ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER ROYAL 5K IN ST. MAARTEN FOR ALLURE OF THE SEAS’ GUESTS

From the cruise line that first introduced the active cruise vacation concept, Royal Caribbean International today announced the first-ever Royal 5K to be held in St. Maarten, on Thursday, December 16, 2010.  Open to guests sailing aboard Allure of the Seas’ December 12, 2010 voyage, fellow running enthusiasts can enjoy a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship; and opt for an entire week of exclusive, vitality-themed activities, including port explorations through group fun runs, onboard seminars and lectures with high-profile athletes; and jog, sprint or walk a magnificent five-kilometer course, taking participants through one of the Caribbean’s island jewels.  There is a $50 registration fee for adults, and $35 for children, 

 

  Participating guests also will receive a commemorative race t-shirt, as well as exclusive access to a post-race reception on board.

        “Royal Caribbean is delighted to offer this very special Royal 5K run in St. Maarten to Allure of the Seas’ guests,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International.  “As part of our commitment to provide guests healthier vacation options, we look for opportunities like these to enhance our Vitality programming onboard and drive awareness of a health-conscious lifestyle. Coupled with an unprecedented line-up of new entertainment aboard Allure of the Seas, guests on this sailing will have a wide spectrum of exciting and heart-pumping options for an amazing cruise vacation.”

        While the Royal 5K will be offered exclusively as a shore excursion on Allure of the Seas, all guests aboard the sailing have the chance to set the first Royal Caribbean jogging track record.  Guests are invited to sign up in advance for a time slot on Tuesday, December 14, to test their running speed.   Certified with RFID timing technology, they can attempt to set the cruise line’s record for the fastest run at sea on Allure of the Seas’ 0.46-mile long jogging track, the longest at sea.

Royal 5K participants also will be able to attend onboard seminars and receptions featuring running talents including Bart Yasso, the chief running officer of Runner’s World magazine; Frank Shorter, an Olympic Marathon Gold and Silver Medalist; Sonja Friend-Uhl, a member of seven U.S. world teams, 2000 Olympic trials competitor in the 1500m, and currently ranked in the top 24 women in the U.S. for distances from the 5k to the Half-Marathon; and Sean Jefferson, an NCAA All American, 1600m National Champion and professional runner and tri-athlete.

Allure of the Seas shares the title of the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship with sister-ship Oasis of the Seas. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 225,282 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms.  Allure of the Seas will tout Royal Caribbean’s exclusive neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which will include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.  The ship will alternate a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean seven-night itinerary from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Luxury Cruise Ships -Unrivaled Itineraries & Coterie Comforts

Cruising aboard a luxury cruise is the sort of rarefied travel experience most of us can only fantasize about. There are only a few cruise lines – the priciest – where one finds caviar and bubbly served before dinner by a white-gloved butler or very seasoned room steward. Cruising to the most exotic ports across the globe, these exclusive ships also offer in-depth lectures by experts of each region.

While the four luxury cruise lines listed below all rank highly in terms of cuisine, service, accommodations, and itineraries, each fleet has something unique to offer discerning travelers. One thing they all have in common is intimacy: none carry more than 960 guests and most host half that amount. In a world where ships carry up to 6,000 passengers, luxury cruise lines offer superior amenities in a smaller, more private setting where every detail is an important part of the guest experience.

CRYSTAL CRUISES

Crystal's two 960-passenger ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, are the largest luxury vessels afloat. While there are lovely specialty restaurants (alternative venues with a small surcharge), this is a two-seating ship with assigned dining. Unlike some of the luxury lines, and contrary to the public’s perception of cruising in general, these cruises are not fully all-inclusive – wine, cocktails, and gratuities are extra. This is the dressiest cruise experience I've ever taken, with black tie and gowns de rigueur on formal nights.

Biggest Plus: Crystal Cruises outshines the other players with onboard lectures, lessons, and seminars. After dinner, the action continues with lavish Las Vegas-style reviews and the largest, busiest casinos in the luxury segment. You’ll find more days at sea and fewer ports of call on Crystal’s itineraries, a plus or minus depending on your preferences. It's my pick for the warmest, most professional crew, with the most consistently high levels of service. And Crystal is the only cruise line offering low-cost single supplements.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES

This cruise line’s three modern luxury ships include the 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager, plus the more intimate Seven Seas Navigator, accommodating 490 lucky guests. Single, open seating dining translates into a more leisurely atmosphere. Mariner and Voyager each boast a choice of four restaurants, including Compass Rose, a Le Cordon Blue French bistro, and steak houses. At night, everyone seems to disappear after dinner and head for a cozy lounge or their staterooms, where videos and complimentary CDs are popular.

Exclusive Features I Love: Regent’s ships are the most all-inclusive in the cruise industry with rates including roundtrip airfare, shore excursions, gratuities, and all beverages. Aboard these ships you’ll find a travel concierge who will book any group shore activity or individual sightseeing excursions you like. My favorite floating spas – operated by Carita of Paris – are also aboard Regent’s ships.

THE YACHTS OF SEABOURN

Seabourn is a fleet of yacht-like ships sailing the world’s best itineraries with a number of very exclusive experiences. The line's smallest and most seasoned ships – Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Legend, and Seabourn Spirit – host 208 passengers and visit unique ports inaccessible to larger vessels. One drawback this trio lacks is private verandas, although many staterooms have a “French balcony”. Aboard the newest ships – Seabourn Odyssey (2009), Seabourn Sojourn (2010), and Seabourn Quest (debuting in 2011) – there’s room for 450 guests and you’ll find enormous balcony staterooms, a sumptuous spa, and four restaurants. Entertainment and nightlife are limited, but you’ll dine on some of the best cuisine at sea, served by an impeccable crew, many of whom have been with the line for years. Service is a critical aspect of luxury cruising and Seabourn does it to perfection with the highest crew-to-guest ratio. By the end of a cruise, everyone will have been invited to dine with senior officers and, quite often, the captain. On Seabourn, everyone gets dressed to the nines a few nights during each cruise.

Biggest Plus: The best itineraries on earth, very personalized service, and haute cuisine are the hallmarks of a Seabourn cruise. In major shopping ports, Seabourn offers the services of a personal shopper complete with a car and driver. And you’ll find one exclusive shore excursion on each cruise – like caviar and champagne served by waiters as you lull in a secluded Caribbean cove. Seabourn’s fares include gratuities, all beverages, and a very special shore excursion in one port.

SILVERSEA CRUISES

The 296-passenger Silver Cloud and Silver Wind plus the 382-passenger Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper cater to a dressy, very chic international crowd of “been there, done that” travelers.

Silversea gets my vote for the most beautiful ships in the luxury category: these are gorgeous vessels with more than enough public spaces, including a good spa and fitness center, to keep guests busy during days at sea. There is one main dining room plus the upscale cafeteria, which is set up for themed alternative dining at night. A new, comprehensive "Wellness Program" helps you create a fitness regimen and dine on low-fat, low-carb gourmet cuisine. With Silversea, it's safe to say you’ll find all the glamour, service, and stylish amenities one expects from today’s luxury lines.

Biggest Plus: Beautiful ships with lovely staterooms, top-notch itineraries, and gracious service. The “Silver Suites” are not only worth the splurge – they’re my pick for the best suites in the cruise industry.

by Anne Campbell

Add a Thrill to Your Cruise Vacation by Taking a High-Adventure Shore Excursion

Until I stepped ashore in Costa Rica, my style of cruising consisted of sitting contentedly in a deck chair as the sea passed by, trashy novel in one hand and a cool cocktail in the other. But then a shore excursion manager gently twisted my arm and convinced me to join fellow passengers in an afternoon of whitewater rafting. Even a couch potato like me, he promised, would have a blast.

As I donned a life vest and climbed into our eight-person raft, the river looked fairly tame. What followed, however, was a three-hour-long adrenalin rush, as I channeled my inner Meryl Streep and battled rapids to stay afloat during one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. It was so exciting that I became addicted to shore excursions that guarantee a maximum number of high-energy thrills ‘n’ spills and offer me opportunities to push my own limits.

One of the best reasons to take a cruise is that it offers you lots of chances to try something new (I imagine that plenty of the folks I see walking off ships toting their own snorkeling equipment were introduced to the sport on an earlier sailing). And each year, cruise lines add new excursions that promise adventures you never thought possible.

It wasn’t so long ago that the phrase “zip-line” didn’t exist. But the experience – of being strapped into a harness for a ride above a forest canopy at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour – is now so popular that you’ll find it offered on most Caribbean islands, as well as in Alaska and Mexico. Typically, you’ll drive to a hilly area where you’ll be supplied with gloves, a safety harness, and other equipment. After climbing a winding staircase leading to a platform, you’re connected to a cable and told to raise your legs as your guide releases a safety clip. Suddenly, you’re airborne above the jungle and taking a thrilling ten- to thirty-second ride to the next platform. Zip-lines are available over water, too. The longest, stretching some 4,000 feet, can be found in Labadee, Haiti (Royal Caribbean’s private island paradise).

If you happen to visit Ocho Rios, Jamaica aboard a Carnival cruise ship, be sure to sign up for a bobsled ride (and yes, you read that correctly). These custom-designed bobsleds travel along winding and plunging stainless-steel rails on a 3,290-foot, gravity-driven trip through the tropical forest. The bobsled track has been constructed in such a way as to avoid disturbing the natural landscape – curving around ancient trees and hugging majestic cliff faces and limestone outcroppings via narrow openings in the dense foliage. Riders control their rate of descent with an in-sled handbrake, allowing for either a leisurely tour or a pulse-quickening journey through the forest.

A more laidback airborne experience awaits those lucky enough to dock in Roatan, Honduras – home of the “Magical Flying Beach Chair.” Built by Carnival Corporation, this first-of-its-kind chairlift transports cruisers between their ship’s terminal and beautiful Mahogany Beach.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) also offers several offbeat excursions that promise an exciting time ashore. If you’re in St. Maarten, try their “power-rafting, snorkel & beach” outing (a high-speed raft ride to a secluded snorkeling cove, followed by a quiet stroll to the charming town of Marigot). Cruisers in Costa Maya (and in good shape) may want to give NCL’s “bike & kayak adventure” a try (guests cycle past a small mangrove lagoon, then paddle along a reef past beaches lined with palm trees).

Fortunately (for those of us who aren’t athletically inclined), many of the new high-adrenalin excursions don’t require that you join a gym. You simply need to gather your courage and show up – your shore excursion’s staff takes over from there and sets the stage for an unforgettable adventure.

Lastly, here’s a tip: since these are among the most popular shore excursions currently being offered, be sure to reserve them before leaving home and before they sell out (and be sure to reserve all of your excursions through CruisesOnly’s website – you’ll reap huge savings there that aren’t available when you book directly with your cruise line). You can always cancel if you change your mind (or get too comfortable in that deck chair)!

by: Anne Campbell

Latest Hurricane Update

Hurricane Igor is located 475 miles south of Bermuda, moving west northwest at 13 miles per hour with winds of near 110 miles per hour. Igor is a Category 2 storm. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Bermuda. Tropical Storm conditions are expected in Bermuda this evening with Hurricane conditions expected by Sunday afternoon or evening. Igor is a very large storm and swells causing life-threatening surf and rip currents are expected on the East Coast throughout the weekend. Large swells will continue to effect the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and portions of the Bahamas throughout the next couple of days.

Tropical Storm Julia is located 1525 miles west southwest of the Azores, moving west northwest at 18 mph with winds of near 60 mph. There are no watches or warnings in effect. Julia’s path does not appear to impact land.

Vendor Changes –
• Royal Caribbean International said that with King's Wharf in Bermuda closed beginning Friday and not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday, the Enchantment of the Seas will go to the Bahamas instead.

• MSC Cruises said that the 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia, currently sailing across the Atlantic to New York from Europe, will head to Boston instead of Bermuda for a two-night stay starting on Saturday.

• Norwegian Spirit’s itinerary has changed. The ship will now sail to Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship will depart Boston today as scheduled at 4 p.m. and spend two days at sea before it arrives in Orlando on Monday, September 20 and then to Nassau on Tuesday, September 21.

Latest Hurricane Update

Hurricane Igor is located 760 miles south southeast of Bermuda, moving west northwest at 9 miles per hour with winds of near 125 miles per hour. Igor is a Category 3 storm. Some fluctuation is possible, but Igor is expected to remain a dangerous hurricane through the next day or two. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Bermuda. The predicted path of Igor takes it to the north, passing near Bermuda on Sunday and Monday.

Hurricane Julia is located 1450 miles southwest of the Azores, moving west northwest at 24 mph with winds of near 85 mph. There are no watches or warnings in effect. Julia’s path does not appear to impact land.

Tropical Storm Karl is located about 70 miles east northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, moving west at near 9 mph with winds of near 120 mph. A Hurricane Watch or Warning the coast of Mexico.

Vendor Changes –
• Royal Caribbean International said that with King's Wharf in Bermuda closed beginning Friday and not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday, the Enchantment of the Seas will go to the Bahamas instead.

• MSC Cruises said that the 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia, currently sailing across the Atlantic to New York from Europe, will head to Boston instead of Bermuda for a two-night stay starting on Saturday.

• Norwegian Cruise Line said that it would decide whether to change the Norwegian Spirit's Sept. 17 cruise from Boston to Bermuda on the day of departure.

What’s The Difference Between Cruise Lines?

Which fleet is best? What’s the best ship? Those are questions cruisers invariably ask, and almost impossible ones to answer since everyone’s tastes and priorities are so different. That said, we could help you pick your perfect cruise vacation by showcasing the main features of the major cruise lines.

Nine of the top 20 fleets are alphabetically listed below. Keep in mind that cruise lines attempt to please a wide range of people and all provide some common amenities. However, after a little research you’ll likely narrow your choices down to a couple fleets depending on your lifestyle, budget, and interests.

Azamara Club Cruises may only enlist two ships, but their itineraries reach far across Europe, Asia, and South America. You’ll find a country club atmosphere on these medium-sized, ultra-premium ships, in part due to the more casual dress policy and wood-paneled lounges. Expect exceptional cuisine and service, outstanding itineraries (with an overnight stay in port on every cruise) and upscale accommodations.

Carnival Cruise Lines is not only the world’s largest cruise line, but also the most popular. Hallmarks of this fleet include the cruise industry’s most vibrant nightlife, above average food, and large cabins. If you love Las Vegas, these ships will certainly fit the bill since the entertainment is dazzling and the casino is lively throughout the day and night. Families also flock to the “Fun Ships” because of Camp Carnival’s supervised activities, the spiral waterslides, and other kids’ facilities. Best of all, the super-low prices on Carnival make the fleet a hit with families, singles, couples, groups... just about everyone!

Celebrity Cruises offers an upscale cruise experience with a focus on food and service. These award-winning ships have a casual European atmosphere, with a great selection of modern art and contemporary design. You’ll find more newlyweds, couples celebrating anniversaries, and families with older children here. The fleet’s newest vessels offer plenty of balcony staterooms, gourmet restaurants, posh spas, glass-blowing demonstrations, and a real lawn for picnics, putting, croquet, or bocce ball.

Holland America Line offers a sophisticated style of cruising aboard medium-sized ships with larger-than-average staterooms and a rich history of premium service. These classically designed ships cater to cruisers who like a more tranquil cruise experience with refined entertainment, fine art auctions, and immersive enrichment classes. Holland America is a natural choice for many multi-generational families, travelers over 55, and couples marking special occasions.

Norwegian Cruise Line is best known for “Freestyle Cruising”, a big hit for those seeking an unstructured seagoing vacation. Eat whenever you want, with whomever you want, without a dress code in the main dining rooms. Small surcharges expand your options to seemingly countless specialty restaurants. Highlights on the newest ships include an ultra-chic lounge with plush beds and bowling lanes, a lounge made of ice, Blue Man Group performances, Second City comedy shows, and a Cirque du Soleil dinner theater. With all this for some of the most affordable fares at sea, the industry’s youngest fleet is popular with families, singles, and couples.

Oceania Cruises says it isn’t a luxury cruise line but the experience is close to it. Oceania’s food is overseen by Jacques Pepin and is among the best in the cruise industry. The 640-passenger ships fill up quickly with loyal guests (many of them retired) who enjoy single-seating dining in four restaurants, very polished service, and staterooms boasting down comforters, high-thread European sheets and, if you’re in a suite, personal butlers.

Princess Cruises has a loyal following of travelers who love the ships’ dining program where you may choose assigned seating or dining whenever and with whomever you please. The fleet has come a very long way since earning fame on the 1970s “Love Boat” TV show. Today, Princess’ ships feature contemporary design and stylish amenities alongside very good food, nice staterooms, friendly service, and superior shore excursions. While there are families aboard every cruise, these floating resorts primarily attract couples of all ages.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises provides a true luxury cruise experience with large staterooms, superb dining, exceptional service, onboard experts, and worldwide itineraries. Both ships host less than 700 guests, showcase Scandinavian décor, and offer extraordinary spas operated by Carita of Paris. Fares include opulent accommodations, roundtrip airfare, gratuities, all beverages, and unforgettable shore excursions.

Royal Caribbean International is among the most innovative fleets in the industry, boasting the world’s largest cruise ships and arguably the most with a real “wow” factor. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas each offer an unprecedented set of onboard experiences: 2 surfing wave pools, high-diving shows at an outdoor amphitheater, scuba lessons in a pool, zip-line rides, a boardwalk carousel, street performers, loft suites, an outdoor grass park with sidewalk cafés, and much more. Previous ships in the fleet introduced the first rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, mall-sized promenades, and other onboard thrills. Endless options for dining, accommodations, and activities, plus amazing values make Royal Caribbean a favorite for families with kids, couples, singles, groups, and cruisers of every kind.

by: Anne Campbell