Posts from — September 2011

Courtesy of Saint John Port Authority.

As Canada’s oldest incorporated city, Saint John has been welcoming people from eastern Europe, England, and Ireland for centuries. Each group of immigrants has left their indelible imprint on Saint John culture, architecture, and language. Natural wonders are at the doorstep, and non-stop city activities offer endless possibilities. Saint John, New Brunswick, where natural and historical attractions and the warmth of its people await you.

You will be awed as you descend to the ocean floor and walk where just hours earlier, 200 billion tonnes of seawater covered with churning tides. At low tide, visit and explore the St. Martins Sea Caves or at high tide, kayak above the same very spot. Whether you explore by foot, by car, by pedal, or paddle, the Bay of Fundy delivers an ocean of wonderful-filled adventure. A day’s sail from New York, Saint John offers the old-world charm of a historic seaport and a base for exciting Bay of Fundy eco-adventures. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Halifax Port Authority.

Halifax, Nova Scotia is known for the friendliness of its locals and its scenic beauty. Steeped in history and culture, Halifax offers a number of historic sites to discover, natural areas to explore, cultural events to revel in, shops to browse, and restaurants to dine. With a population of 390,000, it is an ideal blend of big city and down-home hospitality.

Being the largest city in Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia’s capital, the experiential options are diverse. Explore a myriad of shore-side experiences celebrating the city’s unique and cultural heritage and natural beauty. Just minutes from the cruise ship, you can find a variety of stores and restaurants for any appetite. [Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

The Cruise Web is excited to announce its participation in the Team Relay at next month’s Baltimore Running Festival.  The Team Relay race, which winds through the city of Baltimore on the same course as the full marathon, features four unique legs varying in length from 5.9 to 7.1 miles each. This year’s team is captained by Karolina Shenton and includes Desiree Gibson, Yossi May and Seth Woodward – all equally eager to take on the competition when the starting gun goes off at 8am on Saturday, October 15th. [Read more →]

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By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Now presenting river cruises from
The Cruise Web! River cruising is an increasingly popular vacation option for travelers who enjoy the convenience and comfort of cruising, but wish to travel to locations inaccessible by a larger cruise ship. These specially designed river ships and cruise barges – usually built to carry fewer than 200 passengers – take guests through the heartland of a nation for an unparalleled travel experience.

While some river ships lack a few of the onboard features and amenities found on larger oceangoing vessels, they make up for it with port-intensive, one-of-a-kind itineraries. Plus, river cruise itineraries often focus on smaller towns and villages, offering a more personal and in-depth experience within a region. It’s also not uncommon for river cruises to package shore excursions, such as guided tours, in the regular cruise fare. [Read more →]

Courtesy of MSC Cruises.

Guests need take no chances with Lady Luck following the latest offer of free gaming lessons of black jack, poker, roulette and dice* in the sumptuous casinos of the MSC Cruises’ fleet.

At least twice a cruise, depending on the ships and itineraries, 15-minute gaming lessons will be available to guests at the casino in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere before the frenetic exhilaration of the casino opening.

[Read more →]

Courtesy of Crystal Cruises.

Crystal Cruises’ first year of its “You Care, We Care” voluntourism program has added more excursions to wrap up 2011.  With all Mediterranean and U.S. Pacific Coastal cruises this fall, new hands-on volunteer opportunities will assist people-in-need in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Israel, the Canary Islands, and southern California—plus Mediterranean sea turtles.

Participation is free, with Crystal handling all logistics.  Both guests and crew members can help the following philanthropic organizations through December:

Luigi Scotto Foundation—Livorno, Italy (six trips through the end of November): Tend to the grounds or create holiday decorations for the residents of this home for the disabled.

Leket Israel—Ashdod, Israel (Oct 27): Gather, pack up, and/or redistribute fruit and vegetables for the country’s largest food bank and food rescue network. [Read more →]

Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

Sea Princess has been honored by the Port of San Francisco with its annual “Cruise Ship Environmental Award.” This distinction was earned for the ship’s outstanding record in San Francisco during the 2010 season for air emissions reduction, advanced wastewater management, and recycling and disposal programs. This is the sixth year Princess Cruises has earned this prestigious accolade.

Sea Princess is able to “plug in” at the Port of San Francisco since the port’s new shore power facility launched in 2010. The cruise ship terminal enables Sea Princess, and other equipped vessels, to use power from the city’s grid instead of the engines to power the ship’s onboard services — reducing emissions when docked in San Francisco. The port became the fourth in the world where Princess Cruises’ships can take advantage of this innovative technology (Princess Cruises also utilizes shore power in Juneau, Seattle and Vancouver). [Read more →]

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Norwegian Cruise Line has selected the winning names for its two new Freestyle Cruising® ships: Norwegian Breakaway, launching in April 2013, and Norwegian Getaway, launching in April 2014. The names were selected as the culmination of its “Norwegian’s Cruising for Names” contest held in conjunction with national newspaper USA Today.

Norwegian felt these names best reflected the innovation of the brand along with the freedom and flexibility of the line’s signature Freestyle Cruising and invoked the feeling that these ships will provide a “break” at sea from the stress of everyday life. Breakaway is defined as “a departure or break from routine or tradition” and Getaway is defined as “a place where one escapes for relaxation, vacation, etc.” [Read more →]

By Don Dean, Director of Finance and Human Resources, The Cruise Web.

Over the last six newsletters we have been introducing our Management Team in this column. I am Don Dean, the Director of Finance and Human Resources at The Cruise Web.

By the time you are reading this newsletter, I will be cruising on the Island Princess as part of an industry event sponsored by Princess Cruises and Cunard Line. As my wife, Sara, and I began focusing on the itinerary for the cruise, we had a conversation about the scheduled formal dining evening. Much of the conversation turned nostalgic as we reminisced about how travel has changed over the years and much of that change related to attire. I recalled that as a newly minted accounting graduate the first accounting firm for which I worked had a dress code of suit and tie for business travel; which for me resulted in wearing a tie during several cross country flights and even on trips deep into Mexico during the summer. [Read more →]