Category: Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines Will Send Eight Ships to Its Brand-New Port in Dominican Republic

12/18/2014

By John Roberts
Carnival Cruise Lines says its brand-new port facility in the Dominican Republic will see its first cruise ship in October 2015.

Amber Cove, a more than $60 million facility on the island nation's north coast, is scheduled to receive calls from eight Carnival ships, beginning October 6 when Carnival Victory arrives.

Amber Cove was designed with architectural nods to the region's colonial history and is set amid a picturesque cove offering lush tropical scenery and a range of recreational, cultural, dining and shopping opportunities, Carnival says.

The port also is included on itineraries for Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Sunshine and Carnival Valor and will get 37 calls with more than 100,000 passengers between October 2015 and April 2016 from the eight Carnival ships.

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The 10 Commandments of Cruising

11/11/2014

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Have a little fun! We had a great time dressing up when one of our sailings coincided with Halloween.

By John Roberts

We're here to help you have the best adventure at the best price possible.

With that in mind, I present our 10 Commandments of Cruising.

When we get the itch for another cruise getaway -- usually this occurs shortly after returning home, unpacking and sorting all our photos and videos of our recently concluded trip -- we begin our search with key parameters in mind. Then, once onboard, we adhere to self-imposed rules in a bid to have the best, guilt-free time possible.

So, here you are . . .

10. Thou shalt not pay more than $100 per day per person per day for your fare. This commandment refers to the base price we set for the typical vacation. You usually can find sales in this price range or well below. If we have a very special occasion, we would consider more of a luxury cruise. We haven't done this yet, but we have talked about it for perhaps a big wedding anniversary or birthday, for example.

9. Thou shall book during a cruise sale. We always check deals during cruise lines' flash sales throughout the year or during wave season (big sale period between January and March). You also will find fantastic promotions when you book a future cruise while onboard your current cruise. Benefits might include extra onboard credit, lower prices, included beverage packages, included gratuities and lower deposits to book your cabin.

8. Thou shall use a travel agent. These travel pros can find you the best possible prices, help you monitor price drops and offer extra benefits for using their services. For example, our cruise travel agent always gives us onboard credit as a thank you. We often find she has had a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries placed in our stateroom as a welcome aboard gift, too.

7. Thou shall continuously monitor prices. If the price of your sailing drops, you almost always can get the lower price until about 90 days out from your cruise departure date. We use online price monitoring services and tools from CruiseFish.net (emailed prices alerts) and CruiseCritic.com's PriceDrop (email alerts). Your travel agent also should be in touch with you to help you secure the best price possible.

6. Thou shall ask along friends for even deeper discounts. The more the merrier. We always ask our friends and family to join us on a cruise. They don't always say yes, but when they do, it can mean a deeper discount. You travel agent can get better deals once a block of cabins are grouped together (usually eight cabins or more). This means better prices and more perks like extra onboard credit -- not to mention more fun when enjoying the adventure with all those familiar faces.

Before you reserve your next cruise, make sure you are getting the best price and all the perks you can.

5. Thou shalt not use the elevator. We are going to be consuming way more calories during our cruise than we do in our daily lives. The treats, steaks, lobster, desserts, beer, wine -- oh my. That's a big part of the fun, isn't it? Well, we like to work out a lot to try to stay in shape anyways. So, we aim for a bit of physical discipline even if we stray from our dietary regimen. Taking the steps and walking as much as possible (you can walk miles and miles around the ship and in port) is just a start. We also aim for at least a quick 30-minute workout in the ship's gym to get our days started. Then, the rest of the day is relatively guilt free fun.

4. Thou shalt not take trivia time too seriously. Part of the entertainment options on your ship will be the daily trivia contests. We love to go to these and mingle. It's a fun diversion and a way to meet people from around the world while having a little fun during this natural conversation-starting competition. Just please remember that it's a friendly event. Too many times, we've seen people take this far too seriously, throwing fits, protesting scores, claiming others are cheating. Really, people, it's just not worth it for that souvenir pen or key chain that is at stake.

3. Thou shalt not hog sun loungers. This should be common courtesy and common sense, but serves as a constant source of frustration for cruisers. Don't be one of these rude people who rush out to throw towels and books on the loungers and then disappear back to your cabin or to the breakfast buffet for an hour or two before finally coming out to use your chairs â€“ while many other ready-to-lounge cruisers get shafted. Cruise lines are doing their best to crack down and enforce "unoccupied lounger" rules, but we should know better.

2. Thou shall be considerate of your fellow cruiser. Sometimes, we all get a little caught up in thinking only about ourselves (see above No. 3). But cruise ships are large and some areas get busy. Please do not barge around the buffet as if the food is going to suddenly run out. Please use proper hygiene practices, too. This means using tongs instead of grabbing with your hands eating while hovering at the buffet. Please do not cut into lines or mass on the stairs so others cannot move around you. Please do not smoke in undesignated areas. Please do not let your children run around unsupervised and play in adults-only pools and hot tubs. This isn't meant to be scolding, but you need to be considerate because it's the right thing to do. We are all on vacation. Let's relax and have fun.

1. Thou shall venture outside your comfort zone. On Royal Caribbean ships, I recommend getting involved in Quest -- the fun adult-themed game played once during sailings. Dress up for the theme nights, try karaoke or get out there and dance. Enter a talent competition or poolside game. You might be shy, but you'll be amazed how much fun you had if you cut loose and jump into the fun.

There you have it -- our "10 Commandments." Learn them, know them . . . live them!

Elsewhere in cruise news . . .

International Expeditions is offering free airfare for your bucket-list vacation to the Galapagos. Travelers get free airfare -- up to $1,000 -- on two small ship expedition sailings, January 30, 2015, and April 10, 2015. On IE's Galapagos cruises, you travel on the 32-guest yacht M/V Evolution, which offers a 2-to-1 guest-to-crew ratio led by three naturalist guides. The guides offer lectures nightly onboard and in the field while bringing cruisers within inches of giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, penguins and other creatures.

In addition to daily snorkeling and hiking through deserts, rainforests and volcanic terrain, highlights include a visit to the volcanically active island of Fernandina to search for flightless cormorants and the largest marine iguanas. You'll also stop at the Charles Darwin Research Center, famous for its tortoise breeding programs, and explore Genovesa (Tower) Island, with an opportunity to swim, kayak and snorkel in the calm caldera of this partially eroded volcano. Prices for the 10-day Galapagos Islands cruises start at $5,298 per person and include accommodations, all excursions, most meals, transfers and tips to porters and waiters for included meals.

Courtesy International Expeditions

Carnival Cruises Carnival Pride has completed its Funship 2.0 upgrades, the line released the ship's schedule of winter seven-day sailings to the Caribbean out of Tampa, Florida. Carnival Pride started its winter season and sails Sundays from Port of Tampa to Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Costa Maya, Mexico. All of these locations are great stops, full of active opportunities, such as cave tubing, snorkeling and diving. The drydock upgrades include a large waterworks park with a super-fast waterslide as well as new dining and bar venues.

Princess Cruises announced a new onboard activities and excursion program in partnership with the company that owns Discovery Channel. Included in the Discovery at Sea program are Discovery, Animal Planet and Science Channel shore excursions. The outings will include panning for gold on a Gold Rush-inspired tour, getting up-close with each destinationâ€™s native animals during Animal Planet tours and learning how popular foods and beverages go from farm to table on Science Channel "How It's Made" tours.

Thanks for reading,

JR

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Carnival Cruise Lines to Build Port Stop on Haiti

8/11/2014

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Carnival Corp. developed Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas for its Holland America Line. Now, Carnival seeks to develop a port facility on an island off the coast of Haiti.

By John Roberts

Did you know that some cruise lines' have their own private islands? A stop at these islands serves almost like a sea day with a twist -- you get off the boat at a private beach resort with only your fellow cruisers sharing the space.

But you can spend the day any way you want. In solitude in a beach lounger, hammock or cabana. Or engaging in active pursuits like volleyball, snorkeling or even a 5K race, for examples.

The islands feature bar areas, barbecue buffet lunches and thrilling activities like ziplines and bike rides. Your ship is always within sight as you enjoy your day on the sands and in the waters, and you can go back onboard fairly easily if you've had enough sun or if youâ€™ve forgot something.

You don't need to bring any cash ashore because -- like on the ship -- your stateroom key card serves as your credit card.

These islands are attractive to the lines because they get all the revenue for the excursion activities such as the ziplines, paddle boards, snorkel gear, cabana rentals, etc., as well as any drinks you buy while ashore.

Holland America runs Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line offers Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean has Labadee in Haiti and Coco Cay in the Bahamas. Disney's Castaway Cay in the Bahamas is a wonderful outing, and the stop includes the chance to participate in the Disney Castaway Cay 5K run.

Now, Carnival Cruises says it will build a port in Haiti after it signed a deal to develop a new facility in Tortuga, an island just off the northern coast of Haiti.

It's not yet clear whether the development will be a private-beach-type stop for Carnival ships, but indications are that it will be similar to that or a facility developed like those in Costa Maya, Mexico, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, and Roatan, Honduras, that serve exclusively as cruise centers.

"The development will create an exciting opportunity for our guests to enjoy a new, secluded and stunning destination on the island of Tortuga that the company expects will become a highly popular place for guests to enjoy for years to come," Carnival says.

Elsewhere,

Australis, a expedition line that offers adventures to Cape Horn and Patagonia, is offering a four-day cruise that begins in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city, located on the island of Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America. The Great Canadian Travel Company created an excursion onboard the Via Australis cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina. The voyage goes through the Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: southern Patagonia, which includes the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.

The ship will visit Garibaldi Fjord, where passengers can disembark for a hike through the forest up to a glacial waterfall to enjoy spectacular views. If you stay onboard, the captain will point the bow toward the blue Garibaldi Glacier so you can enjoy the panoramic view from the upper decks. Then, the ship navigates along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord. A short hike takes you to a panoramic view of the Pia Glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea.

The sailing continues through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to Cape Horn National Park, where, weather permitting, passengers will go ashore. Cape Horn, discovered in 1616, is a sheer 1,394-foot-high rocky promontory. For many years, it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and the Atlantic and is referred to as the "End of the Earth." The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005.

The Australis will also stop at historic Wulaia Bay, originally the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed there in 1833 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. The ship then sails back to Ushuaia.

There are several departure dates for this program from October 2014 through April 2015. The cost is from $1,486 per person, based on double occupancy. Included are shipboard accommodations, all meals, drinks, and tours while cruising. Not included are transportation to and from Ushuaia and gratuities. Book by August 31, 2014, however, and the cost is $1,189 per person with a free cabin upgrade. Check out www.australis.com for details.

Crystal Cruises is installing a "Fitness Garden" along with indoor fitness center equipment upgrades during the drydock of its Crystal Symphony ship this fall. The outdoor fitness garden will exist as a circuit of fitness equipment laid out on three decks on the aft of the ship.

Another nice way to keep ship shape, right?

Thanks for reading,

JR

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Carnival Cruise Lines Will Send Eight Ships to Its Brand-New Port in Dominican Republic

The 10 Commandments of Cruising

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