Avalon Waterways Waives Selected Single Supplements!

There are the usual reduced single supplement offers which occur regularly and about which I rarely bother to post (okay, I've not been regularly been posting in general, but go with me here).  Then there are those which are more unusual and noteworthy, and this is one of them!

Avalon Waterways has waived the single supplement on several departures of nine itineraries in October -- the Grand Black Sea Cruise, departing Oct. 14; the Burgundy and Provence itinerary, departing Oct. 22; the Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches itinerary, Oct. 3, 10 and 31 departures; The Legendary Danube cruise, departing Oct. 22 and 26; the European Splendor itinerary, departing Oct. 11; the Windmills, Vineyards and Paris itinerary, Oct. 2 departure; the Romantic Rhine cruise, departing Oct. 22; The Blue Danube Discovery itinerary, Oct. 16, 20 and 30 departures; and the A Taste of the Danube itinerary, departing Oct. 11 and 15.


Five staterooms are available in this promotion for each departure, Category P only. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied by Aug. 15. The offer is available for new bookings only. Certain government-imposed taxes and fees of up to $375, including a September 11th security fee of up to $10, are additional and must be paid by each traveler. Full cancellation penalties and other restrictions apply.

Fantastic time to be in Europe, and Avalon is one of the best river cruise lines available.  If you want an extraordinary fall Europe experience, this is the one to check out!

Interested?  Give me a call, email or check us out on Facebook!

Strike Three! Holland America Tightens Smoking Policy, Too

Hands up!  Who here expected Holland America would have an announcement on smoking today, too?  You are correct!

Completing the trifecta of North American-based brands of Carnival Corporation, late this afternoon Holland America announced changes to their smoking policy, effective January 15, 2012, most notably prohibiting smoking in cabins BUT allowing it on cabin verandahs.  There will be designated smoking areas both indoors and on open decks.

Similar in language to their sister brands, Holland America said the change in policy is "in keeping with the majority of guest preferences today."  They also will impose $250 per incident fines for those caught violating the policies.

The discussion over on my Facebook pages at CruiseResource and SoloCruiseResource is strongly, but far from universally, on the non-smoking side, but the big division is about smoking on balconies.  Smokers feel that's open air, non-smokers are sharing personal stories of smoke from neighbors' balconies affecting their cruise.

Come join in the conversation and tell us what you think!  Princess has banned smoking on balconies, Carnival and Holland America are going to remain allowing it but ban it only in the cabins.  Is this a fair division allowing smokers some options while still restricting it enough for most non-smokers?  Will this distinction change which cruise lines you book in the future?

For reference, the lines which ban smoking on balconies will be Princess, Celebrity, Azamara, Oceania, Crystal and Regent.
Lines banning smoking in cabins will be Princess, Celebrity, Azamara, Oceania, Regent, Royal Caribbean and Disney.  Confused yet?  That's why I'm here!

Hope you'll hop over to Facebook and add your opinion.  It's a good discussion!

Carnival Follows Princess in Restricting Smoking - Sort Of

Carnival has also announced a more restrictive smoking policy today as well as their sister brand Princess Cruises, but it's not a case of Carnival Corp copycat.  Carnival Lines will allow smoking on most balconies while restricting it elsewhere.

According to Carnival, the change was a result of guest surveys "covering a wide range of topics."  They said a non-smoking atmosphere was preferred by an "overwhelming" number of their guests, who are 90% non-smokers.  They also said that only 5% of their passengers prefer to smoke in their cabins. 

I think those numbers are going to shock many in the industry, but since Carnival sources more from North America than other brands, who are increasing their passenger base from Europe and Asia especially, it does make sense.

The new policy is outlined as follows:

The new smoking policy will be rolled out in two stages:


Effective today, cigarette smoking in public venues will only be permitted in Carnival's dance clubs as well as in designated areas within the casino and casino bar.

Smoking (including cigars) will be permitted in designated exterior open deck areas of all our ships. Additionally, smoking will also be allowed in the jazz clubs of the following ships: Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Splendor.

Effective December 1, 2011, smoking will be prohibited in all guest staterooms. Guests in balcony staterooms may smoke (including cigars) outside on their balcony. However, Spa suites and staterooms, inclusive of the balconies, will remain an entirely smoke-free environment.

Guests who smoke in their staterooms will be assessed a $250 cleaning and refreshing fee on their Sail & Sign account. Information on this fee is included in Carnival's ticket contract.

Decisions like these are never easy and we realize some of you may be affected by this change. We sincerely hope this won't affect your ability to have a fun and memorable cruise vacation. In fact, we are hopeful you will see this as an enhancement to your on board experience and have an even better time sailing with us. Please know we are committed to providing a clean and healthy environment for all our guests.

As you can see, they are imposing a similar $250 fine for violating the policy, but there are key differences in addition to the balcony smoking, namely some of the restrictions go into effect immediately, the remainder on December 1, 2011.

So it appears two of the North American-focused Carnival Corporation brands changed their policies today.  The pressure is on for Holland America - will they remain the hold out or will they also impose new restrictions?

We're having an active discussion over on Facebook on CruiseResource and SoloCruiseResource.  Come join us!

Breaking News: Princess Smoking Policy Changes

In a release just out, Princess has announced a more restrictive smoking policy for all their ships, effective with sailings January 15, 2012 and beyond.

Stating that it was to ensure a "comfortable onboard experience" for every passenger, smoking will be entirely prohibited in passenger staterooms and balconies.  There will be designated smoking areas in the nightclub, part of the casino, and a portion of open decks.  In addition, there is a cigar lounge aboard their ships.

They stated:

Countries around the world from North America to Europe are moving to more restrictive smoking policies and our latest consumer studies show that smokers are a small minority of our passengers. In fact, the vast majority of cruisers value having their primary living space (both stateroom and balcony) smoke-free. As you know, balconies are a hallmark of Princess Cruises and we believe it is important to keep this peaceful space clear of smoke. Violations to this policy will result in a $250 fine for each occurrence, which will be charged to the passenger's stateroom account. Keeping with the global trend and honoring the wishes of our passengers, we feel this change will enhance our onboard experience and do more to help our passengers escape completely.

Yes, you saw right.  There will be a $250 fine for violating the policy.

As a non-smoker who is terribly allergic to smoke, this is personally good news. I'm one of those people who can walk through the casino to get to the show lounge for example, and be congested by the time I reach the other side.  However, I do have some clients who are smokers who will be disturbed by this announcement, as they want to smoke in their cabin or on their balcony. 

I must say, after the Star Princess fire a number of years ago, where it is suspected a lit cigarette improperly disposed of from a balcony started the huge blaze, I expected that Princess would implement more stringent smoking policies.  Other lines moved quickly after that to restrict smoking in cabins/balconies, but sister brands Princess and Holland America surprisingly kept the more permissive policies in place.

The big question now is how long it will take Holland America to follow suit?  Will they become the only premium brand to allow smoking on balconies?  Or will the ever-present smoking-on-balcony debate be a thing of a past on cruise forums?

What do you all think?  Should Holland America keep more open smoking policies to provide an option for those who do still smoke?  For non-smokers, if they don't limit smoking will that keep you from sailing Holland America, due to the fear that a higher number of smokers then sail HAL? 

Come join the conversation over on Facebook at CruiseResource or SoloCruiseResource.  We'll be talking about it there and I want to hear your opinions.  Smokers and non-smokers welcome!

Here Comes Another Icelandic Volcano Eruption...

Despite the coincidental timing, this isn't a post about the much discussed Rapture and beginning of the end of days, the topic debated by theologians and butt of comedic jokes for weeks.

Unfortunately, it's about something a bit more immediately tangible: another potential disruption to air travel in Europe thanks to a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

This time, it's the volcano Grimsvotn which is erupting for the first time since 2004.  As yet, it's unclear the scope of this eruption and what potential impacts this will have on air travel ahead.  That will depend on the duration, amount of ash produced, and wind currents.  But if you're planning on traveling to or from Europe in the coming days or weeks, it's time to start paying attention (and examining your trip insurance policies).

Since most travel journalists don't post over the weekend (with the exception of noted business journalist Joe Brancatelli, who just sent out an urgent update - thanks, Joe!), just wanted to get this out to you all as quickly as possible.  If you have questions about upcoming travel, of course feel free to contact me directly. 

I now return you to your previously-scheduled end of days parties.  Just don't party like there's no tomorrow.

Royal Caribbean Mania!

It seems to be a Royal Caribbean week for specials!  I have three current and upcoming offers between now and May 4!

The first opportunity comes by way of an unexpected redeployment of the Navigator of the Seas. Originally planned to be in Europe all winter, RCCL decided to bring her back this fall to the Caribbean instead. What that means is there is special reduced pricing!


Book any of the following sailings on the Navigator of the Seas between now and May 4, and receive reduced fares, between $50-100/cabin onboard credit, and a complimentary dinner (for two) in a specialty restaurant! Book a balcony cabin or above and also receive a complimentary spa treatment!

The applicable sailings and the respective onboard credit amounts are:

11/6/2011, 14-Night Westbound Transatlantic, $75 OBC
12/4/2011, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
12/18/2011, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
12/24/2011, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
12/30/2011, 9-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
1/8/2012, 7-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
1/15/2012, 7-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
1/22/2012, 7-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
1/29/2012, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
2/4/2012, 8-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
2/12/2012, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
2/18/2012, 8-Night Eastern Caribbean, $100 OBC
2/26/2012, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
3/3/2012, 8-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
3/11/2012, 5-Night Western Caribbean, $50 OBC
3/16/2012, 9-Night Eastern Caribbean, $100 OBC
3/25/2012, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC
3/31/2012, 8-Night Eastern Caribbean, $75 OBC
4/8/2012, 6-Night Western Caribbean, $75 OBC

Planning a summer family getaway? Kid at heart? Love Dreamworks? Take advantage of the "Pandamonium!"

Royal Caribbean is celebrating "Pandamonium" this summer. Highlighting their affiliation with Dreamworks, and the premiere of the new movie "Kung Fu Panda 2", they are offering special amenities when you book the Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas or Liberty of the Seas for sailings in June, July and August.
Book the above ships (in the appropriate promotional code) and not only will you be able to view Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D onboard, you'll be given VIP seating for the movie, 1 free "Pets at Sea" plush toy, two complimentary Coke packages, 2 free cupcakes from the Cupcake Cupboard, Free 8x10 photo with "Po" (or other Dreamworks character), and exclusive character meetings!

Finally, just wanted to give you advance notice of a Royal Caribbean "WOW" sale which is going to be happening on May 3/4. As many of you know, the WOW sales feature 50% reduction in deposits along with onboard credit. However, if you book under the WOW promotion, these amenities are not combinable with Crown & Anchor benefits such as balcony discounts, shareholder benefits or other coupons or promotions.
Let me know if you have questions about any of the above! As always, you can reach me by email at amber@cruiseresource.com or by telephone at 303-690-8997 or toll-free at 888-SAIL-123 (888-724-5123).

The Power of One

A huge thank you, everyone!

Once again, the prestigious Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine has focused on solo travel, and SoloCruiseResource was quoted prominently in the article!

Every time we get national attention such as this, it strengthens our position with the cruise lines and travel vendors, bringing more leverage to our work to encourage cruise lines and other travel vendors not only to offer more reduced single supplement offers, but also to design and build single occupancy cabins on new ships or retrofit them on existing ships, such as the Radiance of the Seas going into dry dock in a matter of days.  If it weren't for your continued support, we wouldn't be garnering this focus and credibility, so a big thank you to all the solo cruisers out there who support SoloCruiseResource!

If you'd like to read the full article, it can be found at The Power of One.

Speaking of the Radiance of the Seas and the 3 solo occupancy cabins being added in dry dock, want to give you an update.  As of earlier this week, I was told the first few sailings at least after dry dock, those cabins are going to be used by crew for some ongoing work.  It is not yet certain on what date these special cabins will be open for general sale, but as soon as they are, you know I will let you know first!