By Brandon Biss, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

After reading one of The Cruise Web’s last postings, “Homeports:  Busting the Myth”, I rushed to my hometown to get my Philly cheese steak fix.  I walked into Jim’s on South St. and ordered the usual:  whiz without, with mushrooms and sweet peppers.  The steak was gigantic and I couldn’t help but think, “Man, sometimes bigger is just better.”  This is true of many things:  a big Terps basketball win over Duke, a big bone-in rib eye on the Emerald Princess, and the big brand-new Oasis of the Seas.        
 
While these things are wonderful to me, a BIG VALUE is something we can all appreciate.  This is why we all enjoy cruising!  One of the biggest values that many cruisers do not know about is the WORLD CRUISE. Almost every cruise line offers their own version of a world cruise.  World cruises sail between January and May for between 90-120 days.  These voyages visit the world’s most well-known sites and offer the convenience of an around-the-world voyage while only unpacking once!  [Read more →]

By Jennifer Crivelli, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

READY, GET SET, GO!  The race is on to see which cruise line can launch the biggest ship with the most attractions at sea.  It all began with White Star Line in 1912, who at the time decided to build the “Grandest” passenger ship at sea.  Ship building has come a long way in 97 years….
 
In the modern era of “BIG” ships, Royal Caribbean has led the way.  Each ship designed is bigger and better than the last, and traditionally, the largest ship in the industry.  Royal Caribbean was the first to offer rock-climbing walls on all of their ships.  In early 2005, Royal Caribbean took the “BIG” ship idea to the extreme, when they stretched the Enchantment of the Seas, adding a 70 foot section into the middle of the vessel. [Read more →]

By Said Durrah, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.
 
We all already know the best way to vacation is… CRUISING. There is very little argument to that, especially on a cruise blog! However, there is one myth about cruising I hear over and over.  Let’s clear up this myth once and for all.

In my conversations with first time cruisers, I often hear that “it’s inconvenient or expensive to get to cruise departure ports!” Many first time cruisers think they have to live in Florida, California, or Alaska to get on a decent cruise.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  This is absolutely a myth … not true!  The truth is that the cruise lines are offering more and more alternatives to these traditional ports of embarkation. [Read more →]

By Clay Hawley, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Hawaii! Just saying the name invokes memories of family, fun and adventure! For me, a Southern California native, Hawaii was a “local” destination. From the sparkling black sand beaches and tropical rain-forests to native cuisine, metropolitan shopping to the friendly, warm culture — Hawaii has it all! [Read more →]

By Raquel Grinnell, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web

Planning a family vacation is no easy task.  As a busy wife and mother with two active sons and a full-time job, take my word for it. It takes a lot of time and effort to plan a trip, not to mention trying to please everyone…. husband, teenagers, parents, in-laws, siblings, young nieces and nephews. 

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By Frans Hansen, President, The Cruise Web.

“Best Vacation Ever”, was ringing in my ears.  My two beautiful and amazing six and eight years old boys (yes, I am admittedly biased) were singing the infamous SpongeBob SquarePants tune, from the Nickelodeon cartoon, at the top of their lungs, taking some artistic license with the words. While this song has never made my top downloads, it was glorious music to my ears.

Months earlier, I had a dilemma on my hand. I had promised to take three generations of my family on an Alaska vacation, and I wanted it to be an outstanding experience for every single person.  Leaning towards first satisfying my mother, the most discriminating in our group (don’t worry, Mom, I still love you), I secured space on the luxurious and comfortable all-suite, all-balcony, Regent Seven Seas Mariner, for a 7-day cruise from Seward to Vancouver.  [Read more →]

By Andy G., Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web

An old friend called me over the weekend. “Andy, Lisa and I have decided to take a cruise. Can you get us on one?” Jim asked. “Of course.” I replied, “Are you taking the kids?” … “No, this is our vacation. We need some time off. Her parents are keeping the boys. Just find us a good one, not one like Geoff took.”

As a cruise consultant, I hear this kind of thing from time to time. And though Jim has not given me much information yet, he is off to a good start in finding the perfect cruise for Lisa and himself.

You see, a mutual friend of ours, Geoff, took a cruise for his honeymoon about ten years ago, before I was in this business. He and his bride enjoyed seeing Alaska, but the cruise was not what he had hoped or expected. In Geoff’s words, “We were the youngest on the ship by about 50 years.” [Read more →]

By Michael Harris, Sales Manager, The Cruise Web.

Perhaps there is no vacation destination better known than the Caribbean.  Soaked with sun, rooted in history, and surrounded by some of the bluest water known to man, it’s no wonder so many cruise ships call this area home 365 days of the year.  At any given time, the islands are a destination for families and singles, novice cruisers and world travelers and everything in between.  They all come to enjoy the same tropical tones that radiate from some of the earth’s most vibrant waters, beautiful beaches and character-filled towns.  [Read more →]

By Sherry Jefferson, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

In September of last year, I had the pleasure of taking a cruise in the beautiful Mediterranean!  This trip was filled with extraordinary beauty and surprising history, so much so, that I had to share it with you!  This fabulous Eastern Mediterranean itinerary included the ports of Naples and Messina in Italy, the Greek Islands of Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini, Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens), and Kusadasi, Turkey.

The Cruise began in Civitevecchia, the closest port to Rome, Italy.  If you have never been to Rome, I highly recommend you do not miss the spectacular history and culture that awaits you there!  From the Colosseum to Vatican City, there is so much to see and experience in Rome.  If you can allow the time, a few days in Rome, either before or after the cruise, is a must. [Read more →]

by Frans Hansen, President, The Cruise Web.

The recent economic climate has been one of the most difficult and the most personal that almost every one of us has experienced.   Each of us has been affected by the downturn in one way or another, and we all have family members, friends, or colleagues that have lost their jobs.  Those of us who have kept our jobs, have had to tighten our belts, eliminate wasteful spending, and build our reserves. If you look hard enough, however, there is usually a silver lining in every cloud!

Like most industries, the downturn has made business more challenging for travel retailers. Here at The Cruise Web, every manager and employee has been working harder than ever, to keep the company on budget during this difficult economy.  [Read more →]