Pacific Coastal Cruise On MS Statendam From Just $198.34!

On May 14, 2014, ms Statendam of the Holland America Line makes her way north from San Diego, California to her summer home. Statendam repositioning from Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia results in a one of a kind four night Pacific Coastal cruise. Holland America has a flash special on this cruise right now and an inside stateroom can be had for as low as $198.34 per person.

The Cruise

 

MS Statendam embarks from San Diego, California on Wednesday, May 14 at 4pm for this four night Pacific Coastal cruise. She arrives at Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday, May 18 at 7am. Along the way, she makes one stop. The one port of call will have a special place in the hearts of Denver Broncos fans.

On Saturday, May 17, ms Statendam docks at Port Angeles, Washington. She remains in port from 2pm until 10pm. Port Angeles is on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, within sight of Victoria, British Columbia, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles is the birthplace and home of Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.

Between San Diego and Port Angeles, there are two full days at sea to enjoy the luxury of this Holland America ship as it makes its way up the Pacific Coast, past California and Oregon.

The Price

Much of this ship is already sold out for this Pacific Coastal cruise. However, with the latest flash special, an inside stateroom onboard ms Statendam can be had for as low as $198.34 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $104.72 per person in government fees and taxes, the lowest priced inside cabin goes for $606.12 for two.

There are limited staterooms available for this cruise. The ship is small so space is limited right from the start. However, there are Ocean View cabins still available from $228.17 per person and suites are available for as low as $397.92 per person. The same $104.72 in taxes applies to these rates, as well.

The Ship 

Built by Fincantieri on Italy’s Adriatic Coast, ms Statendam has been in service since 1993 and is Holland America Line’s oldest ship currently sailing the high seas. Statendam is a S Class, or Statendam Class, ship and is the oldest of four S Class vessels.

This is not a large ship with a gross tonnage of just 55,451. Statendam is 219 metres or 719 feet in length and there are ten decks accessible to passengers. Capacity is for 1,258 guests and 557 crew members.

MS Statendam will spend the summer exploring Alaska. She will run seven night, one-way Alaska cruises with Vancouver, British Columbia and Seward, Alaska as her home ports.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Holland America MS Westerdam 3 Night Pacific Coastal Cruise From $148.38!

For those with not a lot of time but who are looking to get on a cruise ship, why not take a three night journey up the Pacific Coast from San Diego, California to Victoria, British Columbia? There are no distracting ports of call along the way, allowing you to fully enjoy all the luxury MS Westerdam of Holland America Line has to offer. Even better, the pricing right now is outstanding!

The Cruise

 

MS Westerdam embarks from San Diego, California on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 on this three night cruise up the coast to Victoria, British Columbia. There are no stops along the way, just the ocean and the coastlines of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Westerdam arrives in Victoria on Friday, May 2 at 12 noon.

Guests board Westerdam at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal in downtown San Diego. Upon arriving in Victoria, guests get off the ship at Ogden Point Cruise Ship Terminal, right in the centre of the historic Canadian city and the capital of the province of British Columbia.

In essence, this is an extension to a 14 night Panama Canal cruise that originates in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and, in essence, this is Repositioning Cruise. After wintering in the Caribbean, MS Westerdam makes this April journey to her summer home port of Seattle, Washington. After adjusting a bit south from Victoria to Seattle, Westerdam settles into a routine of seven night roundtrip Alaska cruises for the summer months.

The Price

Holland America is having a ‘flash sale’ and an interior stateroom can be had for as low as $148.38 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $63.80 per person in government fees and taxes, which apply to all passengers regardless of stateroom level, an interior cabin for two can be had for $424.36, including taxes.

From there, the prices don’t move up too quickly. You can have an ocean view for as low as $208.25 per person. A balcony stateroom (Deluxe Ocean View Verandah) starts at $248.20 per person. A Superior Verandah Suite will run $937.88 per person.

The Ship 

Built by Fincantieri in Italy, MS Westerdam has been in service since 2004 for Holland America Line. Westerdam is one of four Vista Class ships in the fleet. Together with MS Zuiderdam, MS Oosterdam and MS Noordam, the Vista Class ships are named for the four main compass points.

For Holland America, Westerdam is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 82,500. She is 285 metres or 936 feet in length and has eleven decks accessible to passengers. There is a capacity for 1,916 guests and 800 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Great Deals For Norwegian Pearl Panama Canal Cruise Are Going Fast!

This cruise is more than a month down the road. However, cabins are going incredibly fast because there are incredible deals on said cabins. Staterooms start at just $709 per person on the Norwegian Pearl as she cruises from Miami, Florida to Los Angeles, California via the Panama Canal, starting April 18, 2014. This cruise qualifies for Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free promotion, meaning the 3^rd and 4^th guest in a cabin pay only the taxes.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Pearl embarks from Miami, Florida on her 15 night Panama Canal cruise at 4pm on Friday, April 18, 2014. She arrives at Los Angeles, California at 8am on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Along the way, Pearl transits the full Panama Canal with an additional six ports of call.

Cartegena, Colombia is the first stop and the only port of call in the Caribbean. Pearl stops on Monday, April 21 from 7am until 3pm. The following day, she makes her transit of the famous Panama Canal.

Once on the Pacific Ocean, Norwegian Pearl makes her next port call at Puntarenas, Costa Rica on Thursday, April 24 from 7am until 6pm. She follows that up with three stops along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

On Saturday, April 26, Pearl stops at Puerto Chiapas, Mexico from 8am until 4pm. The following day, it’s a little further up the coast to Huatulco, Mexico from 8am until 4pm. After a full day at sea, Norwegian Pearl makes her final Mexican stop at Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, April 29 from 8am until 5pm.

Before she arrives at her final destination of Los Angeles, Pearl makes one last stop at San Diego, California on Friday, May 2 from 7am until 6pm.

The Price

I hesitated about even publishing this article because staterooms seem to be disappearing at a remarkable rate. As of Monday morning (March 10, 2014) there were still some interior cabins from $709 per person. Outside cabins were a little less scarce and start at $949 per person. The Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suite was still available, as well. This little piece of luxury starts at just $9,499 per person.

Because this is a full transit of the Panama Canal, government fees and taxes are higher than most cruises. Afterall, it’s not cheap to lift a 100,000 ton ship over land. Each passenger has an additional $318.14 in taxes tacked on to their fare.

If booked before March 31, 2014, this cruise qualifies for Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free promo. The ‘Kids’ is just suggested as the 3^rd and 4^th guest in a stateroom pay just the taxes, regardless of age. For a family (or group) of four to get an inside cabin on the ship, it can be had for as low as $2,690.56, including taxes.

Norwegian has some other perks in effect right now, as well. For $199 per person on cruises 10 to 15 nights in length, passengers can have unlimited meals at the onboard specialty restaurants. Also, each stateroom gets a coupon book worth up to $300 in onboard savings.

The Ship 

Norwegian Pearl was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and has been in service since November 30, 2006. She is a Jewel Class ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. The ship is 294 metres or 965 feet in length and has 12 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity onboard is for 2,394 guests at double occupancy. There are typically 1,100 crew members onboard.

Currently, Pearl is running Western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami. After she reaches Los Angeles on this 15 night Panama Canal cruise, Pearl makes her way up the Pacific coast to spend the summer doing roundtrip Alaska cruises, mostly out of Seattle, Washington.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

L.A. to Vancouver on the Norwegian Pearl From Just $299

Sure, if you need to get from Los Angeles, California to Vancouver, British Columbia, you can fly and be to your destination in under three hours. However, if you have a few extra days and want to relax and see the Pacific Coast in luxury, why not hop on the Norwegian Pearl and take a five night cruise between the two cities? You can do it on May 3, 2014 from just $299 per person.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Pearl of Norwegian Cruise Line embarks from Los Angeles, California on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 5pm. The ship arrives in Vancouver on Thursday, May 8 at 8am. Along the way, she makes two excellent port calls.

After a full day at sea, Pearl docks at San Francisco, California on Monday, May 5. She is in port from 8am until 5pm. The fact that the cruise port is centrally located in the downtown area of San Francisco makes this a great chance to explore the city. World famous Alcatraz Island is just off shore.

After another day at sea, passing by the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, Norwegian Pearl docks at Ogden Point Cruise Port in Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. This is another port where you simply need to walk off the ship to explore the historic downtown area of the provincial capital. The ship is docked in Victoria from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday, May 7.

The Price

This cruise is hot and the price is rising. A few days ago, an interior cabin was as low as $249 per person. The price has risen to a still great deal of $299 per person for the same inside stateroom. With an additional $149.91 in government fees and taxes, the price for two for an inside cabin, including taxes, starts at just $897.82. An outside stateroom on the Norwegian Pearl is not much more with a starting price of $349 per person.

So, what would it cost to fly between the same two cities and arrive in Vancouver on May 8? Direct flights via Delta Airlines or Alaska Airlines are as low as $131, including taxes. Direct via Westjet, a Canadian carrier, is slightly higher at $136. These flights all arrive at YVR very late in the day.

A true example of how expensive air travel within Canada is. The distance from Los Angeles to Vancouver is roughly 2,053 kilometres. A flight the same day via Westjet from Toronto, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec, just a distance of 542 kilometres, will cost from $224, including taxes.

The Ship

Norwegian Pearl is one of four Norwegian Cruise Line Jewel Class ships. The four ships are nearly identical and were all built between 2005 and 2007. The three sister ships are the Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Jade.

Pearl is a decent sized ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. She is 294 metres or 965 feet in length with 12 decks accessible to passengers. The ship has a capacity for 2,394 guests based on double occupancy. There are 1,099 crew members onboard, making for a decent guest to crew ratio for a contemporary ship.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

14 Night Panama Canal Cruise from $799

Once again, we’re looking at a cruise that’s above our $40 per night arbitrary threshold but, once again, this one is worth mentioning. Transiting the Panama Canal on a ship is not only a common bucket list item for cruisers but for travellers in general. Typically, a Panama Canal cruise starts at around $100 per night per person and goes nowhere but up, regardless of the cruise line. With Norwegian Cruise Lines at the start of January, 2014, this cruise can be had for as low as $57 per person per night.

The Cruise

Some Panama Canal cruises just go halfway, turning around at Gatun Lake and heading back home. This 14 night cruise on board the Norwegian Star does the whole deal from Panama City at the Pacific Ocean to Colon at the Caribbean/Atlantic side.

The ship embarks from Los Angeles, California at 4pm on Sunday, January 5, 2014 and reaches Miami, by way of the Canal, at 8am on Sunday, January 19, 2014. Along the way, she makes six port calls other than the Panama Canal, five on the Pacific coast and one in the Caribbean. Included are: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Cartagena, Colombia. All are full days on shore, ranging from 7 to 9 hours.

The Pricing

An interior stateroom on board the Norwegian Star can be had for as low as $799 per person. This equals around $57 per person per night. Unfortunately, any Panama Canal cruise, no matter the length or cruise line, costs dearly in government taxes and fees, in this case to the tune of $362 per person. Right now, with a $25 on board credit included, a couple can do this cruise for an all-in $2,322.

For other categories, the pricing goes as low as $1,249 per person for an Ocean View stateroom, $2,399 per person for a balcony and $2,499 per person for a suite.

If money is not an issue, you might want to try out the Garden Villa Suite. 6,694 square feet of living space on the 14^th deck, at the back of the ship. Yes, I had to check that two or three times. 6,694 square feet of living space! This includes all inside and outside space. You have your own private garden, hot tub and room for eight people. There are three bedrooms with nothing less than a queen sized bed. Butler and concierge service comes included. The total price for two people? $27,722 or just under $14,000 per person!

 

 

The Ship

Norwegian Star is barely within Panamax sized limits when it comes to width. Meaning, it just squeaks into the locks of the Panama Canal. Back in 2000, this ship was intended to be dubbed SuperStar Libra in the Star Cruises fleet. Instead, she made her maiden voyage on November 19, 2001 as Norwegian Star.

She is a NCL Dawn Class ship with just one younger sister. Norwegian Dawn came into service in 2002. Star has a gross tonnage of 91,740 and is 294 metres or 965 feet in length. There are 15 decks on board, eleven accessible to passengers. Guest capacity is 2,348 with a staff of 1,083 crew members.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.