Last minute cruise deals

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas unveiled

November 2009 -  many people could not believe it when they saw the plants for the Oasis of the Seas. Many changed their minds when they saw the Oasis of the Seas for the first time earlier this month.  A cruise ship that can hold the unbelievable quantity of more than 6,000 people, and costing well over 1 billion US$….but the reaction of the thousands of travel agents that saw it earlier this week was overwhelming positive.

Royal Caribbean created something that takes cruising to a whole new level - a true floating resort that is comparable with  mega-resorts in Las Vegas.  From the tree-line boulevard of elegant restaurants in Oasis’ open-air Central Park to the hopping bars and shops of its Royal Promenade to the multiple resort-like pools on its top deck, this is the first ship that can compete with the likes of Bellagio in Las Vegas and Atlantis in the Bahamas.

There were some special sales, but tickets for the Oasis of the Seas do not come cheap. “During the height of a recession, rates for 2010 sailings actually increased throughout 2009 from when they first went on sale, ” notes an agent. ”That’s extraordinary in this economic climate.”

See here the video of ABC news during which the Oasis of the Seas was unveiled:

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New Carnival cruise ship Carnival Dream coming soon…

Carnival will launch its new largest cruise ship (3650 passengers), the Carnival Dream, in September 2009 is expected. This will be the largest vessel in Carnival’s “Fun Ship” fleet. Featured among the 4.5-star Dream’s services and amenities are a two-level miniature golf course, the WaterWorks aqua park, the Piazza — an indoor/outdoor cafe and live music venue — and extensive children’s and teens’ areas.  Have a preview of this great new cruise ship here. Advance bookings can now be made via Carnival’s website.

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Cruise deal of the week: Hawaii

14th June, 2009 -  This week’s cruise deal will show the most beautiful places of  Hawaii. Departure from Honolulu, Hawaii. The itenerary takes you from Honololu to Kahului, from Kahului to Hilo, from Hilo to Kona en then via Nawilwilli back to Honolulu. This eight day cruise will show you the most beautiful islands of Hawaii.  Norwegian cruise lines offers it at $949 for an inside cabin with departure on the 18th of July.

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Best deal for your Caribbean Cruise

Tropical islands, great white beaches,  sunny weather and small old towns….caribbean cruises have always attracted many tourists.  The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination and great deals can always be found.  Every year millions of people take a short or longer cruise to the Caribbean.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean are two of the most popular cruise lines that serve many destinations in the Caribbean.  They are for people with limited budgets and people who love to go to the main destinations in the Caribbean, like Roatan in Honduras or Cancun or Cozumel in Mexico.  The next step is Holland America Lines,  Celebrity Cruises or Princess. They basically go to the same destinations, but have more crew on board and the service level is considered somewhat higher.  For real top-notch cruises find a deal with Windstar or Cunard, designed for those people who like the best in class cruise to the Caribbean.

Popular cruise destinations in the Caribbean have traditionally been Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico, the Bahamas (Nassau), Roatan (Honduras) and Belize. On a short cruise typical Key West is included as well.  Islands in the Netherlands Antilles, like Bonaire, Aruba and Curacoa are becoming more popular as well as several destinations in Colombia. A great port in Colombia is Cartagena. Cartagena offers great weather, nice beaches but it is also a lovely Spanish colonial city.  Of course Colombia is mostly known for its drugs cartels, but safety in these ports is really, really not an issue anymore these days.  Cartagena is my personal recommendation for a great location in the Caribbean.

Planning for a cruise in the Caribbean is easy. Go to the websites of Carnival or Royal Caribbean and check the itenaries. Decide where you want to go and when and compare the offers to see which deal is the best. Don’t forget to contact an agent to find out if there might be a last minute cruise deal available.  Be flexible, sometimes you can get a great deal by departing from a different country like Panama.  Take the opportunity, fly into Panama and stay a couple of days before jumping on the boat.  You start to relax already before the cruise has started and you can visit sites like the Panama canal.

Finally, if you are travelling with kids, think about a Disney cruise. The kids will not get bored, and you will have a great time too.  Have fun in the Caribbean!

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Last minute deal: Bahamas from Miami

This is a great last minute deal with Carnival Cruises to the Bahamas & Key West, leaving from Miami.  It leaves Thursday the 11th of June and returns on Monday the 15th of June. The cruise takes you from Miami to Key West and then to Nassau at the Bahamas before returning to Miami. It is available from $239 per person for an inside room. As found on vacationstogo dot com.

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Largest cruise ship Oasis of the Sea launched in 2009

Later this year 2009 Royal Caribbean will launch the largest cruise ship build so far: Oasis of the Sea.  We are not sure how good the last minute cruise deals will be for the Oasis of the Sea, but we are sure this ship will be very unique and set new standards. Imagine this:  (open air) aqua theater, loft suites, a very cool rising bar, football field sized promenade…etc…

Check it out here

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