Posts from — March 2012

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Some people think of a cruise as an opportunity to stuff their face with delicious foods any time of the day and night. While that is certainly an option, those looking to maintain their healthy diet don’t need to fret, because there are a lot of ways a cruise caters to people looking for a nutritious and delicious experience.

Here are our simple tips for healthy eating while on a cruise, no exercise necessary!

1. Say “No” to the drink package: Alcohol and soda are silent calorie bombs. Tropical alcoholic beverages can contain more than 200 calories a glass. So skip the drink package and stick with water. You can always add on a drink here or there.
2. Take your time: You’re on vacation, there is no rush, so eat slowly. You will wind up eating less and it helps you realize when you feel full.
3. Sample: Turn a buffet from a battle to a breeze by simply sampling. Your eyes are always bigger than your stomach so just take a bite of that pie or one spoonful of that pasta. You won’t miss out.
4. An eye for an eye: For every guilty food you eat, eat a nutritious item at your next meal. So if you must have that donut for breakfast, make sure you have a salad with lunch. There are fruits and vegetables everywhere so it won’t be a problem to fill yourself with these “good” foods.
5. Drink up: Since you didn’t get the drink package you shouldn’t have a lot of issues drinking water, so stay hydrated. Water nourishes the body and it can also make you feel full so you don’t have to resort to chomping down some bread to satisfy your craving.
6. Be adventurous: A cruise will have a variety of foods from hamburgers and hot dogs to rare delicacies like lobster and steak. Treat a cruise as a chance to try the finer things in life and skip the hot dogs and pizza.

For more tips and a different perspective, check out cruise blogger Shon Ford’s lament about avoiding the buffets.

But remember this is your vacation so do what makes you happy and worry about it when you get home.

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

Courtesy of Oceania Cruises.

Oceania Cruises prides itself on having some of the best chefs and dishes sailing the seven seas. In fact, the deluxe line is home to the only restaurants that bear Jacques Pepin’s name. The famed French chef serves as the culinary inspiration for all of Oceania, working with the ships’ chefs to develop menus and demo dishes.

Here is a recipe for one of the expertly constructed dishes that is available on board. Bon appetite!

Salad: Spring Greens with Orange, Fennel, Manchego and Macadamia Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1-Large Fennel Bulb
• 24-raw Macadamia nuts (cut in half)
• 2- oranges
• 12-cups mixed baby greens
• 5-ounces of Manchego Cheese
• 6-to-12- springs of chervil
• 1- tbs finely chopped shallot
• 2.5-tbs lemon juice
• .5- cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Discard the fronds and stalks of the Fennel. Cut the bulb in half and peel of and discard the tough outer layer along with the core.

2. Cut the remaining bulb into thin slices using a mandolin. Place these slices in a bowl of ice water for 30 min.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spread the macadamia nut halves on a sheet and toast until golden (should be about 10 min.) [Read more →]

Courtesy of Paul Gauguin Cruises.

Paul Gauguin Cruises offers young passengers a chance to get hands-on experiences with the under water world of French Polynesia with their Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program. The program is spearheaded by Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques Costeau, who has carried on his father’s legacy by committing his life to educating young and old alike about the wonders of the sea.

The Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Program invites ship passengers aged 9-17 to go underwater to see coral reefs and wildlife and to travel the land visiting the rainforest trails and ancient Polynesian temples. The program also includes education on the islands’ big exports pearls and vanilla as well as explaining interesting local phenomena like how volcanoes become coral atolls.

This program is available on all Paul Gauguin Cruises from June to August. Parents are always invited and encouraged to join their children for any of the programs activities during their sailing.

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

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Not since “The Love Boat” have cruise ships gotten so much screen time. Lifetime Network will be premiering a new dating reality series, “Love for Sail,” which takes place on three of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships. The show will premiere on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at 10 pm ET/PT.

In each episode of “Love for Sail,” four women looking for love will board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, either Epic, Pearl or Star and set sail to exotic locations surrounded by a group of equally-eager single men ready to embark on what they hope to be the voyage of their lives.

“We are thrilled to work with Lifetime … on a unique series that showcases the many aspects of cruising from lavish suites and incredible dining options to innovative on board activities and exciting shore excursions,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “There is such romance in being at sea; this show will do a great job of showcasing that and sharing the stories of these guests who may find the love of their life aboard.” [Read more →]

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.

For the first time ever Celebrity’s master chefs Jacques Van Staden and John Suley will cook at the The James Beard House, which is a culinary honor. James Beard was a chef who helped guide American chefs and enthusiasts to reach culinary excellence. Today, to receive an award from the James Beard Foundation is a supreme honor.

The James Beard House is known for its events, including guest chef-led dinners, which aim to educate, inspire, entertain and foster an appreciation of cuisine among members as well as the general public, while benefiting the non-profit James Beard Foundation.

“We selected Jacques and John to cook at the James Beard House because the culinary journey that they have created for guests on Celebrity Cruises’ ships truly is outstanding,” said Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming, The James Beard Foundation. “Their incredible creativity is the reason why Celebrity’s guests have the opportunity to delve into an extraordinary range of globally influenced flavors and presentations.”

“We want people to realize that the cuisine we’re serving on our ships is extraordinarily unique, creative, and modern, and it’s a large part of what makes the Celebrity vacation experience unique. What we offer has in many ways changed the dynamics of cruise ship dining, and there’s no better way to tell our story than by cooking at the James Beard House.” said Van Staden.

Many of the dishes for this event are served onboard  like the Wild Boar Baby Back Rib Spring Rolls with Truffle Barbecue Sauce and the Grand Marnier Soufflé. Keep reading to find out the full menu. [Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

You know that poster that says “Failing to plan is planning to fail?” Well that’s a motto here at The Cruise Web. Cruises are such a great getaway but choosing the best package and planning one can be a daunting task.  We pride ourselves in helping our clients plan out their entire getaway. We love to plan because it means you will love your experience.

So we’ve compiled some things that The Cruise Web always remembers to plan for:

1. Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s: You don’t want to show up ready for your cruise and find out your name was spelled wrong on your booking documents and they won’t let you on board. You also don’t want to book a cruise that goes out of the country and not have your passport available. We make sure your name is spelled correctly and that you have enough time to get the proper travel documents.

2. Getting the best deal: If you’ve been on a cruise you know that while on board you can visit the “future cruise” desk and put a down payment on your next cruise. We always remind our clients about this because planning a cruise while you are on a ship can lead to some of the best deals. [Read more →]

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

The Cruise Web recently honored the top Sales Consultants of 2011 in a special awards ceremony attended by the entire company. After thanking all team members for their work over the past year, The Cruise Web’s President and founder, Frans Hansen, announced the company’s top sales consultant for 2011…

Please join us in congratulating our 2011 Sales Person of the Year – Brandon Biss!

As Sales Person of the year again in 2011, Brandon produced at an incredible level and is a tremendous leader by example for The Cruise Web. Brandon has now earned this top honor for 5 years in a row.

Also receiving honors were Senior Cruise Consultants Arthur Balin and Jarren Matthews. Arthur was the official Runner-up Sales Person of the Year and turned in another extraordinary performance while at the same time putting forth significant time, energy and commitment to support the entire sales force with additional responsibilities as an Assistant Sales Manager. Jarren Matthews finished third in 2011 and has quickly become one of the most dependable cruise consultants at The Cruise Web.

Congratulations again to Brandon, Arthur and Jarren!


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

By The Cruise Web, Inc.

Last month, The Cruise Web’s very own Lynda Lynn and Rashell O’Neal had the joy of cruising aboard the MSC Poesia on a 4-night Bahamas cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to enjoying a much deserved vacation, the two Cruise Consultants also received some firsthand education on the cruising experience aboard MSC Cruises. Continue reading as both Lynda and Rashell were nice enough to share their experiences:

Lynda L.
“I had a wonderful time aboard the MSC Poesia. MSC Cruises presents a nice cross between contemporary and premium cruising and the ship is elegantly appointed. The European décor was contemporary, but tasteful and classy. The public spaces were larger than can be found on most ships and made for a lot of fun dancing and hanging out. The food was great and there was plenty of variety. We also enjoyed some very, very good sushi at the ship’s a-la-carte sushi bar. [Read more →]

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By Sherry Jefferson, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Having cruised on many a large cruise ship, it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to my first small ship experience this past December on Silversea’s Silver Spirit.

It’s funny how when you see the ship by itself, it doesn’t seem very small at all. But then you see it next to one of the larger vessels and the “small ship” label starts to make sense. However, don’t let the smaller size fool you — cruising aboard a small ship has many BIG advantages.

First off, the ships are very easy to navigate with a lot less walking. The smaller size advantage also allows for docking in less used ports and often times you can dock where other ships may have to tender (when a smaller vessel ferries passengers between the ship and the shore). The ships themselves offer many of the same amenities you would find on the larger ships, but on a smaller scale. You’ll usually still have your casino, spa, gym, theater and library and there is a daily schedule of events from morning till night with lectures, live shows, trivia, games and karaoke. [Read more →]