Posts from — February 2010

Courtesy of MSC Cruises.

Welcome to the MSC Yacht Club, the ultimate luxury cruising experience.  MSC Yacht Club adds a whole new dimension in sheer pampering and luxury.  This exclusive Club is a quiet haven of privacy and personalized amenities and service complete with your own Butler as well as complimentary premium beverages with all the entertainment and fun of a cruise ship at your doorstep.

Like a “ship within a ship,” MSC Yacht Club’s dedicated VIP areas are available onboard the MSC Fantasia, which debuted in December 2008) and MSC Splendida (which debuted in July 2009). The MSC Yacht Club allows its guests to experience the best of both worlds – more personalized service in a private, intimate setting while also enjoying the full benefits these magnificent vessels have to offer.

As its name implies, MSC Yacht Club offers guests a cruise experience comparable to sailing on a luxury yacht. In addition to elegant decor, guests enjoy an extraordinary level of pampering and personal service that begins with priority check-in and continues with 24-hour butler service, with butlers trained to the standards of the International Butler Academy. Butlers are available to unpack, deliver guests’ favorite international newspapers, serve daily English Afternoon Tea and arrange for front-row seats in the ship’s theater. [Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

The Olympics. The name stirs memories of sporting legends. Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Mary Lou Retton, Dorothy Hamill, Michael Phelps, Dewan and Dave. Dewan and Dave? Well, yes. Last year these two put on a sporting exhibition that will have people talking for years.

I arranged a cruise for some 30 of my friends last spring (because a cruise is just that much better with friendly faces aboard). Shortly after boarding and discovering all of the games available to passengers, two of my friends decided to find out which one of them was the better athlete. Aboard the wonderful ship, these two held their own decathlon. The rules were simple, they each chose 5 events, whoever won the most was the winner. [Read more →]

While the Olympics and cruising may seem completely opposite at first glance, a closer look reveals the two are quite similar.  Both the Olympics and cruising celebrate the world and its many people and cultures. The Olympics celebrate the world by bringing people across the globe together to showcase the skill of highly trained athletes. Cruising celebrates the world by taking a group of people and introducing them to different nations and cultures across the globe.

With this in mind, it is easy to see how the two completely different events share the commonality of celebrating the world.  And what’s more is that it is easy to combine the two into one incredible vacation!  While you may not actually cruise during an ongoing Olympics, you can visit many of the cities that hosted previous Olympics and even visit the birthplace of the Olympics themselves.

Mediterranean
The region from where the Olympics originated has continued the tradition that started in Athens so long ago.  Athens was host to not only the original Olympics but also to the 1896 and 2004 Summer Games. A discus’s throw across the Adriatic Sea and you come to Rome, which hosted the Summer Games of 1960. And last, but not least, across the Mediterranean Sea from the original Olympic site is the host city of the 1992 Summer Games, Barcelona, located on the eastern shore of Spain. You can hit one or all three of these previous Olympic sites during a Mediterranean cruise. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

This year Princess Cruises offers passengers some fresh ways to experience Alaska up close and personal with a variety of new shore excursions for the summer. Among the 20 new options is a unique opportunity to join a scientific expedition while in Juneau to help study climate change and wildlife behavior patterns.

Passengers can also get closer to the dramatic glaciers of Tracy Arm, pilot their own zodiac on a tour of Ketchikan or enjoy the opportunity for animal encounters at a film trainer’s wildlife park. These new options join Princess’ extensive shore excursion program, which currently offers 215 different Alaska tour options for passengers starting in May.

“Alaska offers so many thrilling experiences for visitors — there’s beautiful scenery nearly everywhere you turn, great opportunities to encounter wildlife, an intriguing Native culture, and of course the towering glaciers,” said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. “These new excursions showcase some of the many wonders available throughout this amazing state, and offer visitors a number of ways to get a very personal Alaska vacation.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America Line.

Taking top chefs from kitchens and restaurants all around the world and inviting them aboard Holland America Line ships, the line’s Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine Magazine, continues to expand in popularity. This year, more than 65 guest culinary experts are participating in the hugely successful program. Culinary notables this season include Bravo-TV’s “Top Chef” contender, Nikki Cascone; Mark Bittman, food columnist for The New York Times and award-winning cookbook author; and Keith Coburn, television personality of the hit series, “Deadliest Catch.”

“Because the Culinary Arts Center is such a hit, we will continue to expand the program and provide our guests with the enriching culinary experiences that have made it so successful,” said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. “For those who love to cook and cruise, there is no more enjoyable vacation experience than taking over a fully stocked and equipped professional kitchen with an expert chef as guide.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Crystal Cruises.

For travel-savvy golf enthusiasts this summer, Crystal Cruises is introducing an ultra-exclusive opportunity to be a part of the ultimate competition in the birthplace of the game.  During the new three-night Extended Land Program from Edinburgh, Crystal guests will be treated to VIP access and the highest level of service at the 150th British Open Championship at famed St. Andrew’s Golf Club, before joining Crystal Serenity’s July 19 Black Sea voyage to Istanbul.

Besides the action on the links during the final two days of the championship, participants will enjoy full access to a private hospitality area with refreshments and open bar throughout the day, three-course lunch and traditional English afternoon tea.  Arrangements include five-star hotel accommodations in Edinburgh, a private driver and air transportation from Edinburgh to Venice. [Read more →]

In early February, The Cruise Web found itself in the middle of two record-breaking Maryland snowstorms. The storms, labeled by many as the “Blizzard of 2010” produced nearly four feet of snow in less than a week and broke several city records for total snowfall in a single winter season.

As the snow continued to accumulate, several employees found themselves trapped in their homes. These employees were still able to keep our clients sailing with the help of a few co-workers who were able to venture in after the weekend. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, The Cruise Web was able to continue meeting customers’ needs despite the inclement weather. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Silversea Cruises.

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises has tapped motion picture luminaries to host filmmaking discussion panels, screenings and enlightening presentations on the 20 February 2010, 16-day segment of Silver Spirit’s Grand Inaugural Voyage, sailing from Buenos Aires to Santiago.

Guests on this special voyage will enjoy an enrichment programme hosted by award-winning actress Karen Allen, best known for her role as Marion Ravonwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; award-winning production designer Kristi Zea, renowned for her work on such films as The Departed, Good Fellas and As Good as It Gets; and screenwriter Ron Nyswaner, whose screenplay for The Painted Veil won the National Board of Review’s Best Adapted Screenplay Award. [Read more →]

Crystal Cruises recently recognized The Cruise Web in its First Annual Sales Achievement Celebration. The achievement, which acknowledges The Cruise Web’s work with Crystal Symphony in 2009, means a great deal to The Cruise Web, which prides itself not only on excellent client relationships but also on its cruise line relationships. The award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all of The Cruise Web’s employees.

The achievement celebration took place at The Cruise Web’s headquarters in Landover, Maryland where Crystal Cruises Director of Sales for the Eastern Region, Paul Girouard, presented The Cruise Web President, Frans Hansen, with a plaque and letter of recognition commemorating the achievement.

The Cruise Web looks forward to the ongoing rewarding relationship it has with Crystal Cruises and would like to thank Crystal Cruises for the honor.

By Frans Hansen, President, The Cruise Web.

Although I was just a young boy at the time, the most exciting and memorable sporting victory I have ever witnessed has to be the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”  This was the year that a young US men’s hockey team, made up of amateur and college players, toppled the “unbeatable” Soviet Union hockey power house at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.  USA then went on to beat Finland, to claim the gold medal.

Looking back to the build-up of that 1980 game, I can remember feeling how the Soviets were something akin to unstoppable robots.  They were “perfect” in their execution, “never” made mistakes, and I almost thought of them as super-human, or maybe even non-human. [Read more →]