Showing posts with label u.s. virgin islands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label u.s. virgin islands. Show all posts

Friday, April 11, 2014

Eastern Caribbean Cruise On Carnival Glory From $299!


You need a vacation now! Well, maybe you could hold out for another week. For as low as $299 (USD) you could be sailing on Carnival Glory out of Miami, Florida on Sunday, April 20, 2014 on a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise with four awesome ports of call.

The Cruise

carnival glory eastern caribbean cruise
 

Carnival Glory embarks from Miami, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, April 20, 2014 on a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise. She returns to Miami for 8am on Sunday, April 27. Along the way, Glory makes four port calls on some beautiful tropical islands.

First up is Nassau, Bahamas on Monday, April 21. This stop is short, arriving at 7am and leaving at 2pm. Next up is the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Carnival Glory arrives at St. Thomas Harbour on Wednesday, April 23 at 10am and stays until 6pm, giving plenty of time to enjoy the island’s shopping, beaches and awesome mountaintop views.



If it’s Thursday, Carnival Glory must be in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Plan to get up early to discover this historic city. The ship arrives at 7am and has another early departure time of 3:30.

Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos is the last port of call on this cruise. Glory arrives at Grand Turk at 11am on Friday, April 25. She is docked on this tiny island for just 6 ½ hours but that’s plenty of time to enjoy the location. From the upper decks of the ship, you will be able to see clear across Grand Turk to the ocean on the other side. Beach, water sports and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville – there ain’t much more.

The Price (all prices for Carnival are given in USD)



Right now, the Super Saver rate for this cruise starts at $299 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. There is an additional $125.52 in government fees and taxes added on per person. With taxes included, an inside cabin for two can be had for as low as $849.04 total.

With Carnival’s Super Saver rates, the stateroom is assigned at the time of boarding. The fee is non-refundable and must be paid in full at the time of booking.

The Ship 

carnival glory cruise ship
Built by Fincantieri in Italy, Carnival Glory made her maiden voyage in July of 2003. She is one of five Conquest Class ships in the Carnival Cruises fleet. All five are nearly identical and entered service between 2002 and 2007.

This is a large ship with a gross tonnage of 110,000. Glory is 290 metres or 952 feet in length with 13 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity is for 2,974 guests and 1,150 crew members. Carnival Glory is based out of Miami, Florida year round. She does a mix of seven night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The Western version typically stops at Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Mohogany Bay on the island of Roatan in Honduras and Georgetown, Grand Cayman.

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.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Unbelievable Price For A 11 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise On Norwegian Sun


Given the choice between a Western, Eastern or Southern Caribbean cruise out of Florida, ten times out of ten, I would choose the Southern itinerary. Why? You’re still visiting high traffic tourist traps but those destinations in the Southern Caribbean are just so much more exotic than those within swimming distance of Florida. The problem? Very rarely is there a great priced Southern Caribbean cruise out of Florida.

Well, we found one. The price is awesome and the itinerary aboard Norwegian Sun provides as much variety as possible for a cruise leaving out of Florida, as opposed to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The one issue is time. This is an eleven day cruise that may not agree with many people’s rigid vacation schedules.

The Cruise

norwegian sun southern caribbean cruise
 

Norwegian Sun embarks from Miami, Florida at 4pm on Thursday, March 6, 2014 on an eleven night Southern Caribbean cruise. Sun arrives back in Miami for 8am on Monday, March 17. Along the way, the ship makes five port calls. There are five full days at sea in which to enjoy all this modern ship has to offer.


For this itinerary, Norwegian doesn’t screw around with stops in the Bahamas. Rather, Norwegian Sun charges straight south for two full days through the Atlantic Ocean / Caribbean Sea and arrives at Oranjestad, Aruba on Sunday, March 9. The ship is docked at the ‘A’ of the ‘ABC Islands’ (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) from 8am until 5pm. In fact, NCL makes it very easy for passengers on this cruise with every port of call scheduled from 8am until 5pm.

Skipping Bonaire, Norwegian Sun stops at Willemstad, Curacao on Monday, March 10. After these two full days of near equatorial heat, culture, snorkeling and partying, take a day to relax on the ship before docking at Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday, March 12.

The fourth stop occurs on Thursday, March 13 and this is the one that should make your friends ask, “Say again? Where the hell were you?” Pointe-A-Pitre, Guadeloupe is the last true southern destination before heading northward.

The final stop occurs on Friday, March 14 at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Thomas is a pivot point in the Caribbean and is included in Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, as well as the Southern cruises. After leaving St. Thomas, you have two more full days at sea to soak in those last rays of tropical sunshine before flying back to the cold, cold north.

The Price


Don’t expect this price to last. That’s not a car salesman tactic, it’s simply the truth. An inside stateroom for this cruise can be had for as low as $479 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $108.87 per person in government taxes and fees tacked on, an inside cabin for two goes from $1,175.74.

From the inside out and up, the prices go up rapidly. An Ocean View cabin is still reasonable at $599. However, adding a balcony pushes the price to $1,099 per person and a suite is nearly double that at from $2,099 per person.  Present and former military personnel from Canada and the United States should note that discounts apply and an inside stateroom is reduced to from $449 for these heroes.

The Ship 

Norwegian Sun is one of two Sun Class ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. The other is Norwegian Sky, the older sister that was put in service in 1999. Sun was put in service in 2001 and was last refurbed in 2011.

This may have been a large ship in 2001 but is now closer to a medium sized boat. Norwegian Sun has a gross tonnage of 78,309 with a length of 258 metres or 848 feet. There are 13 decks accessible to passengers. The ship has a capacity for 2,002 guests, based on double occupancy. There are typically 968 crew members on board.

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.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Act Fast To Get This Great Norwegian Gem Eastern Caribbean Deal


This cruise is truly last minute and with the weather that’s hammering the Atlantic coast of North America, it could be a real challenge to get to. However, if you can make it to New York City and get on the Norwegian Gem by Saturday, February 8, 2014 at 4pm, you will definitely enjoy a great cruise at a great price.

The Cruise

norwegian gem 9 night eastern caribbean cruise
 

Norwegian Gem embarks from New York City at 4pm on Saturday, February 8, 2014 on a nine night Eastern Caribbean cruise. She arrives back in NYC at 10:00am on Monday, February 17. Along the way, the ship makes four port calls with one being rather unique to the Eastern Caribbean cruising world.


After two full days at sea, sailing away from winter, Norwegian Gem makes her first stop on Tuesday, February 11 at San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is docked in the Puerto Rican capital from 3pm until 9pm. The following day, it’s a short trip over to Philipsburg on the island of Sint Maarten. Gem enjoys her longest day in port here, docked from 8am until 6pm.

For Thursday, February 13, Gem shifts over to the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The ship will dock at the cruise port in St. Thomas Harbor at Charlotte Amalie from 8am to 5pm.

On her final port of call, Gem visits a location better known to the All-Inclusive Resort crowd and windsurfing enthusiasts. From 8am until 4pm, the ship is parked at Samana, Dominican Republic on Friday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day. On Eastern Caribbean itineraries in 2014, just Norwegian Gem, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and the Silversea Silver Spirit use Samana as a port of call.

The Price


Act fast and get an inside cabin for just $449 per person, based on double occupancy. Government fees and taxes are an additional $171.86 per person, bringing the total for a inside stateroom for two to $1,241.72 for this nine night journey.

Other levels of stateroom are also decently prices. An Ocean View cabin starts from $529 per person. A stateroom with a balcony starts at $899 per person. If you are or have been a member of the Canadian or U.S. armed forces, there is an additional discount of $20 person. New England residents get that same discount.

The Ship

Norwegian Gem is the newest of the Norwegian Cruise Line Jewel Class of ships. The Jewel Class consists of four ships put in service between 2005 and 2007. Gem was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and entered service in 2007.

Gem is a decent sized ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. She is 294 metres or 965 feet in length and has 12 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity onboard is for 2,394 guests, along with 1,101 crew members.

For 2014, Gem calls New York City home, with a selection of itineraries that include the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

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.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Norwegian Star Transatlantic Cruise: Now Cool With The Backpacking Crowd

What’s this? Our third Transatlantic Repositioning cruise in a row? Right now, with the Caribbean cruise high season well underway, repositioning cruises are the best deals in the business. Besides, this one’s really inexpensive and a bit unique in that it originates in Copenhagen and not Barcelona or ports in the U.K.

With prices as low as $399 per person (based on double occupancy) for an inside stateroom onboard the Norwegian Star on October 6, 2014 for its 14 night Transatlantic journey, it’s no wonder the vagabonding crowd have started to wake up to the idea of travel via cruise ship. After all, that price rivals some big city Europe hostels and is certainly cheaper than most hotels in the civilized world.

The Cruise

norwegian star transatlantic repositioning
 

Norwegian Star embarks from Copenhagen, Denmark at 5pm on Monday, October 6, 2014. Before arriving at Miami, Florida on Monday, October 20 at 7am, Star makes just two port calls. There is lots of time at sea to enjoy everything the ship has to offer. Or, you could write a book. I recently read an article by an author who takes these cruises across the ocean for just that reason.


On Saturday, October 11, Norwegian Star docks at Ponta Delgada in the Azores Islands of Portugal. She is in port from 8am until 5pm. Ponta Delgada is the capital of the Azores and is located on the island of Sao Miguel. The city is home to around 65,000 residents. This stop will not be a hot, sweaty tropical experience but the average October daytime high of 21.9 Celcius is more than comfortable.

Next stop for Star is in the Caribbean. She docks at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas Harbor on Friday, October 17 from 8am until 6pm. This, of course, is the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Be sure to hitch a ride to the other side of the island and relax at Magens BayBeach.

The Price


October 6, 2014 is still a long way away. However, the price will most likely not get any better than this. For an inside stateroom on the Norwegian Star, prices start as low as $399 per person in Canadian dollars, based on double occupancy. There is an additional $110.35 per person in government taxes and fees. This means that an inside stateroom for two can be had for as low as $1,018.70, taxes included.

Pricing on higher levels of staterooms is reasonable. An Ocean View stateroom can be had for as low as $549 per person. A Balcony stateroom is priced from $899 per person. Suites start at $1,349 per person. If you book before April 4, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Lines throws in one coupon book per stateroom valued at over $300 in onboard savings.

The Ship


norwegian star ncl panamax cruise 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 Classship 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.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Breakaway For A 12 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise From Just $749!


One of the newest cruise ships on the high seas. An amazing Southern Caribbean itinerary out of New York City. Now, an amazing price to go with it! Norwegian Breakaway embarks from the New York Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan on a 12 night journey with six port calls in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Lines has just come out with a hot deal with prices as low as $745 per person to be on this cruise.

The Cruise

norwegian breakaway southern caribbean cruise
 

Breakaway breaks away from New York City at 4pm on Sunday, January 5, 2014 at 4pm. Right off the bat, it will be worth braving the January cold to watch the Manhattan skyline shrink away as the ship makes her way down the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, into the Atlantic Ocean.

You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the features of this latest arrival in the Norwegian fleet with two days at sea before the first of six ports of call. The first stop isn’t until Wednesday, January 8 at San Juan, Puerto Rico from 3pm to 10pm.

The following day, Breakaway stops at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas Harbour in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She will be docked at this shopping mecca from 8am until 6pm, giving plenty of time to cross the island and spend time at the famous Magens Bay Beach.


More shopping and tropical beaches are in store on Thursday, January 9 as Breakaway stops at Philipsburg on the island of Sint Maarten. She stays from 8am to 6pm before departing for an overnight journey to Castries, Saint Lucia. This is another ten hour stop from 9am to 7pm.

On Sunday, January 12, Breakaway drifts over to Bridgetown, Barbados for an eight hour stay from 8am to 4pm. Her final port call comes the next day at Basseterre, St. Kitts, a nine hour stop from 9am to 6pm. Then comes plenty of time to relax and enjoy the open seas on the three day journey back to New York City. Norwegian Breakaway arrives back in Manhattan at 8am on Friday, January 17, 2014.

The Price



Right now, Norwegian Cruise Line has a ‘Hot Deal’ rate on this cruise from $749 per person, based on double occupancy, for an inside stateroom. There is an additional $163.16 per person in government taxes and fees, bringing the total price for two to $1,824.32.

For an Ocean View stateroom, add $200 per person. For a balcony, the hot deal is $1,099 per person before fees and taxes.

Because this is a ‘Hot Deal’, the full fee is due at the time of booking. Rooms are not assigned until the time of check in. This cruise qualifies for NCL’s latest bonus of a coupon book per stateroom valued at $300 for onboard services.

The Ship


Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, Norwegian Breakaway made her maiden voyage on April 30, 2013. She calls New York City her full-time home and is the first of four planned Breakaway Class ships for Norwegian.

Breakaway’s gross tonnage of 145,655 makes her the eighth largest cruise ship on the high seas. The vessel is 324 metres or 1,063 feet in length, nearly the length of three full NFL football fields. She has a passenger capacity for 3,969 with 1,651 crew members on board. There are 14 decks accessible to guests.

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.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Cruise On The Royal Princess From Just $549


Put in service in 2013 and one of the top ten largest cruise ships on the high seas, Royal Princess is the latest big thing in cruising and the new flag ship of the Princess Cruises fleet. Because of the novelty of the new ship and the big to-do that Kate Middleton christened her, pricing is set at a higher level than the rest of the Princess ships.

Typically, her Eastern Caribbean itinerary starts at anywhere from $699 to $1,200 per person. For a limited time, an interior stateroom can be had for as low as from $549 per person.

The Cruise


royal princess eastern caribbean cruise

The Royal Princess embarks on this seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, January 5, 2014. Because of the size of the ship, the typical Princess Eastern Caribbean itinerary is reduced to three port calls from four. The ship is unable to dock at Grand Turk.

On Monday, January 6, 2014, Royal stops at Princess Cays from 9am to 5pm. Princess Cays is a private beach at the southern tip of the Bahamas island of Eleuthera. There is no pier for ships to dock at so they must moor a ways away from shore and tender guests to the island on board smaller boats.


Royal Princess then travels south overnight and the following day to reach Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Royal docks in St. Thomas harbour on Wednesday, January 8 from 8am to 6pm. The highlights of the island include shopping and a trip to other side of the island to visit the famous Magens Bay Beach. Have you seen ‘Weekend at Bernie’s 2’? If yes, you will recognize Magens Bay immediately.

Her final port call is at Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maarten. Another shopping mecca, Sint Maarten is also home to Princess Juliana International Airport. The airport is famous for jumbo jets flying mere feet above the beach before landing.

The Price


Currently, Princess has a flash fare sale on this cruise with interior staterooms starting at $549 per person. This equates to $78.43 per person per night. Once she heads to Europe for the summer, the lowest price on Royal Princess starts at between $200 to $400 per person per night. One of her 10 to 11 night cruises on the other side of the Atlantic cannot be had for less the $2,300 per person before taxes are added.

With the $95 per person in government fees and taxes added, an interior stateroom for two can be had for $1,288 total. Normally, Eastern Caribbean cruises on Royal Princess start from $699 to $1,200 for the same interior stateroom. It should also be noted that the flash fare rate is available on all of Royal’s January cruises while still available.

The Ship


royal princess cruise ship
Royal Princess made her maiden voyage on June 16, 2013 after being christened by a pregnant Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Royal is the first of two Royal Class ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. Regal Princess is coming sometime in 2014 and will be nearly identical.

Built by Fincantieri on the northern Adriatic shores of Italy, Royal Princess has a gross tonnage of 141,000, making her the ninth largest cruise ship by weight on the high seas today. She is 330 metres or 1,083 feet long, making her the 13th longest cruise ship.

Passenger capacity on Royal is 3,560. There are 19 decks on the ship with 15 accessible to passengers.

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.