Hidden cruise deals: how to nab flash sales

While researching a recent story on summer’s best Alaska cruise bargains, I was dumbfounded to discover jaw-dropping $299 rates for a last-minute 7-night Princess Cruises sailing to Alaska — one of the best-value fares I’ve stumbled upon during my many years of travel deal-hunting. The only problem? They seemingly weren’t available to everybody, with the $299 fares populating on the Princess website for me, but not for my editor, who was located in another region (fares there showed up from $599 for the same sailing).

Intrigued, we decided to dig deeper on these fare discrepancies and uncovered a world of hidden cruise deals and short-lived “flash” sales.

Karen Candy, media relations manager for Princess, revealed that the $299 Alaska fares were likely showing up regionally, since the cruise line sometimes has limited flash sales that are targeted to specific markets. A rarity for any travel provider: They explicitly did not want any publicity on these blink-and-you’ll-miss-them fares. Candy explained, “They are restricted, offered very close in on sailings with space, and are offered in very limited quantities.”

Read more:  http://travel.yahoo.com/blogs/compass/hidden-cruise-deals-nab-flash-sales-183802736.html

Royal Princess: 5 things you'll love about the new cruise ship

The three-deck-high Piazza on Princess Cruises' new Royal Princess. / Steve Dunlop (via USA TODAY)

 Princess Cruises' newest ship isn't radically different from its earlier vessels, and that's by design. The Love Boat line aims for consistency in its fleet.

Still, that doesn't mean the 3,560-passenger Royal Princess is a carbon copy of its earlier sisters (with its addition, Princess how has 17 ships at sea). Nearly 20% larger than the next biggest Princess vessel, the Royal Princess boasts a number of notable new and expanded features that go a long way in setting it apart.

Read more at: http://www.freep.com/article/20130617/FEATURES07/306170082/Royal-Princess-5-things-you-ll-love-about-new-cruise-ship

Quantum of the Seas: New Cruise Ship Unveiled

Quantam of the Seas: A very modern cruise ship has been unveiled by Rayal Carribbean International, complete with a range of attractions such as bumper cars.

This computer-generated image provided by the Royal Caribbean International cruise line shows the North Star, an observation capsule on a movable arm that will offer a bird’s eye view from 300 feet above the water, part of the Quantam of the Seas. The new ship is slated to launch in Novemeber 2014 from Bayonne, N.J. (AP Photo/Royal Caribbean International)

 NEW YORK—Royal Caribbean cruise line dazzled cruise aficionados Tuesday with details of its forthcoming Quantum of the Seas ship, which will be the first at sea to offer attractions like bumper cars, simulated skydiving and an observation capsule called The North Star, with a bird’s eye view 300 feet (91 meters) above the water.

“Without a doubt, Quantum of the Seas is a game changer with technological innovations never imagined aboard a cruise ship,” said Stewart Chiron, who writes at CruiseGuy.com.

“I can’t wait to get on it,” said Barbara Lippincott, who’s taken 160 cruises on Royal Caribbean and was among a number of the company’s devotees at a Manhattan event unveiling the ship’s features.

Read more at: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/17543-quantum-of-the-seas-new-cruise-ship-unveiled/

Cruise lines start catering to the Barbie demographic

WASHINGTON - Cruise lines are starting to cater to a younger audience.

Sometimes, a much younger one.

Cruising isn't what it was 10 years ago when most passengers were 45 and older.

As the demographics change, the cruising industry changed its itineraries and amenities.

Royal Caribbean's Barbie Dream Cruise will feature fashion shows where girls unveil their own creations. (Courtesy of Royal Caribbean)

 

 

Read more at: http://www.wtop.com/1226/3223358/Cool-to-Cruise

New cruise ships for 2013: MSC Cruises' MSC Preziosa

By Gene Sloan, USA Today
Five major cruise lines that market to North Americans are rolling out new ships this year. Here, USA TODAY profiles one of the new offerings: MSC Cruises' MSC Preziosa.

MSC PREZIOSA

Line: MSC Cruises
Maiden voyage: March 24
Home ports: Genoa, Naples and Messina, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France.
Size (in tons): 139,400
Passengers: 3,502

The buzz: Like three earlier vessels in MSC Cruises' Fantasia class, the MSC Preziosa will be a large, mass-market ship catering to an international clientele. It'll boast three main dining rooms, multiple bars and a wide variety of entertainment as well as a sprawling spa area.

Like the earlier Fantasia class ships, MSC Preziosa also will feature one of the line's signature MSC Yacht Clubs -- an upscale "ship-within-a-ship" area that is exclusive to passengers staying in top cabins.

For information on the year's other new vessels, click HERE to return to the main page of USA TODAY's Guide to the New Cruise Ships of 2013.

Princess Cruises to expand rapidly in Japan

Looks like Princess Cruises is going after the Japanese market in a big way.

The Los Angeles-based line today announced it would send two ships to Japan in 2014 to cater to Japanese vacationers in what amounts to a major expansion of a pilot program that begins this year.

Princess says the 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess and 2,022-passenger Sun Princess will sail 42 voyages between April and October 2014 from three Japanese ports: Yokohama (near Tokyo), Kobe and Otaru (near Sapporo).

That's more than four times the number of sailings aimed at Japanese vacationers the line is offering in Japan this year — its first specifically targeting the Japanese "home port" market.

Read more at:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/01/23/princess-cruises-japan-expansion/1859045/

Two-night preview cruises on tap for new Royal Princess

Princess Cruises today announced plans for special two-night 'preview' cruises aboard its soon-to-debut, 3,600-passenger Royal Princess — one of the most anticipated new ships of the year.

The line says it'll offer two of the two-night voyages out of Southampton, England on June 9 and June 14 before the Royal Princess sets sail on its previously announced maiden voyage June 16.

Both of the short sailings will include a call at St. Peter Port on the island of Guernsey.

The Royal Princess is Princess' first new ship in five years and its largest ever. It features a far larger atrium than previous Princess ships; a glass-bottomed 'SeaWalk' that extends more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; the line's first private poolside cabanas; and a number of other new-for-Princess features.

Read more at:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/01/21/royal-princess-preview-cruise/1851203/