Much as I'd love to, I'm just not able to take a cruise on every ship, on every cruise line.  Sad, but true...

But, as a travel agent, I am offered opportunities to participate in 'ship inspections' on just about every cruise line!  What the heck IS a ship inspection, anyway?  Basically, we get a scheduled, (usually) guided tour of a particular cruise ship while it is at port, usually combined with lunch onboard.  Every cruise line does things a little differently, some better than others...In general, we get to see a selection of staterooms in various categories, the restaurants, kids' areas, pools, spa, theaters, and  fitness center. 

Because these traditionally take place while the cruise line is preparing to load & depart with a whole ship full of passengers, things can be a bit rushed and we don't always get to see everything we'd like to!  But, it IS a valuable  opportunity to see them in action and that can tell us a lot in itself...

In April, I had the opportunity to participate in ship inspections on the Carnival Freedom and Star Princess, so be sure to check out my photos! 

I will be touring the Carnival Liberty (same class as the Freedom) and BRAND NEW Norwegian EPIC in Miami in September, so stay tuned for more photos and details!

Then let me help you put a group cruise together! 

BTW, a group is generally considered 8 or more staterooms on most cruise lines.

Why cruise with a group of family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, classmates, random people you met on the street, etc.? 

Everyone benefits:
-Receive special group pricing
-Generally every 16th person in the group sails FREE!  (based on 8 staterooms at double occupancy)
-Use group points towards onboard receptions, stateroom gift baskets/wine, or onboard credit (good for spa, beverages, etc.).

Best of all, I can handle ALL of the details for you.  Recommending the best cruise line, ship, and destination for your group, organizing deposits & payments, finding unique & discounted shore excursions, dealing with your cousin Bob so YOU don't have to...

Cruises have something for everyone, so they are great for multi-generational gatherings like family reunions.  But what about a bachelorette party cruise (think of all that quality spa time you could get with your onboard credit!) or a destination wedding cruise (get married on or off the ship for far less than a land-based wedding!).  The possibilities are endless.

The great news: people are busy traveling again and cruise industry sales are WAY up compared to recent years! 

The not-so-good news:  cruise prices are going UP very shortly because of the increase in sales!  Carnival has announced their summer sailing prices will be increasing effective March 22nd, 2010.  And, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) just followed suit with an announcement that their fares will be going up a whopping 7% on April 2nd, 2010! 

So, what does this mean for YOU?  If you're even considering setting sail this year, drop me a line and I'll get you a quote ASAP before these increases take effect!  Remember, it doesn't cost you a thing to have me take a look and the price of a nearly all-inclusive (usually just excluding alcoholic beverages) cruise may just pleasantly surprise you!  For instance, Princess has 7-day Summer 2010 Caribbean sailings starting from just $499 per person.

This is looking like a popular trend, so I don't think we've seen the last of these price increases...

Photo:  The new Carnival Dream's waterslide

Just received this info and wanted to share with you immediately, as it starts TOMORROW (9/10)!

Princess Cruises is having their 1st ever 3-day Sale on select Spring 2010 cruises to the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, & the Mexican Riviera. 

Check out some of these deals and let me know if you're interested!

***7-Day Caribbean & Mexico from $499***
***10-Day Panama Canal from $999***
***14-Day Hawaii from $1199***

Plus:
-Up to $100 "cash back " (shipboard credit) per Stateroom
-FREE Balcony upgrades at Oceanview fares!