Norwegian Dawn Western Caribbean Cruise From Just $268!

You have to act fast to take advantage of this great deal. Norwegian Dawn leaves Tampa, Florida on Sunday, April 20 for a seven night Western Caribbean cruise and you can be onboard from just $268 per person.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Dawn embarks Tampa, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, April 20, 2014 for a seven night Western Caribbean cruise. Dawn arrives back at Tampa on Sunday, April 27 at 8am. Along the way, she makes four great stops at ports of call along the coast of Central America and Mexico. The four stops are sandwiched between single full days at sea when guest really get to enjoy all this ship has to offer.

The first stop is at Coxen Hole on Tuesday, April 22 from 9am until 5pm. Coxen Hole is also known as Roatan Town and is the largest urban centre on the island of Roatan, belonging to Honduras.

Belize City, Belize is next up. Norwegian Dawn stops at the coastal city on Wednesday, April 23 and stays in port from 8am until 5pm.

The final two stops are in Mexico. First is Costa Maya on Thursday, April 24 from 8am until 5pm. The final port of call on the itinerary is Cozumel, the tropical island just off the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

The Price

An inside stateroom is priced to sell, starting at $268 per person, based on double occupancy. There is an additional $126.96 per person in government fees and taxes added on. The total for two for an inside cabin can be as low as 789.40, including taxes. This cabin comes with a $26.88 onboard credit (for the stateroom and not per person).

If the buffet is not your thing, Norwegian Cruise Line offers a deal for unlimited specialty restaurant dining. For $119 per person, you can eat in style as much as you want.

The Ship 

Norwegian Dawn was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and was originally meant to be the SuperStar Scorpio. When Star Cruises ceased to exist, NCL took over the ship. Dawn’s maiden voyage was on December 7, 2002 and she is a Libra Class ship.

Dawn is a decent sized ship with a gross tonnage of 92,250. She is 292 metres or 958 feet in length and has 11 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity is for 2,340 guests and 1,032 crew members. For a cruise line that offers rock bottom pricing, this is a great ratio of passengers to crew.

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.

Norwegian Epic Western Caribbean Cruise From Just $329 (Military and AARP even less!)

Here’s your chance to be part of something epic. The world’s third largest cruise ship embarks from Miami, Florida on a seven night Western Caribbean cruise on April 6, 2014 and you can be onboard for as low as $329 per person. Norwegian Epic is a behemoth with just Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean fleet being larger. Take note: If you’re a member of AARP or a current or former member of the military, the price is even better.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Epic embarks from Miami, Florida on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 4pm for a seven night Western Caribbean itinerary. Epic arrives back at Miami on Sunday, April 13 at 8am. Along the way, she makes three port calls.

After a full day at sea, Epic arrives at Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday, April 8 and stays from 9am until 5pm. Guests can easily visit nearby Dunn’s River Falls from this location on the north central coast of Jamaica. James Bond fans will revel in the fact that this is the location of Dr. No, the first ever Bond film, released in 1962. This also featured the first bond girl, the amazing Ursula Andress as Honey Rider – the girl who never really put much more than a bikini on.

After another full day at sea, Epic arrives at Costa Maya on the Caribbean Coast of Mexico. The ship is docked here from 8am until 5pm on Thursday, April 10. Costa Maya is on the mainland of Mexico and close to the Belize border. This port was shut down for over a year after Hurricane Dean devastated the area in August, 2007.

On Friday, April 11, Norwegian Epic makes her final stop at the tropical paradise island of Cozumel, Mexico. She is in port from 8am until 5pm on Friday, April 11 before heading back across the Gulf of Mexico to her home port.

The Price

An inside stateroom onboard this cruise can be had for as low as $329 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $114.51 per person in government fees and taxes added on, the total for two for an inside cabin is as low as $887.02.

If you are a member of the AARP, the same cabin can be had from $279 person. To be a member, you must be 50 or older and registered with the organization. For Canadians, the annual fee is just $17 per person.

For military, there is a discount but it doesn’t cut too deep. Former and present members of the armed forces in Canada and the United States would get the same inside stateroom for $309 per person, plus taxes.

This cruise is not applicable for Norwegian’s current promotion where the third and fourth in a stateroom sail for free. However, they do offer one coupon book per stateroom that is valued at $300 in onboard savings. NCL also has a $119 per person Ultimate Dining Package that allows unlimited dining at the onboard specialty restaurants.

 

The Ship

Norwegian Epic is part of the ‘Big 3’ that includes Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. Built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, Epic has been in service for Norwegian Cruise Line since 2010.

A very large ship with a gross tonnage of 155,873, Epic is 329 metres or 1,081 long. There are 15 decks accessible to the capacity 4,100 passengers. Typically, there are 1,753 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 Pricing On April Western Caribbean Cruises Onboard Caribbean Princess

If you’re pretty much anywhere in North America, you wouldn’t know it by looking out your window but spring is coming. It’s just having a hard time poking through the many feet of snow. With spring, the high season of cruising begins to make its way towards the door and the great pricing starts to enter.

Princess Cruises has announced some flash pricing rates and you have some time and flexibility to find your right cruise. Their seven night Western Caribbean cruises out of Houston, Texas, onboard the Caribbean Princess have been reduced to as low as $349 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. The great thing is that the rate applies to the April 5, April 12 and April 19 sailings in 2014.

The Cruise

 

Choose your Saturday in April (except the 26^th...) and it’s the same great price to get on the Caribbean Princess. The ship embarks from Houston at 4pm on a Saturday and makes three port calls in the Western Caribbean before returning home to Houston at 7am the following Saturday.

The first stop for Caribbean Princess is on Monday at the tropical island of Cozumel off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The ship is docked here from 8am until 6pm. The following day brings another island, this one belonging to Honduras. On Tuesday, Caribbean Princess docks at Roatan, the island belonging to Honduras. She is in port from 9am until 6pm.

Wednesday brings the only mainland port of call. The ship arrives at Belize City in Belize at 7am and departs at 5pm. The three port days are sandwiched by one full day at sea, crossing the Gulf of Mexico, at the start and two full days on the return trip from Belize.

The Price

An inside stateroom onboard the Caribbean Princess for any of these three sailings can be had for as low as $349 per person, based on double occupancy. Adding in the $75 per person in government fees and taxes, the total for two would be $848.

Other levels of stateroom on the ship are quite reasonable. An outside cabin without a view starts at $379 per person. $499 per person will get you an ocean view while $649 per person gets a balcony included. Even some suites can be had for as low as $849 per person. Of course, these prices are also based on double occupancy and the same $75 per person in taxes applies.

Princess doesn’t offer a military discount for these cruises but they do offer an excellent perk. Current and former members of the Canadian and U.S. armed forces receive an onboard credit of $100 per person, regardless of the level of stateroom.

The Ship 

Caribbean Princess is a Grand Class ship built by Fincantieri on the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea in Italy. She made her maiden voyage in April of 2004. This is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 112,894. The Caribbean is 290 metres or 951 feet in length and has 15 decks accessible to passengers. The ship has a capacity of 3,080 guests and typically has around 1,200 crew members onboard.

These three dates are pretty much the last to enjoy this itinerary out of Houston. After April 26, the ship repositions to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For the rest of 2014, Caribbean Princess will alternate between Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises out of her new home port of Port Everglades.

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 Brilliance of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise - Act Fast!

This is a great deal, but you really have to act fast. Brilliance of the Seas rolls out of Tampa on Monday, February 24 and you can be on that ship for a great price. If you’re present or former military or you’re in the police or fire services, the deal is even sweeter.

The Cruise

 

Brilliance of the Seas, a Radiance Class ship of Royal Caribbean, embarks from Tampa, Florida on Monday, February 24, 2014 at 4pm for a five night Western Caribbean cruise. Brilliance returns to Tampa at 7am on Saturday, March 1. Along the way, the ship makes two port calls.

After cruising down the Gulf Coast of Florida, Brilliance of the Seas stops at Key West, Florida on Tuesday, February 25. She is in port from 11:30am until 5:30pm, just enough time to live a little of that Ernest Hemingway lifestyle.

After a full day at sea, crossing above Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico, Brilliance makes her second port call at Cozumel, Mexico. The ship is docked at the Mexican tropical island paradises from 8am until 6pm on Thursday, February 27. She takes another full day at sea before arriving back home in Tampa.

The Price

Going, going but not quite gone. An inside stateroom can be had for as low as $249 per person, based on double occupancy. The government fees and taxes for this cruise are very low at just $68 per person. The total for two for an inside cabin currently costs as low as $634, including taxes. But wait, that’s not all. There is an additional $25 per cabin onboard credit. An outside stateroom with a balcony is priced as low as $749 per person.,

The discounts for former and present members of the armed forces in Canada and the United States bring the inside cabin down to $221 per person. Royal Caribbean honours those heroes in the police and fire services, as well, with the same discount as military.

The Ship 

Brilliance of the Seas was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and made her maiden voyage for Royal Caribbean in July, 2002. Brilliance is the second oldest of the four Radiance Class ships in the RC fleet with Radiance of the Seas as the oldest, along with younger sisters Serenade of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.

This is a good sized ship with a gross tonnage of 90,090. Brilliance of the Seas is 292 metres or 958 feet in length and has 12 decks accessible to passengers. The capacity, based on double occupancy, is for 2,501 passengers. There are typically 859 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.

7 Night Western Caribbean on Carnival Glory From $329

Carnival Cruise Lines can pack a lot into a seven night cruise. With their continued support of Canadian residents as the dollar continues to slide, Carnival also packs a lot of value into that seven night cruise. On March 30, 2014, Carnival Glory takes off for a seven night Western Caribbean cruise. You can be on that ship from just $329 per person.

The Cruise

 

Carnival Glory embarks from Miami, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, March 30, 2014. She returns to her home port on Sunday, April 6 at 8am. In between, Glory makes four port calls in four different countries.

After a full day at sea, the first port of call is Georgetown, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Carnival Glory is docked from 7am to 4pm on Tuesday, April 1. The following day, the ship makes its way to the Mexican island of Cozumel. She is docked at the island paradise from 10am until 6pm.

Thursday, April 3 brings a bit more of a cultural destination as Glory docks at Belize City in Belize. The ship is in port from 8am until 5pm. The following day, it’s simply fun and sun with a major lack of culture. On Friday, April 4, Carnival Glory pulls into Mahogany Bay from 8am until 3pm on the Honduras island of Roatan. Mahogany Bay is a newly developed private beach owned by Carnival Cruise Lines with more activities than can possibly be experienced in the short time the ship is in port.

The Price (prices are in U.S. dollars)

The special rate for Canadian residents starts at $329 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. This price is $50 off the already low Super Saver rate that non-Canadians must pay. Government fees and taxes result in an additional $121.53 per person tacked on to the price. What results is an inside cabin for two starting from $901.06, including taxes.

The Ship 

Carnival Glory is one of five Conquest Class ships in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet. She was built by Fincantieri in Italy and made her maiden voyage in July, 2003. Glory is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 110,239. She is 290 metres or 952 feet in length with 13 decks accessible to the capacity 2,974 passengers. Typically, there are 1,150 crew members onboard.

The Conquest Class of ships all entered service for Carnival between 2002 and 2007. Conquest came first in 2002 with Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Freedom coming after Glory.

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.

Take The Carnival Triumph To The World's Longest Pier

This five night itinerary out of Galveston, Texas, embarking on January 27, 2014 may seem routine on the surface but there are definitely some interesting facets of the cruise. First, the journey is onboard the now infamous Carnival Triumph. Second, the first of two ports of call is Progreso, Mexico. Progreso is on port call where the actual pier might be the attraction.

The Cruise

 

Carnival Triumph embarks from Galveston, Texas on this five night Western Caribbean cruise at 4pm on Monday, January 27, 2014. She arrives back at Galveston on Saturday, February 1 at 8:30am. Along the way, Triumph makes two port calls.

On Wednesday, January 29, Triumph docks at Progreso, Mexico from 7:30am until 4pm. Progeso is located on the northwest shore of the Yucatan Peninsula, not far from Merida. Although there is debate, the pier is known as the longest in the world. The ship will dock some 6.5 km out at sea. La Terminal Remota was built in its present form in 1989. However, there is the argument that much of the 6.5 kilometres is a causeway and that the pier is actually much shorter.

On Thursday, January 30, Triumph moves east around the top of the Yucatan to dock at Cozumel. The ship will stay on the Mexican tropical resort island from 9am until 4pm before making her way back across the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston.

The Price (U.S. Dollars)

Pricing for this cruise is interesting. Just a week away, the Super Saver and Canadian Resident rates for an inside stateroom start from $309 per person, based on double occupancy. This is higher than a similar length Western Caribbean cruise out of Florida. However, the additional $52.49 per person in government fees and taxes is about half of what you’d pay out of Miami, Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale.

The result is an inside cabin for two starting at $722.98, taxes included. As is often the case with Carnival, Military are treated exceptionally well on this cruise. Present and former members of the U.S. and Canadian armed forces can have the same inside stateroom for as low as $269 per person. As an extra bonus, military receive a $25 onboard credit per stateroom.

Too last minute for you? Don't worry, the following two sailings are just $10 more per person.

The Ship 

Carnival Triumph was built by Fincantieri in Italy and entered service in 1999. She is one of three Destiny/Triumph Class ships in the Carnival fleet. Sunshine is the oldest, entering service as Carnival Destiny in 1996. Carnival Victory is the youngest of the three, entering service in 2000.

Triumph is a fairly large vessel with a gross tonnage of 101,509. She is 272 metres or 893 feet in length and has 13 decks accessible to a capacity of 3,143 passengers. There are typically 1,100 crew members onboard.

Yes, this is the ship that was left adrift in the Gulf of Mexico last February. On February 10, 2013, a fire broke out in Triumph’s engine room, leaving the boat incapacitated. After several days, she was finally pulled to Mobile, Alabama.

Carnival Triumph was out of service from February until June, 2013, undergoing extensive repairs. The process was complicated when due to high winds on April 3rd, she broke free of her moorings in the port of Mobile and collided with a U.S. Army Corps ship, sustaining a 20 foot gash.

However, Triumph is all fixed up and has been running four and five night Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston since June. That means, she does about six cruises per month. That means, Triumph has run around 36 itineraries since without incident.

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.

For Those Who Really, Really Love Disney

Let’s go in a different direction today. Instead of looking for the cheapest cubby hole to last out a week on a cruise ship, let’s take a look at one of the most expensive staterooms available over the next couple months. For a seven night cruise, there’s nothing more pricy than the March Break seven night Western Caribbean cruise on board the Disney Fantasy.

The Cruise

 

Disney Fantasy embarks from Port Canaveral, Florida at 3:45pm on Saturday, March 15, 2014 on a seven night Western Caribbean itinerary that really no different than any other seven night Western Caribbean cruise.

There are four ports of call on the journey with time on shore actually much less than any other major cruise line. But then, the boat is the destination, right? After a full day at sea, the first port call is at Georgetown, Grand Cayman on Monday, March 17. The stay is short, making planning ahead for the famous Stingray Bay that much more important. Fantasy is docked at Georgetown from just 11:30am to 4:45pm.

The following day, Disney Fantasy arrives at Costa Maya, Mexico at 1pm and leaves shortly after at 5:30pm. On Wednesday, she makes up for it with a full day at Cozumel, Mexico. Fantasy is at the Mexican Island Paradise from 8:30am to 5:30pm.

After another full day at sea travelling across the top of Cuba, Fantasy arrives at Castaway Cay on Friday, March 21. She stays at this private island from 9:30am until 4:30pm. Castaway Cay is located in the Bahamas and was previously known as Gorda Cay until Disney purchased a 99 year lease on the island in 1997. Unlike most private islands and beaches belonging to cruise lines, Castaway Cay actually has a dock so passengers can just walk off the ship instead of having to be tendered from a distance out at sea.

Disney Fantasy arrives back at Port Canaveral bright and early Saturday morning, March 22, 2014.

The Price

Nothing but the best for our March Break cruise. We’re looking at the still available Concierge Royal Suite on Deck 12, cabin number 12502. This is a 1,781 square foot living space, including the private veranda. There are two bathrooms with a whirlpool tub in each. There is a third whirlpool tub on the veranda.

The suite includes a living room, dining salon, wet bar and walk-in closets. To go along with the two 42” televisions, there is an extensive media library full of music CD’s and Blue-Ray movies. This stateroom can fit five guests but if more space is needed, the adjoining Concierge Family Ocean View Stateroom can also be purchased.

For the March 15, 2014 sailing, the Royal Suite can be had for the low, low price of $12,250 per person, based on double occupancy. That does not include government taxes and fees. That price is in U.S. Dollars. For additional guests, the price for the next three guests is $2,898 each. If the additional guests are children, the price is discounted to $2,548 each.

Want to take a closer look at this floating palatial suite that is larger than my house? Here’s the official Disney Fantasy website page: Concierge Royal Suite.

The Ship 

Disney Fantasy is one of two Dream Class ships and one of four cruise ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. She made her maiden voyage on March 31, 2012 and is the newest Disney cruise ship. Her sister is the Disney Dream, a ship that began service the year before. The other two ships in the fleet are the Disney Magic – 1998, and the Disney Wonder – 1999.

Fantasy is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 129,690. Her length of 340 metres or 1,116 feet makes her fourth longest cruise ship on the high seas today. She is just five metres shorter than Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. There are 14 decks accessible to the capacity 2,500 guest. 1,450 crew members ensures one of the best crew to guest ratios on the market today.

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.

A Euro Experience in the Caribbean With MSC Divina From Just $451

Not a new player to the world of high seas cruising but a relative newcomer to the Caribbean, MSC Cruises offers a Euro style experience while cruising on this side of the Atlantic. Cruisers can experience a six night Western Caribbean journey on board the MSC Divina from a taxes included price of just $451.04 USD per person. This is an extreme hot deal and you have to act quick.

The Cruise

 

MSC Divina embarks from Miami,Florida at 7pm on Sunday, January 12, 2014 for a six night Western Caribbean cruise. She makes three port calls along the way before arriving back at Miami at 7am on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

The first port call is at Georgetown on Grand Cayman Island. The ship makes this stop on Tuesday, January 14 from 7am until 4pm. The following day, it’s off to Cozumel, Mexico where Divina will dock from 8am to 5pm.

The final stop is at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Great Stirrup Cay is a small island in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas. This is a private island that is owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The Price (note: prices for MSC in American currency)

For as low as $451.04 per person, including taxes and fees, an interior stateroom can be had on this cruise, based on double occupancy. This means, a couple can be on board the MSC Divina for just over $900 USD.

This is a hot deal which is already mostly sold out. If the price tickles your fancy, you’ve got to act fast.

The Ship



MSC Divina is a new ship, making her maiden voyage on May 27, 2012. She was named in honour of Sophia Loren. Divina is one of four MSCCruises Fantasia Class ships, along with MSC Fantasia, MSC Splendida and MSC Preziosa.

Divina is a large ship. With a gross tonnage of 139,072, she is the tenth heaviest cruise ship on the high seas today. Her length of 333 metres or 1,093 feet currently ranks her ninth in the world. The ship has 18 decks with 14 accessible to passengers. Divina has a capacity for 3,502 passengers with around 1,388 crew members also on board.

For 2014, Divina is the only one of the 12 ships belonging to MSC Cruises to be full-time in the Caribbean. MSC Musica is the only one of the 12 to spend at least some time in the Caribbean. MSC Cruises is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and was founded in 1987.

 

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.

Military Need Not Stress Over Last Minute Deals From Carnival Cruise Lines

This one’s for the military. If you are, or were, active in the U.S. or Canadian military, you don’t need to bother with the stress of holding out for a last minute deal. At least, you don’t have to with Carnival Cruise Lines. To prove it, we’re going to look at a four night Western Caribbean cruise that is nearly two months away.

The Cruise

We’ve looked at this itinerary before but with a different Carnival ship. The Carnival Ecstasy embarks from Miami, Florida on January 27, 2014 at 4pm on a four night journey across the Western Caribbean. Earlier, we looked at the same cruise on board the Carnival Imagination which embarks on December 7, 2014.

Ecstasy stops at Key West, Florida on the Tuesday for a short 6 hour port call. The following day, she visits Cozumel, Mexico, remaining in port from 1:30pm to 10pm. After a full day at sea, the ship returns to Miami at 8am on Friday, January 31, 2014.

The Pricing

***note*** prices for this cruise are given in U.S. dollars.

For this cruise, the normal rate for an interior stateroom starts at $259 per person. This equates to $64.75 per person. With the $81.51 per person in government fees and taxes included, a couple can have this room for 671.30. As opposed to Carnival’s Super Saver rates, with this rate, you have some choice as to where your stateroom is located.

However, if you qualify as a current or former member of the U.S. or Canadian military (see details below), this price changes quite drastically. Keep in mind, this cruise is still nearly two months away so this is by no means last minute pricing.

For an interior stateroom (with some choice, as opposed to Super Saver pricing), the price drops to as low as $142 per person. This equates to just $35.50 per person per night and a room for two can be had for $437, all taxes and fees included.

As for the Super Saver rate, an interior stateroom starts at $189 or $47.25 per person per night. This translates to $531.30 for a room for two. However, as mentioned, with the Super Saver rate, there are some serious restrictions. You have no choice over what stateroom you end up in. All you know before checking in at the ship is that you have an interior room.

 

The Ship

Carnival Ecstasy is the second oldest active ship in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet. She entered service in 1991 and is the second of eight Fantasy Class ships. All eight ships were built between 1990 and 1998. All eight were built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland (now part of STX Europe). All eight are still active and include Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise.

All ships, including Ecstasy, are relatively small by today’s mass market standards with a gross tonnage of 70,367. Ecstasy is 855 feet or 261 metres in length and has 12 decks, ten accessible to passengers. The ship has a capacity for 2,056 guests and 920 crew members.

Military Small Print

Available to the following members of the United States Military: active personnel, reserve personnel, active cadets, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, active member of the National Guard, Uniformed members of the USPHS (U.S. Public Health Services), retired personnel.

Also available to the following members of Canadian National Defense: active personnel, reserve personnel, retired personnel. Military member can book only one stateroom at this rate and must sail in that stateroom. Verification documents must be submitted for confirmed reservations within 72 hours for cruises outside one week prior to sailing and 24 hours for cruises within one week prior to sailing. Subsequent upgrades in lieu of price protection will no longer be offered.

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.

Celebrity Constellation 5 Night Western Caribbean From Just $209

If you took a gander at the ‘About’ page for this website, you’d see that our target range for cruises to be featured here is in the $30 to $40 per night range. Today, we’re going a little outside that range but it’s worth it.

Normally, the same itinerary on the Celebrity Constellation goes from the $80 to $100 per person per night area. On Saturday, December 14, 2013, you can be on the Celebrity Constellation as she leaves Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on a five night Western Caribbean cruise for just $41.80 per person per night.

The Cruise

 

The five night Western Caribbean cruise leaves the Port Everglades cruise port at 4:30pm on Saturday, December 14, 2013. Constellation returns to Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday, December 19 at 7am. Along the way, she makes two port calls with a generous amount of time at each.

On Sunday, December 15, Constellation arrives at Key West, Florida at 7am. She remains docked for the day at the colourful destination and departs at 5pm. After a day at sea, the next stop is the tropical island of Cozumel, Mexico. Once again, there is a full day on shore with the vessel docking at 7am and heading back out at 5pm.

Earlier this week, we looked at a four night Princess Cruises Western Caribbean cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale onboard the Ruby Princess. The Ruby and Constellation start out on the same evening but the Princess ship does not stop at Key West, instead going directly to Cozumel, arriving on the Monday. At the time the article was published, that cruise went for as low as $149 per person and is currently still available at that price.

Pricing

An interior stateroom on the Celebrity Constellation can be had for as low as $209 per person per night. This equates to $41.80 per person per night. The same cruise on the same ship is typically in the $80 to $100 per night range, and beyond. With government taxes and fees of $109.03 added to each passenger, a couple can book this cruise for $628 with all taxes included. Considering the quality of Celebrity Cruises, this is a great value.

Other staterooms on the ship are also reasonably priced for this date. An Ocean View stateroom goes for as low as $299 per person while a balcony room can be had for $419 per person. A suite is priced at $999 each.

The Ship

Celebrity Cruises is the premium line of Royal Caribbean International. Celebrity Constellation is the youngest of the four Millennium Class ships in Celebrity’s fleet. Millennium came in 2000, Infinity was put in service in 2001 while Summit and Constellation came last in 2002. All have identical gross tonnage of 91,000 and all are 965 feet or 294 metres long.

The Constellation has eleven decks accessible to passengers. It has a capacity for 2,170 guests and has around 1,000 crew members on board for a nearly 1 to 1 ratio.

The ship was built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. Her sole job over the next year is alternating four and five night Western Caribbean cruises with Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale as a home port.

 

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.

$179 for 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas

Port Canaveral, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa. All are cruise ports within are relatively short drive via automobile at 70+ miles per hour. A different story when travelling at around 22 knots in a massive cruise ship. Each port of embarkation yields slightly different routes and itineraries under the shared name of ‘Western Caribbean’ cruise.

We’re just over a week away from a five night Western Caribbean cruise out of Tampa on board Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. The last minute price for this cruise has dropped to as low as $179 per person for an interior stateroom or $35.80 per person per night.

The Cruise

This five night Western Caribbean itinerary embarks from Tampa, Florida at 4pm on Saturday, December 7, 2013. After spending Sunday at sea, rounding the western tip of Cuba, Brilliance of the Seas makes its first of two port calls at Georgetown, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.

The ship stays docked in Georgetown from 7am to 3:30 in the afternoon. Grand Cayman is all about the water surrounding the island and not so much the land the island is made of. The thing to do is visit Stingray City Sandbar. This is an opportunity to swim up close and personal with stingrays in their environment. Although you can use U.S. dollars in Georgetown, the official currency is the Caymanian Dollar (KYD). One Canadian dollar is currently valued at .77 KYD.

The following morning, Brilliance of the Seas moves a little further west and docks at Cozumel, Mexico. The ship will remain at the Mexican island resort area from 10am to 7pm.

Wednesday is another full day at sea as the ship makes its way back across the Gulf of Mexico. Brilliance returns to Tampa on the morning of Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 7am.

The Pricing

As mentioned, an interior stateroom, based on double occupancy, can be had for as low as $179 per person. This price does not include the $65.76 per person in government taxes and fees. With all the taxes included, a couple could pay as low as $486 total to take the cruise. For just $20 more per person, the cruise can be upgraded to an Ocean View room.

The Ship

Brilliance of the Seas is one of four Radiance Class ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. She made her maiden voyage in July, 2002 and is a medium-large sized ship by today’s standards. Brilliance has a gross tonnage of 90,000 and is 962 feet or 292 metres long. There are 12 decks accessible to the capacity 2,501 passengers. 848 crew members are on board to make everything run smooth.

Brilliance is the second oldest of the Radiance Class of ships. All four are nearly identical and the first was Radiance of the Seas, put in service in 2001. Brilliance was followed by Serenade of the Seas in 2003 and Jewel of the Seas in 2004.

 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.