Newsletter Dated March 8, 2010
Dear Vacations To Go Customer,
I'd like to start today with two exclusive offers we've arranged with
Norwegian Cruise Lines. First, Vacations To Go customers are
eligible for specially discounted rates on a variety of sailings in
Alaska, the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada/New England and the
Mediterranean. Book by March 17, click
here
for dates and prices.
Norwegian is also offering shipboard credits of $125 per
stateroom on select fall sailings of their brand new, highly innovative
ship, Norwegian Epic. Click
here
for dates and prices.
Oceania Cruises has just announced new Europe cruise itineraries
for 2011 and these sailings will be open for booking beginning
Wednesday, March 10. Each time this line releases new
itineraries, some categories begin to sell out within hours.
In fact, while most of our customers book their cruises 60 to 90 days in
advance to secure the best rates, Oceania enthusiasts book an average of
9 months in advance to ensure their space onboard the line's highly
popular, 5.5-star ships. To guarantee your spot on one of Oceania's
future cruises, I'd recommend booking as early as possible.
Oceania's 2011 Europe voyages include itineraries in the Baltic and
Scandinavia, the Greek Isles and Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea
and the Western Mediterranean, ranging in length from 10 to 18 days.
For a complete list of Oceania's upcoming cruises and discounted rates,
click
here.
The
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is predicting
continued growth for the industry in 2010. According to the
organization, almost 13.5 million people cruised in 2009, despite a
tough economic environment. A growth rate of 6.4% is predicted for 2010,
with 14.3 million passengers expected to cruise this year, including 10.7
million from North America.
Cruising remains the best value for your vacation dollar, which helps
explain why the cruise industry continues to grow, year after year after
year.
In late 2008, a couple from South Africa crossed the Atlantic aboard the
beautiful
Queen Mary 2 and alongside the
Queen Elizabeth
2, during the latter's final voyage across the pond. While taking
pictures of the QE2's historic crossing, their camera slipped and
disappeared into the deep blue sea.
In January of this year, fifteen months after the camera was lost, a
fisherman trawling the ocean floor found the camera in his fishing net.
The camera was inoperable but the memory card and photos were intact.
The fisherman viewed the photos, which included a picture of a woman
standing on the deck of a ship with the QE2 at sea in the background.
The fisherman contacted the BBC, where a correspondent determined that
the passengers had been aboard the QM2.
Cunard was notified and the company was able to identify and locate the
couple and reunite them with their photos, plucked from the bottom of
the sea.
Disney Cruise Line recently released new details about its brand
new ship,
Disney Dream, which is scheduled to debut next
January.
Goofy's Sports Deck will be "hosted" by Goofy and his son,
Max, and will feature a miniature golf course, a full-size
basketball/volleyball court, table tennis and foosball tables. There
will be two digital sports simulators with virtual soccer, tennis,
basketball and golf, and a walking track that circles the deck.
The littlest cruisers will love Nemo's Reef, a shaded water-play area
with pop jets, bubblers and a soft wet-deck surface. The Quiet Cove Pool
and Cove Bar will be reserved for guests 18 and older, and will feature
a series of connected circular pools including a 4-foot-deep plunge
pool, a 6-inch-deep lounge pool with a mister, and a swim-up bar.
At Donald's Pool, families can enjoy Disney movies and live broadcast
events on the giant Funnel Vision LED screen. A retractable floor over
the pool will create a dance floor for deck parties.
For more information on the Disney Dream, click
here.
For sailing dates and prices, click
here.
In the early morning hours of February 26th, while attempting to dock in
high winds,
Costa's Costa Europa slammed into the pier at Sharm
El Sheikh, Egypt. Three crew members were killed in the accident, and
three passengers and another crew member were taken to a local hospital.
The ship was in the midst of an 18-night cruise from Dubai to Savona
with 1,437 passengers onboard. Once the ship was secured, all passengers
disembarked and were taken to local hotels while arrangements were made
for their return home.
The hull area of a watertight compartment, as well as parts of the
engine room and some crew cabins, sustained damage in the collision.
Repairs began immediately, and will continue in Palermo, Italy.
Costa Europa was already slated to transfer to UK-based Thomson Cruises
in April for a long-term charter. The ship's final two cruises under the
Costa name were cancelled, and Costa is working to reaccommodate
passengers booked on those sailings on other ships. Those who cannot be
accommodated will receive full refunds. The line expects repairs to be
completed within 30 days.
Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
Here are the best cruise deals in the next 90 days, organized by port of
departure.
Click below for best cruise deals departing US and Canada ports:
Anchorage, AK
Baltimore, MD
Bayonne, NJ
Boston, MA
Charleston, SC
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Galveston, TX
Honolulu, HI
Jacksonville, FL
Juneau, AK
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Miami, FL
Mobile, AL
Montreal, QC, Canada
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY (All ports serving...)
Norfolk, VA
Port Canaveral, FL
Portland, OR
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Seattle, WA
St. Thomas, USVI
Tampa, FL
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Whittier, AK
Click below for best cruise deals departing major ports worldwide:
Amsterdam, Holland
Athens, Greece
Barbados
Barcelona, Spain
Bari, Italy
Beijing, China
Bergen, Norway
Bombay, India
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cairo, Egypt
Cape Town, South Africa
Colon, Panama
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Florence, Italy
Genoa, Italy
Hong Kong, China
Istanbul, Turkey
Kiel, Germany
Kirkenes, Norway
Kobe, Japan
Lisbon, Portugal
Liverpool, England
London, England (All ports serving...)
Luxor, Egypt
Malaga, Spain
Marseille, France
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Naples, Italy
Nice, France
Oslo, Norway
Papeete, Tahiti
Perth, Australia
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rome, Italy
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Savona, Italy
Shanghai, China
Singapore
Sydney, Australia
Tokyo, Japan
Valencia, Spain
Venice, Italy
Here are today's
Top 10 Cruises,
brand new specials from the world's best cruise lines.
Click the FastDeal # for details.
1)
Caribbean,
7 nights on Carnival,
departs San Juan Apr 25,
starting at $469,
save 73%,
FastDeal # 18839
2)
Bahamas,
7 nights on Norwegian,
departs New York May 15,
starting at $519,
save 69%,
FastDeal # 24868
3)
Caribbean,
8 nights on Celebrity,
departs San Juan Apr 17,
starting at $499,
FastDeal # 10720
(Celebrity does not provide brochure rates for this cruise,
so we are unable to show a savings percentage.)
4)
Alaska,
7 nights on Holland America,
departs Anchorage May 16,
starting at $499,
save 63%,
FastDeal # 21554
5)
Caribbean,
7 nights on Princess,
departs San Juan Mar 21,
starting at $299,
save 67%,
FastDeal # 17848
6)
Bermuda,
7 nights on Norwegian,
departs New York May 23,
starting at $539,
save 70%,
FastDeal # 18406
7)
Mexico,
7 nights on Carnival,
departs Long Beach Apr 18,
starting at $509,
save 71%,
FastDeal # 18386
8)
Caribbean,
7 nights on Royal Caribbean,
departs Fort Lauderdale May 22,
starting at $949,
FastDeal # 13163
(Royal Caribbean does not provide brochure rates for this cruise,
so we are unable to show a savings percentage.)
9)
Transatlantic,
16 nights on Fred. Olsen Cruise Line,
departs Barbados Apr 15,
starting at $1958,
save 45%,
FastDeal # 10713
10)
Mediterranean,
14 nights on Oceania Cruises,
departs Barcelona May 19,
starting at $4074,
save 54%,
FastDeal # 24352
For the best last-minute cruise specials in the next 90 days,
click
here.
To search for discounts on cruises departing more than 90 days from now,
click
here.
For escorted tours worldwide, or air/hotel packages to London or Paris,
click
here.
For hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda or the Bahamas,
click
here.
Para visitar a nuestro sitio web de cruceros en español, haga
clic
aquí.
Once you've found a FASTDEAL, call us toll free at 800-338-4962 (US and
Canada) and a cruise counselor will attend to your needs. Customers
from the UK, please call toll free 0800 279 8084. All other
international customers, please e-mail or call us at +1-713-974-2121.
Please e-mail me your comments, suggestions and questions at
alanfox@vacationstogo.com
and I will respond the same day.
To send a copy of this newsletter to a friend or friends, click
here.
Sincerely,
Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
Vacations To Go
