Two neighbors held family reunions last year.  Mary hosted her group at home and Susan convinced them all to meet on a cruise.  Guess who wasn’t exhausted at the end of the event?  Family reunions are a wonderful way to reconnect, enjoy the company of people you don’t see on a regular basis and return to your roots.

But inevitably the event itself involves a lot of planning and for the organizer who hosts the event, an incredible amount of work – especially if it is hosted at home.  Cooking, cleaning and entertaining the group can be an overwhelming challenge.  Just ask Mary.

But it seems Susan returned from her reunion a lot more rested and less frazzled.  That’s because most of the planning was handled by her cruise counselor and the “heavy lifting” was done by the cruise ship.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?  Included!   Entertainment?  Done!   Accommodations and Transportation?  Provided!   Space to hide from crazy Uncle Lou?  Plenty!   Being able to enjoy your own reunion? Priceless!

A cruise ship makes sense for family reunions and other group events on so many levels.  When you add in all the included features like meals and entertainment, the cost is extremely reasonable.  Your expert cruise counselor at www.iCruise.com can arrange family reunions ranging in size from a handful to a ship full.  Cruise length can range from 3 days to 30 days.

The Cruise Professor  invites you to be a guest at your own family reunion by holding it on a fabulous cruise ship with all the details handled by www.iCruise.com

Several weeks ago, I blogged about the weather in New York and how important it is to purchase trip insurance for any cruise.  I must have put a hex on the weather because, sure enough, another monster storm recently rolled through a wide swatch of the U.S. cancelling more than 20,000 flights.  What a wild winter!  I read somewhere that 49 out of 50 states got snow so far this winter season.  Sorry Hawaii, snow cones do not count!

But even when the when Spring springs this year, don’t forget about trip insurance and one other great cruise idea – arriving one or more days early for your cruise.  Cruises depart from some wonderfully exciting places like Miami, Barcelona, Athens, New York and San Francisco to name a few.  If you zip into the airport, retrieve your luggage (no zipping here) and then zoom to the pier, your in-depth experience in these cities may be from the window of a taxi or bus.  Arriving early allows cruise passengers to add a “cushion” to potential travel delays and is worth it just for that alone.  Then there is a chance to actually enjoy  your embarkation city.  You can always spot the passengers who arrived a day early at the pier.  They look very relaxed.  They got here yesterday.  Did a little sightseeing, had a nice dinner, slept peacefully at a nearby hotel, and hit the snooze alarm a couple of times this morning.  Many port area hotels offer pre cruise packages that are competitively priced and offer special amenities such as airport and/or pier transfers, complimentary breakfast and other cruise-oriented features.  For guests arriving by car, many hotels will allow you to park for free while on the cruise.  With pier parking rates approaching $20 per day in some areas, this is truly a bargain.

Your cruise experts at www.iCruise.com can help you arrange a pre or post cruise hotel that is the perfect way to start or end your cruise.  Great service, great prices, great advice.  The Cruise Professor knows that’s why www.iCrusie should be your first port of call on any cruise!

All new ships create a buzz when then are introduced and the Solstice was no exception. This first ship in Celebrity’s Solstice class wowed its initial visitors with style vs. size.  And,  since its introduction in 2008.  it has continued to receive rave reviews from guests.

While travelers already recognize that Celebrity Cruises offer exceptional value, the dream team at iCruise.com has gone one step further.  They have combined several Caribbean itineraries on the popular Celebrity Solstice with free land and transportation bonus options.

Available only to iCruise.com clients, these Celebrity Solstice Triple Play Cruise Combo™ packages offer the choice of one bonus option for each cruise.  The options are:  free roundtrip motor coach transportation from select Florida cities or free parking in Ft. Lauderdale with pier transfers, or free one night pre-cruise hotel stay with pier transfers in Ft. Lauderdale.   In addition to these spectacular offers, which range in value from $91 to $185 per stateroom, iCruise customers can purchase a minimum ocean view cabin and receive a complimentary upgrade to a balcony stateroom.  And if booked by March 7, iCruise.com will provide a $50 onboard credit per cabin for May 2^nd through September 26^th Celebrity Solstice departures.

There are 24 Celebrity Solstice one-week cruise departures between April 18^th and September 26^th included in this program with a choice of an Eastern or Western Caribbean itinerary.  The Eastern Caribbean voyages visit San Juan, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  The Western Caribbean itinerary calls on Grand Cayman, Costa Maya (Mexico), Cozumel and Roatán (Honduras).

Your www.iCruise.com  personal cruise expert is ready to make you a star with one of these exciting Cruise Combo(tm) packages chock full of freebies.  If you just can’t wait, click here to to go right to the deals: www.iCruise.com/Solstice.

Happy Sailing from the Cruise Professor

Remember the “good old days” before 9/11 when you could go onboard a cruise ship on sailing day and wish your friends farewell.  Well this tradition is back – sort of.   Princess Cruises recently announced that they were going to begin allowing up to 50 guests per week to accompany friends and family booked on that day to board the ship for a Bon Voyage party.  But, unlike the old days, this feature now comes with a price tag – $39.  Called the “Bon Voyage Experience,” the program offers a four-course dining room lunch with wine, an organized ship tour and a souvenir photo.  And the $39 cost can be credited against a future Princess cruise.  The program will be rolled out in select markets starting in March at 3 North American ports.  Your www.iCruise.com personal cruise counselor can make the arrangements for you.

This Just In! There will be more love to share on the Love Boats as Princess Cruises has just signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of two 3,600-passenger cruise ships.  The new ships are scheduled to service in spring 2013 and spring 2014. At 139,000 tons each, the as-yet-unnamed ships will be the largest in the Princess Cruises fleet.

The Caribbean Princess

While deemed an “interesting” ship in terms of physical appearance by the cruise wags, the Norwegian Epic certainly makes up for its somewhat less-than-sleek appearance with a boat load of innovations.  And the Cruise Professor ponders just how important the outside of a ship really is. After all, you can’t see the outside when you are on in the inside.

So, now for the news.  NCL’s largest and most innovative ship to date returned from her first successful sea trials on Sunday, February 14, 2010, after four days of sailing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.  During the sea trials, 300 technicians and engineers from STX FRANCE SA, along with 30 Norwegian Cruise Line representatives, checked more than 60 different aspects of the ship’s performance by running trials of the vessel’s speed, maneuverability, hydrodynamics and propulsion, amongst others.

“During her first time ever at sea, Norwegian Epic performed above expectations with excellent marine behavior,” said Roberto Martinoli, Norwegian’s president and COO, who was on-board during the sea trials.  “All tests were conducted with positive results. She is a beautiful ship with outstanding performance.  Now that sea trials are completed, we can concentrate on finishing the ship and showing her to the world in June.”

Following her seven-day transatlantic crossing from Southhampton to New York on June 24, 2010 and inaugural activities in New York and Miami, Norwegian Epic will sail alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami from July 10, 2010 through April 30, 2011.   Ports of call on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary include Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas.  The Western Caribbean cruises visit Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico.  The 2011 cruise season from May-October will have Norwegian Epic sailing a series of seven-day Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona.  When she returns to Miami on November 5, 2011, she will sail a series of seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises through April 7, 2012.

Want to join the fun?   iCruise has low group rates on virtually every departure. Your www.iCruise.com personal cruise expert can start you on your way to an “epic” vacation.

I am an “armchair” travel researcher when it comes to cruising.  As I travel around, I like to ask people where they buy their cruises.  Quite a few first timers and even a few veteran voyagers tell me that they purchased their cruise directly from the cruise line instead of from a cruise agency.  When I ask why, most of the time the answer is “I thought the prices would be lower than by going through an agency”.    Well, hang on because the Cruise Professor is about to explode some myths about cruise planning!!!!

I think a lot of consumers   in general; have an “outlet” mentality.  They believe buying from a factory direct outlet will result in saving money.  But savvy shoppers realize that while outlets may save you money, the selection and customer service is limited.

It might surprise you to learn that cruise agents at retail travel agencies are looking at the same rates and availability that a cruise line direct agent views.  Which means there really are no special rates available directly from a cruise line that a good agent can’t get.  But,( and this is a big but),  a  cruise travel agent quite often DOES have access to lower rates by accessing group rates, special offers and other perks not available from the cruise line.

The other huge factor is the one I call “time investment”.  A cruise travel agency specialist can invest more time in your booking and help you sort through all the options – including suggesting alternate cruise lines and/or ships.  Hmmm!  Choice?  What an interesting concept.

When you call cruise line “X” I don’t think they will analyze your personal preferences and suggest that you are maybe better off on cruise line “Y”.  That’s about as likely to happen as the folks at Target sending you across the street to Walmart!  Or, the Mercedes salesperson suggesting that you look at a Lexus as an alternative!  Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

At www.iCruise.com, our cruise experts are trained to listen and explore each customer’s wants and needs.  First, they offer multiple options for cruise lines, ships and itineraries.  Then, they work hard to find the lowest rates available and secure a cruise that is affordable and most importantly fits your lifestyle.

www.iCruise.com – The first, last and only place you need to visit for your  next “outlet” shopping trip.

Here’s the line-up of new cruise ships slated to enter service in 2010.  While some of them do not service the North American market, they are all listed so that my fellow cruise addicts are totally up to speed (or is that full speed ahead?)  Eleven cruise ships – with 27,263 new berths – are set to sail the high seas for the first time in 2010.  Here they are sorted by month of expected launch.

Costa Cruises’ 2,260-passenger Costa Deliziosa will set sail on its inaugural journey on February 23 in Dubai. It will be the first cruise ship to be christened in the United Arab Emirates – and will spend its inaugural season sailing from Dubai.

Also, in February, the German cruise line AIDA Cruises is introducing the 2,050-passenger AIDABlu, which will cruise in Western Europe.

On March 6, MSC Cruises will christen its new 3,013 -passenger MSC Magnifica in Hamburg.

In April, Celebrity will introduce its 2, 850-passenger Eclipse and P&O Cruises will debut the 3,100-passenger Azura.

In June, three new ships will begin cruising: American Cruise Lines’ 104-passenger Independence, the 4,200 passenger Norwegian Epic (pictured below)  and Seabourn Cruises’ Seabourn Sojourn.

Holland America Line’s 2,104-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam will debut in July and sail the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cunard’s newest queen, the 2,092-passenger Queen Elizabeth will sail its maiden voyage on Oct. 12 from Southampton.

Royal Caribbean International will introduce the 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas in November. It will share the title of world’s largest cruise ship with its sister ship, RCI’s Oasis of the Seas, which debuted to rave reviews in late November. The new vessel will also boast a Central Park with live trees, a Boardwalk amusement area with a carousel, multiple entertainment venues and restaurants and four top deck pool areas.

Your www.iCruise.com  personal cruise counselor has all the details on the new ships!

NCL Epic Artist Rendering

That’s the question that was posed by native New Yorkers to the Cruise Professor many times over the weekend as our family shopping entourage braced a 15 degree wind chill factor along Canal Street. Especially when we told people we lived in South Florida!  But plans were made in advance so we refused to allow a little thing like “The Blizzard of 2010” to impact our outing.  Luckily, Manhattan escaped the brunt of the storm with only lots of wind and snow flurries.  But to the south of us things were certainly different. . . .

As I watched the storm steadily progressing toward the mid Atlantic region, two words immediately came to mind – Trip Insurance.   It was clear very early on that this storm was going to impact thousands of travelers including many who planned to cruise from southern ports over the weekend.  There were over 20,000 flights canceled between Friday and Sunday at several dozen major airports.  These cancellations impacted  several hundred cruise passengers who undoubtedly missed their ships in Florida ports.  Once again, a strong case was made that every cruiser should purchase trip insurance that offers protection against weather -related delays.  While this coverage can’t magically transport you high above the weather to your destination, it can take some of the sting out of the cost and inconvenience caused by events like “Snowmageddon”.

It doesn’t matter what time of year that you plan to cruise.  Always, always add trip insurance to your travel plans to make sure that coverage for all those “what ifs” is in place.  Your www.iCruise.com personal cruise counselor will be happy to explain the affordable trip insurance plans available with any cruise.  Don’t trust your travel plans to luck or fate only to learn the hard way that sudden storms and other factors can severely impact your trip.

The good news for the Cruise Professor and group?   We missed a major snow event and were able to stuff all 15 purses in the overhead compartment and arrived back in Florida in time for Super Bowl!

Happy (and snow free) Sailing from the Cruise Professor

After more than 200 cruises a lot of people ask me which is better, a bigger ship or a smaller one. My answer is always the same – YES! Seriously, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It’s a matter of personal preferences and the kind of cruise experience desired. All cruise ships start out with the same list of basic amenities and features – staterooms, dining areas, public rooms, and passenger facilities. Obviously large cruise ships can offer more exotic facilities like ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls and even bowling alleys. But, they often lack some things smaller ships provide, such as a sense of intimacy and a less hectic on board pace. The reason that ships come in all sizes is the same reason that Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors and not just vanilla. It’s all about choice. When you plan your trip with your cruise expert at www.iCruise.com , they will assess your needs and interests and make recommendations based on your input. Things like how important is a large casino to you? Or do you prefer a quiet spot in the library to a late night disco party? Are you looking for family friendly ship or rather cruise with a mostly-adult group of passengers? Do you like to have set dining times or do you own thing like on an NCL Freestyle cruise? Are you a spa aficionado or never even make it to the gym?
You see, the reason there are more than 150 contemporary cruise ships plying the seven seas, is that one size most definitely does not fit all. A little advance thought and planning and some expert advice can go a long way toward insuring you sail on the ship that is just right for you.
Happy Sailing from the Cruise Professor

The photo below is of the Regent Seven Seas Voyager which carries 700 passengers in 5 star luxury

Welcome Aboard from the Cruise Professor here at iCruise. A lot of cruisers ask about stateroom location. Is it better to be at the front of the ship or the back of the ship? Is it better to be lower or higher? Where is the smoothest part of the ship? Let’s take a look at some options and explore some good and not-so-good areas on a typical cruise ship. As ships get larger and larger, being positioned on either end (bow and stern for you nautical types) of the vessel will involve longer walks to the elevators and stair towers.  So, if walking is not your thing, then try to find a stateroom fairly near to one of the exit areas on the ship. But, remember that if you are very close to the elevator, several hundred people may be passing by your cabin every day. The farther away from elevators and stairs you get, the less hustle and bustle you’ll find in your area. Personally, I like to trade quietness for a longer walk.

Your iCruise personal cruise counselor at www.iCruise.com can assist you in finding the best stateroom – location as well as value. Something to consider other than proximity to elevators is deck location. While rates for similar staterooms usually increase on the higher decks, consider “mid-ship, middle decks” options for convenience and less motion. One thing to check for is the location of active public rooms on the deck right above your stateroom, particularly if you are light sleeper or are looking to catch up on some sleep.  Same thing for staterooms near or in the general traffic flow of discos, show lounges or other late night venues like casinos. Again, your cruise counselor can help you understand the options for cabin selection.  Spending a few moments studying the deck plans of your ship is wise investment and helps insure a happy voyage.  Speaking of deck plans, check back for some exciting news from iCruise about the new deck plans coming soon on our web site.
Happy Sailing,
The Cruise Professor
www.iCruise.com