Posts from — May 2010

By Julie Atkins, Manager of Client Services & Group Administration

Taking a baby on vacation may seem more challenging than rewarding, and in my experience it’s a bit of both. I always joke when I get back from vacation with my daughter that I need another vacation on my own! When Erin was six months old we decided to take her on her first cruise.

I chose Holland America because they had the most suitable itinerary, sailing on the ms Eurodam. When choosing an itinerary with babies or young children, the Caribbean is a very good choice. We visited St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Turk which are best known for their soft sandy beaches. We went for 7 nights and traveled in the month of December.

Eastern Caribbean Beaches

When you arrive at the ports of call, the best source of information is of course the locals. So we always ask them where the quiet, family-friendly beaches are and we are never disappointed.

One of the ports of call is Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private Island. They have an option to book a Cabana on the beach and I would highly recommend doing this. It allowed us to spend the entire day at the beach, it was air conditioned and stocked all day with soft drinks and fruit. They have comfortable cushioned lounges and exclusive waiter service. Priceless! [Read more →]

Warm weather and sunny skies can only mean one thing, it’s time to hit the beach! And with so much cruising experience, it’d just be downright selfish if we didn’t share our favorite beaches. Without further ado, our favorite beaches and beach experiences:

Adam Wolf
My favorite beach is Magens Bay located on the north shore on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.  Magens Bay beach is a state park…the beach is heart shaped and is approximately 1 mile long, featuring serene turquoise waters, beautiful white sand, and plenty of shaded areas under the trees…typically there are no waves or currents at the beach.  Lifeguards are on duty during the day and there is a bar, gift shop, and great bath facilities…don’t miss eating breakfast there at the snack bar.  National Geographic magazine called it one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world!

Gloria Hanson
I would have to say one of my favorite beaches is in Bonaire. I can’t swim and am not particularly fond of water activities because of this impediment, however, when we cruised to Bonaire and I saw how shallow the water was, it gave me a whole new outlook on water sports. [Read more →]

By Frans Hansen, President, The Cruise Web.

Last summer, I took my then 6 and 9 year old boys to the little southern Swedish coastal village of Falsterbo.  Falsterbo and neighboring Skanör are small old fishing villages that have turned into popular summer vacation spots for many Swedes, and have always been favorites of my boys’ Swedish born “Farmor” (literally translated “father’s mother”).

As this was the first trip for my boys to the home country of many of their ancestors, we packed an active itinerary into our 10-day vacation. However, almost every morning, we made time for the beach! Waking in a family friends’ summer home as immaculate as every building and home in these pristine villages, the three of us would eat our Swedish porridge and then board our old-fashion rented bicycles – baskets, bells, and all – to bike 10-15 minutes to the crisp and breezy water of the Baltic Sea. [Read more →]

The Cruise Web would like to recognize two more Cruise Consultants who were recently awarded Senior Status in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the company.  On Monday, May 17th, Cruise Consultants Andy Gustafson and Corinna Crockett both earned their Senior Cruise Consultant status for their continued performance with The Cruise Web.

Andy and Corinna join a growing team of fourteen Senior Cruise Consultants at The Cruise Web, whose continued excellence and expert consultation epitomize the core strength of The Cruise Web and the dedication it has to its customers and the cruise industry.

Andy and Corinna were recognized last Monday with a company-wide announcement of their new statuses.  The Cruise Web congratulates its newest Senior Cruise Consultants and looks forward to their continued success.

The Cruise Web got an opportunity to hang out with Ray Lewis, NFL Baltimore Raven’s defenseman this past weekend.  The Ray Lewis Foundation hosted Ray’s Summer Days, a summertime fundraising event in Baltimore.  Carnival Corporation is a sponsor to the Ray Lewis Foundation and our District Sales Manager, Kathy Donnelly extended some invites to The Cruise Web.

The event start with a VIP Kickoff party hosted by Patron at the Ruth Chris’ Havana Club.  Assistant Manager Arthur Balin and wife, Yelena Balin represented The Cruise Web as they wined and dined with celebrities like Gheorghe Muresan and Sam Casell. [Read more →]

The Cruise Web is pleased to welcome back several Cruise Consultants from another educational Seminar-at-Sea cruise. Jacques Botty, Tina Colicchio, Jarren Matthews, and Heather Wasson represented The Cruise Web on the 7-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Celebrity Solstice. The cruise was a well deserved vacation for the group and we are glad to hear that they had a wonderful time, with Celebrity’s glassblowing demonstrations proving especially memorable. Tina was kind enough to provide the following post about the hot glass shows performed aboard the ship:

I have been to a few renaissance fairs in my time and I have seen live glassblowing before. A good friend of the family is an amateur glassblower herself. For me, glassblowing was “been there, seen it, done that…” But my preconceptions about the art of glassblowing shattered right then and there. I became hypnotized by what I saw.

There were three young men on stage: Matt Decker, Gabe Bloodworth, and Eric Meek. One of them was doing the actual glassblowing, one of them was assisting, and the other was narrating what was going on over a microphone-headset. What struck me immediately were two things. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

This December, Royal Caribbean International will once again make waves on the cruise vacation scene with the debut of the world’s next largest and most innovative cruise ship, Allure of the Seas. As did sister-ship Oasis of the Seas, the arrival of Allure of the Seas will bring an unprecedented array of brand new features and onboard amenities, including one of Broadway’s longest-running and most recognizable theatric productions, Chicago: The Musical, which will headline in the ship’s main theater. Reprising the lauded at-sea debut of Hairspray aboard Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas‘ Amber Theater will join an illustrious list of venues, such as the Ambassador Theater in New York City and the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End, that have raised the curtain on the award-winning musical.

“Allure of the Seas will feature an unbelievable lineup of new entertainment options that will dazzle and delight guests of all ages,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “Chicago: The Musical will become the second Tony Award-winning musical that Royal Caribbean debuts at sea and tops the list of award-winning caliber entertainment created by our own Royal Caribbean Productions team.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that one of music’s most iconic performers, Reba McEntire, will christen the company’s newest and most innovative Freestyle Cruising ship to date, Norwegian Epic, the hottest new ship of the year. The christening ceremony will take place in New York on July 2, 2010 on board Norwegian Epic.

Ms. McEntire, who recently hosted the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, has achieved legendary status in the music world having sold over 55 million albums worldwide; earned 34 #1 singles and won 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards and two GRAMMY Awards. She is also an avid cruiser and has taken several family cruise vacations, most recently on Norwegian Gem in the Mediterranean. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Carnival Breeze has been selected as the name for the line’s new 130,000-ton cruise ship scheduled to enter service in spring 2012.

To be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze will be the third in the line’s Dream class.  The series’ namesake vessel, Carnival Dream, entered service in 2009 and a sister ship, Carnival Magic, is currently under construction at Fincantieri and is scheduled to debut in Europe in May 2011.

Carnival Breeze will offer many of the popular innovations featured on Carnival Dream as well as some exciting and unique new elements created just for this vessel that will be detailed at a later date, along with homeport and itinerary information. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line and Nickelodeon today announced the dates and itineraries for the two 2011 “Nickelodeon All Access Cruises.” These special Nickelodeon-themed cruises will give guests exclusive access to a fun-filled, seven-day itinerary of Nickelodeon-themed entertainment all day, every day on board Norwegian Jewel from New York on February 20, 2011, and on the cruise line’s newest ship, Norwegian Epic, from Barcelona on July 24, 2011.

“‘Nickelodeon All Access Cruises’ only on Norwegian Cruise Line will provide families with the ultimate vacation experience at sea,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s chief executive officer. “These immersive cruises offer the freedom and flexibility that Freestyle Cruising provides with the ability for families to get up close and personal with Nickelodeon.”

“We are very excited to offer families unique and exclusive Nickelodeon entertainment programs on two world-class vessels, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic,” said Howard Smith, executive vice president, Nickelodeon Recreation. “‘Nickelodeon All Access Cruises’ offer the ultimate cruise experience with a thrilling line up of Nickelodeon entertainment combined with Norwegian’s world-class ships and exciting itineraries.”

The inaugural “Nickelodeon All Access Cruise” on board Norwegian Jewel sets sail on February 20, 2011, with a round-trip seven-day itinerary from New York sailing to Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island. Norwegian Epic’s “Nickelodeon All Access Cruise” departs on July 24, 2011, from Barcelona on a seven-day Western Mediterranean cruise to Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain.

These two specialty cruises will include access to exclusive meet and greets with Nickelodeon stars; screenings of never-before-seen episodes of hit Nick shows; interactive game shows for the entire family; Nick-themed Sailaway; Club Nick parties; and the opportunity for every family to get slimed.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 31st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).