priority shore excursion and restaurant reservations, upgrades and other complimentary amenities.

The new amenities will be available to guests in category E and above on Seven Seas Mariner beginning April 2, 2012, and Seven Seas Voyager beginning April 16, 2012, and in category D and above on Seven Seas Navigator beginning May 30, 2012. The new concierge services include upgraded pre-cruise hotel package, priority online reservations on free unlimited shore excursions, priority online reservations in specialty restaurants Prime 7 and Signatures, 15 minutes of free phone calls and 60 minutes of free Internet access per suite, 25 percent off premium wine and liquor purchases, 10 percent off pre- or post-cruise hotel or land packages, 10 percent off Regent Choice shore excursions, suite upgrades at time of sailing when available and in-suite binoculars, coffee brewer and cashmere blanket.

Every voyage continues to include a complimentary luxury hotel package -- with overnight pre-cruise accommodations at a deluxe hotel including breakfast, airport-hotel and hotel-ship transfers -- as well as roundtrip air, open-seating restaurants, open bars, free and unlimited shore excursions, gratuities and taxes.

New Itineraries and Ports for Disney Cruise Line in 2012
For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line® will set sail from three new ports in 2012 – New York, Seattle and Galveston – making the Disney family cruise vacation more accessible to your Clients around the country. There are also more itinerary choices than ever before, including one special voyage to Hawai‘i.

New York Sailings
Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York.
8-night Bahamian cruises include a day at Disney’s Castaway Cay and a stop at Port Canaveral, gateway to the Walt Disney World® Resort. As part of this itinerary, you will receive a 1-day Park Hopper® Ticket and roundtrip transportation between the ship and resort.
5-night Canadian/New England cruises will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick.
2-night cruises are perfect for Clients looking for a quick getaway at sea over a weekend.

Seattle SailingsBeginning May 28, 2012, the Disney Wonder® will sail a total of 14 cruises to Alaska from the Port of Seattle, Wash.
7-night Alaskan cruises will call on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan plus Victoria, British Columbia.

Galveston SailingsBeginning Sept. 22, 2012, the Disney Magic will sail 12 cruises from the Port of Galveston, Texas.
7-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, as well as Grand Cayman.

Los Angeles SailingsIn addition to 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises, the Disney Wonder will set sail on Disney’s first-ever voyage to Hawai‘i on April 29, 2012.
15-night Hawaiian cruise departs from the Port of Los Angeles and includes stops at Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai and Ensenada, Mexico.
7-night Pacific Coast cruises will call on San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.

The Disney Dream™ will continue to sail 3-, 4- and 5-night Bahamian cruises. The new Disney Fantasy™ will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, beginning with the maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. Sail dates for both ships are now available through December 2012.

Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas is back in service with some snazzy new features after a drydock at Grand Bahamas Shipyard. The ship was revitalized and updated with new dining concepts, entertainment options, children’s programming and technology advancements previously introduced onboard the new Allure of the Seas or sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. Under the umbrella of its Royal Advantage revitalization and enhancement program, Royal Caribbean is spending $70 million to update five of its ships in 2011. Liberty of the Seas received its Oasis-class updates earlier this year and now, so has Freedom of the Seas. Radiance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas will receive the updates in May and October, respectively. Even Oasis of the Seas, which launched in 2009, has received a few enhancements that debuted on its newer sister, Allure of the Seas. In its drydock, Freedom of the Seas received enhanced Wi-Fi, interactive televisions, electronic waivers for sports activities, and electronic mustering -- as well as ticketing needed for shows that will be offered later in the summer. A new Cupcake Cupboard replaced the Clean Shave shop. Also, guests may now shop in a new BRITTO Gallery, featuring merchandise designed by pop-art icon Romero Britto. Other additions include a new Vintages wine lounge; a new Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; enhanced digital “wayfinding” screens for guests to find their way around the ship; and new 3-D technology for viewing movies.
On the entertainment and show side, Freedom of the Seas also now has the “DreamWorks Experience” with character breakfasts and a parade, and, starting next month, the “Imaginocean! Puppet Show.”
Radiance of the Seas enters her lengthy drydock on May 20, according to Freed. That ship will emerge after June 10 with many features already mentioned above, along with the addition of many popular dining concepts on the line’s newer vessels -- including Samba Grill, Giovanni’s Table and Rita’s Cantina, to name a few. The same venues will be added to Splendor of the Seas in fall.
Cruise Deals
Azamara Club Cruises - Exclusive FREE air from LAX now available on 2 Azamara Club Cruises with Oceanview, Veranda & Suite categories (subject to availability):

June 18, 2011 Azamara Journey - 7-night Barcelona-Lisbon [fares from $4,398 for first person, second person free in 08 – Club Oceanview]
July 2, 2011 – Azamara Journey - 12-night Rouen-Stockholm [fares from $7,398 for first person, second person free in 08 – Club Oceanview]

No plans yet for your Summer Vacation! There's still time to do something exciting. Imagine playing lawn games on real grass while sailing on the Mediterranean, enjoying gourmet cuisine nightly, discovering several European destinations, and packing and unpacking only once. Sounds like your dream vacation? Well, there's no better time to cruise Europe in true Celebrity Fashion. Take advantage of up to 50% savings and special air pricing from Los Angeles starting at $1199.00 per person including roundtrip transfers from the airport to port on Celebrity Med cruises....another savings of several hundreds of dollars. Here's a peek of Celebrity's award-winning ships and service - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMZ3x1Kv3IY&feature=related Carnival Future Vacations Certificates
This new and exciting program will allow guests traveling on all Carnival Ships (with the exception of the Carnival Imagination, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Sensation and the Carnival Victory) the opportunity to book their Future Carnival Vacation on board.

On Board Credit offer:
· $50.00 per stateroom on a 3 – 5 day cruise
· $75.00 per stateroom on a 6 day cruise
· $100.00 per stateroom on a 7 – 9 day cruise
· $200.00 per stateroom on 12 days or longer

Princess Cruises Onboard Credit for Active & Retired Military Personnel
Princess Cruises® would like to thank the brave men and women of the American and Canadian military for their service. On every sailing, Princess offers an onboard credit of up to $250 per person to both active and retired military personnel.*

*Offer is valid for eligible military personnel in the U.S. and Canada only. Maximum of two onboard credit offers per stateroom. This offer cannot be used for casino credits/charges and gratuities, discretionary hotel and dining charges. Offer excludes Travel Agent and Interline fares. Offer is combinable with other Onboard Credit offers. Other restrictions may apply.
Eligibility includes active military, retired military and disable military veterans with proper verification as outlined below.

Please ensure that documentation provided has any Social Security Number crossed out.
a. Active personnel currently serving in the following service divisions:
i - United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserves with a copy of a military verification certificate confirming active duty status available for free online at
http”//www.defense.gov/faq.
ii - Canadian National Defense — NDI 20 – Canadian Forces Identification Card
b. Retired Personnel defined as A) enlisted personnel or officers with a minimum of 20 years of service, B) medically retired, or C) 100% disabled. Proper identification for United States is a BLUE or TAN
Uniformed Identification Card. For Canadians, NDI 75 – Record of Service Identification Card or CF 75 or certificate of discharge; is used.
c. Veterans with an Honorable Discharge serving a minimum of 2 years or 6 months in an active war zone in any of the United States service divisions listed above or in the Canadian National Defense. Proper identification in the form of a DD 214, plus a current photo ID is required. For Canadians, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Health Identification Card is used.

Cruise Length Amount
6 days or less $50 per person
7–13 days $100 per person
14 days or longer $250 per person

Celebrity Cruise Offers Up to $600 OFF per stateroom.
For the first time ever, we’re offering you—our most loyal guests—an exclusive opportunity to save on our new 2012/2013 sailings from the minute they’re made available for booking through July 29, 2011. As a valued Captain’s Club member, simply book within that time, and you can save up to $600* on your cruise and cruisetours. It’s that easy.

Savings Offer per stateroom
Category
4-5 Nights
6-9 Nights
10-15 Nights
16+ Nights
Inside
$50
$100
$150
$200
Ocean View
$100
$150
$200
$250
Veranda
$150
$200
$250
$300
Suite
$200
$400
$500
$600

Crystal Cruises Debuts New Discounted Standby Fares
Crystal Cruises introduced a new “Standby” program that enables last-minute travelers to sail at up to 75 percent off brochure fares on five May-June sailings in Alaska, the Baltic and North Cape. Greatly reduced tiered pricing offers fares as low as $2,995 for 12-day cruises.
Standby fares are based on availability, require a $500 per guest deposit upon reservation, and will be confirmed on a “first requested, first confirmed” basis no earlier than 45 days prior to departure. Eligible cruises include: 12-day Alaska cruises -- round-trip from San Francisco -- Departing May 9, 21 and June 2; 11-day Scandinavia/Russia sailing -- Hamburg to Stockholm – Departing May 22. Prices range from $2,995 for a deluxe stateroom with large picture window to $3,995 for a deluxe stateroom with verandah. For a 14-day North Cape/Arctic Circle voyage, from Copenhagen to Stockholm, departing June 13, prices range from $4,995 for deluxe stateroom with large picture window to $5,995 for a deluxe stateroom with verandah.
Standby fares on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are cruise-only for new bookings as of April 7, and do not include air transportation; port, security and handling charges; or “All Inclusive – As You Wish” spending credits. Fares quoted are per person, based on double occupancy accommodations, and other restrictions apply. Final payment is due within three days of confirmation.
Thought for the Month
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Well that’s it for now.

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Mary Engram,
Your Personal Travel Consultant
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