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Holland America Offers The Ultimate Alaskan Cruise Souvenir

  Guests who cruise to Alaska on Holland America can nor relive their culinary experience with an Alaskan Seafood feast delivered right to their home.  Holland America has a partnership with seafood specialists Alaska Fresh Ketch.

Guests may choose from two packages - the Halibut Schooner and the Salmon Troller.  The packages have appetizer portions of:  salmon, Alaskan King crab, and smoked salmon.  Each package contains enough seafood to treat 6 to 8 diners.  Guests sailing in Alaska can order the home excursion at the shore excursion desk.

This article comes to you from:   www.cruiseindustrywire.com   

Port Everglades - World's Best Cruise Port

Port Everglades was originally known as Lake Mabel, Port Everglades and was officially established as a deep water harbor in 1927.  It has a reputation as the "World's Best Cruise Port" and more than 5,300 ships call at Port Everglades each year.  It has also been reported that 10,800 passengers pass through their building on turn around days.  It's name is somewhat misleading because Port Everglades is NOT part of the wetland ecosystem known as The Florida Everglades.  The seaport is on the south east coast of a peninsula within 3 cities of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach.  Some of the cruise lines based in Port Everglades are:  Discovery Cruises, SeaEscape Cruises, Celebrity, Costa, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Princess, MSC Cruise Line, Imperial Majesty Cruises, Holland America Line, Crystal Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Seaborn Cruise Line and Silversea Cruises.

Go on a Theme Cruise

  Carnival Paradise - Rock the Soap
Mix and mingle with your favorite actors from "All my Children", "One Life to Live", "General Hospital", "Days of our Lives", "As the World Turns", and "The Young and the Restless".  This sails round-trip from Los Angeles with a call in Ensenada, Mexico, March 20-23, 2009.  Call 1-888-CARNIVAL for more information or your travel agent.

Hogs on the High Seas Mexican Riviera Rally
Mariner of the Seas on March 25 - April 5,2009 will have a great "Hogs on the High Seas" cruise.  You don't have to own a Harley and you can't take your bike on-board, but you will be with like-minded souls who want to have fun.  Approximately $300,000. in give-aways and prizes will be given out.  You can contact Royal Caribbean at 1-800-256-6649

Scrap-Booking Cruise - Grandeur of the Seas
On June 13-18,2009 this is a great one for scrap-booking lovers.  Special course includes a 24-hour crop room, extensive work space, gifts and prizes.  Contact Royal Caribbean at 1-800-256-6649.

Host a Group Cruise and Sail Free

 This is surprisingly easy and fun to put together.  Usually, booking 8 cabins is considered a group and may qualify for numerous amenities.  This could mean:  one free cruise ticket, a bottle of champagne or wine for each cabin, or a reduced rate for all persons in the group.  Of course, the larger the group the more amenities you would qualify for.  Contact a reputable travel agent and ask him/her to help you with purchasing the tickets, the insurance, etc.  Once you have the cabin and dining room assignments the passengers are on their own.  You may however, want to check the various forms of transportation to the port and make arrangements for that.  There are numerous shuttles and buses you could contract with and charge each passenger an additional transportation bus fee.

The Psychic Medium Cruise

 Carnival Valor has a Psychic Medium Cruise on June 28 - July 5 starting at $999. per person from Miami.  Two psychic mediums, Joanne Gerber and Rita Berkowitz will host the cruise.  One of the features is a "Mingle with the Mediums" cocktail party and many shows are scheduled to "contact with friends and loved ones that have passed on."  This certainly is a different kind of theme cruise, but I'm sure there are many of you out there that would love to be part of this unique sailing.  For more information visit your travel agent or call Carnival Cruise Lines at 1-888-CARNIVAL

Top 10 Activites to do on a Ship when at Sea

 1.  First, always check your newsletter bulletin that you get each night in your cabin.  This gives you a complete list of activities the cruise line has scheduled for the next day.

2.  Visit the ship's gym facility and exercise or just take a long walk or jog on one of their outside decks.

3.  Lots of ships have shuffleboard courts, basketball, golf, paddle ball tables and swimming pools for your enjoyment.

4.  How about a body massage or a facial in the spa?  This would be a great way to unwind and relax on the beginning of your cruise.

5.  Check and see if there is a game room or a card room for passengers.  This is especially good if it's a rainy day and outside activities have been can-celled.

6.  How about relaxing pool side with a good book or doing crossword puzzles or the latest craze, which is soduku puzzles.

7.  They may offer afternoon movies in one of their theaters or a lecture to go to.

8.  On days your at sea, this might be a really good time to visit the Internet cafe'.  Check your emails and send a few home.

9.  Of course, checking out the cruise lines shops are always fun and you could purchase a few souvenirs to bring home.

10. Ask your cruise director if he offers tours of the galley or bridge.  Most people really enjoy them.

Wanted - Gentleman Dance Hosts

 There have always been more single woman than men on cruises, hence the demand for Gentleman Dance Hosts.  What a wonderful job for a retired gentleman between the ages of 40 to 70 !  Of course one requirement is, he must be an excellent dancer.  Many of these men have backgrounds in law, medicine, travel and education.  They must have an out-going type of personality and mix in easily with people he has never met.  The pre-conceived belief is that these gentlemen cruise free, however this simply isn't true.  They pay a minimum charge for their cruise, somewhere around $30. per day and have to share a cabin with another host.  However, this fee includes their meals, drinks and sometimes airfare.  They must meet the highest standards through interviews, personal meetings, background checks and dance reviews.

There is a Chicago-based company, The Working Vacation that is the leader in recruitment agencies for Gentleman Hosts on cruises worldwide.  Their website is:  www.theworkingvacation.com  

Cruise the Southern Caribbean

  If you've cruised the Eastern and Western Caribbean, then sailing to the Southern Caribbean is a must!  The islands are beautiful and this was one of my all time favorite places to cruise.  I've made a list of possible ports that you may see if you go there.

1.  San Juan - you can tour the Old and New San Juan and see Fort San FelipedelMorro.
2.  St. Thomas - It's called the "Emerald of the Caribbean" and speaking of emeralds they have some great deals in their jewelry shops.
3.  St. Maarten - An island under 2 flags, with a French side and a Dutch side.
4.  Dominica - Go to Jacko Falls in their rain forest and also visit the Botanical Gardens.
5.  Barbados - great place to climb into a land-rover and go exploring or sail along the islands western coast on a Jolly Roger Pirate Cruise.
6.  St. Lucia - mountain bike and visit one of their breath-taking waterfalls.
7.  Antiqua - here's where you get to snorkel, swim and feed the stingrays.
8.  Martinique - Visit the famous museum that documents issues from slavery to colonialism on island.
9.  Aruba - beautiful coral reefs and colorful floating markets.
10. Turks & Caicos Islands - you can scuba dive, dune buggy safari or do the hop-on, hop-off island tour.
11. Curacao - Amsterdam like canals with Dutch Colonial buildings and a floating market.

Learn the Ukulele on Carnival Paradise

  Carnivals Paradise has a 3-night cruise from Long Beach, California to Mexico on April 24-27.  They will be offering hours of ukulele instruction, hula parties and a talent show.  Here's your chance to not only take a great Mexican cruise, but to also learn to play the ukulele!

Recently I was on a long trip and sitting in an airport terminal waiting for my next connection, when a middle aged woman sitting nearby, pulled out a ukulele from her carry-on and started playing.  I remember thinking "Wow, what a great instrument to be able to play!  You can bring it anywhere and play just about anywhere!"  This Carnival Cruise could be lots of fun!  For more information contact a travel agent or call 1-888-CARNIVAL

Enrichment Cruises

  The biggest trend in theme cruises goes towards "Enrichment."  Some passengers not only want to see the world via a cruise ship, but they also want to learn something.  These programs focus on education topics, finance, history, computers and more.  You can also learn to paint, learn a new language or take a computer course.  Some cruise lines have partnered with well-known institutions to teach these courses.

The Cunard Line offers courses that are conducted under England's University of Oxford and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.  Astronomers are brought on board to enlighten guests in the Queen Mary 2 planetarium and illuminations.  Oceanographers educate about the world under the ship.

Crystal Cruises has enrichment programs to "enhance the quality of life" in areas such as:  technology, finance, wellness and food and wine.  All group classes are offered to all passengers free of charge.

Holland America has opened a new Exploration Center on many of it's ships.  The program centers around the history and cultures of Holland America's destinations including food & wine presentations.

Celebrity has a "Discovery Series" focused on the historical, cultural and geographical highlights of each port.  They also offer programs in finance, wine education and astronomy.  All lectures and classes are free of charge.

For more information on Enrichment Cruises you may contact the above mentioned Cruise Lines or check with your personal travel agent.