Posts from — May 2011

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Cruises has long been recognized for its vast, exceptional collection of contemporary art. With hundreds of original works by both recognized and emerging artists exhibited on every ship in the fleet, and the recent introduction of self-guided tours on an iPad™, Celebrity aims to offer guests who appreciate art ample opportunities to enjoy it. And now, the line is offering an opportunity for guests to create original works of their own, within one of the entirely new venues on Celebrity Silhouette, “The Art Studio.” [Read more →]

By Julie Atkins, Manager of Client Services & Group Administration. The Cruise Web, Inc.

Service is very important when it comes to vacations, so much so that it can make or break your trip. After a few vacations, our expectations become loftier and our definition of “great service” changes. Luckily, cruise lines are also raising the bar and finding ways to exceed our expectations, taking their service from ordinary to extraordinary.

One of the reasons I enjoy cruising is definitely the service. From the moment you step aboard you find friendly attentive crew standing by to welcome you aboard (often with a glass of champagne) or guide you to your cabin. Then after you relax and enjoy a refreshing cocktail, it’s off to your stateroom where your luggage has already been delivered – all without you having to lift a finger. Upon arrival to your room you notice that there is a plastic mat on top of your bed to ensure that you do not dirty your bed as you unpack your luggage. After all, who wants to sleep in a dirty bed? [Read more →]

By: The Cruise Web, Inc.

The Cruise Web’s founder and President, Frans Hansen, joined the stars at the world premiere of Arthur at New York City’s famous Ziegfeld Theater last month. This Warner Brothers’ picture, directed by Modern Family’s Jason Winer, is a remake of the classic 80s comedy Arthur, starring the late Dudley Moore.

Frans was the guest of his sister, Spike TV’s Powerblock host, Courtney Hansen. Courtney took the wheel from Indy racer Danica Patrick six years ago to host the five shows that make up Spike TV’s Powerblock. This now includes MuscleCar, HorsePowerTV, Trucks!, Xtreme 4×4, and Search & Restore. Courtney is also the spokesperson for Auto Trader, author of her own book, The Garage Girl’s Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Your Car, and can be seen on reruns of Overhaulin’ on Discover Channel and TLC (see CourtneyHansen.com for more).  With automotive roots that trace back to her toddler days at the road racing circuits cheering on her and Frans’ father, 27-time SCCA National Champion Jerry Hansen, Courtney is the one of the preeminent female hosts worldwide for the automotive industry! [Read more →]

A compilation by The Cruise Web employees.

In honor of this month’s “Service” theme, we’ve compiled several stories of above and beyond service as experienced by our employees on cruise vacations.

Tina C.
When I stayed in the Courtyard Villa on the Norwegian Epic my butler James was so amazing. My sundress strap broke and I asked him to take it to the cleaners on the ship. He said, “No, I will have my friend Ming sew it for you.” The next morning he brought it to me and it was perfect. I feel like he went far above and beyond.

Beth T.
Azamara Club Cruises is a wonderful line, and when I sailed on the Azamara Journey with my husband a few years ago we had a butler that went above and beyond for us. Not only was he extremely friendly and attentive the entire time, but when we first got on the ship we found out our clothes had been tossed all about and were quite wrinkled. We were discussing this in our cabin and he overheard us and offered to have them complimentary pressed for us. It is that type of service that really sticks out and makes a cruise even more memorable! [Read more →]

By: The Cruise Web, Inc.

Inspired by our “Green” newsletter from March, The Cruise Web recently did away with our office’s Styrofoam coffee cups in favor of environmentally-friendly ceramic coffee mugs. Several of the mugs will be reserved for visitors, but we’ve made sure that each and every member of The Cruise Web team receives their own mug. The new mugs feature our company logo and, more importantly, they’ll help us cut back on waste. The switch to ceramic coffee mugs is the latest part of The Cruise Web’s continuing effort to be as “green” as possible. Can you suggest any other “green” practices for us to adopt?

The Cruise Web, Inc.
reply@cruiseweb.com
1-800-377-9383

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Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

Following the most extensive drydock in Princess Cruises history, today the first passengers set sail aboard the completely transformed Grand Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The ship’s remarkable 24-day drydock that transformed it from top to bottom also made the vessel a media star with daily video updates that attracted more than a half million views.

The Grand Princess Drydock Journal captured the dramatic process with 26 video updates plus more than 300 photos of the daily progress at the shipyard in the Bahamas, including the unforgettable removal of Skywalkers nightclub from the ship’s stern and the complete demolition and rebuilding of the atrium to create the new Piazza. Hosted by Grand Princess Cruise Director Martyn Moss, the video series delved behind the scenes with reports on all aspects of the drydock process. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Crystal Cruises.

Ever the gourmand cruise line, this fall Crystal Cruises has cooked up more than 30 experiences throughout southern Europe that will give intimate and savory insights into the diversity of the area’s culinary cultures. New and favorite Crystal Adventure highlights include:

Cooking Lessons
Classes, with tasting and occasional market shopping, will cover:

• Spanish tapas (Barcelona)
• Romanian “sarmale cu mamaliguta” (Constanta)
• Cycladic island fare (Megalochori/Santorini)
• Turkish meze (Istanbul)
• Croatian honey-sautéed prawns and feta cheese-stuffed calamari (Cavtat/Dubrovnik)
• French flower-based dishes (Pont-du-Loup/Cannes)
• Aristocratic Italian taught by a Countess in stunning Tiepolo Palace (Venice) [Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America Line.

Holland America Line has announced the roll out of its new sustainable seafood program which adopts environmentally responsible purchasing practices and features menus that showcase sustainable seafood.

Working in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Institute – a Washington State partner in promoting sustainable and compatible use of the oceans – Holland America Line’s sustainable seafood program emphasizes adopting sustainable seafood purchasing practices.

“Our sustainability program is an important element in our ongoing commitment to oceans on which we sail and to being responsible corporate citizens in every aspect of our business,” said Richard Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs at Holland America Line. “We are proud to roll out this program and know our guests will appreciate the fact that their seafood menu selections are responsibly sourced and help promote the continued availability of fish species that are essential to a biologically diverse marine environment.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean International is rolling out the red carpet in honor of the May 26, 2011 world premiere of the highly anticipated DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. film “Kung Fu Panda 2” with 3-D movie viewings, a family-themed promotion and special onboard programming throughout the summer. Guests sailing on Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas from June through August 2011 will have the unique opportunity to see the 3-D animated film at sea while it is still in movie theaters across the globe. The cruise line will host a series of red-carpet premieres, which will be celebrated onboard Oasis of the Seas on June 4, 2011, Freedom of the Seas and Allure of the Seas on June 5, 2011, and June 18, 2011 for Liberty of the Seas. Ample viewings of “Kung Fu Panda 2” will take place throughout each sailing onboard all four ships through the end of August 2011. [Read more →]