Showing posts with label freeport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freeport. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2014

You Pick - Great Pricing On 2 Different 4 Night Bahamas Cruises


Usually, when considering a last minute deal, there is little choice. That’s not the case on February 10, 2014 if you’re looking for a four night Bahamas cruise out of Miami. Norwegian Sky and Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Sea both leave Miami at pretty much the same time on the 10th and return at the same time on the 14th. Each has three port calls and each can be had for nearly the same identical low, low price.

Here’s the details for both. It’s up to you and your personal preferences to decide.

Norwegian Sky


The Cruise

norwegian sky 4 night bahamas cruise
 

Norwegian Sky embarks from Miami, Florida at 5pm on Monday, February 10, 2014 for a four night Bahamas cruise. Sky returns to Miami at 7am on Friday, February 14. She makes three port calls meaning there are no full days at sea.

On Tuesday, Norwegian Sky stops at Great Stirrup Cay, a private island in the Bahamas owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. The ship will be at this location from 8am until 5pm. The following day, it’s off to Nassau, the only shared port between the two cruises we’re looking at today. Sky is docked at Nassau from 8am until 6pm. On Thursday, Norwegian Sky docks at the other major city in the Bahamas, Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. She is in port from 8am until 5pm.

The Price


An inside stateroom for this cruise can be had for as low as $129 per person, based on double occupancy. With $101.07 per person in additional government fees and taxes tacked on, the total price for this cabin for two goes for as low as $460.14. Ocean View rooms start from $159 per person while a balcony cabin starts at $329 per person and a suite can be had for as low as $1,099 per person.


The Ship


Norwegian Sky has had a bit of a broken life. She was originally ordered in 1993 and was to be the Costa Olympia for Costa Cruises. Construction on the ship was started by Bremer Vulkan in Germany. However, the company went out of business in 1997. Bremer Vulkan had been around since 1893 in the ship building biz, mostly cargo ships with just a few passenger cruise ships on the resume.


The ship that would become Norwegian Sky was then towed to Lloyd Werft in Germany where it was completed in 1999. The ship never sailed for Costa and was the Norwegian Sky from 1999 to 2004. She then became the Pride of Hawaii, still under Norwegian Cruise Line. In 2008, she returned to the Norwegian Sky name.

Back in September, 1999, on her inaugural cruise, Sky was at the mouth of the Saguenay River at the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada when she ran aground. The ship was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries.

One of two Sky Class Norwegian Cruise Line ships, Norwegian Sky is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 77,104. She is 260 metres or 853 feet in length and has nine decks accessible to passengers. Capacity on the vessel is for 2,004 guests with 934 crew members.

The other Sky Class ship is the Norwegian Sun. Sun is younger and slightly larger. She was put in service for NCL in 2001.
 

Majesty of the Seas


The Cruise 






Majesty of the Seas embarks for her four night Bahamas Cruise out of Miami a half hour before Norwegian Sky. She arrives back at the same time on Friday, 7am. Majesty also makes three port calls but with a slightly more southwest feel.
On Tuesday, Majesty of the Seas is docked at Nassau from 8am until midnight. This is an amazingly long time in port. The following day, passengers can get rested up, lying in the sun at Coco Cay in the Bahamas. Coco Cay is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean and guests have from 8am until 5pm to enjoy it before heading off to the final destination. That final stop is Key West, Florida. Majesty is in Key West on Thursday from 10am until 6pm.

The Price




An inside stateroom on Majesty of the Seas has a slightly higher base price that the equivalent on Norwegian Sky, starting from $133 per person, based on double occupancy. Government fees and taxes are slightly lower at $98 per person. This means an interior cabin for two can be had for as low as $462, including taxes. The difference in price between the two ships is less than two dollars. An Ocean View room on Majesty of the Seas starts at $169 per person and a suite can be had for as low as $929 per person.

The Ship

majesty of the seas royal caribbeanMajesty of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest active ships, making her maiden voyage in April, 1992. She was built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, which is now owned by STX Europe. Back in 1992, Majesty was christened by Queen Sonja of Norway. She was last refurbed in 2007.
At a length of 880 feet or 268 metres and 13 decks accessible to passengers, Majesty of the Seas may not be the largest boat on the ocean but she’s of pretty decent size. The ship carries around 2,750 passengers and 833 crew members.
The last remaining ship of Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign Class, Majesty’s two sister ships are still around but sailing for RC’s Spanish subsidiary, Pullmantur Cruises. Sovereign of the Seas is the oldest, put in service in 1988. She switched to Pullmantur after 2008. Monarch of the Seas came into service in 1991 and just switched over in 2013.

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.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

4 Night Bahamas Cruise As Low As $149 Per Person


Right in the middle of the high season, a four night Bahamas cruise out of Miami, Florida can still be had for as low as $149 per person. Norwegian Pearl embarks on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 and arrives back in Miami on Sunday March 2, making two port calls along the way.

The Cruise

norwegian pearl bahamas cruise
 

The four night Bahamas itinerary embarks from Miami at 4pm on Wednesday, February 26. This is a very short distance cruise with Norwegian Pearl probably never getting close to full speed.


On the first full day, Thursday, Pearl stops at Great Stirrup Cay from 8am until 6pm. Great Stirrup Cay is a small island in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas. The island is privately owned by Norwegian Cruise Line but is also used by MSC Cruises and their only Caribbean ship, the MSC Divina.

The Kindle book by Bob Haefliger, advertised to the left, is a very indepth and up-to-date ebook guide to Great Stirrup Cay. Reviews are exceptional and at $4.99 we're still in the range of a bottle of water at the airport or cruise port. This is definitely a must read for anyone taking on a Norwegian Cruise with Great Stirrup Cay included in the itinerary.

The ship then possibly goes in reverse to spend a full day at sea before arriving at Freeport on Grand Bahama Island on Saturday, March 1. The distance from Great Stirrup Cay to Freeport is just over 100 kilometres or 60 miles. She docks in Freeport from 8am until 6pm before starting the short and slow journey back to Miami. Pearl arrives back at her home port at 8am on Sunday, March 2, 2014.

It wouldn’t be fair to ignore the fact that these dates are within the U.S. College Spring Break season. However, it is before grade school aged children take off school for a week.

The Price


Inside staterooms can be had on this sailing of the Norwegian Pearl for as low as $149 CAD per person. There is an additional $101.68 per person in government fees and taxes. The total, including taxes, for two can be booked today from $501.36.

Right now, Norwegian is also offering one coupon book per stateroom, good for up to $300 worth of onboard savings.

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.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

From $169 For 3 Port Calls In The Bahamas Aboard Norwegian Sky


It might be just a four night cruise but it packs a punch. On January 20, 2014, Norwegian Sky embarks from Miami, Florida for a four night journey around the Bahamas. Over the short cruise, the ports of call are packed in with three stops on the three full days between leaving and arriving back at Miami. Pricing may still have room to drop but even just under a month out, the rates are quite affordable.

The Cruise

norwegian sky bahamas cruise itinerary
 

This four night Bahamas cruise on board the Norwegian Sky embarks from Miami, Florida at 5pm on Monday, January 20, 2014. She arrives back in Miami at 7am on Friday, January 24. Sky crams in three port calls along the way with no full days at sea.


On Tuesday, Norwegian Sky spends the day at Great Stirrup Cay. The small island is located in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas and is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. She stays at this location from 8am to 5pm before moving on.

Next up is Nassau, Bahamas on Wednesday. Sky is docked at the largest city in the Bahamas from 8am until 6pm. Nassau has a population of around 250,000 and accounts for a good portion of the overall population of the Bahamas. January is a great time to visit Nassau with the average daytime high around 26 Celsius or 80 Fahrenheit. January is the city’s driest month.

The final stop is at Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. Norwegian Sky stops at the ‘second city’ of the Bahamas on Thursday from 8am to 5pm. Freeport is quite a bit smaller than Nassau with a population of around 60,000. Located a little further north, the average daytime high is three degrees Celsius less than Nassau but still an enjoyable 23 or 74 Fahrenheit. As with Nassau, January is one of Freeport’s driest months.

The Price


Currently, an inside stateroom on board Norwegian Sky can be had for as low as $169 per person. That equates to $42.25 per person per night. Added to that price is $101.07 in government taxes and fees. The total for two in an interior stateroom starts from $540.14. This deal is eligible for a $15 on board credit per stateroom.

Claustrophobic? Ocean View staterooms start from $229 per person. Balcony prices are decently priced from $349 per person.

The Ship


Norwegian Sky has had a bit of a broken life. She was originally ordered in 1993 and was to be the Costa Olympia for Costa Cruises. Construction on the ship was started by Bremer Vulkan in Germany. However, the company went out of business in 1997. Bremer Vulkan had been around since 1893 in the ship building biz, mostly cargo ships with just a few passenger cruise ships on the resume.

The ship that would become Norwegian Sky was then towed to Lloyd Werft in Germany where it was completed in 1999. The ship never sailed for Costa and was the Norwegian Sky from 1999 to 2004. She then became the Pride of Hawaii, still under Norwegian Cruise Line. In 2008, she returned to the Norwegian Sky name.

Back in September, 1999, on her inaugural cruise, Sky was at the mouth of the Saguenay River at the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada when she ran aground. The ship was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries.

One of two Sky Class Norwegian Cruise Line ships, Norwegian Sky is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 77,104. She is 260 metres or 853 feet in length and has nine decks accessible to passengers. Capacity on the vessel is for 2,004 guests with 934 crew members.

The other Sky Class ship is the Norwegian Sun. Sun is younger and slightly larger. She was put in service for NCL in 2001.

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.